DARE TO WALK ON WATER! Mrs. LinettaSambathkumar, Coimbatore, TN
DARE TO WALK ON WATER! Mrs. LinettaSambathkumar, Coimbatore, TN
( The final sermon delivered in the recently held Aroma in Sitheri Hills, Tamil Nadu)
Life is a journey and it is a wonderful thing to follow Lord Jesus Christ. The anointing of the Holy Spirit creates a deep desire in us to accomplish something for our Saviour. However, we just can ' t sit with folded hands and wait for things to take shape. The world that we live in is like a raging sea.
Walking on water implies, accomplishing a task which was considered impossible by others. The world may belittle or scoff at us. But, we have to remember that it is the Lord who has called us and move forward. Dr. Ida Scudder was a mere youngster when God called her to forego her comforts in America and serve the downtrodden women in India. This obscure youngster has now made history by establishing an Eye Hospital, a Medical College and the world renowned CMC Hospital at Vellore. God has a specific plan for each of us and we need to play our role in the Kingdom building process. In order to accomplish great things for God, let us consider the life of Peter from Matthew 14: 24-33 where we see Peter walking on water. What made Peter to walk on water?
1. Undying Love
Peter had a wholehearted love for Jesus. The boat in which the disciples went met with a wind that was contrary and was tossed by the waves. In the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. The disciples cried out of fear. When Jesus said,“ It is I; do not be afraid”, Peter recognized His voice and could not remain in the boat. He never thought to create a record by walking on water. His only desire was to join Jesus. He said,“ Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”( V 28). So deep was his love for Jesus!
What type of love do we have for Jesus? The foremost purpose of Jesus selecting His twelve disciples was“ that they might be with Him”( Mk 3:14). What is the first thing we do in the morning? Do we run to check our WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter? How often do we text? Have we ever calculated the amount of time and energy we spend on our mobile phone? All these worthless things eat up our time and ultimately we hardly have time to spend at the Lord ' s Feet. Cherish the fellowship with the Lord Jesus more than that of our friends '. Yearn to draw messages from the Word everyday.
Let our first priority be God. When Jesus asked Peter,“ Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”, he answered,“ Yes Lord, you know that I love you,” What will be our answer if He asked us the same question? Will we be able to say,“ Lord, I love you more than everyone and everything”? If so, it must be shown in action.
Sometimes, the old habits of sin may allure us and our friends may entice us. Let our love for Jesus strengthen us to say a firm“ no”. Gradually, we will be able to start doing what pleases Him and stop that which displeases Him.
1Jn 2:15-“ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Don ' t go back to our old sin as
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