A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 14:22-33. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive In!

1. How is this passage often used?
2. What words are at the heart of this story?
3. What Old Testament passages do they echo?
4. What tells us that Peter understood what Jesus was implying?
5. How does Christ's Lordship shape Christian living?
6. How does 'Immanuel' encourage us?
7. How should we respond to this revelation?

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at the commander. Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, "I tell you, even in Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong." (Luke 7:9-10).

How does one get noticed by God or get into his good books? How do I get into heaven? Common questions. Many Christians will answer with "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). Of course, that's right. Yet I wonder how many Christians realize how difficult it is to hold to this.

When we go to funerals, we generally get a recitation of the deceased person's good qualities. Often summed up like this, "they were an angel in this life, so of course God will let them in. Heaven has another angel." In other words, if I do enough good in this world, I will get into heaven. It's difficult for us Christians to keep this sentiment from creeping into our worldview.

Our text suggests a different question, "What amazes God?"

We meet a good Roman military man who loves the Jewish nation. He was wealthy enough to have helped the Jews build their synagogue in Capernaum. In this story, he sends some Jewish elders to Jesus hoping for help with his dying servant. These elders advocate for him, "He is a good man, Jesus, he deserves your help."

On the way to this Roman home, Jesus is met by the man's friends with a double message (7:7). First, 'I am unworthy of your attention'. He recognizes that despite having done significant good, God owes him nothing. Can we say that? Self-worth often subverts our faith. We get angry with God thinking that we deserve better than we are getting. This man did not even feel worthy of being visited by God's agent.

Second, the unnamed man believes Jesus has authority over illness, just say the word and it will be accomplished. He believed Jesus could heal by a simple sovereign word even at a physical distance—a situation that applies even more today considering Jesus' presence in heaven. And he knew that Jesus cared enough to do so.

Such faith and humility in God's power amazes Jesus. This isn't abstract belief about God or the learning of dogmas. It is the simple, clear belief that what Jesus commands will be done. Further, when God acts for our good, it is undeserved.

The gospels are full of stories in which the things Jesus does and speaks amaze people. But here Jesus is amazed. It was not the man's accomplishments or his good works, that amazed Jesus, but the man's faith in who Jesus is and in his power.

We are invited to consider our own faith. Do we believe this about Jesus? Here is a Gentile who understood who Christ is. This passage calls us to possess a similar faith. God owes us nothing, yet he extends his compassion to us. God honors us with his grace, not because we deserve it, but because he cares (1 John 4:9–10). Let us be amazed at our God.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

"They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name" (Nehemiah 1:10-11).

In Genesis 2, the Lord God says, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him" (2:18). And before that, "So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female" (1:27).

We humans were created for community. That's why solitary confinement is considered a form of punishment (probably not a helpful form). Further, we find our self-identity not in isolation but in the context of our community. There is evidence that the rise of anxiety in our culture is, at least in part, due to the lack of community shaping us. Individualism, apparently, does not form healthy people.

In recognizing this, Christians seek to include children and youth in church life. We all need community and we need that community to shape us and help us form our identity. Each of us also, whether young or old, shapes the identity of our community.

The core of our Christian identity does not change, but how we live it and express it hopefully matures. Nehemiah gives us the essence of our identity. Let me paraphrase, "we are God's servants and God's people, whom God redeemed by his great strength and his great hand."

Nehemiah was referring to God delivering his people from Egypt. We, of course, refer to Christ's death and resurrection. That was the great act of God delivering us. Because of Christ, we belong to God. We are his servants.

But we have difficulty remembering this. On the one hand we are just forgetful. On the other hand, there is a constant barrage of information tempting us to see ourselves differently.

The prayers in the Bible are frequently more audacious than ours. Did Nehemiah think that God had forgotten? "These are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed…" Did God need reminding? Not likely.

But we forget. We need the Christian community to remind us of who we are. That's why the church is referred to as a family. It's also why seminarians are constantly told, "Preach Jesus." One Sunday afternoon, an elderly parishioner called me with this, "everything you said this morning was true, but a Jewish rabbi could have preached that." He had nothing against Jewish Rabbi's; he was just reminding me, with all kindness, that I was called to preach Jesus. That was a long time ago, but I won't forget.

And here is the wonder of it, we belong to our Heavenly Father, not because we decided, but because he decided. He wanted us enough that Jesus died for us. No. He will not forget.

