Friday, September 26, 2014

Get Behind Jesus (A sermon based on Matthew 16:21-26)

Do you like pain? Of course not! Who does?! Who in their right mind would look for ways to suffer and hurt?! Well... we would. Wait... what???! Why do we not only accept the crosses that come into our life and endure suffering for being Christians, but even look to "take up" our crosses and find ways to serve others knowing it will bring pain and even death to our selfish desires? Because we know what Jesus willingly endured for us. We know that he has taken his cross to save us from hell. Now we gladly get behind him, take up our crosses, and follow him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 16:21-26 and be encouraged to...

Get Behind Jesus

A sermon based on Matthew 16:21-26

Sunday, September 21, 2014 – Pentecost 15A

 

Two weeks ago we heard Jesus call a woman a dog. Today we hear him call a man "satan." What's going on? Was Jesus having a bad week? Was he just out to make enemies? No. He was out to proclaim the truth. And he always showed perfect love. But today we hear how the apostle Peter was standing in the way of that truth. So Jesus confronted him sharply in love.

Peter had just made a beautiful confession: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." But he didn't understand the mission of the Christ. He needed some clarification and some correction. And often, so do we.

We too sometimes think that life should be just awesome for Christians. All of our relationships should be great if we follow Jesus (and Dr. Laura). If we work and pray and follow Dave Ramsey's steps to financial peace, all of our money problems will disappear. If we eat right and listen to Dr. Oz and take care of our bodies like he says, we'll be healthy. If we just follow a set of simple steps, all of our problems will go away.

But the problem is, this doesn't mesh with reality… or with the Scriptures. Reality is that we who follow Jesus still have problems. We still don't always get along. We still aren't all wealthy. We still get sick and tired.

But Jesus didn't come to make us healthy, wealthy, and wise—at least not in the sense most think of. He came to make us spiritually healthy, to give us the wealth of heaven, and to make us wise for salvation. But he also makes us wise to the fact that sometimes life on this planet will be hard. Often life on this planet will be painful even. Life won't be a bowl of cherries. Sometimes it will just be the pits. And that's okay. We're not called to take up a pillow and enjoy a life of luxury and ease. We're called to take up a cross—an instrument of torture—and to endure hardship, trials, and, as unpopular as it sounds—pain.

That's a tough concept for us to grasp, let alone to live with. And it was for Peter too. But listen to how Jesus lovingly corrected him and told Peter to quit stepping in front of him, but to get behind him. Our text for this morning if from Matthew 16:21-26… 


21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

 

I.      Get Behind Me, Satan 

There are few things that our modern society calls evil. Perhaps they'd put boredom on the list as mind-numbing entertainment consumes the lives of so many. Perhaps hunger would be there, with the idea of fasting completely foreign to our culture as we're literally eating our way to our graves with obesity being such a big killer these days.

But behind both of these are the great "evils" of discomfort and pain. Pain is evil, right? No good could come from pain. Or so we're led to believe as new drugs promise to remove that pesky problem of pain instantly and forever.

That's what Peter thought when he heard Jesus with all of his "suffering and death" talk: Pain is evil. No good could come from such pain. So he scolded Jesus: "Stop such pessimistic talk! Quit being such a Debbie Downer! Be positive. Think positive thoughts, Jesus. Good things will come your way. You just wait and see. The crowds will love you… eventually. The Pharisees and teachers of the law will change their minds too. It'll all be okay."

But Peter didn't understand the necessity of the cross. He didn't understand the necessity of Jesus' cross. Nor did he understand the necessity of his own. So Jesus would show tough love to correct him:

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Ouch! That must have stung Peter. It must have really hut. But can you imagine the horrible results if Peter had gotten his way?! Can you imagine if Jesus never went to the cross?! If he never died for sin?! If he never paid the price for Peter—and for us—to get out of hell?!

Yes, Peter was thinking in human terms. He didn't understand God's plan. He couldn't grasp how suffering and death could be a blessing. He couldn't understand how Jesus would want to suffer and die. And inadvertently, he sided against Jesus and his mission. He sided with satan, tempting Jesus to avoid the cross, just like satan had done in the wilderness.

So Jesus sternly rebuked Peter for rebuking him. He told him to get out of the way, to stop blocking him in his mission: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." He sternly rebuked him to get him back on the right side.

Can you relate to Peter? Sure you can. We do this all the time, don't we? We tell Jesus that we know what's best, not him. We tell Jesus that he really ought to help us avoid all discomfort and pain. We tell Jesus we'd rather not take a cross. We know better than he does. We'll lead Jesus, not the other way around.

"Jesus, I'd give more willingly and generously if only I had more to give. But if I give to a point of being uncomfortable, well… that's too much. I'll give what I can spare, but to give more would cramp my style. I like my toys, my comforts, my entertainment, my shopping. In other words, I like my life and I'd really like to keep it the way it is."

"Jesus, I would give more time to church, to service to others, to sharing my faith with neighbors and friends, to serving my family the way I know you want, to studying the Bible and growing in my faith. But… well… I just don't have that much time to give. Time for me seems to be in even shorter supply than money. And, well, if I gave you that much time, Jesus, I'd have to give up some other things that I really like doing. In other words, I like my life and I'd really like to keep it the way it is."

And we try to lead Jesus instead of follow him. We try to tell him what to do instead of just obeying. And when we do, we really side with the enemy. We side with satan. And we deserve to be left on that side for all of eternity.

But in love, Jesus calls us to repentance with his stern law: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it… What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Confess your rebellion to him. Confess your love for this life—that your love for this life and the things in this world often trump your love for Jesus. Confess that you've sided with satan and stood in the way of Jesus. And when we do, when the Law has done it's work, Jesus doesn't say, "Get behind me, Satan!" anymore. Instead he says, "Get behind me, Christian."

 

II.    Get Behind Me, Christian 

You see, there's a small pun in the Greek. Right after Jesus told Peter, "Get behind me, satan!" he says, "If anyone would come after me," which is literally, "If anyone would get behind me."  And that's exactly where we want to be: behind Jesus.

The family was hiking along the trail when they heard a rustle in the bushes ahead. Suddenly a great big grizzly bear emerged right in front of them, the fur on his neck and back standing up on end. As he bared his teeth at the family, dad calmly told his family, "Get behind me." You see, dad had the gun. Dad would protect his family. But he could only defend them if they were behind him.

In a similar sense, Jesus tells us to get behind him, because only when we're behind him are we safe. Jesus led the charge against satan while we stand safely behind him. That's why he told his disciples, "that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

And when Peter didn't like that idea he said, "Never, Lord!" But that translation isn't very literal. There's actually a Greek idiom here. What Peter literally said was "Mercy to you, Jesus." The expression was an abbreviation of "May God give mercy to you in sparing you from having to undergo what you just said."

How ironic that Peter who was siding with satan suggested that God be merciful to Jesus, when Jesus was describing the very way that God would bring mercy to Peter: through Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection!

And thank God that no mercy was shown to Jesus! Thank God that Jesus did go to Jerusalem to willingly take the slander, the abuse, the torture, the cross. Thank God because by that suffering, death, and resurrection he's won mercy for you and me who have too often sided with satan and deserve to suffer hell for it.

Get behind him in faith and he who conquered satan will keep you safe. Mercy to you, dear friend! God has given mercy to you in sparing you from having to undergo the hell you deserve all because of Jesus' cross. 

III.   Get Behind Me, Christian 

And of course, Jesus meant more than just stand behind him while he fought satan for Peter. He told Peter and his other disciples and us that if we are to get behind Jesus and follow him, we will need to take up our crosses too.

The title "Christian" literally means "Little Christ." So if we are to follow our master, we will become like him. We will suffer for being a Christian just like the Christ had to suffer. That's what our crosses are: the things that we suffer because we follow Jesus. Let me say that again because I think a lot of people confuse this concept. I've heard people talk about any suffering as if it were their "cross to bear." But a cross is only that suffering which a believer suffers because he or she follows Christ.

Now that suffering may be big things: It may be the loss of your job because you refuse to lie to the customer or take advantage of a co-worker because you answer first to Jesus, then your boss. It may be the loss of your relationship because you refuse to go along with whatever the "cool kids" are doing, or whatever your boyfriend or girlfriend is doing. It may mean the loss of your life as Christians are persecuted more viciously. It may even be a literal cross.

But the crosses that we carry may not be so big. They might just be the day to day crosses that we carry. The crosses we carry Jesus explains as those times that we deny our self—that is, when we deny what our sinful nature wants. And  note that these aren't crosses that are laid on the Christian. They're not crosses that are forced on us. They're crosses that we "take up." That is, we actively seek ways that we might serve Christ by serving others, knowing that we will suffer for it. Why? Why would anyone actively seek suffering? Because they love the one for whom they suffer. We love Jesus for taking on satan by his cross. And so we're eager to suffer for him! We're eager to crucify our selfishness and live for him instead of for ourselves.

So deny yourself a Saturday afternoon to lounge around the house or to get your own work done in order to clean the church or mow the lawn when your selfishness insists that you really don't want to. Deny yourself some leisure time in order to actively look for ways to serve your parents, your spouse, or your kids, without being asked! Deny yourself some comfort to knock on a few doors and invite people to hear of the good news of a Savior—who willingly suffered, was killed, and on the third day was raised to life—that they too might live with him.

"But, Pastor, I could never do that! I'd just die if I had to talk to a stranger about my faith!" Really? Good! That's what being a Christian is all about: Dying. You've already died with Christ. Your sins were buried with him. (cf. Romans 6) Now we want our sinful nature to die too. Now we want our selfishness to be slayed. We want to die to our self that we might get behind Jesus and live for him. That's what it means to take up our cross and follow him.

One day Peter would take up a cross—quite literally—and follow after Jesus. He too would be crucified just as Jesus had indicated (cf. John 21:18-19). But he rejoiced that he was considered worthy to suffer for Jesus and gladly took up his cross. And so do we. Knowing what we deserve for siding with satan and standing in Jesus' way, knowing that we're forgiven by Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection, and knowing who we are: Christians, or Little Christs, we gladly take up our crosses and suffer for Jesus to show how thankful we are!

And in the end? "Eureka!" says the Greek! "I've found it!" You'll find your life with Jesus. And that life will never be lost. So get behind Jesus, dear Christians. Take up your crosses and follow him! In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen. 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

You Are God’s Dogs (A sermon based on Matthew 15:21-28)

Would you like it if you were called a slug? an elephant? a snake? What if someone called you a dog? It isn't usually a compliment to be compared to a dog. But in Matthew 15 Jesus compared a Canaanite woman with a dog. He wasn't being cruel, but was testing her faith. And she passed with flying colors, leaving an excellent example for us who also cling to Jesus' promises in faith. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 15:21-28 and rejoice that you're God's dogs...

You Are God's Dogs

A sermon based on Matthew 15:21-28

Sunday, September 7, 2014 – Pentecost 13A

 

"What's up, dogs?" Now, I don't pretend to be hip, but I've made an observation. I don't know how or when it started, but it seems to me that it's not really an insult to be called a dog anymore. But obviously that wasn't always the case. It certainly wasn't complimentary when the Jews referred to any non-Jew as a "Gentile dog" because they weren't a part of the people specially chosen by God as they had been. It certainly didn't sound complimentary when Jesus compared a Canaanite woman to a dog, and as hip as it may be, I seriously doubt that many of you would like it if I compared you to a dog.

But Jesus wasn't being mean to the Canaanite woman when he called her a dog. He was merely testing her faith that he might strengthen it. And I certainly don't mean it as an insult when I call you dogs. The truth is, it is a great privilege that you are God's dogs. Though you're as worthy as a dog of special treatment, God has made you his very own. And now he encourages you to cling to his promises in faith and beg like a dog. And you can rejoice and be happy in the feast that is yours as you sit at your master's feet. Listen now  to the account of Jesus and the Canaanite woman recorded for us in Matthew 15:21-28…

 

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 

25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

 

      This is the Word of God.


Now, some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law followed Jesus from Jerusalem up to Galilee to hound him and harass him. After pointing out their hypocrisy and rebuking them he left the area to find some peace and quiet to train his disciples. He went northwest to the costal city of Tyre and tried to enter secretly. But before long, word got out that Jesus was there.

One woman, a Canaanite, went to Jesus to plead her case as soon as she heard he was there in the city. But she didn't receive the response she'd hoped for. At least, not at first… 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word.

If you've ever had a sick child, you know how frantic you can get. But this woman needed more than a doctor. Her daughter was possessed—a demon literally lived inside of her. How desperate this woman must have been! And how discouraging when her pleas were met with silence.

The disciples knew that Jesus was trying to keep a low profile, something this woman was making impossible following behind them, making a scene and letting everyone know that Jesus was here. Why not just grant her request and send her away quietly? So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

How discouraging it must have been for this unnamed woman. She desperately needed help, help she knew Jesus could give—but it seemed like he wouldn't give it. And why not? Because it wasn't for her. She wasn't an Israelite. She was only a dog according to him and what he had wasn't meant for her.

But as Jesus tested this woman's faith, she passed with flying colors. And left a great example for us…

 

I.      Worthy as a Dog

 

The first thing the woman did right, was to admit how unworthy she was. Though Jesus didn't use the derogatory term for a wild dog on the streets, but the term for a little pet dog the family kept in the house, it still was no compliment to be called a dog. But notice how she reacted to being called a dog… 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

With a quick wit she played off of the insult. "I may be a dog, but even the dogs get something." And notice how she didn't react. She didn't argue with him, "How dare you call me a dog! After I put my trust in you for help, this is how you treat me?!" She didn't argue that she shouldn't be called a dog because of what she had done for Jesus. She wasn't proud, but humble, recognizing that she was as worthy as a dog and accepted her place under the table.

"You're right. I'm not a child, but a dog. I don't deserve your help. I don't deserve anything. But I beg you for help not on account of anything that I've done for you, but on account of your great mercy. For I know there's enough to go around. There's enough of your grace for the children and for us dogs. Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!" What faith she had! A faith that accepted her unworthiness and pleaded not on her merits, but on Christ's grace; a faith that we do well to imitate.

Do you always remember that you're dog? Do you remember that you are completely unworthy in God's sight? Or do you sometimes forget? I know that I do. I forget that God doesn't demand that I try my hardest or that I be pretty good or better than most. He demands absolute perfection. Anything less than perfect damns me to hell. My sinful pride and arrogance, thinking that I am worthy of some blessing from God for my weak attempts at obedience damns me to hell. But God in his grace leads me to repentance by exemplifying a woman who wasn't even worthy to have her name recorded on the pages of Scripture. Through her he reminds me that I'm as worthy as a dog.

Dear friends, follow her example. Don't be proud. Don't think you deserve something from God, because the only thing any of us deserve from him is hell. Admit that you're a dog and not a child. Accept your unworthiness. And don't rely on anything you've done or could do for God, but rely only on his grace and mercy given to you in Christ. And that grace that you know you don't deserve will move you to be persistent and beg like a dog…

 

II.    Begging like a Dog

 

If you needed a favor from me and I refused to grant your request three times, would you ask me a fourth? More likely you'd ask someone else the second time, right? But what persistence this woman had! Look how Jesus responded and look at how she continued to plead her case each time…

 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word… First her request was met with silence, as if he didn't hear what she was saying. It wasn't going the way she'd hoped already. But it only got worse…

His disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel…"  When Jesus' disciples urged Jesus to grant her request just to get rid of her, it went from silence to flat out refusal. "My personal ministry is not to the Gentiles. I was sent to the Jews. And this woman is no Jew. She's a Canaanite; a survivor of the pagan race God told the Jews to destroy when they moved in to the Promised Land. No. I won't just grant her request and send her away." But she persisted…

 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." From silence to refusal to rebuke. If not sooner, I think I would have given up at that point. "It's not proper to take Israel's blessings and give them to the Gentiles. It's not right for me to give you what you don't deserve. You're no better than a dog." Ouch! And yet, this woman continued to see a "yes" hidden in each apparent "no." If Jesus would continue to hold out, she would continue to beg. The stakes—her daughter's very life—were too high and she had come too far to back down now.  27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

What persistence! To be met with "no" after "no" and keep asking! But what do you think made her press on like she did? She knew the Scriptures. She knew that the Messiah would come from the Jews. That's why she called Jesus, "Lord Son of David." And she knew that just because he would come from the Jews didn't mean that he would be for the Jews alone. Isaiah 49:6 made that clear"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

She knew that it wasn't an either or. She knew that Jesus had enough grace for the Jews and the Gentiles. She knew he had enough grace for her and she clung to that promise without letting go.

And what comfort we have that Jesus did finally answer her prayer. For in that answered prayer, he showed that she was right. Salvation isn't just for the Jews. It's not just for one tribe, race, or nationality. Salvation is for all people! There's enough food to go around. The supply of forgiveness and grace will never run out! Why? Because even though all of our sins, as heavy a burden that they are, are on one side of the scale, the blood of Christ, who is God himself, is on the other. And our sins are swallowed up in his perfection like a drop of food coloring in the Pacific Ocean. His forgiveness and grace are enough to cover more than just a few sins of a few people with only a few crumbs to spare. His forgiveness and grace are enough for all people of all time. His salvation is for everyone. His salvation is for you.

And it is that promise that moves us to cling to his Word in faith that never lets go, but begs like a dog. When I was a kid, my family had a dog (half German Shepherd, half Rottweiler) named Dexter. Dexter didn't just come to the kitchen table and wait a few minutes to see if we'd give him a scrap or two before he walked away. No. He waited until the last plate was cleared, just sitting there drooling, waiting for any food to be given until it was all gone and there was no chance he could get any more. He was persistent. And you know, I don't think a single meal went by that he didn't get something off of one of our plates. The people always had enough to spare to share with their dog.

Does it sometimes seem to you that God is answering your prayer with silence? Does it seem like he's flat out rejecting your request? Does it sometimes even seem that God is rebuking you for asking? Be persistent. You know God's grace is enough to go around. You know God takes care of his own. Just look at how he's already taken care of your biggest problems of sin, death, and hell. If he's willing to send his own Son to hell in your place, how much more won't he answer your prayers in a way that's for your eternal good? So cling to his promises with a faith that never lets go. Be persistent. And beg like a dog. And finally, rejoice that you are God's own and be as happy as a dog…

 

III.   Happy as Dog

 

The Caananite woman wouldn't give up. She persisted in her pleas in spite of her own unworthiness, in spite of the incessant rejection she faced. And in the end, she passed the test with flying colors, with a stronger faith in Jesus than she had before. And her persistent faith paid off because finally, Jesus gave. 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Though she deserved nothing, she received exactly what she asked for. Jesus didn't need to go visit her daughter. He simply said the word and the demon was gone.

What a lasting impression that encounter with Jesus, the true and only God, must have had on that woman. No doubt she later heard the reports of how this Jesus who once healed her daughter had now been crucified. She must have heard of the events that took place that Good Friday as God poured out his wrath on his own Son to punish her sins. I'm sure she heard the report of Jesus' resurrection—that he was alive! That she too would rise from the dead! In the end, Jesus gave her far more than she could want or ask. He didn't just drive a demon out of her daughter, but he won for them both eternal life! She trusted in his mercy and received much more than crumbs. She received a banquet feast for all of eternity in heaven with her Savior.

And there's plenty to go around. The blessings that God won for that Canaanite woman are the same blessings he's won for you and they're in endless supply. So rejoice and be as happy as a dog…

Dexter never worried that he wouldn't be fed on any given day. He never had to worry that he would be neglected or abandoned. He was our pet and we loved him. He knew it and lived a life of luxury laying around all day with everything he needed given to him. Many people treat their pets like the we  did, like their pet is just another member of the family. And that's what God has done for you… but better. He's made you more than his pet. He's made you his own dearly loved child through faith in Jesus.

You don't ever need to worry that you'll be neglected or abandoned, but can live your life in peace, knowing that you have a perfect Master who loves you more than you can imagine—enough to send his own Son to hell in your place. Trust in his mercy and enjoy the feast of salvation with all of its blessings! Though we deserve nothing, he gives us everything, even heaven itself. How much more won't he hear our prayers! How much more won't he take care of our daily needs!

Dear friends, be like that Canaanite woman, who recognized that she was as worthy as a dog and didn't rely on her own strength or merit, but trusted in God's grace alone. Beg like a dog, with a persistent faith that clings to his gracious promises and never lets go. Be happy in the blessings he gives, especially the gift of salvation, and rejoice that you have it all as God's little dogs. In Jesus' name, dear friends. Amen.

 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Take Courage! It’s Jesus! (A sermon based on Matthew 14:22-33)

Sometimes things look pretty scary! The pile of bills, the constant fighting, the diagnosis, can leave us terrified! But only when we take our eyes off of Jesus. In this week's sermon, Jesus performs another great miracle! He removes our doubts and our fears by his comforting Word. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 14:22-33 and take courage! Jesus is with you! You don't need to be afraid!

Take Courage! It's Jesus!

A sermon based on Matthew 14:22-33

Sunday, August 31, 2014 – Pentecost 12A

 

Mark Twain and his wife visited the Holy Land. Twain, dressed in his usual white suit, white shoes and white Texas hat, asked a man in a rowboat about the cost of a trip on the Sea of Galilee. The boatman, who figured by his fancy clothes, that Twain must be a wealthy Texas oilman, announced, "It'll cost you $25 to take a ride on the Sea of Galilee." Mark Twain thanked the man and walked away with his wife and shouted loudly enough for the boatman to hear, "Now I know why Jesus walked!" J

Jesus did walk on the surface of the lake (And it wasn't frozen! That's an important point.), but he walked not to save some money. He walked on the water to be with his disciples. He walked on the water to teach his disciples. He walked on the water to save them from their fears and from their doubts. And when they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, there was nothing they couldn't do—they could walk on water. But when they looked away, that's when they began to sink. Here's the account as told by Matthew in Matthew 14:22-33…

 

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."

 

Jesus had just finished feeding more than five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. And before the people could try to forcibly make him king, he sent them away. He sent his disciples away too, perhaps because he knew that they too would be tempted by the thought of making him an earthly king. But perhaps he just shooed everyone away because he wanted to finally have that time alone in prayer he sought earlier that day.

So Jesus went off by himself to pray. Perhaps he prayed about God's plan to allow John the Baptist to be killed. Perhaps he prayed for strength against the temptation to let the people make him king. He defeated satan when he brought that temptation forward once before, but satan doesn't give up so easily. No doubt he prayed for his disciples and for the crowd of thousands that they might realize Jesus already was a King in a much better way.

And when he was finally done with that alone time spent in prayer, it was already the fourth watch of the night, going on 3am! He went to find the disciples and found them in the middle of the lake fighting the wind and the waves.

Now the Sea of Galilee is about 13 miles long from north to south and about 8 miles wide. In comparison, Skilak Lake is 15 miles by 4 miles. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below sea level, surrounded by mountains, so, just like Skilak, when the winds curl up over the tops of the mountains they slap the surface of the water, get caught in that giant bowl of mountains, and swirl around, stirring things up in a hurry. The water can get very rough, very quickly. So they'd been rowing all night in conditions like that and had only made it 3 or 4 miles.

And then things got worse. No doubt tired and fatigued, the disciples now saw something that terrified them. There was a figure walking out on the surface of the water right for them. No doubt it was a ghost, they thought, coming to collect their souls. They weren't going to survive this storm. They were surely going to drown.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.  

But Jesus comforted them. "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." And what a difference Jesus' words made! Peter was suddenly filled with a bold faith that cried out, "Lord, if it's you… tell me to come to you on the water."

And when Jesus granted permission—"Come."—Peter did it! He walked on the surface of the water! (And it wasn't even frozen! Again, that's an important point!) Now, just to be clear, it wasn't Peter's faith, but Jesus' power and Jesus' word that allowed Peter to walk on water with a firm foundation beneath his feet. But looking away separated him from Jesus' power.

Like the rolling waves, Peter's faith swelled from fear to faith when Jesus said "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." But just as quickly it sunk in a trough of fear when he took his eyes off Jesus. And Peter went down with his doubt.

You know, of all the miracles of Jesus' I think this is one of the most popular. And I think that's the case because we can so easily relate to Peter. One minute exhausted and terrified at what we see—in the bills, in the diagnosis, in the fighting, in the guilt and the shame. But then Jesus speaks and we're full of faith, rejoicing in God's words of comfort, ready to step out of the boat and do great things. But then we look around, we take our eyes off of Jesus, and again we sink back down.

Ah how much like the rolling waves our faith can rise and fall in such a short amount of time. And you know why, don't you? It's because we take our eyes off of Jesus—even if just for a moment! The Greek word that's translated as "doubt" here is literally "second-guessing."

