You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

I think that'll be fine. Thank you. Good morning! Good morning. To watch them closer, you usually have one of these on me instead of the other. It's good to see all of you. Some I have not seen before. My name is Chuck Smith. I'm the pastor of the Fort Lauderdale, Vero Beach, and senior pastor for the Caribbean.

So I was supposed to be in the Caribbean, Guyana to be exact, and there were only a few hotels safe enough for me to stay in. And both those got booked after I had already booked ours. In the third world country, if they have someone willing to pay more money than you, they will just cancel your reservation and tell you to pick another day. So I am going there in March now. So I had a free weekend that I very seldom get. My assistants were taking care of things down in the Caribbean and also South Florida. So I called my mother. There were a few things she had to have done on her on the old farmhouse. So I got to leave 88-degree weather, and I came to 80-degree weather, but it was only for one day. And then reality hit yesterday, and I realized after 11 years I'm getting acclimated to warmer weather. But I won't take it. I have to look at my watch. Being Gary Petty is now my boss. So he hasn't been my boss. He was just a fellow minister and a friend. So now I have to make sure I stay on time, as I typically try to do. And I'm sure he will appreciate that from that standpoint. So let's go right into the sermon. Oh, I have to do this before someone asks. My wife Mary says she would like to have come, but she couldn't be here, so she sends her greetings. So let's go to the sermon. The title of my sermon today is, You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat. You're gonna need a bigger boat. Perhaps that sounds familiar. It was June 1975. Steven Spielberg had his first big production brought to the screen, and it was the movie Jaws. The movie that made all of us look before we walked into the ocean. Made us think about it as we heard that sound. Because we all think when we go out onto a boat, you know I have many times, where's the life preservers? Where's this? Where's that? Because I've been on a couple boats that really hit strong seas. Doesn't exactly do a lot for your stomach. And doesn't do you a lot of good when you cannot even see land when you are out there. But there are so many famous boat stories from the Bible. I'll just touch on a few because we all know those. Whether it was Paul, who was actually an original castaway. Three times he said he was shipwrecked. Wouldn't want to be him. I've had some challenges, but nothing like that. There's also Jonah. We all know the story and that whale of a tail that we can read about as we find out his story or about Noah. Spending almost a year on a floating zoo had to be interesting to say the least. And of course, Jesus. The story of Jesus walking on water. We all know it. Inviting Peter to come out. Peter took a couple steps. And that was his last try at walking on water. Well, I want today to go into a particular story of the Bible that I think relates to all of us. All of us can get so much from this story.

It's laid out for us in three of the four Gospels. It is an interesting story. One that sometimes gets passed over. Sometimes I've heard a whole message is given on this. But I want to look at it from a different perspective as we are now rounding into the spring Holy Days. So you can turn to... You don't have to follow all these.

I think most of them will be up on the screen. Some of them won't. Matthew 5 and verse 1, we know that is the story in the beginning of the greatest, arguably the greatest sermon ever given, the Sermon on the Mount, which by most historians and theologians, it was given on what day? Suzanne, you know. The Sabbath. Why wouldn't he be? But I think you'll find it interesting if you look at all three accounts of this story. There are a couple of accounts of the Sermon on the Mount.

But Jesus Christ gives us incredible sermon that you read about in Matthew 5 and verse 5, chapter 6 and chapter 7. It tells us not only about life, but tells us the spirit of life and the law. Very interesting. So here in all likelihood, it says a mount is more like a mound. In Tennessee, we basically would call that a hill, not a mountain, if you're outside the Sea of Galilee, just above the city of Capernaum.

So he went up there and he was giving this sermon. And obviously, he starts in the morning because this Matthew chapter 8 gives us a view of the entire day. Day or Sabbath in the life of Christ. His incredible teachings there. And then as he comes down, Matthew chapter 8 and verse 1, he comes down off of this mound. He comes off this, what they call mountain, after he'd given this incredible message. And guess what?

He's confronted. First, he's confronted, and you can follow this in chapter 8. I'm not going to go through detail because many of you hopefully have read this and you will continue as you look at this study. First, he was confronted by a leper who comes to him and wants to be healed. And the disciples had to be looking and go, ee, ooh, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't. And then what does Christ do? He heals, he reaches out and touches him.

And you know the disciples, it had to be going through their mind. We're going to dip bread with this guy tonight. Uh-uh. Oh, no, no, no, you take the cup after Christ drinks from it. Because leper, you weren't supposed to stay away from them. And Christ just reached out and touched him probably the first time in decades that this man had even been touched and healed him. As soon as he gets done there, he turns around and there's a centurion, a man of authority, that's asking him a favor to heal his servant, which is at home.

And Christ does that, no problem. The disciples also had to look over and go, that's our enemy. That's the one that controls this country. And he's a pagan, a Gentile. How can you do that? But they were learning more lessons than they had just learned on the Sermon on the Mount message. They were learning about God. What happens next? He goes and he goes into Peter's house and Peter's mother-in-law is sick. So Christ reaches and heals her. And then afterwards, it's late, getting late and all these people were bringing their sick to him.

And he was healing them. He was casting out demons. Amazing. All that he did on that Sabbath. And even though he's a young man, I call young men. Didn't used to. I see a few gray hairs out there. I see a few no-hairs. So you know what I mean, but here, he was tired.

Even in his early 30s. And so then we go into the story, which I love. Because in Matthew 8, if you'll join me, Matthew 8 and verse 18. Matthew 8 and verse 18, I'll be reading from the New King James Version. And it said, And when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, what was this?

They were still coming. It was the end of the day. He gave a command to depart to the other side, the other side of the Sea of Galilee. And 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, his disciples said to him, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, Follow me and let the dead bury the dead, which is a message of its own. But then we come to verse 23. So now when he got into the boat, he told them to get the boat ready. He's ready to get out of there. He's been peopled out.

Any of you school teachers, anybody works with people all the time? You ever had one of those days? Were you peopled out? I feel that way sometimes because I do a morning service in Fort Lauderdale and then I have to drive two hours and 20 minutes and do an afternoon service in Vero Beach. And then we have Bible study. And then I'm driving back home so I get home about 9 o'clock at night. I'm peopled out. I love my job, but I'm peopled out. Christ was being peopled out here. He's like, let's go. And so they got into the boat and his disciples followed him.

And suddenly it says in Matthew, a great tempest, a great tempest. A rose on the sea so that the boat was covered with the waves. The New King James says a tempest. The Greek word is seismos. Seismos! That might sound familiar. We know when there's an earthquake. There's a seismic reading. And so I find this interesting because the references say that there was wind like a gale or a storm blowing through. But I find it interesting that Matthew uses tempest, Greek word, like an earthquake.

Well, there's such a thing as seismic waves because in an ocean there will be an earthquake. And so whether they were in all islands and so forth, that we some I deal with sometimes, but there will be an earthquake and it'll shake the ground and waves will come up. Huge waves. And that's what this word is related to. I had a home in Hawaii at one time and we would have earthquakes.

Remember, Janie? You were at my house one time. We were having breakfast and going out onto the patio. And just as she was about to sit down, boom, we had an earthquake. I thought it was her. But you have lost some weight since then, so I understand. But we understood because it shook everything and it makes you feel kind of a little funny.

Like you're not really in control. But I must say, she was always nice when you... Were there once or twice, I guess? Were you? Twice? Yeah. And they were always nice. She would always leave a nice bottle of wine, you know, after she'd been there. She'd been nice if you left something in it. But, you know, I'm like... That's... I know Janie. Sorry, I'm not picking on you today. My wife's not here, sorry.

But here are these... These seismic waves. It was roaring. And they were on this boat. So you can imagine what it felt like. Now, I find interesting that in the New Living Translation, which is a little different, it says, suddenly, suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake. Suddenly. Isn't that how most of our problems and trials come? Suddenly, as we look around, all of a sudden we're not expecting something and then it comes. So, all of a sudden this water was calm and then boom!

