The Alternative

Dr. Tony Evans: Many times God has answered prayers that we've missed.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans says that happens when we limit our expectations of how we think he should respond.

Dr. Tony Evans: God is just coming to you in a different way, and he's coming to you on the very problem that's messing with you.

Guest (Male): This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Even when you feel at the top of your game, you can count on hitting a slump sooner or later. Let's join Dr. Evans as he talks about what to do when that happens.

Dr. Tony Evans: If you soak a sponge in water and then put pressure on the sponge, what the sponge absorbed is what comes out. Pressure reveals what has been taken in by the sponge. If the sponge has not soaked in anything and you apply pressure, nothing is going to come out because nothing was taken in.

When God wants to see whether we were really paying attention, really were absorbing the truth that he is trying to communicate, he applies pressure. Because pressure will reveal what is truly inside. The pressure that God causes or allows to come into our lives are called trials. Trials are adverse circumstances that God causes or allows in order to develop us spiritually and increase our faith.

Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, in his desire to develop his disciples, he would allow them or put them in adverse situations. Because those adversities would reveal whether they had taken in the lessons he was teaching.

In chapter six of Mark, Jesus has just performed one of his great miracles with fish and barley loaves. We're told in verse 44 of chapter six that he fed 5,000 men. And we learn that did not count women and children because this story is told in the other gospels as well.

So he is now having fed almost 20,000 people. They have just seen a miracle. Immediately, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side of Bethsaida. So they get in the boat to cross the Sea of Galilee.

Remember, the Sea of Galilee is 8 miles by 12 miles. So they are crossing in the boat in the will of God because he told them to do it. So they are obeying God, crossing the Sea of Galilee. He tells them to meet him on the other side.

As they are doing what they were told, we're told that Jesus himself was sending the crowd away. He bid them farewell, and he left for the mountain to pray. He was not going with them. We find in verse 47 that the boat is now in the middle of the sea.

Halfway over, they get stuck because the wind was against them. So evidently, you can be doing exactly what Jesus tells you to do and find yourself in difficult waters. Just because you're in the will of God does not mean that you do not have rough sailing in life.

It says when they hit the middle of the sea, halfway toward their goal, they were straining at the oars. They were struggling to keep going because the winds were contrary, that is working against them.

Have you ever tried to go forward, but circumstances do not let you move? You want to keep going. You want to fulfill what God told you to do. You want to complete the journey that he's given you. You want to obey him, but stuff just keeps coming up, keeping you from going the way you want to go.

And you know it is bad when you have to strain to try to make it. When you have to grunt and groan and cry when it gets so hard that you have to sweat because you're trying and you're straining and you're doing everything you can, but the circumstances will not let you move forward.

Not only that, but we're told in verse 48 that it was the fourth watch of the night. The fourth watch is 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. That is the fourth watch. Wait a minute now. So Jesus feeds the 5,000 in daylight. They are struggling at 3:00 in the morning. That means that they have been stuck in the middle for a long time. Because sometimes when life gets you stuck, you stay there for a while.

You cannot move forward. You are trapped in your situation, and you cannot get out, and nothing changes. And on top of all that, it is dark. You cannot see. Your circumstances have blinded you, and you have been there for a while.

So Jesus is on land, Jesus is praying, they are struggling, and Jesus is watching them. But wait a minute, it is the fourth watch. It is dark. Jesus knows what you're going through. He sees you straining at the oars. The darkness of night does not hide your struggle from him.

Even though it was dark and even though they have been struggling for hours, Jesus is watching them straining at the oars and he is praying. This is called the intercessory work of Jesus Christ, spoken of in Hebrews chapter seven, verse 25, where the intercessory work of Jesus Christ is where he prays.

He told Peter in Luke chapter 22, he says, "Peter, I'm praying for you that your faith fail not." You're going to struggle, but I want to see you hold on to your faith in the middle of your struggle. I want to see you not give up on me when the time gets hard.

I want to see you not turn your back on me even though you have failed. I want to see that you're going to keep going even though you're in rough sailing right now. There are many people here today who have thought about giving up on God because you've been straining at the oars too long.

And things are still dark and you do not see that things will ever change and you're tired of crying and sweating. You're tired of doing this and this and this and this, and Jesus is nowhere to be found. He is on the land, and I'm doing the best I can to be in his will, doing the best I can to serve him.

If you are in the will of God and if you are struggling and Jesus is aware that you are struggling in the will of God, there must be a reason he has got you struggling. There must be a reason he has allowed it, because he knew it before he sent you on the trip.

There must be something to this struggle that has a purpose tied to it, that there must be some purpose in this pain. There must be a divine reason for my struggle because I'm doing what he told me to do.

