How many of you have ever driven a car in rural New Brunswick? I tell people that I grew up in Fredericton, because it was the closest city to where I was, and it was easier than explaining where I actually grew up.
Basically, where I grew up, you drove 20 minutes from Fredericton to Burtts Corner, turned off onto a dirt road, and followed it for another 15 minutes until riiiiiight before the dirt road turned into an Irving logging trail. And that is where you would find our house, in Dorn Ridge. It wasn’t considered a town, or even a community, it was called a settlement. Now, all the roads in the area were often dangerous to drive on, because of all the broken pavement and potholes. But our road, the DIRT road… Half the time it was washed out. Potholes everywhere the eye could see. You couldn’t POSSIBLY dodge them all. Because of this, my Dad’s car was essentially always out of alignment. There comes a point when you live on a road like that where… you just don’t even bother trying to keep up with the maintenance on things like suspension, and alignments. The car was out of alignment by the time he got home from getting it aligned, so what was the point?
I think that the life of a Christian can be similar. There are a lot of potholes and bumps in the road that throw us out of alignment with God. We start trying to do things our way, and start trying to make God adapt to our plans, and our life goals. We pray, sure, but we rarely listen. There comes a point in the life of every Christian and every church, when we need to Realign with God. There comes a point when we are so focussed on our own plans, that we begin to fail to see what God is doing around us, and fail to seek his will and plan for us. And I know we are a few weeks past new years, but I always think that this is a good topic to think about and consider in a new year, because our lives can change so much in just one year, as we most definitely know.
We are going to look at a couple classic bible stories, but in a new way. We so often separate these stories into cool Sunday School lessons, but there is a lot of cool stuff to be found when you read the passage in its context, and by that I just mean reading what is going on around a story, before and after. And what we are going to
see is that even Jesus’ own disciples, the people he had hand picked to lead and start his church, sometimes they needed to realign with God too.
Ok, so let’s start with some context that will help shed some light on the situation during Jesus’ day, and this probably will be more of a refresher for a lot of you than new information. The Jews that were living in Israel at the time had returned from captivity in Babylon a few centuries prior, but they had essentially been oppressed ever since, by one group after another, currently the Romans. They had not truly been an independent nation since they came back. Because they went into exile originally as punishment for their sins, they still saw themselves as being in a sort of “Spiritual exile”. Even though they were back in their own land, they saw themselves as still being in exile. And to them, the coming of the Messiah would signal the return from exile, and the establishment of a new kingdom. This would be the sign that God was once again with them. So because of this, everyone was looking for a messiah who would be strong and mighty, someone who was a warrior, who would bring back Israel’s independence, and establish a new kingdom. During this time there were actually MANY people claiming to be the Messiah, most of whom were leading rebel groups to try and overthrow the Romans. This is the kind of Messiah that the people of that day were looking for, and expecting, INCLUDING Jesus’ disciples. Before the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they held this view. Acts 1:6, even after Jesus rose from the dead, it says “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”. Even after everything that had happened, they STILL didn’t get it, until they received the holy spirit. So this is a view that was widely held at the time by the people of Israel.
Ok, so now let’s look at the passage, we will be in John 6:14-21 if you want to follow along in your bibles. Jesus has just fed 5000 men, and additional women and children, miraculously, using only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Afterward, everyone present decides that he must be the Messiah who is promised to come, because of the miraculous signs that he can perform, and now they want to make him king, by force. And that is where this story picks up.
READ John 6:14-21.
Ok, so Jesus feeds 5000 people, and now the crowd wants to make him King. For anyone during this day and age, it was really exciting! The Messiah had come, the exile is over, the Romans were going to be run out of town, and it was going to be awesome. On top of that, this guy could give them a miraculous all you can eat buffet at will. Everyone was excited about it, except Jesus. Instead of allowing the crowd to make him King, it says that he withdrew. That word withdrew in Greek is also often translated took refuge, ran, or hid. This story also appears in Matthew and Mark, and THERE we see that Jesus basically forced his disciples to leave him and go ahead to the other side of the lake, forced because they probably didn’t want to leave. They were excited too, now was the moment! Jesus would be crowned king! But instead, Jesus forces his disciples to leave, and then he runs from the crowd. This was certainly not what they expected, and probably why he basically had to force them to leave. They were probably having some doubts at this point. I mean, Jesus finally had his chance, why was he running away?
So then we move to the sea of Galilee and the storm. Jesus is on a mountain by himself, and the disciples have left to cross the lake to go to a town called Capernaum. About halfway through the sea, a storm hits, and it's a bad one. Then they see Jesus, WALKING on WATER. They are terrified! But then Jesus speaks, and says, “It is I, do not be afraid” (Ego Eimi, me phobeisthe)
I want to talk about this statement for a minute, because I believe it is the pinnacle of this entire story. See, Ego Eimi is translated as “It is I” in John 6:20, but the very literal translation of the phrase is, “I am, fear not”. Jesus uses the phrase Ego Eimi (“I am”) often in the book of John. You have probably heard of the I am statements, like I am the way the truth and the life, I am the bread of life, I am the good shepherd, etc.
He also uses it as a divinity statement, as it is closely related to the old testament name of God, YHWH, which means “I am”. An example of this is John 8:58: “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” After that the Jews tried to stone him to death, because in their language, he was essentially claiming to be God.
