Shout OUT! What do we fear?
·
death, death of a loved one, loss of health,
loss of job,
·
the unknown, what others think of us, loss of
security, relationship, not being enough
Fear can be a primary driver in our lives, distort our
vision, drown our dreams!
The most common thing God tells His people is Don’t BE AFRAID.
Matthew 14:22-33 describes an incredible story of Peter
stepping out in faith to walk on the water with Jesus in the midst of the
storm. I remember being in Israel in 2009 and being on the sea of Galilee and
just imagining the scene. I tried to
walk, but ended up going for a good swim!
SETTING
of this scene:
The disciples had
just spent a day feeding 5,000 + women and children, they then had to clean up
the leftovers…no small task. Then Jesus
tells them to get out of there and get on a boat to the other side.
It is 3am. The Greek says that Jesus strongly urged them to get into
the boat and go to the other side. And the next thing you know, along comes a
storm!
Do you feel like you’ve been in the same boat as the
disciples? Do you feel like you’ve been
tossed about by the storms of life? Has your life been drenched in
darkness? Have you seen a ghost and
cried out in fear?
Have the waves of life ever battered, tortured, and harassed
you? Does it sometimes seem like you are rowing against the wind and making no
headway? Have you ever found yourself alone, far from home?
Any time that we get into a position like this, we want to
be rescued. We want out, we want to escape the storm,
avoid the ghost in the middle of the night.
Pick me up and get me out of here!
However; Jesus didn’t do that for the disciples and He
doesn’t do that for us. He doesn’t make
us safe, calm and comfortable. He
reveals Himself and comes RIGHT INTO our storm, our mess and speaks to us
there.
“Jesus does not come
to us from outside our storms and fears like some divine search and rescue
mission.”
Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water, through
the wind, and in the darkness. Jesus’ peace, words of comfort and presence are
not outside the storm but in the eye of the storm.
Here is the first important takeaway for spiritual
BREAKTHROUGH - WE have to take courage that
1. Jesus is our Emmanuel - God WITH us. He is in the place of our fear
Let’s not miss a
very significant part of the miracle here…
I wonder if we sometimes miss what’s really happening in
today’s gospel. If all we see is a gravity defying water walking Jesus then we have missed the
miracle. The wind and the waves are about more than the weather conditions.
They are more descriptive of what is happening within the disciples than what
is happening around them.
The real miracle in this story is that Jesus walks on the storms that brew and rage within us.
That means His divine power and presence
have and always will trample on, overcome, and conquer human fear. It means
that Jesus is Emmanuel. He is with us in all of our circumstances.
His divine power has
given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who
called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
“Our storms and fears
are the place in which we abandon ourselves to God. Most of us, however, don’t
do that until we first feel abandoned by God. Surely that’s how the disciples
must have felt. Jesus made them, compelled them, to get the in the boat and
cross the sea seemingly alone. They had been abandoned to the open sea, the
darkness, the waves, the wind, the futility of their own efforts, fantasies,
and illusions. They were abandoned to their own self-sufficiency which always so
that they might abandon themselves to God.”
“The very elements
that threatened to destroy the disciples became the environment in which they
recognized Jesus as the Son of God. What they first perceived as certain death
they now recognize as new life, hope, and salvation.”
2.
We MUST STEP out In FAITH
Faith is all about recognizing where you need to put your
trust and the only way that we can do that is by getting out of the boat!
“Put yourself in the
story. Picture in your mind how violent the storm must have been. It was strong enough to keep seasoned
professionals struggling just to avoid being capsized. Imagine the size of the
waves, the strength of the wind, the darkness of this night and no acupressure wrist bands or sea-legs
tablets. These were the conditions under which Peter was going to get out of
the boat. It would be tough enough to try to walk on water when the water is
calm, the sun is bright, and the air is still. Imagine trying to do it when the
waves are crashing, the wind is at gale force, and it is 3am in the morning and
you are terrified!”
What is your step of faith?
What is the security blanket that you need to throw away to
fully trust God to meet your needs?
Take a moment and ask Holy Spirit what that is for you? He reveals Himself to us by His still small voice.
3.
We must not be afraid of failing!
Some questions for us to ponder
Did Peter fail?
Yes and No. He
actually walked on water and he was able to do what no one else did. He experienced the power of the living Christ
and walked it out in faith.
Yes, he failed when he took his eyes off Jesus. We have to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. Hebrews
12:1-3 The moment we doubt His goodness
or we doubt the Father’s love, we start to sink in our own efforts.
The verse for 2015 Joshua
1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do
not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Who were the real failures in this story?
Where do you need to trust God more?
If we want to experience breakthrough, we will face storms,
but we need to recognize God’s presence right in the midst of our storm!
Here is an update from one of our ministry team members, Laura F as she shares about her experiences while serving with us.
Here is an update from one of our ministry team members, Laura F as she shares about her experiences while serving with us.
I'm here to share with you an update on the Church at the Manor. We are believing that 2015 will be a year of breakthrough. We've been
there for 8 months since our first church service in one of the most unlikely
places and already the lives that have been changed is amazing and speak of
Gods relentless pursuit of His kids. For decades, the manor has been a place
where lives of men and women have been destroyed. But God is about taking back
what the devil meant to ruin people with, an doing a 180 degree turn. This
place where girls freedoms are taken or lost will become a place of rescue and
safety. A safe house where girls can get off the streets not on them.
This past Christmas we had a couple from out west sponsor a
party for the manor. It was a wonderful celebration. Delicious Food, men
serving in bow ties honouring the people who live there. Laughter and joy
filled the room, a cartoon artist came and captured the guests. Decorations
that brighten up the place. It looked different altogether other than the pole
. Roger, the owner, and his wife Brenda were there. I had a good conversation
with her, as a mom to a mom. All the residents received gifts. Yet, As
wonderful as it all was, I'll never forget the sobering moment when I went
upstairs to visit a friend and bring him lunch. When he finally opened up the
door I was met with a man sobbing and shaking. He held onto me in a powerful
crushing grip and cried. I felt almost numb coming back to the festivities and
yet could not shake the feeling that we are to be apart of God's plan in
fighting on their behalf so that one day he and others can experience God's joy
and freedom.
We would like to thank those that prepare food each Sunday.
Your contribution is so important. The people are very hungry. There is a guy
that comes and often is mean and he calls me all kinds of names. One week he
shows up and is kinda nice, which surprises me and so I ask what's up and he
says "I had supper last night." Another man normally a bouncy, happy
guy stands hunched over and rocks back and forth I asked how are you doing. He
simply says "I'm just so hungry," and I can tell he can hardly wait
for us to set up the lunch table. The food is vital to them. Some often go an
entire week without nutrition. So thank you for your faithfulness in doing
that! It is a huge part of the ministry!!!!
And thank you for the commitment to praying for this
ministry. The spiritual battle that goes on there is so strong. Each and every
week we are faced with spirits of oppression, addiction, mental health,
resentment, fear, and so on.. God is moving and it's causing havoc on the
strongholds that have taken residence there.
For instance, one Sunday, a gentleman came up to the food
table and fills a plate and tries to leave unnoticed. I felt a nudge to go an
intercept so I introduce myself and he tells me "I want nothing to do with
God. I hate Him and can't stand to listen to anyone that wants to tell me He's
good" I reply "ok, that's fine would you like more sandwiches".
He is startled by my response but accepts and then goes on to say why he hates
God. My eyes sting with tears and all can say is "I'm so sorry" he
says thanks and leaves.
The next week he returns and asks me to sit and have a
coffee with him. We talk and he shares in confidence about the things that have
gone on in his life. The things some of these people have endured in their
lives are uncomprehendable and it breaks my heart every week as more walls come
down and they open up a bit more. Again he leaves before the sermon and again I
tell him that I hope to see him the next week. He's been out every time now.
Just a few weeks ago he told me that week we had sat together he was going to
commit suicide, but has since decided that he doesn't want to go yet. That's
because God is not finished with him.
Just this past month another person tried to overdose. The
battle rages! We are at war for their lives. So thank you for lifting us up in
prayer we appreciate it and desperately need it. For discernment, wisdom,
safety, for the members of the church, ourselves and our families. Thank you
from all of the team for your support.
