Maximum Impact #7
Taking the leap of faith
This week, we will work on THE issue that has the potential to keep more people from living a maximum impact life that makes a difference than any other thing– FEAR! I am convinced that outside of love, fear is the most common driving emotion felt by human beings.
Ill. Fear has filled America’s news this week as with the continuing economic turmoil. AIG, one of the world’s largest financial institutions, teetered on the edge of insolvency until the US Gov’t offered $80 Billion in an emergency bridge loan! Lehman Bros., a huge financial firm and brokerage, collapsed as a result of having too much invested in mortgages on properties that are not worth what is owed against them! The fear has broght paralysis to the flow of money on the international funds markets and is rippling down to ordinary citizens, who now wonder what is happening to pensions, retirement funds, and nest eggs.
Many of us in this room, let our decisions be FEAR driven, without even knowing it! We may not recognize it as such because fear doesn’t always wear the face of terror from tyranny or some other immediate threat. Sometimes it is a less defined ghostly influence that whispers ‘what-if,’ ‘maybe,’ or ‘could be!’
Listen to a story that Pastor John Ortberg tells.
Florence died. In the attic of her home, her grand-daughter found the most exquisite set of china she had ever seen. It was a hand-painted set made in Bavaria before WW II. No one in the family remembered EVER seeing the china set for dinner. After inquiries were made to older members of the family, it was discovered that when Florence was very young she was given the china over a period of years. As she received each piece she carefully wrapped it and put it away to use for a 'special' occasion.
No occasion ever came along and Florence's precious china remained in the boxes unused after 60 years, hidden in the attic. It would have been given away to the Salvation Army had not an observant grand-daughter taken time to open some old boxes! Now those beautiful dishes grace the table at the Ortberg home at every excuse for an occasion!
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, Ortberg
Fear is a subtle emotion that disguises itself. Sometimes it is camouflaged as caution, and other times it hides in the garb of prudence. “I’m not fearful,” we say, “just cautious.” Most of us prefer the tried and true to living on the edge, the predictable to the spontaneous. The result is that in far too many lives treasures are locked away, never enjoyed, never shared -- in some mistaken attempt to avoid risk.
· There are couples who choose not to have children because they are afraid they might not 'turn out right.' Their choice allows them to avoid sleepless nights with colicky babies and curfew dodging teenagers, but they never have the incomparable joy of a little one's kisses or the pride of seeing their progeny become productive, God-loving adults, either.
· There are thousands who choose not to marry pointing to the risk of a broken heart, of infidelity, of the pain of rejection. They will never know the pleasure of being one in heart and spirit with another either. Their love is like that treasure packed away in an attic!
· And, too, millions will never risk ministry in Jesus' name. They will take the love of God for themselves but never share it. They will never be embarrassed by failure, but they will never discover the joy that comes from giving away God's grace and feeling the glow of His pleasure.
You know what I’m talking about, I’m sure. It’s called a ‘comfort zone.’
Wayne Cadeiro writes in his book –– Dream Releasers – these provocative words:
“The richest place on the earth is not the diamond mines of South Africa or the gold caches of Ecuador. It is not the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, or in the uranium excavations of the Balkans. Neither is it in the mineral deposits of the Dead Sea.
No, the richest plot of land on this planet is in your very own neighborhood. You might even have passed by it this morning. It’s the cemetery. That’s right! The graveyard is the wealthiest place in all of creation. Beneath those rectangular pieces of sod lie countless unsung melodies and unwritten poems. The grassy plots overflow with brilliant ideas that could have transformed entire communities, rehabilitated the lost and borne hope to the weary. Our burial grounds reek with unattained successes and unrealized dreams.”
I don’t mean to imply that all routine is bad, or that proper caution is all bad. Establishing patterns and routines lets us be productive because those routines allow us to complete many of life’s tasks without having to plan or think about what we’re doing.
· If you’re a man who shaves in the morning, I’d be willing to wager lunch you never break the pattern of how you do it. You have a little ritual that involves washing your face just so, applying shaving lather just so, and starting with the same stroke at the same place, day after day!
· If you have attended this church for more than a month, it is very likely that you’re sitting in the same row at approximately the same spot on the pew that you’ve sat in every Sunday since you first came to church. Am I right?
· You probably do not remember much about your drive to church this morning. You didn’t have to give conscious thought to putting the car in reverse to back out of the drive, nor to putting it into drive to go forward. You approached the intersections and responded to the lights and traffic pretty much automatically, while you argued with your kids, thought about who you wanted to talk with in Sunday School, and even wondered what to make for dinner.
Trouble with these routines is that in some cases they become a great source of security. Doing the same things in the same way, day after day, is a way of feeling that we’re in control. Some people fall so tightly into the grip of their routines that psychologists have a name for their neurosis. It’s called OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder. Those so afflicted become slaves of routines and rituals they use to cope with their fears about life!
When someone or something disturbs our routines, pushing us to the edge of our comfort zone, the level of our anxiety that we feel in that moment reveals the tightness of the grip of fear in our life! We grow so comfortable in our rut that we will not take the leap of faith demanded to live for maximum impact, a life that makes a difference.
Turn with me to Matthew 14 this morning. Pew Bible page 1520.
In our Bible text, we find a dramatic story with a humorous twist. In my imagination, somehow I think this is one of the stories that the disciples loved to tell at dinner as they gently and lovingly tweaked their friend, Peter. Maybe John would laughing ask, “Hey, Pete, been walking on water lately?” And the question would be followed by good natured laughter. Of course, Peter always had a great comeback – “Hey, at least I got out of the boat!”
Take a look at the story. Matt. 14: 22-34
Before you’re too rough on Peter for sinking, before you start “oohing and ahhing” over what he did or failed to do, let’s ask the question – how do we know when it’s time to get out of the boat?
As a rule that’s a pretty dumb choice that leads to certain disasters.
When is a good time to take the leap of faith?
It’s a good time, when Jesus invites you to take a walk!
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:28-29
Not all invitations to take a leap of faith are made in our best interest! About 15 times each week, I receive email that are packed with hype, inviting me to invest in some new scheme, some business venture, some stock. I know that these ‘invitations’ are made in the interest of someone else for their profit not mine.
Maybe you remember the old game of ‘dare ya, double dare ya’ that kids play. Friends invite each other to escalating physical challenges putting bones at risk of being broken, pride at risk of being wounded. They aren’t an invitation to grow, to benefit. They are a challenge to prove yourself and your worth.
Jesus’ invitations to us to ‘get out of the boat’ are never about just proving ourselves. They are an opportunity to become a participant in His work, to live above the ordinary by the Power of the Spirit of God. He wants us to take a walk on the water with Him so we will move past our pre-conceived ideas about who we are and what we can do. He wants us to learn the depths of His care for us, the resources that are available to us so that we will not go to our grave with the treasure of our potential locked up and unused for His pleasure!
I know your next question because it’s the obvious one –
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN JESUS IS INVITING ME TO GET OUT OF THE BOAT?
And please don’t say, “It would be so much easier IF I were on the Sea of Galilee physically with the Lord.” It was not easier then. Remember, 11 men stayed safely in the boat despite seeing Jesus. Peter’s walk was a faith walk regardless of the fact that he saw Jesus standing out there on the water!
His invitations come in all kinds of wrapping- some not so pretty and some too wonderful for us to accept.
A. He invites us to walk into impossibility when He allows trials and tests to come our way.
· “Lord, I don’t think I can take another day like yesterday.”
• “Lord, how do I cope with this situation that is turning my life upside down?”
“Come, walk on the water,” He says.
Most of the most memorable moments of intimacy with the Lord and spiritual growth in my life have happened when my world went upside down! When I conclude all is lost, faith grows in my heart that allows me to accept His invitation to new places, new things, new grace for my life.
