Today we’re wondering at the potential that God has for us - as individuals - as a congregation. Enjoying the incredible reality that the living God is working in our lives. And yet God’s leading - at times - can overwhelm us - may even cause us to fear - to hesitate in following Him. Being guided by the hand of the sovereign God of creation is an awesome reality to consider. This morning I’d like to share about moving forward even when we feel overwhelmed by the working of God.

There was a pastor who had a kitten that had climbed up a tree in his backyard and then this kitten was afraid to come down. The pastor tried everything to get the kitten to come down. But, nothing worked. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb. So the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to the tree and tied the other end to his car and slowly drove away he could pull the tree over just far enough so he could reach up and get the kitten.

He did all this - constantly checking his progress in the car - until he got to the point where he figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent just enough for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car forward just a little, the rope broke. The tree went “booing!” and the kitten instantly sailed through the air out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they’d seen a little kitten. No one had. So this poor pastor finally gave up and went home.

A few days later he was at the grocery store where he met a lady from the church. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman hated cats. She had a reputation for hating cats. So the pastor asked her, “Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?”

Well, this lady told the pastor how her little girl had been begging her for a cat. But, of course this mother kept saying no. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the mother - exasperated - finally told her little girl, “Well, if God gives you a cat, I’ll let you keep it.”

She told the pastor, “I watched my child go out in the yard, get down on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won’t believe this. But, I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.”

God works in ways that we seldom understand. That lack of understanding can overwhelm us. We see God at work and yet we struggle with what He does. And yet God does not call us to understanding but to trust in Him and move forward. To grow in our trust - to move forward in obedience - even as we struggle with what He does.

Please turn with me to Matthew 14 - starting at verse 27. As you’re turning let me refresh our memories about this passage. This is a familiar scene. It comes just after Jesus has fed upwards of 10,000 men, women, and children. Miraculously fed by Jesus with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes - with 12 baskets of bread left over.

Jesus has come to the end of a long day of ministry. The crowds have gone. He sends the disciples out in a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus - finally alone - goes up on to the mountain to pray. He prays well into the night and into the early hours of the next morning. Till what was called the 4th watch of the night - somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. - that kind of eerie twilight time between night and dawn.

Meanwhile - out in the boat - out on the Sea of Galilee about 2 miles from shore - the disciples are battling waves which are pounding the boat and wind which is blowing them away from where they want to go. In the midst of all this struggle - there in the eerie twilight they see this figure walking across the water. An amazing scene - Jesus - not hurrying or bothered by the wind and waves - Jesus is calmly walking - like we’d stroll down the sidewalk without a care in the world - in the midst of the storm Jesus is calmly walking across the water from the shore to the boat.

The disciples - with the poor light and wind and waves - the disciples don’t recognize Jesus. So, the disciples are terrified. In fear they cry out, “It’s a ghost! Its some kind of spiritual apparition foretelling our death. We’ve had it. We’re goin’ to die.”

Then Matthew 14:27: But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He - Jesus - said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying “You are certainly God’s son!”

Bruce for the last 2 weeks has been teaching the Adult Sunday School class - sharing from his heart about ministry - the ministry that we all share together. How many of you have been in that class? As a reference Bruce has been using a book by Erwin McManus, entitled, “An Unstoppable Force” (1) Great book.

Erwin McManus points out something here in Matthew 14 that I’d never seen before. Look with me again at verse 30. Notice what it says there. Peter, “seeing the wind he became frightened.”

When was the last time any of us saw the wind? It wasn’t the waves or the fear of drowning or the walking on the water that led Peter to fear. He saw the wind. The Greek word here for “seeing” has the idea of discerning something - considering something. Peter is looking at the wind and examining it - not the effect of the wind. But the wind itself.

Peter says to Jesus, “If you command me to come out there and walk towards you on the water I’ll do it.” That’s amazing to us - the faith that Peter had - to get out of the boat and onto the raging sea. But that’s the easy part. Because the poor lighting - the sea - even the chaos of the waves is familiar to us - something that fits to our understanding of how things work.

