First Steps – Matthew 14:22-33 – Richard Jones, 7/2/23
We are continuing with our theme for the month in preparation for VBS, 7/17, “Twists & Turns, where
following Jesus changes the game of life.” Life is not all fun and games – even after becoming a follower of
Jesus; it’s full of twists and turns that can leave us feeling like we’ve taken one step forward and two steps back.
We are looking at 4 encounters Jesus had with His friend Peter this month. Peter messed up,
stumbled, and wasn’t perfect. But even when he messed up, it wasn’t ‘Game Over.’ God still worked through
Peter to help others learn about Jesus.
Last Week we saw Peter’s Aha! Moment where and when He first recognized Jesus for who He really
is!
Today we see Peter’s first steps of faith in Jesus, when he trusted Jesus enough to risk stepping out in
faith!
During our Youth Week, we had a time of team-building each day where Susan Prevatt helped us get
better at forming strategies for trusting each other. “Trust” happens to be our discussion theme today – and
how Jesus is trustworthy!
Jesus is trustworthy even when I doubt
“Trustworthy” means “honest, dependable, ethical, virtuous, and incorruptible.” Trust is necessary in
any relationship. The main question for you is, “Do you think Jesus is trustworthy? Why or why not?”
Today we’re looking at the encounter Peter had with Jesus when Peter first acted on his trust in Jesus,
or exercised faith. And when he did, he got to experience something really amazing! And I hope we’ll all see
that Jesus is trustworthy even when we doubt.
This particular encounter with Jesus is recorded in Matthew 14 and occurs just as Jesus and disciples
had finished feeding the 5,000 men, besides women and children, from just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
Verse 20 tells us, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of
broken pieces that were left over. That’s 12 doggie bags for the disciples to remind them of what they did
together!
Matthew 14:22-33 – 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him
to the other side [across the Sea of Galilee], 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.
The account as John recorded it in John 6 says the disciples had gone 3 or 4 miles out by the time Jesus
came to them. Because of the strong wind, they had rowed and rowed, not gaining much distance.
In a normal trip across the northern end of the Sea of Galilee (where they were), the boat would not
have traveled more than a mile or two from shore at any point. The storm had obviously carried it several
miles south, out into the middle of the lake, with these guys rowing against the flow the whole time. On top
of that, they were battling exhaustion before they even got into the boat.
[v25-26] 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.
Jesus walked a great distance – miles -on the water to get to them! Suddenly, in the stormy mist, Jesus
is walking toward them on the sea. They reacted in terror, imagining that they were seeing a ghost. They all
cried out in fear. They thought they’d left Jesus back on the mountainside.
Besides, no one had walked on water before! This was not a taken-for-granted Sunday School lesson
yet. This was a “How can things get any crazier” moment. Enter Jesus.
[v27] 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Their need was real; their fear was real. But in the presence of Jesus, fear can be dismissed.
I came across a great statement in Dr Tom Constable’s Expository Notes: “Fear is unwarranted where Jesus is
present.” I believe this is in the mix of what comes next when Peter, in the middle of a crazy situation that
just got crazier, doesn’t just want to walk on water, too – he wants to be with Jesus doing what Jesus is doing.
[v28-29] 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied [they still weren’t convinced it was Jesus yet], “tell me to
come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said…
If you’ve seen The Chosen, they take the conversation a little bit further with Peter adding, “And if You
are who You say You are, tell me to come to You on the water.” I’m convinced that has to be part of Peter’s
thought process: He’s heard too many claims, saw too many miracles. This was a point of trust plus action,
his first step of faith!
(Click this link for a clip from “The Chosen”, Season 3, Episode 8)
[v29-31] …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?”
I believe we hear Jesus saying this in different ways in our heads across the room: Perhaps in a
scolding rebuke with a pointed finger, or in an indifferent tone while shaking His head in disdain. But I believe
it was more like a warm and reassuring embrace of gentle correction, similar to, “Don’t ever forget – I’ve got
you.”
Peter had let his attention be diverted from Jesus and instead towards his situation. Jesus’ question focused
on why Peter allowed the wind and waves to overwhelm his faith. He momentarily despaired, and so began
to sink – spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
“Doubt” literally means to be pulled in two ways. Peter’s doubt became his downfall. I believe Jesus
was helping Peter be less pulled in any other way.
5 of the Most Common Causes of Self-Doubt: (‘Cause part of the battle is getting over ourselves!)
- Past Experiences and Failures – Living in the past without learning from it will hinder your growth
spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. - Childhood Upbringing – you are not responsible for how you were raised. And when you are born
again, you have a new Heavenly Father! - Comparisons With Others – half the people you know are below average (I’m just playing with you,
but this is still a trap!). We tend to think about ourselves what we think the most important person in our lives
thinks about us – and it needs to be Jesus! (Psalm 139:17-18) - New Challenges and the uncertainty they bring. You can’t be prepared for everything you are
going to face, but in Jesus you can be prepared to face anything! - Fear of Failure / Fear of Success – If you’re inflated by praise, you’ll be deflated by criticism. When
you intentionally follow Jesus more and more, that is discipline, and discipline, following Jesus, produces
confidence and certainty!
18 times Jesus says in some form to become what you believe – obviously as you are learning from
and following Him.
Peter’s cry as he sank was out of desperation, and Jesus’ response was to catch him immediately and
reassure him, not in a “I’ll teach you” way, but in an Isaiah 41:10 NLT way – literally the character of our
Heavenly Father: Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
He’s the perfect Father teaching His child how to walk. And as with a toddler, He’s not counting your
falls as much as He’s counting your steps.
