22 Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:22-27

The Lord instructs His disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side. They do as Jesus says, but as soon as the boat is battered by waves and hit by strong winds, they revert to their old ways. They forget about Jesus, so much so that they mistake Him for a ghost when He approaches them. This is our lives in a nutshell. We’re all crossing through the sea of life, on the boat God has given us. When waves and strong winds hit us, we forget about God and revert back to our old ways. And even when God tries to talk and approach us, we mistake Him for a ghost. 

The disciples who got into the boat forgot two things. They forgot about the Lord and the Lord’s commandment. As we navigate through life, don’t forget about God. It’s easy to do when we’re caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. We have to make a living. We have a family to take care of. We have responsibilities. We can get lost in the minutia of every day life. We can end up focusing on rowing the boat like the disciples did without thinking about why or what we are doing. 

Don’t forget His command. God commands the disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side. Some may ask, “How is it possible to cross the sea without rowing? You can’t just sit there!” God isn’t telling us not to work hard or do the tasks we need to get by. He is telling us that should not be the be-all and end-all of our lives. While we’re doing these things to get through life (rowing the boat), there needs to be a recognition that we’re doing these things because of God and His commandment. God is the one who told me to get into the boat. God is the one who set my destination. God is the one who is getting me through this. Living life with this recognition and focusing on the task at hand without recognizing God are two very different things. 

What happens when we forget about the Lord and His commands? You can tell where you are with God by examining the ramifications of living a life ignoring God and His will. 

One. Are you at your wits’ end? This is the first sign you’ve forgotten about God and His will. Are you exhausted from trying to figure things out but never reaching a satisfying solution? You try and try but fail. You’re at your wits’ end when it comes to a relationship that is not working out. You’re at your wits’ end when it comes to your job. You’re at your wits’ end when it comes to figuring out why you’re not happy. Whatever it is, if you are overwrought and unglued, think about your relationship with God. 

Two. Are you paranoid and worried? There might be a legitimate reason you feel paranoid, worried, and afraid. And then again, it might all be in your head. Either way, if you remember God and His will, you should feel anything but paranoid or worried. Feeling this way is a symptom God is no longer in your life. You’re alone and left to fend for yourself. 

Three. Do you take everything the wrong way? In other words, people are telling you the right things, but you don’t want to listen. Is your judgment impaired? Do you see the Lord coming to you as some kind of ghost or monster? When things are upside down, we lose perspective on what is coming from God. We get angry when someone exposes our faults. We rebel when God tells us to go one way. When we forget about God and His will, anything coming from God rubs us the wrong way. 

Four. Are you stuck in life? When we forget about God and His will, there is no progress. Remember this. We might be working day and night to get ahead, but in the end, if we have forgotten about God in the process, we’re at a standstill. There’s no progress. God commands the disciples to get to the other side, but once the strong winds and waves hit, they’ve forgotten about God. They’re stuck. 

We need to entrust everything to God and just stick to doing these two things: remember God and obey His commands. Don’t forget about God regardless of how busy your life is. Do the things you need to do with a recognition that God is the reason for all of it! Do as He commands! Do the will of God. If we do these two things, it’s smooth sailing. Are you at your wits’ end? Are you overwrought with worry? Do you take everything the wrong way? Are you stuck? Remember God and do His will if you find yourself in any of these conditions.

Click for Korean sermon  https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1984-7-29a