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The Indispensable Principle
I want to begin by reminding my heart and your heart of the indispensable principle, total reliance on God’s Holy Spirit. I’d like to share this verse and then we’ll look at the new material. Psalm 81:10, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” Is that an invitation? Is that a command? Is that a challenge? Is it all of those? Is God saying, “You can’t open your mouth wider than I can fill it?” Is it a promise? I think that verse teaches us, “If you are ready to eat, I’m ready to feed you.” We never have to overcome God’s reluctance. We always have to lay hold of His infinite willingness.
Let me introduce what I’d like to look at now. It’s such a large theme, that it’s almost impossible to do it in one lesson. The foundation that I want to discuss is faith; what it means to trust the Lord. How can we trust the Lord? I have some verses to illustrate why this is very important. Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Romans 14:23, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.” 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight…” Galatians 3:11, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’” All of that is to say faith is very important. If you don’t have it, you can’t please God. Faith is reckoned as righteousness.
If you tried to study faith in the Bible, you would see how large that is. We could talk about faith as a gift from God. We could talk about God being the author and finisher of faith. We could discuss how it’s reckoned as righteousness. We could talk about it being “the substance of things hoped for, and evidence of things not seen.” We could talk about “mustard seed” faith. We could relate faith to works. We could talk about the difference between faith and presumption. We could contrast it with the Law. You get the idea.
Faith is not defined in the Bible. It’s described in many ways, but it is not defined; faith is looking, faith is trusting, faith is eating, faith is drinking, faith is receiving, faith is abiding. It’s so big that it’s hard to say, “This is the foundation.” So, I thought I would share two stories with you. The first story, in my understanding, describes what faith is and what it is not. The second story describes how I know that I’m trusting God. How do I know that I have faith?
The first story that describes what faith is and what it isn’t is the story of the disciples on the stormy sea. That’s in Mark 6. In the second story I’ll only be looking at one part of it; the woman that touched the hem of the garment of our Lord Jesus.
Mark 6:45-52, “And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away. And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray. And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land. And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out: for they all saw Him and were frightened. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, ‘Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.’ And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”
They did not learn the lesson of the loaves. So, there is a connection. The boat ride on the stormy sea was supposed to remind them of the lessons of the loaves. I don’t want to spend time on the feeding of the five thousand, but I want to give you the lesson. It’s described in Mark 6:37, “But He answered and said to them, ‘You give them something to eat!’ There were five thousand people, plus more. “You give them something to eat.” That was an impossible command. Nobody could do what Jesus told them to do. They had five biscuits, two fish and maybe ten thousand people because it was men plus women and children. It was absolutely impossible to obey God.
That miracle continued and showed how the impossible can become possible. The simple answer is to bring Jesus into the picture. Mark 6:41-43, “And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish, and there were five thousand men who ate the loaves.”
The Lord Jesus took a little boy’s lunch and divided it thirteen ways. I don’t know if you were holding one thirteenth of a little boy’s lunch what it would look like. The gospel tells us that the smallest group was fifty. If you had that in your hand and the smallest group was fifty people, what would you do? Would you give it to one person? Would you try to break it? It doesn’t look like enough. It doesn’t feel like enough. It never feels like you have enough Jesus. But that morsel was a picture of the adequacy of Christ. At the end, if God had said, “Pick up everything you handed out,” it would break your back. You wouldn’t be able to carry what you handed out. But at the moment it doesn’t feel like enough or look like enough.
I study to teach. It never feels like I have enough. But when I look back over the years at how much God has given, I couldn’t carry it all. Here’s what Jesus said, “Hand it out and then come back for more. Give yourself until empty and bring your basket for more.” How to obey an impossible command; give yourself out empty and keep coming to Jesus. That was the lesson of the loaves. Now our Lord Jesus is going to test them to see if they learned the lesson of the loaves; to trust Jesus to do the impossible.