Don’t miss that Peter exercised more faith than anyone else in the boat!
No one else was reacting in this kind of faith. Would you? If you won’t do what Jesus did, how can you even
think you might come close to being used like Jesus says in John 14:12 – Very truly I tell you, whoever
believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I
am going to the Father.
Q: Are you risking stepping out and doing what Jesus had been doing? Are you reading His Word for yourself
to even be able to know what Jesus had been doing? Our Theme verse for this year’s VBS gives us a great
way to pray!
Psalm 25:4 – “Make your ways
known to me, Lord [so I’ll recognize and know Your ways and the difference between what’s from You and
what’s not]; teach me your paths [so I’ll know how to live more confidently].”
[v32-33] 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the
boat worshiped him, saying, [for the first time] “Truly you are the Son of God.”
(At Least) 5 Lessons From Peter Walking On Water
Alight, so Jesus walks on water and Peter walks on water. But what does that mean for us today? Let’s end by
looking at 5 practical lessons we can pull from this encounter Peter had with Jesus:
- Peace is not found in the ABSENCE of the STORM but in the PRESENCE of JESUS.
When Jesus told Peter to come to Him, He didn’t calm the storm. He invited Peter out into the storm, in the
middle of the Sea of Galilee! He’s already overcoming possibly the greatest circumstances of his life so far, yet
he was still distractible. Jesus addressed Peter’s circumstantial faith, circumstantial because he was so easily
distracted by circumstances, taking his eyes and focus off of Jesus and instead focused on the storm.
We think peace is found when the storms of life are calm. But Jesus never promised such a thing. Instead He
promised to always be with us. Jesus doesn’t give us peace, He is our peace! Peace is found in the presence
of Jesus, even in the middle of a storm.
Scott Krippayne said it great in his 1995 song, “Sometimes He Calms the Storm”:
“Sometimes He calms the storm with a whispered, ‘Peace be still’. He can settle any sea, but it doesn’t
mean He will. Sometimes He holds us close and lets the wind and waves go wild. Sometimes He calms
the storm, and other times He calms His child.”
The storms of life give us good reason to be afraid. But we can have peace IF we keep our focus on Jesus.
When believers are in the place of obedience, we are in the place of safety, no matter what the
circumstances. The place of security is not the place of favorable circumstance, but the place of obedience to
God. God always blesses obedience. Obedience is the itty-bitty hinge on which swings the great big doors of
opportunity! - Faith requires STEPPING out of the BOAT.
We like comfort. We like safety. And that’s not all a bad thing. But sometimes Jesus is going to ask you to
take a risk and trust Him. Sometimes, you have to step out of the boat, your comfort zone, the only thing you
think is holding you up.
Just like Peter, sometimes we will step out of the boat and then be overcome by fear. And we will sink. But
Jesus is right there to catch you. You might stumble, but you won’t drown.
Wouldn’t you guess that the next time Peter “stepped out of the boat”, he did so more confidently? His faith
and trust in Jesus was greater. The same will be true for you. The more steps of faith you take, the simpler it
gets. Simpler doesn’t mean easier, but you’ll know better, and hopefully you’ll do better! Once you see God’s
faithfulness for yourself, it’s easier to trust Him more and more.
So, step out of the boat.
- WITHOUT Jesus you will SINK.
Peter’s walk on the water was short-lived. Why? Because, even though He was standing on water with Jesus,
in the middle of a violent storm, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, he took his eyes off Jesus. When we take
our eyes off Jesus, the storms of life will quickly overcome us.
When Christians stop looking to Jesus, we quickly sink. We get sucked into temptations. We get
overwhelmed by life. We forget who’s in control and try to take control like a toddler – “my do it”.
Life is full of storms. Big storms. Storms that will destroy. Unless you keep your focus on Jesus. With Jesus
you cannot only endure, you can walk on water above the storm. Keep your eyes on Jesus. - WORSHIP is our response.
Maybe the most important lesson from this encounter is our response to the power of Jesus: It’s worship!
When we risk obeying Jesus, we get to experience His faithfulness! And when we do, we almost can’t help but
to worship Him. Matthew intentionally highlights this moment because…that’s the point. This story wasn’t
just about Peter and his faith, or lack of it. Ultimately it was about the presence and power of Jesus.
Our response to Jesus can and will be the same as the disciples when we actually risk following Him, against all
odds, no matter what. And when we encounter Him on the other side of our obedience, it brings us to a place
of worship. It reminds us of who we are and who He is. And it brings those around us with us, too! - When you FOLLOW Jesus, He will do incredible things THROUGH you.
God wants to tell an incredible story to others through your life! He wants to do things in you and through
you that you can’t even imagine. I believe God has walk-on-water moments for you.
God wants to tell His good story through your life. But often we settle for boring and safe stories.
I bet Peter talked about the time he walked on water for the rest of his life! I would! It’s a great story! But
only because he took a risk. He didn’t play it safe.
God wants the same for you. He wants to tell a good story in and through your life. Will you let Him?
I want us to close this time by assuming 2 different postures, each symbolizing us as a group who
knows of God’s trustworthiness, and us thanking Him for that.
Posture 1: One or both hands raised in gratitude to God; praying out loud after me if you even want to
mean it:
Pray – Thank you God that You are trustworthy!
Now, Posture 2: I’d like for us to turn our palms up towards Heaven as a symbol of us asking God to
help us, in our doubts, to trust Him as we face whatever comes our way. Pray after me:
Pray – “God, help us in our doubts to trust You, and thank You for helping us know we are not alone!”
For a dramatized look at this encounter, check out this link to see “The Chosen”, Season 3, Episode 8
