Getting Out of the Boat

I’m letting you know right up front that today’s message is for all those who profess a saving faith in God. From a lifetime of church and bible reading, even in moderation, we have a pretty fair idea of what kind of life we should be living. Better yet, God indicates repeatedly that He’s on our side and more than willing to help us along the way. What He asks it that we take those daily steps of faith in order to tap into His power and guidance for our lives. Sounds great, right? Eternal fire insurance paid up by Jesus, check. Instruction manual (the bible) provided in nearly every language, check. God is our coach. The Holy Spirit has been provided to play the role of Jimminy Cricket - and so much more. We’ve read the end of the book and we already know the good guys win. Alrighty then, looks like this life of faith and obedience is all charted out and it should be smooth sailing … in theory. However, much like the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness, we seem to go weak in the knees when it comes down to living our daily lives out in the real world. First of all, the life of faith is the real world. Second of all, there’s no secret formula to successfully living a life of faith. Perhaps I’m preaching to the choir, but I’m in the choir and I certainly struggle with this every day. We huddle in our homes and churches discussing how to change both ourselves and the world, yet we often fall flat when it actually comes down to executing. This is where I love the example of the Apostle Peter. Jesus called him the rock, but he stumbled through his life of faith much the same as we do. The great thing about Peter, however, was his willingness to act. At times he was kind of a ready-fire-aim guy, but at least he moved forward. One of my favorite images is that of the frightened apostles out in a boat on the Sea of Galilee during a storm. They’re best friends with the creator of the universe, but have difficulty translating that knowledge into action. When Jesus comes walking across the water to save them, instead of rejoicing at the miracle, they remain as frightened and wet as ever. Only Peter has the faith to leap out of the boat and claim the saving power of his relationship with Jesus in the midst of that raging storm. It’s a great picture to focus on in the midst of the inevitable storms in our own lives. Maybe that is the secret to successful Christian living. We don’t need paperback books or “three easy steps” sermons. We simply need to take a deep breath, climb out of the boat, keep our eyes on Jesus and start walking. In the end, Peter showed us that faith isn’t something we can merely say or feel, it’s what we do. Faith is action. So for all of you other sheep who, like me, often feel daunted by what God asks of us, it’s time that we climb out of the boat and get down to the business at hand. That first step is a doozy … but it’s the one we most need to take. Here goes! Getting Out of the Boat In the black of the night, the waves tossed the boat And the roar of the wind filled the air While twelve weary men pulled, in vain, at the oars They were frightened and close to despair When Jesus appeared, walking over the waves Across the water, He came to their aid Even though He had fed the five thousand that day They couldn't believe, and the men were afraid But Peter jumped up and cried, "Call to me, Lord And I'll walk on the water to You!" Jesus said, "Come." and Peter climbed out Then he walked on the water too The men in the boat, astonished, believed Yet, though they had seen with their eyes None, but Peter, stepped out of the boat with the Lord None could muster the faith up to try These were the men who had been with the Lord Who'd seen Him heal the sick and the lame Eleven disciples, the apostles, stood by Unwilling to trust or to call on His name How often we cower before the storm Content to sit in the boat with the rest Knowing well what the Lord has the power to do But afraid to put faith to the test Yet, God calls us to be more than soggy and scared He calls us to stand up and fight The storm still is raging, but Jesus says, "Come, Who will walk on the water tonight?" By Frank Carpenter ©