A Miracle in the Midst of Madness pt. 3

Paul Sheppard: Jesus doesn't delay responses for some of the reasons that some of us think. I want to dispel some myths in this message. I want to make sure you don't have the wrong idea of why sometimes the Lord allows you to be in the thick of it and he isn't showing up with a quick deliverance.
Announcer: Hello, and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory, where we feature the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul Sheppard. Well, as great as it would be if Jesus delivered us from storms before the raindrops started falling, there are times when he waits. Sometimes the Son of God comes during the storms of men, not before them. Sometimes we'll help you understand why God may sometimes allow things to get bad before he makes them better. To hear any of our recent messages online on demand, visit our website, PastorPaul.net. That's PastorPaul.net. Or subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, at Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Now, let's get going with today's Destined for Victory message, A Miracle in the Midst of Madness.
Paul Sheppard: Matthew chapter 14, beginning with verse 22. Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them, take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid. Lord, if it's you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water. Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said, why did you doubt? And when he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly, you are the Son of God. I want to wrap up this series entitled A Miracle in the Midst of Madness. And when we left off in the previous message, we were just beginning to look at the dynamic of verse 24, where we are told that the disciples are in the middle of the lake, and they are in the middle of a hellacious storm. They are too far from land to easily get back to where they came from, and they're a considerable distance from where they're going. Have you ever been in the middle of it? Whatever it is, I'm in the middle of it. I'm too far from where I came from, but I'm not anywhere close to where I'm going. I'm just in the thick of it right now. And passages like this remind us that even when you're in the thick of it, God is at work. They're in the middle of the lake, they're in the middle of a storm, and now I want to pick it up and focus on the fact that verse 25 tells us that they are in desperate need of the Lord to help them, but verse 25 says, during the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them. Now, you read that right next to verse 24 that tells you they're in the middle of the lake, in the middle of the storm, and you say, okay, good, fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them. Well, pause because I want you to know what the fourth watch of the night means. Fourth watch of the night means Jesus came to them sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. You say, okay, what's the significance of that? The significance is when they left shore, it was somewhere around 6 p.m. 6, 7 p.m. somewhere in the first watch, they depart the shore. We know that from the earlier verses because Jesus sent them away before he dismissed the crowd, and he was dismissing the crowd as the evening was approaching, 6 p.m. was approaching. So late afternoon, they get in the boat. We know that they go a considerable distance from shore, so it takes a while. This isn't a steamboat or anything with an engine, of course, in that day, so it takes them a couple of hours of rowing before they're a considerable distance away, as we're told. But somewhere in the first watch, they are out in the lake and the storm comes. Somewhere 6, 7, 8 p.m., it's bad for them. And we are told in verse 25, Jesus shows up at 3 to 6 a.m. somewhere in the fourth watch. Question, why did Jesus take so long? I want us to park there for a little while because I want you to understand that Jesus doesn't delay responses for some of the reasons that some of us think. I want to dispel some myths in this message. I want to make sure you don't have the wrong idea of why sometimes the Lord allows you to be in the thick of it, and he isn't showing up with a quick deliverance. Sometimes we buy into the wrong ideas. I want to dismiss those from you, and the way to do that is to look clearly into the Word of God and see what it does and does not say. I want you to understand that some of us have a very inaccurate view of God. Some of us think God is really mean, really uncaring, really unsympathetic. Some of us believe God is temperamental, that God is abusive, that God is unkind. And you know, some of us got those ideas because we think God our Father is like some earthly people we know. So I want to make sure that at the end of this message, you know that God is nothing like the mean folks in your life. If you were raised by someone abusive or uncaring or temperamental or unkind, they did not represent the heart of God to you. And if you have projected their stuff onto God, I'm here to tell you, you need to ask the Lord, God, renew and transform my mind so that I see you for who you are, and I don't put on you the stuff that people have put on me. Some of us think God is some austere, angry father. Have you ever seen fathers who the only time they interact is when they're mad? They're either angry or they're absent. Have you ever seen the type? Maybe you weren't raised by one. I hope you weren't raised by one. But some of us, if we haven't seen it in our parents, we've seen it in other people's lives. Somebody who the only expression you get from them is one of anger. They're either angry or they're absent. If they show up at all, it's to give folk spankings or put them on punishment. That's the only time you hear from them. Some of us have seen households that were run by somebody saying, wait till your father gets home. And that meant business was going to pick up. Spankings were going to be dispersed. Listen, don't project that onto our heavenly father. First of all, it shouldn't characterize our earthly fathers. So let me challenge you, brothers, while I'm on this point, and let me challenge you mothers who are single parent households and you feel the responsibility of doing everything to discipline and all. First of all, you need to understand anger and discipline don't have anything to do with each other. Discipline ought to be training and instruction and helping to show people the way. It has nothing to do with your emotions. Now, sometimes you're angry with your children, but you should not punish wh- however you do it. I know most of y'all don't do corporal anymore, but however you do it, timeout or whatever it is, you don't do anything out of anger. Forgive us when we laugh at timeout. Some of us, we don't mean any harm, it just tickles us. So just forgive us that we don't mean any harm. Don't feel bad when we chuckle a little bit when we hear timeout, 'cause, you know, the only time we heard timeout growing up was when we were at the playground playing. That's the only time we ever heard timeout. Playground, little pickup football game, little pickup basketball game. Timeout, I got to tie my sneaker. Timeout, I got to go over here. That's the only time we heard timeout. The way we were raised growing up, it was time in all the time. My point is, don't get mad at us. We don't mean any harm. It takes us a while to get used to the concept. So however you do it, I'm not going to get hung up on that. I'll never finish my message. However you do, however you do it, you should not discipline your children in anger. Discipline is about training and instruction. You can't draw on the wall. And so I'm removing you, I'm removing your crayons, I'm doing whatever I do, again, whatever form you use, because you can't draw on the wall. Not you drew on the wall, I'm gonna kill you. Are y'all understanding me? It's about training and instruction.
Announcer: You're listening to Destined for Victory, where we feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Sheppard. And stay with us, the rest of today's message is coming up. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That's why Destined for Victory is here, to share that timeless truth with the world so that all who believe it can live the abundant, joyful, and victorious life Jesus promises to give us. You can help by sending a generous gift to help keep these messages coming your way all year round. Stop by PastorPaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. That's PastorPaul.net or call 855-339-5500. Have you ever wondered why God allows you to go through storms? Ever wondered why they sometimes last so long? Answers come your way next in the rest of today's message, A Miracle in the midst of madness.
Paul Sheppard: Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, one proverb says. So your job is to help them understand you can't live that way, you can't make those choices. I go to people's houses, I've been to people's houses in the past, I haven't seen it lately, thank the Lord, but I've been to people's houses where their children just run the place, and I just sit there just holding myself. Just, I don't understand what what's going on here. Just running the place, just I feel like climbing on the piano. I don't want to play the piano, I want to get up on the piano. I don't understand that. There's no training going on there. You stop and say, no, honey, you can't climb. The piano is for playing. It's not for climbing. I take you to the playground and you get on the jungle gym. That's where you climb. You don't climb on my furniture. We just see it and we are amazed at people who don't understand your job as a parent is to teach and train and instruct, but it should not be done in anger. Let's be like the Lord. The Lord does chasten us, but it's not 'cause he's mad. It's because he loves us, and he says, you're my child, you wear my name, and you can't act like this. And he disciplines us. We grew up in the days where you couldn't do it. Why? Because you wear my name. That's why. Are you still a shepherd? Yeah? Well, then that's your why. We don't act like that. Don't tell me what they can do. Don't tell me about your little raggedy friends. I don't want to hear about them. This is my house. You messed with them bad enough back in the old days, they'd go out on the porch. Let me see, is this the right address? Yeah, that's my address. This is my house. It's not your house. I let you live here. And if you're going to live here, there are ways we behave and ways we don't. And your privileges will be taken, whatever it is, until you understand. But it was all about training and instruction because they wanted to raise decent human beings. I heard just the other day about a school district, no, not a whole district, just a single school where the principal came up with a no sagging rule, and they bought a bunch of belts. Honestly, I just heard about this the other day. Bought a bunch of belts. If you sag, as soon as a teacher or somebody on the school staff sees you, they yank you in and they put a belt on you. Now that's nice, but it's an indictment on parents who shouldn't have let you leave with your butt exposed in the first place. You know, my generation, we can't fathom leaving the house, looking the way folk leave now. It just wasn't going to happen. And even if you say, yeah, but my parents aren't there when you leave sometimes. Yeah, but they're going to be there at some point. And when they see that pants that are meant to come up over your hips are hanging down partway your hips and your underwear is exposed, in my day, they would have said, are you feeling okay? Something must be wrong with you. The purpose of pants is to hide your butt. Training and instruction. So, parents, let us be about the business of training and instruction. I don't care how unpopular it becomes. Don't refuse to raise stupid children. Just refuse. I will not do it. You don't have the luxury of living here and being an idiot. If you got idiocy building up in you, you're going to have to wait till you're 18 to express it. 18 and out of here. And then when your parents see you 20, 21, 22, acting out of all your repressed idiocy, they'll say, I didn't raise that. Because they put something in you. My point is, God is a parent who never disciplines out of anger. So Jesus did not delay coming to them because he was upset, or because he was uncaring, or because he was uninvolved. God is the ultimate parent who is never absentee emotionally. He is always caring about us. Casting all your cares on him, one passage says, because he cares for you. When you think of God, think of a caring father who says, come to me. What's going on? Tell me what's happening. I care about you. Bring me your needs. Bring me your hurts. Bring me your desires. So Jesus comes in the fourth watch, not because he doesn't care. He comes in the fourth watch for what I think are three reasons. The first is he knew the storm wasn't going to kill him. How did he know the storm wasn't going to kill him? Because he's the one who called them as his apostles. He called them with a destiny, with a purpose of having them be part of the foundation of the church. Paul wrote to the Ephesian church, and he said, we are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. These people who are on this boat are the apostles that Paul referred to. So if the church is to be built in part on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus being the