INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Today as we continue on with our series Deep Thoughts With Jesus, we are going to examine an interesting event in the life of Jesus as well as in the life of Peter and the other disciples.
• As we dig into the event of Jesus and Peter walking on water, I want us to look at this event on a little bit of a deeper level.
• This event really takes us to the crossroads we all face concerning our faith.
• As we live life, we can live it in the presence of Jesus, BUT will we allow the relationship with Him to be much more than a ministry of presence?
• What I mean by that is that we can get involved in the things that Jesus would want us to be involved in, such as being active in His church.
• We can read the Bible, pray, give, and do other works of charity; however, if we are not careful, we will miss what Jesus is calling to do with our lives. That is what I want us to consider this morning.
• This occurrence happens after Herod had John the Baptist beheaded, and immediately after the feeding of the 5000.
• Up to this point and after seeing Jesus feed the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, one would think that the Disciples understanding of Jesus would be solidly entrenched into their souls.
• The event we will focus on today forced the disciples to take a deep view of Jesus than they possessed ever before.
• These men had to make a decision, to sit in the boat, to walk on water with Jesus, or to drown.
• Let’s begin by looking at Matthew 14:22-24
• SLIDE #2
• Matthew 14:22–24 (CSB) 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Life without the presence of Jesus. 22-24
• This had been an eventful time, Jesus had been told of the beheading of John the Baptist, so Jesus withdrew to get away from the crowds; however, they found Him.
• Jesus sees the crowds, heals people, and teaches them.
• It was at this point where we have the feeding of the 5,000. The disciples wanted Jesus to send the people home to eat; however, Jesus had a different plan.
• He took 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed the entire crowd.
• In verse 22 we see the word IMMEDIATELY, this was right after the feeding.
• Jesus seemed to be in a hurry to get away from the crowd.
• We are not sure why He was in a hurry, but one of the parallel accounts of the feeding of the 5,000 in John 6:15 we read the following:
• SLIDE #4
• John 6:15 (CSB) Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
• Jesus knew the time and the circumstances were not right for Him, so He asked the disciples to go across the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida according to Mark 6:45.
• Jesus sent them ahead of Him so he could go into the mountains to pray.
• Now the disciples are alone.
• They left in the boat between 6-9 pm. The Romans divided the night into four WATCHES.
• 1- 6-9 pm, 2-9-Midnight. 3. Midnight to 3 am. 4- 3am to 6 am.
• John 6:16 tells is when evening came, the disciples got in the boat.
• This is what I want us to think about.
• These men were in the physical presence of Jesus, now they are not.
• Jesus sent them in the boat alone to get across the Sea of Galilee.
• These guys knew how to navigate and handle to rough waters of the Sea of Galilee, but this night was especially rough.
• The wind was blowing hard and the waves were battering the boat because the wind was against them.
• The men had made it about 3-4 miles according to John 6:19 at this point.
• There strong headwinds made the journey even more difficult, these men had battled bad conditions for most of the night.
• If they were with Jesus, the trip would have been much easier.
• Now this is not a situation where they chose to be away from Jesus, Jesus told them to go ahead of Him.
• The evening was tiring and rough. They had to work very hard to not get very far.
• Imagine how life is for those who don’t want Jesus to be with them?
• Life is difficult enough without trying to go it alone.
• The trip across the Sea of Galilee seems to me to be a snapshot of what happens when we try to sail and row across the sea of life without Jesus being next to us.
• These men were sailing and rowing for their lives, they were not getting far fast because of the wind and the waves.
• When I try to live life without Jesus, the wind and the waves of life will eventually win out over me.
• Think about all the things in life you stress about over which you have little to no control.
• The Disciples were experiencing just how difficult life without Jesus was for them as they struggled to get across the Sea of Galilee.
• So the thing from this observation I want you to consider, are you trying to sail and row across the sea of life without Jesus? And how is that working for you?
• This takes us to our next thought.
• SLIDE #5
• Matthew 14:25–31 (CSB) — 25 Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27 Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
• SLIDE #6
II. The faith crossroads. 25-31
• Ok, it is early in the morning, it would be during the fourth watch which would be between 3-6 am. The Disciples had been rowing from between 6-9 pm to 3-6 am.
• So, they could have been going at it from anywhere from anywhere from 6 to 12 hours on the Sea of Galilee.
• It was a long hard night; the men were tired and weary.
• Has life ever done that to you?
