Lord, as we come into your presence, or
I should say, as we continue in your
presence, I'm just thankful for the things you've
taught us.
You know, the last couple of days, Lord,
it's been neat to look at your Word,
and it's been neat to listen to people
talk through the day-to-day at various
times and places, but the challenge of letting
go of control and how hard that is.
Lord Jesus, you know what?
It won't happen unless you command it to
be so.
We're so conscious, Lord, that we have tried
so many times, made so many promises, walked
so many aisles to try to be better.
For this to happen, Lord, you have to
do a miracle, because we will continue to
fight you for control of our lives.
Even though a part of us deeply loves
you, there's a part of us that will
fight you to the end.
The neat thing is, you've conquered all your
enemies, including our flesh, that hostile part of
us.
And if you can look at a young
man with deep love in your eyes as
he walks away and say, Oh yeah, for
a man this is impossible, but all things
are possible for God.
Then you can command us tonight.
And tonight, Lord, our flesh is resisting.
Tonight our flesh is tired.
I just ask that in these next few
minutes you'll give us a burst of energy,
clarity of thought, and life.
And if you can talk, if you can
command a little reject out of a tree
and into life abundant, you can speak to
us tonight.
And, Lord, I'm so conscious that sometimes our
Christian life is a lot of talk, but
very little actual response to you.
Tonight we pray that you'll cause us.
We're so glad to be in your presence.
And to find you indeed where your glory
dwells, which is in your temple.
And we are that temple, for we are
the temple of those.
I've preached on this sermon probably many times,
and you've heard some of you this text
before.
Please do not assume you're knowing what I'm
going to say, because you have no idea.
Because it really doesn't matter what I say,
it's what God says to you through this.
Maybe as you hear it for the second
time, but really only for the first time.
We looked at last night the story of
the rich young ruler and the challenge to
give up control of our lives.
What a challenge.
What an impossibility.
But nothing is impossible, thank you, for Jesus.
Nothing.
And we looked at this morning that delightful
love story of little Zacchaeus.
Such a beautiful story of acceptance and passionate
pursuit.
And it's only one of so many millions,
including yours and mine, that God is pursuing
you.
Do not think for one moment that you
are searching for him.
He is pursuing you.
And do not think for one moment that
you will be able to maintain control of
your own life.
He loves you far too much for that.
And don't think for one moment that you
can hide in trees for the rest of
your life.
Behind closed doors, in ivory towers, in places
of safety.
Even as he will call you to let
go of control.
Even as he will call you to let
go of your heart.
He will call you to let go of
your security.
And if this is the same Jesus spoke
to eleven young men and said to them,
Come on, let's go catch man.
And with those twelve young whippersnappers turned the
world upside down, then this group is in
for quite a ride.
As Jesus comes and calls.
And he is calling.
I am certain of it.
He is calling.
You see, his call is not like an
invitation.
His call is powerful because it's creative.
Because Jesus is the creator.
All things, the Bible says, were created by
him and for him.
Including you.
You were created by him and for him.
You do not belong to yourself, you never
did.
You're his.
He determines your destiny.
He set your days in place.
He owns you.
And so when he calls, he creatively calls.
He creates new vistas, new horizons, new worlds
within your soul.
Just by speaking to you directly.
That's the power of the gospel.
That through the foolishness of what people like
me preach, God speaks and creation happens within
the soul.
And men and women and boys and girls
enter into whole new worlds.
Even though they didn't want to.
And you know what?
It's time for some of you guys.
Time to step off the fleshly tracks.
Time to step off the selfish track.
Time to stop the game.
Some of you are so tired of the
game, that you're a little afraid to step
off the treadmill.
It's time to step out into the arms
of the Lord and see what happens.
Time to stop talking.
Time to start responding.
Time to hear a call that creates a
response and then to act.
After Jesus had fed the 5,000 and
so showed his disciples that he was able
to satisfy the world.
That's a little bit that they would also
have.
Jesus sent his disciples across the lake.
He went into the hills to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone in
the hills praying.
But it says in Matthew 14 in verse
20 something, which I can't see.
When evening came, he was there alone.
But the boat was already a considerable distance
from the land.
The boat with the disciples in it.
Buffeted by the waves because the wind was
against it.
You know this story.
I love this story.
