We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise.
We're going to sing in Psalm 23, the Scottish Psalter version, page 229 of the psalm books, Psalm 23.
!
The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. He makes me down to lie in pastures green.
He leadeth me the quiet waters by.
We'll stand to sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.
I'll not want. He makes me down to lie in pastures green.
He leadeth me the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again, and he to work the name.
Within the paths of righteousness, before his soul may sing.
Hear, though I walk in death's dark hill, yet will I hear not ill.
For thou art lift me on thy own.
I'm standing on for still.
My devil, thou hast furnished, in presence of my foes.
My devil, thou hast with oil anoint, and my cup overflows.
To death's and mercy, O my life, shall surely follow me.
And in God's eyes forevermore, my dwelling place shall be.
Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven, we thank you to be able to sing these words together,
to offer up worship to you in song,
and to sing these words that perhaps we've sung so often in the past,
words that we maybe even know without looking at the pages of our Bibles.
We can repeat them, but help us today to know the wonder of them,
the wonder of the Lord, our Lord Jesus as our shepherd,
the one who leads us and guides us, the one who helps us in all our lives.
Every one of us today are dependent upon you, young and old alike.
And we do ask, Lord, that together you will bless us,
that you will be with us as we come to hear of you,
to hear your word and study it together.
Bless the young ones in the Sunday school, in the creche, the tweenies, in the Bible class.
We thank you for every one of the children here and the families together as well.
And together as a people, Lord, that we would have hearts filled with a sense of joy
in coming to you and knowing that you are with us, that you meet here with us.
We thank you for even the Lord's prayer as we say it week by week.
It reminds us of how we are dependent upon you as our Father in heaven.
And we pray that even as we say these words together in a moment,
that there will be words that we may be familiar with as well,
that help us to know who it is we are praying to and what you are able to do for us.
And so may we all together know what the power of prayer is,
and we especially think of our young people going through exams at this time,
that they would do so with that knowledge that they can ask you for help,
that they can ask you for guidance, and that you are there for them.
And we do pray for them, for all our children,
and we just pray for exam periods ahead.
Just now, Lord, that you would give clarity and help in all that they have to do.
Bless us and we pray and watch over us as we ask all with the forgiveness of our sins.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, I was just praying there about exams,
and maybe it's the last thing you want to hear about just now when you're going into May
and the exams are starting for those who are older in the higher classes.
But every one of us has to face tests at different points in our life.
And especially as we're going through school, we do different kinds of tests as we're going through school.
And one of the tests we often have is listening tests.
So who's good at listening? Hands up if you're good at listening.
Many people say, what?
You weren't listening, were you?
Listening is a skill.
It's something we have to learn and to pay attention to things that we are hearing.
But it's often a difficult thing for us to do because we're easily distracted.
So I want to give you a little test just now.
I'm going to read some verses from Psalm 81.
And I want you to listen out for words that are related to hearing.
And I think the teachers, when they're in school, they do this, do they?
So that you have to listen in.
You have to listen carefully to these words.
I'm going to read Psalm 81 at verse 8 down to verse 13.
Hear, my people, let me warn you, if you would but listen now.
No strange God shall be among you.
To a false God do not bow.
I have brought you up from Egypt, from your own God, the Lord am I.
Open wide your mouth towards me, and your food I will supply.
But my people would not listen, would not do what I required.
So I gave them up to follow what their stubborn hearts desired.
If my people would but heed me, Israel follow my command.
I would soon subdue their enemies and against them turn my hand.
So, how many times there did you hear something related to listening?
It comes up quite often there, doesn't it?
The word listen is there twice.
The word hear is the first word that was mentioned.
Hear, my people.
And then there was the word heed in verse 13 as well.
So four times at least you could say there's a word there that's to do with listening.
And so God is speaking there, and so it's important, as he says, hear, listen, heed, all of these things to us.
And that's what's important for us as we come to God's word, as we're hearing it here, as we're hearing it in our Sunday school classes too, that we listen.
Now, what do we need in order to listen?
Listen, first of all, we need to stop.
Stop what we're doing and just pause so that we're sitting ready to listen.
The other thing we need is quietness.
If there was loads of noise going on around us, if there was a building site or something outside and people were working away there,
and there's so much noise around, we wouldn't be able to hear, so we need quietness to be able to hear.
And the third thing we need is focus.
To listen is to listen as it's going on.
I mean, when you're in the house, do you listen to everything mum and dad say to you?
