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[0:00] Good morning. Good morning. A warm welcome to the service this morning. It's good to see all of you. get to see a number of visitors with us as well today during the services to my back.

[0:33] But I think everybody who's here would know that. So that's fine to note. The next thing, actually, I'm not going to go through all the notices, but I'm looking through 22 here and just trying to figure out which ones I'll highlight.

[0:50] So the next thing to note is that we're starting to have an informal prayer meeting before the Sunday evening services. The session, I've been talking about the POV and what happened at that and some of the follow-ons from that.

[1:05] So one of the things the session decided to do in the last meeting is from half past five through to about five to six, we'll have an informal prayer time in the room, not the room there, but the room behind it.

[1:19] So it's half past five to five to six and anybody is welcome to come along to that informal prayer time, short prayers and anybody is able to attend and pray.

[1:30] Service this evening will be taken by Scott. He's in Leverborough this morning. He'll take the evening service and the YF will be on tonight. That's for S1 to S6 children or young people.

[1:43] Just to say that I am going to be away from tomorrow, the 19th of May through until the 4th of June and you've got the details on there.

[1:55] So you've got a description of my movements over the next couple of weeks and just to note that and I would appreciate your prayer for these different things as we go to Romania, a few of us and with the General Assembly and with the Communion weekend as well.

[2:12] I would appreciate your prayers for these different things. If there's any pastoral issues in my absence, speak to Scott, please, in the first instance and if you need to speak to another minister, we'll have that arranged.

[2:27] Services next Sunday, the morning service will be taken by Gordon and the evening service will be a Gaelic service and that will be followed by an English fellowship which has been organised by Aman and Lucy, Richard and Emma.

[2:43] So you'll get more information on that next week. The Kids Club volunteers for Jam and Connect and Rooted, we're having just a thank you meal this coming Thursday at half past six.

[2:58] So you should have had an invitation if you're a helper at any of these clubs and if you haven't, this is your invitation and you would be more than welcome to join for half past six on Thursday.

[3:09] I notice the celebration meal has happened when Gordon and I are both absent. So maybe that's so the quantities of food can be reduced significantly. And lastly, it's with great sadness that we heard of the passing of the Reverend Rory Morrison on Friday of this week past.

[3:30] Rory was very much loved by the congregation here. He preached, he pastored many times over the years. He was here for, I think, almost two years round about 2012 to 2014, which wasn't an easy time, but it was a time where he gave great stability and there was great gospel fruit during that time.

[3:56] And all the years after that, as I would visit Rory, I would be reminded of the fact that every day, although he wasn't with us and able to come because of his health, he prayed for the congregation every single day.

[4:13] And so he continued, although maybe unseen from our physical eyes, he continued to be a huge influence and support in the congregation over these many years.

[4:26] So Rory was of, he was over the course of these years, a good and faithful servant. And I was thinking this morning of the verses.

[4:40] He fought the good fight, he finished the race well, he kept the faith, and he is now with the Lord at rest, knowing joy and more alive than he ever has been.

[4:55] So our prayers are with Chrisanne and Uriel and Derek and the wider family. There's no funeral arrangements confirmed yet, but it's likely to be Wednesday of this week.

[5:07] And when we hear that, we can pass that on through an email perhaps. These are all the intimations and we'll now begin this time of worship.

[5:20] We'll worship God by singing to his praise. Mission Praise 51, Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of My Heart. Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart, Not the all else to me Save that Thou art.

[6:02] Thou my best hope, My day or my life, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

[6:20] Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true word. I am with me, Thou with me, Lord.

[6:37] Thou my great Father, Thou my true Son. Thou with me dwelling, and I with thee one.

[6:55] Be Thou my God, What who shields for for the fight. Be Thou my dignity, Thou my divine.

[7:11] Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower. Praise thou the heavenward, O power of my blood.

[7:30] Riches I need not, nor hands empty praise. Thou my inheritance, thou and always.

[7:47] Thou art the holy first in my heart. Thy King of heaven, thy treasure, thy heart.

[8:04] Thy King of heaven, of the victory won. May I reach heaven's joys, O bright and sun.

[8:20] Heart of my old heart, whatever before. Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

[8:40] Let's unite our hearts in prayer together. Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, we thank you for this, your day.

[8:59] And we thank you for the words of the hymn that we've sang. Words that are so familiar to us and words that we love to sing. We thank you that we are in that hymn directed to fix our eyes on Jesus, to make you our vision.

[9:19] The Lord of our hearts. And we thank you that you are our Lord. We thank you that you are our God, that you are our Savior. We thank you, Father, that we can come to you in prayer, knowing that because of Jesus, your Son, we have that assurance that we will be heard, that we will be received.

[9:39] Even that we will be blessed, because we are told that where two or three meet together in the name of Jesus, there is that assurance that you are here and that to bless. So we pray for that blessing.

[9:51] We pray for a sense of God, the Holy Spirit, here with us, so that as we read the Bible, your word, it would come to us in the power of the Holy Spirit.

[10:03] We pray that it would penetrate our minds and our hearts, and that we would be responsive, that we would be given faith, that we may not just hear, but that we would take hold of your promises, that we would know the joy of receiving and leaning, resting in the promises of God.

[10:23] And we thank you, Lord, for the gospel and for all the promises that are ours in Christ Jesus. We thank you that if we believe in him, we have the promise that our sins are forgiven and that we have eternal life.

[10:39] For God so loved the world, he sent his only Son, so that whoever believes shall not perish, but have everlasting life. And we thank you even on this Lord's Day, the first day of the week, that we are reminded of the fact that Jesus, our Saviour, died for our sin, and he rose from the dead.

[10:59] And we praise you for the hope that that gives to us, each one of us who are in Christ. We thank you for the comfort that brings to us also when we think of those who have gone on ahead of us from this world.

[11:15] And this morning, in particular, we think of the Reverend Ronnie Morrison. We are thankful for his life. We are thankful for his ministry, for his friendship, for his counsel, for his prayers.

[11:29] We thank you for the way that you used him here and in many different places over many years. And although he has gone from this world, although physically he has died, we thank you that we have the promise that those who die in the Lord go to be with Jesus.

[11:51] And so we thank you for the promise that we have for Roddy. We thank you for the promise that he is with the Lord, that he is even more like the Lord.

[12:10] And so we ask, Lord, that you would comfort all who miss him the most. We miss him as a congregation, but we think especially of his family, of Crisanne and Muriel and Derek and the wider family.

[12:27] We pray, Lord, for your comfort for them. And we pray that as arrangements are made over the next few days, that you would give them strength. And that even in the service, the funeral services, that the Lord Jesus would be lifted up.

[12:43] And all that Roddy did so faithfully over the years would continue. And we ask, Lord, that Jesus would be lifted up in that time and that many more would be drawn to him.

[12:59] We pray also for those who grieve others known to us in the community. We think of Ella Weir having lost her husband so suddenly. And we ask for your comfort and your strength to be given to her.

[13:13] We pray also for the McSweeney family with the funeral that is scheduled for Thursday. And we pray for the Morrison family having met yesterday.

[13:25] We ask, Lord, for your comfort and your blessing to be upon them. We thank you that we do have this hope in Jesus. And we ask, Lord Jesus, that we would each one be trusting in you.

[13:40] We pray for those also who struggle with ill health at this time. We think especially of Adrian Glenn in hospital recovering from a heart attack. And we ask, Lord, that you would uphold him, that you would strengthen him.

[13:54] And that you would be with Ina and Jimmy and the rest of the family at this time. So hear our prayers and go before us in this service.

[14:05] Help us to fix our eyes upon Jesus. Take away our sin. Empty us of self. Take away every distraction. And enable us to be in the spirit of worship on the Lord's day.

[14:18] And we ask this in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. Amen. Boys and girls, would you like to come forward, please? Amen. Amen. You don't have to if you don't want to go.

[14:37] Don't worry. So boys and girls, did you have a good week at school?

[14:56] Kind of, yeah. What was your favourite day of the week? Friday. This week passed. Early day or early day. What was it?

[15:06] What day did you have? Finley? Friday. Friday. Why was Friday such a special day? Finley and Shawnee together. Sports day. It was sports day. And so I wasn't at your sports day, but I heard about your sports day.

[15:21] And I heard that some of you are super, super fast runners. And did you all enjoy it? Yeah. All enjoyed the sports day.

[15:34] In the sunshine this year for once. Now, I am. I'm not very fast. And so I'm not.

[15:44] You shouldn't be laughing, Benjamin. Yeah, you can laugh. I'm not very fast. I'm not a very fast runner. So I was wondering if some of you fast runners could teach me, how do you run a race?

[15:59] I was going to be more specific, but let's just see what comes. Benjamin, how do you run a race? You stretch your legs first.

[16:12] That's good advice. So you stretch your legs. How do you stretch them? Just you stretch your legs before you start running. That's important before you get an injury, isn't it?

[16:22] Yep. And then what next? Finley? You don't look back. Why don't you look back? Because then you have to walk.

[16:37] Yeah. So you're looking backwards. Then you're going to have to walk. You lose your way. Shawnee? You run. You run, don't you? So when you're running a race, I have to remember this.

[16:50] I've got to stretch before I start. And then I put my legs one in front of the other and run. And I don't look backwards.

[17:02] Do I look sideways? I don't look sideways. Which way do I look? I look forward. And if I look forward and I run the race, then I'm going to have a much better chance, aren't I?

[17:17] So I look forward. What do I look forward to? Do I look forward to Stornoy? The finish line. The finish line. So you fix your eyes on the finish line.