We know that something very spiritual is going on because Jesus did something here that He never did before and that He never did again. It’s a very strong word in the original language. Matthew 14:22, “And immediately He made the disciples get into the boat, and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.” He made them get into the boat. He forced them. That’s the word. Maybe they said, “We’ll help you clean up.” He said, “Get in the boat.” Maybe they said, “We’ll wait for You.” He said, “GET IN THE BOAT!” And it was with such a force, that they had no choice. They had to get into the boat.
Mark 6:45 teaches the same thing. “And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away.” Here was the command, “You go in the boat, and I’ll meet you at the other side. I’m going to meet you at Bethsaida.” Now, these were fishermen. They may have made that trip many times. It would be 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 halfway. 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 halfway home. Think spiritually. Have you ever tried to obey God and worn yourself out and you aren’t even halfway 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 halfway 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 talking about faith. I’m going to describe three scenes and in each scene the disciples don’t move. Jesus moves but the disciples don’t move. In the first scene, Jesus is on a mountain praying and the disciples are on a stormy sea. Mark 6:46-47, “And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray. And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land.”
In the second scene Jesus is walking on the water and He’s going to go past them. Mark 6:48, “And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea, and He intended to pass by them.” So, the disciples are on the sea and Jesus is on the mountain. Then the disciples are on the stormy sea and Jesus is walking by.
Here’s the third scene, Mark 6:51, “And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished…” He’s on the mountain, He’s on the sea or He’s in the boat. At this point Matthew talks about Peter walking on the water. But we aren’t going to look at that part. That was just teaching the lessons of the loaves again.
So, I’m suggesting that we are on a stormy sea. We can relate to Jesus on a mountain, we can relate to Jesus walking by, or we can relate to Jesus on the boat. Think about it. Which would you rather have? Would you rather have Jesus on the mountain or Jesus walking by or Jesus in the boat?
Let me discuss each of those. The first one, Jesus on the mountain praying, Matthew 14:23, “…and after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray, and when it was evening, He was there alone.” Mark 6:46, “And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray.” We have no idea what Jesus was praying. Maybe He was praying that they would pass the test. They had a great ministry that day and maybe Jesus was praying for them. Maybe He was praying for the people He fed that day. Maybe He was just having fellowship with His Holy Father God. We do know that Jesus was praying and that at three o’clock in the morning He looked out and He saw them. The Bible says that He saw them struggling at the oars.
I’m suggesting that Jesus on the mountain praying is pure faith because you can’t see Him. “We walk by faith and not by sight.” Jesus was on the mountain praying, very much like today as He’s in heaven praying and we’re on a stormy sea.
Jesus gave a clear word, Mark 6:45, “And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away.” They had a word that Jesus would meet them on the other side. Hebrews 11 talks about “faith is the evidence of things not seen”. In this first scene Jesus is invisible but He knows everything that is going on. He sees them and He’s praying and when He sees them struggle, He walks upon the water.
It’s not easy to trust a God that you can’t see. So, they failed that part. If they had called upon the Lord, they would have learned the lesson of the loaves. Let me remind you about the lesson of the loaves. Though it doesn’t feel like much, and it doesn’t look like much, if I keep coming back to Jesus, at the end of the day I will see that I had more than enough for me, and thousands like me. That’s the lesson.
They didn’t call on the Lord when they were rowing. They didn’t talk to one another and say, “We better not fail this test.” I don’t even think they were thinking about the miracle of the loaves. They were self-conscious. They were storm conscious. They were thinking about their circumstance. They weren’t thinking, “Oh, we’ve got to remember what He taught us when He fed five thousand people.”
I think when the Bible says, “They are struggling at the oars,” I think that is more than sore muscles. It’s more than sore arms. Spiritually speaking, it’s frustrating that you can’t obey God. They are weary and tired and defeated and maybe they are even despairing. A Christian attempting to obey God in His own strength will experience that kind of frustration, defeat and failure. “I tried and I can’t. I want to obey, and I can’t.”
