Jesus’ call to walk on water. Matt 14:22-36 WBC 20/11/05am
I want to speak to you about Walking on Water this morning
o as a follow on from- last Sunday, Wed pm
o because I’ve been so challenged by Ortbergs’ book
o Interrupt me and illustrate! PLEASE
But first:
"extreme Olympics risk.pps" in Ills to keep folder PPT
Olympic sports with an extra element of risk added!
cat and fan.wmv cat caught on fan PPT
SEEING THE SAVIOUR
Here’s the situation:
- feeding of 5000. Jesus sends across to other side of lake (probably with some bread!)
- storm blows up. But this is a bad one. By 3am have given up all thoughts of ’reaching the other side’. They just want to survive
o they are straining at the oars (Mk 6:48)
o 3.5 miles from land (Jn 6:19)
o lit "tormented by the waves" (Mt, v24)
This is no fun. Can you imagine? Relate to this?
- when you’re hit by numerous waves (can’t get a breather)
- worse still: Jesus is the one who told you to do it
- (Cf "don’t you care if we die?! Mt 8:23)
But Jesus is not just a fluffy pillow! He is THE teacher, as well
- and He has some lessons for them to learn
- Mk 6 - He was watching them
And at 3 am He walks out to them
They freak out! "Why?"- you may ask. "Who else could it be?"
- well, you see, they hadn’t read the script. Didn’t know
- and when you’re frightened- you imagine the worst, eh?!
Well- Matthew makes a point in recording it
- you can miss Jesus’ presence in the storm if you
o don’t look for it… take time
o aren’t looking with the eyes of faith!
o If YOU’RE not looking- you could miss Him
" Be left with the impression you are (or WERE) all alone. "God called me to a task and then left me"
- And He could even ’pass you by’
That’s the term it uses in Mk’s gospel "He was about to pass them by"
- what’s this?! Just leave them
Nope: He sent them. "He who began a good work in them…". The storm had their attention
- now it was time for them to learn who was really in control.. and something very specific about Jesus
"According to the Holy Scriptures, human extremity is the frequent meeting place with God" Dale Brunner in Ortberg’s "If you want to walk on water you have got to get out of the boat"
What’s this ’passing them by’, bit? Well- this is in Greek. It’s paraerchomai. This word appears in the OT’s Gk translation (Lxx) as well
- EX 33:18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
EX 33:19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you (paraerchomai), and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
- It’s in the context of Moses’ call
- Elijah’s too. 1KI 19:11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
The contexts of both are THEOPHANY (appearance of God), calling and (in response to that call) miracles and power
- not unlike here. 22:36 (in Mt, Mk & Jn. Striking!)
And just like
- only God provides food in the desert, (Ex 16:8 (You will know it’s the Lord when He gives you… all the bread you want))
- only God JOB 9:8 ..alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea."
- And here God ’passes by’ Paraerchomai’s
These are the lessons: He’s showing His divine nature
They are going to see the divine saviour. (if they have the eyes of faith)
FAITH AND FOOLISHNESS
But it’s even more of a lesson for Peter- and water-walker
- "if it’s you- tell me to come to you on the water"
Why does he ask this? Mt record it? Why isn’t he just jumping in like in Jn 21
- well: there’s a terminal storm for one thing
- but the main thing is: you don’t just step out and walk on water
o this is not ’positive thinking’, ’name it and claim it’
o it’s not about extreme sports or being risky and ’faith filled’ for the sake of it
- this is about extreme discipleship. This is about OBEDIENCE
To step out in those conditions (when it did not seem rational and sensible to do so) would have been sheer foolishness- without a call from God
- then it’s about FAITH and OBEDIENCE
Do you see
- there are many things you can use your common sense over… and should
o (I fear many people call things faith when it is sheer foolishness and presumption)
- but when it transcends those things- you need a word from God!
o It either needs to be very clear in the Word OF God
" (eg: I don’t need a revelation to share my faith and GO and love people!)
o or you need a word FROM God
And I need to ask you now- if Jesus were to call you, would you recognise His voice?
- do you know his vocab? Nature? Intonation? The kind of way He speaks (hold up bible)
- Pr 29:18 "Where there is no vision the people perish" is actually "Where there is no revelation, the people disintegrate- but blessed is the person who keeps God’s word"
- Where there is no word from God there is the word OF God
So- basically, I’m asking you "do you honour and need the word of God?"
