Walking on Water – 3

Walking on Water – 3

Subject – Facing Difficult Challenges

by Rick Welborne

Matthew 14:22‑33 (NKJV) 

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 

24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 

26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 

28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 

29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 

30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." 

–Tonight I want to talk to you about the challenges of walking on water.

1. Stepping out to walk on water and being obedient to God is no guarantee that you will be spared adversity.

–I can guarantee you that if you have stepped out of the boat to help with missions that the day will come you will have the choice...give my faith promise or not. You must trust God. Just give it first with your tithe.

–As your faith is tested I challenge you to trust God and watch Him take you by the hand and save you!

–Whatever your storm, Jesus is saying...You can trust Me... Keep your eyes on Me! Jesus can be trusted with our destinies and He is saying...Take courage...It’s Me! A quote worth repeating:

Dale Brunner: According to Holy Scriptures, human extremity is the frequent meeting place with God.

–There are moments which are divinely appointed by God that will be defining moments in our lives. He will ask us to do extraordinary things...we must keep our eyes on Him.

Hebrews 12:1‑2 (NIV) 

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

–All the disciples were faced with the same challenge...Jesus is in the sea...we are in the boat...do we walk on water or stay in the boat...one got out of the boat. Peter. How about you?

2. As you attempt to walk on water you will be challenged to discern what is faith and what is foolishness.

–Peter said to Jesus...if it is you command me to come to you.

–Why do you think Matthew included this detail? Why doesn’t Peter just jump out of the boat and take off to Jesus? I think the reason is very important.

–This is not just a story about being a risk taker but it is a story about obedience.

John Ortberg: That means I will have to discern between an authentic call from God and what might simply be a foolish impulse on my part. Courage alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by wisdom and discernment.

–Matthew is not glorifying risk taking for its own sake. Jesus is not looking for bungee jumping, hang gliding, tornado chasing adventurers. 

–Peter does not view walking on water as a recreational sport...this is not about extreme sports but it is about extreme discipleship...ultimate obedience! Dare to trust God!

–What this means is that before Peter gets out of the boat and attempts to walk on water, he better make sure that Jesus thinks it is a good idea. Is it His will?

–Peter asks for clarity...If it is You, command me...We should do the same! This is powerful and important. 

–Out in the darkness, in the storm standing on the water, Jesus probably smiled because one of His disciples got it...saw what He was up to.

–Peter somehow understood that Jesus was wanting them to step out of the boat and to walk on water.

--He had enough faith to believe he could be a part of history by walking on the water to Jesus...2000 years later we are still talking about it. He became a history maker!

3. As you attempt to walk on water you will be challenged to simply get out of the boat.

–Try to put yourself in this story...you are in the middle of a violent storm...violent enough that seasoned fisherman were struggling to keep the boat from being capsized.

–The wind is violent...the waves are crashing against the boat...it is all happening in the darkness of night and you have no Dramamine! 

–These are the conditions that Peter was going to get out of the boat...it would be tough enough to try to walk on water when it is calm, the sun is bright, and the air is still.

–Imagine the terror of the moment...ghost on the water, wind, waves, and darkness.

–Put yourself in Peter’s place for a moment...you think you have an insight into what Jesus is doing...the Lord is passing by.

–He’s inviting you on the adventure of your life but at the same time you are scared to death. What would you choose–the water or the boat? We look back and know the end!

–At least in your mind...the boat is safe, secure, and comfortable (somewhat).  On the other hand, the water is rough, the waves are high, the wind is strong, the storm is out there.

–If you get out of your boat (whatever makes you feel secure), there is a good chance you are going to sink.  

–But if you do not get out of the boat there is a guarantee that you will never walk on water...This is an immutable law of nature.

James 4:17 (NKJV) 

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. 

–If you want to walk on water...you have to get out of the boat. So what is your boat?

–You were created for more than just sitting in a boat...you were made for more than just avoiding failure.

--Something inside of you wants to walk on water...to leave the comfort of your boat and abandon yourself to do something great for God...A History Maker!

–Again, I ask you...what is your boat? Your boat represents safety and security to you, apart from God Himself.