At what point do you stop listening?
They'll shout your name, so they maybe shout,
Callum, come and do, and that's when you stop listening.
Do, no, I'm not going to listen anymore.
I don't want to do anything but what I want to do myself.
We need to focus.
And God is calling us all today to come and to stop and to focus and to listen and to do.
And so today we have to stop, hear, listen, and heed the word of God.
May he give us that skill, that ability to listen and to hear what he is saying to us.
We're going to say the Lord's Prayer together now.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
We're going to sing together again to God's praise this time
in Psalm 107, the Scottish Psalter version, page 384.
Psalm 107, and at verse 23,
page 384 of the psalm books.
And then we're reminded of the passage that we're looking at today,
how Jesus is able to bring calm into the midst of a storm.
And in verse 29, it says that the storm is changed into a calm
at his command and will.
We're going to sing from verse 23 to 30 to God's praise.
Thank you.
Which makes the sea with roaring wings
I want to swell and rise
If unto heaven and to the dead
They do all come again
Their soul of pain can melt away
With love alone with fear
They relapse stagger like wonder
At their waves in daily
Then they do come in trouble cry
Who then from straits are free
The storm is changed into account
At his command and will
So that the waves which raged before
Now quiet and still
Then are they not because of rest
And quiet the lady
So to the lady
I will turn to read God's word together now in the gospel of Mark
And chapter 6
Mark chapter 6
We take up our reading at verse 30
You find it around page 1015
Of the church Bibles
Mark chapter 6 at verse 30
The apostles returned to Jesus
And told him all that they had done and taught
And he said to them
Come away by yourselves
To a desolate place and rest a while
For many were coming and going
And they had no leisure even to eat
And they went away in the boat
To a desolate place by themselves
Now many saw them going and recognized them
And they ran there on foot from all the towns
And got there ahead of them
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd
And he had compassion on them
Because they were like sheep without a shepherd
And he began to teach them many things
And when it grew late
His disciples came to him
And said
This is a desolate place
And the hour is now late
Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages
And buy themselves something to eat
But he answered them
You give them something to eat
And they said to him
Shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread
And give it to them to eat
And he said to them
How many loaves do you have?
Go and see
And when they had found out
They said five and two fish
Then he commanded them all
To sit down in groups on the green grass
So they sat down in groups by hundreds and by fifties
And taking the five loaves and the two fish
He looked up to heaven
And said a blessing
And broke the loaves
And gave them to the disciples
To set before the people
And he divided the two fish among them all
And they all ate and were satisfied
And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces
And of fish
And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat
And go before him to the other side
To Bethsaida
While he dismissed the crowd
And after he had taken leave of them
He went up on the mountain to pray
And when evening came
The boat was out on sea
And he was alone on the land
And he saw that they were making headway painfully
For the wind was against them
And about the fourth watch of the night
He came to them walking on the sea
He meant to pass by them
But when they saw him walking on the sea
They thought it was a ghost and cried out
For they all saw him and were terrified
But immediately he spoke to them and said
Take heart
It is I
Do not be afraid
And he got into the boat with them
And the wind ceased
And they were utterly astounded
For they did not understand about the loaves
But their hearts were hardened
And so on
And may God bless that reading from his word
We'll again come to God in prayer
Let us pray
Our Father in heaven
As we approach your word
We do so
Recognising
Our own lack of understanding
And even
As the disciples here
Were seeing and hearing
The wonders of Jesus
It says
Their hearts were hardened
And we know ourselves
That that can be true
At times in our own experience
Perhaps even we come in here today
With that sense of
Of hardness
Of not coming to listen
But maybe just coming
And just to show
Our face here
And to put others at ease
That we have come
But we thank you
That as we come
We come under
What is your word
A living
And an active word
And a word that is powerful
A word that we see there
That is still through to this day
That Jesus as he spoke
Had the power to calm
Even the wind itself
And the waves of the sea
And we thank you
That that is true for us today as well
That you are the one
Who is able to calm us
And to change out every situation
That seems so powerless to us
That we have no ability
To change anything
In and of ourselves
But your word reminds us
That you are the one
Who is able
And so we come in prayer to you
Depending on you
For all things
From the beginning of a day
To the end
And even through the watches
Of the night
When we may
Be unaware of everything