- or do you treat it with contempt?
- Do you take this seriously as the means by which God speaks?
o Because, without it, you’ll be all over the place
o And won’t recognise His voice when He SHOUTS to you
o Illustr: Mari?
THE CALL TO COME
So- this is about obedience. How we need His call. And then, when He calls, how we need to obey
- you do! If God has told you something: better do it!
- Illustr: chatting a while ago "I think God has told me to take the next step (baptism). What should I do?" DO IT!
"But it’s safe in the boat"
- no it’s not! You’re drowning!
- The only way you are going to know what water-walking is like is by leaving the boat and walking out
"But I might drown"
- no you won’t. You might fall- but you won’t drown. There’s a difference. Not if Jesus called you!
And if you don’t step out and obey, one thing is SURE: you won’t walk on water at all
"But those are too big steps for me to take. I’ve been hurt. Disappointed"
- accepted. Granted. There are real pains in this life and gain. But you have a real call on your life AND
- the only way to get back on water is to walk again. baby steps
o do what you can- not what you can’t
o (that’s why last Sun am was so important for some of you)
So, let me ask you: what is the boat that you are holding onto that is stopping you from 1) obeying Jesus 2) walking on water?
- your fear will tell you
- comfort? Success? Security? Mediocrity? A naïve formula of ’I can claim anything’ (which is really a substitute for time and intimacy with God). Money
- what is keeping you from radical, extreme discipleship and obedience
- Illustr: folks we’ve got to be far more discipled with our money if we want to walk on water as individuals and a church
o Silver Service worker. City wide Xian rehab? Enlarging our tent
Or do you want to sit in the boat like the others did?
- God is God. If He calls you, He will provide. Get out the boat and go for it!
SEEING THE STORM
But I’m frightened
- so am I! So was Peter
It’s interesting: the storm was nothing new. It didn’t suddenly spring up. But, at a certain point, he took his eyes of Jesus and onto the storm
- and he sank
Fear is a crippler. Fear of circumstances. People. The unknown. It holds countless Christians back. Their goliath is bigger than God!
- and so live in captivity
You can live on bland foods so as to avoid an ulcer, drink no tea, coffee or other stimulants in the name of health, go to bed early, stay away from night life, avoid all controversial subjects so as never to give offence, mind your own business, avoid involvement in other people’s problems, spend money only on necessities and save all you can.
You can still break your neck in the bath tub- and it will serve you right.
Eileen Guder in Otberg’s "If you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat"
Or as I said as I looked at deserts in the Forte Tea rooms on Monday "Eat healthy, stay fit, die anyway! Give me that desert!"
- life is for the living. Jesus is for the asking. People need saving. For goodness sake let’s get out there and bring His kingdom in
If you ignore the call, eventually you won’t hear it at all
Fear is a part of life. You have to ’feel the fear’ and do it anyway
- do you think v 27 is the one and only time Jesus had to say ’Do not be afraid?’
You have to learn to manage it… overcome it… with your obedience.
- the fear is real- but it doesn’t have the power to destroy you
FEAR OF FAILING
Did Peter fail?
- that’s a question of perspective, judgement and choice, really
- some of us choose to see events (ourselves) as failures
o certainly this passage shows that obedience is no inoculation against adversity
o that there are times when we don’t se the FULLNESS of what God wants
- but this wasn’t a failure!
o He was caught! He DIDN’T drown.
o He learned that ’underneath are the everlasting arms"
And he learned a lesson: " you of little faith, why did you doubt?" He grew because of it. AND he walked on water! He did!
The other disciples were the failures. They never got out of the boat!
- it’s funny how easy it is for couch (boat) potato Christians to criticise others…. Who have at least walked on a bit of water… seen some lives changed…. Learned some lessons
Nope: there are no failings or failures in God’s providence
- there are only lessons to learn
- Churchill "I never failed anything in my life. I was given a second opportunity to get it right"
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off- and respond to Jesus’ call to walk on water
Apply:
- time to think about what Jesus has CLEARLY said to you. We’re not talking presumption or cockiness, here. This is HIS call and YOUR obedience
- If you want to respond to Jesus’ call- get out of the boat now. Come to the front. (+PMT)
Today I choose to follow you
I will never be the same again
Communion
You are my shepherd, I have no needs
O thou who camest from above
