Part 23, Walking on Water

We are now in part 23, I believe, of our series, Great Stories, Eternal Truths.

There it goes.

Where we’ve been looking at the great stories, and we went through and we looked at the great stories in the Old Testament, and we carried through with Adam until Christmas. And then at Christmas, we picked up with the great stories in the New Testament.

And we just assume that everybody knows these stories, and I have assumed that, but it turns out that we need a review of these great Bible stories.

And so this morning, we turn to Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 14. Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 14, beginning in verse number 22. If you’re using the Pew Bible, as I am, it will be page 869.

Matthew 14, beginning in verse 22.

When you get there, if you’re able, would you stand with me as we honor God and the reading of his word?

Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 14, beginning in verse 22.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance from land, battered by the waves because the wind was against them.

Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified.

“It’s a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.

Immediately Jesus spoke to them, “Have courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s 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 began to sink.

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.”

May God add his blessing to the reading, the preaching, and now your hearing to understand his holy word. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever be praised.

And all of God’s people say, “Amen.”

You may be seated.

How do we travel on water? How can we travel on water?

Most would say, “Well, we’ll swim if we have to, but preferably by boat.” Because a boat feels safe, and a boat feels stable most of the time, hopefully, depending on the type of boat.

Well, a boat just makes sense. It makes sense to travel on the water by boat.

But in Matthew chapter 14, Jesus doesn’t use a boat.

He walks on the water.

He walks across the Sea of Galilee.

What a spectacle. What a sight.

There’s an old joke about three preachers that went fishing. And there were two older preachers who had been in the ministry many decades. And then there was a young preacher who was just starting, and they were taking him under their wings and trying to teach him the ropes and mentor him and spend time with him.

So they took him fishing, and they got out on the boat out on the water, and the two old preachers had a plan.

One of the old preachers said to the other, “You know, I’ve been serving the Lord lo these many years. I believe that I have grown my faith to the point where I can walk on the water just like Jesus did.”

And so he jumps out of the boat, and he walks out about 50 feet, and then walks back and gets back into the boat.

And the young preacher that’s with him is just amazed.

The other old preacher says, “Well, I’ve been serving the Lord longer than you have. I’ve been in ministry for seven years before you even got started. Surely I’ve got enough faith to do just like our Lord and walk on the water.”

And so he jumps out of the boat, walks out about 50 feet on the water, walks back on the water, and gets back in the boat.

And the young preacher is just amazed that he is under the toutelage and under the mentorship of these great men of God with such great faith that they can walk on the water.

But then he thinks to himself, “The Lord is no respecter of persons. The Lord is no respecter of age. Surely I can walk on the water. I have the faith of youth and vim and vigor. I have a seminary degree. I too surely can walk on the water.”

And he jumps up and he steps out of the boat and sinks to the bottom, comes up spitting, sputtering, and coughing water.

And the two old preachers say to one another, “You think we ought to tell him where the stumps are?”

Folks, there were no stumps in Matthew 14.

This was not shallow water. This is the Sea of Galilee.

And Peter does something there quite uncomfortable. And I believe this morning that Jesus is calling us to do something uncomfortable.

He is calling us to get out of the boat.

You’re going to have to think a little bit this morning. You’re going to have to apply some symbolism and some illustrations that I make, and you’re going to have to apply them to your own personal situation, to your own life.

And I believe that if you’ll make that effort this morning, God will speak to you. I believe if you’ll put the effort in listening this morning, God will speak to you.

We begin this morning, as we have in all of these sermons, with a retelling of the story.

Last week, we retold the story of the feeding of the 5,000 through the eyes of a little boy. And I got Joshua to come up here as a little boy and read the retelling.

And, well, this morning we’re going to retell the story through the eyes of Peter as an older man.

I didn’t call on any of our older men. I thought about it, but I decided I’m old enough to be able to do it myself.

So, retelling the story, but through the eyes of Peter many years after this has happened.

Listen carefully.

“I’m an old man now. I’ve walked many roads since that night. I’ve preached in cities I never imagined. I’ve stood before rulers. I’ve slept in prison cells. I’ve seen miracles. I’ve buried friends.

“But I still remember that night on the sea.

“We had just seen Jesus feed thousands with a boy’s lunch. We were exhausted.

“But Jesus sent us ahead by boat while he stayed behind to pray.

“The Sea of Galilee can turn quickly, and that night it did. The wind came hard against us. The waves beat against the sides of the boat. We were fishermen. We knew storms, but this one wore us down.

“We rowed for hours.

“Then, in the darkest part of the night, we saw something. A figure.

“A figure walking on the water.

“We thought it was a ghost. We were terrified.

“In that moment, all I could think was, ‘Well, this is how it ends.’

“Then we heard his voice.

“‘Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.’

“I knew that voice.

