Matthew 14:23-24…Ready

Matthew 14:23-24…Ready

14:23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. (Jesus is still praying for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven.-Ps. 110:1, Rom. 8:34, Heb. 10:12-13)  When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves (Lit.-To be violently pounded and tossed by the waves.)  because the wind was against it. (Despite all their efforts to control their boat, the storm had driven them nearly four miles out into the very midst of the sea.-(New) (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermons

“Teaches how even in the storms of life Jesus is right there  praying and interceding for us.” → Jesus sees your need even before you do. Even before you know you have a need Jesus is out there putting the pieces together to meet and fill our need. The Lord is not reactive, He’s proactive always working in the background and getting things ready for you. It’s not just your prayers that set Him in motion. He’s working all the time in our situation even before you know you have a problem.

“Teaches no matter how distant or far off the Lord seems to be He is always present and watching over us.” → When you feel like you can’t see God. When it feels like God is not there. Remember you are not alone, God is always with you.. God knows exactly where you are and what your going through. Just because you can’t see God doesn’t mean He’s not providing or protecting you. God knows when were struggling and meeting with resistance.

“Even today, when were in the place of obedience in doing God’s will and we find ourselves in the storms of trials, struggles, and difficulties. It doesn’t mean God isn’t watching over us. Or God doesn’t love us or care for us! “→ Have you ever been doing exactly what God wanted you to do and life is still  difficult . Many people have this assumption that if your following the Lord and acting according to God’s will then everything in your life should be going smoothly. We think the safest place in the whole world is in the will of God. We think because were in the center of God’s will that means everything is going to be Handy-Dandy and Honkey-dory, nothing can go wrong But instead we find ourselves meeting with difficulty and resistance at every turn. And when things aren’t going smoothly we start to think maybe were outside God’s, maybe God’s trying to tell us something. Maybe I shouldn’t have married that girl, taken that job, bought that new car, etc. Or we think maybe I should just stop obeying and stop doing what the bible tells me to do, because it’s just not working for me. How can God be in this!. Or when things get hard we often blame it on the devil. And yes, sometimes it could be a spiritual attack. But when you blame everything on the devil you fail to recognize God’s hand in the Storm. There are two types of storms. There’s the Storms of “Correction”.  Storms that God brings into our life to correct us and discipline us when we fall into disobedience or stray from His path. Remember the story of Jonah, who was caught in a violent storm after disobeying God’s command to preach in Nineveh. The storm was a direct result of his disobedience and served to redirect him back to God’s will.  Sometimes we bring storms upon ourselves by making wrong choices and suffering the consequences that follow Then there’s the Storm of “Perfection”. Storms that God allows to come into our life to perfect us, mature us, grow us, strengthen us, and prepare us. Storms to develop  our character and deepen our faith. We all go through Storms. There’s health storms, relational storms, financial  storms, spiritual storms Maybe you’re going through a downturn in the economy right now. Maybe your marriage is on the rocks. Maybe your business is about to tank. Rather than give up in the Storm, we should be asking “Lord what do you want me to learn from this storm? I just got laid off and I can’t find a job. But what to you want me to learn from this situation. Lord my business is really suffering. But Lord what do you want me to learn from this situation. Lord my spouse and I are not getting along. But Lord what do you want me to learn from this situation. Instead of seeing the negative side of Storms, we should be asking Lord what’s on the other side of this Storm, .where is this ultimately leading? Remember the dripless, they landed at Gennesaret, a  lush and fertile area with abundant fruit and vegetation. For them it was also an opportunity to help others find healing. The trials and storms faced in life are not without purpose; they are allowed by God to develop perseverance, character, and hope. So always remember God does some of His best works in storms!

Additional Notes & Applications

Teaches the importance of prayer in getting some alone time with God and away from the crowds. If Jesus was God and needed this alone time with God, how much more do we need this as well.

Warns how proximity to Jesus is no guarantee of real faith.

Teaches how often times we struggle to row against the wind by our own human efforts thinking we can control the elements and circumstances around us, even as we face forces beyond our power to control.

This was nothing the disciples hadn’t experienced before. Most of them being seasoned fishermen were used to sudden storm coming up on the lake.

The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake shaped like an inverted pear. It’s 8 miles across at its widest point and 13 miles long. The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake shaped like an inverted pear. It’s 13 miles across at its farthest end. The Sea of Galilee lies in the lower portion of the Jordan Valley in a mountain range that rises to 4,000 feet above sea level. The lake itself is 700 feet below the Mediterranean Sea. The Sea was prone to sudden changes in wind and extreme waves, causing squall-like conditions. These storms are caused by the cold air rushing down from the mountains surrounding it and colliding with the warm moist air rising off the surface of the lake itself.

Traveling westward down the east coast towards Bethsaida and continuing to Capernaum required the disciples to follow a route along the shoreline of the lake. However, a strong wind pushed them out into the deeper part of the lake, making their journey challenging. According to John, the disciples had rowed 25 or 30 stadia, roughly 2.9 to 3.4 miles. Since boats back then used simple sails, sailing against the wind was difficult, forcing them to row the entire way. Mark’s account says they ended up in Gennesaret, southwest of their starting point. This means they intended to go northeast along shallow waters but were pushed southwest into the lake’s deep center, which is over 140 feet deep. This is an important detail. Because it rules out any natural explanations, such as the idea that Jesus walked on underwater rocks in shallow waters near the shoreline. The distance they traveled and their location in deep water make such explanations impossible.

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