This prayer also reminds us of what we do. We serve God. We serve him on Sundays. But we especially serve him in the days between Sundays, in our work and our play, among our family members and among our co-workers, employers and employees.

As you journey on, remember, "We are God's servants and God's people, whom he redeemed by his great strength and his mighty hand." He will hear our prayers.

Nehemiah prayed to God, "You said, 'If your people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again… I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.' Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt" (Nehemiah 1:8-10).

Having heard dire reports concerning the returned exiles in Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat in lament, sorrow and prayer. Then he intercedes for that community, acknowledging that this exile was caused by Israel's sin. God had scattered them because they had abandoned him.

For a variety of reasons, Christians find it tantalizing to follow Nehemiah's lead, believing any misfortune to be God's judgement on some specific sins. But I think this is a misreading of scripture. This judgement in Babylon is not the norm. Isreal had needed saving from Egypt, but it was not God's judgement that brought them there. Joseph says that his coming to Egypt was intended by God to save many lives (Genesis 50:20). Horrible things happened to Israel in Egypt, but none of it was because of God's judgment.

In Acts 11:19 we read, "Some believers had been scattered by the suffering that unbelievers caused them. They were scattered after Stephen was killed." Again, that suffering had nothing to do with judgement. The Holy Spirit pushed the followers of Jesus out of Jerusalem so that they could fulfill their mission to be Jesus' witnesses to the furthest ends of the earth.

Israel returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple where God was worshipped. In the gospel of John, Jesus teaches that he is the new temple (2:19). We can worship God wherever we are when we worship in his name. His promise is that he is with us there. Paul develops this temple imagery even further and declares that followers of Jesus are God's temple.

This has massive implications. The temple in Jerusalem was the place where God was present. So, wherever Jesus followers go, God is present today. That is part of the New Testament story. This brings us back to Nehemiah and his prayer.

In the face of suffering, we tend to ask why. But the more Biblical question is, 'what are we going to do in it'? John 9 illustrates this. Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind. The disciples want to know who sinned, him or his parents. That's a question about judgement, but Jesus says it is about God's glory. Then he gives the man his sight. God did not intend for us to suffer, and he never takes delight in it. But he can redeem it.

Nehemiah mentions that God's people serve him. That's a matter of glory. We can spend lots of energy on the 'why' of suffering. But if we ask, "how can we serve God while suffering?" that's a matter in which God's glory can be revealed.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless…Whoever does these things will never be shaken (Psalm 15:1,2,5).

Psalm 15 is a 'worker's' song. There are others in the Bible, all containing experiences of people living their lives much like we do. They help us pray not as detached spiritual beings but real physical people interacting with ordinary humans straining to live in this chaotic world.

This song recognizes that interacting with other humans gets us caught up in things that are not holy. Frequently, we make decisions, that with hindsight, don't measure up to the high standards God's people desire for themselves. We are reminded that we ought to examine our daily work before we go to worship God. Are our hands clean? Have we earned our income honestly? Have we given our best effort? Have we harmed people in the process?

On the surface, Psalm 15 might disqualify all of us from actual worship. But that is not the case. Scripture interprets scripture and God has already laid out what we should do when we realize our actions and words have not measured up. Leviticus 5:5 sums it up, "They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering".

Jesus echoes these instructions in Matthew 5:23-24. He doesn't mention the matter of adding "a fifth." Rather, he tells us to go and be reconciled. We need to be willing to make matters right. These passages teach that repentance is not just a matter between us and God. We cannot be clean before God if we do not make amends with those we have hurt or offended.

To climb God's holy mountain and dwell in the Lord's house of worship is a profound blessing, for "it is good to be near God" (Ps. 73:28). The Psalms push us to reckon with our workplace behavior both before and within worship. To glibly reply, "Well, Jesus paid it all, so I'm good now," is to fail to wrestle with our guilt and release the guilt that should haunt us during communal worship.

The phrase, "work is worship", is right. Yet, it is also true that only when we bring our work into the sanctuary and only when we learn how to work while at worship does our work get shaped into a gift that honours God.

So, wherever God brings you this week, prepare already today, to bring yourself as a gift to him in worship next weekend.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 8:14-17. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

What images come to mind when you think about the Holy Spirit?

What image was used in this sermon?

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?

What three roles does the law have?

Answer 86 of the Heidelberg Catechism gives us four reasons for doing good. What are they?

How does being adopted into God's family change our relationship with God? How does it change the way that we pray?

If Israel's exodus from Egypt is a parallel to the church's story, where are we now? In what ways do we suffer?

I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind (Proverbs 8:30-31).

If we are to experience Sabbath's potential, we need to consider the practice of delight. The connection between delight and the Sabbath is easily seen. In expressing delight, we show our joy and great pleasure in the gifts of God. It is to relish the goodness and beauty of God's work and see to the remnants of the divine image in each other. We recognize and appreciate that we are all gifts to each other. Therefore, we welcome each person.

Yet, this delight takes effort. It requires personal preparation in which we halt the controlling, self-serving impulses that reduce others to servants. We no longer see people as means to our own goals but learn to pay genuine attention to them for their own sake. We have the same attitude towards the rest of God's creation. Everywhere we see the freshness of God's grace.

To this end, we must imitate God. Throughout his creative work, he took immense pleasure in what he was making. He took pleasure in creation itself, in its freedom and integrity. God beheld the world, all that was within it, but also its great potential, and proclaimed it "very good"! It was divine exuberance that built and flowed into the works of creation. It was a work of love. His declaration of 'very good", is filled with joy and delight.

This delight comes to the fore in Proverbs 8. The Wisdom of God, personified as feminine, speaks of the freshness and beauty of all that was made.

I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind (8:27–31).

Enthusiasm and excitement are being communicated back and forth between God and Wisdom as God brings each aspect of creation into being. They are like beaming parents unable to contain their delight when contemplating the potential of new life. They delight in seeing their children thriving and doing well. In the face of such wonder and splendor, the automatic response is pure joy. Scripture advises us to heed God's Wisdom, so that we too might share in this fundamental experience of delight.

Despite Israel's disloyalty and shame, despite our worst efforts to mar and disfigure what God has created, God is faithful to his promise to love and care for his people and his creation. The suffering God undertook through Jesus' incarnation was endurable because of the joy to come (Hebrews 12:2) in the restoration of all things.

Let's keep our eyes open. Let us see the gifts of God's grace. Let us delight in Sabbath joy.

As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

I was the king's wine taster (Nehemiah 1:11).

Why does this chapter end stating Nehemiah's position in the Persian court? The wine taster was a very important person among the king's officials, most likely responsible for other high priority files. In the Canadian context, he would probably hold several significant cabinet posts.

The bulk of the chapter relates Nehemiah's lament and prayer. After learning of the troubles in Jerusalem among the returned exiles, he fasts and weeps. It's a reminder that the journey with God rarely goes in a straight line. Times for lament come and go in the Christian's life.

Nehemiah prays on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. We can learn from him. Like Jesus, he begins with God. There are times when our prayers begin with our troubles, but overall, we need to learn to begin with God. Who are we praying to? That needs to be firmly fixed in our hearts and minds.

He confesses his own sins, his family's sins and the sins of the whole nation. Nehemiah acknowledges the heart of the matter: God had given Israel commands through Moses, but Israel ignored them and did evil.

We might think that having confessed her sin, Israel can now expect God to do something for her, a sort of tit for tat spiritual arrangement. Israel does something good, so God ought to respond in kind. Isn't that how we often approach God?

But Nehemiah does something very different. He reminds God of God's promise to Israel: that if, having experienced his judgement, Israel returned to God, he would return them to the land of promise.

Nehemiah expects God to respond to him, because God has said he would. He does not bank on Israel's goodness to evoke divine deliverance. Our God keeps his promises. This is what Nehemiah counts on. We can count on this too.

But why end with, "I was the king's wine taster." By this time, we might be expecting Nehemiah to identify as a spiritual leader among the Jewish exiles. Instead, we are reminded that he held an important position in the Persian court.

Two suggestions. First, like Ezra, God has been preparing Nehemiah to help re-establish his people in the promised land. Ezra had spent much of his life studying God's law. So, he was prepared to teach Israel how to obey God.

Nehemiah is an administrator in the Persian court who has skills that will be very important in re-establishing Israelite community. Despite his position of high standing, he has obviously remained faithful to the God of Israel. He is not a Persian.

Second, we often say that God can use anyone for his purposes, but we don't always believe it. Here we see how God used an administrative person who had face to face contact with the king of Persia. Let that encourage us all that God can use us. Let us also keep our eyes open to the opportunities he gives us.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.