Chapter 2 If you want to walk on water … : Boat Potatoes
Thesis: We should not let fear or sloth prevent us from stepping out in faith.
Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus Walks on the Water
22 aImmediately He 1made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, aHe went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already 1a long distance from the land, 2battered by the waves; for the wind was 3acontrary. 25 And in athe 1fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is aa ghost!" And they cried out 1in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "aTake courage, it is I; bdo not be afraid." 28 Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "aYou of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly aGod's Son!"
Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of the Talents
14 "aFor it is just like a man babout to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 "To one he gave five 1atalents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he bwent on his journey. 16 "Immediately the one who had received the five atalents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his 1master's money. 19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and asettled accounts with them. 20 "The one who had received the five atalents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and afaithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will bput you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your 1master.' 22 "Also the one who had received the two atalents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and afaithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 "And the one also who had received the one atalent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 'Then you ought to have put my money 1in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' 29 "aFor to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 "Throw out the worthless slave into athe outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I. Intro
A. When I was a teenager I played little league basketball. And it was little league. The big leagues was the high school basketball team. I was only playing in the township basketball league. But to me it was important. I was a solid player, but not outstanding. Sometimes the coach had me in the starting five and sometimes not. But one thing I remember clearly was that when it came time to pick a captain for the team my name was put forward by my fellow players. I was a little surprised but mostly fearful. I didn't believe in myself. I was not a Christian. I was generally not confident in my own abilities and also as a leader of others. I remember that at the time of electing a captain I resisted when my name was put forward. Whether it was because it was a vulnerable time in my life not long after my parents has split up and divorced or if it was just me, I don't know. But fear paralyzed me from seizing the moment, from taking the opportunity and from being all that I could be.
B. It's a shame because it was a chance to become a better person, a better leader and a better servant of others. The price I paid for not taking that opportunity or that "gift" was growth as a person.
C. God gives us each a gift or a talent. If we stay in the boat and don't step out and use the gifts God has given us in faith and trust then we sacrifice growth - spiritual growth. That's the high cost and tragedy of being a boat potatoe (ie. sitting in the boat!).
II. We should not let fear or sloth prevent us from stepping out in faith
A. State
1. We've been studying the passage about Jesus walking on water. This week I want to consider the 11 who stayed in the boat. What was the difference between them and Peter - why didn't they walk on water, why didn't they go out on the water, why did they stay in the boat? And what keeps us in our boat, in our comfort zone? What keeps us from stepping out in faith and trusting Jesus?
2. First, we must remember why Jesus was there. The broader context is that it is about a year before Jesus' death. He has only this time to help his disciples understand who He really is. John the Baptist was recently beheaded and the troops are a bit jumpy and frightened. They need rallying so that the enemy doesn't score a victory.
3. So, first Jesus feeds 5000 people from 5 loaves and 2 fish. But the Gospel of Mark 6:45-52 says that the disciples "had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." Jesus had a lot of work to do with the disciples and not a lot of time.
4. So, on to the next miracle in hopes that they would start to put 2 and 2 together and start to realize who he really is.
5. So, last week we established that Jesus didn't walk out on the water to save save the disciples from the stormy sea at 3am in the morning. But instead He was "passing by" a term used in the OT for an epiphany of God (a God showing or manifestation of God) (Exodus 33:19, 22).
6. Another clue is that when they cried out that it was a ghost, Jesus answered them saying , "It is I" (the greek term "ego eimi"). This is the same exact phrase used by God when Moses asked God who should I say has sent me when I go to the Egyptians with this message? Tell them "I am" has sent you ("ego eimi"). This term would have struck a cord with the disciples.
7. And it did with Peter who was the only one who seems to have gotten it. We can imagine Jesus' delight when Peter said to him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." (NAS) Jesus must have thought - aha at least one of them gets it!
8. Yet God gives us all gifts and talents to use for His kingdom. Not just some as is so well pointed out by the parable of the talents. That is why there are three servants in the parable and not two. Usually there are two - a protagonist and an antagonist but in this parable there are three because it gives a real life-like picture of God's dispensing of talent and gifts. He gives everyone something. Maybe some are more highlighted by our world (like the one who is given 5 talents) and others less so, but each servant was given something to invest in the kingdom.
9. But notice that in verse 16 of this parable the first slave IMMEDIATELY (or "AT ONCE" NIV) went out and invested the large sum of money that was given him and it yielded even more. He did this as if it was a chance of a lifetime and he didn't want to let it slip by.
a) The Lord of the Gift had given him the greatest opportunity in a lifetime.
b) And Jesus gives you and I the opportunity of a lifetime to use our gifts and abilities for him.
c) How have you responded?
(1) IMMEDIATELY like the first slave? He responded immediately because he didn't want to lose such an amazing opportunity. He didn't want to just let it slip away. He didn't want to wait until TOMORROW because tomorrow might turn into a week, a month, a year and pretty soon it's too late. The gift remains unused…
(2) The time to respond and use your gift is NOW, IMMEDIATELY
10. The third slave was a different story. Firstly, fear paralyzed him.
a) When the master came back to settle accounts (and He will come back to settle accounts), the slave said that he was "afraid" and so he buried the talent instead of investing it.
b) We can look at external circumstances and get fearful or we can accept fear as the price for growth.
c) The disciples in the boat looked at the strong wind on the lake and stayed in the boat. What is the first words Jesus says to them out on the water: "don't be afraid. It is I"! They took their eyes off Jesus and put them onto the circumstances.
(1) You can hear the disciples' conversation afterward:
(a) I would have gone out on the water if the wind hadn't been so strong.
(b) I would have gone out on the water if I hadn't just bought this new all-cotton robe.
(c) It's like us:
(i) I would develop my gifts but I have a boss who stifles my initiative
(ii) I would grow in my capacity for intimacy but my spouse isn't interested.
(iii) I would devote myself more fully to spiritual growth but I can't find the time.
(iv) When I feel confident then I'll use this gift
(v) When my spouse is more cooperative then I'll work on being a better partner.
(2) Are you facing some difficult circumstances? What are you focusing on? Are you fixing your eyes on Jesus or the difficult circumstances? Are you looking at the Lord of the wind and the sea or are you looking at only the strong wind whirling around your boat and you are becoming frightened?
d) Fear nearly paralyzed a lot of Biblical characters:
(1) Moses was afraid to speak for God
(2) Gideon didn't think he was adequate to work for God
(3) Esther was afraid to put her life on the line
(4) But in the end they believed and trusted their God and God proved faithful.
e) And a very scary aspect of this story is that the third servant isn't judged for doing something bad, but for doing nothing. He didn't steal, embezzle or cheat anyone. He simply failed to use his gift - the abilities and talents which God had given him.
11. In fact in verse 26 Jesus says that sloth gripped this third servant. The exact words Jesus uses are "wicked, lazy" slave.
a) The Bible is clear that we are to be good stewards of what God has given us. This parable is an example of this principle.
b) To not be a good steward of what God has given you is a form of robbing God.
c) And sloth is not just laziness as we know the word. When we think of laziness we think of someone sitting around on the couch all day, watching television and eating bon bons. But sloth can co-exist with much busyness. It is rather "the failure to do what needs to be done when it needs doing."
(1) It's like the kamikaze pilot who flew 17 missions!
(2) Pastor John Ortberg writes, sloth consists of "loss of meaning, purpose, and hope, coupled with indifference to the welfare of others"
III. Conclusion
A. So, the question that leaps out to us from this passage today is this: will you chose mediocrity, stagnation and unrealized potential and stay in the comfort of the boat?
B. This choice leads to a sense that you are not living YOUR life; the one you were supposed to live. It leads to boredom and what one man called "the common cold of the soul" which he described like this:
1. "… sinful patterns of behaviour that never get confronted and changed,
2. Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed -
3. Until weeks become months
4. And months turn into years,
5. And one day you're looking back on a life of
6. Deep intimate gut-wrenchingly honest conversations you never had;
7. Great bold prayers you never prayed,
8. Exhilarating risks you never took,
9. Sacrificial gifts you never offered
10. Lives you never touched
11. And your sitting on the couch with a shrivelled soul,
12. And forgotten dreams
13. And you realize that there was a world of desperate need,
14. And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself -
15. You see the person you could have become but did not;
16. You never followed your calling.
17. You never got out of the boat."
C. Don't miss the greatest opportunity of your life - to use the gift which God has given you. Each of you has talents and abilities to be used for God's purposes here on earth.
D. You may feel that from a human perspective you have little to offer - nothing very visible or dramatic and that it doesn't count for much. Jesus made it clear that this isn't true. You are called to use whatever you have been given - to live YOUR life for the glory of God.
E. The Lord of the Gift can take five loaves and two fish and feed the multitudes. The Lord of the Gift can the two pence of the widow and turn it into the lead gift in the whole giving campaign.
1. video projector so we can display Polish verses and words on the screen during the service but we are waiting to see if more than three people will take up the call to give. We can't move on this until that happens. We don't have a lot of expenses, but we don't have a lot of givers either.
F. The Lord of the Gift can take a stuttering, fearful Moses and defy a world-class dictator and his army.
1. I'd like for others to lead the cell group from time to time. Are you willing to step out of the boat and hear the call to lead?
G. The Lord of the Gift can go from a blood-stained cross to an empty tomb.
H. The Lord of the Gift can take 12 bumbling, fearful followers and create a community that has spread throughout the world.
I. He is a surprisingly resourceful person the Lord of the Gift. He can take what you have to offer and make a difference for eternity with that gift.
J. What will you do with your gift?
For questions, comments or further information contact:
Rev Jeff Fry
Darwin Park Community Church