Note: for my reference I used John Ortberg's book Becoming a Water Walker
If you are going to walk on water you have to get out of the boat
Theme: Understanding the importance of walking on water and exercising our faith. Preached at a Back to School Sunday about transitioning and trusting God.
Text: Matthew 14:22-33
Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. (23) And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. (24) But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. (25) Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. (26) And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. (27) But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." (28) And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." (29) So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. (30) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" (31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (32) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (33) Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."
Introduction
It had been a long and tiresome day. We are told that as Jesus and the disciples were coming to shore they were met by a crowd of people. They were looking for Jesus. They had brought their sick and lame to be healed. All day long Jesus healed and taught them the ways of God. Then he performed one of the most amazing miracles in scripture. From two fish and five barley loaves he fed in excess of 10,000 people. This was incredible. This miracle defies all natural law.
Finally Jesus needed to spend some time with his father. So he sent the disciples away and he sent the crowd away. Into the boat went the disciples and into the hills went Jesus. Jesus promised he would meet up with them but not how.
The disciples left Jesus back on the other side of the lake for some peace and quiet and began making their way by boat across the lake. In the early hours of the morning, far out on the lake, they were in deep trouble. A fierce storm had arisen and their boat was tossed about by the waves and facing a head wind. We can assume that they must have been battling the storm for quite a few hours and must have been getting very weary. They were at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Imagine the churning water, the huge waves as they crashed over the boat, the powerful head wind and the disciples in the middle of it all, staining every muscle as they tried to row against it. What an image of chaos, terror, hopelessness, and powerlessness!
Then coming across the turbulent water they see a figure walking towards them across the stormy waters with the wind tearing at his clothes and the white caps lapping at his feet. This would make the bravest hearts cringe. These seasoned fishermen had seen many things out there on the lake, but they had never seen anything like this. There was only one possible explanation. No human can walk on water. "It’s a ghost!" they immediately thought.
Above the wind they hear a voice: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!’ It's Jesus. Jesus had left the quiet of his hillside retreat and came across the turbulent lake to aid the threatened disciples. At the point when they thought that there was nothing left for them but a watery grave, Jesus came to the rescue. At the point when they were desperate and powerless Jesus comes to rescue them from certain shipwreck. He gives them a renewed hope and a sense that there really isn't anything to be afraid of. Jesus is there with his calming words: "It is I. Don't be afraid!"
Fear Not
Do you know what the two most common used words in the Bible are? “Fear not”. 366 times in the Bible God says, “Fear not”. One for every day of the week and oh yea one even for leap year.
This is what Jesus says to the disciples but this is what he says to us in storm of life. When the waves seem to be knocking against us. When we are so focused on the storm that we are paralyzed with fear.
But Peter went a step further. He heard the call of Christ. Yet Peter understood something that the others didn’t, “It is better to be with Jesus in the storm than to stay in the safety of the boat”.
So he calls out to Jesus, “master if it is you tell me to come”. Jesus says, “ Come”.
So Peter takes one leg and hoists it over the side and then the next leg is over and he is on the water. For a moment in time it is Jesus and Peter on water. It is just Master and servant.
How does faith Grow?
I believe that the reason that people wrestle with faith so much is that they don’t understand the nature of faith and how it grows. People are afraid of having too little faith and torment themselves. People doubt and tell themselves they will have to try harder next time
“Never try to have more faith-just get to know God better. And because God is faithful, the better you know him, the more you’ll trust him” – Stephen Ortberg “Becoming a Water Walker”
It only takes a single step
And just think it only takes a single step. I have learned to make myself take that step because I know that there are benefits on the other end.
There is only one way to increase our “spiritual comfort zone” and more information will not do it. It is by taking a leap of faith.
Question: What am I doing that I could not do apart from the power of God?
“Never try to have more faith-just get to know God better. And because God is faithful, the better you know him, the more you’ll trust him” - Stephen Ortberg “Becoming a Water Walker”
It only takes a single step.
Most people I know love to hear the stories and images about the powerful God we serve.
But here is the problem: That information alone is not sufficient enough to create courageous human beings.