Jesus commands him and Peter walks on the water. It’s like God inspiring us to move forward into a ministry - an opportunity - to do what we’ve never attempted before - to go beyond what is comfortable for us. And even as we’re trying to fit all that into our understanding of how things work - we see the wind - the invisible - the reality of where God is at work. And that terrifies us. Like Peter, we doubt.

The Apostle Paul writes, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to wind. (John 3:8) The Holy Spirit comes as wind at Pentecost. (Acts 2:2) In Greek the word of God is called “theopneustos” - the “wind of God” which flows through the human authors. (2 Timothy 3:16) Jesus has authority over the wind - commands the wind to stop blowing. (Mark 4:39) God who is Spirit. (John 4:24) Seeing the wind is to glimpse behind the curtain - to see the supernatural realm in which God operates - the gates of hell - the Divine power. Seeing all that, will we have the courage to obey - to step out of our boat and to keep walking in obedience as Jesus commands us?

What brings us to fear - to hesitate in following God?

Not too many years ago I was driving my Volkswagen Bug along the freeway when the traffic in front of me stopped. It stopped. I didn’t - at least not fast enough. The lady I nudged from behind was driving a Mercedes. While my heart was breaking over the complete devastation of the front of my Volkswagen Bug she was on her cell phone with her insurance agency whining about a small scratch on her Mercedes’ bumper. An car accident can change our life. At the very least - if you’ve been in an accident you know that afterwards we drive with that memory in our mind - a little more cautious - a little more aware of what can happen. Its hard to forget the sounds - the feelings.

Look with me a Deuteronomy 2. That same kind of fear - only on a much larger and deeper scale - that same kind of fear and hesitancy is here with God’s people. In Deuteronomy 2 there’s an account of God taking His people - the former slaves of Egypt and transforming them into the conquerors of the promised land. In Deuteronomy 2:24 - God says to His people, “Go to the Valley of Arnon and conquer Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon and all of his land. I’ve given him to you. This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere. They’re going to hear about you and tremble.” (Deuteronomy 2:24,25)

There’s a tremendous potential here - of what God will do in and through His people. This is a pivotal moment in history - the beginning - the people of God becoming the conquerors of the Promised Land. God is going to use His people to declare His sovereignty to the nations. God is going to establish His people. No one will be able to stand before them. God is very specific. Go out and conquer. Start with Sihon. I’ve given Him to you.

Then in Deuteronomy 2:26 Moses sends messengers to Sihon, king of Heshbon with these words, “Let me pass through your land, I will travel only on the highway; I will not turn aside to the right or to the left. You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot.”

Do hear the tone of that? Its not exactly, “Surrender or die. God has given you into our hands.” God hands over the Promised Land to His people and they’re apologizing for it. “Please let us pass through. We’ll pay whatever price you want for the things we’ll need.”

What gives? Why are these people so afraid? Put simply, we can take the slave out of Egypt. But its hard to take the Egypt out of the slave. After 400 years of slavery these are people with a slave mentality - fear caused by the experiences they’ve gone through. They’ve got 400 years of whippings and poor food and forced labor - tragedy and struggle and oppression - 400 years of memories of Egypt in their minds. Even after the defeat of Pharaoh - after 40 years of witnessing first hand God’s miraculous provision for them while they were wandering in the desert. That slavery is hard to let go of and move forward trusting God. “We’re slaves. Not conquerors.”

In verse 30, God turns the heart of Sihon against Israel. Prods Sihon to go to war against Israel. God backs His own people into a corner. They have no choice. They have to fight. And at a place called Jahaz - God defeats Sihon. Suddenly Israel realizes that they’re God’s people. He will lead them. The slaves rise up to become conquerors. (Deuteronomy 2:24-37)

What brings us to fear - to shrink back from all that God has for us? Maybe its hard to let go of Egypt. Tragedy - illness - words that have wounded us - the scaring of our hearts - struggles in our homes - conflicts in the church - issues of our own security - our pride - uncertainty about the future. Name your own Egypt. Its hard to let go of those feelings.

As we struggle to trust God and walk forward out of the familiar experiences of our past - our churches can become fortresses. We hide within the familiar. We cling to the tangible - hold onto what we have. Memories of what was. We hesitate. Who are we really? This church here on “G” street out here in the San Joaquin Valley. “Did God really command us? Is God really with us?”

God brings us - as individuals - as a congregation - God brings us to opportunities when He lays out His promises before us and we have no idea what will happen if we step forward. We see Him working - the wind - and we fear. But, like Israel with Sihon God brings us up against what seems impossible to us only to force us to trust in Him. To leave our understanding. To learn that we can rely on Him. To prove that even in the wind He’s control.

In Matthew 14:28 Peter tells Jesus, “Command me to come and I’ll come.” Jesus says, “Come.” It’s a command. Step out on the water and walk.

Did Jesus know that Peter would step out on the water? Sure. Did Jesus know that Peter would see the wind and begin to sink? Sure. But still Jesus gives the command. When Peter sinks Jesus is already right next to him - to pull Peter from the waves. We’re never beyond God’s reach. When they get into the boat the wind stops. Jesus proves He’s control of the wind. Our response to His command is to step out in faith.

As I’ve been praying and thinking about how all this relates to our lives this morning - I’d like to share a challenge with you - a challenge for all of us - as individuals and as a congregation.

In Matthew 9 there’s the account of Jesus in Palestine - going through cities and villages - teaching in the synagogues - healing different kinds of diseases - proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. In Matthew 9:36 we read that when Jesus saw the people - with all that burdened them - because the people were harassed and helpless - living without a true knowledge of God - we read that when Jesus saw the people Jesus felt compassion for them. That word “compassion” is crucial.

Compassion means sympathy - to feel with. For Jesus that sympathy would bring Him to earth in the flesh of mankind. Sympathy meant Jesus Himself would bear the penalty for our sin on the cross. God wounded for us.

As followers of Jesus, compassion means that we must identify with the pain of this world. That’s a calling to go beyond the comfortable - to move into the realm of wind.

Compassion means outrage. We can’t just stop with sympathy. Compassion means that we’re moved from deep within our hearts. To find within us an anger at the spiritual forces of evil which bind the hearts of mankind. Compassion that moves us to respond by proclaiming the liberating life and salvation of the Gospel.

In Matthew 9 - looking out across the burdened and broken crowds - as Jesus is moved to compassion, He turns to His disciples and says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest.” (Matthew 9:37,38)

That’s a challenge for us. In Mark 16:15 Jesus commands His disciples - us - “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” How can we beg God to raise up others with compassion for the lost - to be harvesters - how can we beg God to raise up others when He has commanded us to go?

Jesus does not say, “First make sure that you have adequate funding. First make sure that you have the right facilities. First make sure you have a full staff. First make sure you have the proper training and experience. First make sure you have everything you think is important all taken care of so that you feel safe. Then go out into the harvest.”

Looking forward into the future - from our human perspective there’s always uncertainty. There’s this new pastor. Who knows what that will mean. Suddenly we’re partners in ministry and there’s a whole city out there - a world - a harvest field that needs to know Jesus.

What is God calling you to this morning? What possibility is He laying before you?

This is exciting. Isn’t it? God calls us to see the wind and to know that He’s in control. To know that He’s commanded us to go out together as conquerors into this world. The challenge for us - when we see Him doing things which may seem strange to us. Things which may tempt us to be fearful - to hesitate. The challenge for each one of us is to get out of our boat and to walk forward trusting Him. To go regardless of what we may fear and to live and proclaim His Gospel.

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1. McManus, Erwin Raphael, An Unstoppable Force: Daring To Become The Church God Had In Mind, Group Publishing, Loveland, Colorado, 2001