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[ Music ] Number two. ♪ I got lost but hesitating ♪ ♪ Wondering who this friend could be ♪

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♪ All the ways were wild and dashing ♪ ♪ Sweet revenge would swallow me ♪ ♪ And erase his head for me ♪ ♪ Of the wild and raging sea ♪

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♪ With a voice so sweet and clear ♪ ♪ There's no danger in the world ♪ ♪ There's no danger in the world ♪ ♪ There's no danger in the world ♪

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♪ There's no danger in the world ♪ ♪ There's no danger in the land ♪ ♪ Get on board, God's children, get on board ♪ ♪ Be in our stead ♪

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♪ Aboard the vessel ♪ ♪ Let me sing it ♪ ♪ Through the streams ♪ ♪ And through the cold ♪

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♪ Many years ♪ ♪ They sound the water ♪ ♪ Many souls have failed ♪ ♪ Oh, it was a day ♪

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♪ A man's death day ♪ ♪ There was Jesus in that land ♪ ♪ There's a small circle of love ♪ ♪ That is found for gay and blind ♪

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♪ She has landed ♪ ♪ He has landed ♪ ♪ Many a thousand ♪ ♪ She has landed ♪

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♪ Many a thousand ♪ ♪ She has landed ♪ ♪ Many a thousand ♪ ♪ Get on board ♪

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♪ Get on board ♪ Amen. Hear this word recorded in the gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter, the nineteenth and twentieth verses.

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When they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, belongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship, and they were afraid. But he saith unto them, "Be not afraid." The subject, "Walking on water." "Walking on

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water." At the age of five, I started to attend the Bible I started to attend public school in a little town called Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. I well remember that first day because I

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had to cross a railroad track. And there was a train coming. And I was afraid of the train. So I ran all the way back home, crying.

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I was disturbed by the steam and the hoofing and the puffing of that train. Later, my mother brought me back, and she tried to have me understand

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that it was on the track. and she tried to put me on the track so that I could see that there was no harm. But the more she did that, the more I cried,

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and the louder I yelled. So it was in the course of time that I learned that I could go to school and pass the railroad track and organize my steps in such a way

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that I would not encounter the train and not be afraid of the train when the train was coming as long as I stayed my distance. So that was a significant achievement for me

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as a five-year-old, learning how to go to school and have no fear, harm from the train, regardless of its steam, its huffing, and its puffing. Disciples of the master are challenged

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to live courageously, dangerously, and victoriously. The event which is described in the message today is one that is recorded in the book of John along with others.

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We are involved, as you well know, in a series of messages based on the seven miracles of our Lord recorded in the Gospel of John. This particular miracle takes place after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 people, not counting the men, not counting the women and children.

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It's evening. The disciples are in a ship on the Sea of Galilee. They're sailing toward Cappanium, the headquarters of Jesus' early ministry. They launch the journey with the expectation that they will reach their destination without

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delays and adverse circumstances. In our time, we often wish our friends bon voyage when they embark on new beginnings. We hope for them a smooth sailing. If the sailing is not smooth, we hope for them a safe journey as they encounter the

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tempestuous seas of life. The disciples planned to cross the Sea of Galilee, to go from shore to shore. The Sea of Galilee is sometimes called the Lake of Geneserit or the Sea of Tiberias. It's a small body of water.

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It is only seven miles wide and 12 miles long. It's shaped like a harp. It's a miniature of life. All of us are passengers on some ship.

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We are sailing and trying to reach our destination. We hope to attain our selected goals. It's dark. It's late in the evening.

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The sea arose, or it rose rather, and there was a tumult in the waters. As the waters voiced their anger,

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the ship was tossed about like the leaf in the wind. They're not near the seashore. They're in the middle of the sea, trying to reach Capanian.

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Winds are contrary, waves are angry. The ship refuses to stay on course. And the problem is complicated by the fact that Jesus is not with them.

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They're in a storm, that's bad. But the situation is made worse because Jesus is not with them. They left without Jesus.

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Now they're in a storm. They double their efforts, but their efforts are not rewarded with success. They rode, but they watched as things went from bad to worse. The disciples are up against the forces of nature.

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They contend against elements they are unable to control. The wind, the waves, the lightning, the thunder, and the darkness. They cannot see where they are going. They cannot see each other.

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We are prisoners of the night. That is the plight of the human family without Christ, without Him. We are blind sailors lost in the night without a moral compass to give us a sense of direction and guide us in the right way.

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But suddenly Jesus appears. No foghorn announces His coming. He just shows up. He comes in a strange and wonderful way.

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He comes walking on the water. When Jesus makes his presence known, the waves bow humbly before him. The howling winds sit at his feet when he shows up. A heavenly light pierces the demonic darkness

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when he shows up. The king, the ruler of all nature, is on the throne and his subjects keep quiet in his presence. He shows up, I said, walking on the sea.

