Get out of the Boat
Matthew14: 22-33
1. Peter asked the Lord to bid him to come (Vs.28)
We need to be in prayer and ask God what he would have for us to do this year.
James 4:2b, Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
Sometimes we say I wish that God would let me do this or that. Have you asked Him? We know that we can do nothing without Him but Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
He does not want our ability. He wants our availability.
2. Peter was obedient to His command (Vs.29)
When we ask God what He would have for us to do it is not a multiple-choice answer. We shouldn’t get to pick and choose what we get to do. We shouldn’t say well that is not what I want to do so what is my next choice. We need to be obedient.
3. Peter only began to sink after he took his eyes off of Jesus (Vs. 30)
Everything was fine as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus. It was when he began to look at the storms around him that he began to sink.
The same is true with us as well. When we take our eyes off of Him then we will sink into sin as well.
Satan is a master deceiver. He will use the storms of this world to take our eyes off of Jesus. This should be an example to us all. When the storms of life surround us then we just need to keep our eyes on Jesus and we will be safe and secure in Him.
4. When Peter messed up he ask Jesus to help him (Vs. 30b-32)
Peter when he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink cried out to the only one who could help him. The other disciples certainly were not going to get out of the boat and go help him. In verse 31 it says that immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.
Jesus not only saved him from drowning but he put Peter back in the boat. Now Jesus could have stopped there but instead Jesus got in the boat with him and He caused the winds to cease. He didn’t need to get in the boat. He was still walking on the water. The storm was not bothering Him. Jesus getting in the boat and calming the storm was not for Him. It was for Peter and the other disciples.
When we go through the storms in life we need to realize that God will not allow us to have more than we can bare and that He is there with us doing the storms of life even when we might have been the one who caused the storm to start with. That is God. That is His Grace.
5. At least Peter got out of the boat
While some might look down at Peter for not having the faith and sinking but at least he got out of the boat. There were other disciples who just sit in the boat and watched the show.
You see the thing about it; Peter did walk on the water. The other disciples could never claim to do that. It does not say how many steps on how long he did but how cool is it to be able to walk on water.
That is the thing with people today. They want to stay in their comfort zone to sit in the pews and maybe even criticize others but they never get out of the boat. My boss will call me occasionally to let me know where I have messed up. My response is always the same. When I quit making mistakes is when I know that I am not working enough. If you want to come and sit quietly in the church and never be obedient to God and get involved in the work the God is doing in the church then you probably won’t get very many people upset. But you will never have the pleasure of walking on water. GET OUT OF THE BOAT!