It's one of the most powerful metaphors of
the Christian life.
The thing about this story that's so neat
is that it's real.
It wasn't just a metaphor.
It happened.
Jesus called creatively into the heart of a
man who had to do what was not
possible to do.
Just because Jesus said so.
It's not just a symbol.
It's not just an allegory.
It happened.
And it's still happening.
As Jesus calls people and says, OK.
It's time to let go of control.
Let go of control.
It's time for you to come out of
your tree.
Stop hiding in there.
Because I love you.
And I will catch you.
Trust me, I care.
It's time for you to do the impossible.
Many of us are aware that the task
that God has given us in the world
is impossible.
Many of us are aware that the challenges
are overwhelming.
Many of us are aware that the world
around us seems to be so confused, so
dark, so full of emptiness, so full of
lies, that it's impossible for us.
And so we get overwhelmed.
And so we set up our little siege
houses, which we've called churches.
And we've hidden ourselves behind the four walls.
And we stay there until we hope the
kingdom comes.
Jesus comes knocking at the door, as he
did at Laodicea.
And he says, can you come out to
play?
It's time to get out of there.
I want you to come into the world.
I want you to change this.
I have come to save the world.
I'm out here.
You're stuck in there.
It's time to do the impossible.
Some of you have tried so hard, just
in the little world of your own life.
And you're already broken and dashed against the
rocks of self-effort.
And you know that though you've tried so
hard, though you know you've been given this
calling to win the world, that you just
can't do it.
And so there's great confusion.
And maybe God will give you something easy
to do.
Maybe he'll accept the easy way.
Maybe if you could just stay home, stay
safe, stay in your own little context, stay
in your own little family, stay in your
sweet little church, enjoy your sweet little retreats,
that it'll be okay.
God will accept that.
Because he knows you just don't have it
to be like somebody who can go and
do the impossible.
But the thing is, nothing has changed about
what God has called us to do.
Nothing has changed about what Jesus wants to
do in this world.
He needs to save you.
He needs to save kids.
He needs to save young people.
He needs to save those who are dying
every day for lack of truth.
He needs to save them.
And his tool, the thing that he uses,
is his church.
That's you.
Oh, look at this dilemma.
We're on the whips.
Man, dear, life is such a storm.
It is such a storm.
Life is not a party.
It's a storm.
It is such a terrifying experience.
And over the whips he goes.
This is so cool.
Three o'clock in the morning, Jesus went
to them.
Because they were in need, because they were
on the lake alone, he went to them.
Jesus has not left us alone.
He has not set us adressed on the
sea of life and left us alone.
He has come to us.
Hallelujah.
He has climbed the whips.
Think of this picture, this reality, this storm,
these whips crashing against the boat, the spray
rolling into the boat, the water filling up
that little struggling boat with all the struggling
men and the howl of the wind and
just the roar that was going on around.
And suddenly they see in the distance this
illuminated figure, this luminous character climbing the whips.
The spray just hitting him again and again.
His hair just lying limp against the side
of his face because the water had just
drank him.
His clothes soaking wet and yet somehow he
was on top.
Coming.
Terrifying picture.
They were absolutely terrified.
They thought he was some supernatural appearance.
But it was Jesus coming to them because
they were in trouble on the whips.
Listen to these words.
But the Son of God, when the time
had fully come, God sent his Son born
of a woman, born under law to redeem
those under law that we might receive the
full rights of sons.
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit
of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit
who calls out, Abba, Father.
So you are no longer a slave but
a son.
And since you are a son, God has
made you an heir.
He has come over the whips to us.
He has come into this world at the
right time.
And he lived and then he walked in
the greatest storm of his existence to the
cross where they nailed him there.
And while they spit in his face, God
was present and said, I love you.
You are my beloved son.
When they pulled out his beard, the Holy
Spirit comforted him.
And when they kicked him and when they
beat him on the way down the Via
Dolorosa, on the way to the Calvary where
they would nail him, the angels ministered to
him.
And when the spikes went through his wrists,
an excruciating pain shot through every nerve in
his body.
And when they nailed his two feet together
and hung him naked and ashamed before a
community who mocked and laughed and scorned at
him, heaven sang and heaven loved and heaven
comforted him.