Here are these waves and it's coming over the boat! You know, very few times do we see something on the horizon and are able to take time to go. I need to prepare for this. You guys have tornadoes here in Tennessee. Feels like more than they used to. But in Florida, we have hurricanes, but we know when a hurricane is coming. Don't you wish we knew when anything, our troubles and trials and problems were coming? It would be nice, but too many times they come suddenly. I don't have my cardigan sweater on. Mr. Rogers used to say, can you say holy days? They're coming. They're coming. And it's amazing for anybody that's spent any amount of time trying to follow God as we come into the holy day season, what happens?

Winds, storms of life, they just happen. Whether the storms of life are coming, ask yourself the question, do you need a bigger boat? Because in the movie Jaws, Richard Dreyfuss is out there throwing dead fish into the water. Didn't know how big the shark was in Jaws. And so I think Robert Shaw was in the boat, in the main part. And so he's throwing this out, and all of a sudden this huge shark comes up.

And he sees him. And he's huge. He's a 20-footer. And he staggers back inside. And he looks at the captain, and the captain goes, what's wrong? He said, we're going to need a bigger boat. He needed a bigger boat, because this shark was half the size of that boat. With our trials and problems, and this life that we're living can be metaphorically called a boat. Do you need a bigger boat?

Matthew 8 and 24. The rest of the verse. But then it says, but he, Jesus the Christ, was asleep. These waves are coming over, these wind and everything else, and they're all scared. And he's asleep. And they're going, what's wrong with you? They thought he was asleep on the job. Haven't we felt that way sometimes? I have, where I prayed and prayed and prayed for something and everything, and I'm going, where are you, God? Because I wanted an answer on my time, not his.

Because I felt like I needed a bigger boat, because these seas of life were causing me issues, problems. Where's God? Have people ask me that all the time? Whether it's at a hospital, whether it's going to visit someone who is in hospice, whether it is other problems people are having. And I said, I prayed, but where's God? Well, he's not asleep. Remember the story of Elijah up on Mount Carmel, and here the prophets of Baal were there, and they had this big sacrifice, and he said, go ahead, you be first.

And they went around and yelled for half a day, and yelled and danced and preached, and cut themselves and everything else, trying to get their God to light this sacrifice on fire. Didn't happen. And Elijah sat back and said, well, maybe Baal's asleep. Maybe you need to yell out or wake him up. Or maybe he's gone to the bathroom. Hmm. Which I find interesting here. Gary Petty is a regional pastor, and you only have one bathroom. So I'm like, wait a minute, is it a non-binary?

I thought this wasn't a problem, but I may have to take that to Rick Shabey. But no, we look at things. And so we sometimes think of God, maybe he's not listening. God is omnipresent. It's a theological word for, which literally means that God is present everywhere, all the time, even in a very small boat. Even in your life boat. Sometimes that's what it feels like, doesn't it? We're going through various things. You see, God is in control of himself and in control of everything.

Everything. He knows what's going on. I think we all think about when we would read sometimes in the Psalms. When I was growing up, I was just out at the farm yesterday, and I had to go down to a store. And so I drove by this barn that I grew up, it's still there, except painted black now, and it was red. And I remember being a young kid. And you drive by this barn, and this preacher owned it. And he had a psalm written across the front, and I remember reading that. Of course, when I was 10 years old, we didn't go to any church. I didn't even know that much about the Bible.

That's your fault, mother. I gotta give her credit now. But we didn't even think about it, but this preacher put this big thing on his barn. It was from Psalm 24 and verse 1. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness... What thereof? As a matter of fact, you don't have to turn there. Psalm 24 and verse 1, this is New King James.

I'm quoting because back when I was 10, they didn't have New King James, I don't think, even the old King James. But New King James says, The earth is the Lord's and its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Hmm. He's the owner. He's a Creator. He created everything and He oversees everything. And He owns everything. Even you and me. Let's go to verse 25. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us, we're perishing. Think about that. At least a third of these men on this boat were fishermen from age 12 to 30.

However old they were when Christ called them. They were not irrational men. They had been on the seas before. So this was not like perhaps anything they had experienced before. This was a serious, serious storm. Hmm. You ever felt that way? I felt like this one's going to do me in. No. You're done when God says you're done. And you're going to be as round as long as God says you're going to be around. I can't find that out. So let's go to verse 26. But He said to them, Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?

How's your faith? Tested? Have you had your faith tested? Do you pray for a bigger boat? And if you do, how often? Or maybe you don't pray for a bigger boat, but you go. And I've had this down in Florida. Do some counseling because they need a bigger bank account. Because if I had all this money, if I just had a little more money, I wouldn't have the problems that I'm having.

The bill's piling up the credit cards if I just had more money. As a matter of fact, I love the story that I spent with this guy. He's a new guy in the church. He was a tow truck driver in Miami, which is not an ideal job. But he lived with his parents after going through a divorce. And he was able to save some money, and he took it down to the casinos. And he took $100 to the casino. He said before, that's one of the reasons he got in a problem with his wife and the money and so forth. But he said, I was just going to try it one more time.

And he went in there that night, and he was playing some car. I forget what he said. He was playing something. He was good at it. He walked out with $185,000 that night. And he said, I was never so happy. And so I went to my parents, who allowed me to stay in the house, and I went and I paid off their house with the money. And they said, well, you're our only son. We'll just give you the house. You'll get the title. So they signed the title over to him and said, just let us stay here as long. He said, fine.

He said a year later, he had borrowed $185,000 on that house because he went back to the casino time and time and time again. So when I met him, he had nothing. He didn't have the house, didn't have his parents, didn't have anything.

He thought he needed a bigger bank account. How about a newer car? No, I keep breaking down. I had to help a guy yesterday because he ran out of gas out on the road, and I had to take time and go take him down to the gas station. He didn't even have cans, so I bought him a can and then bought him the gas.

And so forth. He just said, if I just had a different car... See, we can think that way, can't we? And he comes down to us one at a bigger boat. Maybe if I had a healthier body, there we go. Wouldn't that solve everything? The truth. That's the old Tom Cruise movie. I want the truth! Well, you can't handle the truth. Jack Nicholson told him. Well, brethren, the truth is, without God, you're going to need a bigger boat. That's it. Without God, you're going to need a bigger boat. You're going to need some help from somewhere. Just like the disciples. They were there. They had a big enough boat, and they had God.

But why? Why did this happen? They had to have their faith tested. Don't we? Because the truth is, unless your faith is tested, it's really not true faith. You can say, oh, no, I do this. Well, not until that's tested. Does God really know? And sometimes, we have to wonder if we know. That helps us to see. Matthew 8, verse 26. Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? And he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Think about it. He did that. Instantly, things changed. That's what we want to see. But that doesn't really give us a chance to see, and him to see, and other people to see the faith. The faith that he wants us. Was it Hebrews? It's impossible to please God without what? Faith. We need it. Not faith in ourselves. Not faith in a bigger boat. Faith in God as we go through these things. And here's the thing. When we pray to God for his help, his intervention, and we put our tempest in his hands, there should be great calm, shouldn't there? There should be great calm. Because we've handed it off. But we always want the answer we want, don't we? I do. I think, well, I know God's going to do this. I had what I thought was the perfect successor to me. Caribbean. I knew he was. I spent time with this man. Plus, he's 15 years younger than I was. I thought, man, a few years with this is going to work out. Extremely sharp guy. Healthy. And he's the first one in my congregation at the age of 49 to die of COVID. That's not what I wanted. That's not what I asked for. I wanted a bigger boat. God says the boat I gave you is sufficient. And what Paul said, I got this problem, God, he said sufficient. See, if we believe, if we have real faith, we don't need a bigger boat. We really don't need one. Matthew 8 and verse 27. So the men marvel, say, who could this be? Who can this be that even the winds and the sea obey him? Didn't they learn? Why? Why were they tested? Who tested them?

Could that be? Where were they going to the other side? To an area called Gedara. It's where the people were called the Gergesenes. And they were more of Gentile people. Remember the story? When they finally got over, they got out, and this demon-possessed individual came there out of the tombs, and Christ cast the demons out of him, and they went into a bunch of pigs. Remember that story? Yeah. So what was this test? They were going to be confronted by a powerful force.

