Caught in a storm, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water to them. They mistake Jesus for a ghost, but Peter hears the Master's voice. Then Peter steps out of the boat. What does this teach us? Pastor Jason shares from Matthew 14:28-33.
Enjoy this message? Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is serving as the Senior Pastor. Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Send The Dirt Path Pastor a message. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thedirtpathpastor
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Caught in a storm, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water to them. They mistake Jesus for a ghost, but Peter hears the Master's voice. Then Peter steps out of the boat. What does this teach us? Pastor Jason shares from Matthew 14:28-33.
Enjoy this message? Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is serving as the Senior Pastor. Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Send The Dirt Path Pastor a message. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thedirtpathpastor
Help spread the gospel through this podcast by subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing this episode.
What lies at the bottom of the ocean? A nervous wreck. This dad joke is poking fun at the power of anxiety. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, over 40 million adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder. That is 19 percent of the population. And this does not account for the fact that every person deals with anxiety.
Another source showed what the average person’s anxiety is focused on:
· 40 percent are things that will never happen.
· 30 percent are things that happened in the past.
· 12 percent is criticism by others.
· 10 percent is health.
· 8 percent are real problems.
In short, most of the things that cause anxiety are outside our control or things that cannot be changed.
Anxiety is an anchor that drags our faith below the ocean. The passage we are studying today is a literal example.
Matthew 14:28-33(CSB)
“Lord, if it is you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
This is the Word of God.
For the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The events we just read happen after Jesus feeds the 5,000. Jesus has gone off to pray, sending the disciples on ahead in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. A storm pops up and catches the disciples, battering them with the wind and waves. To get to them, Jesus walks on the water.
Seeing Jesus, the disciples think he is a ghost. But true to his character, Peter calls out to Jesus. In verse 28, Peter says, “If it is you, command me to come out to you on the water.” Peter is impulsive, but love is the reason. If it was Jesus and Jesus gave the command, Peter had the courage to move.
This is a move of faith on Peter’s part. He sought the Lord’s will. When he received the command, Peter got out of the boat. Faith had Peter walking on the water.
All of Peter’s attention is on Jesus, it is only when he notices the wind that his focus is broken. Peter was defying the laws of nature as long as his concentration was on Jesus, but the wind stole his attention. The same wind was blowing when Peter decided to leave the boat, but that did not matter until Peter did the impossible. As faith wavered, Peter traded the supernatural for the natural, he was supposed to sink.
In verse 30, Peter cried, “Lord, save me!” Jesus pulls Peter above the water, then rebukes him by saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Notice Jesus saves him first, then rebukes him. The rebuke is not for getting out of the boat, Jesus says nothing about that. The rebuke was for losing focus.
Verse 32 says when Jesus got in the boat “the wind ceased.” Jesus gets in the boat and the wind gives up. Seeing all this, the disciples confess, “You are the Son of God.” Did they fully know what that meant in their confession? No. In many ways as readers, we know more than the disciples did living in this moment. But they will soon catch up.
When did Peter notice the wind? Once Jesus is on the scene, Peter forgets all about the weather elements. He is brave enough to step from the boat to get to Jesus. But it is outside the boat when Peter notices the wind. Jesus’s power was at work, but Peter lost focus because of the wind.
In a similar manner, when do we notice the danger? When it comes time to get out of the boat. While in the boat, others are there with us. But when we start to get out, or are out, that is when we notice the wind has been blowing We take our eyes off Jesus and all courage and boldness evaporate away. We begin to sink to the bottom like a nervous wreck.
Christian living is walking on the water through the wind and waves in pursuit of Jesus and His Kingdom. In John 16:33, Jesus tells the disciples, “In the world you will have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.” Later, the Apostle John would write in a letter, “Everyone who is born from God defeats the world. And this is the victory that has defeated the world: our faith.” (1 John 5:4, CEB) Paul, who was not with the disciples in the boat or to hear the words of Jesus, wrote, “The world has been crucified to me through Jesus, and I have been crucified to the world.” (Galatians 6:14, CEB) Why would the apostles testify to these things if they were not possible?
Keep in mind, that the apostles would endure all kinds of wind and waves in establishing the Church. But what changed was they focused on Jesus who gave them freedom within to walk on the water. Our faith in Jesus is what keeps our eyes above the waves. His Spirit and power are in us, and all around us. His Spirit rescues, reassures, and re-sends us when we begin to sink.
What is stealing your focus? What is giving you anxiety? Focus on Jesus. I am not downplaying mental health, nor am I suggesting that the next time you go swimming you will not need a life jacket or a change of clothes. But faith in Jesus gives you impossible strength in impossible weakness. Faith gives you impossible endurance to get through impossible situations. Faith gives you impossible peace in impossible chaos. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and you will walk on the water.