Going on around us
When we are in the depths of sleep
We thank you
That you are one
Who is constantly awake
Never slumbering
Nor sleeping
As the psalmist says
But that you are always
Watching over your people
That your presence is near
And in all our cares
And all our anxieties
And all our thanksgivings
We thank you
That we can come
And bring them all to you
As the one who hears us
That you hear us
Through the name of your son
Our Lord and saviour
Jesus Christ
And as we have read of him
And how he prayed
To you himself
We thank you
That even as he was dependent
In all things
That we too are as well
And so Lord
We thank you
That we come
Through a name
Above every name
That we offer up our prayers
In and through
The name of Jesus
And so hear us
Lord we ask
And may your will be done
And may all be
To your glory
And we do ask
Oh Lord
For all our different needs today
And the needs of those around us
We thank you
That again
You are the one
The one who is able to comfort
The one who is able to heal
The one who is able to help
In any and every circumstance
And we know Lord
The many around us
Who need you
In particular ways
And especially
Oh Lord
In times of
Of grief and sorrow
As in our own midst
Lord
There are
Those who grieve
And those
Who we know
Even in our own denomination
Who are grieving today
In the midst of loss
We thank you
That you are
A God of all comfort
And so throughout
Our communities today
May that comfort
Be evident
In special ways
That people
Would know
The everlasting arms
Underneath
Upholding
And strengthening
We do remember
Even those
In our own denomination
Who have been servants
To you
And who have been
Taken to glory
As we have heard
Of the passing
Of the Reverend Ian Allen
In these days
We thank you
For his life
And for his ministry
In different places
And over many years
We do
Lord
Give thanks
For the word
That he preached
So faithfully
And pray Lord
That even
It would still
Continue
To bear fruit
We do pray Lord
For comfort
For his family
That you will
Surround them
In these times
We thank you
Of the Macphersion family
The Reverend John Macphersion
And his wife Catherine
In the sad news
Of the sudden loss
Of a son Malcolm
We pray Lord
That you will
Surround them
And comfort them
As only you can
And Dave Macphersion
As well
The Reverend Dave Macphersion
And his brother
In Govan too
Lord
We just pray Lord
For him and his family
As well
And in this time
Of grief Lord
That you would be one
Who is very near
And we know too Lord
That there are those
Who are going through
Ill health
And so many different trials
And we just commit
Each one to you
And Lord
When they cannot pray
That they would feel
That they could ask
For prayer
Or that they would know
That there are people
Praying for them
And we do ask
Oh Lord
That you will
Just go before us
In all of these things
We thank you Lord
Of our nation
And all that's going on
As we know
The various issues
Going on in parliaments
At this time
We thank you
For your hearing of prayer
And so many different things
To do with the gender recognition
And we thank you Lord
For the way that you are able
To turn the tide in that
And we thank you
Of the upcoming
Assisted Suicide Bill
And we pray Lord
For wisdom
And for your intervention
And those who maybe have
Leanings towards it
That they would be convinced
Otherwise
For we know that
Life is precious
And life is in your hands
And we know that
Although there can be
So much that will be
Painted as intended for good
That we see it
Oh Lord
In the wider picture
That it can be used
Oh Lord
In so many wicked ways
And so we pray Lord
That you would come
In a day of your power
And heal our land
And pour blessing upon us
To see your goodness
And your mercy with us
In all of these things
We pray that for the world
In which we live in as well
A world in so much turmoil
A world with so much conflict
And hatred being showered
Upon so many
In so many different ways
We see Lord
A stirring of anger
In so many places
And we just pray for peace
May your peace come
And so Lord
Hear our prayers
And give our people
Ears to listen
To hear what you are saying to us
As you call us
To bow the knee before you
May you open hearts and minds
To receive the wonder of the gospel
That we would be astounded
Even as the disciples were
In this passage that we've read
That people would be astounded
At what you are able to do
And to do for good
So hear our prayers
Continue with us
And go before us
In the rest of this day
That's all we ask
We ask for the forgiveness
Of our sin
In Jesus' name
Amen
Well before we come back
To look at this passage
We'll sing again
To God's praise
In Psalm 62
In the Sing Psalms version
Psalm 62
On page 79
Of the Psalm books
We're going to sing
From verse 1
Down to verse 8
Psalm 62
On page 79
My soul finds rest
In God alone
From him comes my salvation sure
My safety fortress
Sheltering rock
In him alone
I am secure
We'll sing from verse 1 to 8
And we stand to sing
To God's praise
In the Sing Psalms
And we stand to sing
To God's praise
In God alone
From him comes my salvation sure
My safety fortress
Shelter secure
In the Singwasser
And his hope
From his high place
They take delight
In spreading eyes
With force
And fighting
Clouds may bless
But in
Thy hearts
Are times
Despite
I rest
My soul
And brought
Alone
In him
My hope
Is ever
Burture
My safety forecast shall be brought, in him alone I am secure.