[17:28] And after you've done your stretches, you look forward and you just run. And so if I do that, then maybe I'll be a bit better at racing.

[17:39] Probably won't beat too many of you because I'm a buttock now. But that's good advice. One more thing. I've heard as well that some of you guys are very good at cycling your bikes.

[17:55] Can you all cycle a bike? Yeah? Now, see when you're cycling a bike, where do you look? Forward. Where?

[18:06] Forward. You look forward, don't you? I remember when I just learned to ride a bike when I was just a wee boy. And after I learned to ride a bike and I managed to get my balance, do you know what I kept doing?

[18:21] You know what I kept looking? I kept looking at my feet. So I was trying to make sure my feet were turning right. And I was looking at the chain.

[18:32] I was looking at my feet. And do you know what kept on happening? Kept on crashing. And so I was trying to sort my feet out, but I was forgetting there was a lamppost up ahead.

[18:45] So when I'm cycling, I've got to look straight ahead. And that way, I'll keep good balance and I won't crash into a wall. Yeah? So it's all about running and it's all about sight.

[19:00] It's all about looking forward and fixing our eyes straight ahead. Right. Now, today in the sermon, which you'll not hear because you'll be at Sunday school, we're going to be looking in Matthew chapter 14.

[19:14] And in that chapter, there's a story and it's about Peter. Do you know Peter? Who's Peter? He's a fisherman.

[19:24] Yeah. He's a fisherman. He's a disciple. He was a fisherman. And Jesus called him to be a disciple. He says, I'm going to make you fishing for men and women and boys and girls.

[19:35] And so, Peter is in a boat with the rest of the disciples and it started to get rough. You ever been in a boat when it's been rough?

[19:47] Well, you can be thankful for that. So it got rough and it started to be pushed around and they were trying to get to the other side and the wind was going against them. And they were scared.

[20:00] And then they saw somebody walking towards them and the person who was walking towards them was walking on the water.

[20:12] Who do you think it was? It was Jesus. And so Peter, do you know what Peter said? He said, if it's you, Jesus, tell me to come out of the boat to you.

[20:27] I'm not sure what Peter was thinking when he said that. But that's what he said. He said, if it's you, Jesus, tell me to come to you. And Jesus said, come. And so Peter stepped out of the boat onto the sea.

[20:43] And what do you think happened? What do you think happened, Keith? Not at first. What do you think happened at first? He walked on the water.

[20:58] His eyes were on Jesus. And he was listening to what Jesus said. He was saying, come. And he started walking on the water. But it was still rough.

[21:09] And he was hearing the wind and the spray and the waves. And he got stressed. And he took his eyes off Jesus. And he started looking at his feet and at the waves.

[21:20] And guess what happened then? Yeah, he started to sink. And when he started to sink, do you know what he said? He said, Lord, save me.

[21:32] What do you think Jesus did? He put out his hand. And he pulled him up. And he was safe. And he took him then into the boat.

[21:43] And Jesus went into the boat with them. And so Peter learned a lesson. And the lesson that he learned and the lesson that he teaches us through that chapter is we have to fix our eyes on what?

[21:58] Or we have to fix our eyes on who? We've got to fix our eyes on Jesus. And how can we see Jesus? And how can we hear Jesus? Johnny?

[22:10] Well, we pray. We pray. Bible. Church. Sunday school. Jam. Connect. Rooted. SU.

[22:20] All these things God has given us to help us fix our eyes on Jesus. So, boys and girls, today, I want to remind you as I remind me.

[22:34] Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. So let's pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you love us. We thank you that you are our Savior.

[22:45] And we thank you that when we fix our eyes on you, we are kept steady. We know that sometimes we take our eyes off you and we feel like we're sinking. But we pray that you would help us, whether we're young or whether we're older, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

[23:02] And we thank you that as we do, you promise to hold us safe. So hear our prayers and help us, we ask. In Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to sing now, and we'll sing Mission Praise 1141.

[23:17] You're the Word of God the Father. You're the Word of God the Father.

[23:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[24:07] of creation, you're the Lord of every man, and your guide of love resents across the land.

[24:21] Yet you left the gaze of angels came to seek and save the loss, and exchanged the joy of heaven for the anguish of a cross.

[24:36] With a great friend of a great, with a word you still deceive, yet I silently you suffer, that the guilty may go free.

[24:52] You're the author of creation, you're the Lord of every man, and your cry of love rings out across the land.

[25:06] With a shout to Rose Victoria, resting greatly from the grave, and ascended into heaven, leading practice in your way.

[25:21] And you stand before the Father, interceding before you, Lord, from each time and time and nation, you are need to still your war.

[25:37] You're the author of creation, you're the Lord of every man, and your cry of love resents across the land.

[25:50] And boys and girls, if you head to Sunday school, remember to pray for them as they go.

[26:01] and Sorry about the microphone.

