My niece asked me who I would want to be with me if I was on a deserted island. I’ve never been asked that question, so I thought about it, and I thought I’d want the Lord to be there. I could hold His hand and he would walk me to land. If I was hungry, He’d just make a meal right there.
Matthew 14:25-26 (KJV) And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
The disciples were thinking evil spirits were walking around.
Matthew 14:27 (KJV) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Peter is saying, if it’s you Lord bid me come. So he believes this is the Lord. On the Lord’s word, Peter stepped out and started walking. I’ve heard a lot of sermons on how his faith failed. We miss the point the man walked, for at least a little while. When I teach on this, I always think of Hebrews where some fainted, and some fell, and they got up and went on. I like to mention Sarah, who’s in the heroes of faith. Even though she messed up, she got up and went on.
Matthew 14:28-29(KJV) And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 29 And when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me (deliver me).
When I read this a scripture that comes to mind is Isaiah 53:1; whose report are you going to believe?
Whose report are you going to believe, the wind, or the word of the Lord?
This has to do with healing, deliverance, and everything else. Whose report are you going to believe? I know of a number of cases, including mine, where I was healed but I still had symptoms. You begin to look at what you feel, felt, or saw and things get worse. Even when my shoulder was healed, I still had a little twinge in there, but I was healed. No matter how bad the circumstances, or how bad it looks, or how bad the doctor says it is, keep your heart and eye on the word, on what the Lord says.
There was a lady that got healed of cancer and still had a big tumor. She kept giving a testimony about how the Lord had healed her. She knew she was healed. People began to say, it’s obvious you’re not healed. She prayed Lord I know I’m healed, but for their sakes, will you remove this tumor. It disappeared. That’s bulldog tenacity. Keep knocking. She held on.
We look at circumstances and our heart sinks. We look at the impossibility and our heart sinks. We look at the deadliness of others that didn’t survive a condition, and our heart sinks. When the heart sinks, or we waiver, James says, stand fast in the word. You’re not going to receive anything in wavering.
Matthew 14:30 (KJV) Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 31 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
You were doing all right. Why did you quit believing?
If we doubt not, and go through all the places in the Bible where the Lord says, I will, and according to your faith, so be it unto you. So, according unto your faith, yes, you can walk on water. Don’t look at how the water looks. Don’t look at high it is, or look at how many people have drowned. They’re fisherman, so they’ve been out in some bad water. In their lifetime they’ve probably had a few people drown.
In Ghana they repair their nets on Tuesdays because they say the god of the sea is angry on Tuesdays. They’re out in hand-hewn forty foot boats repairing nets, and they’re out there a pretty good distance.
Song: When Jesus is my portion. A constant friend is he. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know he watches over me. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know he watches me.
If He can watch out for a little birdie, He can watch out for me.
There has been a lot of teaching on healing from people. Millions have been blessed. I’ve been in meetings where hundreds are healed and thousands are not.That needs to change. We have problems now. When the end comes we’ll be between a rock and a hard place. The Lord’s been gracious to give us some time to get our act together.
All of God’s promises are yes and amen.
Hebrews 6:1-6 (KJV) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of the eternal judgement. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost (the Spirt that’s Holy) 5 And have tasted the good word of God (the Creator), and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
You can’t do your first works over. I’ve known some that try to go back, and want to be baptized, and do everything else. If you goof up you repent. There’s a deliberate breaking, which Esau did, then there’s flopping into sin and getting up. Some have backslidden and the Lord has brought them back.
In James 5 speaking of the category of “such were some of you.” Somewhere along the line you did something you had no business doing. It could even be the way you treat a brother or sister; the way you answer them; hatred; not forgiving and so on.
There’s a deliberate act for which there is no forgiveness. Then there’s where we goof, and fall in the mud, and get up, and get our sins forgiven. There’s a big distinction there.
Hebrews 6:7-8 (KJV) For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs, meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God (the Creator): 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
I’ve warned people like Copeland and Robison about changing the word and the ecumenical movement. If you change the word, your name will be taken out of the Lamb’s book of life. That name is not taken out until that time comes. You’re sealed until the day of redemption, the day the Lord returns. People can still minister and have healings. They can pray the prayer of faith, yet their name will be taken out of the Lamb’s book of life. People say, I’m going to lose my salvation, but no, you’re sealed until the day of redemption.
Forgiveness is granted when someone has a broken, contrite heart. Some people say forgive me, but there’s no real repentance in it.
Hebrews 6:10-11 (KJV) For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
A lot of what was done in the Old Testament applies under the New Covenant; one being where you remember the poor and the needs of the people.
Hebrews 6:12 (KJV) That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who though faith and patience inherit the promises.
We think of patience as sitting and waiting. The word patience doesn’t mean just sitting around waiting. It means an expectation that you know it’s going to happen.
Hebrews 6:13-15(KJV) For when God (the Creator) made promises to Abraham because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
He was blessed the moment he raised his hands before Melchizedek. That’s what should happen to us. When we came to the Lord we should have entered into a covenant just like Abraham did; for blessing; being redeemed from the curse of the law; financial blessing; everything you find in the scriptures.
Abraham believed God when He called him out of Chaldee of Ur. Abraham left the land where his dad died; where they used pagan worship for fertility. God said: come out and I’ll give you a child. He’s one hundred years old. He’s patiently waited, but it took a long time before it got there. God also said he’d be the father of many nations.
Hebrews 6:16 (KJV) For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Once you have sworn an oath; made a covenant, it’s settled. For this world, and the church world, giving our word doesn’t settle anything. You have lawyers trying to break contracts. People give their word and don’t keep it. I’ve heard that with millionaires their word is their bond, and the same thing with the mafia and gangs.
Hebrews 6:17-18 (KJV) Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God (the Creator) to lie we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
He swore He would be the salvation of Abraham’s children, not only his blood children, but also his gentile children who would come by faith, the same faith Abraham did. He was a pagan, and entered into Romans 10:9. He prophesied, where Jesus said, this a new covenant in My blood. He confirmed it; the immutability of His council confirmed by an oath that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for the Creator to lie, we might have a strong consolation in what He said, He’d do.
Come on Peter, walk on water. Yes, it’s My will, according to your faith, so be it unto you. The Creator says, I swore an oath, you believe it and I’ll do it.
Hebrews 6:19-20 (KJV) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul (the life), both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec.
Song: He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, That shadows a dry, thirsty land; He hideth my life in the depths of His love, And covers me there with His hand, And covers me there with His hand.
We have an anchor for our life so we don’t get blown about (Ephesians 4:14) with every wind of doctrine.
It goes on to talk about, which is Old Covenant, Abraham before Melchizedec. The Lord is our Melchizedec. We were supposed to go to Him, to swear an oath that He'd be our everything.
Song: He’s my everything. He’s my everything. Jesus He’s my everything. He's my rock. He’s my shield. He’s my wheel in the middle of the wheel. He’s my joy in sorrow. He’s my hope for tomorrow. He’s my rock in a weary land. A shelter in the time of storm. Jesus he’s my everything.