After three hours of absolute darkness, Jesus Christ
cried out in absolute shock, Eloi, Eloi, my
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Because his father was gone.
He came over the waves, faced the storm.
He lay prostrate on a cross before the
world, alone.
As no man has ever been alone.
He lay in the mystery of God's wrath,
separated in such a way as I don't
even know how it was possible, but in
such a state of terror he cried out,
You're gone!
We were condemned to a hell of loneliness
because of our rebellion.
Because we were condemned to an eternity of
being left alone in the darkness with our
self and all our raging sin.
Because he knew that that would bring torment
like flames to us forever, he lay on
the cross and his father deserted him so
that we could never again know what it
was to be alone.
He came over the waves.
Glory to his name!
Isn't he wonderful?
He came over the waves.
He did whatever it took.
And it took everything more than we can
begin to understand.
And he rose from the dead.
And over every storm he comes in absolute
victory.
Absolute authority.
Jesus Christ is risen.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus Christ is victorious.
Hallelujah.
And as he came over the waves to
his disciples, they reacted initially in fear but
then saw that it was Christ.
They heard his words.
Take courage.
Look, I know some of you are afraid
to give up control.
Time and time again God comes to his
people.
Jesus comes to his children and says, Don't
be afraid.
And when Jesus says don't be afraid it
means something.
When Jesus says don't be afraid you can
take courage.
It is I, he says.
I am here.
Some of you need to stop being afraid.
Start looking towards Jesus.
I'm talking to you Christians.
In the storm, rattled around, afraid that you're
going to get sick.
Afraid that you're going to get rich.
Afraid that you're going to get married.
Afraid you're not going to get married.
Afraid that you're going to have kids and
then not be able to take care of
your kids.
Afraid you'll not be able to pay the
bills.
Afraid you'll not be able to send them
to university.
Afraid that you'll not be able to reach
the world.
Afraid that he might ask you to reach
the world.
Afraid that he'll send you to Africa.
Afraid that he'll not send you to Africa.
Stop being afraid.
You know, it's time.
It's time to stop being afraid.
It's time to come out of the tree
you're hiding in.
It's time to give up control.
It's time to hear his voice.
He came over the waves.
He has defeated sin and death and hell.
He has publicly decimated his enemies.
There is nothing to be afraid of.
Psalm 27.
The psalm that was read to you earlier.
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Stop being afraid.
Okay.
I'll stop being afraid.
Not just because I say so.
But it's neat when Jesus says, Okay, come
here.
Take courage.
Courage.
Now the storm is still raging.
The boat is still moving in ways you've
never seen a boat move.
The spray is still splashing all over your
face.
The threat around you remains.
But now you have courage.
Tonight.
On our way to heaven.
In the boat with Jesus.
And then Peter says something stupid.
Peter, we got over the fear.
Excuse.
We know we're okay now.
Excuse.
Don't say anything stupid.
Peter can't help it.
It just comes naturally to him.
And he says, Lord.
I want to do this.
If it's really you.
Well.
Okay, I feel so much better.
But tell me to come.
Everybody else in the boat has their hands
in the air.
I don't want to hang with this.
Peter.
You couldn't leave things well alone, could you?
You have to say something that stupid.
To put us in that situation.
Because if he asks you to come, Peter,
you know who he asks next.
I mean.
Peter, could you not just swing one leg
over and then meet him as he gets
to the boat?
I mean, you could be the first to
hug him when he arrives.
We don't care.
You have to be this bold.
You have to be this rash.
This is so irrational.
This is just irrational.
It doesn't make any sense.
Peter, we're okay now.
The storm is still raging.
Yes, it's terrifying.
Yes.
Thunder, lightning.
Yes.
But it's Jesus right there.
We know we're okay.
We're going to make it to the other
side.
Calm yourself.
Accept the right.
Calm.
Idiot.
Peter, it's just me.
I didn't think he'd say I should go.
I really didn't.
Somebody just said, oh, God.
Tonight something.
He said, oh, Lord.
I want to see you in the place
where you're going.
He sang with all sincerity.
Lord, I want to give you my heart.
And I believe you meant it.
Somebody got on your knees.
You raised your hands.
It's so nice in a boat, isn't it?
And then you get some idiot.
He says, oh, Lord, what next?
And he says, come.
There's a great little worship time going on
in that boat.
One word turns it all.
But it was a creative word.
It was a commanding word.
It was a life-changing word.
It was just Jesus Christ singing.
Nothing's changed.
The world ridges in absolute, complete lack of
control around him.
Peter has to climb the waves if he's
going to get to Jesus.
What a silly notion.
But this is what he would have to
do.
Listen.
Jesus says to you, sing
songs for the rest of your life.
You can get a good job.
You can marry a good woman.
Marry a good man.
Raise 2.5 children.
Enjoy hundreds more worship times before it's time.
And lay down your life in death.
And feel that death dew lying on your
brow.
Scary words.
And still be in the boat.
You'll get there.
Still be in the boat.
That's not Christianity.
You say, Stephen, don't ask me to do
anything radical.
But sometimes it's not ready for that.
Well, you should have thought of it.
That's where you got saved.
You really should have thought of it.
That's where you gave your life to God.
You know what Jesus said?
If you're going to be my disciple, then
you've got to just work it out.
You know, if you start the house and
you don't have enough resources, you look like
an idiot.
So work it out.
If you try to set out with an
army of 10,000 against an army of
20,000, you better surrender.
Quick, work it out.
Surrender.
If you didn't want me to ask you
to do anything radical, if you didn't want
him to ask you to do anything radical,
you should have stayed lost.
Say, I couldn't.
He saved me.
Ah.
I couldn't.
He paid for me.
I couldn't.
He drew me.
Ah.
He said, Peter, come on.
Such a coward.
Come on.
Now you're all safe in the boat.
Peter, come on.
Let go of your security.
Put yourself in such a situation, Peter, that
it's just you and me on the water.
And then, Peter, you know full well the
only one who can help you there, do
the math, settle the equation, Peter.
Work it out.
It's all about me.
Peter can swim.
But he can't swim in a storm.
Peter is an expert fisherman.
But he's walking on the water.
Peter is rash and bold and sometimes stupid,
but he's way beyond the threshold of stupidity
now.
He did get out of the boat.
As he walked away from that boat, as
he climbed the first wave, as water came
between him and his incredulous friends, he walked
away from his security.
Now Jesus said, come.
Jesus said, come.
It is time to get out of the
tree.
It is time for you.
It is over.
Control.
It is time for you.
Well, I would really like to know what
that's going to feel like for us.
I would really like some...
clarity.
I would like to...
understand and...
you know, get everything together.
Does this not sound a little bit like
control?
Uh-oh.
Oh yeah.
I give that up.
Sorry.
But you must understand.
He may ask me to go...
just like Africa.
To India.
To Indonesia.
And I can't do that.
Because you're far, far past...
the stage of fear.
Now isn't that neat?
Isn't that just like the old devil?
That's who's on the phone.
Call him.
Tell him to go back where he came
from.
Never fails.
Something will happen to misdirect our thoughts.
Perfect timing.
And look, he's even looking for somebody now
to answer the phone call.
Who is it?
Settle, Ted.
Amen, hallelujah.
Focus.
Two miles away, some little demon sat in
somebody's corner.
Go look out.
Go!
The camp!
Now!
So now that that little strategy has failed,
you're far past the stage of fear.
You're on a storm that will never change.
You're in a world that without Jesus will
eat you alive.
Some of you may well die.
Why would I say different?
Why would he say different?
Some of you will give away the rest
of your life for a cause that pays
you nothing in this world and brings you
no recognition, no pension plan, no opportunity for
a condominium in Florida, certain ignominy in life,
perhaps even violent death.
I kid you not, we are far past
the stage of worrying about our bank accounts,
worrying about whether or not somebody will take
care of our children, worrying about whether or
not we can do this.
Of course we can't.
We're on a water, for Pete's sake.
Oh, no pun intended.
But he commands, and he loves, and he
calls, and he calls.
Let go of your security.
Respond to me in such a way that
control is no longer yours.
Let go of your heart so I can
sell it, and you get out of the
boat so that I can do the impossible.
See, if Peter did not walk on water,
Jesus held him up through every miraculous step.
And then Jesus let him sink a little
to remind him that Jesus held him up
through every miraculous step.
And then Jesus raised him a little and
said, Peter, you really don't have any faith,
do you?
That's why I'm here.
And you have a choice.
Everybody wants to talk about choices.
So you got one.
Stay in the boat.
Stay safe.
Be secure.
Hear the command of the Lord Jesus Christ
to come.
Step out in such a way as you
say to the Lord, I don't know what
it means.
I don't know where it goes from here.
But the truth is, far past the stage
of being afraid anymore.
It's not that there isn't fear there.
It's just, you've said to me to take
courage.
You've promised to love me.
You've called me.
And you've said nothing is impossible for you.
And somebody already has walked on water.
Now it's my turn.
And you're going to give up the nine
to five, if that's what he asks.
I don't know what he'll ask.
That's not the point.
And you're going to give up university, if
that's what he says.
Or you'll go to university, even though you
never planned it, if that's what he says.
And you'll get married, if that's what he
wants.
Or you'll not get married.
And you'll live.
And you'll get.
You'll walk on water.
There is an impossible task.
And it will never, ever, ever, ever be
done.
Till some of us walk on water.
The only reason in the first century that
the world was won was because Peter walked
on water.
And although they didn't walk on water then,
the other ten guys followed him in.
For each of them went through the rest
of their lives, giving it all away.
And not seeking to live by any strength
of their own.
You can't depend on your own strength when
you're walking on water.
It just doesn't make sense.
You do not need to offer God your
gifts and talents when you're walking on water.
It's not possible to walk on water.
You don't need to be smarter.
You don't need to be braver.
You don't need to be anything.
You just need to come.
And believe that Jesus Christ is all that
He says He is.
And believe that Jesus Christ has died, has
risen, and lives victoriously through His people.
Leave behind the mediocrity of your life, the
plans that you have made and settled in
your mind regardless of what God has said.
And say, I'll do whatever you want.
I'll go wherever you send me.
I'll live.
I'll die.
Because I think it's a great idea.
Not even because you think it's a great
idea.
It's because Jesus Christ says, as
twelve young men went to give their lives
away, eleven of them were martyred, and
some of us will be too.
Many of us are in that process now.
Many of us got past the place where
we heard the command of Jesus Christ, walk,
do whatever it takes to keep you afloat.
You'll do the impossible.
But it's time.
But it's not radical.
Someone spoke to me about a mystery that
was in Charlottetown last week.
His name is Don Richardson, I believe.
Don is a fairly famous missionary, originally from
Charlottetown.
Fairly senior missionary now.
And I told him he was speaking about
the Muslims, and he said, you know, Americans
have made a great mistake.
This democracy will never come.
Iraq.
Because the Muslims as a nation, and as
nations, are completely yielded.
To Allah.
And young men and young women will continue
to die, simply because they believe in Islam.
And we make a great mistake by thinking
that we can westernize that.
These are people who know nothing of independent
thought.
They're completely yielded.
And God will not ask you to blow
up a bus and give your life away
that way.
Allah is the devil.
And we'll pay for that reality, because we
will have to say it.
Because he causes people to die, and he
brings hatred into nations.
And he commands, Jesus Christ doesn't do that.
But he does ask us to get out
of the book.
So that we can give life, not death.
So that we can give hope, not hopelessness.
So that the gospel can be heard in
every corner of the planet.
So he can come back and take us
home.
So he can reach the children who are
dying of AIDS in Africa.
So he can reach millions in northern India,
who have never heard his name even once.
So he can touch the hearts of the
Chinese culture.
So he can be worshipped in a land
of 27 million Canadians.
Once again.
And it's not going to happen until we
get out of the book.
You say, this is such a burdensome message.
No, it's not really.
I can't make a burden happen.
I can't call you out of the book.
But I'm certain that he's calling some of
you.
I know he is.
And it's strange, and it's fanatical, and it's
something that will bring us criticism.
Because it's just so uncouth, unrespectful, irresponsible.
All the things they thought about Jesus.
But it's time, children.
I bet you think he's building up to
an appeal.
He's going to ask us to walk another
aisle.
No, I'm not.
I'm going to close in prayer.
Right now, I'll
listen to your stories.
I'll watch you leave.
Maybe we'll leave together or whatever God said.
We had to make it so complicated.
Doesn't God know how difficult this is for
me?
Take courage.
It is I.
I come.
If it is you, call us to him.