When we risk:
giving generously we realize, “I can trust God to take care of me”
confessing sin to another person “We discover God will honor truth telling”
using my spiritual gift we can know the joy of being used by God
Examples: Moses picking up the serpent.
Israel’s deliverance from Pharaoh, had to get to the Red Sea
To cross Jordan, after Moses death, the priests had to step
in the water
Naaman had to wash 7 times in the water before he was cured
Gideon had to go from 32,000 to 300 to defeat the Midianites
The loaves and fishes had to be given before they could be
multiplied.
Water Walkers
Now we all know what happened next and sometimes we focus on Peter’s failure so much that we miss his achievement. Yes Peter achieved something. He had an experience that no other disciple experienced. He walked on water. For the rest of his life he will be called a water walker.
But you know we all are called to be water walker. We are all called to get out of the boat. Oh the boat is safety. The boat is security. The boat is comfortable. It is not much challenge to stay in the boat. If you get out of the boat there is a big chance that you are going to sink. I will tell you that now. But if you don’t get out of the boat. If you don’t lose what is holding you back from doing what God is calling you to do you will never know what it is like to walk by faith in Christ and to walk on water.
Jesus says, “Come, don’t be afraid, you can trust me”.
Peter and Jesus on the Water
Well here they are Peter and Jesus walking on water.
Then it happened. It was just a moment. Maybe it was just a split second. That is all it takes. Yesterday’s blessings are not enough to help us make it through today. We must stay focused. The waves must have been 8 feet high. The wind was blowing and just for a moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus. He let down his guard. He let down his faith.
What a perfect place to be. Stepping out by faith and walking on water. Yet Peter lost it.
Failure is an opportunity to learn
Peter failed. This is where a lot of people live. They live in failure and not willing to get back up.
Yet failure is an opportunity to learn. In failure we learn what we don’t want to try or do again. We learn the right way. But was Peter a failure ‘no’. He got out of the boat. We are failure when we don’t try and we don’t learn.
What Peter needed was the comfort of the Lord. He needed a shelter in his weakness. So he cried out to Christ. This is the church. The church is the picture of Jesus to the world but also to one another. The church should be the safest place to fail. We put ourselves under so much pressure to be perfect but what if we do fail. We call out to the Master, “Lord Save Me”. He reaches down with that right hand and pulls us up.
Here is another lesson that Peter learned that the disciples missed that day, “Jesus right hand still saves”. 11 disciples wanted to be around Jesus but they didn’t want to take the risk of achievement.
We must learn to use the resource of faith
Jesus looks at Peter and says, “O You of little faith, why did you doubt”. He was not talking about the measure of his faith but he was talking about the operation of his faith. Jesus often times tells us that the smallest of faith exercised can perform the greatest of miracles but it must to used. Too many people are not using their faith. The resources of faith is available. But it can’t be used if you stay in the boat or if you take your eyes off of Christ.
People often times pray and ask Christ to answer their request but I wonder sometimes if they would recognize Jesus when he did.
Three Reasons Why the Other Disciples Did not Get out of the Boat
1. They were afraid of course
Yet Jesus says, “Fear Not”.
2. They had doubt
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
3. They felt safer in the boat
Where is God calling you to walk on water?
Four Indicators
a) The indicator of Fear
# 1 reason people don’t witness is “fear”. Fear of rejection.
b) The indicator of Frustration-get mad enough to do something about it
Examples: Nehemiah and the walls
David and the giant
Elijah and the prophets of Baal
c) The indicator of Compassion
d) The indicator of Prayer
Conclusion
Some of you are sitting in your boat today. You feel safe. You feel secure. The storms come but you still sit there. Things happen all around and you never move. You boat maybe you security. Some the Lord has been dealing with coming to him. Trusting in him as your Lord and savior but you are afraid to take a step of faith.
Others God has been calling you to a special ministry or duty. But you are afraid to step out of the boat.
Some of you are what we call boat potatoes. You know you heard of couch potatoes. Those who just sit on the couch and are engrossed by the TV. You know you are a couch potatoes when the worst thing that happens to you all day is when you lose your remote.
