PROSTITUTES & TAX COLLECTORS WELCOME
There are certain people who are despised in almost any society: murderers, traitors of their country, rapists, prostitutes… People that fit into these categories are rarely looked upon with approval by the rest of civilization. Of course, there are and always will be murderers and traitors and rapists and prostitutes in any culture, but the rest of the population usually tries its best to separate themselves from this special breed of “sinners” as much as possible. They are never welcomed by any other group. When you drive down the road you may see various signs on businesses that say “Hunters Welcome!” or “Bikers Welcome!” or “Tour Buses Welcome!” but you’ll never see a sign on any business that says “Murderers Welcome! Traitors Welcome! Rapists Welcome! Prostitutes Welcome!” You’ll never see any of those signs because no one wants to be associated with the repulsive people of those infamous groups. No one wants to be seen around the “dregs” of society. And most of the time, no one wants to even be remotely close these individuals because there’s almost of a sense that they are somehow unclean and possibly contagious.
The disciple Matthew understood this kind of a mindset very well. Because he was included in that notorious group of the Despised. He wasn’t a murderer or a rapist or a prostitute of course, but he was a traitor to his own countrymen. He was tax collector - a man whose job it was to force his own people to hand over their money in the name of the Roman government. Tax collectors were not well-received to say the least. They were hated. They were considered just as bad, if not worse, than the murderers and the rapists and the prostitutes of the day. And that was Matthew’s profession. That is who he was. He had, in a very real way, defected from the Jewish nation and had taken the side of their Roman enemies. I would guess that Matthew didn’t have many friends outside the circle of his fellow tax collectors. I would imagine Matthew didn’t have a very relaxed life as he walked among the people from whom he extracted unwelcomed taxes and then even a little more on the top of that for his own paycheck. Matthew was scorned by the people of Israel - not just socially, but spiritually as well. Because of the fact that he was a tax collector, it was probably assumed that salvation was out of reach for a sinner of his magnitude. There was no hope for him. He had reached the point of no return. He and the murderers and the rapists and the prostitutes were already lost. If anyone would end up in hell, they would be the first. And no one else would really lose that much sleep over it at all.
This was even the mindset of the religious leaders during Jesus’ time. And so Jesus told them this parable: 28"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. 31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” It’s no wonder that out of the four gospel writers it was the tax collector Matthew who remembered these words of Christ and wrote them down! It changed his life to hear that the kingdom of God was not just open to the outwardly upright and visibly moral like the chief priests and elders that it was. In fact, to their disbelief and shock, Jesus says that tax collectors (tax collectors!) and prostitutes (prostitutes!) were entering the kingdom of God ahead of them! “How could that be? How could such wicked sinners be welcomed into the kingdoms of Paradise?” they must have wondered. “How is it possible that the dirtiest and most contemptible of people are allowed into God’s holy family and we are not?”
It’s easy for us to imagine them thinking that way because it’s easy for us to think of heaven as some sort of elite club - a club in which if you don’t live your life a certain way, your application is going to be denied or even revoked. And the murderers and the traitors and the rapists and the prostitutes in this world don’t even have a chance. They are too sinful to even be considered. They are too far gone to ever be brought back. They are automatically written off because of who they are and what they have done. We like to make those judgment calls, don’t we? We like to place “those people” in a class all by themselves, far removed from people like us. We aren’t perfect, but we aren’t anywhere near as terrible as they are, right?
My friends, we are included in that group we so despise. We are the murderers. We are the traitors. We are the rapists. We are the prostitutes. And not just theoretically. We are murderers and traitors and rapists and prostitutes in fact. “But I haven’t murdered anyone!” you might say. Really? The Lord says that whoever hates someone is guilty of murder (1 John 3:15). So you have never hated anyone for anything no matter how much you think they deserved it? “But I’m not a traitor at least - I’ve always been loyal to my country and to my people!” Really? Your true home is in heaven according to Scripture (Philippians 3:20) and your most important family is your brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you mean to tell me that you have never turned your back on the glories and joys of your future fatherland to do something on this earth that you knew was a sin but just didn’t care? Do you mean to tell me that you have never disregarded the wants and needs of your brothers and sisters so that you could selfishly do the things you wanted to do? “Well I am certainly not a rapist! That is the last thing I would ever be!” Really? The Bible clearly says that if you have one inappropriate or impure thought about anyone who is not your spouse, you are an adulterer (Matthew 5:27-28). You have committed adultery with that person without their consent. Would you claim to have never let your eyes or your thoughts wander in any way about any person at any time in your life? “Well, if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I’m not a prostitute. I would never even think about doing such a thing.” Really? This is probably the most common sin of them all. Because the Lord says in numerous places that anyone who places anything above God in their lives has “prostituted” themselves with other gods (Hosea 2:2-8). Money, respect, health, retirement, children… anything that takes the place of your Groom - Christ himself - is that with which you have become a prostitute. You have given yourself to something or someone who is not spiritual husband.
We are the murderers. We are the traitors. We are the rapists. We are the prostitutes. We are no better than those we usually despise. We are no more naturally holy than those we normally look down upon. We are no less guilty than those we consider the grossest of sinners. We should be counted out. We should too far gone to ever have a chance. We should be automatically excluded from God’s kingdom because of who we are and what we have done. And yet we are saved.
We are accepted into God’s kingdom nevertheless. We are forgiven. We are saved. Just like Matthew was, we are saved and for the very same reason. Both Matthew and every one of us are saved by God’s grace alone. Matthew had done nothing to earn himself that favor. He was sitting at a tax collectors booth, in the middle of a job that publically demonstrated that he was a traitor, when Jesus called him to be one of his own. And there were no initiation tests Matthew had to pass. There was no probationary period he had to go through before he was fully accepted as one of Christ’s disciples. Jesus called him from a life of sin into a life of grace instantly. Because Jesus wanted to. He loved this sinner so much that he wanted this sinner to be saved. That’s grace. A love so deep that you can never find the end of it. That’s grace. A love so strong that nothing can ever break it. That’s grace. A love so pure that nothing can ever change it. That’s grace. That was Christ’s love for Matthew and that is Christ’s love for you.
When we were sitting at the tax collectors booth as traitors to our heavenly fatherland, that’s when the Lord came to us. When we were standing on the street corner as a prostitute - loving the things of this world more than our God, that’s when the Lord pulled us away and into his arms. When we were waiting on death row guilty of murder because of the hate in our hearts, that’s when the Lord died in our place. The Lord took the initiative. The Lord went out of his way for our sake. The Lord planned for and committed himself to and accomplished our salvation because that’s who he is: a gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. You are saved, I am saved, and the tax collector Matthew was saved by this grace. And that is the only reason we are saved: because of God’s grace for sinners. Thank the Lord that he cared for people like us who should be despised for what we have done.
And so the kingdom of heaven really is like an elite club in a way. Many people apply, most are denied. And there is a requirement to get in. But the members of this exclusive group are not admitted because of what they have done, but because of whom they believe. Faith in Jesus as their Savior is the membership requirement, and even that is given as a gift by God himself. And so you are honorary members of this club. And so am I. Despite what we have done in our lives, regardless of how little we deserve it, we are given entrance into God’s kingdom because tax collectors and prostitutes are welcome there! Sinners who believe in Jesus are welcome in the Lord’s house. In fact, God’s heavenly home is prepared for sinners. It is made for murderers who know that their death sentence has already been satisfied. It is made for tax collectors who know that their debts have been paid in full. It is made for rapists who know that their guilt is completely taken away. It is made for prostitutes who know that their impurities have been washed clean. Heaven is waiting for sinners who know that they are no longer sinners through the blood of Christ.
