Worship Helps for Pentecost 12

Title: Thou Shalt Break Them

Artist: Jonathan Mayer

www.scapegoatstudio.com

Worship Theme: The Christian answers doubt with faith. Doubt is the unfortunate companion of faith. Wherever faith clings to the promises of God, doubt is always right there lingering in the back of our mind, constantly asking the serpent’s Garden question, “Did God really say?” How striking to think that we must have faith in God before we can doubt him! Today’s lessons show us believers who had faith in God and his abilities to save them, but yet doubted when his plans or purpose failed to match theirs. In each case, it is adversity that fights against faith and allows its unfortunate companion to rear its ugly head. And in each case, the true answer to doubt is not found in the great miracle that removes adversity, but in the still small voice of our Savior God whispering in his Word. Today we hear our Savior God ask us, “Why did you doubt?”, and we see that the Christian answers doubt with faith.

Old Testament: Exodus 14:10-31

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. ¹¹ They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" ¹³ Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." ¹⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." ¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. ²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, ²² and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. ²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. ²⁵ He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." ²⁶ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. ²⁸ The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen-- the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. ²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

1. The Israelites looked, and there were the Egyptians coming up fast behind them. How did the Israelites fare in this first test of their faith?

2. How did God protect Israel during the night?

3. What does the phrase “wall of water on their right and on their left” tell us about the depth of the Red Sea at the place where Israel crossed?

Epistle: James 1:2-8, 12

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. … ¹² Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

4. The Christians to whom James is writing are suffering persecution. How should Christians think about persecution?

5. Think through the phrase “the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Explain the process that James is talking about.

6. In the face of what James says about considering persecution to be a blessing, we might wonder if we are up to it. What encouragement does James give us in verse 5?

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ During the fourth watch of the night 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. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 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."

7. Jesus invited Peter to walk on the water and come out to him. Jesus’ invitation strengthened Peter’s faith, and Peter did what Jesus told him to do. What happened next?

8. What lesson did Peter and the other disciples learn from this?

Answers:

1. They failed. They immediately began complaining against God and Moses.

The children of Israel during their great exodus aptly displayed that doubt is the unfortunate companion of faith. As they made their way from Egypt to Canaan, they scurried back and forth between the poles of faith and doubt with alarming regularity. Faith had led them to follow Moses and the Pillar into the desert. Now, however, with the sea in front of them and a great army behind them, faith fled and doubt reigned. Adversity made them forget the God of the Passover. Moses came with words so fitting for doubting hearts in the face of adversity, “You need only be still.” As the psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God.” God’s plan will prevail.

2. His pillar of cloud formed a barrier between Israel and Egypt.

3. It shows that Israel was not marching through a marsh as some claim. Rather, the water was deep.

The very water they thought was preventing their escape would in fact be the cause of their deliverance. The very army they thought would destroy them would in fact be destroyed. The troubles that seem to afflict us or hem us in, are, in fact, part of the plan for the glory of God and the salvation of man. It is only after the parted sea finds its former home that we recognize the grace of God’s hand in our lives. And we hear the gentle whisper of our Savior God, “Why did you doubt?”

4. We should consider it pure joy when we are called on to endure persecution.

The trials we face in this sinful world can make us terrified like the disciples, or despondent like the children of Israel before the sea. James calls us out as living like double-minded men when we doubt our God. He preaches a law to hearts that need to hear it: “Do not doubt!” But God promises that in the midst of the storms of life, we can listen and also hear his gentle whisper. “It is I. Don’t be afraid!” When we hear his voice, the waves of doubt recede and faith finds its place again, making us surer of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

5. When we endure trials because we are believers, our faith is immediately put to the test. We have choices to make. Should we deny that we know Christ? Should we compromise on some point of our belief? Should we remain silent? If we did not undergo trials, we would not be called on to make those decisions. But nor would we have a chance to take a stand, to go to God for strength, or to give a witness to our faith. As we have the opportunity to do this, however, we find that God gives us strength to go through our trials. He also replaces any happiness he has taken away by an increased measure of joy in the Holy Spirit. This makes us want to persevere. As we persevere, our faith matures. We become “complete” and do not lack anything as we go through our lives giving witness to our faith.

6. God will give us wisdom. In this context, wisdom is insight to handle trials in a God-pleasing way. The very act of asking God to give us wisdom implies that we are weak and don’t see things clearly. Nevertheless, God does not find fault with our request for wisdom.

7. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves.

8. Jesus rebuked Peter by calling him a man of little faith. When the waves grew larger in Peter’s mind, Jesus grew smaller. The disciples learned that when trouble would come into their lives, they should focus on Christ.

Doubt and faith rose and fell like the waves of the sea that dark night. The evangelist paints a picture of frantic effort against a storm with little progress. Then Jesus came—and note the way he came! He did not simply appear among them, as he could have. He did not fly or float. He walked on the water. The very thing they had been fighting, the water that threatened to take their life, Jesus walked on it like it was dry ground. What a Savior we have that walks on the waters of all our greatest fears! See the faith in the disciples grow! See Peter show it in his own miraculous walk. But, all too often, doubt is the unfortunate companion of faith. Though Jesus was standing on the water, Peter feared it. What pulls our eyes of faith away from Jesus? What are the waves and wind in our lives that make us doubt him? To Peter, Jesus asked, “Why did you doubt?” He gave no answer. What could he say? With Jesus there is never any need to doubt. How sad that we so often do! Rather, let us focus on the Savior and watch our faith swell as the disciples’ did when their doubts vanished, and they gave the greatest evidence of faith: they worshipped that man from Nazareth for what he truly was, the Son of God.

Putting your faith into action

Stress has become one of today’s common problems. More daily illness and perhaps even serious health concerns can be traced to stress. In today’s reading, Jesus dismisses the crowd and goes off to pray. As managers of all God gives to us, one of the things we manage least well is our time. The demands of our families and our jobs and the expectations others impose on us all add to potential stress. Mismanagement of time can also affect how we manage our money and talents. Faithful stewards seek a balance in their lives that helps reduce stress. Like Jesus, dropping out of the hectic pace regularly to communicate with our Father in heaven will make the rest of our time less stressful and more efficient.

A reading from the Book of Concord for Pentecost 12

It is not at all our plan and purpose to condemn people who err because of a certain simplicity of mind, but are not blasphemers against the truth of the heavenly doctrine. Much less do we intend to condemn entire churches.

Rather, it has been our intention and desire to openly criticize and condemn only the fanatical opinions and their stubborn and blasphemous teachers. For these errors conflict with God’s clear Word. We have written condemnations that all godly persons might be diligently warned to avoid these errors.  Even in those churches that have not agreed with us in all things—many godly and by no means wicked people are found.  We also hope that these simple people would be taught correctly the truth of God’s Word.  With moderation theologians and ministers should teach from God’s Word those who have erred from the truth.  It has never been our purpose, by means of this godly formula for union, to create trouble or danger to the godly who are suffering persecution today.  We have already entered into the fellowship of grief with them, moved by Christian love, so that we are shocked at the persecution and most painful tyranny that is used against these poor people with such severity.  We sincerely detest it.  In no way do we agree to the shedding of innocent blood, which undoubtedly will be required with great severity from the persecutors at the Lord’s awful judgment before Christ’s court. – Preface to the book of Concord, (paragraph 20)