The call to faith
Matthew 14:22-33
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.”
I love this story but let’s look at it a little deeper today
When Jesus “insisted” the Greek meaning here is that he told them it was absolutely necessary for them to go across the lake without him.
Jesus sent them into the storm, not to be mean, but Paul explains this in James 1:3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
They had just seen Jesus feed over 15K people with a few loaves and fish (5/2)
Who does that?
It is easy for us to see something God is doing…rejoice in it, then let it become a distant memory. When God is doing something in our lives, it is not only for the moment but to impact our character and lives
Jesus put their faith to the test to see if they would remember Jesus as the provider and the one who cares about the daily-ness of our lives.
If we are able to apply the miracles we see then we grow…however in our testing we are never alone
Where was Jesus?
Verse 23
After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
He was praying for them, they were not abandoned…he sent them to grow in their faith and he stood in the gap for them…it is what he is doing for us right now
Romans 8:34
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
You are never alone…but notice Jesus is praying for them and they run into trouble
Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.
How do you respond when you difficulties arise in your life?
– Do you run from them?
– Complain about them?
– Blame others for them?
– Do you feel like a failure?
– Do you feel as if God has let you down?
The challenge for us is do we believe that our lives are in God’s hands?
Do you believe the disciples we actually in danger? It certainly seemed to them that they were but Jesus was praying for them and the devil and their own fleshly knowledge were trying to convince them they were going to die.
I want to challenge you today that we need to begin to believe that God is in control of our lives and He has our future in the palm of His hands…I don’t believe the disciples were in any real danger here
- God’s plan for them had not been fulfilled
- Jesus was interceding for them
- God had provided them with an opportunity for them and Him to shine
Going back to Romans here is what Paul stated right after his statement about Jesus interceding for us
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He is speaking directly to our hearts this morning that we would begin to believe the stuff we are going through is something if placed in His hands will cause us and Him to shine! Even if we don’t have any control over it…if we will choose to believe, the Lord will take it and turn it for our good
Just at the right time the Lord will meet us
Verses 25,26
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!”
Obviously, they hadn’t grasped the concept who Jesus was, why?
- they were in their familiar element
- they had pushed the miracle aside
- they were afraid…stuff of life had robbed them of faith
We are OK with God doing miracles overseas, in other parts of the country but what about right here…with and through you?
Is Jesus the same yesterday today and forever? The miracles he did then he has empowered us by the Holy Spirit to do even more now
We can’t allow our circumstances to control us we need to be mindful of the Holy Spirit always…even if the trouble is familiar
Let’s wrap this up
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!” 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.”
The problem, the struggle, the trial, the challenge is still very intense yet right in the middle of it, even though Jesus had been praying for them…he still showed up
Notice he showed up in a very unusual way…they had never seen anything like this before
Their deliverance did not look like a deliverance to them but instead something quite the opposite…they were afraid they were going to die to instead of seeing Jesus they saw a ghost
Jesus knew where he was going and it was the disciples choice to wallow where they were or to reach out to Him…he would not have allowed them to die as we talked about earlier (Mark tells us in 6:48 he was going to walk right by them) they could have struggled all night until morning.
How often do we struggle with things and we fight but in reality Jesus is right there maybe not as we had expected but He is there if we would only cry out to him
He is the person giving us advice
He is slowing us down so we can listen
He is even using someone who is not a Christian giving us wise council (Nico, Nebuchadnezzar)
He is that “check” in our spirits
There was no reason for Peter to walk on the water…except that we see God can cause anything to happen…for Jesus to walk on the water was a “duh” moment…of course, he could do it he is God but for Peter to walk on the water…This is a whole another sermon
Here is my challenge today…Peter had little faith…it wasn’t that he had no faith it was just little but notice why Jesus was being critical
He wasn’t criticizing Peter for sinking, walking on the water, for being afraid in the storm…not really it was as this translation put is
“Why did you doubt me?”
storms come, struggles come, life difficulties happen it is not the battles with those things that bother Jesus as much as “do you trust him?”
Folks in light of what happened this past week it shows us all the more that we need to walk by faith to trust Him more
– Let’s value the miracles, the everyday ones, and the fantastic ones
– Realize the stuff you are going through God has you walking through even if the devil thinks he made it happen…God is on the move in your life
– Jesus is always praying for you
– Check your attitude and your trust when you come into difficulties
– Expect God to always show up, look for Him even in the unusual
– It is Ok to be thrown off by the wind, the waves, the things life throws at you just don’t doubt Jesus…He will never fail you or let you down
We are not to have faith in faith but instead faith in Jesus!