Sunday Worship – 6th October

(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (StF) numbers will be given where available)

Call to worship         

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. Psalm 95.

Song StF 14 – Sing to Him in whom creation 

Prayers                     

Gracious God, our Creator, our Redeemer and our Father, we come together to worship you this morning, in gratitude, in confidence and in expectation.
In gratitude for the life you have given us; for the way you have sustained us, and for the many blessings, with which you enrich our lives.
We come in confidence, knowing that it is at your invitation and that no-one who comes to you, is ever turned away. For you love us with a love which is beyond our understanding; beyond our imagining. You are the God whose name is Love.
And we come to you in expectation. For we want to be fed by you and inspired by your Holy Spirit. Speak to each of us in our own situation. For you know the thoughts of our hearts and you know our needs. Please don’t send us away disappointed.
So, gracious God, we worship you, we sing your praise and we glorify your Holy name. May all our words and actions bring glory to you. In Jesus’ name we ask it. Amen.

Song – StF 351 – In Christ alone my hope is found 

Reading                     
Romans 10: 10-15

Song – StF 250 – Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

Reading                     
Matthew 14: 22-33

Sermon                     

When we consider passages from the Bible, it is sometimes helpful to read through them several times, initially taking note of anything which strikes you. Then looking in depth at what the passage is telling you, and finally, asking what truths from it we might apply to our lives. The story we have just read from Matthew’s gospel is a good one on which to practise this technique. Having heard it read through once already, I wonder if anything struck you when you heard it?

The first thing that struck me was how Jesus prayed well into the night. Secondly, wasn’t it odd, that the disciples, who were used to spending so much time in Jesus’ presence, did not recognise him, as he walked across the water to them? Then I was struck by the impulsiveness of Peter who, in characteristic style, jumps into action without stopping to think. And finally, by the difference it made to the disciples, when Jesus got into the boat.

Let’s read the passage again, with these thoughts in mind, and see if any more things occur to us.

[READ AGAIN]

Jesus obviously prayed alone for a long time. It was late afternoon when he went up the hill to pray. It was between three and six o’clock in the morning when he came back down to the lake. The previous day had been particularly busy. Jesus had fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. This is the only miracle which is recorded in all four gospels, so we learn from Mark that it occurred in the late afternoon of a very busy day. Crowds had been following Jesus, to hear his preaching, and bringing their sick to be healed by him. The disciples had just returned from the mission, when Jesus had sent them out in twos. It had been a successful mission and they were keen to tell him all that had happened. They were tired and he was tired, and so he had got into a boat with them to escape to a quiet place. But that wasn’t to be, as the crowd followed them, and (you’ll remember) Jesus’ heart went out to them because they were ‘like sheep without a shepherd’. So he continued to teach and heal until late in the afternoon.

Finally (at the point our passage begins) Jesus must have reached the far end, and he sends the disciples off in a boat and sends the crowds off home, and then he goes up the hill to pray. When we have had a busy day, isn’t it good to get home? You know the feeling? Well, effectively, Jesus was ‘going home’. Through prayer, he went to be with his Father. Clearly, he needed renewal and refreshment. To recharge his batteries.  And he found this through being alone with God.

The pressure of juggling the several jobs that I used to do for the Church, when I also had a full-time day job, and trying not to forget that I had a family to care about, and then squeezing in time to prepare sermons and services, did at times build up as a pressure on my life. I have to admit that I was, on occasions, at the far end. I remember, at the time when dear George Kime, a retired minster who was helping in Woodhouse Grove circuit, when we were a minister short (some of you may remember George?), I once let him know that I was feeling the strain. I will never forget his reply. He said straight out: “Give it to God.” And I did, and I have done so on many occasions since, and believe me, it is very sound advice. God has always taken my burden away. That doesn’t mean there are no longer any tasks to do, but I am refreshed and strengthened and enabled to deal with everything. If things start getting on top of you – give it to God! It clearly worked for Jesus. I can testify to it working for me. It will surely happen for you. Jesus promised: “Come unto me all you who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest”. He found his rest in God his Father.

So, the disciples did not recognise Jesus, as he appeared to them on the water. Why do you think that was? It might have been that the day had not properly dawned, because it was very early, and in the half light, they could not make out Jesus’ face. I think it was more likely because he was in a new situation. One they had not experienced before. He was doing something supernatural. Walking on water is after all, against the laws of nature. It is literally ‘supernatural’ and so their first thought was that it must be a supernatural being – a ghost! And they were afraid. It wasn’t as if Jesus had not done supernatural things before. He had healed many people and driven out demons. But he had never walked on water. This was something new, and maybe they were not ready for Jesus to do a new thing. They did not fully accept that, in the power of God, there was nothing that he could not do. The failing of many Christians today, is that they are not ready for Jesus to do new things in their life. They think that miracles and supernatural activity just do not happen in 2024. That somehow, when he ascended into heaven, Jesus stopped working miracles. It is as if they want to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but their faith does not allow him to be any more than a good person, limited – as we are – by humanity. How small is their God? Why should the one who brought the universe into being; who holds the stars in their places, and creates the miracle of new life every second of every day in every corner of the world, why should he not be able to do anything which suits his plan and purpose? After all, he made the laws of nature. Surely, he has the power to set them aside, if he chooses to? But the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost.

He spoke to reassure them. “It is I.” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” My guess is that they were still not convinced. It seems that Peter was not fully convinced. “Lord, if it is really you…” he said. He needed more evidence, before he would be convinced and so he set a test for Jesus. “If it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.” His gut instinct was to believe that Jesus could do anything, and if he (Peter) could walk on water with the help of this person, then it must be Jesus. But in reality, he found he was not so much putting Jesus to the test, as putting his own faith to the test. Instinctively, he believed that Jesus could do anything. And in that belief, he got over the side of the boat and started walking on the surface of the lake. And for a brief period, his faith held strong. But then he felt the wind blowing strongly against him, and immediately he thought “Hang on; I shouldn’t be doing this. No-one can walk on water. I can’t do it.” In weighing up his own capability, and disregarding the power of God, his overwhelming conclusion was that he must sink – and so that is what he did. At this point, instinct took over again, and in fear for his life, he called out “Save me, Lord!” And Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter and lifted him up, so he could get back into the boat.

The very instant that Jesus got into the boat, things dramatically changed. The wind and the waves died down, and all became calm. This is the second time that Matthew records a similar event in his gospel account. In Chapter 8: 23-27, is the story of the storm on Galilee when Jesus was asleep in the boat. The disciples were terrified then that their boat would sink. They woke him up, in fear for their lives, and he commanded the wind and the waves to be still. The reaction of the disciples on that occasion was to say “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” In the later passage, their reaction was similar. They worshipped Jesus and said: “Truly, you are the Son of God!”

So, what do we learn from this story, that might make a difference to our lives? The answer is: an awful lot. But I want to reflect on just three points:

First: Prayer is as important to our Christian lives, as eating is to our physical bodies. We take our lead from Jesus, who often spent a whole night, praying on his own. Through prayer, he gained refreshment and strength, when he had spent all his energy. But also through prayer, Jesus prepared himself for the tasks before him. Unlike Peter, Jesus never did anything on impulse. His actions were always in line with God’s plans for him. And he sought God’s guidance and God’s equipping to do wondrous things. I am sure I have told you before that I really believe that for those 33 years when Jesus became a man, he became fully human. He left his divinity in heaven. For a time – although God’s Son – he was not God. He had no miraculous powers. And the signs and wonders which people saw him do, were in truth acts of God, working through Jesus, the man. And the most amazing truth is that there are no resources which were available to Jesus then, which are not available to us now, through the Holy Spirit. “Ask, and you shall receive,” Jesus promised. “Whoever believes in me will do the works I do – yes, he will do even greater ones. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.” Believe, pray, ask – and you will receive. It is his promise.

A second thing we learn from this story, is that we must be ready for Jesus to do new things. Because he is alive today, and not locked in the pages of the Bible, Jesus is able to respond to the needs of the modern world. And believe me, he will find new ways of fulfilling his mission. We cannot carry on doing things in our churches in the way we have always done them, and expect to engage with the people of our day, or to meet the needs of today’s society. The disciples did not recognise Jesus in his new guise. And because of that, they continued to cower in their tossing boat.  We must expect to see Jesus in unfamiliar situations, and doing things in different ways, or else we will miss out on opportunities to spread the gospel and make him known to a lost and sinking world. Jesus longs to stretch out his hand to lift the fallen, but first they must call out to him. Paul, in the passage we heard from Romans, assures us that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But he goes on: “But how can they call to him, if they have not believed? And how can they believe, if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear, if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed, if the messengers are not sent out?”

In 2024, it is as if we are in the boat with the disciples. The tide of the world in which we live is a rocky one. The boat is being tossed about. And what do we do? Are we doubters, like the disciples, who did not recognise that the Lord was standing by to support them against the storm, and so they sat tight, cowering in a frightened huddle? Or are we like Peter, whose reaction was to move his feet. To step out in faith. To get out of the boat into the midst of the waves. Yes, his faith did falter, but when it did, he was able to call out to the Lord to save him. And Jesus did save him. And do you know what? He will save us in the same way. That’s another of his promises. “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

And lastly, do we call for Jesus to get into the boat with us, when we are troubled and worried about things that are happening around us? Life isn’t always plain sailing (there’s an appropriate phrase!) and there will be times when we can’t cope on our own. Let us always remember, that Jesus is standing, with his hand held out – to catch us, and hold us and lift us. He is our anchor, who keeps the soul ‘steadfast and sure – while the billows roll’. Trying to carry all the burden ourselves will not only wear us out, it will make Jesus disappointed. Don’t have him saying to you, as he said to the disciples “How little faith you have. Why did you doubt?”  Take him at his word: “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Amen.

Song – StF 645 – Will your anchor hold

Intercessions   Gracious God, thank you for the life you have given us and for the love you have placed in our hearts. Grant us the help of your Holy Spirit, as we pray for the needs of the world.

God of peace, we hold before you all parts of the world, where people are suffering from violence. We pray for the situation in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, where innocent people are suffering from bombardment and a lack of food, water and health care. And we don’t forget the people of Ukraine, who continue to suffer oppression and bombardment. Lord, please encourage the nations of the world to put pressure on the warring countries to seek political solutions, so that the suffering can be brought to an end.

We pray for people all around the world, who are suffering from the effects of extreme weather, caused by climate change. We think of those in our own country, whose homes were recently filled with flood water or damaged by gales. Extreme weather events are becoming widespread and often. Lord, please open the eyes of the governments of the world, to see that we have it in our power to control and even reverse global warming, and that if we do nothing, this extreme weather will continue and our beautiful earth will be doomed. We remember also the people of Turkey, Morocco, and Afghanistan, still working hard to recover from devastating earthquakes.

Lord, we pray for people in our own country who are anxious about the rising cost of living, and many who are struggling to pay for food and energy. Give to our Government wisdom and compassion to take measures which will help everyone to get through these trying times. We pray for the foodbanks, which are running out of food to pass on to people, that they may find ways to replenish their stocks.

And finally, Lord, we bring to mind friends and families of members of our church, and others, known to us, who have special needs at this time, and for whom we wish to pray. And so, in silence now, we can each offer our own prayers, for those about whom we are concerned. Let us pray together…..

SILENCE

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers and deal graciously with them. Comfort those who suffer and those who mourn; and bring your healing to the sick.

We ask all our prayers, in and through the name of Jesus, our living Lord and Saviour, who taught us, when we pray together, to say……    Our Father, who art in heaven…….

Song – StF 557 – Let Him to whom we now belong

Benediction              
May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need
In order to do His will, and may He, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases Him.
And to Christ be the glory, for ever and ever. Amen