Every command in this book is impossible. “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church.” I say, “I can’t unless I go to Jesus.” “Rejoice evermore. In everything and for everything give thanks.” “Love your enemy.” “Pray for those who curse you.” “Go the second mile.” “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” I say, “I can’t without Jesus.” “Stretch forth your withered hand.” The man with the withered hand said, “I can’t because it’s withered.” “Take up your bed and walk.” The crippled man said, “I can’t. I’m crippled.” “Lazarus, come forth.” Lazarus said, “I can’t. I’m dead.” With every command we need to keep coming to the Lord. So, they were struggling at the oars. That’s looking at Jesus on the mountain while He’s praying.
I told you that the second one was Jesus walking on the water, but it will make more sense to you if I do the third one now. John 6:20-21, “But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ They were willing therefore to receive Him into the boat; and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” In John 6:21 they received Him into the boat. Mark 6:51-52, “And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”
I ask my own heart the question I ask you. Which would you rather have? When I first started to study this, my heart said, “I want Jesus in the boat. I don’t want Him where I can’t see Him. I want Him where I can see Him.” This is the exact opposite of faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. When He is in the boat, we can see Him and touch Him, and we can hear Him. We are together. That is the exact opposite of faith. They couldn’t have faith while He was in the boat.
Here’s an amazing thing. When He was in the boat, He did two wonderful miracles. Matthew 14:32, “And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped.” Those of you who have struggled at the oars in your own strength, you remember what a blessing it was when God calmed the storm. My heart is always praying, “Calm the storm.”
There is a second miracle He did, John 6:21, “They were willing therefore to receive Him into the boat; and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” That’s amazing! They were only halfway home and suddenly they were at their destination. I would have loved to have been working at the marina! The boat got raptured! My natural heart says, “Calm the storm and let me arrive at my destination.” We think God responds to faith, and that He does great miracles. Sometimes He is responding to unbelief when He works those miracles.
Hold that a moment, faith and sight. Let me look at the third possibility. I can relate to a God I can’t see who is praying for me. I can relate to a God that I can see but there is no faith because it’s all sense. Mark 6:48-50, “And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea: and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were frightened. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, ‘Take courage; it is I; do not be afraid.’”
So, now they are on the boat, and they look out and they see a ghost. The mountain was no sight, in the boat is all sight, in the middle it is half and half – a ghost. When it is mixed you aren’t sure if it’s an enemy or a friend. Should I be afraid, or should I pack up?
“That thing that came into my life; that doctor’s report; is that from the devil or from the Lord?” So, there are some people that relate to the Lord half and half, “I want to trust Him, but it’s still me.” It’s both. It looks spiritual but you aren’t sure. It leaves you standing on the deck afraid.
If I don’t see Jesus invisible on the mountain, will he forsake me? You know the answer is no. He’ll see you struggling at the oars, and He’ll come to you. He knows when you are frustrated, and He knows when you are trying to obey and you can’t. Mark 6:48, “He saw them struggling at the oars,” but notice that it says that He intended to pass by. He did not want to get on the boat. He didn’t want to do the miracle of calming the storm. He didn’t want to take them to their desired destination. He won’t fail us if we struggle at the oars but what if we don’t let Him walk by?
Let me tell you what He taught them by walking by. He taught them, first of all, that He was there. He said, “Be not afraid; it’s Me.” Mark 6:50, “For they all saw Him and were frightened. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.’” If I fail or struggle, the Lord will come to me, and He will let me know that it is Him. In fact, it was the very wind of the storm that carried His voice. So, the first thing He wants you to know is that He is there. The second thing He wants you to know is that the storm is under His feet. He is in control.
