Baby-steps / Part 3 – Belief
Last week we took a second step on a journey of baby steps… taking one step at a time to find true faith.
What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1-3 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Our backdrop for this series is the story of Abraham in Isaac found in Genesis 22… We left them last week as God was taking them through a test of Trust… remember God’s hand in yours, T.R.U.S.T….
A 3 day journey where God is asking for everything from Abraham… a test if Abraham is willing to let go of his dreams, his son, whom he loves…
Genesis 22 – last week he went to raise the knife… God stops him… provides the ram… declares blessing on him… we learn from Abraham a journey to trust, to risk, and to believe.
Today we are looking at the aspect of Belief… as an important part of faith… For…
FAITH WITHOUT TRUST IS IMPOSSIBLE
FAITH WITHOUT RISK IS A CONTRADICTION
Faith without belief is hallow (empty)
It’s hallow because belief is what creates actions. If we really believe God is true, that He is with us, then we will act like it.
With trust we learned what it means to be open to God.
With risk we learned the importance of obedience and stepping out even when you don’t understand.
What is obedience? – belief that God has the bigger picture (we learned God is BIG!) What is disobedience? – belief that I can see more clearly then God.
Today we jump from our Abraham story and look at a dramatic passage. REMEMBER THAT…
Faith without belief is hallow (empty)
BELIEF…
1 : a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing
ALL TO OFTEN WE HAVE THEISTIC BELIEFS BUT OPERATE OUT OF OUR ATHEISM…
THAT SHOULD MOVE US TO WANT CHANGE!
Our beliefs and our values are the fuel
for our actions.
Do we trust,
Will we risk
Do we and will we believe?
The disciples have been walking with Jesus… He now has just preached to thousands of people… and the miracle of feeding the 5000 has just occurred.
They too are learning baby steps… learning to trust, to believe, and on this day one of them learns to take risk, but when you trust God and believe it no longer seems like risk.
And we pick up the story in Matthew 14.
Matthew 14:22-33
22 Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. 23 Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning F77 Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It’s all right," he said. "I am here! Don’t be afraid." 28 Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water." 29 "All right, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. 31 Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don’t have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" 32 And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.
Before we talk about Peter… let’s talk about success.
What makes you successful?
The Success Paradox
In one national study Barna discovered that people’s views of success had little to do with their faith and spiritual wholeness. People focused on personal accomplishments, family solidarity and emotional fulfillment.
Barna notes that only 7% identified spiritual wholeness and development as the factor that will produce a successful life. "The Christian faith commends sacrifice, servanthood and sharing as the means to significance," he noted. "How is it possible to have more than 120 million adults attending Christian churches on a regular basis, but only 15 million who grasp the message that success is not about personal accomplishment or material possessions?"
Now we left Peter knee deep and sinking...
THE AUDACITY TO BELIEVE… (This portion based on Rob Bell’s Nooma video called Dust)
Why would Peter have the audacity to believe He could do what Jesus was doing? How would he believe in God and believe in himself enough to know he too could walk on water?
To understand this we must understand the historical development of the Rabbi and Disciple Relationship.
Jesus is a Jewish Rabbi, with Jewish Disciples, living in a First Century Jewish world…
As a child in the Jewish culture at age… they believed God had spoken to Moses and had given them the first five books of the bible… the Torah… the epicenter for their lives and focus of their educational system.
At age 6 – a kids would go for the first time to school… and this phase of education would be to learn the torah… probably taught by a torah teacher and held in the synagogue. The first level was known as Bet-Safare – and would last until they were about 10 years old.
And most by the age of ten would have the first 5 books of the bible memorized.
At the end of Bet-safare most would now be learning the family trade or apprenticing, learning how to manage a household.
The best of the best would keep going, and continue their education to the next level…
Bet-Talmude – and the best of the best now in bet-talmude they would memorize the entire Hebrew scripture… most at this point, about 14 or 15 would now be in the family trade or apprenticing… but the best of the best of the best would go on… to -
Bet-Midrash – go to a Rabbi and apply to become that Rabbi’s disciple.
A disciple was something far deeper… they don’t want to just know what the Rabbi knows… they want to be like the Rabbi and do what the Rabbi does…
Each rabbi was different… they would midrash (different sets of interpretations) of how they understood the scriptures. This set of interpretations was known as a Rabbi’s Yoke… so when you went and applied to become the Rabbi’s disciple you were wanting to take that Rabbi’s Yoke upon you… so you can learn and become and be like the Rabbi…
So these kids would go to the Rabbi and apply… Does this kid have what it takes to be like me…
Are they the best of the best… if not go and learn your family trade…
But if they think the kid has it… the Rabbi would say come follow me… you would leave your family, friends, synagogue and village… devoting your entire life to learning to do what your Rabbi does..
THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DISCIPLE… TO BELIEVE.
May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi.
All of this has huge implications for Jesus…
Most Rabbi’s start their teaching at the age of 30…
And we find walking down the shore along the sea of galilee… coming across Peter and Andrew… fishermen, and Jesus calls them to come and be fishers of men… but if they are fishing, they are not with another Rabbi…
Why would they drop everything?
A rabbi has asked them to follow him… a Rabbi is telling them I believe you can do what I do. You can be like ME!
OF COURSE YOU DROP EVERYTHING…
Then He comes across James and John – sons of Zebedee… fishing with their father… already apprentices. Yet Jesus chooses them…
These young guys… fishermen…it’s like a movement of anybodies and he calls them – the JV, the B team, the “not-good-enoughs.’ He calls them to be His disciples and they change the course of human history!
BACK TO THE BOAT - Water chopping, wind blowing…
They see Jesus…
Peter says “if it’s you tell me to come to you.”
Why- he wants to be like his Rabbi…
• Walks on water.
• Starts to walk on water… and starts to sink.
I always assumed that Peter doubts in Jesus and that’s why he sinks. But Jesus isn’t the one sinking… Is he?
Peter loses faith in himself and the ability to do what Jesus does.
All my life I have heard about our faith in God… but what about God’s faith in us.
He must have faith in us… he leaves everything in the hands of these anybodies… and they do it.
Peter must figure it out… this is the same guy that speaks and 5000 are saved… he prays and people are healed… he walks by someone and his shadow passes him by… what? And the guy is healed…??? How is this possible…
This is why in John 14 Jesus says you will do the same as I have done and even greater… read it. 12 "The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!
FAITH WITHOUT TRUST IS IMPOSSIBLE
FAITH WITHOUT RISK IS A CONTRADICTION
Faith without belief is hallow (empty)
Why is it empty? Because if you don’t believe then you don’t do anything with the faith you have. It never effects your actions… It is empty conversation with no depth to it.
What does this mean for us?
• We are the B team.
o We are not the prettiest, the toughest, the strongest bunch, we don’t have most money…
o But we have God… and what would someone like me do If I am confident God is with me.
o I would believe I can do the things Jesus did and even more.
o Why? Because I am His disciple and wouldn’t have called me if he didn’t believe I could do it.
• The not quite good enoughs…
• Yet God has left it all in our hands…
How will we live…
Will we trust… t.r.u.s.t. (faith without trust Is impossible)
Will we risk… but when we really trust is it really risk? (faith without risk is a contradiction)
Will we believe not only in God but in us (for faith without belief is hollow)…
