Introduction

Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ! Today, we're going to dive into a powerful lesson from the book of Matthew. It's a story you may have heard before, one of Jesus walking on the water, but we're going to explore it in a new light. We're going to talk about the power of faith, the strength of obedience, and the reward of trusting in Jesus.

As we embark on this journey, let's remember the words of A.W. Tozer who once said, "Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God."

Now, let's look at the scripture. Matthew 14:22-33 says:

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God."

The Power of Faith

When we talk about faith, we are talking about a deep, unwavering belief in something, even when we cannot see it physically. In the context of our Christian journey, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, as stated in Hebrews 11:1.

In plain English: In this story, Jesus invites Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water. Peter, in his faith, takes that first step. He steps out into the unknown, onto a surface that, by all natural laws, should not support him. Yet, because of his faith in Jesus, he walks. This is the power of faith - it can move us to do things that seem impossible, things that defy the natural order, things that can only be explained by the divine intervention of God.

Believing that God will do what He has promised: It's about trusting in His character, His goodness, His love, and His power. When Peter stepped out of the boat, he was not just expressing his belief in Jesus, but he was also expressing his trust in Jesus' power to keep him afloat.

A continuous journey: Peter started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and the waves around him. His faith wavered, and he began to sink. This shows us that our faith needs to be continually focused on Jesus. We will face winds and waves in our lives - trials, challenges, fears, doubts - but we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Our faith in Him will keep us afloat.

Requires action: It's not enough to say we have faith; we must demonstrate it through our actions. James 2:17 tells us that faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Peter didn't just say he believed Jesus could make him walk on water; he actually stepped out of the boat. His action demonstrated his faith.

A gift from God: Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith—and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. We cannot muster up faith on our own; it is a gift that God gives us. We must ask Him to increase our faith, just like the apostles did in Luke 17:5.

It’s transformative: It changes us, it changes our circumstances, and it changes the world around us. It allows us to see God's kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven. It allows us to participate in God's work in the world. It allows us to experience the impossible.

The Strength of Obedience

It is through obedience that Peter was able to step out of the boat and walk on the water towards Jesus ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO