God speaks!
For some people I’m sure that a statement like that sounds like complete lunacy, but it’s the truth.
This weekend we have seen another example of God using ordinary people to speak to other ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
We are in the middle of a series titled What would Jesus say… it’s really a non-series where we have asked people to bring a message that they believe God has given them for us.
That doesn’t mean that we are going to get completely different messages in each service because our experience tells us that God has a remarkable way of creating a common theme. This weekend was another example of that; both Mark Sleet and Chris Drury brought messages that encouraged us and challenged us to move into a journey of faith.
Mark Sleet spoke to us about the experience that Peter had when he went walking on the water with Jesus. Chris Drury spoke to us about the example of Abraham.
Both of them were talking about moving out of a place of comfort into a place of adventure – an adventure of faith.
Some of my thoughts from both of them:
- Am I comfortable with living with a fear?
- Where am I in a comfort zone? Am I willing to risk it?
- It isn’t enough to just speak faith. If Peter had just said “tell me to come to you on the water” and not gone when told to “come” he would have been a failure.
- If it’s already within your ability to do it – it’s not faith.
- Abraham didn’t know where God was taking him when he set of – and neither did Peter.
- Peter’s faith was revealed instantaneously – Abraham’s was revealed over decades.
- If Jesus says come – there is nothing to fear, we can step out in faith.
- God is big enough.
- Jesus was there when Peter reached out his hand.
- Faith is an adventure.
- The correct response for both Peter and Abraham was worship.
What thoughts struck you?
Truly the faith of Abraham is very encouraging.
– when he left his father’s house in obedience to God’s call
– when he waited 25 years for the birth of the son God promised him
– when he courageously bargained with God for Sodom and Gomorrah
– when he let go of Ishmael at God’s word
– and when he obediently prepared Isaac to be a burnt offering.
As this story was given us to be our pattern of the kind of faith we should have, may it be in us. For God’s glory.
Hello
I brought my parents to FFMC last week in the morning (they usually go to Cleveleys Baptist Church) and my Dad made an interesting comment which I hope will be of interest/benefit to someone. The minister at their Church was recently preaching on the story of Peter walking on the water coming from a slightly different perspective…..
We often focus on the Jesus vs Peter encounter but what about the other disciples in the boat? Were they wrong to stay in the boat full of fear and not copy Peter’s example?
The suggestion was that we should not criticise the other disciples for staying in the boat as Jesus did not command any others to get out of the boat and walk on water. Without Jesus’ specific command which we know created and sustains all things, they surely would have drowned if they had tried to copy Peter!!!
The key is being ready to act on Jesus’ command – do what he says and when he says it.
Maybe there are instances where we as individual Christians/Churches “step out of the boat” just for the sake of “stepping out of the boat” – just because someone else or another Church is doing it and without any specific command from Jesus.
Thanks for the comments Andy.
I have always found both Peter and Abraham really interesting characters to study. Both of them are held up as heroes of faith, but both of them messed up big time!
Yet God used heroic failures – because they were willing to go? Because they were willing to trust? Because they were willing to listen to the master’s voice and not those of the people around them? Whatever the cost?
I’m glad he still uses us failures…
Terah struck me as I prepared. Often I have heard preachers criticise him for only going to Haran. But he went. Under his son’s vision, calling. How many of us would be willing to uproot our family from the safety and security of civilised Ur, to go to somewhere – “not sure where dad” and live in a tent for the rest of their lives?
I guess two things come out:
1. Are we willing to see what God is doing in other’s lives and go with them, honour them and walk with them?
2. How important is it that we hear God’s voice, call to us personally? Yet so often, when God speaks, it is counter-comfort. Illogical. Safer to stay than go? Why leave the safety and security of the boat, or Ur for the wilds of the unknown?
Bring on the pioneers…