Life outside the boat

This sermon is based on the scripture passage Matthew 14:22-33. Click here to read it.

Life outside the Boat

Don’t be afraid. It is a phrase that is repeated over and over again in both the old and new testaments. It’s typically the first thing an angel says. Before they even get to the particular message they have to deliver, the angels start with the words “Do not be afraid.” Most of the pillars of our faith have heard these words at one point or another. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Mary, Joseph, the Women at the tomb, Paul in a jail cell, and scared disciples in a small wind battered boat all had these words proclaimed to them. Do not be afraid. All in all these words are proclaimed close to 100 times in the bible.

The prevalence of these words in the bible seem to remind us that humans are fearful creatures. The abundance of named phobias these days points to the fearful nature of so many people today. Now I don’t know the word for it, but I have a serious fear of bees. I’m not just talking about fear of yellow jackets or hornets here, I’m talking about fear of everything that even remotely resembles a bee, including those tiny little sweat bees. And yes, I know it’s a really lame fear, and no I’m not allergic.

I know that while a bee sting isn’t pleasant, it’s really not all that bad either. But in spite of knowing this, it used to be that I made an effort to keep at least a 100 foot radius between myself and any bees. It’s only been in recent years that I’ve been able to control my reactions and not jump out of my seat and move to an entirely different area when a bee is spotted nearby. I now am able to sit, and maintain a relatively calm exterior if a bee comes nearby. But even with these small improvements, I still don’t like bees, they still make me tense. And I still have to force myself not to let my fear of them dictate my actions.

As silly as my fear of bees is, I know I’m not alone. There are plenty of people who have a fear of bees. But more than that, I know that fear is a driving factor for many of us, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Sometimes its large amounts of fear that overwhelm us, sometimes its little bits of fear, almost entirely unnoticed, that nudge us along in life, influencing the decisions we make.

When you really start to look, marks of this fearful nature of humanity can be seen all over our culture. We have shows like Fear Factor, and many commercials capitalize on our fear by telling us if we don’t have a certain product, we won’t be attractive or cool, or wealthy. One glance at the news can tell you how much fear currently surrounds the housing market, gas prices, and the economy. We hear political comments that remind us of the corporate fear of terrorism here in America. It seems everywhere we look, we can see signs of this fearful nature of humanity. More often than not this fear is cultivated, and exploited by those looking to make a buck or those vying for positions of power. Society tells us, often in subtle ways, that we should base the decisions we make, on the fears we feel.

As much as I wish it weren’t true, Christians are not exempt from this fearful nature. We see in the biblical witness over and over again that unchecked fear will drive our decisions. Abraham told the Egyptians that Sarah was his sister instead of his wife because he feared they would kill him and take her as their wife. David, widely considered to be one of the most faithful kings of Israel, feared his adultery with Bathsheba would be discovered so he had her husband Uriah killed. Peter, the same Peter who momentarily walks on water with the help of Jesus, publicly denies Jesus not once but three times because he fears for his life.

And Christians today allow fear to influence their actions in big and small ways all the time. Sometimes its little things like running from bees or not speaking out against injustice for fear of how we might be perceived. Sometimes its large things, like denying the call God has placed on our lives or being unwilling to tithe, for fear of what that means for our future. Sometimes its outright denying or minimizing our faith for fear we might conjure up other people’s hate. Fear. Fear can be a incredibly powerful force in our lives. And in the midst of our fear ring out the words “Take courage! Do not be afraid!”

As powerful as fear can be, as Christians fear is not intended to be the driving force in our lives. Over and over again we hear the words, “take courage, do not fear!” Take courage, don’t be afraid! What comforting words those are to hear in the midst of a world so focused on our fears. What comforting words those are to hear when it feels like we’re being battered by the storms of life. But what does that really mean for us as Christians? Does that mean that we’re being unfaithful when we’re afraid? Does that mean that as Christians we should never experience the emotion of fear?

I don’t think God expect us to be entirely free from fear. After all, sometimes fear is a good thing. It lets us know when there’s a potentially dangerous situation. Even as faithful Christians, we will experience fear. But I think the common biblical proclamation of “Don’t be afraid” is intended to release us from the grip fear holds on our lives. Don’t be afraid, is God’s way of reminding us that God is more powerful than even our fear, that God, not fear, should be the ruler of our lives. Don’t be afraid serves to remind us that fear should not be what makes decisions in our lives.

Instead our relationship with God, and our trust in what God is calling us to, should be the defining factor in the decisions we make. Fear is what keeps us in the rocking and wind battered boat. But trust in God and the desire to move closer to God, to walk hand in hand with Jesus, is what enables us to experience life outside the boat.

Life outside of the boat is when we lean into the words “Take courage. Don’t be afraid!” Life outside the boat is when we trust in the power and presence of God in our midst. Life outside the boat, is being willing to act in spite of the fear we feel.

Now life outside the boat is not all smooth sailing. It doesn’t mean that things will be easy or we’re guaranteed to succeed. The winds still blow again us, and sometimes our fear still causes us to lose focus on God. But life outside the boat allows us to experience the miraculous ways God is able to use even us, fearful creatures.

At times it seems like those types of miracles don’t happen anymore. But even now, the biblical proclamation, “Take courage! Don’t fear!” is breaking the bond of fear in the lives of Christians. Right now, a lot of the world’s attention is focused on China, its policies, and the Olympics. As the world’s spotlight is focused on China, Christians around the world are using this as a time to ask us to pray for persecuted Christians in China. In China, if you are a Christian, you’re required to register with an authorized state church. In these authorized state churches, the messages and activities are closely monitored by the government. With such strict government monitoring, the good news of the gospel and the freedom of life lived in relationship with God is often muffled and constrained.

As a result many Christians choose not to register with an authorized state church but instead choose to be a part of underground house churches. These house churches are illegal and anyone found to be a part of these house churches are arrested and often convicted and sentenced without a trial. These Christians face persecutions that most of us in the United States have only read about, these Christians in China face persecutions that would cause most Americans, who so proudly boast of our freedom, to submit to the governing laws. And yet, in the face of such persecutions, the Christian population in China is growing. The church in China is growing! In spite of all the persecutions, in spite of all the restrictions, even in spite of the fear the government tries to force on the population, the church in China is growing! The Church in China is growing!

The Church in China is experiencing life outside the boat. The Church in China knows what it’s like to feel fear, fear for one’s life and loved ones, and to allow the words of Christ to break the grip of fear on their lives. The Church in China has found that life outside the boat, even with the winds still blowing, allows them to be in closer relationship with God, even if it means sometimes they get wet. The Church in China, underground, defiant, and growing, is an example to all of us, of the power God has to overcome even our fears.

Our fears here are often a little less dramatic than the persecution in China, but our fears here are still real. They still try to seize control of our lives. But no matter how huge or tini-tiny our fears are, God’s presence in our life, and our trust in God is more powerful than the fears we have.

As you leave the sanctuary today, please take one of these small gray bracelets as a reminder to pray for the persecuted Christians in China. But also let it be a reminder for you that we’re called to a life freed from the grip of fear, that we are called to life outside the boat. Let it be a reminder for you of the biblical promise, Take courage! Do not be afraid!

Amen.