Was this test of faith and knowing who they were? Was it there to prepare them? Because they're going to walk out to a demon that says, My name is Legion! Four thousand to six thousand people is who in the Roman Legion? Four to six thousand demons? No, if I'm ready for that. I've had my trials with just one or two cast out. Can't imagine this. Who can this be? You know what we should know? We should know who God is. His power.

And when He delivers us in our boat, we should be like Moses. We should proclaim that power. Remember the Red Sea? There are people all over the... Oh no! Where are we going to go? And what did Moses say? Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. He knew they were going to be delivered. Brethren, we should know the same. No matter what we go through, He will deliver us. Not a problem. It's going to happen. I found that out in airplanes since my ten, eleven years, flying so many different places and different weather, different airplanes.

All kinds of problems. Came back... my last trip happened just a year and a half ago. Came back on a little prop plane. Larry, you know what those are. Silver Airlines. They got rid of all those planes now. I know why. But I was on the plane. We were coming back, a little twenty-minute flight. And I'm sitting there and it's... props going around. Twenty-something of us on, mostly one family, kids and everything. And I'm sitting over here and all of a sudden we're getting... It's only twenty-five minute flight. I get about five minutes from the airport and all of a sudden I'm looking over. I'm sitting on the wing. It stops. Felt it. And I said, okay, let me look over there. That one's moving! And the pilot comes, we've lost one of our... engine. I'm going to ask you to strap in. This plane's made to land with one engine. But we're going to have a hard landing. I just want you to brace yourselves. That didn't make me feel too good. I think people were praying on that plane probably the first time in their lives, some of them. And I did too. I prayed. Well, God, you got this. I'd like to land safely. But I thought of the story of Meshach, Shedron and Bendigo at that time. Where they were going to throw them into the oven. And they said, what? Our God can deliver us. But if not... But if not... Let you know we won't worship. But I had to think, but if not... God, I'm in your hands. We've had people in here that I know very... For a long time that have lost people. They were in God's hands. They were a lot better than mine or yours. And I had to think that, okay, our first thought was, okay... I want to see this. So, the plane landed. It was hard. It was a hard rock. But if not... No big deal. You'd have Gary Petty speaking here today. But I did. I did get off the plane. And I've had a few shaky things like that over the hundreds of flights I've taken over the years. But I told Mary, Mary picked me up. And she said, you okay? And I said, well, I'm not flying silver airlines ever again. And so I told her the story. She goes, well, I was praying. I was praying for you this morning. Before I came and picked you up on flight. I said, yeah, but I've got a nice insurance policy. What were you praying? She did not think that was funny. She did not.

I'd like to begin to wrap this up. Because I'd like you to go with me to Matthew 9 and verse 9. Okay, so they cast the demons out and they come back to the other side. And then we have in verse 1, chapter 9 verse 1, He got out of the boat, crossed over, and came to his own city. But then you go down in verse 9 and it says, And Jesus passed on from there.

He saw a man named Matthew sitting at a tax collector. He said to him, follow me. What does that tell you? Matthew's telling this story. So Matthew wasn't in the boat. Matthew wasn't on that boat. He's just telling the story. Isn't that amazing? And Matthew was called after that. So he had the other disciples. And then you have this other story, which you can turn to later, and it is Luke telling the story.

In Luke 8, 22 through 25, you don't have to turn there. But he only gives like four verses and tells this little story. Well, guess what? Luke wasn't there either. He didn't write this. He didn't come along to the ministry for 10, 15 years after Christ had. And he wrote this 20, 30 years after. He wasn't on the boat either. Yet he tells the story. You're in jeopardy and not the game show. You know, we don't have to worry about perishing.

Not eternally. We're all getting older. I know it. I've been doing construction for two days. It wasn't much when I wasn't, but I'm sitting my tail behind the desk, typing and doing all this stuff that is my normal job. I can feel it. I'm older than I think I am. Right, Clark? You ever had those days? Yes. So it's so important, this story, that Matthew, who wasn't even there, had to tell it, inspired to tell. Luke, who wasn't there, had to tell the story.

