First Time Obedience -- Part 2

3/26/15

Well, it happened again.  Yes, Lord, I will write a blog.  Yes, Lord, I will do it immediately.  And I did.  Monday.  And I did post it on blogspot, but then I didn’t link it to FB or send out an email alert to anyone so they could actually READ it!  I’m pretty sure that’s called partial obedience.  And like delayed obedience, partial obedience is really DISobedience!

So this time I will post this article AND I’ll actually let people know that I’ve written it!

When God says the same thing over and over and over again

When God is trying to tell me something, He knows that I don’t always listen the first time (see previous blog post).  So he has to tell me multiple times.   In various ways.  Kind of like the time He was dealing with me about forgiveness (a subject He apparently has to deal with me on frequently).  Every sermon I heard in church during that season was on forgiveness.  Every CD I listened to had to do with forgiveness.  Every television preacher was preaching about forgiveness.  Every book I picked up had to do with forgiveness.  I even got lost out in the country driving home late one night and had to turn around in a church parking lot.  What did the sign on the front of the church say Sunday’s sermon would be about?  Forgiveness!!  I think if I had flipped open the yellow pages, I would have turned to 1-800-FORGIVE!!

He’s at it again.  This time it’s about doing things the first time He tells me to do it.  Not waiting.  Not delaying.  Not continuing to pray about it.  Act on it!  Just this morning, I read an excellent article about the time Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water.  You remember the story in Matthew 14:22-33 MSG: 

As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.

Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. 

The disciples were freaking out!  And wouldn’t you?  Think about it… several of them are fishermen.  They’re used to the storms on the sea of Galilee… but seeing a PERSON walking on the water out in the middle of the sea?  That does NOT happen!  No wonder they were terrified!

But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

Sidenote:  The Amplified version says that Jesus said, “Take courage! I Am! Stop being afraid!”  Don’t you love that?  Jesus refers to Himself as “I Am,” the very name of God that Moses was given to tell the children of Israel who had sent him.  The GREAT I AM.  King of heaven and earth!  Master of the wind and waves!  That’s actually one of my favorite names for Jesus… I AM!  Not I was, not I will be sometime next week, but I AM right here, right now, in your circumstances, as ugly and dirty and scary as they may be, Jesus is I AM.  And because He is I AM we don’t have to be afraid!!

Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”

Don’t you love that?  Peter “suddenly bold.”  Don’t we need some “suddenly bold” moments?  When we just step out of the boat and do what we’re supposed to do?  As Benjamin Mee in the movie We Bought a Zoo says, “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”

STOP.  Just stop right now and think.  What do you need to be suddenly bold about?  What do you need 20 seconds of insane courage to do?  What have you been putting off until some other time?  Is it making certain phone call?  Writing an email?  Shaking a hand?   Breaking off a relationship that’s not good for you?  Speaking up for yourself?  Friends, we need to pray for those “suddenly bold” moments!  Pray for the Lord to give you 20 seconds of insane courage!  Because something great can come of it!

He said, “Come ahead.”

Okay, let’s hit the pause button here just for a moment.   Peter has just asked for something ridiculously impossible.  And really?  THAT was the first thing that popped into Peter’s mind when he saw Jesus on the water?  “Dude, that looks cool!  Can I do it too?”  Peter, Peter.  That impetuous nature of yours will get you in trouble someday… just ask a guy named Malchus a few chapters later about how his ear is doing after you cut it off and Jesus healed him.

Does Jesus say, “No you idiot… you’re only a human, you can’t walk on water like me!  I’m the Son of God!”  NO HE DOESN’T!!  He says, “Sure!  Come ahead!” 

Friends, He’s saying the same thing to us today!  Come ahead!  Come!  Do it now!  Do it before you have a chance to talk yourself out of it!  Come ahead!  Do it now!  Don’t let time or distractions or other things steal this opportunity from you!

You know the rest of the story.  Peter does step out of the boat.  He does walk on water.  And when he takes his eyes off Jesus, he begins to sink.  But here’s what Peter learned from that experience.

1)   He’s the only guy EVER besides Jesus to walk on water.  EVER.  Because Peter was suddenly bold, because he had 20 seconds of insane courage, he had an experience NO ONE else has ever had.  What amazing one of a kind experience are you missing out on because you won’t get out of your boat and do what God as called you to do?

      2)  Peter learned about faith in Jesus that day!  If God tells you to do it, you can!  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  THROUGH CHRIST Peter was able to do the miraculous, the ridiculously impossible!  How many times later in life did Peter recall that experience and allow that memory to strengthen him to do what he needed to do?  Like preach to 1000s on the day of Pentecost.  It was Peter who spoke first!  Just like the night on the boat, Peter stepped out in faith and preached boldly!  He actually called the Jewish men who were listening that day murderers!  That’s “suddenly bold,” isn’t it?  Peter knew, better than anyone else, if Jesus tells you to do it, you can!  Friends, that same Jesus will help you do what you need to do too!

      3)  And oh by the way, if you get into trouble, if you screw up and take your eyes off Jesus, like we all do at some time or another, Jesus won’t let you drown!  Peter learned that day that Jesus will be there to save you.     

Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”

 Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand.

Don’t you love that?  Jesus DIDN’T HESITATE!  Peter asked for help, and Jesus helped him.  What an amazing picture of Jesus’ love for us! 

Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!”

Friends, Jesus is God’s Son for sure.  We can put our trust and faith in that fact.  He loves us, He’s calling us, He will help us.  And He is indeed God’s Son for sure!

So I’m stepping out of my boat.  I will have amazing experiences writing a blog.  I can do this because Jesus says I can.  And if I screw up, which I most likely will, Jesus will not hesitate to save me.  And I do it all because I love and want to obey Jesus, God’s Son for sure.

Father God, we love you.  Thank you so much for loving us.  Thank you for calling us out of our boats onto the water so we can experience amazing things.  Father, remind us today what you’ve told us to do. Then like Peter, help us be suddenly bold so we can do it, whatever it is.  We know you are there right beside us saying “come ahead!”  And we know that if we mess up, you are there to catch us and not let us drown.   Thank you, Jesus for being God’s Son, for sure.  Amen.