I own the land's salvation rest, on God my rock and my deep heart.
O people, trust in him always, to him alone for a pure heart.
We can turn back to a reading in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6.
I'm reading again at verse 48.
Mark, chapter 6, at verse 48.
And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.
And about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
For they all saw him and were terrified.
But immediately he spoke to them and said,
Take heart, it is I.
Do not be afraid.
Are you afraid to follow Jesus?
You may have come in here today just thinking,
I just want to come and go and maybe not truly hear what the Word of God is saying,
because you may be afraid of what it might say to you,
what difference it might make in your life.
Are you afraid to follow Jesus, to hear what he says?
Well, you're not alone.
It's not a new thing.
It's there from the beginning of time.
It'll be there till the return of the Lord Jesus.
There'll be a sense of fear in terms of what Jesus means.
And sometimes it's a good thing to be afraid.
It's a good thing to be afraid because it can make us look for what the right answer is
and where help can be found in our fear.
And as you're reading here in the Gospel of Mark,
as you're looking at the first half of the Gospel of Mark,
it's full of accounts of Jesus revealing himself to the people in so many different ways.
You see there's many miracles that he's done,
so many teachings that he's given,
and people were marveling.
And you think to yourself,
well, the more they're seeing,
the more they'll believe,
the more people that there will be that will believe.
But yes, there were some who believed,
but there was many who turned away
and many who were afraid
because he was preaching a truth to them
that they couldn't fully understand.
So truth and fear are often things that go together.
There can be anxiety in the midst of hearing truth
and you're wondering,
is it true?
You think even of this coming week,
it marks 80 years
since VE Day,
Victory in Europe Day,
when the Second World War
came to an end,
when peace came.
And you can imagine
the differing emotions
that would have been throughout the country
at that time.
So many mixed emotions,
so many tears flowing,
tears of joy and tears of sadness
mixed together.
Joy and fear just there in abundance.
And for some,
it was probably a moment
where they would actually ask,
is it really true?
Do we really have peace?
It would have been hard to believe
after all that they'd gone through.
Was it actually a day when peace
had come?
Can we believe what we're hearing?
And as we come to the Word of God,
sometimes we read through it
and we think,
can this really be true?
Does this really matter to my life?
It can make us turn away
and reject it.
It can make us afraid
and it can also fill us
with joy.
And you see here
that just mixture of emotions.
The disciples terrified
and astounded
just in a short space of time.
And you see it again and again
as you're going through Scripture.
This is often what the truth
of God does.
And especially when it comes
to seeing Jesus
and who He is.
You just think back
a couple of chapters
to chapter 4.
And there was,
Jesus was with the disciples
in a boat
on another occasion
in the middle of a storm.
And they're afraid.
And they asked,
do you not care
that we are perishing?
Do you not care
that we are dying here?
And Jesus is able
to calm that storm.
Peace, be still.
And the wind
and the waves ceased.
And they're asking,
who is this?
They're afraid
of this Jesus.
And you see it
in chapter 5 as well
in verse 15 to 17.
Another time
when Jesus did a miracle.
He healed a demon-possessed man.
And you see the crowd's reaction.
They're afraid.
And what do they do?
They beg Jesus
to go away.
To leave us alone.
And is that what we need
when we hear about Jesus?
Just beg him.
Just go away.
Leave me alone.
I'm too afraid
of these things.
Well, fear often keeps us
from recognizing Jesus
and who he is
and what he wants for us.
Fear paralyzes us.
But we need to hear
what he is saying to us.
We need to overcome
that fear
and come to be a people
of faith
instead of fear.
We are being paralyzed
by fear.
We've all got maybe
different fears
and we're afraid
of certain situations
and it leaves us
kind of paralyzed.
If you're afraid
of heights,
you start climbing a ladder,
you look down,
the fear
can just paralyze you.
You're stuck.
You cannot go up.
You cannot go down.
Fear of spiders
leaves you afraid
of going into
any room
where you've seen
when you close the door
and you're afraid
to go in there again
until that spider's gone.
Fear of the doctor.
You just say,
I'm not going.
I'm afraid
what he might say to me.
We can be afraid
in so many different situations.
But are you afraid here?
Are you afraid
as you're hearing
the word of God?
Fear stirs us up
to see we need faith.
And somebody once said,
I am inwardly fashioned
for faith,
not for fear.
Fear is not
my native land.
Faith is.
I am not made
for fear and worry.
They are the sand
of the machinery of life.
They're there
to grind away
and to damage
the machinery.
But faith is the oil.
Faith is the oil
that keeps machinery
lubricated,
that keeps our lives
going in the right direction.
fear and worry
leaves me grasping
for breath.
But faith and confidence
helps me to breathe freely.
We are not designed
for fear,
but we are a people
of fear.
But we are to be
a people of faith.
So is fear
keeping you back today?
Are you afraid
of Jesus?
Are you afraid
of what might happen
if you commit
to Jesus?
Are you afraid
that you'll let him down?
Are you afraid
of what people
will think?
Are you afraid
maybe you're sitting
at home
watching online?
Are you afraid
to come to church
in case something
happens?
We should be more
afraid
of what will happen
if we don't come
to Jesus.
We should be more
afraid of not
listening
to Jesus
because the day
comes when we have
to appear
before him.
And we need
to be a people
of faith,
believing
in him.
William Garnall
once said,
we fear men
so much
because we fear
God so little.
What are we
more afraid
of today?
What people
will think,
what people
will say,
or what God
the Lord
will think?
Are we afraid
of Jesus?
Well,
the disciples
here,
they were learning.
and there was
a mix of fear
and faith
all intermingled.
And I want us
to look at
three things
from this passage
today.
And they help us
to see our own
lives as well.
And the three things
are the Lord's
paths,
the way the Lord
leads us.
And then you see
the Lord's presence
and then the Lord's
prompting.
And there are
three things,
situations that can
leave us afraid,
but that can also
give us assurance.
And the first thing
we see is the
Lord's path.
We can focus,
first of all,
on the disciples
here.
It's late at night
and we've seen
they've fed
the 5,000 men
there.
And Jesus
has instructed
them to go
before him
to the other side,
it says in verse
45,
to Bethsaida,
while he
remained with
the crowd
to dismiss them.
And so
they've listened.
The Lord's
told them
what to do
and they've
gone and
they've done it.
They've gone
out in the boat.
But once more
they find themselves
out on the lake
and a storm
rises,
the wind
is against them.
And it almost
seems to happen
so often
whether they're
away from the
Lord,
that they're
presented with
a challenge.
They're left
in a situation
where what
are you
going to
do
here?
And so
often in
these early
days,
it seems
that fear
is what
overwhelms
them.
Fear is
what almost
overcomes
each time.
And it's
so similar
to the
situation
where they
were in
chapter 4.
The Lord
had instructed
them to go
out in the
boat and
to make
their way
and they're
caught up
in a storm.
the Lord
was directing
them.
It's not
like a
Jonah
situation
where they're
running away
from the
Lord.
When the
Lord's told
him to do
something,
to go one
way,
and he
goes the
completely
opposite,
that's not
the situation
here.
They're doing
exactly what
they've been
told.
And still
a storm
comes.
They're
listening to
Jesus and
a storm
arises and
they're afraid
in the midst
of this
storm.
And it
would be
easy for
them to
blame him.
You've
sent us
this way.
You told
us to do
this and
we're doing
it and yet
still here
we are
caught in
a storm.
But what
you find
with the
disciples is
that so
often in
these early
experiences
they're
obedient to
the Lord
but the
Lord is
testing them.
The Lord
is discipling
them and
the Lord
is reminding
them of
their need
to depend
on him.
And the
same is
true for
ourselves.
If we
are to be
a people
of faith
there are
going to
be times
of fear,
times of
doubt,
times of
worry,
times of
testing.
They're
always going
to come.
Even when
we're doing
exactly what
the Lord
has told
us.
We can
be obedient
to God
and doing
everything
in his
will and
the way
he wants
us and
yet still
testing
comes.
And we
are thinking
am I
wrong?
Have I
done the
wrong thing?
Yes,
there are
times when
we do
and the
Lord will
teach us
in that
as well
but sometimes
when we're
obedient
testing
comes.
But it's
how we
respond
in that
testing.
Hardships
and trials
will come
but it's
not to
misunderstand
that we're
on the
wrong path.
The
Lord's
paths
aren't
always
easy
and the
Lord is
here
testing
the
disciples
testing
them to
see how
they respond
and how
they react
and what
they'll learn
in the
midst of
it but
the Lord
is with
them and
we'll come
to that
in a
moment.
But it's
the reality
of a life
of faith
and fear
together
is how
we respond
but the
Lord is
often teaching
us.
And if
you think
of different
career paths
in life,
if you
want to
be a
pilot,
an
aircraft
pilot,
if you
want to
go into
space or
if you
want to
go to
sea,
work on
ships,
there's
often times
in the
training where
you have
to be in
a simulator
and you
go into
a simulator
and it
simulates
a certain
situation.
It may
be you're
flying a
plane and
a bird
strike comes.
How are
you going
to deal
with it?
Well,
the simulator
is a
safe place
to learn
and you'll
get all
kinds of
issues being
thrown at
you.
So maybe
it's not
just one
issue.
It'll be
two or
three things
coming all
at once.
And how
do you
respond?
In a
simulator,
it's a
safe
environment.
Training
you to do
the right
thing if it
happens for
real.
And many
of the
situations go
beyond anything
you'll ever
see.
But it's
still good to
know how
to respond.
And you
could almost
look at this
simulator in
Jesus'
experience with
his disciples.
He's there
in a safe
environment with
them.
It's almost
like they're
learning to
ride their
bike but
the stabilizers
are on and
the parent is
alongside just
there to catch
when we
fall.
Well,
Jesus is here
putting them
on these
paths,
putting them
through these
testing times
because he's
preparing them
for when he's
not there with
them, when he
leaves them
to it.
Jesus is
going to go
away from
them.
He'd be at a
distance and
when he's not
there, how
will they
respond?
Of course,
he's always
there as we'll
see in a
moment as well.
But we are
to learn in
every situation
that we're
going through.
Trusting
Jesus is
what we
need.
As we go
on our own
paths, as we
go our own
way, as we
live a life
of faith,
doing what
the Lord
wants,
obedient to
him, know
that testings
will come,
that we need
to lean on
the Lord
and be
prepared through
learning through
his word,
through experience,
through the
experience of
others.
Even as James
says in his
letter,
consider it
pure joy,
my brothers,
whenever you
face trials
of many kinds
because you
know the
testing of
your faith
develops
perseverance.
And
perseverance
must finish
its work
so that you
may be
mature and
complete,
not lacking
in anything.
It's there
for us.
We're going
through the
fire,
testing,
but it's
for our
good.
To make us
mature and
complete,
not lacking
in anything.
are you
afraid of
what Jesus
might put
you through?
Are you
afraid of
what path
Jesus might
take you
down?
Well,
whatever it
is,
it's to be
obedient to
God.
It may be
a hard
path,
but be
obedient to
God and
follow the
way that he's
showing.
The Lord's
path is one
filled with
testing but
also teaching.
but above
all is the
path to
salvation and
to eternal
life.
So the
Lord's
path.
The second
thing we see
is the
Lord's
presence.
And we
have this
great assurance
here as
well, the
Lord's
presence.
And when we
look at this,
we do so
first of all
looking at the
situation where
we find the
Lord.
As he sent
them on,
he sent
them ahead
to the
other side
to Bethsaida,
he's dismissed
the crowd,
and he's
gone up the
mountain to
pray.
Jesus lets
the disciples
go, and
he goes to
pray.
Is he
leaving the
disciples?
Has he just
left them to
go?
Or is there
a reminder to
us here of
where he is
even now?
praying?
In the
gospel of
Mark, there
are three
times when
Jesus is
mentioned
praying.
In chapter
one, at the
beginning of
his ministry,
here in this
chapter, and
in chapter
14 in
Gethsemane,
in each he is
alone, in
each the
disciples are
in the
vicinity, and
in each they
do not
understand, or
they're afraid.
And yet
he's praying.
I wonder, was
he praying for
them?
We know in
John 17 that
Jesus prays for
his people, he
prays for us.
And you
wonder here if
that prayer that
he was offering
up was,
Father, teach
these disciples
through this
experience.
May they see
your glory.
May they know
your presence.
We don't know,
it's not recorded
for us.
But that prayer
in John 17
certainly makes
it clear to
us that he
prays for
his own.
And here we
have this
reminder too
for ourselves
that even we
are going
through times
of trial
and challenge.
Where is
he now?
He is at the
right hand of
God, and
what is he
doing?
He's making
intercession for
his people.
Even as we
offer up our
cries and our
prayers, Jesus
is the one
who is
interceding
for us.
And so he
was one who
prayed, showing
us our need
to pray, that
we are dependent
on God for
all things.
It's a lesson
and a reminder
to us, a
lesson to have
our own times
alone with the
Lord because we
do face all
these trials.
But it's to be
in the presence
of our Lord
as we do
so.
And it's a
reminder too
that as Jesus
was dependent
on the
Father, so
are we.
We do
nothing by
ourselves.
And that's a
reminder, but
it's also a
blessing.
We don't have
to face up to
anything by
ourselves.
Whatever it
is, we go
through it knowing
that there is
prayer there to
the Father in
heaven who is
able to help.
help.
And so it
seems he was
at a distance,
but he was
close, and
he is close to
us as well.
And even
though he had
sent his
disciples, he
had not
forgotten
them.
And you
see that in
verse 48.
He saw that
they were
making headway
painfully for
the wind was
against them.
He was aware.
He knew what
was happening
to them.
He knew their
situation.
like he knows
yours and
mine too.
He knows
everything that's
going on.
And he was
aware they
were in
trouble, and
he came to
their aid.
But isn't it
strange what it
says?
They were
making headway
painfully for
the wind was
against them, and
about the fourth
watch of the
night, he came
to them walking
on the sea.
He meant to
pass by them.
It seems a
bit odd.
He meant to
pass by them.
Had he
changed his
mind?
Had he
thought they're
being disobedient,
they're not
listening, I'm
just going to
go past them?
What was he
doing here?
Was he not
concerned about
them?
Or was there
more to this?
He made to
pass by them.
There was
revelation in
this.
they were to
see who he
was and what
he was doing.
Some people
have tried to
put this down
as the walking
on the sea,
that the
disciples were
tired, it was
late at night,
they thought they
saw him walking
on the sea, but
he was actually
on the land.
No.
Others have
said, oh, there
must have been a
shallow part, a
sandbar, the
water was very
shallow, he was
just walking on
that.
No.
He was walking
on the sea, and
he made to
pass by.
What was he
doing here?
He was showing
who it was that
was with them.
When you go
back to the
Old Testament,
to Exodus
33, verse 19
to 23, there
you see the
word pass by
used again, and
the phrase is
used to
describe God
revealing himself
to Moses as
he passed
by.
And here
is Jesus
making us
to pass
by, that
they might
see his
glory, that
they might
know who
it is that
is with
them, that
it's not
just on the
land he's
walking on,
on a
sandbar, that
Jesus has
power and
authority over
all things.
He is walking
on the water,
and he is
there for
them, and
then he
comes into
the boat
with them.
It's a
reminder to
the disciples,
they won't
always have
Jesus in a
physical way,
but that he's
always going to
be with them.
We have
God the
Lord on
our side.
Even as we
sang in
Psalm 23,
there's these
great words of
the Lord being
with his
people.
Verse 2
gives that
image of
the green
pastures and
the calm
waters, and
a lovely
calm setting.
But then
you have
verse 3
and 4
that remind
us that
even in
the valley
of the
shadow of
death, he
is there
for his
people.
His rod
and his
staff, they
comfort.
So the
Lord is
there.
God is
with us.
That's his
promise.
Never will
I leave
you, never
will I
forsake
you.
Thomas, when
he saw the
risen Lord,
he said he
would not
believe unless
he saw the
marks on his
hands and
the side.
But what
did Jesus
say to
him when
he believed?
Because you
have seen
me, you
have believed.
Blessed are
those who
have not
seen and
yet have
believed.
Do these
things make
you afraid
of Jesus?
He can't
walk on
water, he
can't feed
5,000, he
can't calm
a storm, the
wind and the
waves.
Well, he
can.
That's the
truth we
hear.
But do we
believe it?
That's the
question.
So the
Lord's
presence is
there for
us.
What a
wonderful
assurance we
have that
he is
there for
his people.
And he
is there
for you.
Do not
be afraid,
but believe.
Believe in
the Lord
Jesus.
Well, the
third and
final thing
we see
here is
the Lord's
prompting.
The Lord's
prompting.
Fear can
often lead
us to
missing
what's
important.
And the
disciples
here, yes,
they were
terrified, but
Jesus spoke
to them there
in verse 50
saying,
take heart,
it is I,
do not be
afraid.
The Lord
prompts them
here.
You fear
so much,
you're afraid
even of me.