And then Mark had to tell the story. Well, Mark wasn't there either. Mark wasn't a disciple, but he was, as most theologians point out, was the writer for Peter. So he's telling Peter's story. And Peter was there. And so, as I wrap this up, let's read the next five minutes. Let's read Peter's story, since he was there. And his account is longer than any of the others.

Go with me to Mark. Mark 4, if you have your Bibles. Because it's so important that this story is told three times. By the mouth of two or three witnesses is the matter established, as the Scriptures say. Mark 4, verse 35. Come over to 35. And it says, On the same day that evening had come, and he said to the others, Let us cross over to the other side.

Now, when they had left the multitude, they took him along in the boat as he was. And other little boats were also with him. Why? We call it an internet sensation today. People were following him, they were throwing the people, just, Oh, oh, oh, I want to be around him. I want to do this. He wanted to get away for a little while. Verse 37, And a great windstorm arose, and waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

It wasn't just waves, it was. The boat was beginning to sink. Peter was a fisherman by trade. He shouldn't have been freaked out, but he knew this boat was going to sink. But it says in 38, But he, Christ, was in the stern, the aft.

He knave him in. Not in the bow. Right, Mr. Kemp? He was in the opposite side. Guess where they went to? The opposite side. What does that tell us? It tells us, when our boat looks like it's sinking, you need to go to Christ. Draw closer. Draw closer to Christ. He was there. He was in the stern asleep on a pillow. Maybe it was my pillow. I don't know. It was a comfortable pillow, whatever it was. And they awoke him, and he was sound asleep. And what does it say? And said to him, the others say they said to him, Who always spoke first? Who do you think asked?

Who do you think made that statement? You're the Christ! It was Peter. Peter always had to be the first one to say something. Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing the most asinine, blasphemous statement perhaps ever said? And for each of us. And you don't care. This is why he came to earth to die for you, Peter, to die for you, Larry, to die for all of us, so that we could have eternal life. God, don't you care how scary that statement is to even think about it?

When God says, You're the most important, You're the most important being, I created all of you. Get in my hands. Brethren, that's what we need to do. Get in his hands. Get in that boat, and don't cry for a bigger boat. Cry for him to take care of things. Do you not care that we are a parish? I'm sure knowing Peter, it was, We're about to die! Wake up! What did it say he did? Then he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Peace be still. Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

But then he said to them, and this was stuck with Peter, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? Hmm. There's words for us. Words for us. As we look to examine ourselves this time of the year, Do we need more faith?

Yes. I think all of us would like to have more faith. That faith needs to be put in the power above, not on the things of this earth. Not on some government program. Not on something that somebody promises every four years. It's in him. It's what we need to do. Who can this be? It's God. And he says in 1 Corinthians 11 for 27, you don't have to turn there. You'll be reading that. It's about the wine and the blood. And Paul talks to the Corinthian church and says, In an unworthy manner.

Don't take that cup. Brethren, and I've had people ask me this every year, because we baptize new people every year in the Caribbean and South Florida, and they will ask, I'm not worthy. Well, yes, you are. You're sanctified. You're set apart. Don't worry about the worthy part. You are worthy. Otherwise, he wouldn't call you. Otherwise, you're telling God, you don't know what you're doing. You are worthy. You're sanctified. But he's talking about an unworthy manner.

The manner in which, and you read the context of it, it talks about having the wine and the bread right before you, and some people are even taking the wine and getting drunk. And some people are eating food until they say, stop that. It's important. It's just like the faith we have in Christ. It's important that when we take that sip, when we eat that bite, we realize that we're partaking of Christ, and we are in his hands. We are in God's hands.

And there isn't anything about why he should be here. No. He told you. He called you. And he wants you, as we heard about in the sermon at Valerii. He wants you for eternal life forever. That's what he's there for. So with God and Christ, brethren, just remember, these three stories, they're good to look at. They're good to read. But with these three stories, it nails down one thought for all of us, no matter what you're going through.

Health problems? Had them. No. What it is. I thought it was my end. Doctor said it would be my end. It's five years last week since I had that tumor removed. And they said I had 18 to 24 months left. Five years ago. We don't need a bigger boat. As long as God and Christ are in the center of your life, you never, ever will need a bigger boat.