Ortberg:  Your boat is whatever you are tempted to put your trust in, especially when life gets stormy. Your boat is whatever keeps you so comfortable that you don’t want to give it up even if it’s keeping you from joining Jesus on the waves. Your boat is whatever pulls you away from the high adventure of extreme discipleship.

–Maybe it is your vocation or job, maybe it is a relationship that is holding you back, maybe it is secrecy with porn or pills, maybe your boat is trying to win the approval of a parent, maybe it is success.

–What is your boat? In what area of your life are you shrinking back from fully and courageously trusting God?  Fear will tell you what your boat is. Leaving it may be the hardest thing you ever do.

4. As you attempt to walk on water you will be challenged to see fear as an opportunity for growth.

2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV) 

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 

–We come now to the part of walking on water that we may not like very much and some will interpret as a negative confession.

–The choice to follow Jesus...the choice to grow...is the choice for the constant recurrence of fear. You’ve got to get out of the boat a little bit every day. 

–The disciples get into a boat, face a horrific storm, see what they thought was a ghost walking on the water, and they are afraid.

--Oh yes, they have been with Jesus and they had witnessed miracles but they were still afraid.  Jesus says:

Matthew 14:27 (NKJV) 

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 

–Peter was afraid but asks for permission to come to Jesus...don’t be afraid...How many of you truly believe this was the last time Peter would be afraid?  Denial of the Lord.

–Here is a deep truth about those who want to continue to walk on the water a little every day...The fear will never go away. 

--Why?  Because each time I want to grow, it will involve going into new waters, taking on new storms. And each time I do that, I will experience fear again.

Susan Jeffers: The fear will never go away, as long as I continue to grow.

–What is there to fear when we choose to never get out of the boat and attempt to walk on water. Fear and growth go together like chips and salsa! It is a package deal.

–The decision to grow (to get out of the boat) always involves a choice between risk and comfort.

–As a follower of Jesus (water walker) we must renounce comfort as an ultimate value of our lives...the American church is really into comfort. Our missionaries in the Live Dead adventure.

–Almost 400 times in Scripture fear is dealt with and much of that has to do with God telling His people to not be afraid...why?  Because they were.

–Number one chair in America...La-z-boy...we want to go home and veg out in our La-z-boy...we become couch potatoes...watch adventure on TV but do not do it.

–Eleven disciples (did not mind watching but did not want to do anything) became boat potatoes but before we are too critical maybe we should stop being pew potatoes.

–Millions of church people want the comfort they get from grace and mercy but want little to do with getting out of the boat and walking on water...too dangerous!

Joshua 1:6‑9 (NKJV) 

6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 

7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go!

--With Peter and Joshua God was giving a command…their job was to trust and obey! That is our job too! Water walkers experience fear but they also experience miracles!

I Can’t Stay Here – 2

I Can’t Stay Here – 2

Subject – Finding the Courage to Move from Where You Are

by Rick Welborne

1 Kings 19:1-8 (NLT2)
¹  When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.
²  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
⁵  Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
⁶  He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
⁷  Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
⁸  So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 

--Last week we started this series…I Can’t Stay Here…and it seemed to connect with many of you as well as with myself. We all can relate to Elijah at some point. 

-- Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--We talked about how ninety percent of our lives can be going so well but that ten percent that we cannot control is chewing us up. Your percentage might be different. 80-20, 70-30, or whatever it is.

--We have all seen people on this journey who seemed to be going full blast toward destiny only to crash and burn. Others seem to just disappear and we wonder where in the world did they go? 

--If we are fortunate enough to have not crashed (that anyone knows about) or have not disappeared we keep pressing forward knowing we can’t go back but we are becoming wearier the further we go. Exhaustion.

--Where did these people go who finally just couldn’t take it anymore? The sadness, the broken-ness, the emptiness of not arriving to that magical place of peace made them disappear into oblivion. 

--Have we preached a gospel that has misled people into believing that if they can only have enough faith they can get everything to a place of utopia in their lives? You can have everything you say. 

--Many have not disappeared yet…how do I know that? I know that because our church is filled with people (like me) who are stuck in this 90/10 syndrome.  