[26:36] It is broken. So I will try and speak out as much as I can. You can't hear me, raise your voice. I'll try and go a bit louder. Matthew chapter 14.

[26:51] And if you could turn to verse 22. We've been studying Matthew's gospel and we've come to this section that I was speaking of with the children where Jesus walks on the water.

[27:12] Matthew chapter 14 and verse 22. This is God's word. Immediately he, that's Jesus, made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds.

[27:26] And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.

[27:41] And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, it is a ghost.

[27:53] And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid. And Peter answered him, Lord, if it's you, command me to come to you on the water.

[28:08] He said, Come. So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me.

[28:23] Jesus immediately reached out to sand and took hold of him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased, and those in the boat worshipped him, saying, Truly, you are the Son of God.

[28:44] Amen. And may God bless that reading of his word to us. We'll sing again to God's praise, this time from Psalm 40, the first two stanzas of the Psalm.

[28:56] Psalm 40, verses 1 and 2. I'll read them in English, and we'll sing in Gaelic, and we remain seated to sing in Gaelic. I waited for the Lord my God and patiently did bear.

[29:09] At length to me he did incline my voice and cry to hear. He took me from a fearful pit and from the miry clay, and on a rock he set my feet, establishing my way.

[29:21] These verses will sing to God's praise. Two stanzas of Psalm 40. Chantula hymn.

[29:38] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS

[30:40] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS . . .

[31:32] Thank you.

[32:02] Thank you.

[32:32] Thank you. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word and we pray now for the help of the Holy Spirit as we turn to study that word.

[33:14] We ask, Lord, that we would have our minds cleared of anything that may distract us, anything maybe from the last week that's been preoccupying us, maybe even something from the last few minutes before the service began where our minds were taken off your word.

[33:31] We ask, Lord, that you would help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, to have hearts that are responsive and expectant that you will speak to us.

[33:43] And we ask that you would sanctify us by your truth. And for any who may not yet be saved, we ask, Lord, that even this morning we would hear the word of Jesus.

[33:59] We would see Jesus as the disciples saw him and that we would cry out, Lord, save me. So hear our prayers and help us. We ask, we pray for the children in Sunday school and ask that you would minister to them, that they would come to know you and trust you and walk with you all the days of their lives.

[34:18] We pray for the congregations connected with us as we see visitors with us. We pray for their home churches, asking, Lord, that you would be at work there as you would be at work here.

[34:31] And we pray for the denominations around us as well. We thank you that the gospel is preached in each one, certainly in this area. And we ask that as the word goes forth, that you would add your blessing, Lord Jesus, that you would continue to build your church.

[34:47] And we thank you that that church is not just local, it's not just national, but it's international. And so as we think of places across the world connected to us, we pray that you would be working, Lord Jesus, that your name would be lifted up and that many more, even for the first time today, would be drawn to you.

[35:08] So hear our prayers and help us as we look to you. And we ask this in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. So, Matthew chapter 14 and picking up at verse 22.

[35:26] And just in terms of getting the context of this so we can see where we're beginning again from, you can glance back to the previous section and see that Jesus has just fed 5,000 men plus women plus children, 15,000 to 20,000 people, the commentators think.

[35:47] He's fed them. He's fed them with five rows and two small fish. There's been a miracle that is beyond our comprehension.

[36:01] And the crowds have witnessed it. The crowds have seen it. They have tasted it. And the crowds are now satisfied, we're told. Their bellies have been filled.

[36:11] But not only are they satisfied, they're amazed by what they've witnessed. And although Matthew doesn't tell us this, John, in his gospel in chapter 6, verse 15, tells us that the crowds are now thinking about starting a campaign to try to force Jesus to become their king.

[36:35] They had had enough of her king.

[37:05] For them as individuals and for their area. So that's the context. That's where we pick up. And the question is, what happened next? Well, the first point that we have this morning is we see that from Jesus there is praise not accepted.

[37:23] Point number one, praise not accepted. So Jesus is aware of this crowd that are full of praise because their bellies have been filled.

[37:34] But he's not willing to accept the praise of the crowds and wait around to revel in that. So it says in verse 22, Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side.

[37:50] Well, he dismissed the crowds. Now we sang at the beginning of the service, Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise.

[38:01] And that's what's going on here. Jesus is living that line out. Jesus had left the riches of heaven to become poor for our sakes, 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9.

[38:15] So this world's riches, having come from the riches of heaven to see the tinsel and the tact of this world, this world's riches, he heeded it not. He didn't chase the things that we chase.

[38:30] And Jesus did not heed, and he would not accept man's empty praise. And that's what the crowds were offering.

[38:44] It was empty praise. It was praise that was not motivated by the glory of Jesus or the worthiness of Jesus.

[38:57] This praise that the crowds were speaking out was motivated by self-interest. This man can free us from Rome, they said. Let's try and get him in power.

[39:10] This man can keep our bellies full, they said. And so, the crowds wanted this world's treasure.