Right now the tax collector Matthew is there. He went from sitting at a tax collectors booth to sitting beside the throne of God himself. The prostitute Rahab is there. She went from standing on the street corner to standing in the streets of Paradise. The murderer Paul the apostle is there. He went from standing in approval at Stephen’s stoning to standing shoulder to shoulder with Stephen praising their Savior together. And there are many more. Many other past sinners are there in heaven whose crimes on this earth were unspeakable, whose crimes were unimaginable, but whose crimes no longer count against them. Because their crimes were counted against Christ when he hung at that cross. Heaven is filled with such former sinners. In fact, apart from the Triune God himself and his holy angels, there is no one in heaven but former sinners. And one day you will be there too as a former sinner, a forever saint. A criminal exonerated by God. A low-life given the highest life there is. A lost child found. A soul saved. Through faith. By grace.
Amen.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ… to him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:10,11
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
7/19/09 - James {Faithfulness} - Matthew 4:21-22
DROP EVERYTHING
The first thing we hear about James in all of Scripture really tells us a lot about him. Tucked in the middle of Matthew 4 is a very short story, in fact, it’s just two verses long and James doesn’t even say a word in this gospel account, but it’s one in which we get a good sense of James’ character and personality. Because his actions show us how faithful to the Lord he would prove to be for the remainder of his life. Here in these three sentences James and his younger brother John demonstrate their unwavering dedication to Christ by immediately dropping everything to follow their Savior. “21Going on from there, Jesus saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
This is a significant act of faith! It is sometimes easy for us to skim through these couple verses because they come right after a similar calling of Peter and Andrew and they come right before the famous Sermon on the Mount, but realize how great a sacrifice this was for James and his brother to make! The first time Jesus sees them in person he calls them to follow him. James, being the older brother, would have been the one to take the lead, and without hesitation, these two sons of Zebedee stand up, drop everything, and go. They were in the middle of preparing the fishing nets to go out on the Sea of Galilee with their father, and there they left the nets lie. They didn’t wait until they were done with the preparations they had started, they didn’t ask to go out on the lake with their father one last time, they didn’t decide to stay on with their father until he could find some replacements. They left it all behind in an instant. And this was their livelihood! This is how they survived! This is how their father survived! And so not only were James and John leaving their occupation behind, they were leaving their father with a serious shortage of crew members that he would have to fill with other bodies. But James took his brother and left anyway. James obeyed the Lord’s words even though it wasn’t going to be easy. He listened to the Lord’s words despite what others might have thought. He followed the Lord’s words regardless of what he might have wanted to do otherwise. James and John dropped everything because their Savior’s words were more important to them than anything else.
Since my office is at home and I am around my family a lot during the day, a few of the things I’ve found myself saying to my children on a regular basis are: “Just wait. I’ll get it for you when I’m done with this… Hold on a second. Be patient… I need to work on this right now. I’ll do that for you when I’m ready.” There are plenty of times when they ask for things while I’m in the middle of writing a sermon or studying Scripture or preparing a Bible class or something else. And so I ask them to wait until I am free to help them with what they need. And that’s OK. There are any number of situations in each of our lives in which people or tasks are put off for a time until we are finished with what’s at hand or when we have the motivation to get it done or when things are more convenient for us. There’s nothing wrong with that. It is wrong, however, when we treat God’s Word in the same way. When we put off what God tells us in his Word until we are finished with what’s at hand or until we have the motivation to get it done or when things are more convenient for us. We don’t always consider God’s Word more important than anything else in our lives. And sometimes we even treat it as a hassle that gets in the way of how we want to live.
Jesus has never called us in the same way he called James and John on the Sea of Galilee. But consider some of the things that the Lord has asked us to do. The Lord tells all of us to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). But many times, as we are faced with multiple things to do in our lives at any given time, instead of immediately dropping everything to preach the Word as he tells us to do, we usually say, “Yeah, it’s just not a good time for me right now. The situation and audience isn’t right. Maybe I’ll get to it later.” And so the Lord tells all of us again, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). But instead of dropping everything in order to go to the Lord in prayer, we usually say, “Ya know, I’m a little tired right now. I probably wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway and so I’ll just wait for a more convenient time to pray.” And so the Lord tells all of us again, “Let us do good to all people, especially to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). But instead of dropping everything to care for our fellow brothers and sisters like we should, we usually say to ourselves, “That takes so much effort. That takes so much time. That takes so much sacrifice. I would rather just relax than go out of my way again to lend a hand that’s not even appreciated anyway.” And so the Lord tells all of us again, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). But instead of dropping everything and setting aside a sufficient amount of time to read God’s Word so that the Holy Spirit can do his work in our hearts, we sometimes say, “I just don’t have time today. Things are a little bit crazy right now. My schedule is booked. It’s just one of the things that had to get temporarily cut.”
We hear what God says in the sermon every week, in the Scripture readings each Sunday, in Bible classes, in devotion books, and in our daily reading of God’s Word at home. But it is one thing to hear what God says. It is completely different thing to be prepared to drop everything and do it - to know that his Word outweighs your comfort zone, his Word overrides your busy schedule, his Word take precedence over every person, every event, and every personal preference in your life. It is difficult for us to approach God’s Word with the conviction that whatever he says, I will drop everything and do it no matter what. Whatever he promises, I will drop everything and believe it no matter what. And because this is so hard for us to do, we rarely do it! We’d rather continue to do what we’ve always done and believe what we’ve always believed. We don’t want to make that sacrifice and follow God’s Word to the extreme! Because then we would have to completely change our lives! Then we would have to reevaluate our way of thinking. We would end up having to drop everything just to do what the Lord wants us to do!
Of course, that’s exactly what James did. He dropped everything to do what the Lord wanted him to do. He left his job, he left his father, he left the future he had planned on, he took his brother with him and he followed the Lord. And so why did he do it? Why did James drop everything that was so familiar to him, everything that was working just fine, and immediately commit to the Lord’s Word without question and without complaint? James dropped everything for the Lord because he knew that the Lord had dropped everything for him.
And James not only knew that, he would see that with his own eyes. For the next three years, while he followed Jesus around as one of his 12 disciples, he would see Jesus sacrificing his time and his efforts and his privacy and his sleep and his reputation and his body and his very life. James would see Jesus drop everything so that sinners could be saved. And we see the same thing as James did when we look back at what he experienced first hand. From the pages of Scripture it is clear that when we were in desperate need of a Savior, Jesus did not wait until it was convenient for him to come down to this earth. He came when it was least convenient: when the ruler of the land would want to take his life as a child, when his earthly parents would be poor and young and unmarried and miles away from home, when the political situation in the country would be unstable at best, when his own countrymen would be violently resistant to a man from among their own people, when the Roman ruler would not have enough courage to stand up against a bloodthirsty crowd, and when the preferred mode of execution of that time would be the incredibly painful death of crucifixion. It was not convenient for Jesus to come down to this earth when he did. But it was exactly the right time. Because he knew it had to be done. He knew he couldn’t put it off for a “better” time. And so he dropped everything. Jesus left his home in heaven, he put his godly powers in his back pocket for the moment, he set aside the outward glory of his power and majesty so that he would be seen as a lowly servant, he even gave up his life for people that didn’t come close to deserving it. Jesus dropped everything for you. He selflessly sacrificed himself for your sake, without once considering what would be best for him.
And that’s still true today. The Lord still drops everything for you on a regular basis. When you pray, he drops everything! No matter what he is doing, no matter what he is involved with, he gives his full attention to your words when you come to him in prayer. He doesn’t brush you off. He doesn’t tell you to wait. He doesn’t ask you to get back to him at a more appropriate time. He drops everything and listens to every one of your fears and your pleas and your problems and your pains. He takes your thoughts into account and then he gives you exactly what you need. Every time. He gives you instant access to his throne in a moment’s notice because you are more important to him than anything else in this world.
And so that means he drops everything to protect you and provide for you and take care of you as well. When you are in need, when you are in trouble, when you don’t know where else to go, the Lord doesn’t wait. He is right there. He stretches out his hand and catches your fall. He opens up his arms and brings you close to his side. He reaches into the depth of his treasures and brings out so many blessings that you can’t possibly catch them all. Not only when you need them but before you need them. Not only if you ask but before you ever know. The Lord has dropped everything to take care of you. He is not interested in creating other worlds, he is not occupying himself with some sort of godly hobbies, he is not blindly engrossed in the minute details of running this earth. The Lord only cares about you. Because you are the one he died for. You are the one he rose for. You are the one he cares for. You are the one he loves.
Knowing this, James did not hesitate to drop everything for his Lord. He knew what the Lord had done, he knew what the Lord would do, and he was happy to thank the Lord in whatever way he could. We have that same opportunity. We might not be called to physically follow Jesus on this earth, but we are given many more chances to show him our appreciation. “Go” into all the world preaching the gospel. “Honor” all those in authority. “Love” one another as Christ has loved you. “Submit” to one another out of love for Christ. “Sing” to the Lord. “Pray” to the Lord. “Be faithful” to the Lord. There are hundreds of things we can do to praise our God. Of course, these things won’t be all that easy to do. They certainly weren’t for James who was murdered soon after Jesus ascended into heaven because of what he did, the words he spoke, and the Savior in whom he believed. But these things are wonderful ways in which we can thank our Lord for what he has done for us. Approach the Word of God with that kind of attitude James displayed. Be aware of all of the things that will please your Savior. Be ready to immediately and unselfishly do whatever God wants you to do. Be prepared to drop everything for your Lord because he has dropped everything for you.
Amen.
“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.” - Psalm 90:17
The first thing we hear about James in all of Scripture really tells us a lot about him. Tucked in the middle of Matthew 4 is a very short story, in fact, it’s just two verses long and James doesn’t even say a word in this gospel account, but it’s one in which we get a good sense of James’ character and personality. Because his actions show us how faithful to the Lord he would prove to be for the remainder of his life. Here in these three sentences James and his younger brother John demonstrate their unwavering dedication to Christ by immediately dropping everything to follow their Savior. “21Going on from there, Jesus saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
This is a significant act of faith! It is sometimes easy for us to skim through these couple verses because they come right after a similar calling of Peter and Andrew and they come right before the famous Sermon on the Mount, but realize how great a sacrifice this was for James and his brother to make! The first time Jesus sees them in person he calls them to follow him. James, being the older brother, would have been the one to take the lead, and without hesitation, these two sons of Zebedee stand up, drop everything, and go. They were in the middle of preparing the fishing nets to go out on the Sea of Galilee with their father, and there they left the nets lie. They didn’t wait until they were done with the preparations they had started, they didn’t ask to go out on the lake with their father one last time, they didn’t decide to stay on with their father until he could find some replacements. They left it all behind in an instant. And this was their livelihood! This is how they survived! This is how their father survived! And so not only were James and John leaving their occupation behind, they were leaving their father with a serious shortage of crew members that he would have to fill with other bodies. But James took his brother and left anyway. James obeyed the Lord’s words even though it wasn’t going to be easy. He listened to the Lord’s words despite what others might have thought. He followed the Lord’s words regardless of what he might have wanted to do otherwise. James and John dropped everything because their Savior’s words were more important to them than anything else.
Since my office is at home and I am around my family a lot during the day, a few of the things I’ve found myself saying to my children on a regular basis are: “Just wait. I’ll get it for you when I’m done with this… Hold on a second. Be patient… I need to work on this right now. I’ll do that for you when I’m ready.” There are plenty of times when they ask for things while I’m in the middle of writing a sermon or studying Scripture or preparing a Bible class or something else. And so I ask them to wait until I am free to help them with what they need. And that’s OK. There are any number of situations in each of our lives in which people or tasks are put off for a time until we are finished with what’s at hand or when we have the motivation to get it done or when things are more convenient for us. There’s nothing wrong with that. It is wrong, however, when we treat God’s Word in the same way. When we put off what God tells us in his Word until we are finished with what’s at hand or until we have the motivation to get it done or when things are more convenient for us. We don’t always consider God’s Word more important than anything else in our lives. And sometimes we even treat it as a hassle that gets in the way of how we want to live.
Jesus has never called us in the same way he called James and John on the Sea of Galilee. But consider some of the things that the Lord has asked us to do. The Lord tells all of us to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). But many times, as we are faced with multiple things to do in our lives at any given time, instead of immediately dropping everything to preach the Word as he tells us to do, we usually say, “Yeah, it’s just not a good time for me right now. The situation and audience isn’t right. Maybe I’ll get to it later.” And so the Lord tells all of us again, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). But instead of dropping everything in order to go to the Lord in prayer, we usually say, “Ya know, I’m a little tired right now. I probably wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway and so I’ll just wait for a more convenient time to pray.” And so the Lord tells all of us again, “Let us do good to all people, especially to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). But instead of dropping everything to care for our fellow brothers and sisters like we should, we usually say to ourselves, “That takes so much effort. That takes so much time. That takes so much sacrifice. I would rather just relax than go out of my way again to lend a hand that’s not even appreciated anyway.” And so the Lord tells all of us again, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). But instead of dropping everything and setting aside a sufficient amount of time to read God’s Word so that the Holy Spirit can do his work in our hearts, we sometimes say, “I just don’t have time today. Things are a little bit crazy right now. My schedule is booked. It’s just one of the things that had to get temporarily cut.”
We hear what God says in the sermon every week, in the Scripture readings each Sunday, in Bible classes, in devotion books, and in our daily reading of God’s Word at home. But it is one thing to hear what God says. It is completely different thing to be prepared to drop everything and do it - to know that his Word outweighs your comfort zone, his Word overrides your busy schedule, his Word take precedence over every person, every event, and every personal preference in your life. It is difficult for us to approach God’s Word with the conviction that whatever he says, I will drop everything and do it no matter what. Whatever he promises, I will drop everything and believe it no matter what. And because this is so hard for us to do, we rarely do it! We’d rather continue to do what we’ve always done and believe what we’ve always believed. We don’t want to make that sacrifice and follow God’s Word to the extreme! Because then we would have to completely change our lives! Then we would have to reevaluate our way of thinking. We would end up having to drop everything just to do what the Lord wants us to do!
Of course, that’s exactly what James did. He dropped everything to do what the Lord wanted him to do. He left his job, he left his father, he left the future he had planned on, he took his brother with him and he followed the Lord. And so why did he do it? Why did James drop everything that was so familiar to him, everything that was working just fine, and immediately commit to the Lord’s Word without question and without complaint? James dropped everything for the Lord because he knew that the Lord had dropped everything for him.