--Just the fact that I am including myself in this struggle make some nervous because we have learned to fake a place of walking with God pretending the fight does not exist. It exists. 

--As soon as I started working on this second sermon in this series a song came on Pandora that the style was getting on my nerves…I started to change it and Holy Spirit said for me to listen. 

--The song “We’re Blessed” had many scriptures in it but something was wrong…not just the tune but the message. Was it the Word? Much of it but the underlying message was this gospel of having it all.

Deuteronomy 28:3-7 (NKJV)
³  Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
⁴  Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
⁵  Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
⁶  Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
⁷  "The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 

--Don’t misunderstand me, I believe God does bless us and I believe I am so blessed in my life, I believe Life Church is blessed, I believe you are blessed, but that doesn’t take away the fact of the 90/10 syndrome. 

--Let me throw in here right now that I am walking this out before your eyes and trying biblical and spiritually to figure this out. Last week I mentioned Joseph and my struggle with his life and pain.

--Joseph was thrown in a pit by his brothers (10%), sold into slavery (10%), and ended up in Potiphar’s house in charge of everything but his wife. He experienced God’s wonderful blessings (90%).

Genesis 39:3-5 (NKJV)
³  And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.
⁴  So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
⁵  So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

--Obviously God’s blessings were on Joseph and everything was good. Really? Wasn’t he betrayed by his brothers and separated from his father (10%). Potiphar’s wife is on her way (10%). Prison was waiting.

--Please tell us what are you saying, Pastor Rick. I am telling you that you are blessed but I am also telling you that you are only one phone call or attack away from a major test or temptation in your life. 

--It may be a doctor saying you have a brain tumor, Leukemia, lung cancer. It may be a spouse who says I am done. It may be a son or daughter who is addicted to drugs. You fill in the blanks. Life changes quickly. 

--Somewhere along the way I believe we have bought into a myth in the church that we have to be at 100% all the time and if we are not, something is wrong with our faith. Just confess the bad away!

Bart Star (Green Bay Packers) – I wasn’t mentally tough before I met Coach Lombardi. I hadn’t reached the point where I refused second best. To win, you have to have a certain amount of mental toughness. Coach Lombardi gave me that. He taught me you must have a flaming desire to win. It’s got to dominate all your waking hours. It can’t ever wane. It’s got to glow in you all the time. 

--It’s got to glow in you all the time. It can’t ever wane. Really? I am not sure that is even impossible whether it is with football, with our lives, or in our walk with Christ. 

--We all end up under a broom tree or we end going fishing. Or, at least, we sit in service after service wishing we were fishing or wishing God would just take us home with Him.

--So many factors can knock the glow off of you. It could be other people (team-mates, spouses, church family) or it could be the simple progression of life. I can’t physically do what I used to do.

--Because we cannot perform at the same level as we used to, or because life has knocked the passion off of us, many of us, actually most of us, have learned to fake it or just pretend we still have it. 

--Years ago I heard of a family who were going to leave our church and here was their reason…Pastor Rick doesn’t have the same passion that he did before…the fire is gone. I called and set up a time to meet. 

--I confronted the man about what was said and he confirmed that it was true. I decided to do something bold and courageous…I decided to be as transparent with him as I could. 

--I told him that this has been one of the toughest seasons of my life. I told him of people saying about me what I wouldn’t say about an enemy. I told him of people leaving and saying hurtful things.

--I told him of health issues, family issues, prodigal issues, people issues that were heart wrenching, and I told him that this is not a time of revival but a time of survival. I am treading water, trying not to go under.

--I told him that in the middle of this, God has given me great and precious promises…He has promised me if I can hang in here that I will see growth spiritually, physically, and spiritually like never before.

--He had bought into the myth that Bart Star was talking about…It’s got to glow in you all the time. The truth is, I was not glowing and it is impossible for me to glow all the time. Impossible for you too.

--As I shared with this man he began to weep and he apologized. He said not only will I not leave the church but I will be here to hold up your arms and to see the miracles God promised you. He is still here.

--I Can’t Stay Here is a message to let us know that if we are so low that we have to reach up to rub an earthworm’s belly and going through the valley of the shadow of death…I can’t stay here anymore.

1. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

 Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
¹³  I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

--This has probably been one of the most abused verses in the Bible. When we process the Word of God through a gospel of prosperity…the ‘all things’ in this verse become whatever we want.

--If you read Paul in context, he was talking about an enduring faith that would carry him through whatever life would throw at him. Paul endured so much opposition and pain.

--We think…I can build my big new home, I can buy my expensive new car, I can have the nice things in this life and I can do it through Christ Who strengthens me. This would be Paul’s 10% or more I am sure:

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NIV)
²³  Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
²⁴  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
²⁵  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
²⁶  I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
²⁷  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
²⁸  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

--Paul was saying, yes life has been hard and yes it doesn’t seem fair sometimes but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. I can do all these things and still love Jesus.

--Jim Carter, Pam Mathis, and Bob Long are in the battle of their lives but they are all declaring…I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me and I can’t stay here. 

--I heard a faith preacher or at least one who was on the list of great prosperity preachers say this…If Paul would have had faith like I do, he (Paul) wouldn’t have had to go through all the mess he did. 

--Let me say it differently…It was Paul’s faith that made him declare…I can do all things (go thru all the mess) through Christ Who gives me strength. Our faith is enduring faith sometimes.

2. I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.

Philippians 4:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
¹²  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

--It was obvious Paul was not talking about Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, or Pennsylvania…he was talking about a different state. Whatever situation he was in or whatever was happening to him at the time.

--The American church or Americans in general have missed this discipline that Paul had. We believe we can have it all and we believe we should have it all now. Anything less and we are frustrated.

--If anyone on the planet should be thankful, it is us. We have more than any other country on the planet and our poor here would be wealthy by most country’s standards. We are not content.

--As believers we think that if I am truly right with God and truly asking for all these things…I should have them. But here we have the 90/10 syndrome where many countries it could easily reversed. Listen to Paul:

¹²  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

--To be fulfilled we have to be abounding in everything, we have to be full with all life offers, and we have to be blessed so that we have no need. Paul says words like abased, hungry, and suffering need yet content. We think we can have it all here but that is not what the Scriptures teach us. It’s a myth. 

Romans 8:18 (KJV)
¹⁸  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

3. I cant’s stay here anymore.

--I can’t stay in a place (emotionally and spiritually) where I expect life to always be wonderfully perfect. I can’t stay in a place where my spouse, my church, my friends, the government have to meet all my needs. 

--I can’t stay here anymore when there is a God to be worshipped who is worthy of all my love and all of my devotion whether life is good or bad, happy or sad, He is still worthy. 

--I can’t stay here anymore in a place of hiding from Jezebel, a place of guilt from denying Christ, a place of being sold into bondage and rejected by family…I can’t stay here anymore. 

--There is an answer to your lack, to your pain, to your sickness, to your frustration, to your loneliness, to your hunger, to your need…to your 10% and His Name is Jesus…run to Him!

Acts 4:12 (NKJV) ¹²  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Chains Broken

Chains Broken

Subject – Being Set Free from the Enemy

by Rick Welborne

Acts 12:5‑11 (NKJV) 

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 

7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 

8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 

9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 

10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 

11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people." 

–Some of you have shared with me that there seems to be opposition to your passionate seeking after God...no great surprise to that! There are many adversaries...and they want to kill, steal, and destroy!!!

1. We can expect there to be opposition to our desire to seek after God.

Acts 12:1 (NKJV)  1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 

–I believe the enemy is sending out harassing spirits to fight against the church and it comes in different forms ...comes thru thoughts, thru people, thru attacks on our family, thru all kinds of means:

Ephesians 6:10‑13 (NKJV) 

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

2. Paul was a strong believer...He had an amazing heart for God and people, and yet he was arrested.

4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 

–Well if he had been living right he would not have had all that opposition...let me say it in a different way ...because he was living right he had opposition! Paul was doing the will of God so therefore he had adversaries.   

3. The key to Paul’s deliverance was prayer:

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 

–How many of you know Paul was in deep...trouble?  No way...no way he is coming out of this one...two chains ...between two soldiers...more soldiers outside the door.