If you fail again and say, “It’s not enough that You are there and You are in control,” or, “Get in the boat and do a miracle,” or “I want to see a miracle,” I promise you that in your struggle, the Lord will not forsake you. If you struggle at the oars He’ll come walking by. He doesn’t want to get on the boat. He wants you to know that it’s Him and that it is under control. If you still fail and say, “Get on the boat,” He will not fail you. He will get on board and do a wonderful miracle.
Some of you might be in a position where you said, “I failed. I invited Him on board to do a miracle and He didn’t come. I asked Him to heal my loved one. I needed a miracle, and He didn’t come. I didn’t want that person to die. I asked the Lord how come He didn’t come on board and do a miracle. I didn’t want to lose my job and I didn’t want to go bankrupt, and I asked Him for a miracle.”
If you need it, He will always come on board and do a miracle. If He didn’t come on board, you might have more faith than you think you have. Maybe you didn’t need it. You went on without it. He doesn’t want to come on board but if you need it to go on with Him, He’ll come on board and do that miracle. So, perhaps you have more faith than you think you have.
When He comes aboard, because it’s sight, He will do a miracle and He’ll calm the storm and He’ll take you to your destination. He’ll do one more thing; He’ll mildly rebuke you for your little faith (Mark 6:52). Where is your faith? You didn’t learn the lesson of the loaves. So, that’s the first story and now I want to wrap it up with the second one. I can relate to Him on the mountain, or I can relate to Him going by and letting me know He is there and He has it under control or I can relate to Him on the boat; faith, sight, or mixture.
Set that aside and think now about the woman who touched His hem. I want to show you how you know whether you are trusting the Lord. Mark 5:30-31, “…and immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched My garments?’ And His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the multitude pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” She reached Him but she couldn’t reach Him until He came within her reach. He always comes within our reach so we can reach Him.
I want you to picture this. If you had on a long robe like Jesus had on a long robe, and I were to touch the hem of that robe, would you feel it? You see, the point of the story is not her touch. The point is how sensitive Jesus is. He feels it. The difference between unbelief and faith, the difference between unbelief and struggling faith and the difference between Peter and Judas is that Peter denied the Lord, but Judas forsook the Lord. Jesus told Peter, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Judas did not have a willing spirit. Unbelief has no desire to believe. Faith has a desire to believe. Weak faith has a desire to believe. Struggling faith has a desire to believe. God accepts weak or struggling faith as faith.
The important thing about faith is not faith. The important thing about faith is the object of your faith. She didn’t have great faith. She had a little touch. But with a little touch and a great Savior, she didn’t touch the garment, she touched the Lord. The reason I know that is, because at the cross the soldiers gambled for the garment. They had the whole garment and not just the hem. They walked away with His whole robe. What’s the difference? When she touched it, Jesus was in the robe. That’s faith; touching Jesus; willingness to touch Jesus! You might say that it doesn’t feel like enough, but it will have to be. He’s sensitive. He’s great and He can hear you and feel you.
Bible study is like the garment. If Christ is in it, it’s wonderful. Fellowship is wonderful, if Christ is in it. Ministry is wonderful if Christ is in it. Any kind of service is wonderful if Christ is in it. But what is church without Him? What are the ordinances without Him? I can relate to a God that I can’t see. He is praying for me and has promised that we are going to the other side. Or I can relate to a God who is willing to do all kinds of miracles for me but then I don’t need faith. Or I can relate to a God who is walking by and letting me know that it is Him and that it is under control. The Lord will always deal with you where you are.
If you fail, He won’t forsake you. He wants you to trust an invisible God. But if you struggle, He’ll come. He wants to pass by, but if you need Him on the boat, He’ll come on the boat. If you have little faith, you have a sensitive Savior who feels. How do I know if I’m trusting the Lord? It’s when I reach out with my little faith to a sensitive Savior. This is a great foundation.
Father, thank You so much for Your word. Thank You that we don’t have to have faith in our faith, but we can trust the Living God. Thank You for Your patience with dealing with us where we are. Teach us the lesson of the loaves, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen