Miracle of Our Lord Walking on Water #2

In this part of the sermon: The first application highlights two distressing concerns during intense affliction: the perception that Christ is distant and indifferent, and the surfacing of indwelling sin…

Martin contrasts Jonah's storm, which came due to disobedience, with the disciples' storm, which came in the path of explicit obedience, to highlight the different consciences involved in affliction.

This passage teaches us is that as with the disciples, so with us. There are two distressing concerns which often come to us in those seasons of intense affliction and buffeting providences. You see, unlike Jonah, who could look out upon the swelling and the heaving sea and the angry waves and the threatening skies, and know that those seas and waves and skies were a transcript of the frown upon God's brow for his disobedience, his angry sea coming in the path of disobedience, unlike Jonah, the angry waves and the heaving seas and the clouded skies came to these disciples in the path of experi...

14:06 - 15:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first application highlights two distressing concerns during intense affliction: the perception that Christ is distant and indifferent, and the surfacing of indwelling sin…

This analogy describes a jar of seemingly clear turpentine that, when agitated, reveals sediment from previous cleanings. It illustrates how intense affliction (the agitation) reveals previously hidden or unnoticed sin, superstition, and spiritual dullness (the sediment) in the heart.

Isn't that what the text says? They understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was heart. Perhaps you've had the experience of going down to the cellar, looking for some turpentine to clean a paintbrush that has an oil base. The substance.

26:14 - 26:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God uses weak men but not proud men he hates pride it's the very breath and atmosphere of hell that's why it says these six things does the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him a proud look haughty eyes them tha…

Martin quotes an unnamed author who explains that afflictions often serve as preventives, occupying our attention and energy to neutralize temptations or sins we were 'courting or flirting with,' using the disciples' situation as an example.

And he comments as follows, Our afflictions are not merely at times chastisements to mark the divine displeasure at sins of which we have been guilty or restoratives to bring us back to the life from which we have partially strayed, but they are frequently also preventives and come to occupy our attention and engage our energies so that some temptation which we were courting or coquetting with coquetting is an old word for flirting with a coquettish person was a flirtatious he said some sin that we were presently courting or flirting with may be neutralized and counteracted. Christ sent these ...

39:45 - 41:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God uses weak men but not proud men he hates pride it's the very breath and atmosphere of hell that's why it says these six things does the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him a proud look haughty eyes them tha…

This metaphor describes being drawn into the world's pleasures and pursuits, nearing the 'fatal in-draft of the whirlpool.' It illustrates how God sends serious affliction to pull us out of harm's way when we are on the verge of spiritual danger.

The world was too much with us. We were becoming enamored of its pleasures and pursuits. We were just on the outer rim of the vortex beginning to feel the fatal in-draft of the whirlpool. You get the imagery?

41:01 - 41:14 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are committed to magnifying Christ, expect your share of intense affliction and buffeting providences, as it is often in that theater alone that we receive unforgettable discoveries of Christ's grace and power.

Martin provides examples of a broken-hearted parent over a wayward child or someone with chronic physical weakness. These illustrate how prolonged, intense affliction becomes a 'theater' where Christ's grace and power are uniquely displayed and discovered by both the sufferer and observers.

if you and I are committed to the perspective of Philippians 1.20 the perspective of the great apostle who said this is my passion in life that whether by life or death Jesus Christ shall be magnified in this body then dear friend expect your share of intense affliction and buffeting providences because it is often in that theater alone that we receive our unforgettable discoveries of the grace and of the power of Christ it's in the intense affliction of a broken heart over a wayward son or daughter that goes on day after day week after week month after month year after year until the spirit o...

47:27 - 48:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: you see that boat was not to be their tomb it was God's tumbling bin

The analogy of a 'tumbling bin' for stamped metal parts, which rubs off burrs, is used to describe how God uses trials and afflictions to remove the 'burrs of superstition and unbelief' from His people, fashioning their character.

the passage illustrates the invincibility of our Lord in his purpose to build his church the invincibility of our Lord in his purpose to build his church you say where in the world do you find a church on that sea well what was in that boat eleven of the twelve foundation stones in the city of God the church is built upon the foundation of what apostles and prophets Christ the chief cornerstone when John sees the city of God he said it is a city on which are inscribed in the foundation the names of twelve apostles of the land now look at this picture eleven of those foundation stones are in th...

56:10 - 57:38 Read in full sermon