And James not only knew that, he would see that with his own eyes. For the next three years, while he followed Jesus around as one of his 12 disciples, he would see Jesus sacrificing his time and his efforts and his privacy and his sleep and his reputation and his body and his very life. James would see Jesus drop everything so that sinners could be saved. And we see the same thing as James did when we look back at what he experienced first hand. From the pages of Scripture it is clear that when we were in desperate need of a Savior, Jesus did not wait until it was convenient for him to come down to this earth. He came when it was least convenient: when the ruler of the land would want to take his life as a child, when his earthly parents would be poor and young and unmarried and miles away from home, when the political situation in the country would be unstable at best, when his own countrymen would be violently resistant to a man from among their own people, when the Roman ruler would not have enough courage to stand up against a bloodthirsty crowd, and when the preferred mode of execution of that time would be the incredibly painful death of crucifixion. It was not convenient for Jesus to come down to this earth when he did. But it was exactly the right time. Because he knew it had to be done. He knew he couldn’t put it off for a “better” time. And so he dropped everything. Jesus left his home in heaven, he put his godly powers in his back pocket for the moment, he set aside the outward glory of his power and majesty so that he would be seen as a lowly servant, he even gave up his life for people that didn’t come close to deserving it. Jesus dropped everything for you. He selflessly sacrificed himself for your sake, without once considering what would be best for him.
And that’s still true today. The Lord still drops everything for you on a regular basis. When you pray, he drops everything! No matter what he is doing, no matter what he is involved with, he gives his full attention to your words when you come to him in prayer. He doesn’t brush you off. He doesn’t tell you to wait. He doesn’t ask you to get back to him at a more appropriate time. He drops everything and listens to every one of your fears and your pleas and your problems and your pains. He takes your thoughts into account and then he gives you exactly what you need. Every time. He gives you instant access to his throne in a moment’s notice because you are more important to him than anything else in this world.
And so that means he drops everything to protect you and provide for you and take care of you as well. When you are in need, when you are in trouble, when you don’t know where else to go, the Lord doesn’t wait. He is right there. He stretches out his hand and catches your fall. He opens up his arms and brings you close to his side. He reaches into the depth of his treasures and brings out so many blessings that you can’t possibly catch them all. Not only when you need them but before you need them. Not only if you ask but before you ever know. The Lord has dropped everything to take care of you. He is not interested in creating other worlds, he is not occupying himself with some sort of godly hobbies, he is not blindly engrossed in the minute details of running this earth. The Lord only cares about you. Because you are the one he died for. You are the one he rose for. You are the one he cares for. You are the one he loves.
Knowing this, James did not hesitate to drop everything for his Lord. He knew what the Lord had done, he knew what the Lord would do, and he was happy to thank the Lord in whatever way he could. We have that same opportunity. We might not be called to physically follow Jesus on this earth, but we are given many more chances to show him our appreciation. “Go” into all the world preaching the gospel. “Honor” all those in authority. “Love” one another as Christ has loved you. “Submit” to one another out of love for Christ. “Sing” to the Lord. “Pray” to the Lord. “Be faithful” to the Lord. There are hundreds of things we can do to praise our God. Of course, these things won’t be all that easy to do. They certainly weren’t for James who was murdered soon after Jesus ascended into heaven because of what he did, the words he spoke, and the Savior in whom he believed. But these things are wonderful ways in which we can thank our Lord for what he has done for us. Approach the Word of God with that kind of attitude James displayed. Be aware of all of the things that will please your Savior. Be ready to immediately and unselfishly do whatever God wants you to do. Be prepared to drop everything for your Lord because he has dropped everything for you.
Amen.
“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.” - Psalm 90:17
Monday, July 13, 2009
7/12/09 - John {Love & Truth} - 3 John 2-8
WALKING IN THE TRUTH
The apostle John was probably a fairly old man by the time he wrote his final letter of Scripture, what we call “3rd John.” It is guessed that John wrote this letter sometime between 85 and 95 AD. That would be 50 to 60 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. And so by the time of this letter, John was most likely the last of the original disciples to still be alive. And as the last disciple, you can imagine how much respect and honor he would have received from the early Christian church. He was “the one whom Jesus loved,” after all. He was the one who was with the Lord himself for three straight years learning under the Master. He was there at the Transfiguration, the Garden of Eden, the courtyard of the high priest, the foot of the cross, the empty tomb, the ascension at Bethany, and the Spirit-filled room of Pentecost. He had been a hand-picked eye witness of the Lord in the flesh. And so it’s very likely that by the time John wrote his last letter, he was the doctrinal leader of the church. Everyone probably wanted to talk to him and get his advice on current issues and ask him questions about what Jesus really was like. John must have been a very busy man.
And that’s why the book of 3rd John is so interesting. From the doctrinal leader of the Christian church, from a man who was looked up to by all believers as the last disciple on earth, comes a very unique letter. It’s a short letter - it’s only 14 verses long. And it is not written to the church at large, or to sizeable group of Christians, or even to a congregation. The letter of 3rd John is written to only one individual - a man named Gaius. It’s a personal letter. It’s a quick note from one Christian brother to another. And I’m sure Gaius was honored to receive this kind of letter from such a famous and busy leader of the church. And Gaius was undoubtedly flattered by the complimentary words that John wrote to him. Because in the letter of 3rd John, the apostle commends Gaius for walking in the Truth. “2Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.”
Gaius, although we don’t know anything more about him than what is said in this letter, was apparently a very faithful Christian. And when some brothers in the faith had told John about Gaius and what he was doing and the Truth to which he was still clinging, John was overjoyed! In fact, he couldn’t have been happier! “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth,” he wrote. And John’s enthusiasm for Gaius’ commitment to Truth should not surprise us. Because we have already seen in our service that John made an effort to champion both love and “Truth” more than any other New Testament writer. In fact, in the gospel account that John authored, he uses the word “Truth” 25 times. That is by far the most often the word “Truth” is used in any New Testament book. Truth is really a theme that resonates throughout every chapter of John’s writings. And so of course he was thrilled to see that Gaius loved the Truth as much as he did and that his dear friend was striving to walk in the Truth in every way.
It should go without saying, of course, that the Truth John had such a passion for was more than just telling the truth or being truthful. It was more than his own ideas or inclinations. The Truth John cared about was much more powerful. It was the Truth of God’s Word. And we know that because John himself records for us a conversation that Jesus had with those who believed in him. “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). And later on in that gospel account John details for us these words that Christ spoke to his Father: “Sanctify them by the Truth; your word is Truth” (John 17:17). This is the Truth John was dedicated to: God’s Word, Christ’s teaching. The Truth of the Bible is what filled John’s heart. And so when he heard about Gaius’ faithfulness to what he himself held so close to his heart, he couldn’t help but commend his close friend for embracing this Truth of God’s Word and holding fast to Christ’s teachings found in Scripture. It was really the greatest compliment Gaius or any other Christian could receive: that he was being faithful and walking in the Truth of God’s Word.
Do you think that if the apostle John were still around today, he would write the same things about you? Would “the disciple whom Jesus loved” commend you for walking in the Truth and would his heart be filled with joy because of the report he had received about you? Personally, I think I would be a little nervous about what John might write to me. Because I don’t think the report he would hear about me would be any good! I certainly love the Truth and I strive to stay faithful to the Truth, but when I see what the Truth of God’s Word says and how I should live as a Christian, I know that I do not walk in it as I should. Sometimes I don’t even want to.
