[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 17th of August, 2014.]
Jesus just learned that His cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by Herod. Like many of us would when suffering great grief, He tried to get away by Himself for a little while. But the ever constant crowds soon found Him and began pressing Him for healing and teaching. There in a desolate place near the Sea of Galilee, He taught and healed and then had his disciples feed 5000 men, not counting women and children, with nothing more than 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread.
Let’s pick up from there with today’s scripture reading of Matthew chapter 14, verses 22 through 33…
Let’s pick up from there with today’s scripture reading of Matthew chapter 14, verses 22 through 33…
22 Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.
28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
--Matthew 14:22-33 (NASB)
Let us pray... All glorious Father, we come before Your throne this morning in the name of Your Son Jesus the Christ to worship You and lift our praises to our Lord. We thank You for the opportunity and the freedom to do so. Move Your Holy Spirit through and among us this morning, Father God, and make us more receptive to the message You wish each of us to hear today. In the beautiful name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
“It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to be the first woman to swim the 21 miles from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit… less than one-mile from her goal. Later she said, ‘I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it.’ It wasn’t the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog. Many times we too fail, not because we’re afraid or because of the peer pressure or because of anything other than the fact that we lose sight of the goal. Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land.” [Cochrane, John. "Florence Chadwick III." Date unknown. www.bible.org.]
Peter was a professional fisherman. He put food on the table and sold enough to provide for his needs by plying the waters of the Galilean Sea. He knew boats. He knew the water. And I’m sure he was all too familiar with the effects contrary winds could have on his boat and his efforts. What he and his friends still didn’t quite understand was the divine power of their Master, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was heartbroken. He only wanted to get away from everyone for a while, probably to mourn John’s passing. But the crowds wouldn’t let Him, so He saw to their needs, both spiritual and physical, and then sent them on their way. Then He ordered His disciples to head on out to the other side of the sea, telling them He would join them later. Finally alone, He went into the mountains to pray. By evening, the boat carrying His followers had sailed far from land.
Close your eyes and put yourself on that boat with the disciples for just a moment… The wind has picked up, as it so often does on these waters. It batters the boat making navigation more difficult. Peter and those others of the disciples who are fishermen by trade struggle to maintain control over the craft, fighting the wind. The waves crash over the sides soaking us all. Confusion reigns, with the rush of the wind and the roar of the sea nearly drowning out the shouting of the men.
What happens next is so absolutely amazing, yet Matthew describes it so simply: “And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.”
Look, off to the side! What is that?!? It’s a ghost! It has to be a ghost! What else could it be way out here? We’re doomed!!!
Ok, you can open your eyes. It’s not a ghost.
Jesus reassured them. He immediately spoke to them, encouraging them, assuring them it was Him coming to them.
We don’t know exactly how far Jesus was from the boat when He spoke. Some paintings depicting the moment that I’ve seen show Him still quite a ways off. But even if He’d been right beside them, from what you just experienced on that boat, could His disciples have heard Him if He didn’t shout? Yet Matthew said only that “Jesus spoke to them” – spoke; in a normal tone of voice; not shouted but spoke. That alone, with all the noise and turmoil and confusion, would be enough of a miracle in itself.
But Jesus decides to rock their boat even more than the wind and the waves. There He is, the Son of Man, walking across the sea toward them. Of course they were terrified at first! – Who wouldn’t be? So He calmed their fears with the reassuring sound of His voice.
Wow! Walking on water!
Peter had been working the sea all his life, very likely since he was a mere lad, but this he had never seen! Everyone knew you couldn’t walk on water! It simply couldn’t be done! Yet there was Jesus, doing just that.
Now at this point the disciples had not completely accepted the idea that Jesus was indeed God, so He could still surprise them, to put it mildly. Peter must have thought, if Jesus can do it, then so can I.
Did Peter have his doubts? He must have, because rather than just hop out and start walking, he asked Jesus to command him to do it. If it really is You, Lord, then command me to come to You, because if You command it I have no choice but to do it. Jesus simply replied, “Come.”
Let me say it again: Peter was a professional fisherman. He was comfortable on his boat, even on rough seas. This is where he was supposed to be – on his boat on the sea. Standing on the boat along the shore would be nice and safe, but he wouldn’t catch many fish that way. So he was reconciled to the fact that he had to face certain risks in order to maintain his livelihood.
But this, stepping out of his boat into the wind and the waves with nothing but deep water beneath his feet… This was way outside Peter’s comfort zone! He needed Jesus to order him to do it.
Sometimes we’re like Peter in that we get too comfortable where we are. Maybe we feel an urge to do something different, but the old and familiar is just too safe and secure. Why take chances if we don’t have to? We get into our comfort zone and just don’t want to budge.
The Israelis tended to get that way too, at times, as they wandered around for forty years. At least twice, God had to prod them to keep moving. In the 1st chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people in verses 6 through 8…
“It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to be the first woman to swim the 21 miles from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit… less than one-mile from her goal. Later she said, ‘I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it.’ It wasn’t the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog. Many times we too fail, not because we’re afraid or because of the peer pressure or because of anything other than the fact that we lose sight of the goal. Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land.” [Cochrane, John. "Florence Chadwick III." Date unknown. www.bible.org.]
Peter was a professional fisherman. He put food on the table and sold enough to provide for his needs by plying the waters of the Galilean Sea. He knew boats. He knew the water. And I’m sure he was all too familiar with the effects contrary winds could have on his boat and his efforts. What he and his friends still didn’t quite understand was the divine power of their Master, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was heartbroken. He only wanted to get away from everyone for a while, probably to mourn John’s passing. But the crowds wouldn’t let Him, so He saw to their needs, both spiritual and physical, and then sent them on their way. Then He ordered His disciples to head on out to the other side of the sea, telling them He would join them later. Finally alone, He went into the mountains to pray. By evening, the boat carrying His followers had sailed far from land.
Close your eyes and put yourself on that boat with the disciples for just a moment… The wind has picked up, as it so often does on these waters. It batters the boat making navigation more difficult. Peter and those others of the disciples who are fishermen by trade struggle to maintain control over the craft, fighting the wind. The waves crash over the sides soaking us all. Confusion reigns, with the rush of the wind and the roar of the sea nearly drowning out the shouting of the men.
What happens next is so absolutely amazing, yet Matthew describes it so simply: “And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.”
Look, off to the side! What is that?!? It’s a ghost! It has to be a ghost! What else could it be way out here? We’re doomed!!!
Ok, you can open your eyes. It’s not a ghost.
Jesus reassured them. He immediately spoke to them, encouraging them, assuring them it was Him coming to them.
We don’t know exactly how far Jesus was from the boat when He spoke. Some paintings depicting the moment that I’ve seen show Him still quite a ways off. But even if He’d been right beside them, from what you just experienced on that boat, could His disciples have heard Him if He didn’t shout? Yet Matthew said only that “Jesus spoke to them” – spoke; in a normal tone of voice; not shouted but spoke. That alone, with all the noise and turmoil and confusion, would be enough of a miracle in itself.
But Jesus decides to rock their boat even more than the wind and the waves. There He is, the Son of Man, walking across the sea toward them. Of course they were terrified at first! – Who wouldn’t be? So He calmed their fears with the reassuring sound of His voice.
Wow! Walking on water!
Peter had been working the sea all his life, very likely since he was a mere lad, but this he had never seen! Everyone knew you couldn’t walk on water! It simply couldn’t be done! Yet there was Jesus, doing just that.
Now at this point the disciples had not completely accepted the idea that Jesus was indeed God, so He could still surprise them, to put it mildly. Peter must have thought, if Jesus can do it, then so can I.
Did Peter have his doubts? He must have, because rather than just hop out and start walking, he asked Jesus to command him to do it. If it really is You, Lord, then command me to come to You, because if You command it I have no choice but to do it. Jesus simply replied, “Come.”
Let me say it again: Peter was a professional fisherman. He was comfortable on his boat, even on rough seas. This is where he was supposed to be – on his boat on the sea. Standing on the boat along the shore would be nice and safe, but he wouldn’t catch many fish that way. So he was reconciled to the fact that he had to face certain risks in order to maintain his livelihood.
But this, stepping out of his boat into the wind and the waves with nothing but deep water beneath his feet… This was way outside Peter’s comfort zone! He needed Jesus to order him to do it.
Sometimes we’re like Peter in that we get too comfortable where we are. Maybe we feel an urge to do something different, but the old and familiar is just too safe and secure. Why take chances if we don’t have to? We get into our comfort zone and just don’t want to budge.
The Israelis tended to get that way too, at times, as they wandered around for forty years. At least twice, God had to prod them to keep moving. In the 1st chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people in verses 6 through 8…
6 “The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and set your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’"--Deuteronomy 1:6-8 (NASB)
And once more in Deuteronomy, chapter 2 verses 2 through 4, Moses instructs the people yet again…
2 "And the Lord spoke to me, saying, 3 'You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north, 4 and command the people, saying, "You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful."'"
--Deuteronomy 2:2-4 (NASB)
“People,” God says, “you’ve been here in this spot long enough. It’s time to move on. I have a better place for you just ahead.” But He also told them to be careful as they went, in effect to keep their eyes on Him alone as they traveled.