“I had left my nets because of that voice. I had watched him heal because of that voice.

“So I said something crazy, like I often did back in those days.

“I said, ‘Lord, if it’s really you, command me to come to you on the water.’

“And he did.

“He said one word.

“‘Come.’

“I don’t know what the others were thinking, but I remember gripping the side of that boat. The wood felt solid beneath my hands. It felt safe. It felt familiar.

“But he wasn’t in the boat.

“He was out there.

“So I swung over the side.

“I stepped down into the water, and for a moment the water held me up.

“Oh, the wind was still blowing and the storm was still raging. But as long as I looked at him, I walked on the water.

“I wish I could tell you that I walked all the way to him without wavering, but I didn’t.

“I saw the waves. I felt the wind. And fear crept in.

“And the moment fear filled my eyes, faith left my feet.

“I began to sink.

“I can still feel the cold water rising. And I cried out the shortest, most honest prayer I’ve ever prayed.

“‘Lord, save me.’

“And immediately—not eventually—immediately, his hand caught mine, strong and steady and certain.

“And he lifted me up.

“And he didn’t let me drown.

“He didn’t let me drift.

“He walked me right back to the boat.

“And when we climbed in, the wind stopped and the sea went still.

“And we worshiped him.

“Years later, I understand something I didn’t understand way back then.

“That night was never about the storm. It was about trust.

“It wasn’t about walking on water. It was about keeping my eyes on Jesus.

“And I learned something else that night.

“It’s better to sink while walking toward Jesus than sit safely in a boat without Jesus.

“If I had stayed in that boat, I would have been dry. Sure. But I would have missed the miracle, and I would have never known what it feels like to have the hand of the Son of God lift you up out of the sea.”

Amen.

Retelling the story.

And all of these stories are worth retelling. But we must move quickly to number two: remembering the truths.

Remembering the truths.

With this story still fresh in your mind, both from the text and from my retelling of it, truth number one.

The boat represents safety and security.

The boat was the safest place to be in the storm. If you stay in the boat, you don’t risk drowning.

If you stay in the boat, you don’t risk embarrassment.

If you stay in the boat, you don’t risk rejection.

If you stay in the boat, you don’t risk failure.

But when did Jesus ever call his followers to a life of safety?

The apostles were persecuted.

Missionaries risk their lives.

Martyrs give everything.

Folks, our ultimate safety is not in the here and now. It is in eternity.

This world is not our home. It is not our resting place.

We are called to get out of the boat and take the risk.

The hour is too late. The night is too dark. Evil is too strong. The end is too near for Christians today to just stay safe in the boat.

Jesus has not called us to cling to comfort. He’s called us to be courageous in our obedience.

Truth number two, the boat represents doing things the same way they’ve always been done.

You see, the boat was familiar to Peter.

Peter knew everything about the boat.

The disciples were fishermen. They knew boats. They understood boats. They trusted boats. They knew how to pilot boats.

The boat represents what has always been.

It represents routine.

It represents comfort.

It represents predictability.

But here’s the thing. The boat may have been all of those things, but Jesus was not in that boat.

He was out on the water.

I wonder if y’all are following my analogies. Are you making some connections?

Folks, if we are going to walk with Jesus, we may have to leave what is comfortable.

We may have to make a move.

We may have to make a change.

We may have to trust him in places that we’ve never walked before.

But folks, for us, it is time to stop being satisfied with what just what has been, forward in faith to the future to what can be.

It’s time to get out of the boat.

Truth number three, the boat represents an unchallenged faith.

It doesn’t take much faith to sit in the boat. Boats float—or they generally do, anyway.

That’s not radical faith. That’s predictable faith.

But stepping out into the water, now that requires faith. That requires trust in the one who’s calling you out onto the water.

But most of us have boat faith, not walk-on-the-water faith.

Some of us have boat faith, not walk-on-the-water faith.

We believe as long as everything makes sense.

We trust as long as we stay comfortable in the trusting.

But faith, folks, real biblical faith grows when it is challenged.

Peter’s faith grew when his foot left the boat.

If you want to grow spiritually, you cannot stay there in the boat.

If you want to grow spiritually, you cannot stay where your faith is never challenged, where your faith is never tested.

Truth number four, Jesus was not in the boat.

This is critical, folks. We’ve got to get this about this analogy here that I’m making.

The disciples were in the boat.

Jesus was not.

He was walking on the water.

The disciples were doing something ordinary.

Jesus was doing something extraordinary.

Are you with me?

He was walking on the water.

Riding in the boat, that’s something you do every day.

Walking on the water? Well, that’s something we’ve never seen before.

Folks, here’s the point about Jesus not being in the boat.

If you’re going to walk with Jesus, you got to go where he is.

Walking with Jesus sometimes means walking into places, places you’ve never been before.