Paul went through many times like that. Listen to his testimony: "We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!"
(2 Corinthians 1:8-9, The Message)
Remember it was terror that first motivated Peter that night on the Sea of Galilee! In the wee hours of the morning, around 3 or 4 am, these disciples, who were exhausted from rowing against the wind saw a man coming across the water in the low light of the moon. Terror gripped them, the Bible says. Peter’s fear was so great that when he realized it was Jesus, he impulsively (we’ve just got to love this guy’s ‘shoot from the lip’ tendency) says – “Lord, if it’s really YOU tell me to come to you on the water.”
When life has exhausted you, when situations are against you, when apparent impossibilities confront you... Cry out to Him and listen for His invitation. When those invitations come to grow deeper, try to remember this promise: 1 Cor. 10.13
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. – The Message
B. He invites us to walk into impossibility by presenting us with new opportunities.
Not all invitations come in the form of tests and trials! God loves to bless His children! Frequently, He presents us with choices to enter into greater responsibility, to take up a new calling, to experience the joy of a new kind of service. In those moments, we need to be ready to climb out of the boat, too. We need to be ready to do some water-walking! Most of us, given our natural inclination to follow the ruts on the road, to stick with the tried and true of our comfort zone, don’t see these opportunities as blessings, but rather as a kind of curse!
As much as some of us would like for life to be unchanged, the world refuses to stand still. We need to trust that God is big enough to govern those things that come into our lives and that HE will present us with opportunities for change that will lead to greater blessings. But, we must be willing to get out of the boat!
In He Still Moves Stones Pastor Max Lucado talks about those opportunities and our response.
Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe. You can’t get hurt if you never get out, right? You can’t be criticized for what you don’t try, right? You can’t fall if you don’t take a stand, right? You can’t lose your balance if you never climb, right? So don’t try it. Take the safe route.
Or you can hear the voice of adventure—God’s adventure.
Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God’s impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure, it isn’t safe, but what is? You think staying inside out of the cold is safe? Jesus disagrees. “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it.” I like the words of General Douglass MacArthur when he was seventy-eight, “Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin but to give up interest wrinkles the soul.”
I want to go back to the story of Peter’s walk on water for one more lesson today.
If you’re going to get out of the boat to walk on water, keep your eyes on Jesus!
Matthew 14:29-30 Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
I wish I could promise you that stepping out of the boat will calm every storm and bring instant success – but God doesn’t and I can’t. The truth is, outside the boat, the storm’s effect is more intense. The dangers grow geometrically. The demons gather in close to breath their threats of failure into your ears. “You can’t do this. You’re a fool for trying. What a joke. Who do you think you are?” Your friends who stay in the boat will likely yell at you — “Come back, you idiot.”
Don’t look around at the storm. Don’t believe the naysayers. Instead, just keep looking at Jesus and listen to Him as He coaches you. Remember, it’s all about Jesus!
Listen as I say that again... It’s all about Jesus. The important factor in your life is the developing character of Christ in you.
The things you do, the jobs you hold, the positions you hold, the possessions you accumulate - won’t survive to eternity, but the character of Christ created in you is eternal. When Jesus invited Peter out of the boat, it wasn’t really for the neat experience of defying the laws of physics and doing the impossible, it was a lesson in faith, in trust, that helped to change Peter’s heart and build a stronger trust in God in him.
Jesus’ invitations are about creating His likeness in you, about developing His character deeper and stronger in you. It’s about much more than this day or even tomorrow! His invitations are about ETERNITY!
And even if you fail, even if you make a mistake and climb out of the wrong side of the boat – He will catch you if you reach for Him!
Matthew 14:31-32 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
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So... what do you see in life – obstacles or opportunities?
Largely that depends on your point of view – for one man’s obstacle becomes another opportunity. Take time to listen for the invitations of the Spirit.
Ask for eyes that see the opportunities and ‘walk on the water.’
In so doing, you will begin to have a maximum impact, living to make a real difference!
Amen.