Do not
be afraid.
See who
it is.
It is I.
I am.
I am the
Lord who
is with
you.
And he's
prompting
them in
their hearts
to believing.
Take
heart.
And they
were astounded,
utterly
astounded,
it says
there in
verse 51.
And they
were growing
in their
knowledge of
Jesus and
their
understanding
of who
he is.
we may
be believers
in our
hearts,
but our
hearts are
still hardened
at times,
as we see
here in
verse 52.
Our hearts
are hardened
by things
that go on
and our
experience
and our
own
sinfulness.
All of
these things
leave us
hardened,
but we
should be
utterly
astounded
by what
God is
saying to
us.
We don't
always
understand,
but here
is Jesus,
the Son of
God,
revealing
himself
to us.
He had
come to
them,
as it
says here,
by walking
on the
sea.
And Psalm
77,
verse 19,
it says
there,
your way
was through
the sea,
your path
through the
great waters,
yet your
footprints
were unseen.
It's
almost like
for this
occasion,
that Psalm
footprints
they couldn't
see,
but he
was there
with them.
The Lord
is prompting
them,
prompting
them through
his word
and through
his presence
to lean
upon him,
to not
be afraid,
but to
listen to
him.
And this
was not
just a
word for
this one
occasion.
Take
heart,
as I do
not be
afraid,
was for
this day
onwards.
And his
promise to
always be
with them
and to be
with all
his people,
for all
their future,
all their
eternity,
he would
be there
with them.
But when
we look at
Jesus,
he has
our future
proofed
entirely.
For any
change,
for anything
that comes
our way,
he's got
it covered.
He is
ever
enough.
There is
no situation
that arises
that's out of
his control.
There's no
time in
our life
that we
go through
that he's
not there
for us.
Everything
is there,
whether it's
personally,
collectively,
even as we
think of the
world in
which we
live in,
the chaos
that we
see all
around us,
he is
still enough.
He is
all we
need.
He alone
is to
be our
hope,
our refuge,
our security,
all of
these things.
And yet
still,
we're
afraid.
We're
afraid
what people
might say,
what people
might think.
We're
afraid of
letting him
down.
We're
afraid of
going
forward
in
faith
because
we're
fearful.
It's
better to
be afraid
of the
consequences
of naught
and to
come
and follow
him.
He
says,
take heart
at his
eye.
Do not
be afraid.
And he
speaks that
word to
us today
as well.
Don't be
afraid to
follow
Jesus.
The paths
may not
always be
straightforward,
but it's
better to be
on his
path,
the narrow
way that
leads to
eternal life
and the
broad road
that leads
to destruction.
You have
the promise
of his
presence.
He sees,
he knows,
he prays,
and he's
with you.
And that
is what he
is prompting
us with
today,
to go
his way,
to follow
him,
not to be
afraid,
but to
have faith
and to
go with
him.
Are you
good at
listening?
Because
God the
Lord is
speaking,
and we
are to
follow him.
Let's
pray.
Lord,
our
gracious
God,
we thank
you that
your word
is a
living word,
and we
pray that
you will
take it to
our hearts
today,
and that
you will
apply these
truths of
our need
to listen,
even in the
midst of
our fear
and our
anxieties
and all
that troubles
us,
that,
Lord,
we would
come to
recognize
that you
are with
us,
and that
you are
for us.
So help
us to
be a
people of
faith,
leaning upon
you for
all of
these things,
as we
ask it
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
We're
going to
conclude by
singing in
Psalm 34.
We'll sing
from verse
8 to
11.
Psalm 34.
Come
taste and
see the
Lord is
good,
who
trusts in
him,
is
blessed.
Oh,
fear the
Lord,
your
saints
with
need,
you
will
not
be
oppressed.
Then
verse 11,
it says,
come here,
my children,
gather round
and listen
to my
word,
and I
will help
you understand
how you
may fear
the Lord.
We'll sing
from verse
8 to 11,
we stand
to sing
to God's
praise.
Amen.
The Lord is true, you trust in His best.
Oh, fear the Lord, you saints with me, you will not be offended.
And thy odds may grow weak and faint and hunger for their good.
But those who wait upon the Lord will not lack any good.
Come here, my children, gather round and listen to my word.
And I will help you understand how you may fear the Lord.
Amen.
After the benediction, I'll go to the main door.
We'll close the benediction.
Now may grace, mercy and peace from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore.
Amen.
dethъ
Amen.
Thank you.