In a sense, they could have gotten away from their struggle. But to get away from their struggle, they would have had to disobey the will of God. Okay, let's back up. Jesus said, "Go to the other side. I'm going to meet you at Bethsaida." That's where I want you to go.

They get halfway and they are struggling. Nothing is happening. We are out here for hours, nothing is moving. And the reason nothing is moving is because the winds were contrary. In other words, I'm trying to go this way and the winds are going this way.

So I cannot get that way to where God told me to go because stuff keeps coming up that keeps blocking me from getting there. But if I turn and go back where I came from, the winds that are stopping me are going to help me because they are going to blow me back because the winds are contrary to me.

And a lot of times when you're in the will of God and you're struggling and you get tired, you want to turn around. God, I cannot take it no more and I want to let the wind blow me back. Let it blow me back because the winds were pushing them against the will of God. But they were struggling and Jesus was watching and praying that their faith fail not even though the struggle was rough and they are stuck in the middle.

Guest (Male): We'll return with the second part of Dr. Evans' message in just a moment. Don't go away.

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You'll visit beautiful ports of call like Nassau in the Bahamas, the pristine shores of Grand Turk, and Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, even stopping at a private island designed for pure relaxation. And in between, you'll enjoy peaceful days at sea, perfect for reflection, fellowship, and rest.

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Dr. Evans' lesson today comes from a powerful sermon collection called Having Faith During Fear. This series is packed with the encouragement you need to hold on when you feel like giving up. Instead of the frustrating, useless cycle of struggle and defeat, you'll learn how to depend on God's provision and timing, stop getting in the way of your own deliverance, and discover the upside of down times.

Due to time limitations, we're only able to broadcast a portion of the valuable insights Tony presents in this series. But you can get all six full-length messages for yourself on CD, USB flash drive, or digital download along with a special bonus: Dr. Evans' book, Kingdom Encounters: Experiencing More of God When Life Hurts. In it, he shares practical, biblical insight for recognizing how God is at work even in the middle of life's hardest moments.

Whether you're walking through a difficult time or simply want to grow stronger in your faith, this is a powerful resource for your spiritual journey. We'll send you this book along with all the audio messages in Tony's Having Faith During Fear series in thanks for your donation to the Alternative broadcast ministry.

But this unique offer is only available for a short time, so be sure to contact us right away at tonyevans.org to make your contribution and request. Or call 1-800-800-3222 any time of the day or night and let one of our team members help with your resource request. Again, that's tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222. And now let's get back to our message. Here is Dr. Evans.

Dr. Tony Evans: It is at this point that in the fourth watch, he came to them walking on the sea. The wind is blowing the sea and so they cannot move forward because waves are being pushed against the direction of the boat. The sea is the problem. So if Jesus is walking on the sea, he's coming to them on the problem.

He's coming to them on the very thing that's causing the difficulty. The very problem that they're trying to get out of is the very problem that Jesus is going to walk on to let them see Jesus in the middle of the problem that has not been solved yet.

The problem has not been solved because the winds are still blowing. But Jesus is not limited by the problem, so he steps on the waves to walk to the disciples in order to meet them in a problem they cannot fix that he sent them out of.

So Jesus Christ is now walking on the water. When he walks on the water, they saw him, verse 47 says, and supposed he was a ghost and cried out. I guess so. They see this figure walking on the water, and they know people do not walk on water.

See, you need to know something about Jesus. He often comes to us in unexpected ways. Many times God has answered prayers that we've missed because we had this limited way that the answer should come. And so Jesus hears their cry and he says, "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid."

But the problem has not yet been solved. They are still in the storm. You're going to see in a moment the storm has not stopped yet. So while the storm is still raging, he tells them take courage or be of good cheer while the storm is going on.

And the thing that will give you good cheer is I want you to recognize I'm here even though the problem is here too. At first, you had the problem and I was not here. Now that I am here, even though you still have the problem, I want you to change your perspective.

I want you to look at your problem in light of my presence, not your problem in light of the problem. I do not want you to deny that you're in a rough sea, I just do not want you to find yourself alone by the rough sea because now I've shown up.

In other words, he gives them a word from God before he gives them a solution to the problem. We want the solution to the problem, and sometimes we do not care that we hear a word from God. God wants to give his word before he gives a solution.

And the reason he wants to give his word before he gives a solution is he's trying to increase our faith in him. Everybody wants God to solve the problem. God in the problem wants you to see him. And so he will let you be at the oars for an extended amount of time until you look for him.

He wants it to be about him in the midst of the struggles of life. And you can keep your oars, you can keep struggling, you can keep fussing and complaining and saying, "I wish," you can keep doing that, but until you recognize him, he says you have not grown yet. You do not understand yet. I want you to see me.

Look for me in your mess. Look for me in your heartache. Look for me in your hurt. Look for me in your heartache, look for me in your hurt, look for me in your disappointment, look for me in your struggle. I want you to look for me.