Walking with Jesus may mean that you realize, “I cannot stand on my own.”

Walking with Jesus makes us realize we cannot survive in our own strength.

Following Jesus requires movement.

It requires a step.

It requires throwing our leg over the side of the boat.

It requires surrender.

It requires stepping out.

Truth number five, you must hear his calling.

Now, Peter did not—impulsive as Peter was, impulsive as Peter was—he did not act impulsively here.

He asked, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come.”

And he heard Jesus say, “Come.”

If you’re going to walk on the water, you got to hear his voice.

And folks, Jesus is not silent.

Jesus is not silent today.

We’re just not listening.

He still speaks today. He speaks through his word. He speaks through his spirit. He speaks through circumstances. He speaks through brothers and sisters who are around us.

And in his speaking, he is saying, “Come. Come deeper. Come further. Higher. Come closer to me.”

You must hear his calling.

Truth number six, you must set aside distractions.

Peter walked on the water as long as he was focused on Jesus.

Verse 30 says, “But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid.”

When he focused on the storm, he sank.

What storms are you focusing on?

Hebrews 3:1 tells us to fix our thoughts and our minds on Jesus.

Fix them.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Folks, distractions will always be present.

There are distractions everywhere.

One of the main distractions we see in the text today: the distraction of fear.

Fear not only distracts, fear disables you.

Fear locks you up.

Fear ties you down.

Fear keeps you in the boat when Jesus is calling you to walk on the water.

Fear is a distraction.

Criticism.

Criticism is a distraction.

Jesus is calling you out onto the water, and you’re hearing the voices of people saying, “You can never do that.”

We’re distracted by doubt.

We’re distracted by voices coming from a million different directions all around us.

We’re distracted.

Many, many people have done like Peter, and they stepped out on faith. They started so strong until they started looking at the waves.

Until they took their eyes off of Jesus.

They were doing great until they took their focus off of the one who called them out onto the water and started to retreat back to the boat.

It’s sad, folks.

If you’re going to walk on the water, your eyes must stay focused on Jesus.

Truth number seven, you must depend on Jesus completely.

When Peter began to sink, when his eyes got off of Jesus and he started feeling the wind and seeing the waves, and he began sinking in the water, began to sink—I love the song we sang.

“And I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. Then the master of the sea heard my despairing cry. From the waters lifted me. Now saved, now safe, now secure am lifted me.”

Amen.

Peter, when he began to sink, he didn’t try to swim back to the boat.

He didn’t pretend like everything was fine.

What did he do?

He cried out to the Lord, “Lord, save me.”

And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and drew him up out of the water.

Drew him up out of the storm.

Drew him up out of the sea.

Peter came to realize something.

We cannot walk on the water in our own strength.

And folks, you cannot live the Christian life in your own ability.

And the good news is you don’t have to.

He’s given us his Holy Spirit.

Amen.

So if you begin to sink, don’t retreat.

If you begin to sink, don’t give up.

If you begin to sink, don’t drift back into complacency.

Don’t go back to the life you came out of.

Cry out to Jesus, and he will lift you up.

Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.

And what does the sign out front say?

God is love.

Amen.

He will lift you.

So how do we respond to these truths?

Responding in faith, very quickly.

Where are you this morning?

Are you clinging to the boat?

Are you drifting along spiritually?

Are you comfortable but not growing?

Comfortable, sure, but not making any progress.

How about our church?

How about New Bethl Baptist Church, 11681, Philadelphia, Mississippi, in the Waldo community?

This group of people gathered here.

How about our church?

We have stepped into unknown waters before with great faith.

We have plunged forward with great faith into where he’s called us before.

But where are we now?

Have we returned to the boat for safety and predictability?

Are we living in spiritual complacency?

Or are we out there on the water walking with our Lord?

For some here today, the boat represents something else.

It represents your old life.

It represents your sin.

It represents your comfort in what is familiar, familiar, comfortable.

But you know it’s not right.

Jesus is saying, “Repent. Be born again. Step into a new life.”

Hear his voice.

He is saying, “Come.”

Come to me.

Come to me.

If you have never come before, come out of the comfort.

Come out of the fear.

Come out of the complacency.

There’s more waiting for you out on the water.

Get out of the boat.

Walk with Jesus.

And go places with him you have never gone before.

Heavenly Father, we pray this morning that every soul in the sound of my voice has heard your word.

They’ve heard your voice bidding them come out on the water.

We pray that in this invitation time they’ll respond.

That there’ll be folks come and kneel at this altar.

That there are those here today that maybe need to be baptized. Let them come in this invitation.

There are those that need to join this church by letter or statement. Let them come.

There are those that need to surrender to a gospel ministry and mission in this invitation. Let them make it public to the church.

Let them come.

Whatever the decision is, calling out from the comfort into courageous faith, let them come.

We pray in Jesus’ name.