chief cornerstone, then that tells you Jesus knew this storm can't kill them. How they gonna be apostles and they're dead because of a storm? What that tells you is when you're going through a storm, you got to remember God has a calling on your life. He knows the end from the beginning, and he knows what you're going through now is not going to take you out because he's not done with you. You're not leaving till he's done with you. Your assignment's not over till he's done with you. Therefore, no storm will kill you. You got to talk to your storm and say, I'm coming out of this. You're not taking me out. I'm not going to die in what I'm going through now. I am coming out of this. I want somebody to tell your storm, talk to your storm and tell it I'm coming out of this. It looks bad, it feels bad, I'm in the middle of it right now, but I am coming out of this. I don't know when, I don't have God's schedule, but I do know that I'm coming out of this. Sometimes you have to tell your storm because it'll lie to you. It'll make you feel like it's going to be here forever. But Jesus knew it wasn't going to kill him. So there was no need of him coming earlier. He's like, they all right. It doesn't feel wonderful, but they all right. He knew the storm wouldn't kill him. Second reason he didn't come earlier is because he wasn't finished praying. Why did Jesus send them on the water alone and say, I'll meet you? Because we're told in the passage, he wanted to go alone to a mountainside so he could commune with the Heavenly Father, and he didn't want the disciples around. Do you know there are times when you've got to learn the blessing of being contemplative and reflective? Some of us are too busy and too people oriented for our own good. Some of you all can hardly think, can hardly do anything unless you have folk around you all the time, busyness and activity around you all the time. I don't care how extroverted you are, there have got to be times where you learn to value. This is not a time for y'all. I don't need to see anybody right now. I don't need to hear anybody right now. I need the Lord and the Lord alone. I want somebody, trust me on this, you need times where no one is in sight and no one is within earshot. You need times where it's just you and Jesus. And so I want you, I don't care how extroverted you are, some of you are sanguins. I know sanguins. My dad was a sanguine. Sanguins just love people. They live people. They always want people. The more the merrier. Sanguins hate it when they are by themselves. A sanguine, you know a sanguine because they show up mouth first. All right, so you know the sanguine personality. Just think of the people you know, you hear them before you see them. That's a sanguine. They just love talking, love people. Hey, how you doing? Lord have mercy. If you're going to throw a party, you've got to have some sanguines at the party. Got to have some sanguines. They will keep it going. Don't matter what activities you have in plan or whatever. They will just keep the conversation going, keep the foolishness going. Oh, they can be fun, but they can also work your last nerve. But they're good people. I don't care if you're sanguine and typically love people. You'd better learn that if you're going to live a quality life, there are times where you need to say, all of y'all get in the car and go somewhere. Huh? I don't know where to go. Well, then take a walk. Go some- get out of my sight. I want to look around and see nobody. I want to pan 360 degrees and see no one. There comes that time when you need aloneness.
Announcer: Well, we don't always give you homework, but today we will. The Bible tells us to be still and know that he is God. So sometime this week, take a day or even half a day to spend some time alone with God. No cell phone, no laptop, just you, him, and his word. Because sometimes the truth is best heard in silence. If you haven't already downloaded our free mobile app, now's a great time. Search Destined for Victory in the App Store and listen to these messages wherever you go. That's the Destined for Victory mobile app. You can download it today absolutely free. Have you ever felt like God was a little bit distant, unaware, or maybe even uninterested in the crisis you were facing? Most believers in Christ have been there before. The good news is we've got a great resource that can help, our latest booklet, A Miracle in the Midst of Madness. Every Christian eventually finds themselves in a boat they didn't choose, in a storm they can't explain. That's why this booklet can be so encouraging, because it takes you to Matthew 14 to remind you of God's purposes for leading you into the storm in the first place. It's not to destroy you, it's to grow you. A Miracle in the Midst of Madness is our thank you gift this month for your generous donation to the Destined for Victory Media Ministry. Give by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. Or visit PastorPaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California, 94538.
Paul Sheppard: You've got to change your attitude about what you see. Some of you all are looking at things and you're calling it what it is not. It is not something to harm you. It is not something to tear you down. It is God setting you up to be blessed.
Announcer: He was brash but bold, impulsive but loyal, flawed but fearless, and for a brief moment in time, he did something no one but Jesus had ever done. Join us next time for our continuing message, A Miracle in the Midst of Madness. Until then, though, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.