Jesus in Your Boat — Erlo Stegen

Let us pray. Take this service, Lord, into your hands. We know how hard a person's and a human's heart is and how closed the ears can be. We pray work through your spirit, Lord, that those hearts will be touched and the ears be opened.

Jesus Calms the Storm in Matthew 8

Our text we find in Matthew chapter 8. And from verse 23. Now when he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.

Then his disciples came to him and awoke him saying, Lord, save us. We are perishing. But he said to them, why are you fearful, you of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

So the men marveled, saying, who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey him? Maybe we can also read some verses that go before the text that we've read. Verse 12, verse 18. And when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave a command to depart to the other side.

The Cost of Following Jesus

Then a certain scribe came and said to him, teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

Then another of his disciples said to him, Lord, let me go first and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. And then he got into the boat, and his disciples followed him.

And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. It's an amazing story. It's such a simple story that even a small child can understand what it's about. But despite that, even the wisest, the most intellectual person will never be able to get to the bottom of the story.

There's such depth in it. Jesus entered the boat. And his disciples followed him into the boat. The boat is not described here what it was exactly like. But we can accept that it was probably just a simple fishing boat.

Josephus, a historian, says that on a daily basis there must have been around about 300 fishing vessels on that sea. It's not a big sea. It has a width of about 7 miles, not kilometers. And the length is about 13 miles.

It has a depth of about 150 feet, which is about 50 meters. And it's interesting that it's about 680 feet below sea level. And around the sea are mountains. And it's interesting that it's about 680 feet below sea level, which is unusual that it's so far below sea level.

Around the sea are mountains. It's a known fact that this sea often experiences storms. The wind would blow over the mountains and gather speed coming down and cause huge waves and create huge storms on the sea.

And the wind was trapped among these mountains, going back and forth from one side to the other. Very often, it was quite calm on the mountains around the Sea of Galilee already. But inside the valley, over the sea, the water was still boiling from the storm there.

Jesus’ Exhaustion and the Demands of Ministry

So Jesus went into the boat. And his disciples followed him. Now I read some verses that go before the story. How the multitudes had surrounded the Lord. Jesus didn't get a chance to rest. From morning till night, people surrounded him, asking him questions, wanting help.

Very often, he would pray throughout the night. He wouldn't even sleep. I remember when I was in Russia, where we traveled day and night. When we finally got to our destination, I was exhausted. When we got there, they told us that the people were gathered already, expecting me to take a service.

I said to the others, I don't have the strength to take a service now. I think it was Uncle Fanny who was with me, and I said, I can't. Please, can you go and rather hold that service? And he came back, he said, no, they say they don't want me, they want you.

I got to the conclusion that the Russians don't know what exhaustion means. We went from one place to the other. It was a very exhausting trip. On that trip, my heart started losing its rhythm. I went to a doctor, and he was shocked how my heart was beating.

I said, well Lord, have you sent me to Russia to die here? There are people that don't realize when you are exhausted, and when you just have no more strength, they're just concerned about their problem that they have.

But then I also understood more of what the Lord had gone through. I said, oh Lord, now I know what you must have felt like, because with you it was even worse. The multitudes were around you all the time.

And then there were those that said, Lord, we also want to follow you. And then he said, foxes have holes, the birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. Another said, Lord, I want to follow you, but my father is dying.

Please allow me to go and see to him, and that I can bury him first, and then I'll follow you. The Lord said, let the dead bury the dead. With him, relationships, whether he's a relative or not, doesn't work.

What is important with him and in his service is to do what he expects you to do. So he went into the boat and the disciples followed, and he gave the command, let us go across. The story of the Lord crossing the sea is a wonderful illustration of our lives, your life and my life.

In a physical sense, but also spiritually, but it's also an illustration of the Church of Christ. But we cannot cover everything now. They left under the most ideal conditions. It was calm, it was sunny, there was no wind, it was just the ideal condition to leave.

Life’s Sudden Storms and Hardships

There were no waves, no wind, nothing. They left. But while they were on their way, suddenly, unexpectedly, this terrible storm broke loose. When the storm started, the Lord was at the bottom of the boat, sleeping, fast asleep.

There was no pillow, his head was on the plank. There was no sofa. He lay there on the planks, on raw wood. And the waves got bigger and bigger and covered the boat. The disciples, even those that were experienced fishermen, eventually got to their wits end.