[39:22] The crowds wanted this world's security. And they saw Jesus as a way to get that. But that wasn't Jesus' mission.

[39:37] Jesus came into this world not to provide temporal security for us, but he came into this world to secure for us eternal salvation.

[39:52] And that would not come through the way of celebrity and popularity. That would come by the way of the cross.

[40:03] And so, Jesus, knowing that, he dismissed this excitable crowd. And yet, before he dismissed the crowd, he dismissed the disciples.

[40:17] And there's urgency in this dismissal of the disciples. Immediately, it says, he made the disciples get into the boat. Why did he make the disciples with such urgency get into the boat?

[40:31] Well, we're not told, but I think it's highly likely that he knows that they would be swayed by the crowds. See, popularity and praise is a hard thing for us to resist.

[40:49] So, before the disciples could really get a taste for any of these things, before they could get any ideas about making Jesus king, and them getting the top jobs in the civil service, Jesus made them, probably against their wills, Jesus made them get into the boat and go before him to the other side.

[41:15] So, we see here, point number one, praise not accepted. The crowd's full of praise, but Jesus can see it's empty praise.

[41:27] Self-interest praise. And so, he will not accept it. So, what can we see in terms of application before we move on to the second point?

[41:39] Well, I think there's two things that we can see as we apply this point. The first thing we should see is the love of Jesus for sinners, like us.

[41:51] And we can see the commitment of Jesus to saving sinners, like us. And we see that as Jesus dismisses the crowds.

[42:05] He steers away from what to us looks like a very attractive place, where everybody's shouting your name, and everybody's praising you.

[42:16] Jesus steers away from that, and he determines to continue on the road that he knows will take him to a cross.

[42:28] Why did he do that? He did it for us. He did it because he loves us. He did it because he was committed to save us.

[42:39] And so, as we read this, and as we apply this, for anybody who has not yet asked for that salvation, see the love that Jesus has for you. See the commitment of Jesus for your salvation.

[42:53] Trust him. That's one point of application. And the second point of application is we have here in this small section an example, an example that is set for us by Jesus.

[43:13] Because Jesus could see through the empty praise of men. Jesus did not live for likes and shares.

[43:29] Jesus did not try to win the approval of people. Rather, he lived to obey the will of his Father.

[43:42] And that's, if we're Christians, that's an example. That has been set for us to follow. And even if we think about that a little further this morning, we can see that in the Reverend Rory.

[44:02] That's how he lived. We can recall him on many occasions preaching, and he did not preach as a man pleaser.

[44:14] He spoke the truth. in love. And he lived so clearly to do the will of God and to please the Lord and not men.

[44:33] So we have an example also as we think about him, as he points us to Jesus. Praise not accepted. That's the first point. The second point is prayer.

[44:46] Verse 23, And after Jesus had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

[44:59] And so we have this picture here of Jesus, and he's up on the mountain, he's on his own, and he is in prayer. Dismissed the crowds, disciples have been told to go on ahead, and Jesus is absolutely alone on this mountain, and he is in prayer.

[45:17] Hendrickson, the commentator, says Jesus wanted to be by himself. He desired to enter into solitary communion with his Father.

[45:29] So we see Jesus in prayer. Now, if we rewind a few verses to verse 13, we thought about this last Sunday, but we see in verse 13 Jesus, and he's in a boat praying.

[45:45] But very soon, as he's praying in that boat, he's interrupted, and he attends to the crowds and their need. And we thought last Sunday about how much we can identify with that, how often we are interrupted when we determine to make time to pray.

[46:02] But I think very often our interruptions end up causing us just not to pray. We're distracted, and we're off doing everything else, and our prayer time's gone.

[46:16] But we see here that Jesus is much more committed to prayer times than maybe we are. So although he didn't get much time in the boat, he now makes time.

[46:30] as he makes his disciples leave him so that he can be alone with his Father. So the application is very, very simple, and it's very clear.

[46:45] If Jesus needed times of prayer, how much more do you and I need times of prayer? how much more do we need to be alone with God in a quiet place, in our own homes?

[47:03] How much more do we need as a congregation to prioritize times of prayer? Prayer is the second point.

[47:18] Pray is not accepted, the first point. The third thing we see here as we continue to see the plot unfold is problems. Verse 24. But the boat by this time was a long way from the land.

[47:33] So we have this picture. Remember, Jesus is alone with his Father on the mountainside in prayer, and then Matthew, as he so often does, he takes the camera and he shifts it from Jesus to the disciples, and we're given this scene of where they are.

[47:48] But the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, and the wind was against them. The scholars tell me that the Sea of Galilee was about seven miles wide, and John in chapter 6 and verse 19 tells us that at this time the disciples were three or four miles out.

[48:13] So they're in the middle of the sea, and they're making very little progress. They would have started rowing to try to get to the other side round about half past seven, somewhere between half past seven and nine o'clock, and now it's the fourth watch of the night.

[48:35] It's somewhere between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., and that's always when problems seem to be most terrifying. If you and I have problems, as we all do at times in life, if we wake up and it's somewhere between 3 and 6, problems that may be medium-sized are gigantic in these hours.

[49:00] And so that's what's going on. They're in a storm, halfway across, making little progress, middle of the night. This is not a little problem, this is a huge problem.

[49:12] And then Jesus comes to them. And in the fourth watch of the night, verse 25, Jesus came to them walking on the sea.

[49:24] Now think about this. How did Jesus know exactly where they were? Jesus comes to them.

[49:36] He's walking on the sea. He comes directly to them. One of the other gospels actually tells us that he was going past them. He comes right to the location where they are.

[49:48] How did he know where they were? The answer to that question is because as he prayed on the mountain, he could see them.

[50:01] Not with his physical eyes, but as he prayed on the mountain, he could see how he was connected with his disciples. He was interceding for them as he prayed on that mountain.

[50:17] So we have a preview here in the life of the disciples of what Jesus is still doing today. We have our problems. If I was to pause and ask people to share, we could all speak a little about various problems that we're wrestling with.

[50:42] Problems that cause us anxiety. Problems that maybe wake us up between three and six in the morning. and yet we have the comfort, a preview of it here, we have the comfort of knowing what Jesus is still doing today.

[51:07] Although we can't see him, he sees us. And we're told in Hebrews 7 and Romans 8 that he makes intercession for us.

[51:22] Scott talked about this on Wednesday evening. He prays for us always, but especially when we're facing problems.

[51:38] Verse 26. But when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified and said it was a ghost.

[51:50] ghost, and they cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.

[52:03] And this storm was actually a test for the disciples. We're not told that the storm was sent by Jesus. We don't know the origin of the storm, but the storm was a test for the disciples.

[52:16] The boat ended up being a classroom where Jesus would teach the disciples more about who he was and who he is. So as we see this scene in Matthew 14, our minds should connect with passages in the Old Testament that speak to us about who Jesus is.

[52:35] Think about Isaiah 43, verses 1 and 2. That's a passage that connects with this scene. These words that Isaiah speaks in Isaiah 43 were words that pointed to the Messiah, to the Son of God, and this is what it says, Fear not, for I have redeemed you.

[52:54] I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And so here we see the disciples passing through the waters, and the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, God the Son, comes to be with them.

[53:19] And there's another connection in this passage with Exodus chapter 3 and verse 14. In verse 27 of this passage, Jesus, as he speaks to the disciples, he says, Take heart, it is I.

[53:35] And that phrase, it is I, is an echo of the words that God spoke at the burning bush when he revealed his name to Moses.

[53:48] So, in the middle of all the problems, in the middle of this fierce raging storm, Jesus is teaching the disciples about who he is.

[54:02] They're learning that Jesus is the Messiah, the one that Isaiah pointed forward to. In Isaiah 43, they're learning that Jesus is God, the Son, he is the great I am.

[54:15] And as they see with their eyes Jesus walking on the seas, they're learning that Jesus is, to use the words that we sang earlier, he's the author of creation.

[54:31] Because the creation has to bow to him. He has the creation under control. J.C. Ryle says, to our poor, weak minds, the whole event is utterly incomprehensible.

[54:46] The picture of two feet walking on the sea is said to have been the Egyptian emblem of an impossible thing. But to him who created the seas at the beginning, it must have been perfectly easy to walk over their waves when he pleased.

[55:05] to the disciples are learning. In all the problems, in the middle of the storm, the disciples are learning who Jesus is.

[55:19] And if Jesus is king over all creation, if he is the promised Messiah, if he is the Savior, if he is God the Son, and if he is the Lord of these disciples, they can take heart.

[55:31] they don't have to be afraid. And Peter's beginning to understand that.

[55:44] And so Peter speaks up, as he so often does. Peter answered him, verse 28, Lord, if it's you, command me to come to you on the water.

[56:00] Jesus said, come. So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. So we're not surprised that Peter's first to speak, are we?

[56:15] He's always first to speak. I think we are surprised by what Peter says. I would expect Peter to say, Jesus, will you come out of the boat and calm things down for us, please?

[56:29] That would be normal in my mind. But it's surprising to hear Peter saying, if it's you, Jesus, command me to come out to you on the water.

[56:46] And so Peter says it, and Jesus says, come. And so Peter gets out of the boat, and he walks on the water and he comes to Jesus.

[57:05] So here we see Peter walking, walking on water. He's coming to Jesus, eyes fixed on Jesus.

[57:17] Jesus he's walking by faith, which must have been, as we think about it, just such an unbelievably amazing experience.

[57:33] To be walking on the waves, coming towards Jesus. And so in the storm that these disciples would never have chosen to be in, they're having the most amazing experience.

