THE CHEER FACTOR!
Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33, especially verse 27“
Introduction: “Be of good cheer” is a mighty powerful phrase… It was more than an acknowledgment or causal greeting… It was an authoritative blessing, a commandment, and promise—all rolled into one… It literally meant to take heart, to take courage, to take cheer, to deliberately banish the emotions of gloom and doom and choose instead to let the joy and strength of Jesus shine through…
Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid..."
Introduction: “Be of good cheer” is a mighty powerful phrase… It was more than an acknowledgment or causal greeting… It was an authoritative blessing, a commandment, and promise—all rolled into one… It literally meant to take heart, to take courage, to take cheer, to deliberately banish the emotions of gloom and doom and choose instead to let the joy and strength of Jesus shine through…
Some translations say: Cheer up!
The word “Cheer” means cheerfulness, optimism, joyfulness, and liveliness…so to cheer up means to have confidence, and be alive with hope and a positive attitude…
There’s was a popular television program called “Fear Factor…” So with that in mind, we will, think of this story under the title “Cheer Factor….”
There are four factors here that, joined together, can make us cheerful people…
1. The Multitude Factor… Now most of us know that the word, “Multitude,” means huge number, or massive amount or mass or crowd…For you and I it could be a group in our Sunday school class or whatever…but…There’s got to be purpose and meaning in our lives if we’re going to have good cheer... For Jesus and His disciples, that meant ministering to the multitudes... Look at how Matthew tracks Jesus... (4:25; 5:1; 8:1; 8:18; 9:8; 9:36; 12:15;; and 13:2)…
Those multitudes represented the millions whose lives He intended to change… For us to uphold joy and fulfillment in life, we’ve got to reach the multitudes… That may involve a large ministry… It might mean a small ministry, which, unknown to us, will have large results... It’s not enough to earn a paycheck, to enjoy a vacation, to buy a new car, to play video games, and go to movies… We’re placed here to make a difference, and God intends for each of our lives to have significance…
2. The Solitude Factor… Solitude means…privacy, isolation, and seclusion… So here’s the balance... We need frequent breaks from the multitude, time alone with ourselves and with God…Time alone with our wife or husband, someplace away from the same old, same old…
Going some place from time to time for privacy or personal isolation or seclusion is a good thing as long as we don’t stay gone…It is very important to maintain a good balance in our lives…
To much church is no good, not enough church is just as bad…To much leisure time is no good…We must strive to keep our lives in balance…It’s not easy…
I spoke at a men’s event one night and I used a four foot level as a visual tool, saying as I balanced it in my hand, that we need to balance things out in our lives…Later after the event was over, a gentleman came up to me and said, “Mr. Graves, you are so right about the balance thing…” I asked him what he meant and he told me he had to sell his bass boat because he was spending to much time out in it and it was starting to effect his marriage…so it was either the boat or the wife and he made the right choice and got rid of the boat…It’s not that we need to get rid of the things we do for pleasure, but balance is a must if our lives are to be full and joyful…
Notice how Jesus safeguarded His time alone (Matt. 14:13, and 14:21-22..
3. The Fortitude Factor… The word “Fortitude,” is a good word…it means strength, courage, guts, staying power, and stamina…it means determination…and determination means, strength of mind, will power, resolve, purpose…it means true grit…So to have fortitude means to have a steadfast determination…We must have this feature, and listen… …
3. The Fortitude Factor… The word “Fortitude,” is a good word…it means strength, courage, guts, staying power, and stamina…it means determination…and determination means, strength of mind, will power, resolve, purpose…it means true grit…So to have fortitude means to have a steadfast determination…We must have this feature, and listen… …
The right kind of fortitude comes only from the faith we have in Christ… because we know He will rescue us from the storms of life…in His time…
So while Jesus was up on the hillside enjoying leisure time with the Father, the disciples were in crisis, and this brings us face to face with this third factor in having a cheerful attitude... The fortitude factor…
In Roman times, the night divided into various watches… The fourth watch comprised the hours between three and six in the morning… Jesus allowed His disciples to struggle for a prolonged period in darkness and distress… He didn’t solve their problem instantly… The Lord sometimes lingers and delays and watches, from a distance, praying for us in the mountains as we struggle on the stormy sea below…
He’s more interested in developing our faith than He is in relieving our distress, and He wants us to be strong in grace and in faith and in Him… The Bible tells us on thirty-four different occasions to be strong… We can’t be strong in our own strength, but we can be strong in His strength…
We can be strong in the promises… We can be strong in grace (see Deut. 11:8 and 31:6; Josh. 1:9; 2 Chr. 15:7; Is. 35:3–4; Dan. 10:19 and 11:32; 1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:10; and 2 Tim. 2:1)…
Jesus came to them on the water, walking across the waves, stepping on the whitecaps as though they were stepping stones… And as He approached the boat, He shouted above the surf these words that have echoed down through the ages throughout the storms of life to you and me:::: Be of good cheer! It is I: Don’t be afraid!
