7-28-2016

Good Morning All!! 

               Matthew 14:29; “Jesus said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.” 

    Peter couldn’t wait.  He saw that it as Jesus and he couldn’t wait.  You wonder what the other disciples thought.  They were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and in the deep part as well!  What was he thinking?  The fool is lucky he didn’t drown.  Is that the way we think?  Be careful; don’t do anything foolish, play it safe.  Is that the way we operate?  What if Jesus said to us, “Come; come get out of the boat.”

    When we read this story in Matthew, we almost always focus on Peter and the fact that he began to sink but today, let’s think a little differently.  Let’s look at the fact that Peter got out of the boat.  Would you have gotten out of the boat?  There was a lot of water, a lot of deep water and don’t forget the wind and the waves.  Would you really get out of the boat?  Or would you have stayed in the boat, like the other disciples, and waited for Jesus to get on board?

    There are too many times when we as Christians choose to stay in the boat.  We choose to play it safe.  We don’t want a fuss; we don’t want a ruckus.  We just want plain safe Christianity.  We spend our time focusing on “don’t sin.”  Don’t do anything wrong, don’t make a mistake, don’t foul anything up.  We stay in the boat.  We belong to churches that are nervous about increasing their mission goal.  “We don’t know what the year might bring; it is better to send in a number we know we can make and then try to send over that amount.”  So we stay in the boat.  “We have to really think about any type of outreach; we might bite off more than we can handle.”  So we stay in the boat.  “Starting a daycare or pre-school could be very difficult; we better study it some more.”  So we stay in the boat.  We avoid sinning; we keep our heads down and just stay in the boat.

     Too often we hide in the boat when Jesus is telling us to “get out of the boat.”  When we look at this story, Peter was never in any danger; he was always under the watchful and loving eye of Jesus.  Rather than be safe we should jump headlong into serving Jesus, in any manner possible.  Christ did not call us to be watchers; he called us to be participants.  We are to be in the game.  We are to take his message of reconciliation, healing and hope and go forth.  We are to jump out of the boat and serve him because we are always under his watchful and loving eye.  Don’t play it safe, witness to those around you and even to those who are farther away.  Take God’s love and share it in any method you can.  Get out of the boat; Jesus has you covered!

Father in heaven, stir your Spirit in me.  Don’t let me be complacent or comfortable.  Break my heart as I look at the pain in the world.  Move me by your Spirit to get out of the boat and to share your message of love and forgiveness. Stir in me the desire to aid my fellow man.  Stir in me the desire to bring comfort and hope to a broken world.  But above all, keep my eyes focused on Jesus that I may never sink in fear.  Guard as you lead me forward.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret