Strive to See Emmanuel in Every Situation

Introduction

It was Father's Day at Elevation Church. Chet Pete, pastor of the University City campus, began by honoring his own father, who was present in the room: "the greatest gift you ever gave me wasn't a pair of shoes, it was watching you give your life to Jesus." Then he opened his Bible to Mark 6 and preached about the disciples who were straining at the oars against the wind while Jesus walked toward them on the water. The title of the message: "Strive to See." The watchword: in every situation you go through, look for the "E", look for Emmanuel, God with you.

Message Outline

1. Strive to see what Jesus said

• Jesus compels his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida. He does not tell them the wind will be against them.
• Many miracles happen on the other side of a "Jesus pushed you to do it." Sometimes it is his plans, not yours, that allow you to see what God is doing.
• Chet Pete tells how he walked straight into a pole at the office because he didn't see it. He asks you: what are you running into because you can't see it? What blessing are you missing because your vision is blurry?
• Hold on. Don't give up at the first sign of an obstacle. Strive to see what Jesus said.

2. Don't row alone

• Mark 6:48 specifies that Jesus saw them "straining at the oars", plural. The disciples were striving together.
• Some people aren't making progress because they haven't invited anyone into their situation. You row in circles when you're alone on one side of the boat.
• You need friends who can "grab an oar", the English word "oar" opens up the image: when you're Overwhelmed, when your mind is scattered by anxiety, when you're ready to throw in the towel.
• Chet Pete's practical application: join a small group, serve on a team, don't stay alone in your crossing.

3. Get some glasses: a frame and lenses

• Chet Pete's son, Carter, had to wear glasses because one of his eyes hadn't fully developed. The first time he put them on, he spun around and asked: "Has it always been this clear?"
• The frame gives strength. Your frame is a word from God. When the wind is against you and you're ready to quit, you hold on because you can say: "I can't stop, Jesus said to go to Bethsaida."
• That's why you go to church: you're tired, you're weak, you need a word from the Lord. That's why you have a Bible at home.
• The lenses give sight. A frame without lenses is useless, you also need the lens that allows you to see clearly.

4. Look for the "E": Emmanuel in every situation

• On the Snellen eye chart at the ophthalmologist's office, there are ten letter "E"s. The "E" is also the most used letter in the English alphabet.
• The "E" that Chet Pete invites you to look for is from Matthew 1:23: "they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God with us.'"
• Chet Pete shares about 2021, the hardest year of his life: his mother in a coma after a serious accident, he himself hospitalized with COVID, oxygen saturation at 89. As he kept going through hospital doors, he noticed: "entrance," "exit." In every entrance and every exit, there is an "E." In every situation you go through, there is an Emmanuel.
• On a wedding ring: ask the pastor who marries you to tie the three-strand knot, so that the "E" is woven into your marriage. Going through a divorce? At the end of that divorce, there is an "E": Jesus has not forgotten. In sickness? At the end of sickness, there is an "E." Some say, "I'll find God when I'm healed." He is already there.

5. Jesus doesn't have to strive to see you

• Mark 6:46-48: Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. From there, he sees the disciples straining at the oars, in the middle of the lake, for at least five hours.
• This may not first be a message about your sight. It's a message about Jesus' sight. No matter how far you feel from him: he sees you. You may have to strive to see him, but he has never taken his eyes off you.
• Chet Pete cites Proverbs 29:18 · "Where there is no vision, the people perish." He draws good news from it: your life doesn't hang on your vision of yourself, but on God's vision of you.
• In the parable of Luke 15, the prodigal son is described this way: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son." Looking and seeing are two different things. The Father doesn't just watch, he sees, he is moved, he runs.
• Hebrews 12:1-2: "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross." On the cross, Jesus was striving, to see you saved, delivered, full of hope, at peace. He was seeing you.
• Why was Jesus so insistent that the disciples reach Bethsaida? In Mark 8, a blind man was waiting for them there. If you came today with your eyes closed to God, maybe you are the one Jesus wants to reach: he removes the scales so you can finally see his love.

Key Takeaways

• Many people run into walls they can't see; others miss blessings they don't discern. Ask God to treat your sight today.
• Don't row alone. Find friends who can grab an oar when you're overwhelmed, anxious, or ready to give up.
• The frame that keeps you standing is a word from God, "because Jesus said so." That's why you open your Bible and come to church.
• In every situation (marriage, divorce, sickness, hospital), look for the "E" of Emmanuel. God is not only at the end of the road; he is present at every door you walk through.
• Your sight may fail you. God's gaze does not. On the cross, Jesus was striving to see you saved, his vision of you is more solid than yours.

Personal Application

1. What obstacle have you been stuck on for too long because you didn't want to ask for help? Who could you call this week?
2. Who in your circle can "grab an oar" when you're overwhelmed, anxious, or exhausted? Are you truly engaged in a group where people know you?
3. What word from God sustains your marriage, your calling, your perseverance when the wind is against you? Can you name it precisely?
4. In the season you're going through right now, where do you struggle to see Emmanuel? What "door" do you want to ask him to help you notice?
5. When have you doubted that God saw you? What changes in your prayer life when you consider that he is running toward you, like the father of the prodigal son?

Verses Cited

• Mark 6:45-51
• Matthew 1:23
• Proverbs 29:18
• Luke 15:11-24
• Hebrews 12:1-2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the sermon "Strive to See" by Chet Pete about?

It is a sermon preached by Chet Pete, pastor of the University City campus of Elevation Church, based on Mark 6:45-51 · the disciples straining at the oars while Jesus walks on the water. The message invites you to persevere, not to row alone, and above all to look for the "E" of Emmanuel in every situation you go through. This article is the French translation and adaptation of an English-language sermon by Chet Pete broadcast on June 16, 2024 on the Elevation Church channel.

What does "look for the E" mean?

The "E" stands for Emmanuel ("God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Chet Pete shares that during a very difficult season), his mother in a coma, he himself hospitalized with COVID, he noticed that at every hospital door there was the word "entrance" or "exit." In every entrance and every exit, there is an "E." It became for him a simple image to say: whatever door you walk through, God is there, present with you.

What does "don't row alone" mean?

Drawing from Mark 6:48, Chet Pete observes that the disciples were striving together, not one by one. He urges you to find friends who can "grab an oar" when you're overwhelmed, anxious, or ready to give up. The practical invitation in his church is clear: join a small group, serve on a team, don't stay isolated in your crossing, because without fellow passengers in the boat, you risk rowing in circles for years.