Just look at one part of the Truth of God’s Word that Gaius himself was commended for: the Truth about love. John wrote to him, “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love.” One of the main ways Gaius was walking in the Truth was by walking in love. He was supporting those who needed help. He was offering of himself. He was sacrificing his time and his possessions for the good of others. And we are to do the same. Not only for brothers and sisters in the faith, but even for those who are unbelievers, for those who are anti-Christian, for those who are your enemies! The Truth of God’s Word clearly says in many different ways that no matter how much a person hates you, not matter how often a person abuses you, no matter how evil that person may be, you are to give them the full extent of your love without exception. That is how we walk in the Truth: by walking in love.
And I don’t do that! I don’t even like that particular Truth of God’s Word most of the time! Because I want to be angry at others who harm me. I want to hold a grudge. I want to be a little cruel and unpleasant at times because they deserve it! Because they asked for it! Because they aren’t worth the effort of my love! I have no problem loving those who love me back. But to love with a completely self-sacrificing kind of love someone who despises me? Someone who takes advantage of me? Someone who disdains everything I believe and even mocks my God in whom I rely? I would rather call down unspeakable curses on those kinds of people. I would rather wish and hope and pray that they would have the most miserable lives possible on this earth instead of sending one ounce of Christian love their way.
And maybe you’re a little more loving than I am. In fact, I know that some of you are. But there are certain people in this life that you find hard to love, don’t you? There are people that just rub you the wrong way, people that sicken you, people that annoy you - and sometimes they are even your own Christian brothers and sisters. People you should care for, but people you don’t even like. People you should go out of your way for, but people you try to avoid instead. People that your heart should go out to, but people that you can barely stand to look at. My friends, that is not living in Christian love. And that is definitely not walking in the Truth.
But John himself was guilty of that too. John did not always love others like he should have loved. Scripture itself testifies to John’s shortfalls in that area. Nor was John’s friend Gaius innocent of that particular sin either. Gaius in no way loved all others with a Christ-like love at all times. These two men were not any holier than you are. John even wrote in his first letter, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not in us… But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 1:8; 2:1). Both John and Gaius fully understood that neither of them could walk in love for the Truth without tripping, without falling, without walking in the other direction at times. But neither of them were bothered too much by that either. Because they also knew that every time they did fall, every time they didn’t love others as they ought, every time they refused to walk in Truth, Jesus himself spoke to the Father in their defense. And the Father listened. The Father gave them a reprieve every time because, as John himself confesses about Christ, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 1:2). John, Gaius, and every Christian since have firmly believed that Jesus not only stands in front of his Father on behalf of sinners, he also hung on the nails of the cross for sinners. He was not only the negotiator, he was the ransom. Jesus sacrificed himself. Jesus offered up himself. Jesus put everything else in this universe on hold so that he could make sure that we would never have to undergo what we deserve, but rather we would get what only he deserves: eternal life, a home of perfection, constant joy and peace and glory for all of eternity.
That’s love. That is the original Christ-like love. And that is also the Truth. That is the Truth in which Gaius walked. That is the Truth to which John dedicated his life. And that is the Truth in which we are saved. The Truth about Christ and his love. The Truth that forgives. The Truth that never lets us down. No one knew that better than “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John was a witness to that love. He was a recipient. And because he was a recipient, he was also an ambassador. And so was his friend Gaius. And so are you. You are a witness of Christ’s love through the pages of Scripture. You are a recipient of that love. And you are now an ambassador of that love to the world by your words and your actions. And every time you live your life as a Christian, you are living in love. You are walking in the Truth.
And so do you think the apostle John would commend you for walking in the Truth as he did in the letter to his friend Gaius? I think he would. Because John commended Gaius not because he couldn’t find any faults in the way he walked in the Truth, but because of the reason Gaius walked in the Truth. And that reason was Christ. I think John would write you that same kind of letter, not because you walk in the Truth without fault, but because of the reason you walk in the Truth. You trust that the Lord has rescued you from sin. You fully rely on Christ and his cross for your eternal life. You are confident in his love. And that love of Christ in turn moves you to strive to love all others in the same way that you have been loved. You might never be an apostle John. You might not even be a Christian like Gaius was. But you believe and you walk in the Truth just like they did. And my heart is overjoyed that you do. I commend you for your love these past few years. I commend you for walking in the Truth. I think John would too. I know Christ does.
Amen.
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” - 2 Thess. 2:16-17
The apostle John was probably a fairly old man by the time he wrote his final letter of Scripture, what we call “3rd John.” It is guessed that John wrote this letter sometime between 85 and 95 AD. That would be 50 to 60 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. And so by the time of this letter, John was most likely the last of the original disciples to still be alive. And as the last disciple, you can imagine how much respect and honor he would have received from the early Christian church. He was “the one whom Jesus loved,” after all. He was the one who was with the Lord himself for three straight years learning under the Master. He was there at the Transfiguration, the Garden of Eden, the courtyard of the high priest, the foot of the cross, the empty tomb, the ascension at Bethany, and the Spirit-filled room of Pentecost. He had been a hand-picked eye witness of the Lord in the flesh. And so it’s very likely that by the time John wrote his last letter, he was the doctrinal leader of the church. Everyone probably wanted to talk to him and get his advice on current issues and ask him questions about what Jesus really was like. John must have been a very busy man.
And that’s why the book of 3rd John is so interesting. From the doctrinal leader of the Christian church, from a man who was looked up to by all believers as the last disciple on earth, comes a very unique letter. It’s a short letter - it’s only 14 verses long. And it is not written to the church at large, or to sizeable group of Christians, or even to a congregation. The letter of 3rd John is written to only one individual - a man named Gaius. It’s a personal letter. It’s a quick note from one Christian brother to another. And I’m sure Gaius was honored to receive this kind of letter from such a famous and busy leader of the church. And Gaius was undoubtedly flattered by the complimentary words that John wrote to him. Because in the letter of 3rd John, the apostle commends Gaius for walking in the Truth. “2Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.”
Gaius, although we don’t know anything more about him than what is said in this letter, was apparently a very faithful Christian. And when some brothers in the faith had told John about Gaius and what he was doing and the Truth to which he was still clinging, John was overjoyed! In fact, he couldn’t have been happier! “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth,” he wrote. And John’s enthusiasm for Gaius’ commitment to Truth should not surprise us. Because we have already seen in our service that John made an effort to champion both love and “Truth” more than any other New Testament writer. In fact, in the gospel account that John authored, he uses the word “Truth” 25 times. That is by far the most often the word “Truth” is used in any New Testament book. Truth is really a theme that resonates throughout every chapter of John’s writings. And so of course he was thrilled to see that Gaius loved the Truth as much as he did and that his dear friend was striving to walk in the Truth in every way.
It should go without saying, of course, that the Truth John had such a passion for was more than just telling the truth or being truthful. It was more than his own ideas or inclinations. The Truth John cared about was much more powerful. It was the Truth of God’s Word. And we know that because John himself records for us a conversation that Jesus had with those who believed in him. “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). And later on in that gospel account John details for us these words that Christ spoke to his Father: “Sanctify them by the Truth; your word is Truth” (John 17:17). This is the Truth John was dedicated to: God’s Word, Christ’s teaching. The Truth of the Bible is what filled John’s heart. And so when he heard about Gaius’ faithfulness to what he himself held so close to his heart, he couldn’t help but commend his close friend for embracing this Truth of God’s Word and holding fast to Christ’s teachings found in Scripture. It was really the greatest compliment Gaius or any other Christian could receive: that he was being faithful and walking in the Truth of God’s Word.