Oh, we know the promises of Jesus. We've experienced his peace. We've even done great things by his power! But then a new challenge arises. And we wonder, "What about this time? This time will he let me sink? Will he save me? Will he really work all things for my good? I mean, just look at the waves this time! Look at the obstacles that stand in my way! Just look at the mess I've made of things this time!" And we second-guess that Jesus cares about us or that he has the power to do anything about it. And for second-guessing his love for us, for taking our eyes off of Jesus… well, quite frankly, we deserve to sink.

As Peter's feet and ankles and shins and knees and thighs were getting cold and wet, he did the right thing: He prayed to Jesus. And someone once put it well when he said, "Short prayers are long enough." "Lord, save me!" is all he cried. But what a beautiful prayer it was! And Jesus heard and answered: "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him."

Of course, a simple word from Jesus would have been enough to lift Peter out of the water and send him soaring through the sky and gently back onto the boat. But Jesus wanted Peter to feel his love in a real, tangible way. So he took him by hand and helped him back to the boat. "And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down." And John adds that another miracle took place saying, "immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading." (John 6:21)

And Jesus saved Peter from sinking and his disciples from the storm. But that wasn't the greatest salvation he provided for them that day. Greater still was how he saved them from their doubts and from their fears. Like the rolling waves, Peter's faith went from fear to faith, from faith back to fear, but now again from fear back to faith. And all the others with him. "Truly you are the Son of God," they declared. And with all certainty of who he was, with doubts driven from their minds, they worshiped him.

And Jesus offers and gives us that same salvation today! He removes our doubts and fears with the assurance of who he is. He walked on water! He enabled Peter to do the same! "Truly [he is] the Son of God!"

You know it's true. But sometimes we're tempted to look away from him and his Word and look at what we see. Sometimes it seems as if the whole world were crying out, "Look at me! Look at me!" There are so many things seeking your attention. The TV cries "Look at me!" The smart phone dings, "Look at me!" The pile of bills cries, "Look at me!" Your own sin scream, "Look at me!" And they can all distract us from where we should be looking: at Jesus.

But don't fall for it. You know you'll just sink again. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and you'll stay afloat! Even more, you'll walk on water!

When you look at your finances and see bills and debts greater than your income and get that sinking feeling, quit looking at what you see, but look to Jesus who promises, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26) And take courage! It's Jesus. Don't be afraid.

When you look at your failing health or read the diagnosis of a loved one and get that sinking feeling, quit looking at what you see, but look to Jesus who promises, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) And take courage! It's Jesus. Don't be afraid.

When you look at your struggling relationships and the problems you face every day and get that sinking feeling, quit looking at what you see, but look at Jesus who promises, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) And take courage! It's Jesus. Don't be afraid.

And when you look at the mess you've made of your life with your own sin, when you feel the guilt and the shame of what you've done, when you really get that sinking feeling, quit looking at what you see, but look to Jesus who promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Take courage! It's Jesus! "Truly [he is] the Son of God!" And as such, his death on the cross was surely enough to pay for all of your sin. His resurrection guarantees it! So don't be afraid.

Keep your eyes on him. Keep your eyes in the Word. And when your faith starts to tremble, cry out, "Lord, save me." And take heart! It's Jesus! Truly he is the Son of God! Truly he is your Savior—from your sin, from death, from hell, and from that sinking feeling. If Jesus told you to walk on water, there's no doubt: you could do it. But Jesus does tell you to take heart, to be of good cheer, to not be afraid, to quit doubting but believe. And you can do it. His Word and his promises give you power. Take heart, dear friends! It's Jesus!

A little girl was walking across an icy sidewalk and slipped and fell down. Not wanting to fall again, she grabbed her dad's hand and held on tight. But when he feet went out from under her, she also lost her grip and let go of daddy's hand and fell on the ice again. She got back up and said, "Daddy, why don't you hold my hand instead me holding yours?" The next time she slipped, her dad held on. He caught her and she swing from his arm with a laugh.

Whenever you get that sinking feeling, don't rely on your strength, but pray, "Lord, save me." Pray, "Jesus, you hold my hand instead me holding yours." And he will. And take courage! It's Jesus! Don't be afraid! Your sins are forgiven! He is with you! And he makes you strong enough to "step out of the boat," and do great things for him and with him. Take courage! It's Jesus! Don't be afraid. In his name, dear friends, Amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

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