The Risks of Discipleship: Matthew 14: 22-33

I believe miracles still happen in the world.

I believe that miraculous things that cannot be explained outside of the grace of God happen all day every day.
And, I believe that miracles that mirror the miracles that Christ performed throughout the four gospels still happen.

And I know for sure, that there are evangelists and preachers throughout the world who claim to have the power to do such miracles. Who claim to have the power to heal. Who claim to have the power to bless people financially. Who claim to be able to draw demons out of people.

People claim all kinds of things through the power of God. They claim to have seen heaven in near-death experiences. Actually stood in the presence of the power of God, and we even had a woman here in georgia who talked to Mary, and could predict people's future and help them out of confusing times.

But I have never heard of anyone who has ever walked on water. You would think that would be more common than visiting heaven and telling others about it. There is water everywhere in our world, you would think someone would walk on it!

I tried to think back, and the only instance I could think of ANYTHING walking on water is the Jesus Lizard, called that precisely because it can run across shallow pools of water. We know it can do that because it is running very fast and distributes its weight over its large webbed feet. If it stopped moving, it would sink.

I even tried to google it. And apparently the magician Kriss Angel performed a trick where he walks on water, but its just that, a trick. There were plexiglass walkways at the pool where he performs. And all the swimmers are actors.
Walking on water is one of those things that we remember most about Jesus, its printed on t-shirts and things like that, but its one thing we CANNOT understand. Because we have never seen it again, and I have never heard of anyone actually doing it.

Have any of you? By a show of hands? See, I was really hoping. Then, you could just come up and tell us about it rather than me just venturing some guesses.

Maybe its our lack of faith, as Jesus says as he pulls a very soggy Peter out from the crashing waves. Oh, you of little faith.

I want that faith! I want the faith Peter had to even get out of the boat!

This is known as a 'nature miracle.' because it is a miracle where God shows his control over even the laws of nature and physics. Stretching our idea of what is possible in life. And that is good to have in our lives, to know that nothing is impossible with God.

It's similar to last week, when the disciples took a look at a hillside covered with people like someone had just kicked over an anthill, and thinking that there was no way they could feed all of the people there with the meager fish and bread. And Jesus reminded them...nothing is impossible with God. Go give them something to eat.

I've never been in a storm out at sea, but I have been caught in some pretty violent storms, and I've done storm cleanup after disasters have wrecked homes and lives, so I know what storms can do.

Storms, like Katrina or the tsunami or the tornadoes we had in April are the most stark reminder of our lack of control in life. They give credence to Robert Burns poem 'to a mouse.' the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. The power of water has always inspired fear in us due to its inspiration of chaos.

It's this way in the Bible too. The world, in the beginning is chaos and covered with water until God breathes on it. The world is flooded. The Israelites must pass through the red sea that God separates for them to escape Egypt. And again must pass through the swollen Jordan river to enter the promised land.

Water is chaotic.

And inspires fear.

So when a squall comes upon the disciples when they are in a boat, they are standing in chaos.

And Jesus walks to them. Showing that even in chaos, God is still in control, and nothing is impossible.

Now, I think what this says to our faith is not that Jesus walking on water proves anything to us. It doesn't provide proof to our faith. Rather, it tells us something, so that we might respond in faith. As Peter does. He wasn't sure about himself, but he gets out of the boat.

So many people say that a big problem we have in the world right now is a crisis of faith. If people would just believe, then things would be better.

Former pastor of riverside church Ernest Campbell said, maybe the reason we seem to be lacking faith in our age is that we dont do anything that requires it.

And what this miracle teaches us about faith is that it comes with risk. The risk of doing something that requires faith.

First, the risk of belief. Because while so many people try to prove why they have faith, it inherently involves risk. It involves getting out of the boat. It involves benign in the chaos, and knowing that with God nothing is impossible.
And second, there is a risk that God is going to ask you to do something when you have faith.

Faith in Jesus guarantees that you are going to be asked to get up and follow him, not sit and watch him do everything.
Where is the chaos and risk in your life? It is there for each of us. We all go through times when we don't know what to do.

I feel it every day. That I don't know what to do, but have faith that God is going to lead me to and through the chaos.
In our church, you all are asked to do a lot. And sometimes it is risky for you, because it would be a lot easier to just say you were a part of this church and never come and do nothing. That is a lot easier. But I know you all don't do that.
You know that being a part of this church means something, and that while asked to do a lot, you know that is what faith truly is and requires of us.


I know that there is going to be risk in my faith and in being a disciple. We see it time and time again in Scripture and in life. And we will have the same doubts that Peter had when he realized what it was he was actually doing when walking on water.

I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if it will be successful. I don't know if I have the energy. I can't know for sure that the storm won't come.

And the good news is...Jesus picks us up out of those waves of doubt and fear. Smiles and laughs. O, you of little faith. But remember what I said about those with little faith, you can move mountains. So keep putting yourself in places that require faith. I will be there too.

I hope you all have weighed the risk of faith, and have found that that is where life is. I hope you make the decision to follow knowing that the risk is there. If you haven't, our doors are open to help you get out of the boat and to lift you up. And there is no better time to start, than right now. Invite your friends and neighbors too, we would love for them to experience the life of Christ.

So maybe we have never heard of anyone walking on water. But we did see 60 kids here for VBS and had new teachers working with them who were nervous, but they got out of the boat and found God was with them.

Maybe we can't walk on water. But we can collect school supplies and give them to kids who might need them. We can serve meals together. We can be the church for those celebrating life, and remembering those who have passed. Maybe we are called to something bigger than ourselves, but Jesus is with us, lifting us from the waves of doubt, and calming the storm. Telling us, keep following. You will walk on water someday. For now, follow me and listen for my call.