[57:49] they're learning things about Jesus that they never knew before. They're discovering things about Jesus that they would never have grasped, or even believed, if they were in calm waters.

[58:08] And that's often how God works. Yes, we have problems, but God is in the problems.

[58:19] He may not always send them, but He's aware of them, and He's able to work in them, and He's able to work through them.

[58:36] Habakkuk, a Scotch taking us throughout in the evenings, shows us that God is always working, even in the problem times. of the cross.

[58:48] And the supreme example of that is Calvary. In that darkest of hours, as Jesus hung on the cross and suffered and died, God was working.

[59:11] He was working out our salvation. Warren Weerspey says, do we remember that Jesus endured the storm of judgment to save our souls?

[59:26] He endured the storm for us so that we might never face the judgment of God. God. So maybe as we just take the application as we finish this point, when in our lives we see a problem approaching, when in our lives we perceive that the winds are starting to blow and things are getting turbulent, when we hit storms, when we hit problems, let's you and I try to remember this scene and let's you and I pray, Lord Jesus, will you be with me in the storm?

[60:29] Will you be with me as I try to navigate through these problems I would never have chosen? Will you show me more of who you are? In the storm.

[60:44] When I see a storm coming, I immediately want to be out of it. I want it to end. But the correction, I think, for me here is to pray in the midst of it, Lord Jesus, will you show me more of who you are?

[61:02] Even in the midst of this thing that I would never have chosen. Problems. Fourth point is panic. If this was Hollywood, or if this was on the Hallmark channel, for those who have to watch these awful films, what would happen next is Peter, he's walking on the water, and he would continue walking on the water, and he would reach his way over to Jesus, and Jesus would embrace him, and the disciples would cheer, and everything would be just absolutely fine.

[61:39] That's what would happen in a film. Peter walks all the way to Jesus, and the disciples cheer from the side. But the Bible is much more real than that, thankfully, and that's not what happened.

[61:53] All is going well for Peter, as long as his eyes are fixed on Jesus. But when the storm is still raging, and when the waves are still crashing in, and when the spray is in your eyes, and when the wind is knocking you off balance, it's not that easy to keep your eyes on Jesus, says Peter.

[62:22] And so, verse 30, when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid, and he began to sink. And I don't know about you, but I'm continually thankful for Peter.

[62:40] He's human. He is a flawed disciple. He's like us, and he panics.

[62:52] He's doing so well, then he panics. He saw the wind, he saw the size of the waves, and he was afraid. And he's beginning to sink, it tells us.

[63:06] And again, we see the supernatural in this, because you and I know, if we put our weight in the waves, we sink like a stone. It's instant. But Peter is beginning to sink.

[63:21] it's like his doubts and his fears are getting heavier, and they're pulling him under. And that's often what happens when we hit problems.

[63:37] At one moment, we're trusting God, and we're walking with Jesus. And then another bill comes in, and we don't know how we're going to pay it.

[63:52] Or there's another doctor's appointment, and the news isn't that great. Or there's a letter that comes in from work, and it looks ominous.

[64:03] It's not very comforting. And we start to feel fear again. And we feel like we're sinking. So what should we do when we're in that situation?

[64:17] Well, Peter teaches us what we should do. He even gives us the words of what we should say. Peter cries out in verse 30, Lord, save me.

[64:33] He's sinking, and he cries out, Lord, save me. So Peter's faith, it's under pressure, but it's not gone.

[64:50] His faith is small, it's little, but he still has faith in Jesus. And that's why he cries out to Jesus. He doesn't say to the disciples, guys, come and get me.

[65:04] I'm sinking. No, no, he cries out to Jesus, Jesus, Lord, save me. And it's such a powerful prayer.

[65:22] Some of us struggle with knowing how to pray. Oh, I can't pray. I can't pray. I don't have the words. I can't make a long prayer. You don't need a long prayer. prayer. This is a three-word prayer, asking for salvation.

[65:42] Lord, save me. So let me ask the question, have you prayed it? Are you and I still praying it?

[65:57] Lord, save me. As we feel our sin, as we know the struggles, the problems that assail us in life, have we prayed?

[66:15] Are we praying, Lord, save me? See, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord is saved, but you have to call.

[66:27] before the salvation comes. And we see that with Peter. He cries out, Lord, save me, verse 30.

[66:41] And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying, oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt? God? So how are we saved from the sin that pulls us under?

[67:03] Well, the very clear point as we come to finish is we are saved by Jesus. Jesus. It's not the strength of our faith that saves us.

[67:18] It's not the purity of our faith that saves us. It's who our faith is in. He is the one who saves us. Peter's faith was not strong.

[67:31] It was weak. It was little. But with that little faith, he called out to Jesus, and Jesus saved him.

[67:45] Peter's doubts were real, but he didn't allow his doubts to drag him all the way under. He looked to Jesus. He called out to Jesus, and he was saved.

