Iliff and Saltillo UM Churches
January 26, 2003
Move with God Beyond Your Comfort Zone
How to: Go for the Gulp
Matthew 14:22-33
INTRODUCTION: Picture yourself at 4:00 a.m. out in a rowboat on a choppy lake with the wind blowing like crazy and the waves slapping up around the side of the boat. Imagine that in addition to all this you thought you had just seen a ghost. You were too far from the shore to turn and go back. Would you have stepped out of the boat?
Peter did, but then he was always the impulsive one jumping into one thing or another. Opening his mouth and getting his foot into it, cutting off someone’s ear. That was just the way he was.
How many of YOU would have stepped out of that boat on to the water? How many of you would have sat right there?
I know what I would have done. I would have sat right there in that boat. Most of us are like that. We don’t want to leave our comfort zones--after all, it is an area where we feel safe and secure. Our comfort zone is predictable. We can count on it in times of uncertainty. Most of us don’t want to experience a lot of unknowns and “what ifs” in our life. Our comfort zone, however, is both good and bad for us. Sometimes we become so fearful that we won’t take reasonable risks that would improve our life. We sit right there in our boat and our fears paralyze us from taking any action at all or no action of any value.
STORY: Ralph was head over heels in trouble, but doing little to help himself. A friend advised, "Ralph, you’ve got two hands, why don’t you do something?" "I am," Ralph replied, "I’m wringing both of them." - Unknown
Today I have looked at this scripture in a different way. Move with God Beyond Your Comfort Zone. How to: Go for the Gulp. What in the world does that mean? What can we learn from this scripture that will help us to walk more confidently in our Christian journey?
1. Jesus and Our Comfort Zone: What happens to our comfort zone when Jesus walks into it? This scripture shows that it was disturbing to the disciples who were in the boat. They were already experiencing the turbulence of the wind and the waves. And now they think they are seeing things--a ghost. The presence of the Lord becomes disturbing to us probably to get our attention. Sometimes circumstances in our life are no longer calm like they once were. Sometimes things happen on the job--layoffs, cutbacks, losses of many kinds. Sometimes we face problems that cause our comfort zone to be disturbed in a variety of ways. At times people are confronted to make a decision to follow the Lord and it, too, completely disrupts things.
“...if I go the Lord’s way, what if I lose all my friends?”
“...if I go the Lord’s way, what if he asks me to do something I CAN’T or DON’T WANT TO DO?”
“if I start to pay tithes, what if I can’t pay my bills?”
“if I change jobs, what if I don’t like it and it doesn’t work out?”
When Jesus walks into our life, it may be more disturbing and unsettling than we want it to be.
It was for the disciples in the boat at 4:00 a.m. Scripture says they were not only afraid but they were TERRIFIED. But Jesus IMMEDIATELY said three things to them.
1. Take courage
2. It is I
3. Don’t be afraid.
It is one thing to HEAR these words of encouragement and another thing to BELIEVE them with our whole heart. Moving out of your comfort zone is hard to do because we are not 100% certain that it is the Lord. Peter spoke up and said, “Lord, if it is [really] you, tell me to come to you on the water” (v. 28 ).
Peter had a mixture of faith and doubt here because he said, “IF it is really you...”
Jesus was patient with him--he knew he didn’t have the strongest faith in the world at that point, but he knew he had SOME faith--he had enough to take the first step. Jesus simply said, “Come ahead.”
Peter had the green light. He was “good to go.” He knew that it was OK to step out of that boat and walk on out toward the Lord. This was, for once, not a thoughtless, impulsive move on Peter’s part. He had the invitation--”Come on,” Jesus said. It’s OK.
Sometimes we know exactly what the Lord wants us to do and we won’t move. Our comfort zone gets in our way. “Yes, I know He said to “Come Ahead,” but “what if” something happens. What if I fail? What if it doesn’t work out? What if I didn’t understand correctly? What if I sink?
2. Take the Big Gulp and Go: When you already know what God wants you to do sometimes you have to just take the “big gulp and go.” What does that mean? To gulp something down is to gasp or choke as when taking large amounts of liquid--to gulp down a bottle of pop. It sort of overwhelms you. Or you might get up before a big crowd of people to speak and you gulp and say that first word. Take the big gulp in your faith and go with it. Sometimes you need the push to get you out of your comfort zone--out of your boat. Otherwise you won’t get up the nerve to take the first step. I think Peter took a big gulp and said, “Here I go...sink or swim.” Even taking the first step, he was not 100% sure how things would turn out. Scripture shows that when he got his eyes off Jesus he did, in fact, begin to sink--but he was not drowning. Jesus was right there to pull him back up again.
This time Peter had not acted impulsively. We need to remember, “Don’t just jump out of your boat impulsively. Find out what God is trying to say to you. Once you know, then be willing to do what He is telling you to do. It may be He is saying, “just wait on me for now. Wait for further directions. Think about this for awhile.” Sometimes waiting is harder than jumping into something. Scripture says, “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faith” (Isaiah 40:3l). But in Peter’s case it was time to “gulp and go.” Jesus was there waiting for him.
3. Find Out What God Wants and Then Move Toward Him:
STORY: Many of us need to be more like the little girl whom the farmer found lost in his meadow. The farmer said to her, "Do not cry; I’ll take you home." The little child snuggled up to him, and with a smile, said, "I knew you would; I was waiting for you." "Waiting for me?" said the man. "What made you think I was coming?" "I was praying you would." she said. "Praying? When I first heard you, you were saying A B C D E F G. What was that for?" She looked up again and said, "I’m just a little girl. I was praying all the letters of the alphabet and letting God put them together the way He wanted to. He knows I was lost, and He knows how to put them together better than I do." What a difference if we would only let God put the letters of our lives together. In Peter’s case, Jesus simply said, “Come ahead.” When Peter heard the Lord’s voice clearly, to him, he didn’t hesitate to step out of the boat. He had enough faith to take that first step even though he didn’t see the total picture. There are many ways the Lord has already spoken to us in His word. Are we are still sitting in our boat? For example, He has already given us the invitation to salvation. Have you received His salvation yet? John 7:37 says, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the scripture has said streams of living water will flow from within him.” Jesus has already said to each of us, “Come ahead”--my salvation is accessible to you. Why do you keep struggling alone? Step out of your comfort zone. Some of you may be still sitting in your boat this morning. Why are you hesitating? STORY: Tony Campolo, a Philadelphia sociologist, was seated at a state prayer breakfast next to the governor and found that he was sympathetic but had never committed himself to follow Christ. "Why not?" asked Campolo. The governor honestly replied, "No one ever asked me." "Well, I’m asking you." To his surprise, the governor responded, "OK, I will." Leighton Ford Leadership 1984 5/2 p. 106. Others may be concerned about circumstances that are beyond control in your life that has robbed you of your peace and joy. You are buffeted on every side by the storms--the turmoil of the winds and the waves have almost overwhelmed you. You are struggling to keep your head above the water. Jesus has already said, “Come ahead---once again. Matthew 11:28 he says to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus says, “Come ahead to me and let me help you with your turmoil--let me give you peace and calmness. Are you still sitting in your boat overwhelmed by the things that are trying to disrupt your peace? CONCLUSION: When Jesus comes into our comfort zone it is disturbing to us, but that is not all bad. It stretches our faith and helps us to grow stronger. Sometimes you just have to “gulp and go” to the Lord. He says, “Come ahead.”--Take courage, It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Don’t jump out of your boat impulsively. Find out what God wants you to do first and then move toward God. Scripture has already given us many directions. He can point us to His will when we seek Him. Move with God Beyond Your Comfort Zone. Learn how to: Go for the Gulp.