Based on the context of our passage, I think that when Jesus says ego eimi in John 6, it is quite likely that he is making a divinity statement. This is my opinion. I think this because the Disciples were in bad need of a re-alignment, and he knew it. They were expecting a messiah who would overthrow the Romans and establish a new kingdom, just like everyone else was. And when the chance finally came, Jesus forced them to leave, then fled to a mountain, and they hadn’t seen him since. They were crossing to the other side of the sea of Galilee without him, probably disappointed and confused. So then Jesus comes to them walking on WATER, in the middle of a huge storm, and tells the terrified disciples, “I AM, do not fear.” And I think that their reaction to this statement is what convinces me the most that this is a divinity statement paired with walking on water. Mark 6 says this: “Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” And then in Matthew 14 it says, “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The disciples needed a re-alignment. They had Jesus in a box, they believed that he was going to be this great military leader to restore the nation of Israel, but God’s plans were so, SO much bigger, and they couldn’t see that. They thought they were following God’s will and seeking God’s plan, but they couldn’t see what God was truly doing right in front of their eyes. They needed a realignment. And so do we.
Let's talk about today for a minute. Do you think that the church of today is aligned with God’s plan for the world? Are we seeking his will, are we seeking his plans for us? Or are we trying to get HIM on board with OUR plans? Do we need a realignment as individuals? Are we seeking the things of God? Let’s do a self evaluation, and take a look at just a few things Jesus gave us to do, and see how we are doing. This isn’t meant as a judgment, but as an evaluation between yourself personally and God, you don’t need to answer out loud how you are doing or anything like that! Matthew 28:18-20 says, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This is our mission, designated by Jesus. It doesn’t say go and make church congregations, It says go and make disciples. How are we doing? Are we seeking to follow God’s will for us in this?
John 13: 34-35, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We are to love one another. The church is supposed to love each other, and by THIS the world will know we are disciples of Jesus Christ. How are we doing? Are we seeking to follow God’s will for us in this?
There are 47 “One another” verses in the New Testament that are instructions directly given to followers of Jesus. Here’s a few big ones: Be at peace with one another, Don’t grumble about one another, gently and patiently tolerate one another, confess sins to one another, Love one another, Give preference to one another in love. Serve one another, be subject to one another, clothe yourself in humility toward one another, Be devoted to one another, through love, serve one another. How are we doing?
I think we need to Realign as the Church (Big C), and come back to what is important. What is God’s plan and God’s will for the church, for me, for you? We need to start praying for the things of God, and seeking the things of God. We need to align with his will and his plan. See, the people of Jesus’ day wanted a revolution. And boy did they get one. But God’s plans will ALWAYS be bigger than ours. They wanted freedom for their nation. Jesus gave them freedom for their SOULS. Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland.” They wanted freedom from an oppressing nation, but he freed them from the chains of sin, and gave them a way to be right with God. Not through sacrifices, not by following a rule book, but by putting their faith in the way, the truth and the life, Jesus Christ.
We have to realize that God is always on the move. Even today, he is doing new things, and we need to be seeking his will and plans, and align ourselves with Him. His ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are bigger than our thoughts. We need to be aligned with his plans, and be aligned with his will. You may be starting to think I sound like a broken record today. I am really trying to emphasize this, because I want you to be thinking about this the whole way home. What do we need to do as the church to Realign? What do YOU and I need to do as a follower of Jesus to Realign? I believe that to Thrive as a Christian, and Thrive as the church, we need to be aligned with God’s plan and will for each of our lives, for our church, and for our community. If we seek his will and his plan, he will bless that. Let me finish with 6 summarizing ideas of things that we can do to realign with God, and I am going to just fly through these.
The first, is Walk with God. Proverbs 3: 5-6, 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Trust in the Lord, seek his wisdom, not yours. ASK him to direct your paths, and trust that he will do so. Be in prayer, be in scripture.
Second, Surrender your will to God’s. Many times when we say we are seeking God’s will, what we are really wanting to say to God is this: “OK, God, here’s what I’m planning to do, I just need you to rubber stamp this, all right?” No, if we are seeking his will, we need to be ready to do what he asks. Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Third, Obey what you already know to be God’s will. 98% of his will for our lives can be found in our Bibles. This doesn’t mean being perfect, it means seeking the things of God. Confess your sin, and allow the Holy Spirit to help you grow and to become a new creation. Allow him to work on you, and then through that, he will guide your path.
Fourth, seek Godly input. If you do not have at least one godly mentor in your life, get one. Proverbs 11:14 says, Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Fifth, Listen to God’s Spirit. We fill ourselves with noise in our lives, we always have the radio on, we consume way more screen time than is healthy. Sometimes when we pray, we need to stop saying words, and just listen instead. When is the last time you actually just listened, and asked God to reveal his will and plan for your life? John 10:21, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Sixth, Take a look at your circumstances. God often demonstrates his plan through lining up circumstances. He is pretty good at opening and closing doors.
Sometimes a closed door is a sign of where God DOESN’T want you to go, and an open door is God guiding your feet. Rather than experiencing frustration when we hit a closed door, consider that God might be directing you to something else.
These are just a few ways to Realign yourself with God’s will and God’s plan. This is a process that never ends. Just like driving a car on the back roads of New Brunswick, it probably is not the first realignment we have needed, and it definitely will not be the last. We need to constantly be on guard, and constantly seek Him and his will, constantly seek to Realign ourselves with him, because God is good, and his ways are so much bigger than our ways.
I’ll close with 2 Thessalonians 3:5 as a prayer and a wish for all of us, “May the Lord redirect your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
PRAY
