Pursuit of Faith

Israel

I was just able to take an amazing educational trip to Israel. I spent 20 days starting off in the south in the Negev, for 3 days. We then spent a night in a tent in the Negev with the Bedouins. I was with mostly young college students so they were quite stoked to be staying in tents in the dessert. I was not the most thrilled as I have had the opportunity to do so many times before with the military.

Show photo of the tent.

Actually I had a few times I was able to reminisce of my time in the military while being there. The day we landed Israel launched an attack on the Gaza strip. We were actually in Jaffa and we could see the fighter Jets headed towards Gaza. Then the second day they retaliated launching over 900 rockets back into Israel. The first few nights you could hear the gunfire off into the distance. I waited until I arrived back home before I let my wife in on what was going on.

After a night in the bedouin community we went up north and stayed on the Sea of Galilee for a week. I guess I had never realized that its more of a Lake, thats actually what they call it. I also assumed it was salt water since we know it as the sea of Galilee. Its freshwater. Booooom mind blown. actually in the mornings before breakfast I would go sit out on the pier and spend time with the Lord, do my morning devotional. I would sit and you could watch catfish swim in and out of the rocks. Then we spent another week in Jerusalem.

It was an amazing and eye opening trip. Its true what they say. You will never read your Bible the same. Everything is real, you can picture it all. You can understand more the distances between everything. We are actually going as a church around October of 2024. It is also through the Center for Holy Land studies. That trip is only around 10 days so not 3 weeks. That was quite the trip.

There is so much I took away from the trip so if you get the opportunity to sign up and go with the church do it!

When sitting at the Sea of Galilee I was overwhelmed with the fact that those waters is where Jesus walked. This week we are talking about the Pursuit of Faith.

Its Faith or its Fear. Who here is afraid of something? Show hands heights, Large bodies of water, or Spiders? I used to be afraid of spiders as a kid, I mean even the little house spiders. If one was on me EEEEwwwww shake that bad boy off as quickly as possible. That is until I saw some real spiders. Have you ever seen a camel spider before? Oh there were rumors about camel spiders. Soldiers used to say that they have a numbing capability so they can eat their pray without it knowing. Oh and they chase you. Yes, you heard that right they chase you. whaaaaat???? Don’t worry I googled it they don’t have the capability of numbing. They do run up to 10 MPH though. They only do so to try to stay cool, not because they want to eat us. they actually aren't even technically spiders. They are actually scorpions. So I guess those don’t even count. also prior to my last deployment I spent two months in New Mexico training and once the sun went down until early in the morning there were tarantulas everywhere. With those two occurrences or run ins I can honestly say I am not in the slightest afraid of Minnesota house spiders any longer.

We have all faced things in life that cause us fear. It could be a new opportunity. a change in what you are doing? It could be the fear of staying where you are at? What is God calling you to do? Maybe it could be that you are in fear of a new diagnosis? I can tell you one thing in all of it, you can allow the enemy to take over and let fear run how you feel, or you can take it to the Father, you can have faith through it. for as it says in

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

In the waters we see three different stories of Jesus and Peter and the Sea of Galilee. The beginning of Jesus’ ministry, in the middle, and After his death and resurrection. You can see integrated in all either Faith or Fear.

Lets get into it. If you have your Bibles we are going to start when Jesus first calls his disciples you can turn to Luke 5

Jesus calls Peter

5 While Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, many people pushed to get near Him. They wanted to hear the Word of God.

Lake Gennesaret as Luke calls it is the Sea of Galilee, It is called that because Gennesaret is a small plain on the NW shore of the lake.

2 Jesus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen were not there because they were washing their nets. 3 Jesus got into a boat which belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to push it out a little way from land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

We see Jesus getting onto Peters boat. so the people can hear him better.

Who is Peter? We learn through John 1 that Simon Peter is the son of Jonah along with his younger brother Andrew. They are fisherman.

Continuing in Luke.

4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Push out into the deep water. Let down your nets for some fish.”

When I was there at night you still see guys fishing the same way. Only a bit different and updated. You could watch the fisherman lower one side of the net attached to a buoy with a light on it and then they would drive lowering a length of net down in the water to another buoy on the other end.

5 Simon said to Him, “Teacher, we have worked all night and we have caught nothing. But because You told me to, I will let the net down.”

Its like Peter is telling him, maaaan we’ve been out here all night and already cleaned our nets out, but because you asked I will do it.

6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish, their net started to break. 7 They called to their friends working in the other boat to come and help them. They came and both boats were so full of fish they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he got down at the feet of Jesus. He said, “Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man.”

Pay attention to that for when we get to the application points.

9 He and all those with him were surprised and wondered about the many fish. 10 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised also. They were working together with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will fish for men.” 11 When they came to land with their boats, they left everything and followed Jesus.

2. Peter Calls out to Jesus

Now we jump to Jesus mid ministry Matthew 14:22

Back story this is just after John the Baptist Jesus’ cousin was beheaded and Jesus had just done a miracle through the disciples. They fed 5,000 with 5 loafs and two fish. 5,000 was more like 15-20,000 because the 5,000 was only speaking about the men.

Let’s read.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.

Now the disciples would've been very tired already before being sent of to row across the Sea of Galilee.

23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Now if you have seen the Sea of Galilee you know that the waves at night can get going. Lets see how Mark and John say it. we see in Mark 6:48 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. or in John 6:18 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

Those waves “show with arms. up and down and up and down. “

Back to Matthew 14:25

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

Remember these waves would be quite intense, the thought of seeing someone walking up and down. Jesus as we see in John 16:19 9 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 3 or 4 miles walking through those waves! The disciples had a hard enough time in a boat.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Fear or Faith???

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

3.Peter Jumps in

Now we can see after Jesus resurrection, he appears to his disciples. in John 21

 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

A fisherman is going to fish. even if he doesn’t catch anything.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

No hesitation Peter just jumped right in.

8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

How does this pertain to me?

1 Jesus is calling you to follow him Leave the boat behind.

Peter is called. When Peter first meets Jesus and is called he feels unworthy. So much that  “When Simon Peter saw it, he got down at the feet of Jesus. He said, “Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man.” Peter believes he is not worthy yet, Jesus calls him, Jesus said to Simon Peter “Do not be afraid. From now on you will fish for men.”

Peter had a choice, to stay in the boat and stay a fisherman, or follow Jesus, get out of the boat and follow him, leaving behind who he once was but become who Jesus says that he is.

If Peter let fear win and Faith to fail where would he be?

Jesus met peter where he was and said follow me. It did not matter to him that Simon Peter said he was a sinful man. Nothing you have done can stop what Jesus from calling you!

Leave the boat behind!

2 Step out of the boat in rough waters.

We see in the story of Jesus walking on water that the disciples were fighting a long physical battle. If you have seen the Sea of Galilee on a “mellow” night I cant imagine what it must’ve been for them to be rowing for hours only to reach 3-4 miles. The sea every evening we were there seamed to pick up at night. Also to look over and see the silhouette of a man walking by you.

In Jesus’ day Jewish people feared large bodies of water. They would've recognized the sea as a symbol of chaos and hell. Few could swim and even fisherman avoided deep water.

For Peter to see Jesus and say Lord, of it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water would be Faith over fear.

Because of Peter’s experiences, because of who Peter was before following Jesus he would know the dangers of the water . He would have for sure witnessed what the sea can do and more than likely had personal experiences with the power and understood the danger more than most. The fear must’ve been REAL. Yet Peter stepped out of that boat. Peters faith was enough that he began to walk to Jesus.

This is where who Peter was crept in. He noticed the waves, his fear and who he was before Jesus came to head. He looked away from Jesus, and began to sink.

Wait..... wait......wait...... Jesus is too good to let it end that way for Peter. Peter knew even overwhelmed with fear, overwhelmed with the waves crashing around him but he knew to call out to Jesus, as Jesus said to follow him! Peter cried out Lord, save me!

He may have let his focus stray, he may have lost faith because of his past, all he had to do was cry out to the lord and Booom, Jesus was there hand extended.

Leave the boat behind and follow him.

Step out of the boat if you find yourself in rough waters.

3 Jump out of the boat and into Jesus

Jesus was not with them, They were waiting so Peter did what Peter knew and decided to go out fishing. They went out and returned in the morning because they had caught nothing. I know It says that Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fisherman but this is the second time we see them go out and return with nothing. I mean I have for sure got back with nothing in hand from fishing as well The first time prior to leaving the boat behind. This time after going back to what they once knew. Yet this time is different. This time when Peter knows its Jesus he does not wait to be called to leave the boat. He does not ask Jesus to tell him to leave the boat instead he leaps from the boat. No questions asked he runs after God, full faith, and full chase he leaps from the boat.

