May 16, 2010 - It's Sink or Swim Time!

Matthew 14: 22-33 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

28 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ ²⁹He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. ³⁰But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

In the movie, Walking Across Egypt

Wesley is a local delinquent who has been courted by trouble throughout his life. Currently residing in a detention center. Mattie is a lonely widow who sees an opportunity to dedicate herself to a worthy cause, and opens her home to help the troubled youngster. In one scene, they are about to go fishing, but Wesley reveals that he doesn’t want to get into the boat because he can’t swim.  Mattie pushes him off of the dock into the water and after panicking, she coaches him, and he begins to kick and stroke his arms. “I’m doing it! I’m swimming!” says Wesley.

Now that’s a metaphor for life (re: the video scene from movie Walking Across Egypt).

There you are, standing on the dock facing an overwhelming challenge when out of nowhere someone or something unexpectedly pushes you over the edge and it’s sink or swim time!

Wesley is pushed off the dock because Mattie knows something he doesn’t know. Peter is called to “come, let’s take a walk” by Jesus, because Jesus knows something he doesn’t know.

In both cases it’s a sink-or-swim situation that will reveal whether the person emerges simply as a survivor OR if they will emerge from their overwhelming challenge as a faithful leader. Reflect carefully on these two similar yet different outcomes.  Both survivors and leaders are grateful for God’s help in crisis. Both may share their story of fears and faith in the midst of the challenges. However only one will learn from the frightful situation to emerge as a faithful leader.

The boy begins to paddle and stay afloat, he exclaims “hey, I can swim, I’m doing it!”

Peter on the other hand, begins to sink and a cries out “Lord save me!”. He is submerged by his fears. Even though he walks on water, he does not emerge a leader; not yet anyhow.

For when he is miraculously walking on water, he takes his focus off of Jesus and sees the overwhelming challenges threatening all around him and he begins to panic and sink. It’s in fear, rather than faith, that he cries out “Lord save me!”.  Now of course, Jesus does save him, and asks him a crucial question, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Even decent swimmers who panic may drown. How they react to overwhelming circumstances has less to do with their physical abilities and more to do with their ability to connect with the powerful spiritual strength within.

In the gospels, the most common command that Jesus teaches is to “not be afraid” or “do not fear”. Because Jesus knows the debilitating nature of fear.

He says in today’s bible text when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’” I like the New Living Translation of the bible that reads “Take courage, I am here!”

How do we take courage in the midst of overwhelming challenges we face?

I’ll share a few thoughts, and you also think of some tips that work in your life.

Whether or not storms come, we cannot choose. But where we stare during a storm, that we can choose.

The first way to take courage is to know where to stare in a storm.

Driving in Colorado during a storm can be overwhelming if we stare at the snow or rain rather than the road in front of us.

Recently a friend told me of driving with some passengers from back East.  A sudden snow storm blew in while they were on I-25 in the front range.  Huge mesmerizing flakes flying past the headlights.  The passengers were panicked; “How are you staying on the road?!”  He replied that you either stare at the road in front of you or the reflector posts on the shoulder.  My friend knew where to stare in the storm, and therefore could lead everyone safely down the road.

Secondly, we can take courage when thrown into unexpected situations by remembering that Christ is here with us.  The disciples did not expect to see Jesus walking to them on the water. In unexpected situations, expect to experience Christ.  After all, his name Emmanuel means “God with us”.

Another way to take courage in overwhelming circumstances is to be well-trained in the spiritual disciplines. Practicing spiritual disciplines means exercising our faith regularly in the routines prayer, scripture study, worship, etc. so that when it’s sink or swim time, we are “response-able” able to respond faithfully i.e. glorify God & build up Christ’s Body.

Spiritual disciplines are the actions which we do what we can do in order to receive from God the ability & power to do what we cannot do by our own direct efforts.

For example, when Peter sank he took his focus off of Christ.  And he will endure several more trials before he finally says three times in the face of Christ himself “Lord you know that I love you!” and then he will be transformed by the Spirit of God and dedicate the rest of his life to serving the Lord as a faithful leader.

He learned where to stare in the storm, and how to maintain the courage through his spirituality to emerge as a dynamic leader in the Christian faith. Later in his life, Peter’s letters give courage to others in overwhelming challenges.

His letter 1 Peter 3 he proclaims “Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you” (3:14-15).

In the next chapter he encourages those who are suffering, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.” (4:12-13).

As the saying goes, “Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith and your fears will starve.” This week I encourage you to read 1 and 2 Peter against the backdrop of one who saw the storms around him and sank like a rock, and eventually let Jesus Christ teach him where to stare in the storms, and transform him into a faith-filled leader.

A man with a PhD in leadership development by Christian author Bruce Wilkinson  was asked a key question: “Based on all your research and experience, what would you say is the most important secret to developing world-class leaders?” “Well, it’s not a course, a lecture, or a book,” he said. “The single best way to develop leaders, is to take people out of their safe environment and away from the people they know, and throw them into a new arena they know little about. Way over their head, preferably. In fact, the more demanding their challenges, the more pressure and risk they face, the more likely a dynamic leader will emerge.” (The Dream Giver pg. 117)

As Tracy and I feel called to continue in ministry here, she also has received a God-given dream to help people and mustang horses through a mutual relationship.

Therefore, we have been looking at buying a bigger horse property and selling our home.  We’ve been looking in different areas around the valley for months.  No sooner than we put our home up for sale than we saw a place right near the Glade Park store come up for sale.  Miraculously, God has opened doors to us buying their home on 40 acres, and they are buying our home!  As everything continues, we’ll close on the home in late June and move in early July, in order to continue in ministry here for some years to come.

Honestly, it’s all tremendously overwhelming. We’re moving into an “arena” we know little about, way over our head that involves new pressures and some risk.  The second we forget where to stare, the waves of anxiety overwhelm us. 

And something inside calls us to look to Christ once again, who called us to “come” to Grand Junction in the first place and remember his the words “Take courage, I am here!”.

Max Lucado writes in his book Fearless that “Fear loves a good stampede. So let’s be among those who stay calm. Let’s recognize danger but not be overwhelmed. Be aware of the frightful, but remain faithful. Acknowledge threats but refuse to be defined by them. We can choose to be numbered among those who view present reality through the lens of eternal faith. For faith empowers people to see Jesus in the storm – calling us to “come” walk in faith to better and bold realities that will glorify God and help God’s people. Amen.