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He not only stands in the midst of the mighty deep, he has a safe and secure foundation there. He walks on the water. Spirit of God moves on the face of the deep, dark waters.

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And the fact that we are astonished at this action is because waters are always moving. The waters denote insecurity, but Jesus stands in the midst of the waters

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and walks on the water. He rules land and sea. He comes to us on the wild and restless seas of our existence, walking on the water.

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This miracle of grace is the manifestation of the majesty of Jesus. He is in control of the arrogant, boastful, and confusing waters that surround us. He walks on the waters. He commands the winds and waves to hush. He

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causes the raging tempest to be still while he walks on the water. Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, shows his divine presence in the human situation by walking on water. This comfort to us as disciples of Jesus Christ in our day. For God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders too profound. He

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plants his footsteps on the sea and rides upon the stars. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, for the clouds you so much much dread, big with mercy, and shall break with blessings o'er your head." So Jesus walks on the chaotic waters of our

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existence and waters represent not only chaos, disorder, insecurity, but they are associated with fear. In ancient times, people looked upon the sea as being a place where demons were in existence, demons in the sea.

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Howard Thurman in his account of luminous darkness talks about divers diving into the see they looked at the dark, foreboding waters as they began near the surface. But as they went deeper and deeper, divers report that there was a kind of darkness that was changed into light.

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And he calls it a luminous darkness. And so you see my brothers and sisters, this luminous darkness may occur in our lives. The deeper we get into God, in the midst of all of the troubles that we may experience, the deeper we get into Him, there is a luminous darkness.

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So the chaotic waters Jesus walks, that's comforting on the chaotic waters. You know they say that about 8/10 of the human personality is under the water?

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Think about that. 8/10 of me under the water. eight-tenths of you under the water. And psychologists have talked about this

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in what they call depth psychology. So how can we know a person in depth if eight-tenths of them is in the realm of what we call the unconscious?

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So not even you know who you are fully. Yes, we get psychiatrists and all of that to try to tell us what's wrong with us. And they don't know fully either.

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They have to put us on a couch and let us talk. And then they derive from what we say that this may be the problem. But Jesus walks on the chaotic waters,

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Which means that he alone can know all about me. All that I don't know I'd like to know about me. You know, the things that are conditioning my action now that they say, you know, happened in my childhood

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that I've forgotten now, can't know nothing about now. It's in the realm of the unconscious and I can't get it out. But Jesus comes into the darkness of our lives,

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into the chaotic waters of our lives, and walks on the water. That's a miracle of grace. I like to call it the epiphany of the cross.

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It's a symbol of the coming of the cross that he foreshadows here in walking on the waters. We do not expect to see Jesus walking on the waters. That's why it's a miracle.

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We don't expect that. It's something out of the ordinary, walking on the water. And these disciples did not expect to see Jesus out there on this troubled sea.

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They left him. He is up now in the mountain, commuting with the Father. And here they are down on the Sea of Galilee,

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caught in a storm. Well, he comes to us. He comes to His disciples. Through the darkness, He comes to be with us in our trials.

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He comes, I tell you, walking on the water. He demonstrates His power over the waters. He triumphs over the waters, the chaotic waters. He triumphs over the disorder.

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He triumphs over the confusion. Carl Barthel, noted theologian of our time, calls this the triumph of grace. In the midst of all of the difficulties,

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the disappointments and the defeats that we may encounter, there is the triumph of God's grace. That God can take all of this, all of these things and somehow bring out of it success

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and enrich our lives through this. Triumph of God's grace. He comes. He comes.

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To the ship, where they are. He comes. We're not left alone. We're not buffeted about by the whims

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and errors of outrageous fate. Jesus comes and gets in the ship in which we are riding. It's so astounding that the disciples

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can hardly believe it. This, this, this, this, this couldn't be Jesus. >> Yes. >> Yes.

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They look and they see this is the Christ. Walking on the waters, He comes. There's a miracle where He comes to every one of us. He comes to save us from our sins.

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He comes walking on the water. It's astounding. The disciples are afraid. They thought they'd seen a ghost.

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It's astounding, walking on the water. And we are awful fearful in the presence of the miraculous. Shepherds were afraid unto us is born this day a Savior. Shepherds, no not us, not us.

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Angels from heaven, they are afraid. Mary is astounded that she is to be the handmaiden of the Lord. Astounding.

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This is an expression of the miraculous. But Jesus says, "Do not be afraid." Don't be afraid of the darkness, because I'm the light. The ship may be tossed about by angry billows of the deep,

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but be not afraid. God walks on the waters. And His Word to us today is be not afraid. This is a divine Word of deliverance, it is I.