They say those waves can get up to 20 feet, right about 7 meters high. And these waves covered the ship. The disciples were struck with fear. Even the experienced fishermen among them, like Peter, they called out, they said, we are perishing, we are going to die.

They left under those ideal conditions, it was like going for a picnic, they were going on holiday, on a cruise. But the storm came upon them very suddenly, and it changed so suddenly, they said, we are going to die, it's our end.

The ships and boats in those days had sails to be driven along by the wind, but they soon realized that they had to let the sails down, lest they be torn in the storm. They could only see death before them.

As I said, it's a wonderful picture of a person's life. It's a wonderful picture of a person's life. Very often when you set out on a mission, or on a calling, maybe you get married, or you go into the ministry, and everything seems so calm, it looks like it's going to be a cruise, it's going to be so wonderful.

But then the storm comes, and then suddenly things get difficult. You lose the support you had, you've got no money anymore, and you start doubting, and eventually you start blaming even the Lord, saying, Lord, why did you command me to go into this boat?

But that's what life is like, and no one is excluded. It's just not possible that you will never meet up with a difficulty or with hardship, where you think you're going to die, it's going to be your end.

Having Jesus in Your Boat

One thing helped them. One thing is necessary, and it's imperative, and that is that you have Jesus in your boat. If you don't have Jesus in your boat, you and those with you will perish, and you will wake up in hell.

The hardships, the difficulties, will bring about your end. One day I asked some people, why don't you get converted, give your lives to Christ? They said, no, we're scared that if we do that, we'll meet up with difficulties.

In fact, everyone will meet up with hardship and difficulties. But it makes a big difference if the Lord Jesus is in your boat. If He's not in your boat, you'll experience the flames of hell while you're here on earth.

Faith Through Bereavement and Tragedy

Yesterday, we had the funeral of a little baby, a beautiful little baby, a baby of Zue and Nukuuna. I told them, shared with them three stories. Many of you were there yesterday. But allow me just to repeat them.

Hudson Taylor spread the gospel in China as a missionary. He lived there with his wife, and they had a child. When it was still small, the child got very ill, and eventually died, passed away. But because he was a foreigner in China, and not Chinese, the government and the people there said, no foreigner is allowed to bury their child or anyone in China.

They said, because he's not of Chinese origin, not from our country, not of our people, they are like devils to them. So Hudson Taylor didn't know what he was going to do with his child that had died.

So at night he went out into the darkness, all on his own. Until he found a spot where he could bury his child, and that's how he had to do it. But he didn't lose courage, he didn't get despondent, he didn't say, oh these people are terrible that they do this to me.

No, he continued as a missionary, preaching the gospel to these people. And then I spoke about another man of God, Skrogi. He had five children. During his time, the bubonic plague broke out in England.

And in a space of two weeks, he lost five of his children. He was a man of God. But he never got bitterness in his heart. He didn't complain. But they say this tragedy, this hardship that he experienced, that strengthened him in his faith.

You see, if you have Jesus in your boat, you experience blessing. But without Jesus, you will become bitter. You'll have grudges. You'll start gossiping. You'll start finding fault with other children of God.

But if that's what happens to you, I want to tell you clearly, you're not a child of the Lord, you're a child of the devil. If you're a child of the Lord, you'll never be found doing those things. As a child of the Lord, you won't gossip about other people behind their backs.

You won't speak things about other people that are hurtful. And it's good that you understand that. Do you all understand that? Everyone, whether you live here at Sisyphus or not, do you understand? If you follow the Lord, you'll desire to live a holy life.

And your desire will be to be a blessing to other people, not to drag them down. You will attempt to build them up, to be a blessing to them, to strengthen them, to encourage them, that even the Lord will rejoice.

Christ’s Humiliation and Incarnation

So as they were in the boat, the storms came suddenly upon them. The Lord had no place to lay His head. There's no mattress. But because He was so exhausted, He slept right there. Even when the water splashed onto Him, it didn't even wake Him up, didn't worry Him.

Jesus, who is God Himself, who came in the flesh, He took upon Himself this humility, this weakness, that He could experience this exhaustion. Can you imagine that the Lord Jesus was prepared to take this human form, take on the flesh, where He would experience how tired and exhausted He would get, when He as God had never experienced that, He who doesn't slumber nor sleep.

He didn't know what that meant, but He was prepared to do it for us. He didn't know what that meant, but He was prepared to do it for us. He never knew tiredness, but He was prepared to go through all that suffering just for you.

But what do you feel for Him? You feel nothing for Him. You trample Him and His blood underfoot. For you, your family is more important than Him. Yes, you deserve hell. And the Lord Jesus can take away your children.

He can do it suddenly. Something can happen and you can lose them. And it will be terrible if you experience that and He's not in your boat. Maybe for you it's more important to earn a good salary, to live a good life, but even that can be turned upside down very suddenly.

You can lose your job. Your house could burn down. But if Jesus is in your boat, it's wonderful. Some people ask me recently, what did you experience? What did you feel when the auditorium burned down?

But in spite of the fact that some people cried and wept like a child had died, their own child had died, but what helped me was that going through that experience, it was different because Jesus was in my boat.

Faith in Jesus’ Authority Over the Storm

Now when those experienced sailors like Peter had given up all hope, knowing this is their end, they then went and woke the Lord and said, Lord, we are perishing. And Jesus said to them, but why are you afraid?

O you of little faith. Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. The people marveled. And they said, who can this be that even the winds and the sea obey Him? You see what a person is like who has Jesus in his boat?

The people say about such a person, what kind of a person is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him? The people said it, they themselves said it. They didn't find fault. They didn't criticize. There's no bitterness.

They had no bitterness or these other things. Why is it then that these things come up in your heart, in your life? You who complain and say, oh, it's so tough in this world. We have such a difficult time.

Why should we have such a tough time? Don't you have Jesus in your boat? You say, oh, the wind, the sea, the sea obeys Him, why are you afraid? I tell you, the wind and the sea obey Him. Then He said, who can this be that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

Don't you know and experience this great calm that the Lord brings and speaks and commands, but you have so little faith and instead of riding the wave, you get dumped by it. And they ride you. And you may know what it's like to be dumped by a wave and you get caught in that turmoil and you don't know whether you're coming or going.

But when Jesus is in the boat, in your boat, then everyone marvels and you say, how is such a thing possible that in such conditions he can command the wind and the sea? It's wonderful when Jesus is in your boat.

Persevering in Ministry After Loss and Opposition

There was a minister who told me a story. He was from another country. But he came to Africa to preach the gospel. And he went to a place that was very dark. And he wanted to help these people. And so he helped them in many different ways, with education and with teaching them skills and many different things.

Some even brought their cars to him when they broke down or didn't run properly and said, please, can you help us fix them? And then five young men came along. Now, he didn't realize that there were some people that are very gifted in stealing.

He came from a country where there was almost no theft. So he took them into his garage. To fix their car. They went in with him and then they were amazed to see so many tools. So much equipment. They just looked around to see what there was.

He was busy fixing their car. And he was happy that he could help them get their car going again. When they were on their way, they said to each other, did you see what was in that garage? So that night they were back.

They broke in there. And they stole things that night to the value of 60 ,000 rand. When he got to his garage, this workshop the next morning, it was empty. They had stolen everything. Now, if there's a thief among us, even if you took one penny, one cent, the Lord Jesus says you will go to hell.

You won't get out of that place until you've paid the last cent back. If you stole a teaspoon or a spanner, I'm guaranteeing you, you won't go to heaven. Because the Bible says so. You'll end up in hell.

Unless you repent before. And once you're there, you won't get out according to the Lord until you've paid the last cent. And how will you do it when you're there? And this missionary said after that experience, he cannot continue.

He said, how can he live among people that are so cursed in this way? He says he's giving up. He's going back. So it will be difficult if you are in your boat and the Lord Jesus is not with you there.

Marriage, Holiness, and Keeping Jesus in the Boat

I remember when I was young, going around with other preachers of the gospel, going visiting people to preach to them from house to house. Now, when you go to people like that, some people still want to speak to you.

Some want a prayer. So you can't keep to a timetable, to a schedule. I was unmarried at that time, still a bachelor, but the man with me was married. And he was getting very nervous because it was already two o 'clock.

And he said, we've got to move because my wife prepares food that is ready at one o 'clock. And now it's already two o 'clock. Please, let's go. And on the way home, he said to me, please, will you speak to my wife on my behalf?

Explain to her why we are running late and we weren't here on time. I was amazed. I didn't know what it was like to be married. I didn't know that it was like that to have a wife. I said, but Lord, if that's what it's like, please save me from it.

If to get married and live with a woman is like that, I knew that the devil started with you women. He went into you first. Whether you've repented of that, I don't know. Whether you have changed, I don't know.

But I said, God, save me from such a curse. If it's your will, all right. But keep me from ever getting stuck in such a dungeon. I don't know what some women are like, but if they choose hell, well, then that's, they mustn't expect us to go with them.

I was just addressing you women and said, you sisters, what are you like? What are you like? Tool in the devil's hands? Or do you bring joy to God in heaven? And I blessing to your husbands. You young people, you want to get married.

Oh, people are so desperate, the young people, but make sure you don't go into that boat without Jesus being on board. You're totally sick. I've noticed the young men. You just watch the eyes, how they follow the ladies, the girls.

They want desperately to get married. Some to the point that they even sin to get what they want. Woe to you if that's how you go into it. You'll experience those seven meter waves. They'll, they'll bury you.

Blessed is the one who has Jesus in his boat, where everyone, including you will marvel and say, but what kind of a person is this? That even the sea and the wind obey him. Even if your husband and your children are unbelievers, even if they are unbelievers, that they marvel and that they have to marvel and say, but what kind of a person is this?

That makes out of a person something like this. It's wonderful to have Jesus in your boat, because even when the storm comes, that itself proves and reveals the greatness of God. We in this world, in this world of sin, surrounded by evil people, thieves, liars, all sorts of people filled with lust.

And all types of diseases and things around us. You experience one thing after the other. It comes from all directions. You almost don't know what to expect next, but it doesn't fill you with bitterness or anything, but that you marvel and say, but what kind of a person is this when he is with you?

You'll experience persecution because you cannot serve the Lord and everyone rejoices. Some will speak evil of you, and some will spread lies. But you who have Jesus will marvel and say, oh Lord, it's great to be with you.

Trusting God Through Opposition and Rebuilding

I was watching, observing these days also here at the auditorium. And thanking God for all the people that have come to help us, that are working hard from morning till evening. Now when that building burned and when it burned down, some people said, well, that serves Steegan right.

He's getting what he deserves. Well, I don't know what they say today. One white person. One came to me and said, now you're getting something better than you had before. And I could just say, well, I marvel too about the one I serve and what he is doing.

We marvel at who Jesus is. You cannot but fall at his feet, worship him and marvel and say, oh Lord, you are great. As I said, when that building burned down, we didn't have a cent to rebuild it, but we marvel at what God has done.

And it is a lesson to us all. Even if we go through difficulty, that we should have faith in God and trust him. When it happened, when it happened, we didn't know what we were going to do. I didn't even know one could rebuild it with timber like it is being now.

So God gives you much more than you could ever even imagine or expect. And we can just marvel and say, Lord, what kind of a person are you? So I say to all of you, you cannot afford to live one day without Jesus in your boat.

Repentance and Relying on Christ Rather Than People

And you young people as well, if you haven't repented, do it now. I know many people say that Christianity is for the white man, but they say that because their minds are blinded, they are darkened and they don't know what they are saying.

So ask yourself, is Jesus in my boat? Can he reveal his glory through me? That all nations have to say, but who can this be? What kind of a man? And that there is great calm and peace. Do you understand?

Not that you go out here and then you forget. And then you get home and you experience things and you forget all about what you've heard. And don't say, well, I don't want anything to do with Christianity anymore because I was disappointed once people disappointed me.

The Christians disappointed me. I don't want it anymore. Forget about all those things and just be concerned and just look upon this man who spoke to the sea and the waves and the wind and they obeyed.

And you say, but I've looked at the Christians, oh, and they've disappointed me. They've let me down. Well, it will be like that because the Lord himself said, he who trusts in men will be disappointed and is even cursed.

Yes, you are cursed if you trust in a man and you'll be disappointed soon. He's let me down. Well, blessed days when he let you down till you learn not to lean on men, but on him of whom they said, what kind of a man is he?

Let's bow our heads and pray. Our God, walk among us through your Holy Spirit and see and look whether we are living with you in our boat. If there's someone who is living without Jesus in his boat, may this be the day where he repents.

Where he says, Lord, I come to you. Come into my life. Stay with me. Abide with me. Amen.