Page 26 - Fundamentals Ebook Final

easy to obey the Lord. That’s not difficult to go to the other side.
But they were in a test; He will send a storm.

John 6:18, “And the sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind
was blowing.” I’m going to let the Bible describe how terrible this
storm was. It said that a strong wind was blowing. Matthew 14:24,
“But the boat was already many stadia away from the land, battered
by the waves; for the wind was contrary.” They are being battered
by the waves. Don’t confuse this storm with the storm when Jesus
fell asleep in the boat. Those are two different storms. When He
fell asleep in the boat it was a matter of life and death. Their lives
are not in danger in this storm. This has to do with their sanity. This
is not about surviving. It’s about overcoming.

John 6:19, “When therefore they had rowed about three or four
miles, they beheld Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the
boat; and they were frightened.” They had already rowed about
three or four miles. Scholars tell us that they had to go seven miles.
They are about half way. Matthew 14:25, “And in the fourth watch
of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.” It was the fourth
watch of the night. They divided their night into four different time
periods; six to nine, nine to twelve, twelve to three and three to six.
Don’t read that “la, la, la”. What that means practically is that these
disciples are tired.

They were awake all day with the feeding of the five thousand. They
left around sunset and they are in the third watch of the night. That
means that they had been rowing for about nine hours and they
aren’t even half way home. Think spiritually. Have you ever tried
to obey God and worn yourself out and you aren’t even half way
home? Try to get that picture; the night is dark and long, the Master
is absent, the sea is boisterous, the men are tired and they aren’t even
half way obeying the Lord. It’s impossible without a miracle to obey
the Lord.

That’s the background. Let me set it up so we can get the principle.
There are three ways to relate to Jesus. Keep in mind that we are