FAITH REQUIRES FEARLESSNESS! FAITH CALLS FOR US TO PUT AWAY OUR FEARS AND TO EMBRACE RADICAL OBEDIENCE SO THAT WE CAN TAKE OUR FIRST STEPS AWAY FROM “SELF” AND HEAD IN THE DIRECTION GOD WANTS TO LEADS US.
FAITH EXPECTS US TO ABANDON SELF, HUMAN UNDERSTANDING, LOGIC, DOUBT, AND DISTRACTIONS. OUR FAITH IS TO TRUST GOD’S DIVINE GUIDANCE OF THE UNKNOWN, THE UNEXPERIENCED, AND THE SEEMINGLY UNCHARTED PATHWAYS OF OUR LIFE THAT SEEM TO MAKE NO SENSE AT ALL.
WE CAN’T AFFORD TO STAY IN OUR SAFETY ZONES OF THE “FAMILIAR.” WE CANNOT BAIL OUT BECAUSE WE FEAR THAT WE MIGHT FAIL OR END UP NOT DOING EVERYTHING PERFECTLY.
IN OUR LESSON, PETER BECOMES BOTH THE MODEL OF FAITH AND THE LACK OF FAITH. HE HAD FAITH TO GET OUT OF THE BOAT WITH THE INTENTION OF GOING OUT TO JESUS. YET, HE FAILED WHEN HE TURNED HIS ATTENTION FROM JESUS TO THE RAGING STORM.
PETER’S LACK OF FAITH WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE LITERAL WIND AND WATER, BUT BY HIS FAILURE TO CONCENTRATE. THE FIERCE STORM DISTRACTS PETER AND HE BECOMES MORE AFFECTED BY HIS CIRCUMSTANCES THAN BY THE FACT THAT JESUS GRANTED HIS REQUEST TO COME OUT OF THE BOAT AND WALK TO HIM.
ONE OF THE LESSON PETER LEARNED THAT NIGHT IS THE SAME ONE WE CAN LEARN TODAY. WE CAN BOLDLY PROCLAIM THE WORDS OF HEBREWS 1:11, THAT “FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN.”
FAITH IS WHAT SEPARATES BELIEVERS FROM AN UNBELIEVING WORLD BECAUSE IT CALMS OUR SPIRIT AND ASSURES US THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL AND HAS OUR SITUATION FULLY SUSTAINED ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. JEREMIAH 32:27, “I AM THE LORD, THE GOD OF ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD. IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR ME?”
WE BEGIN TO RUN OUT OF EXCUSES AND REASONS WHY WE GIVE INTO FEAR AND DOUBT WHEN WE REMEMBER HEBREWS 13:5, “FOR GOD HAS SAID, “I WILL NEVER FAIL YOU. I WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU.”
PETER LEARNED MANY THINGS THE NIGHT HE GOT OUT OF THE BOAT TO WALKED ON WATER TOWARDS JESUS! WE CAN LEARN, FROM PETER, TO WALK ON WATER IN TWO WAYS: FIRST, YOU MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND STEP OUT OF THE BOAT. SECONDLY, IF YOU FALL OR “SINK” YOU CAN TRUST IN JESUS TO GET BACK UP!
FIRST: YOU MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND STEP OUT OF THE BOAT. WHEN JESUS COMES TO THE DISCIPLES IT WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 3 AND 6 IN THE MORNING. THE MEN WERE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE AGAINST THE SEA.
TOTALLY EXHAUSTED AND UTTERLY FRIGHTENED OUT OF THEIR MINDS, JESUS APPEARS TO THEM WITH THE COMFORTING WORDS, “BE OF GOOD COURAGE. IT IS I! DO NOT BE AFRAID” (V.27). WHAT JESUS IS REALLY SAYING IS “IT’S ALL RIGHT! I AM!” THESE ARE THE SAME WORDS OF EXODUS 3:14, “GOD REPLIED TO MOSES, “I AM WHO I AM.”
THAT WAS ALL PETER NEEDED TO HEAR. HE KNEW THAT THE LIVING GOD WAS PRESENT! PETER ASKS JESUS TO WALK OUT TO HIM ON THE WATER. PETER WAS NOT PUTTING JESUS TO THE TEST, BUT HE WAS REACTING IN FAITH!
PETER CHOSE TO OVERCOME HIS FEARS TO ATTEMPT WHAT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE, BUT ONLY AFTER JESUS INVITED HIM TO COME. PETER DIDN’T ASK TO DO “HIS OWN THING IN HIS OWN WAY.” PETER ONLY ASKS TO DO WHAT JESUS WAS DOING.
PETER’S RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION OF JESUS IS FAITH AND TRUST IN THE GREAT “I AM.” RESPONDING TO GOD, WHEN HE SPEAKS TO US, DEMANDS OBEDIENCE AND RECKLESS ABANDON!
GOD CALLS HIS CHILDREN TO CAST THEIR CARES ON HIM, TO LAY THEM AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS, TO BE HIS AMBASSIDORS, AND TO LIVE A SANCTIFIED LIFE STEEPED IN HOLINESS. ARE WE WILLING TO BE THAT OBEDIENT? THE FIRST LESSON IN HOW TO WALK ON WATER IS TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND STEP OUT OF THE BOAT.
THE SECOND LESSON TO WALK ON WATER IS TO KNOW THAT IF YOU FALL OR “SINK” YOU CAN TRUST IN JESUS TO GET BACK UP! DO YOU REALIZE THAT AFTER THE LORD RESCUED AND THEN REBUKED PETER, HE GENTLY LEADS HIM BACK TO THE BOAT!
THE GLORIOUS NEWS IS THAT EVEN WHEN PETER FAILED, GOD WAS STILL FAITHFUL! PETER REMEMBERD THAT IN TIMES WHEN HIS FAITH FAILED, HE COULD REACH OUT TO JESUS, THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD TRULY HELP HIM. IT IS THE SAME WAY FOR US, TOO!
KEEP YOUR FULL TRUST AND FAITH IN JESUS. JESUS SHOULD NEVER BE YOUR LAST RESORT! PETER ALLOWED THE WIND AND WAVES TO OVERWHELM HIS FAITH. HIS MOMENTARY DISPAIR CAUSED HIM TO START SINKING. HIS DOUBT BECAME HIS DOWNFALL!
IF WE WILL CONFESS OUR SHORTCOMINGS, FAILURES AND SINS, GOD HAS PROMISED TO FORGIVE US. 1 JOHN 1:9, “BUT IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO HIM, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL WICKEDNESS.”
HE FINDS NO JOY IN SEEING YOU FAIL. HIS PLAN, ALL ALONG, HAS BEEN TO SAVE YOU. JESUS TOLD ZACCHAEUS IN LUKE 19:10, “FOR THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST.” THE SECOND LESSON TO WALK ON WATER IS TO KNOW THAT IF YOU FALL OR “SINK” YOU CAN TRUST IN JESUS TO GET BACK UP!
ARE YOU READY TO EXPERIENCE THE PEACE AND JOY THAT COMES WITH A LIVING FAITH FOUND ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST? IF YOU DO, THEN TAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP…THE FIRST STEP…STEP OUT OF THE BOAT IN FAITH AND FULL SURRENDER TO JESUS CHRIST WHO BIDS YOU TO COME TO HIM. SURRENDER FULLY TO CHRIST SO THAT YOU CAN BEGIN TO WALK ON WATER!
