Having knowledge of Christ

Sermon notes from 2 April 2017

Matthew 14 verses 22 - 36

In these 3 verses (verse 33 to 36) one little phrase stood out.  We see the disciples being told by the Lord to get into the boat and go out into the sea.  The disciples were full of fear.  Jesus is not with them.  They are frightened.  He is uppermost in their mind.  He has got them in their vision.  No matter what we go through Jesus has his eye on us.  He will not let us down.  The disciples were rowing this boat to the shore but couldn't do it.  When the Lord came there was difficulty.  The devil was trying to disrupt the disciples.  Getting to the place where the Lord wanted them to be.  When the Lord wants to get us in the place he wants us to be there will be many disruptions.  The Lord is leading us, directing us.  The blessings are going to come to the disciples when they get to the shore of Gennesaret.  Is it any wonder there was a difficulty.  Are you going through a difficult and hard time?  A little phrase is found in verse 35 "and when the men of that place had knowledge of him."

We see these men had a great privilege.  Who were these men?  Quite possibly the elders of the land.  When it points them out like that they were men of authority.  Not every man of that land but pointing to a group of men who had a responsibility for the welfare of others.  What a privilege here, that the Lord would land on the shores of this land.  Israel in the Old Testament wanted a king.  Saul was selected and there were a group of men with Saul "whose heart the Lord touched."  Imagine having a heart like that.  Maybe the Lord wants to touch a heart.  From the very throne room of heaven God reached down and touched their hearts and they were different as a result.  Lydia was sitting in a prayer meeting listening to the word of God.  As Paul opened it up that particular day God touched her heart.  Have you ever experienced God touching your heart?  That is what happened here in the land of Gennesaret.  They did know the Lord - "had knowledge of him."  They didn't recognise him or they had forgotten about him.  Isn`t it wonderful that circumstances were come into their lives.  We can be so drawn away as child of God.  Know sins forgiven, on way to heaven and home.  The devil will do all in his power to oppose us.  We need to be careful of the places we go as a Christian, people we are with, the circumstances around us.  These men had forgotten about the Lord because of the circumstances prevailing in their lives.  2 men on the road to Emmaeus put so much confidence in this one sent to deliver them now he had been crucified.  They had heard the reports.  He was no longer in the tomb.  Turned their backs on all that was going on in Jerusalem, they were going home to Emmaeus.  When Jesus drew alongside them they didn't know him.  The disciples in the boat didn't recognise Jesus in the boat with them although they had been walking with him for 3 years.  Commentators say this was the best land and it was bound to be a prosperous place.  Maybe because of the circumstances they forgot about the Lord.  In Luke 5 verse 1 the Lord Jesus was on the shores of the lake on the opposite side of Gennesaret.  They pushed out the boat from the shore because the crowd was so large.  No doubt the men from the opposite shore, the land of Genneserat were there too.  They didn't remember him when he came back here again.  Only when their hearts and minds were opened by Christ they realised the privilege of the one in their midst.  Remember the young demonic boy who spent his time in the tombs cutting himself and crying.  The demon spirits came out at Jesus` command and went into the pigs.  The pigs ran down the hills and over the cliff, into the sea and drowned.  The elders of the city came out and told Jesus to leave that country.  Their income was reduced as a result of the loss of the pigs.  They didn't want him there any more.  We have had a visitation of God for the past 3 months.  As the people of God have we recognised that? 

These men were men of great passion.  When they realised who Jesus was they sent word into all that country around about.  They brought unto him all that were diseased.  They realised who he was, what he could do, wanted others to know and receive the benefit.  It is one thing to sit in the gospel meeting and enjoy it.  What about others?  Have we been considering and thinking of the needs of others at the same time?  Here was the remedy, the answer was heavy on their hearts.  Men have died for the gospel, been taken out to the stake and suffered terrible things but they would not give up their faith - why - because they were going to hand it down to you and I.  Paul had a great passion for the people in Athens.  Their whole lives were given over to idolatry.  His heart was moved, stirred within him when he saw the idols, especially the one to the unknown God.  There were 4 men in the word of God whose hearts were touched.  Jesus was in a village when 4 men brought a friend who was bedridden to him.  In John 4 there was a woman whose heart was touched by Christ.  What did she do?  She went into the cities of Samaria to tell others of him - "come see a man, is this not the Christ?"  Isn't it a wonderful thing to know your sins forgiven, on your way to heaven and home.  "For there is no condemnation for them which are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8 verse 1) One day we will be in heaven, will bask in Christ`s presence yet our neighbours are going to hell.  The passion we need.  We pray for revival but what do we mean by revival.  Revival is falling in love with Jesus Christ all over again.  To get a fresh vision of Christ, knowing the privilege that he is in our midst and have a passion for others.

Man`s great presentation.  Not only thought of families and neighbours they "sent out".  What was the message they sent out?  They wanted the people of that land to know that the Lord was in their presence.  Like the woman with the alabaster box.  She broke it and used it to wash Jesus` feet.  The disciples complained and Jesus said "she had done all she could."

Men of great praying - verse 36.  They sent out and told the message "and besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment".  To see people coming to the Saviour.  It was one thing that they were coming yes but everyone who touched the hem of his garment were made whole.  These men prayed for them.  Will you let them just touch the hem of your garment?  

Men of a great prize.  Every man or woman who came were touched, were made "perfectly whole".  The prize will be to see people standing around God`s throne saved by his grace.