Does God ever have to fish slap you to get your attention? I think a mild form of that is repetition, saying or showing you the same thing, multiple times. In the English language, we use adjectives like "Very" for emphasis. I have been told that the ancient Hebrew language didn't work that way. Instead, emphasis was shown through repetition. This repetition for emphasis was also carried over into the Greek New Testament.
For example, the King James Version of the Bible uses the word verily. It's another way to say "truly," except more meaningful. It's used to emphasize one's personal CONVICTION about the subject of discussion. There are 113 places in the King James Translation of the New Testament where Jesus uses the phrase "verily, verily," or if you prefer, "truly, truly." But since that sounds weird to our modern ears, translations like the New International Version (NIV) say instead, "I tell you the truth." So when you see that phrase, think "Verily, Verily." Think repetition for emphasis.
In Acts 10, God shows Peter a vision of a sheet, coming down from heaven and filled with animals. This vision is repeated two more times. So, three times in a row. Something repeated once? That means it's important. Repeated three times? That means it's EXTREMELY important.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures... Day and night they never stop saying "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." -Revelation 4:8
So, based on the repetition rule of scriptural interpretation, exactly how important do you think it is to God that we are aware of his Holiness?
On a personal level, sometimes God will bring you to the same Bible passage over and over again. For me today, it's Matthew 14:22-31, the account of Jesus and Peter, walking on the water towards each other. I have opened to this passage three times today, using two different Bibles! Okay God, you have my attention. What's going on?
As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get into the boat and go to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror.
Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid."
Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call to me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come ahead."
Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"
Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached out and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint heart, what got into you?"
The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!"
There are many takeaways in this passage. For example,
"As soon as the meal was finished... he dismissed the people." Which meal? The feeding of the 5,000. He was doing MINISTRY! But he shut it all down and sent everyone away, including the disciples, "so he could be by himself and pray." If getting alone with God the Father was that important to Jesus, how much more do we need that alone time with God?
"Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid." Sometimes something God is doing scares us. Such as when the Holy Spirit shows up in our church service unannounced, and starts dealing with people. Our order of service goes out the window and people are weeping everywhere, or maybe passed out all over the floor. So undignified! Or perhaps the demonic is confronted and we are frightened. "God you're scaring me, please make it stop?" Yes, at church! Mark 1:21-28 tells of Jesus going in the local synagogue and teaching the people.
Just then, a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want from us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come here to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God!"
"Be Quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out with a shriek.
"At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water." They had been fighting this storm for most of the night, and were exhausted. Jesus had the ability to stop the storm at any moment, but waited until he got to their boat. Why? So they would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that HE was responsible. "The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying 'That's it! You are God's Son for sure!' " So he let them endure the storm, because he had a bigger plan working. So if you are in a storm, maybe God has a greater goal in mind- to glorify himself through you being in the storm? Or more accurately, to glorify himself through how you handle being in that storm?
But what I really want to focus on right now is the man called Peter. When Jesus announces himself, his fear turns to boldness, and he asks the first question most of us ask when God is trying to talk to us or show us something. "Is this really you God?" Peter asks that question, and then asks for proof. Most of us would say, "If that's really you God, would you speak to me again?" But no. Peter goes all out, or more accurately, All In.
Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come ahead."
Jesus called him to do something hard. We like to use the phrase "Stepping out in Faith." It sounds good and churchy. It makes us feel good to say. But Peter PHYSICALLY stepped out in faith. He stepped out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus, hands out-stretched. Now mind you, the storm was STILL raging all around him. But as long as his focus was on JESUS, he was able to keep walking. Later, Jesus calmed the storm. And I LOVE that! But the default setting with God seems to be to let the storm RAGE, and to calm his servant instead. To be the fourth man in the furnace, (Daniel 3: 24-25). To be WITH us in the middle of our storms, rather than to get us out of them. Peter looks down instead of at Jesus and starts sinking, and then we read some of the most beautiful words in scripture: "Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand..." Sometimes we think we have screwed up one-too-many times, and Jesus has no interest in helping us out of the trouble were in. But it says "Jesus didn't hesitate." Such beautiful words...
Hillsong has a popular worship song called Oceans. Here are some of the lyrics, a direct reference to this passage:
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find you in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand
And I will call upon your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in your embrace
For I am yours and you are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and you won't stop now...
...
Spirit lead me where my faith is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.
I know a pastor, Steve Meeks, who likes to say "Faith is spelled R.I.S.K." And I think he's right. So what waters are Jesus calling you to step out on-- A new Ministry? Business venture? Geographic move? Long-term illness? Retirement? Loneliness? It's different for each of us, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying. So I would say to you tonight, if you think God is calling you to do something, ESPECIALLY if it's hard, risk it.
Step out of the boat.
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