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Outline

Short sermon that elaborates on John 6:16-21, to help those who are trying to decide about God.

• Being afraid

• Who's in Control?

LET HIM INTO THE BOAT

Verse by Verse insight: John 6:16-21

      The context of these verses follow right after the description of Jesus' miraculous feeding of the five thousand.  "When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum.  By now, it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them." (John 6:16-17)

     It's interesting to note that, sometimes in our life, it feels like God is not there with us, in our trials and our suffering.  Figuratively speaking, when "a strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough" (John 6:18), it sometimes seem like God had disappeared!

     That might have been the case with what Jesus' disciples were feeling when they were in that lake and the weather grew a bit rough.  The boat became rocky.  Everything was shaky.  Dangers of the boat capsizing became very real, especially when Jesus wasn't even with them.

     Yet, "when they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified." (John 6:19)

     How strange it might seem, that here we see Jesus walking on water despite the waving circumstances of the immediate environment.  And here, his disciples saw this and panicked!

     It's like God coming into our lives also.  Most of us don't know what to do when that happens.  And as we stall, our lives continue to pitch back and forth, up and down in that little miserable boats of ours.  We become afraid of God coming into our lives and having Him in control.  We think we know better than Him and know what's actually in our best interest.  But do we?  God's knowledge is definitely greater than our knowledge!

     "But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid." (John 6:20)

     And that's the thing: Don't be afraid of Him.  Let Him come into your life, so that you will be saved and have a relationship with Him.

     As with Jesus' Disciples, "Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading." (John 6:21)

     Would you allow him into your boat?  Although you might not reach shore as quickly as the disciples did, with Jesus Christ in your life, you eventually will come to shore and Home with Him.

 --Jimmy Li

[Last edited May 9, 2001]