[67:57] So yes, Peter panicked. But that panic caused him to pray, and that prayer was a saving prayer because it was directed to Jesus.

[68:16] And so there's great encouragement here for us. There's great instruction here for us. Maybe some of us right now are going through a storm.

[68:30] We're very good at putting on a face and saying everything is fine. But sometimes everything is not fine. And under the surface there is a storm.

[68:48] Maybe there are people in this room or watching at a distance who are trying to manage panic and pressure and stress. maybe there's people who even this morning are feeling like the waves are crashing in and coming over your head.

[69:07] What are you and I to do? Well, Peter says, cry out to Jesus. That's what I did. Because he is the only one who is able to save and sustain us.

[69:25] Charles Price says this. It's a lovely quote which I think is helpful for us to take hold of. An observation that Charles Price makes.

[69:37] He says, the thing that threatened to be over Peter's head, the waves, the sea, the thing that threatened to be over Peter's head was under the feet of Jesus.

[69:51] anything, says Price, which threatens to be over our heads. All these worries, all these stresses, all these pressures, anything that threatens to be over our heads is under his feet.

[70:15] So, cry out to him. That's the message. panic. Finally, I'll just give you the point, the heading, and we'll finish.

[70:29] There's a profession of faith. And when they got into the boat, verse 32, the wind ceased. So, Peter and all these disciples have just seen another amazing, mind-blowing, miracle.

[70:53] And now they're all back in the boat. And think about this. Think about how wrong it would have been to have got back into the boat, having been saved by Jesus, having experienced the love and the power of Jesus, having learned that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.

[71:16] How wrong it would have been to have experienced all this and learned all these things about Jesus and said nothing. And yet, there are many people who have been saved by Jesus and who want to be secret believers.

[71:35] believers. They want to say nothing. They want their faith to be private. The disciples challenge that.

[71:52] And they teach us to profess faith in Christ. There's a profession. What did they say?

[72:02] Well, if we were to go back to Matthew chapter 8 and verse 27, they were in the midst of another storm. Jesus calmed it.

[72:14] And after the storm was calmed, the disciples say to each other, what sort of man is this? Even the winds and sea obey him. That was the first miracle.

[72:29] And they're starting to ask questions. they're starting to wonder, what kind of man is this? But now, having experienced a little more and seeing Jesus a little more clearly, they can see that he is more than a man.

[72:45] And those in the boat, verse 33, worshipped him, saying, truly, you are the Son of God. They profess their faith in the one who saves.

[73:05] And if he has saved us, as we leave here and go back into whatever storms this world may have ahead for us, we're not to remain silent.

[73:26] we have to follow the example of the disciples and profess faith in Christ. Maybe there are some here who have been believers for many years and have seen many communions and sat outside, remain silent.

[73:50] faith in faith in Jesus. And yet, maybe there are many here who have been saved and sat at the Lord's table many times.

[74:09] But as we go out from here, into our families, into our workplaces, amongst our friends, they hear nothing from us about Jesus.

[74:24] How wrong that would have been, how wrong that is, if all that comes from our lives is silence. Let us hear and respond to the challenge to profess our faith in Jesus.

[74:47] Even this community, so many people do not know who he is. They do not know what he has done.

[75:00] They do not know who to cry to when they feel panic and pressure and the guilt of sin. So surely those of us who have been saved have to take a leaf out of Peter's book and teach them what we have learned and that is to cry out, Lord, save me.

[75:29] Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word, we thank you for your son, we thank you that he is the saviour.

[75:40] We pray that each one of us would cry out if we never have done before, Lord, save me. And if we are those who are saved, help us, we pray, to go out with the name of Jesus on our lips to profess that our faith is in him.

[75:58] And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. We'll sing to conclude the hymn 760 in Mission Praise.

[76:09] When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds in our way. While we do his goodwill, he abides with us still, and with all he will trust and obey.

[76:20] when we when we walk with the Lord in light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way.

[76:48] What we do is good will Be a wise brother still And with all who will trust and obey Trust and obey For it's no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey Not a shadow can rise Not a cloud in the stride Not a star with me drives it away Not a death nor a fear Not a sigh nor a tear And a life while we trust and obey Trust and obey For it's no other way

[77:50] To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey Not a burden we bear Not a sorrow we share But to be happy in Jesus Not a grief nor a loss Not a crown nor a cross But to trust if we trust and obey Trust and obey For it's no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey But we ever can prove The delight of his love Until all on the altar we lay

[78:53] For the day that he shows And the joy he shows But for them who will trust and obey Trust and obey For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey And in fellowship sweet We will stand out his feet For we won't hide his side in the way What he says we will do What he says we will do Where he says we will go Never fear only Trust and obey Trust and obey Trust and obey For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus

[79:57]  But to trust and obey And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forevermore Amen