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Morning Message Text: Matthew 14: 22-33
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,
24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Morning Message:
Can you walk on water? The obvious answer to that question is “No.” I don’t believe the answer is an absolute “No.” Can I, in my own power, walk on water, absolutely not. We say that we believe in a God that can do all things. We believe that God created the universe and all that is in it, including us, but I think the way we answer the question of can we walk on water comes down to, how strong is your faith, and do you trust God. Now we should all be familiar with Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” The digital age has brought us cars with built-in navigation systems and phones with maps powered by GPS satellites. We also have the option of riding in self-driving cars! Making the transition from depending on our own skills to trusting computerized devices can be challenging, but for the most part, we, as a society, have adjusted. We don’t say that we trust in these things, but we must, why else would we depend on them.
The same thing can be said when it comes to navigating through life. Before becoming a Christian, we trusted in our own skills, instincts, and decisions to make our way. But once we enter into a relationship with God, we find a different strategy is recommended—the strategy of trust. When we are driving and using a computerized map, we might question directions we are given based on traffic or construction delays. We might even ignore the directions and go our own way. But Solomon warned against such a strategy for life. Against our natural inclinations, we are told to “trust in the Lord with all our heart, and lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways acknowledge Him.” Charles Spurgeon said: “Doubt breeds distress but trust means joy in the long run.” And there is the rub. We are not patient enough to wait for the long run, we seek instant results.
The Christian faith is not a blind faith. We are called to trust and have faith, but we are also called to be prepared. 1 Samuel 17: 40 says this: “Then David took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had.” The story of David and his epic face-off with Goliath—speaks to every generation. Even recently, a television series and a major animated feature film have brought the story of David to life for modern audiences. When we read the Bible story we cannot help but notice the number five. Why five stones? The Bible doesn’t say. Some suggest that David anticipated more than one opponent since Goliath had relatives. Others point out that a skilled slinger would naturally carry several stones. Most simply, David was prepared. His faith in God didn’t eliminate wise action. Like an old Revolutionary War adage, “Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.” David trusted the Lord fully, but he was also well armed. Here is an application for us. We face many giants in life. Problems, temptations, everything that the devil can throw at us. The Bible has more than 31,000 verses. So when a giant problem or temptation confronts you, gather into your mental pouch five smooth Bible verses. God’s Word is rock solid when it comes to our victory. D.L. Moody said: “The Bible was given not to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.
Our scripture today in Matthew is a very familiar one that most of us know from childhood. Jesus walking on water. We have probably all seen this quote, I think that Debbie has even had it up on our sign before, “Need a lifeguard? Ours walks on water.” Jesus finally gets some time alone with the Father. I want us to just pause for a moment and realize how important this was to Jesus. He arranges for the disciples to get on the boat and leave ahead of him. He dismisses the crowd, who knows how long that must have taken, how many conversations did he need to have before they all left. Then he climbs up a mountain and finally has some time with God. He was focused on time with the Father. He wasn’t worried about the time, He gave no real thought to how or when He would get back with the disciples, He made time for God.
Now, the answer to the question that I began this message with. Can you walk on water? Yes, you could. I wonder when Peter said to Jesus, “Hey Jesus, if that is really you tell me to come to you on the water,” or if he really believed that Jesus would respond the way that he did. Jesus could have simply said, “Okay wise guy Peter, who seems to need Me to prove everything to you, it’s Me and you will know it when I get there.” What Jesus says to him is truly remarkable and shows us that in His power we can do anything. “COME!” I wonder if Peter swallowed very hard and thought I really didn’t mean it. Too late, Jesus is calling you, “COME.” Peter gets out of the boat with his eyes fixed on Jesus, looking at the Savior, the only one who could make this possible. This really has very little to do with Peter’s faith, it has everything to do with the object of his faith. When he losses focus and looks away from Jesus he starts to sink and Jesus saves him.
I heard something this week that drives home this point. If you go back to the beginning of Exodus, to the first Passover. Imagine that there are two Israelite dads, Smith and Brown. Brown comes to Smith the night of the Passover and says, “What do you think about this word from God about putting the blood of a lamb on your doorpost so that the angel of God passes over?” Smith says, “I don’t know man, I don’t know what to think, it sounds a little hinky to me. I don’t know what to do. I mean you have three kids I only have one, I don’t know, but just in case I am going to do it.” So he does; he slaughters a lamb and puts the blood on his doorpost. Smith says to Brown, “What do you think?” Brown says, “Bring it on, I believe in the promises of God, and I know and believe that He will do what He says.” So they both do it. Which house do you think the angel of God passed over? Both of them, because it’s not the size of your faith, it’s the object of your faith, the blood of the slain lamb of God. Jesus simply says, “COME.” Come as you are and He will save you, all of you, no matter the size of your faith.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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