• Life has worn you out, situation beaten you down, you do not see the light at the end of the tunnel?
• Well, it is EARLY in the morning, sometime between 3 and 6 am, the men had been on the sea for 6 to 12 hours, I am sure they were at their wits end.
• Now it is faith crossroads time!
• Verse 25 tells us something spectacular was about to happen!
• Jesus came toward the boat, walking on the SEA!
• Here is what I like, the initial reaction of these big strong men!
• 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear
• Oh my, it is cry out like a little school girl time!
• Ok, let’s be fair, what would do?
• The word TERRIFIED means to be thrown into confusion, to be disturbed. DUH!
• The Disciples did not know what to think, they thought they were seeing some kind of evil spirit that was going to finish them off!
• “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.
• You know, when we see people struggling through life and we try to bring Jesus to them, they usually react in like manner.
• No, they do not cry out in terror that we brought them a ghost, but rather, they do fear Jesus because they do not know Jesus.
• In verse 27 Jesus seeks to calm their fears by telling them for crying out loud, to quit crying like little girls, I mean, take courage, it is I!
• Now we come to our faith crossroads, do we sit in the boat, come to Jesus on the sea, or give up and die?
• Peter, bless his heart decides to act in faith and he answers Jesus by saying, IF IT IS YOU…
• Peter’s response does not express doubt, but rather expresses a reality that is true.
• Since it is you Jesus, command me to come out on the water!
• Did you see in the text how the others were ready to get in the water with Peter? I did not think so!
• So, Jesus simply says come. I wonder if Jesus was thinking, THIS WILL INTERESTING?
• PETER gets out of the boat and in full faith, he is walking on water to Jesus!
• Peter answers the call of Jesus! Have you answered the call of Jesus or are you sitting in the boat waiting to drown?
• We do not know how far he got, but Peter all the sudden has what I call a Wily E. Coyote Moment.
• But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
• Now how did Peter go from walking on water to LORD SAVE ME?
• The answer is simple, he took he focus off Jesus and started to focus on what was happening around him.
• Peter started to surmise that he could not walk on water, and you know what, he was right, you cannot walk on water.
• However, Peter was walking on water because Jesus was empowering Him to do so, no other reason.
• When I take my eyes off Jesus, I am doomed to drown, Peter was getting ready to see the bottom of the Sea of Galilee, until he cried out to Jesus.
• Jesus reached out and saved Him.
• Jesus did not laugh at Peter, or let him almost die, He reached out to Peter and saved him.
• He will do the same for you.
• Before they got in the boat together Jesus looks at Peter and simply asks him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
• The word doubt means to lose single-minded focus. Peter was walking on water when he was focused on Jesus, we too can walk on water when we are focused on Jesus.
• When we take our eyes off Him and start to allow the circumstances of life to overtake our focus, we too face the prospect of drowning.
• I can’t tell you how many times Jesus has probably said that to me.
• SLIDE #7
• Matthew 14:32–33 (CSB) When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
• SLIDE #8
III. The deep thought on which you can anchor your life. 32-33
• Once Jesus got in the boat, guess what, the winds calmed down!
• When Jesus got in the boat, those in the boat worshipped Him.
• They said, and this is our deep thought with Jesus- Truly you are the Son of God.”
• See, Jesus is not just your friend, He is not a psychological crutch for the weak, HE IS THE SON OF GOD!
• The disciples had to be stunned at what they have seen, and to top it off, once Jesus entered the boat, the sea calmed.
• When you let Jesus in your boat, your storms will calm also. When Peter walked on the water, the wind and the waves were still there beating on the boat, but you know what?
• It did not matter because Peter was focused on Jesus and so long as He focused on Jesus, what was going on around him had no effect on him.
CONCLUSION
• If we are going to go deeper with Jesus, we have to realize that Jesus is BIGGER than ANY storm you face.
• Jesus did not calm the winds so that Peter could walk on water, Peter was empowered to walk on water DESPITE the storm!
• You can walk on water with Jesus if you will anchor the hope for your life on the FACT that Jesus is the SON OF GOD!
• Jesus is not just a good teacher, or a prophet, or a friend, or a comforter, NEVER FORGET HE IS THE SON OF GOD!
• Jesus is BIGGER THAN ANYTHING YOU FACE!
• My question is will you walk on water with Jesus through the storms of your life, will you allow Jesus to get in your boat with you so you can experience the peace that surpassed all understanding?