And I want you to be of good cheer, not because the problem is solved—they're still on the sea—but because you see me. And my presence changes the equation until the problem is solved. When you are in a struggle, God is calling you to pursue him, to cry out to him.

So the first thing he does is speak to them. Have you ever been in a plane and the plane is in turbulence, bad turbulence, and it makes you uncomfortable? You tighten the seatbelt that is already tight. You start digging into the rails of your seat like that's going to do something.

Because you're uncomfortable, you're a little scared, particularly if it is bad turbulence. Do you know how it is when you hear the captain come over the loudspeaker? And he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've come into some rough air. This should go on for about 20 minutes, or we're looking for calmer air. So just buckle your seatbelt until we can get out of this turbulence."

Do you know how that settles you down? And you go, "Okay, I ain't going to die." In other words, when you hear the captain's voice—you do not see the captain, he is in the cockpit, but you hear his voice. And when you hear his voice, it settles you down even though you're still in the turbulence.

Have you ever been in church or listening to a ministry and you were in a troubled situation and you heard a word from God that settled you down even though your circumstance had not yet changed? That is why in the struggles of life you want to look for a word until things change.

Do not just look for things to change because you do not know how long you're going to be in the middle. But while you're waiting on things to change, look for a word from the Savior. "Lord, give me a word." Yes, I want the sea to be calm. I want my struggle to be over. But while I'm stuck out here in the middle, give me a word to be of good cheer.

That is why Colossians chapter two, verse seven says when you're in the struggle, it says give thanks because it will increase and you'll abound in your faith. "Lord, I'm thankful that you're here even though I do not like where I am. I'm thankful that you have answers to questions I do not understand. I'm thankful that even though it is dark, the boat has not flipped over and I'm still alive. I'm thankful."

And so it was in the middle of this crisis situation that they come face to face with the Lord. "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid." Verse 51 says then he got into the boat with them. When he gets in the boat with them, the wind stopped and they were utterly astonished, shocked, surprised.

When God wants you to see that he is bigger than you think he is, when God wants you to see that he can do more than you thought he could do, when God wants to give you the experience of Ephesians 3:20—now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think—he creates a situation that forces it to happen.

He creates a scenario where in order for you to deal with whatever you're dealing with, he has to be bigger than you expect. It says that Jesus got into the boat and the waters were calm. So he's moved from the land, he is walking on the problem, he gives them a word, now he is in the boat. When he gets in the boat: problem solved, struggle over.

And if that were the end of the story, that would be enough. But it is not. John says in John chapter six, verse 20, but he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid." Okay, we've heard that in Mark. But then verse 21: so they were willing to receive him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Wait a minute. No you didn't. Last time I checked in Mark, they were in the middle of the sea, which means they had four or six miles to go. But when they got Jesus into the boat, it says immediately they had arrived at land. Immediately they had reached their destination.

If they hadn't taken Jesus in the boat, they would have still been stuck in the middle for who knows how long. But the moment they brought Jesus into the boat, they arrived at their destination. Some of us have been in the middle of our struggles too long because we keep Jesus out of the boat.

But when they got Jesus into the boat, it says immediately they arrived four to six miles quicker. So you may not have to struggle as long as you think. You may not have to struggle as long as you've been struggling. It is just Jesus is still not in the boat. You haven't brought him to bear in the situation.

Because John says when they got in the boat and they received him, that is welcomed him, it said, "Come on in here. I do not want you out there. I do not just want you in church. I do not just want you for religious purpose. I need you right here, right now, with me, in this."

And when Jesus got in the boat, bam, they were arriving at their intended destination. I got good news for you: Jesus can get you there quicker than you think when you embrace him in the middle of your struggle.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans talking about how the authority of Christ brings us safety and security, even in the middle of our toughest times. Now, if you'd like to review this lesson again on your own or share it with someone else, just contact us about the title: Victory in a Trial.

Better yet, get it as a part of that special offer I mentioned earlier: all six full-length messages from the Having Faith During Fear audio series, as well as Dr. Evans' popular book, Kingdom Encounters: Experiencing More of God When Life Hurts.

This entire bundle is yours with our thanks when you make a donation to help us keep sharing the good news on this station and others like it. Contact us today at tonyevans.org to get the details and make the arrangements. Or call 1-800-800-3222 any time of the day or night and let one of our team members help you. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222.

One final note: outside the pulpit, you can hear Dr. Evans bring biblical insight into candid conversations with special guests on his Unbound podcast, available to listen to any time on all of the major podcast platforms.

When our plans and dreams are blown away, Dr. Evans says the Lord is still in control of those who trust him. Tomorrow, he explores how the storms of life can actually benefit us when we have the courage to listen and respond to Christ. I hope you'll join us for that.