Do you think that if the apostle John were still around today, he would write the same things about you? Would “the disciple whom Jesus loved” commend you for walking in the Truth and would his heart be filled with joy because of the report he had received about you? Personally, I think I would be a little nervous about what John might write to me. Because I don’t think the report he would hear about me would be any good! I certainly love the Truth and I strive to stay faithful to the Truth, but when I see what the Truth of God’s Word says and how I should live as a Christian, I know that I do not walk in it as I should. Sometimes I don’t even want to.
Just look at one part of the Truth of God’s Word that Gaius himself was commended for: the Truth about love. John wrote to him, “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love.” One of the main ways Gaius was walking in the Truth was by walking in love. He was supporting those who needed help. He was offering of himself. He was sacrificing his time and his possessions for the good of others. And we are to do the same. Not only for brothers and sisters in the faith, but even for those who are unbelievers, for those who are anti-Christian, for those who are your enemies! The Truth of God’s Word clearly says in many different ways that no matter how much a person hates you, not matter how often a person abuses you, no matter how evil that person may be, you are to give them the full extent of your love without exception. That is how we walk in the Truth: by walking in love.
And I don’t do that! I don’t even like that particular Truth of God’s Word most of the time! Because I want to be angry at others who harm me. I want to hold a grudge. I want to be a little cruel and unpleasant at times because they deserve it! Because they asked for it! Because they aren’t worth the effort of my love! I have no problem loving those who love me back. But to love with a completely self-sacrificing kind of love someone who despises me? Someone who takes advantage of me? Someone who disdains everything I believe and even mocks my God in whom I rely? I would rather call down unspeakable curses on those kinds of people. I would rather wish and hope and pray that they would have the most miserable lives possible on this earth instead of sending one ounce of Christian love their way.
And maybe you’re a little more loving than I am. In fact, I know that some of you are. But there are certain people in this life that you find hard to love, don’t you? There are people that just rub you the wrong way, people that sicken you, people that annoy you - and sometimes they are even your own Christian brothers and sisters. People you should care for, but people you don’t even like. People you should go out of your way for, but people you try to avoid instead. People that your heart should go out to, but people that you can barely stand to look at. My friends, that is not living in Christian love. And that is definitely not walking in the Truth.
But John himself was guilty of that too. John did not always love others like he should have loved. Scripture itself testifies to John’s shortfalls in that area. Nor was John’s friend Gaius innocent of that particular sin either. Gaius in no way loved all others with a Christ-like love at all times. These two men were not any holier than you are. John even wrote in his first letter, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not in us… But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 1:8; 2:1). Both John and Gaius fully understood that neither of them could walk in love for the Truth without tripping, without falling, without walking in the other direction at times. But neither of them were bothered too much by that either. Because they also knew that every time they did fall, every time they didn’t love others as they ought, every time they refused to walk in Truth, Jesus himself spoke to the Father in their defense. And the Father listened. The Father gave them a reprieve every time because, as John himself confesses about Christ, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 1:2). John, Gaius, and every Christian since have firmly believed that Jesus not only stands in front of his Father on behalf of sinners, he also hung on the nails of the cross for sinners. He was not only the negotiator, he was the ransom. Jesus sacrificed himself. Jesus offered up himself. Jesus put everything else in this universe on hold so that he could make sure that we would never have to undergo what we deserve, but rather we would get what only he deserves: eternal life, a home of perfection, constant joy and peace and glory for all of eternity.
That’s love. That is the original Christ-like love. And that is also the Truth. That is the Truth in which Gaius walked. That is the Truth to which John dedicated his life. And that is the Truth in which we are saved. The Truth about Christ and his love. The Truth that forgives. The Truth that never lets us down. No one knew that better than “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John was a witness to that love. He was a recipient. And because he was a recipient, he was also an ambassador. And so was his friend Gaius. And so are you. You are a witness of Christ’s love through the pages of Scripture. You are a recipient of that love. And you are now an ambassador of that love to the world by your words and your actions. And every time you live your life as a Christian, you are living in love. You are walking in the Truth.
And so do you think the apostle John would commend you for walking in the Truth as he did in the letter to his friend Gaius? I think he would. Because John commended Gaius not because he couldn’t find any faults in the way he walked in the Truth, but because of the reason Gaius walked in the Truth. And that reason was Christ. I think John would write you that same kind of letter, not because you walk in the Truth without fault, but because of the reason you walk in the Truth. You trust that the Lord has rescued you from sin. You fully rely on Christ and his cross for your eternal life. You are confident in his love. And that love of Christ in turn moves you to strive to love all others in the same way that you have been loved. You might never be an apostle John. You might not even be a Christian like Gaius was. But you believe and you walk in the Truth just like they did. And my heart is overjoyed that you do. I commend you for your love these past few years. I commend you for walking in the Truth. I think John would too. I know Christ does.
Amen.
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” - 2 Thess. 2:16-17
Monday, July 06, 2009
7/5/09 - Peter {Boldness} - Matthew 14:22-33
"TAKE COURAGE"
Peter must have been a natural leader. Throughout Scripture he always seems to be the one who spoke first, who acted first, who stuck his neck out first, who stood up for the Truth first. Whether he was right or wrong, you could be sure that Peter would say or do those things that supported what he believed, even if no one else would dare to follow. And it is no different with this story that our sermon is based on today. In fact, this story is one of my favorite accounts about this fascinating disciple. Because it highlights Peter’s boldness as well as his fear. It demonstrates God’s power as well as his love. And it shows me how sinfully afraid I really am in this life when I have every reason to be bold. It is the story of Jesus walking on water - and Peter walking on water with him.
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I never would have even thought about doing what Peter boldly did! It wouldn’t have even crossed my mind to ask Jesus to give me the ability to walk on water with him in the middle of a life-threatening storm! I would have simply been in awe of what Jesus was doing right in front of me and I probably would have been hoping that he would get to our boat as quickly as possible so that he could save us from these violent winds and these pounding waves as he had already done once before. And the rest of the other disciples seemed to be thinking the same thing. Except for Peter. In the very early morning hours of that day - between three and six a.m., on a boat they had boarded the night before, dealing with a fickle and dangerous lake, and riding against an unrelenting storm they had been battling for hours on end, Peter calls across the water and asks his Lord if he could come out on the water with him! What a bold request! And don’t think of it as some sort of arrogant testing of the Lord: “If you really are Jesus then prove it!” No, this was simply a courageous and confident act of trust in the words Jesus had spoken to all of them just moments before: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” It is one thing to agree with Jesus’ words here and know that a person should take courage simply because of who God is. But it is another, far higher, and much more difficult thing to put that into practice. “Take courage! It is I.” Peter really did take courage from those words. He believed what the Lord was doing and what he could do. And so he boldly asked that the Lord would grant his incredible request to walk on water with him. “Come.” Jesus simply said. And that was all that Peter needed to hear. That one-word promise prompted Peter to step off of the deck of that boat and place his feet on a lake that was far from calm. That one-word promise moved Peter to walk toward his Lord and away from the help of his fellow disciples. That one-word promise motivated Peter to disregard the impossibility of his actions and rely completely and fully on the power and love of his God.
