Matthew 14:22-33

²² Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. ²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. ²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning^[a] Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” ²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong^[c] wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,”Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” ³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

It’s here as we focus on the faith of Peter that we see three faith-building things that Peter did, first:

1. He called out.

After being profoundly moved by this appearance of Jesus, Peter calls out in Matthew 14:28, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Peter asked Jesus to command him to come. This reveals two critically important truths for all Christians, first:

• Unless it is Jesus who is calling stay where you are.

Why did Peter ask Jesus to command him to come, why didn’t he just get out of the boat when Jesus had revealed himself to the disciples? Because it was Jesus who had commanded him to get into the boat 9 hours before and getting out without Christ’s clear command would have been an act of disobedience. Jesus had commanded Peter to get into the boat so only Jesus could call him out. Peter was asking for permission, He wanted to know God’s Will. Right now, there are some of you that desperately want out of the boat you are in. Some of you are Pastors who are weary of the wind and the waves, your tired of being in the battered boat and so you are going to bail, leave the ministry or change churches. But before you get out of the boat you need to hear the clear call of Christ. As people we have a tendency to doubt in the dark what the Lord revealed in the light. Just because it’s difficult don’t desert. Unless the Lord calls you stay put and stay the course. It’s easy to spiritualize your disobedience and claim to be following by faith but if Christ hasn’t called then whose voice are you really listening to, self not the Savior. That means your decision to climb out of the boat is based on your wants not His will and that’s not faith its foolishness. Look don’t get out of the boat Jesus has told you to get into unless He calls you out. If you want to know God’s Will ask, Peter did and Jesus call was crystal clear. This leads us to the second important observation:

• You better know the Lords voice.

John 10:1-5 says “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” How do you know if it’s the voice of the shepherd, or that of self or even Satan? Ask yourself, does the call line up with God’s Word. Is it based on your way and wants or His Word? Today many of us are following our feelings over the voice of the shepherd, because we are more in tune to our feelings than we are to the Father. Peter knew the Lords voice; do you recognize the voice of Jesus and are you submitting to what He says and carrying out His call? So why did Peter want to be with Jesus? Because sheep look for their shepherd, they long for their shepherd because they love their shepherd. His desire to be with Jesus was based on relationship not rules. When you really start to understand the care of Christ you will want to cling to Christ. In order to grow in our faithfulness, this is the first place to start. Peter’s heart’s desire was, I want to join Jesus where He is at. Peter wanted the Savior more than he wanted the storm stilled. What about you, do you want Christ more than you want your circumstances calmed. I would rather step into the storm with Christ than live in the calm without Him. Joining Jesus in what He’s doing is an act of faith. Many of us want Jesus to come to us, but sheep follow the shepherd not the other way around. As believers we should not be asking Jesus to get in the boat with us, but to join Him out on the water. But we’re not to just dream up something big and asking Jesus to bless it. Instead, we’re to see what Jesus is blessing and join Jesus by “fasten ourselves together” with Him. So many times, I have heard preachers proclaim that this passage is about getting out of the boat and taking risks for Jesus. But this is not a story about risk taking it’s a story about relying and trusting. Rather than seeing it as a story about risk-taking recognize that it is primarily a story about obedience. That means we have to discern between an authentic call from God and what may simply be a foolish impulse on our part based on feelings. Ask God to let you know what it is that He wants you to do, His Will. Immerse yourself in God’s Word and He will reveal His Will. Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Are you calling out to Christ with your whole hearted or are you halfhearted? Is Christ calling you to get out of the boat, or do you need to stay put? Are you going to seek His Will or your wants?

Matthew 14:22-33

²² Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. ²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. ²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” ²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,”Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” ³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

As we look at cultivating the Christ like character of faith we come to Peter’s response to Jesus Faithfulness which is a response of Faith. In light of the Lords faithfulness faith is the only right response. God consistently calls us to follow by faith but so often our fears get in the way. What are those fears, well it would be easier to list what we don’t fear. For the list of phobias that we have as humans is almost unlimited. One of Satan’s favorite weapons is fear, because fear effects our focus. It causes us to take our eyes off of Christ and put them on our crisis. So that instead of walking by faith we end up following our feelings. Satan our enemy knows your fears, and he is going to throw those fears in your face. It might be the fear of failure, whether that be in the past, the present or even fear of future failure. It might be the fear of what others will say or do. But regardless of what the fear is Satan will try to throw it in your face. But you don’t have to focus on the fear you can focus on Christ’s faithfulness. The best way to keep the enemy at bay is to keep Christ before.  If you want to keep the enemy out then keep Christ in. Sheep have no reason to fear the wolf when they live in the shadow of the Shepherd. Because while Satan does not fear praying sheep he does fear the presence of the Shepherd. We are by nature fear focused people that is why Jesus not only came to His disciples but also called out and told them not to cower but to be courageous because the great I Am is here. Their courage did not come because of a change in circumstances, the storm was still raging, no their courageous came because Christ was in control of the storm. Today we want to base our courage not on Christ but on Him calming our circumstances. But courage doesn’t come because of a change in circumstances it comes because Christ is in control of your circumstances. Instead of focusing on the junk that creates fear we need to focus on Jesus who cultivates faith. It’s here that Peter responds to the call of Christ and climbs out of the boat, leaving his man made worldly security to walk with the Savior. When it comes to a life of faith it’s important to note that this is not only the second boat trip but also the second storm that the disciples have gone through as a result of obeying Jesus. While we often pray for smooth sailing if Jesus remove all of the obstacles there would be no need for obedience. The truth is prayer strengthens us for challenges more than it changes our circumstances. Yes it’s true that sometimes prayer changes circumstances but more often it changes us. God often uses prayer not to exempt us from difficulty, but to strengthen us to endure it. You can certainly ask God to give you a pass from cancer, accidents, grief, pain, or financial pressure. But perhaps it is Gods Will not to give you a pass but a to grow you so that you will pass. I love this prayer that an unknown Confederate soldier wrote. – “I prayed for strength that I might achieve, I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things, I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men, I was given weakness that I might feel the need for God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life, I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for, yet everything that I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed.” In the first storm Jesus was with them in the boat while in the second He was interceding. Jesus stretches our faith in incremental steps. The first time he got into the boat with them, but the second time he sent them on ahead. It’s one thing to trust Jesus when he is right there, but are you going to trust Him even when you can’t see Him? Jesus uses the same boat to help us take baby steps in our faith. It’s here that in response to the faithfulness of Jesus we see the Faith of Peter. Yet sadly Peter has become the most familiar part of this story because most of us forget to first focus on the faithfulness of Jesus. Are you going to focus on the storm or the Savior, on your fears or on His faithfulness?