Elite 8 stories: Walking with Jesus or swimming on your own Carroll first UMC 10-17 and 18- 2020

 Elite 8 stories: Walking with Jesus or swimming on your own

Carroll first UMC 10-17 and 18- 2020

I want to ask our online participants a question we’ll use a little later… If you were Peter, would you have jumped out of the boat. Yes or no, thumbs up or sad face. Would you have jumped out of the boat or stayed right where you were? If you are in the sanctuary and want to jump on Facebook and you can vote too.

While you are doing that let me continue. I worked on staff with a youth mission project in Tennessee while I was in college. One of our days off we headed to the little river that flowed alongside our camp. It probably had some name like “cow pie creek” because the local cattle... uh... I think for my emotional well-being we’ll stick with “bathed” in the creek.

We hiked through the woods through the oppressive July heat and the prickly bushes, not to mention likely poison ivy. I was just glad to get to “cow pie creek,” or whatever it was called. 

Upstream about a ¼ mile we saw a small cliff with a rope hanging from a huge oak tree over the water. You guessed it we headed to the cliff to swing on the rope. 

Now, you have probably figured out in the last 2 years that I am not the most adventurous person in the world. A new food is sometimes too much risk for me. So, flinging myself off this cliff (which was probably not as high as my mind made it) was WAY out of my comfort zone. But I couldn’t be the only one who didn’t jump. After all, I had a “reputation” to uphold. So, I swallowed my fear, grabbed the rope and flew what seemed like 1000 feet slow motion into the water below.

It was cool and refreshing and I jumped several more times that afternoon. It was a nice afternoon. Even though now I must wonder about the sanitary wisdom of swimming in a small river just downstream from where 20 or 30 cattle were all… um… “bathing.”

Nonetheless, that is a day that reminds me, sometimes we must face our fears, embrace the adventure, and take the plunge. 

Do you suppose that was one of the lessons for Peter the day he walked on the water; “face your fears, embrace the adventure, and take the plunge?” Sometimes I wish I was more like Peter. I don’t particularly want to be the impulsive, foot in mouth disciple who is ready to cut off an ear for Jesus. But sometimes I think I should take the plunge and take more risks in faith.

Christian discipleship is risky business. It is no easy kayak ride down a lazy river. Discipleship is more like white water rafting; you become a disciple of Jesus at your own risk. 

This story takes place in Matthew immediately after the feeding of the 5000. Jesus “” made” the disciples get into a boat going toward the other side of the sea of Galilee.

Jesus went up on a mountainside by himself to pray alone. 

A storm blew up that night and a 2 ½ boat ride became a three-hour tour, and another three-hour tour. Just before daybreak John, tells us in his version of the story, they were still only ⅔ of the way across the 6-mile lake. The square sailed boats of the day were very inefficient in a headwind, and difficult or even dangerous in a side wind. Mark tells this story adding the detail “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.” 

Matthew is the only gospel that tells of Peter walking on the water, but they all agree that Jesus walked on the water and the disciples were afraid. They thought it was some kind of ghost… I imagine between the sea mist, the blowing wind, the predawn lighting, and the fact that one doesn’t expect to see people to be walking on the water, (as illogical as it was) a ghost was the most logical conclusion. 

Doesn’t it seem like that is kind of the way life works? As If the exhausting storm is not bad enough, here comes a ghost.

As If a pandemic is not enough, look out for the wildfires.

As If cancer is not enough, the furnace goes out.

As if losing your job is not enough, the kids need new clothes. 

You know what I mean. It seems that no matter how bad the storm, something happens to make it worse.

In those times, we are helpless to help ourselves, blind to what is coming around the corner, and easily overwhelmed by the huge waves battering us.  We all know the feeling of being unable, under our own power, to row against the wind and the waves when life is storming around us.

We need help… we need to be rescued...not by some ghost, but by something more powerful than us. Something like, I don’t know…something like the son of God who can calm the wind and the waves. 

 

It is no coincidence, that just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, Jesus said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matt 14:27) 

What a relief. With those eight words the disciples, who may have for good reason been afraid for their lives were saved. This is the same Jesus who earlier in Matthew was asleep in the bow of the boat when a storm came up. When they awakened him they said, “Don’t you care that we are about to drown?” Jesus looked at the water and wind and said, “be quiet.” And the storm calmed.

When Jesus appeared the disciples sat back and waited to see what Jesus’ next trick would be, right? Well, yes, most did, but the star of the story stood up and said, “If that is you, master, tell me to come to you on the water.” When Jesus replied “Come.” I have to wonder if Peter thought, “Oh man. What have I just done? What did my mouth get me into this time?” Whatever he thought, Peter stood up.

When is the last time you recognized Jesus’ voice saying “come?”

Come, feed the hungry. 

Come, call your neighbor. 

Come, you aren’t being as generous as you could. 

Come, and teach Sunday school, or go to Sunday school. 

Come, help at the pork chop supper. 

Come donate to the homeless. 

Come, invite that neighbor to worship. Do you hear Jesus calling you? Where is Jesus calling you? What is Jesus calling you to do? 

I don’t always hear Jesus’ voice, but I’ve come to recognize a particular knot in my stomach that is often the voice of Jesus. How do you recognize Jesus' voice saying “come?”

`When Jesus said, “come.” Peter did. This is where I usually fall down. I’ll sit and wonder, “was that really Jesus?” “Did I hear that right?” And frankly sometimes the opportunity slips away while I am thinking about it. But not Peter. He got up and stepped right out of the boat “onto the crashing waves.” as the Casting Crown’s song says. And he walked on the water. 

Would you have done that? Would you have gotten out of the boat? If you are in the sanctuary, raise your hand if you would have stepped out of the boat while we put up the results of our very unscientific online poll.

I must admit, I am afraid I might have stayed in the boat. I told you, I am not a big risk taker. So, I can understand those of you who said no, but we can do better than that, can’t we? 

So, to review, if we want to be water walkers first we must hear and recognize Jesus’ voice. 

Second we must choose to get up off our pew or our couch and answer.

Finally, Peter looks around… he sees the wind the Bible says. The wind wouldn’t bother me as much as looking down at the water. So maybe he saw he wind driven waves. 

And for just a moment he might have thought “Hey, Yall, watch this” or “Look ma, no ground.” At any rate Peter forgot why he was doing it and began to sink. 

I was surprised by the number of sermons I saw this week that condemned Peter for his lack of faith. I can’t say I have ever heard that before. But I find it more than a little odd that the folks who frankly are still sitting on their butts in the nice safe boat, would accuse Peter of having a lack of faith. That is a little like me sitting at home booing Ter⒠⒠k Hill for dropping a pass that I couldn’t have caught in my wildest imagination. 

The truth is, whenever we get brave enough to take a risk by answering Jesus call to come, there will be criticism. 

When we were getting ready to step out of the boat in Reinbeck and start the Wednesday night family ministry, I received a lot of heat. I remember one lady who said, Sunday morning is good enough for the rest of us, it ought to be good enough for them. There were about 12 Children in Sunday school… the first week of Wednesday night LIGHT there were nearly 100 in class on Wednesday night. You would think that would quiet the criticism. But it didn’t. 

Whether we walk on water or nearly drown, I learned the folks inside the boat will always criticize anyone who is bold enough to step out of the boat in faith. And the only solution is to grab hold of Jesus' hand and hold on for dear life. 

When I talk about recognizing Jesus' voice, stepping out of our nice safe boat, and holding on to Jesus' hand, I am not talking about any kind of magic, or optical illusion, or a trick. It is simple discipleship. 

Two places I think Jesus is calling the church as we come out of the depths of the pandemic, are how do we do digital discipleship and how do we reconnect now that we have 2 congregations (in person and digital) and in an age of social distancing and 

As an individual you may hear Jesus call come, love your neighbor better

Come love your children better.

Come get help with your mental health condition.

Come, teach, preach, lead, coordinate, organize or facilitate something.

Or maybe come and read scripture more often, pray more deeply, or worship more actively. 

Or.. or what? What is Jesus' voice calling to you, come will you get out of your boat onto the crashing waves, or will you stay in the boat, and pray for a lazy river. 

I hope when Jesus says get out of the boat you will say I WILL. During the closing song, Just a closer walk with thee. I hope you will prayerfully consider saying “I will.”  I will listen, I will risk getting out, I will walk with Jesus wherever he leads. Folks in the physical sanctuary have a response card that says “I Will “ and I invite them to come down the center aisle, keeping social distance, and place their commitment in the boat and return by the side aisles.  If you are in the digital sanctuary consider liking the “I WILL” post. Let’s be in prayer.