At least for a moment. At least for a few miraculous moments Peter was actually walking on water! The Lord had said “yes” to Peter’s seemingly outrageous prayer and he was giving him an ability that no human being could possibly muster on his own! But then Peter took his eyes off the Savior. He saw the wind, he saw the waves, he saw his boat behind him and a deep, dark lake below. And it was too much for him to take. The dangers and the possibilities, the laws of nature and his own experiences overwhelmed him to the point that he no longer could fully trust in Jesus’ wonderful words of comfort: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” The Lord’s reassuring words didn’t seem possible with the wind whipping through his robe. They didn’t seem plausible with the waves rising far above his head. It didn’t even seem sensible (now that he thought about it!) for him to have stepped away from a boat that couldn’t even handle this furious storm with a crew full of experienced fishermen. And so he sank. Without a firm grasp on that promise of his Lord, he sank into the water he had just been standing on top of. His courage was gone. His boldness was replaced with fear. And doubt in what the Lord could do blinded everything he seemed so sure about just minutes before.
How similar Peter’s situation is to our own lives. The events themselves, of course, are nothing like our lives! Jesus walking on water, Peter coming out to him in the same way, the storm, the disciples, the rescue… We have neither experienced nor seen anything like what happened that morning on the Sea of Galilee. But don’t let the storyline distract you from what happened out there on the water: Peter let the worries and the unpleasant possibilities of this world override God’s clear promises. Instead of taking courage because the Lord was with him, he fell in fear because of what might happen to him.
Doesn’t that describe what happens in our lives every day? The Lord says to us: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But when our financial plans are no longer viable plans at all - when we can’t even think of a plan that will fix the situation we are in - then we are afraid! We don’t have courage. We forget that the Lord is the Lord and he is with us. We doubt his promise because the harsh winds of worry capture our full attention. And instead of standing on top of the water, we begin to sink.
The Lord says to us: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But when we suddenly find a loved one close to death or we are on the verge of death ourselves, then we are deathly afraid, so to speak. We don’t have courage because we don’t know what to do. We forget that the Lord is the Lord and he is with us because nothing seems to be going right. We doubt his promise because the threatening waves of the unknown are looming over our heads. And instead of standing on top of the water, we begin to sink.
The Lord says to us: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But when a tragedy hits close to home and you were in no way prepared for it and you can’t even get your thoughts straight, then you do give way to fear. You don’t have courage because nothing will ever be the same again. You forget that the Lord is the Lord and he is with you because it seems as if nobody is with you at the moment. And you doubt his clear promise because the suffocating storm of emptiness is all that you can hear and see and feel. The Lord’s words, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” are sometimes just words to us and not the truth. Sometimes they are agreeable when things are going well, but not so realistic when things are going bad. And we sink. We stand on top of the water one moment and fall underneath it in the next because our trust is outweighed by worry and our boldness is pushed aside by our fear. And we find ourselves too often in the same position Peter was in middle of the Sea of Galilee: frantically splashing around in the water, trying to keep our head above the surface, and desperately crying out, “Lord, save me!”
When Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” did Jesus hesitate? Did Jesus let Peter struggle for a while in the surging waters to teach him a lesson? Did Jesus wait until Peter was fully repentant and came back to trust in his promises again? No. Jesus didn’t hesitate for a second. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” Jesus did not wait to save Peter; he was looking to save Peter. Because that is what Jesus does. That who he is. He is the Savior! He likes to save; he wants to save; he lives to save. And although he chastised Peter by saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt,” the Lord did not let him go. Jesus did not let Peter sink back down. Instead he took Peter - on top of the water - back to the boat and they both climbed in. And the moment they got back into the boat, the storm that had been so brutal for so long, completely stopped. The wind and the waves and the dangers of the sea were no match for the Lord’s power. What Peter had feared so much was nothing compared to his Lord’s love.
Has any wind or wave or danger in your life outmatched the Lord’s love for you? It may seem like it in the heat of the moment sometimes, but in reality, the Lord’s love for you and his power to protect you have always prevailed in every situation. Think about the way your life has gone. Has any financial crisis ever been beyond the Lord’s ability to care for you? Has any catastrophe or tragedy ever been too much for the Lord to deal with in the exactly the way he wanted? Has any death, no matter how close or how sudden or how painful it may have been, taken away from the Lord’s love for you in the slightest degree? Unsolvable problems, unexplainable troubles, and unimaginable losses are all under the control of the Lord’s power and love. The ultimate unsolvable problem of sin was solved by the Lord’s love when he came to this earth as a true human being. The ultimate unexplainable trouble of eternal punishment was sorted out by Jesus’ power when he took that punishment for us. That ultimate unimaginable loss of God himself dying on the cross was rectified by his power and love when he rose from the dead three days later. Nothing stops the Lord’s love! Nothing prohibits his power! Nothing comes in the way of his Fatherly passion for his dear children! And that cross on Calvary is undeniable proof that his love and power reign. He can and he will take everything and turn it into good for you, because you are that important to him. Peter learned that after a quick dunk into the lake and a mouthful of water. We learn that during some of the most difficult and trying times in our lives as well. Because, truthfully, those are the only times we seem to listen.
And so God’s promise and his words of reassurance still stand no matter what the situation: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” There is no reason you should lack courage in this life. Because the Lord is with you. It is God himself by your side: your Savior filled with love and your Creator filled with power. How could you possibly be afraid! Take courage! Stand on top of the water! Trust in God’s promises found in his Word and don’t let anything convince you that he will not carry them out.
That is what Peter believed and that is the very reason why he was so bold throughout his life. He knew what God had promised and he was filled with courage because of his Father’s power and love. Peter stumbled along the way, of course. He sinned more than his fair share. But that did not dampen his boldness in the least. In fact, it made him bolder! Because every time he sinned, every time he faltered, every time he sank, the Lord reached out his hand and picked him up. Again. Every time. Without fail. The Lord’s love and the Lord’s power forgave him the grossest of his sins, calmed the deepest of his fears, and put to rest the worst of his worries. And the Lord does the exact same thing for you.
And so take courage. Be bold as you live this life as a child of your heavenly Father. He is always with you. He is always for you. What could possibly happen to you if the Lord himself is by your side?
Amen.
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” - Jude 24-25
Peter must have been a natural leader. Throughout Scripture he always seems to be the one who spoke first, who acted first, who stuck his neck out first, who stood up for the Truth first. Whether he was right or wrong, you could be sure that Peter would say or do those things that supported what he believed, even if no one else would dare to follow. And it is no different with this story that our sermon is based on today. In fact, this story is one of my favorite accounts about this fascinating disciple. Because it highlights Peter’s boldness as well as his fear. It demonstrates God’s power as well as his love. And it shows me how sinfully afraid I really am in this life when I have every reason to be bold. It is the story of Jesus walking on water - and Peter walking on water with him.