Leave the boat and follow him.

Step out of the boat in rough waters.

Jump out of the boat into him.

4 The boat is comfort.

The boat is comfort, its what held Peter in what he knew. If our comfort is outside of Christ we are subject to fear.

Lets look at John 10:7-10 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The enemy is there waiting to steal, kill and destroy. He is coming to catch you in who you were just as fear came upon Peter when he sunk back into what he knew because of who he used to be.

In order to follow Christ fully, we need to leave the safety of the boat, and do whatever it takes to follow him. Leave it all behind, walk on water, or leap out of your comfort.

Just like Peter, we too can receive forgiveness even when we fail, or we sin. He forgives us.

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

No matter what difficulties we’re facing, the simple reassurance that tomorrow is a fresh opportunity to begin anew can mean the difference between surviving seasons of trials and tribulations vs. throwing in the towel and surrendering to fear, hopelessness, and despair.

Oftentimes, we become so focused on the storms surrounding us that we lose sight of how temporary they truly are. Yes, we live in a fallen world, and as such, life will bring incredible challenges and pain. However, that does not mean we have any reason to accept final defeat.

Regardless of the destructive waves which crash upon the foundation of our faith, as born-again followers of Jesus Christ, we know our joy will be permanently restored the day we embark upon eternity and see our Savior face to face.

Therefore, it does not matter what afflictions we face in the present or future. For as the writer of Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, tomorrow promises continual blessing to those who place their eternal faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ. Just as Peter did!

I want to do an illustration.

When we come to Jesus we are kind of like this glass filled with water. We are a new creation. complelty cleansed and forgiven.

But guess what happens?

We are still living in our old bodies. in our old body and in our old flesh, and we still have our old temptations.

See what happens is we begin to pour our old life into this new life that we have in Jesus.

This is lime juice, its green with envy. You still struggle with the old desires to have more and more and more and you just pour that into the new life.

This is lemon, its bitter. you begin to slide and you begin to deal with bitterness and you begin to pour that in.

This is Sriracha and it represents anger. we can still deal with anger. Some of us a lot of anger.

This is vinegar. looks like water. Some of you have got all kinds of stuff going on on the inside. but you are over here just looking like a lover of Jesus and a great follower of Jesus but there is all kinds of mess going on in the inside. its called hypocrisy. and you got that going in there.

This is an energy drink, and we are going to let it represent. all of the habits, and addictions and hang ups.

Lets not leave out the really dark stuff. You know you coffee drinkers. The dark stuff such as pornography, the affairs all the things you keep hidden that you don’t want anyone to know about.

There you are, forgiven, heaven bound, no condemnation for those in Christ. and the world looks at you and they are going whoooo you stink and it does stink.

Heres what happens though. Jesus said you don’t have to live like that. to let your old life to pour into your new life. What Jesus does is he invites us to abide in Him

1st pitcher we start praying and Jesus’ life begins to pour into us.

2nd pitcher. then we begin to read God’s word and the word begins to read us.

3rd pitcher and then you are meditating on God’s word, what happens when you meditate on God’s word? then God fills your mind with his thoughts.

4th pitcher Then what happens is you are going down the road and you get cut off and your going, I will cut you up, wait a minute oh turn the other cheek....... Ill cut the other cheek. so what happens is your reading Gods word and meditating

5th pitcher then you spend some time with Jesus and all of a sudden its just this overflow and Jesus is pouring his grace into you, forgiveness into you, his peace, his passion

6th pitcher, but notice this its not just an overflow in, its an overflow out! you cant contain it. Now the Spirit of God is pouring out on all the people around you.

Then there you are. Take a sip.

But heres the thing, you gotta listen to me, Yesterdays cleansing doesn’t suffice for todays filth. There is more anger, bitterness, envy.

Everyday you must abide in him.

So with that.

You may be at a point where you are lost, you are just living life as a fisherman, or skating by in life, but Just like Peter! Jesus is calling you to follow him! leave the boat behind.

You may be at a point where you have already chosen to follow him but your past is showing up, or you cannot let go of what you’ve done or your experiences. Just like Peter pray to him and Just call out to Jesus and step out of the boat!

You may be at a place where you are lost because you feel that he is no longer there so you have backslid to who you were. Jesus is right there jump out of the boat!

Allow them to respond!