Matthew
Walking on Water
After Jesus took Peter’s hand
Peter and Jesus did not walk to the other side on the water
They got into the boat and the winds became still
I still pray for the sick and speak to the dead to rise
I still find myself needing a boat to be on the water
Where do I find my greatest reward of faith?
I find it in knowing
He rescued me because He delighted in me Psalms 18:19
There is nothing greater than knowing Jesus delights in you
His hand is reaching out to you
His delight for you is the greatest thing in the Kingdom of Heaven
I cannot walk on water, but I can hold His hand
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying,
"Truly you are the Son of God." Matthew 14:32-33
Matthew
Walking on Water
Matthew showed us the difference
between Herod’s kingdom and Jesus.
In Chapter 15…
Matthew will show us the conflict and difference
between the Pharisees’ kingdom and Jesus.
But in between we get a story
of Jesus walking on turbulent water.
I think we all have heard this story.
We all know what Jesus said to Peter
when he began to sink…
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
"You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
Matthew 14:31
What if walking on water was a requirement
to being a church leader?
Jesus said to Peter…
“You of little faith.”
I do not know any leaders
who has walked on water.
I confess, I have tried.
I have tried from shore a safe start
and quit when my knees got wet.
I have tried from a boat
and my whole body got wet.
As a young man I wanted more faith.
I wanted to do the greater works.
You may be laughing at me…
But I tried.
I got out of the boat.
I have been discouraged
because I could not walk on water.
Not because it would be cool
but because I want lots of faith,
not just a little.
I have almost drowned twice in my life.
Once while water skiing in 3-4 foot waves
in Lake Erie at the age of 20.
At the age of 40…
I was thrown from my boat in the Saginaw Bay.
Both times I had given up hope
of living another five minutes on earth.
I was powerless.
My only hope was being absent from the body
I would be present with the Lord.
My faith could not get me out of the water.
There have been times I questioned…
Will my faith get me to Heaven?
What I have learned from trying to walk on water is…
I can ski, I can wait till winter,
but I cannot, by faith, walk on water.
But what I have learned is…
My little faith keeps me following Jesus.
I have stayed close enough to Him
so He can reach me by stretching out His arm.
After I got out of the hospital in East Tawas, Michigan…
I laid in the bed of the motorhome
not able to believe I was alive.
I felt the Lord bring to mind a scripture
and when I read it…
I cried and still cry today.
“The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From His temple He heard my voice;
my cry came before Him, into His ears.
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
He drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
He rescued me because He delighted in me.”
Psalm 18:4-6 & 16-19 NIV
As I read this the detail of my story
and that of Psalms 18…
It became so real.
But the greatest part of all was these last words…
“He rescued me because He delighted in me”
God’s kingdom is not about your great faith.
God’s Kingdom is about Jesus reaching out
His hand to rescue us.
It is not about my inability…
To walk on water,
To raise the dead,
To heal the sick,
To move a mountain…
It is a matter of Jesus delighting in us.
The words of Jesus to Peter have two parts…
"You of little faith,"
he said,
"why did you doubt?
We focus too much on our faith
to have the kind of bold faith
that preforms miracles.
When maybe we need to focus
on not doubting Jesus delights in us.
After Jesus took Peter’s hand…
Peter and Jesus did not walk to the other side
on the water.
They got into the boat and the winds became still.
I still pray for the sick and speak to the dead to rise.
I still find myself needing a boat to be on the water.
Where do I find my greatest reward of faith?
I find it in knowing…
He rescued me because
He delighted in me
Psalms 18:19
There is nothing greater than
knowing Jesus delights in you.
His hand is reaching out to you.
His delight for you is the greatest thing
in the Kingdom of Heaven.
I cannot walk on water,
but I can hold His hand.
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying,
"Truly you are the Son of God."
Matthew 14:32-33
Scripture Reading
Matthew 14:22-33 NIV
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. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 During the fourth watch of the night 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."
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