Are we too comfortable? Have we been in one place too long, doing the same things we’ve always done? Are we afraid to try something new, to set off in a new direction? Are we waiting to hear Jesus’ voice commanding us to do it, or for God to tell us to move along? Is Jesus about to rock our boat?
John Ortberg wrote a wonderful book he titled, “If You Want To Walk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat”. Peter really wanted to walk on the water, just like Jesus was doing, or he wouldn’t have asked the Lord to tell Him to do it. But he was afraid to give it a try, or he wouldn’t have had to ask the Lord to tell him to do it. He wanted to give it a try, but was just too afraid to climb out of the familiar boat into a new, unfamiliar experience.
Family, we can’t walk on water if we don’t get out of the boat. We won’t know if we can do it or not if we’re too cautious to get our feet wet.
When Joshua was ready to lead the Israelis across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land as God directed, they were about to leave what had become a familiar life wandering around in the wilderness, and head off into something new, something God had promised their fathers long ago. I bet they were afraid too, especially standing there facing a river swollen wide and deep by the annual rains.
Listen to what happened as recorded in the book of Joshua, chapter 3 verses 13 through 17, starting with Joshua preparing the people to cross…
13 "It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.”
14 So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), 16 the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
--Joshua 3:13-17 (NASB)
The people could not cross the river until the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant first stepped into it. Once they walked into the river, once they showed their faith in God, the Lord went to work. The waters were cut off and the people crossed on dry land! But first they had to get their feet wet. They had to leave their comfort zone. They had to get out of the boat.
But there’s a little more to our story. Peter climbed out of the boat at his Lord’s command. And he started walking to Jesus! Peter was walking on water!
But he lost focus. The fury of the storm, the chop of the sea, the turmoil surrounding him all distracted his attention and he started to sink! “Lord, save me!” he cried out!
The moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to go under, to be overwhelmed by the waves. And this is all too true for us as well.
As long as we keep our focus on our Master Jesus, we will be all right. Yes, there will be storms raging all around us. Yes, there will be times when life threatens to drag us under. But as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus we will be OK.
Not only that, but we can walk on water too. Maybe not literally, but we will nonetheless be able to do some amazing things, through Him. But only if we stay focused on Him.
Once Peter started going under and he cried out for help, Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him and saved him. He’ll do the same for us. If we do lose focus - and we will, because we’re human – before we are completely swamped, all we need to do is cry out to Jesus, to fix our eyes on Him yet again, and He will rescue us.
The words of our special hymn today tell us that there’s no space that His love can’t reach. There’s no end to amazing grace. If we cry out to Him He’ll take us in with His arms spread wide. He’ll never let go, He’ll never leave our side. And all we have to do is hold on to Him. In the middle of the storm, we just need to hold on.
No matter what is going on around us, we need to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus. Jesus questioned Peter’s faith, but I believe he simply lost focus on what is really important.
Remember the illustration I gave at the start, of the swimmer who stopped within a mile of her goal? She gave up not because she lacked strength or courage. She simply lost sight of her goal, she lost focus.
Peter sank not because of the storm or the less than solid path under his feet. Peter sank because he lost sight of Jesus, he took his eyes off his Lord and Master. But Jesus saved him and when they reached the boat together, the wind stopped blowing and the sea calmed. And some sweet day, when Jesus takes us home with Him, the storms of this life will simply fade away.
But until that day we still need to stand up to the wind, face our fears, and step out into the unknown world of tomorrow. We can do it. We can do anything if we stay focused on the Lord and follow Him out of our comfort zone. We can walk on water if we get out of the boat and keep our eyes on Jesus.
Just step out, reach out, and hold on. Let’s rock the boat.
Amen.
Let us pray… Lord Jesus, in the middle of the storm You are there for us. All we have to do is reach out to You, to hold on to You. O Master, please give us the strength and courage to step out of our boats and walk toward You. Save us when we falter and begin to sink under the weight of the world. Forgive us when we lose focus and dwell on the worries of this life rather than on You. Help us keep our gaze fixed firmly on You and the path You intend for us to follow.
Be patient with us, Lord, as we take baby steps, a little frightened by not knowing just what might lie ahead. Please keep Satan at bay. Place a hedge around us that he can’t get through. The things we try to do for You are often hard enough without him constantly prodding us, humiliating us, and telling us we can’t do what You tell us we can. We know You are God and can do anything. But we are human and weak and sometimes feel like there is nothing we can do. Reach out to us in those times, dear Savior, and save us from drowning in our own dismay.
Thank You, Jesus, for hearing our prayer. Thank You for Your saving grace and for giving us something to hold on to. Help us, please Father God, to keep our eyes fixed firmly upon the One who set us free, who reaches out to us even when we turn our back on Him. May we have the faith and the focus to walk on water when Jesus says, “Come.” In the blessed name of Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
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