–The enemy wants us to look at our situation and just say there is no way...no way this time! I encourage you not to forget the God factor...it is not the size of your giant but the size of your God.

4. The chains have to fall off...they have to be broken!

7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 

–It is time that we understand that God wants the chains to fall off and for them to be broken off of our lives and bodies.

–The angel struck Peter...maybe the Holy Spirit or the Word of God has been striking you and telling you to “Arise quickly” God is about to set you free!!!

5. When Peter’s chains fell off see what happened. 

8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 

9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 

10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 

–Remember the guards were standing to keep the prisoner (Paul) in...but when God gets ready to bring them out, when the saints are fasting and praying...the door has to open.

–The chains fell off and Peter was led by the angel thru every door...thru every gate...the gate opened of its own accord...we thought this was a modern invention.

–God wants your chains to fall off tonight so that you can walk thru every door that God has set before you! All God has to do is speak the Word, to send His angel, and you will be set free!

–Question...do you want to be free and do you want it to be tonight?

Psalm 107:8‑14 (NKJV)  

8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 

9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. 

10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons‑‑ 

11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, 

12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. 

13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. 

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. 

I Can’t Stay Here

I Can’t Stay Here

Subject – Finding the Courage to Move from Where You Are

Rick Welborne

1 Kings 19:1-8 (NLT2)
¹  When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.
²  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
⁵  Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
⁶  He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
⁷  Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
⁸  So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 

--Today we are starting a new series that I feel is going to resonate with many of us, including myself. Sometimes, after serving God for a while, we find ourselves in a place much like Elijah.

--He had been greatly and miraculously used by God but now his life all of a sudden appears to be dark and empty. Before he felt he was headed for a specific destination but now he seems lost. 

--Someone was sharing with me the other day their frustration with life and how empty they felt. I knew their story so I took the liberty to do an evaluation of where they were.

--This person (older than me) had been very successful in their career, had plenty of finances to retire, surrounded by family and friends, and had a miraculous encounter with Jesus…this person was healed. 

--I told this person…you have felt so blessed in so many ways…you have even felt successful in ways you could have only dreamed, ninety percent of your life absolutely could not be better. 

--The problem is that 10% that you cannot ever seem to get where you want it to be. You pray, you fast, you beg God, you read books, you do everything, yet that part of your life is sucking the life out of you.

--Sadly, this is not something you have dealt with for a few days, a few months, and not even a few years. This has become your thorn in the flesh that seems to have plagued you for years. How did you know?

--I did not ask this person what the 10% was because that was between them and God. How did I know? I knew because I have had the 10% syndrome also making me feel the same way. 

--Why is human nature that way that, 90% of our lives can be wonderful but we can’t seem to enjoy it because the 10% keeps us pre-occupied with hurt and frustration. Emptiness and pain.

--It is as though our lives are a mindless and spiritless journey crammed with events (not experiences) and contacts (not relationships). Where am I going? What does all this mean?

--Why has this journey with Jesus turned into a wearisome journey? When will I find tranquility and peace again? To claim that such questions do not occur to a Christian is to be unrealistic, and actually, unhelpful.

--For many, and maybe for most, these questions come and they come often and for those who deny it, I will give you the benefit of the doubt that your life is always all together. 

--I think Simon Peter was in the middle of one of those dark road experiences when he said, “I am going fishing.” My guess is Peter was on the edge of physical, spiritual, and psychological burnout.

--Too much was happening too fast in his life and he was struggling to process it all. Judas betrayed Jesus, he denied Him, the trial, the crucifixion, and rumors of Jesus’ resurrection was taking its toll.

--The inner personal world of Peter could only absorb so much and we could argue he should have been informed and ready, the truth is, he wasn’t. Neither are we ready all the time when things mount up.

--He became numb and retreated to the only thing he knew he could do with certainty…go fishing. Maybe going back to what he was familiar with would restore that which he had lost deep within. What’s your default?

--When things do not go well for us we all have a default mechanism that we run to…hopefully it is God, but many times, that is not the case. Porn, drugs, relationships, alcohol…maybe you go fishing or play tennis.

--Peter’s struggle, Elijah’s struggle with all this weariness did not go on forever. Jesus showed up for Peter and the angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) shows up with loving kindness for Elijah.

--The similarities are amazing…they show up with food, water, and hope. Jesus is doing the same thing for you and me today, He is showing up with food (the Word), water (Holy Spirit), and with hope of a future.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NLT2)
¹¹  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
¹²  In those days when you pray, I will listen.
¹³  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

--Jesus shows up to encourage…He dealt with the pain in Peter’s life of guilt and shame, the embarrassment of failure or running, the confusion of mixed motives and goals. He comes to restore us. To heal us.

--This encounter…this wonderful encounter, whether it is here at our altars, in your car, or next to your bed at home…the mission of Jesus is to get us to the place where we say…I can’t stay here.

--We think we can arrive at this place of contentment by doing more, doing more, faster, if we are busier and going at a break-neck speed, we can arrive at our destination faster. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way.

--We find that every mile we travel we grow more and more frustrated and tired. I must admit that there is no fatigue like thinking I have to get myself to a destination and I have to hurry. End up under a broom tree.

1 Kings 19:3-4 (NLT2)
³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--We have all seen people on this journey who seemed to be going full blast toward destiny only to crash and burn. Others seem to just disappear and we wonder where in the world did they go? Under a bridge somewhere.

--If we are fortunate enough to have not crashed (that anyone knows about) or have not disappeared we keep pressing forward knowing we can’t go back but we are becoming wearier the further we go. Exhaustion.

--We have all had well-meaning Christian friends who have given us the plan, the formula, the teaching, the conference, the evangelist, or whatever that guaranteed would bring us out of our valley. It didn’t.

--I finally got frustrated with taking people to conferences that were designed to sell us products that would revolutionize our church…we would come home and everyone wanted me to implement the plan. More work!

--What I quickly discovered was that there are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, no easy ways to cultivate an intimacy with God and attain the resulting passion that should carry one through life’s journey.

--Listen to Elijah’s words (the guy who just called fire down from heaven and killed 850 false prophets), I have had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. 

--How many of you are glad that God has not answered all of our prayers…I’ve had it, God, so just kill me! We probably do not want to ever confess the times we asked God to kill others in our lives. 

--We can try the methods and the gimmicks to get through a time like this but what I have discovered is that there are no shortcuts or no easy ways to cultivate a close loving relationship with God.

--What I do know about being in this valley of the shadow of death is this…I can’t stay here. I need something …I need someone who can bring me out and renew the passion that will carry me through.

--We feel as though one more criticism from our spouse, one more negative thing from a church member, one more straw on the camel’s back and something is going to break. We hear about a wonderful breakthrough:

Gordon MacDonald – It dawned on me that I and scores of others were paying a terrible price for this search for some magical breakthrough. We were trying harder, working longer, breathing heavier, and getting wearier. And it was an unpleasant journey when it should not have been. We would have never admitted it, but we were tired of God, of faith, and faith’s people. Now, how could a call to abundant living turn into such dullness of spirit. That we should tire of Him was not God’s fault. Rather this weariness calls into question the system of spirituality many of us have been taught. 

--The Bible is filled with story after story about great breakthroughs that people have experienced, but if you think like I do, you ask what happened during those times that are not recorded in the Word?

--For example, after Jesus’ appearance in the temple talking with the scholars we know He grew in wisdom and stature after that but what happened to Him until He was thirty years of age?

--Probably the person I have thought about the most in this regard has been Joseph…when he was a teenager he was given great promises. Best estimates say that it was about a 22-year process to get him to the prize.

--I have asked the question (at least in my mind) how did he handle the meanness of his brothers, Potiphar’s wife lying, and being forgotten in prison. How was he processing all this stuff?

--Yes, we have glimpse of his heart and endurance but we do not see it all. Just like with each other, we get small windows into each other’s lives but we do not know what the whole story is.

1. Between the promise and the prize there is a process.

--You see; it is during the process where the battle is won or lost. We can all come and worship God on Sundays or Wednesdays, but it is a long lonely time from one service to the next.

--Until we become transparent about the alone times and the struggles we have, it will be hard for us to find healing and wholeness in our lives. We all have been hurt or we have hurts we are dealing with now.

Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 

Luke 4:18 (NCV)
¹⁸  “The Lord has put his Spirit in me, because he appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly… 

--There it is…God sent Me to free those who have been treated unfairly. During the quiet times we try to process why people and even why God is treating us unfairly. It hurts. Marriage, family, church, work.

--We have to be willing to get past our stage face and be honest with ourselves, honest with others, and honest with God. Between the promise and the prize there is a process and it hurts. 

2. It is much easier to tell others how to get out of their pit than to get out of ours. 

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 

--Our preachy nature makes us rush past where the psalmist was to where God brought him. He is in a time of waiting (a time of process), a time of crying, a time in a horrible pit, and a time of being stuck…miry clay. 

--If you study the word ‘inclined’ it tells us when a person is actually on their death bed and the only strength they have is to get out a whisper…God bends down low to make sure He hears the heart of the person hurting. 

--As we walk through this process together…I Can’t Stay Here…I want to assure you that no matter where you are in this process, your Heavenly Father is bending low to hear the faintest whisper. 

--The purpose of these verses and this series is to make sure you know you have a God Who wants to bring you out of your pit, to set your feet upon the Rock (Jesus), and to put a new song in your heart. 

--Many need a song…I need a song. You cannot understand what I am talking about today, please pray for those of us who need their spiritual passion to be renewed by what God does in us. Take notes. You’ll need it!

3. I can’t stay here.

--So why am I preaching this series? I believe there is a real group of American Christians who are growing more and more weary as they continue on this journey.

MacDonald – We have tried the gimmicks, the programs, the promises of a thousand and one gurus of the faith. Here and there one view or another seems to catch on. But for many, the journey is a bore-some task, but we can’t turn back, but we’re almost too tired to go on. 

1 Kings 19:4 (NLT2)
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--Elijah had had it and many of you, many of us, have had it too. I see it in your faces. Elijah was physically, spiritually, and emotionally worn out…burn out. God had a word for him and for us!

Get up and eat! Declare…I Can’t Stay Here Anymore!

Walking On Water - 2

Walking On Water - 2

Subject: Do Not Let Jesus Pass You By

by Rick Welborne

Mark 6:45‑51 (NKJV) 

45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 

46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 

48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 

49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 

50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 

51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 

–Last week we talked about getting out of the boat and walking on water...we talked about the process where God calls us to trust Him and obey even if it is out of our comfort zone.

1. When God asks us to get out of the boat and walk on water there is always the call.

–God calls an ordinary person to engage in an act of extraordinary trust...that of getting out of the boat.

Romans 11:29 (NKJV) 

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 

Proverbs 3:5‑6 (NKJV) 

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

2. When God asks us to get out of the boat and walk on water, there is always fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) 

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

3. When God asks us to get out of the boat and walk on water, there will always be God’s reassurance. 

4. When God asks us to get out of the boat and walk on water, there is always a decision.

5. When God asks us to get out of the boat and walk on water, there is always a changed life.

–It was interesting to hear so many talking about God’s call and the process they went thru in obeying Him and even some who struggled to obey Him.

–Tonight we will look at what Jesus was doing or attempting in the lives of the disciples when Mark records:

Mark 6:48 (NKJV) 

48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 

–Today I want to speak to you about: Do not let Jesus pass you by.

1. Recognize Jesus, and do not let Him pass you by when it seems your boat is going to sink.

–One of the things that we struggle with so much when we are in the storm is recognizing the power and presence of God. Didn’t He say He would never leave us?

Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)
¹⁹  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

–So what was Jesus up to when He was out walking on the sea at three in the morning?

–What was His purpose or His intention of passing them by? Was He trying to show them how cool He was to be able to walk on water.

John Ortberg: David Garland points out the verb parerchomai (to pass by) is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament as a technical term to refer to a theophany—those defining moments when God made “striking and temporary appearances in the earthly realm to a select individual or group for the purpose of communicating a message.”

–God put Moses in the cleft of the rock so he could see God’s glory pass by...God told Elijah to stand on the mountain “for the Lord is about to pass by.”

–There are always patterns to these revelations whether thru a burning bush, thru wind or fire or even walking on the water...with each person God was calling them to do something extraordinary for Him and to see His glory.

–Fear was always in their lives, but when they recognized Who it was, Jesus, they made a decision to say yes to Him...they truly experienced the power of God in their lives. It was Life Changing!

–The whole concept of the series ‘I Love My Church” was hopefully to connect you on a deeper level. It may just be the Lord’s time and way of telling you to get out of the boat and walk to Him.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NCV)
²⁴  Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.
²⁵  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming.

–Pastor, I have been hurt...I’ve been burned...all of us have been hurt or disillusioned at some time but never do we get an option to quit: Remember:

Romans 11:29 (NKJV) 

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 

2. Recognize that this is a chance of a lifetime, and do not let Jesus pass you by.

–Is your boat filling up with water? Are the winds and waves pushing you all around? Are you thinking...there is no recovering from this situation. I lost my chance to minister.

–Cry out to Him with all your heart:

Mark 10:46‑52 (NKJV) 

46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 

48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 

49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." 

50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 

51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." 

52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

–He heard Jesus was passing by and he knew this was his opportunity for God to heal him, to restore him, to use him for His glory.

–He began to cry out...They warned him to be quiet...there are always those who will warn you to be quiet ...don’t make a scene...don’t bother Jesus...this is your lot in life. Ignore them kindly!

–No way! Jesus is passing by and this my opportunity...It may be my only opportunity...He cried out all the more...Son of David, have mercy on me!

–Some of the most powerful words in the Bible...Jesus stood still...Bartimaeus had Jesus’ attention. Jesus is close by for a reason. He loves you!

–Maybe you are hurting, brokenhearted, sick, blind, broke, feel burned out...you fill in the blank...Cry out to Jesus until He stands still for you and calls you to Himself.

–What do you want Me to do for you? A blank check! Are you kidding me? I want to see...I want to be able to see You Jesus! Immediately He received His sight.

–Get out of your boat...cry out to Him...let Him turn your life around! Surrender totally to Him! I don’t mean for you to try Jesus…He is Lord and He is not to be tried but to be served and obeyed.

3. Recognize that obedience to Christ is no guarantee that you will not have adversity.

Psalm 34:19‑22 (NKJV) 

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. 

20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 

21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 

22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. 

–Wasn’t it Jesus Who told them to get in the boat and to go to the other side...The One Who had power over the sea, over the winds and waves thought it was time for them to see Who really is in charge.

Mark 6:45-46 (NCV)
⁴⁵ Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida across the lake. He stayed there to send the people home.
⁴⁶ After sending them away, he went into the hills to pray. 

--Jesus instructed them to get in the boat and to go to the other side. Let me mess with your theology a little bit. Would Jesus ever send us into trouble? Into a storm?

--Just as a reminder, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted or tested by the devil. Yes, God would send us into a storm, not for our destruction but for His glory. 

--If that was not enough…once He sent them into the storm, He went to the hills to pray. Does God hear His prayers? Of course. Would He be praying the perfect will of the Father? Of course!

Romans 8:34-39 (NKJV)
³⁴  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
³⁵  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶  As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
³⁷  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
³⁸  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
³⁹  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

–I am sure Peter said we have this thing...I am a fisherman and I know the sea...really? Don’t trust yourself when Jesus is so near. Don’t let Him pass you by!

–Jesus: Yes, guys you will have adversity but understand that I can be trusted...If I say get in the boat and go to the other side...you will get there. Your destiny is in My hands. How many of you believe that?

–There will be those defining moments which are divinely appointed by God which will shake us to our foundations, to our core...not a time to pull back or quit.

–If you were to take a survey of all those in this service tonight who have been at the breaking point...that would be most of us...it is not a time shrink back.

Hebrews 10:37‑39 (NLT) 

37 “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 

38 And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” 

39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. 

Dale Brunner: According to the Holy Scriptures, human extremity is the frequent meeting place with God. 

–When you get to the end of yourself, when it appears all hope is lost, when you think you are going under, when you have been given no chance by the doctors...reach up...Cry out...You just might touch the hand of God!

–Key: Do not let Him pass you by!