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This is a Word Moses heard out in the desert as he saw a burning bush and drew nigh and he heard the voice of God. Be not afraid Moses, it is I.

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This is the redeeming word addressed to disciples of the master in the first century. It's the redeeming word addressed to disciples of the master in the 21st century. It's the living word. For the invisible God manifests himself in the visible Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who

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says, "I am the bread of heaven. I am the living water. I am the light of the world. I am the way. I am the true vine. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life." So the scripture says that the disciples willingly received

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him into their ship. And immediately the ship was at the land where they went. In other words, when they got Jesus in the ship, they immediately discovered that they were where they were going. But they had made a mistake earlier by

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by leaving without Jesus. So be sure, be sure comrades of the faith that Jesus is on the ship. He can steer us through the storm. He can give calm in the midst of the storm because he He walks on water.

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He triumphs through tragedy. Some say, oh, what am I going to do? We become hysterical. How can I make it in the light of the circumstances I face?

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Well, there is one who comes to save us walking on the water. Jesus walks on the water. It's a good thing to be sure that we encounter Him. That's the important thing,

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to have what we call a human divine encounter. That's an event. That's an event in your life. It's an event in my life.

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It's an event. I met God one morning, when my day was at its best, And his presence came like sunrise,

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like a glory in my breast. All day long, the presence lingered. All day long, he stayed with me, and we sailed with perfect calmness

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over a very fitful sea. Other ships were blown and battered. Other ships were so distressed. But the wind that seemed to drive them

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brought to us a peace and rest. Still I thought of other mornings with a keen remorse of mine when I too had left the mornings with that presence left behind. But I think I know the secret.

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Learn from many a troubled day. You must seek him in the morning if you want him during the day. He comes. He comes.

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He comes in the midst of all of the difficulties of life. He comes walking on water. He comes. I've been in a few storms. I've seen the lightning flashing. I've heard the thunder roar. I've felt sin breakers dashing, trying to conquer my

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soul, but I heard, I heard, I heard the voice of Jesus telling me still fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. He walks in the deep waters of my life and your life. He walks on the demonic waters that we may encounter on our journey, he walks on the water.

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And then he comforts us. He said, now don't be afraid. Don't worry about the darkness. Don't be afraid.

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Don't worry. Don't worry about the waves. Don't be afraid. Oh, I know the lightning is flashing,

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but don't worry about the lightning and the thunder rolling. Don't worry about that. I'm here.

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It is I. Be not afraid. That's all we need. Be not afraid. When Jesus himself comes to be with us

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and to come into the ship and to sit with us in the ship, you can relax. Be not afraid.

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No matter how difficult may be the trials of this life, be not afraid. I am here to help you. That's good news.

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That's good news in a world of bad news. To know that Jesus performs miracles by walking on the water. As we sing the hymn of invitation,

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love lifted me. All of us have been lifted by his presence. Changed by his direction. So we invite you, if you're living in Austin

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without a church home, to respond to the invitation that Jesus gives. I present it for him to become a part of the family of God here at Ebenezer by letter, by Christian experience,

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or professional faith, as we sing, "Love Lifted Me." [MUSIC - "LOVE LIFTED ME"] (SINGING) Love lifted me. Love lifted me.

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When nothing else could help, love lifted me. Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.

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♪ I was sinking deep in sin ♪ ♪ Far from the peaceful shore ♪ ♪ Very deeply stained within ♪ ♪ Seeking to rise no more ♪

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♪ But the master of the sea ♪ ♪ Heard my despairing cry ♪ ♪ I heard a roaring cry ♪ ♪ From the water lifted me ♪

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♪ Now say am I ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪ ♪ When nothing else could help ♪

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♪ Love lifted me ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪ ♪ When nothing else could help ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪

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♪ Oh my heart ♪ ♪ It was filled by clean ♪ ♪ And His blessings ♪ ♪ Every phrase a scene ♪

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♪ He is so mighty and so sweet ♪ ♪ Hearing their songs we've sung ♪ ♪ Heav'n and earth and heaven's song to Him belong ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪

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♪ Love lifted me ♪ When nothing else could help, love lifted me. Love lifted me. Love lifted me.

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When nothing else could help, love lifted me. So suggest a cook above, he must escape his fate. He will live to have his fun, runnin' his angry way. He's the master of the sea, pillars he fell obey.

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♪ I need to pray, you must to be, be saved today ♪ ♪ Oh, love lifted me ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪ ♪ When nothing else could help ♪

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♪ Love lifted me ♪ ♪ Love lifted me ♪ me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me. Amen. It's It's a wonderful thing to have that experience of being lifted by the love of God.

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As we prepare to go, let me ask the persons who served on the awards committee last year for us to meet after prayer meeting Wednesday night for a brief session. [ Silence ]