Whatever your storm, whatever your gale, whatever your struggle, you have total access through His grace to those same three short, simple phrases…… Be of good cheer! It is I; Don’t be afraid!
We must walk with a steadfast determination!
4. The Gratitude Factor… How does the story end? It ends with thanksgiving, praise, worship, and admiration…appreciation…thankfulness, and gratefulness…and that’s what gratitude is…
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God…”
Let’s freeze- that picture, and let’s go back one hour and freeze- that picture, too, when the disciples were at their moment of desperation…
Put the two pictures side-by-side…
Three o’clock: Exhaustion and Fright... Four o’clock: Exaltation and Expectation… Three o’clock: Anguish and Adversity… Four o’clock: Wonder and Worship…
The secret of great faith is knowing at three o’clock that four o’clock is coming, and reacting accordingly... It is replacing worry with worship, and doing so by faith, learning to trust Him not just during the storm but, even after the storm passes by…
Conclusion: Faith is being of good cheer at three o’clock because we know Jesus will show up in His timing and make all things work together for good…That is the faith that remembers the promises of God…Romans 8:28,"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose..."
A STORMY POEM!
As they fought through the storm and faced roaring seas…
Each fell and shouted…… OH LORD PLEASE…
Exhausted and frightened, they battle the rain,
The wind, the waves, always enduring the strain…
Till finally their nerves could stand it no more;
And their strength was all gone and their muscles were sore…
But up on the mountain top Jesus could see!
Every white-capping wave on the rough Galilee…
Christ straddled the billows like a carpet of sod,
He came to their aid with the power of God…
They worshiped Him then, with rejoicing and awe…
For the marvels He did and the wonders they saw…
But better to praise Him with the storm at its worst…
By remembering His power and promises first…
“Be of good cheer! It is I;…Do not be afraid…”
Who will you trust as you face the storms of this life? If you trust in your self alone your boat will be rolled over in the storm and you will drown…But if you learn to trust Him, before, during and after the storm…your boat might still sink but someone with a steady hand will reach down and lift you up, dry you off and put you in the place He has been preparing just for you…praise the Lord…amen…
Conclusion: Faith is being of good cheer at three o’clock because we know Jesus will show up in His timing and make all things work together for good…That is the faith that remembers the promises of God…Romans 8:28,"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose..."
A STORMY POEM!
As they fought through the storm and faced roaring seas…
Each fell and shouted…… OH LORD PLEASE…
Exhausted and frightened, they battle the rain,
The wind, the waves, always enduring the strain…
Till finally their nerves could stand it no more;
And their strength was all gone and their muscles were sore…
But up on the mountain top Jesus could see!
Every white-capping wave on the rough Galilee…
Christ straddled the billows like a carpet of sod,
He came to their aid with the power of God…
They worshiped Him then, with rejoicing and awe…
For the marvels He did and the wonders they saw…
But better to praise Him with the storm at its worst…
By remembering His power and promises first…
“Be of good cheer! It is I;…Do not be afraid…”
Who will you trust as you face the storms of this life? If you trust in your self alone your boat will be rolled over in the storm and you will drown…But if you learn to trust Him, before, during and after the storm…your boat might still sink but someone with a steady hand will reach down and lift you up, dry you off and put you in the place He has been preparing just for you…praise the Lord…amen…
rngffc.
posted by Fisherman For Christ at 7/23/2008 11:57:00 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Bobby, I was glad to read your blog today. The last time I checked it was when your mom was sick. You hadn't blogged for a while back then due to the calls of life. I was thinking about you. It's funny when I read your blogs I can hear it as if it were you saying it out loud. miss all the times we spent in the upper room praying. Most of all I miss my closeness to Jesus I had durring that time. I feel like I'm in the desert, or going through a drought. The wilderness stinks. How I long for the Bridegroom's return. when I seek him I feel as though I only catch a glimse. I like my new church but it's just not the same. I don't have friends there like you and Jeremiah. I feel as though I need friends like that but I know it's the Jesus in you two I miss. It's not like the church memeber's here don't have Jesus, they definitely do. I just miss the times we spent with Him together in the upper room. He's all I need, He's all I want, I miss his closeness. I use to hear Him all the time. Throughout the day He'd speak to me. Explaining His word, his ways, revealing wisdom, He helped me to see his glory in all things. I miss him dearly. Now it's as if I only hear his whispers. Oh, I don't want to be like the seed that was sown among the thorns to heck with this life. What is important but Him. He is my "cheifest among 10,000" I feel just like the woman in Song of Soloman. longing for her husband to return. Have you seen him? as she describes him, they to want to meet Him, they too want to know Him, they want to help her look for Him. He is the lily of the Valley, niether of us would know that had we not been through the valley. "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth, I sought him but found him not" Song of Solomon ch3:1. I know He is near and I will find Him. For who soever seeks finds. I seek Him. Pray for me Bobby, that I may know Him more. That I may see Him more, that I may take every step with Him. By His side, I want to know His thoughts, the ways of His heart. I want to see Him. Pray that I have closeness with my Jesus. "Victory is not the Goal, but God Himself." Bobby Graves.
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