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I never would have even thought about doing what Peter boldly did! It wouldn’t have even crossed my mind to ask Jesus to give me the ability to walk on water with him in the middle of a life-threatening storm! I would have simply been in awe of what Jesus was doing right in front of me and I probably would have been hoping that he would get to our boat as quickly as possible so that he could save us from these violent winds and these pounding waves as he had already done once before. And the rest of the other disciples seemed to be thinking the same thing. Except for Peter. In the very early morning hours of that day - between three and six a.m., on a boat they had boarded the night before, dealing with a fickle and dangerous lake, and riding against an unrelenting storm they had been battling for hours on end, Peter calls across the water and asks his Lord if he could come out on the water with him! What a bold request! And don’t think of it as some sort of arrogant testing of the Lord: “If you really are Jesus then prove it!” No, this was simply a courageous and confident act of trust in the words Jesus had spoken to all of them just moments before: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” It is one thing to agree with Jesus’ words here and know that a person should take courage simply because of who God is. But it is another, far higher, and much more difficult thing to put that into practice. “Take courage! It is I.” Peter really did take courage from those words. He believed what the Lord was doing and what he could do. And so he boldly asked that the Lord would grant his incredible request to walk on water with him. “Come.” Jesus simply said. And that was all that Peter needed to hear. That one-word promise prompted Peter to step off of the deck of that boat and place his feet on a lake that was far from calm. That one-word promise moved Peter to walk toward his Lord and away from the help of his fellow disciples. That one-word promise motivated Peter to disregard the impossibility of his actions and rely completely and fully on the power and love of his God.
At least for a moment. At least for a few miraculous moments Peter was actually walking on water! The Lord had said “yes” to Peter’s seemingly outrageous prayer and he was giving him an ability that no human being could possibly muster on his own! But then Peter took his eyes off the Savior. He saw the wind, he saw the waves, he saw his boat behind him and a deep, dark lake below. And it was too much for him to take. The dangers and the possibilities, the laws of nature and his own experiences overwhelmed him to the point that he no longer could fully trust in Jesus’ wonderful words of comfort: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” The Lord’s reassuring words didn’t seem possible with the wind whipping through his robe. They didn’t seem plausible with the waves rising far above his head. It didn’t even seem sensible (now that he thought about it!) for him to have stepped away from a boat that couldn’t even handle this furious storm with a crew full of experienced fishermen. And so he sank. Without a firm grasp on that promise of his Lord, he sank into the water he had just been standing on top of. His courage was gone. His boldness was replaced with fear. And doubt in what the Lord could do blinded everything he seemed so sure about just minutes before.
How similar Peter’s situation is to our own lives. The events themselves, of course, are nothing like our lives! Jesus walking on water, Peter coming out to him in the same way, the storm, the disciples, the rescue… We have neither experienced nor seen anything like what happened that morning on the Sea of Galilee. But don’t let the storyline distract you from what happened out there on the water: Peter let the worries and the unpleasant possibilities of this world override God’s clear promises. Instead of taking courage because the Lord was with him, he fell in fear because of what might happen to him.
Doesn’t that describe what happens in our lives every day? The Lord says to us: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But when our financial plans are no longer viable plans at all - when we can’t even think of a plan that will fix the situation we are in - then we are afraid! We don’t have courage. We forget that the Lord is the Lord and he is with us. We doubt his promise because the harsh winds of worry capture our full attention. And instead of standing on top of the water, we begin to sink.
The Lord says to us: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But when we suddenly find a loved one close to death or we are on the verge of death ourselves, then we are deathly afraid, so to speak. We don’t have courage because we don’t know what to do. We forget that the Lord is the Lord and he is with us because nothing seems to be going right. We doubt his promise because the threatening waves of the unknown are looming over our heads. And instead of standing on top of the water, we begin to sink.
The Lord says to us: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But when a tragedy hits close to home and you were in no way prepared for it and you can’t even get your thoughts straight, then you do give way to fear. You don’t have courage because nothing will ever be the same again. You forget that the Lord is the Lord and he is with you because it seems as if nobody is with you at the moment. And you doubt his clear promise because the suffocating storm of emptiness is all that you can hear and see and feel. The Lord’s words, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” are sometimes just words to us and not the truth. Sometimes they are agreeable when things are going well, but not so realistic when things are going bad. And we sink. We stand on top of the water one moment and fall underneath it in the next because our trust is outweighed by worry and our boldness is pushed aside by our fear. And we find ourselves too often in the same position Peter was in middle of the Sea of Galilee: frantically splashing around in the water, trying to keep our head above the surface, and desperately crying out, “Lord, save me!”
When Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” did Jesus hesitate? Did Jesus let Peter struggle for a while in the surging waters to teach him a lesson? Did Jesus wait until Peter was fully repentant and came back to trust in his promises again? No. Jesus didn’t hesitate for a second. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” Jesus did not wait to save Peter; he was looking to save Peter. Because that is what Jesus does. That who he is. He is the Savior! He likes to save; he wants to save; he lives to save. And although he chastised Peter by saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt,” the Lord did not let him go. Jesus did not let Peter sink back down. Instead he took Peter - on top of the water - back to the boat and they both climbed in. And the moment they got back into the boat, the storm that had been so brutal for so long, completely stopped. The wind and the waves and the dangers of the sea were no match for the Lord’s power. What Peter had feared so much was nothing compared to his Lord’s love.
Has any wind or wave or danger in your life outmatched the Lord’s love for you? It may seem like it in the heat of the moment sometimes, but in reality, the Lord’s love for you and his power to protect you have always prevailed in every situation. Think about the way your life has gone. Has any financial crisis ever been beyond the Lord’s ability to care for you? Has any catastrophe or tragedy ever been too much for the Lord to deal with in the exactly the way he wanted? Has any death, no matter how close or how sudden or how painful it may have been, taken away from the Lord’s love for you in the slightest degree? Unsolvable problems, unexplainable troubles, and unimaginable losses are all under the control of the Lord’s power and love. The ultimate unsolvable problem of sin was solved by the Lord’s love when he came to this earth as a true human being. The ultimate unexplainable trouble of eternal punishment was sorted out by Jesus’ power when he took that punishment for us. That ultimate unimaginable loss of God himself dying on the cross was rectified by his power and love when he rose from the dead three days later. Nothing stops the Lord’s love! Nothing prohibits his power! Nothing comes in the way of his Fatherly passion for his dear children! And that cross on Calvary is undeniable proof that his love and power reign. He can and he will take everything and turn it into good for you, because you are that important to him. Peter learned that after a quick dunk into the lake and a mouthful of water. We learn that during some of the most difficult and trying times in our lives as well. Because, truthfully, those are the only times we seem to listen.
And so God’s promise and his words of reassurance still stand no matter what the situation: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” There is no reason you should lack courage in this life. Because the Lord is with you. It is God himself by your side: your Savior filled with love and your Creator filled with power. How could you possibly be afraid! Take courage! Stand on top of the water! Trust in God’s promises found in his Word and don’t let anything convince you that he will not carry them out.
That is what Peter believed and that is the very reason why he was so bold throughout his life. He knew what God had promised and he was filled with courage because of his Father’s power and love. Peter stumbled along the way, of course. He sinned more than his fair share. But that did not dampen his boldness in the least. In fact, it made him bolder! Because every time he sinned, every time he faltered, every time he sank, the Lord reached out his hand and picked him up. Again. Every time. Without fail. The Lord’s love and the Lord’s power forgave him the grossest of his sins, calmed the deepest of his fears, and put to rest the worst of his worries. And the Lord does the exact same thing for you.
And so take courage. Be bold as you live this life as a child of your heavenly Father. He is always with you. He is always for you. What could possibly happen to you if the Lord himself is by your side?
Amen.
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” - Jude 24-25
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