Stepping out of the Boat | July 20th 2025

Hey, church, how you doing? You doing good? All right? Awesome?

I'm doing good, I hope. So we're gonna find out.

All right, I'm excited to share a word with you

this morning, and it's from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter fourteen.

We're gonna start in verse twenty two. It's a particular

story that's actually in two other gospels, Mark and John.

But this story here in Matthew has a sub story

we're gonna focus on. So I'm excited about that, and

so we're gonna jump right in. But we're gonna be

talking about a well known story. You think you know

it all about Jesus walking on the water, but you

might just learn something this morning. Let's pray. Father, in

Jesus name, we asked that you would anoint your word,

that you would speak to us to open hearts ready

to hear from you and to respond. We thank you

for just the incredible privilege of being able to search

your word, to seek you out and to find you.

And so we welcome you here. Help us to find

you this morning, as you find us in Jesus name. Amen.

All right, Matthew fourteen, verse twenty two. So immediately, Jesus

made the disciples get into the boat and go on

ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed

the crowds. Immediately, it says, that is immediately after Jesus

had his disciples participate in the miracle of the feeding

of the five thousand. Actually that's his five thousand men,

you know, we add is fifteen to twenty thousand with

women and children. So going from five loads and two fish,

as you know, to thousands that were fed, and the

disciples got to be a part of that, because that's

what Geesus is about. He's about taking his disciples and

making him into little followers of himself, and he wants

them to do the words and the works of Jesus.

He wants them to do his words and works. He

wants you to do that. And so this is where

they come out of the thought. But immediately he sends

them across the Sea of Galilee also called the Lake Ganessaurette,

and he sends them across, and then he goes and

he spends some time with a father verse twenty three.

After he dismisses, then he went up to the mountainside

by himself to pray, and when evening came, he was

there alone. So why does Jesus send the disciples away

first of all and across the water. Well, first of all,

he wants to be alone. He wants to be alone

with the Father. And as a as a great example

to the disciples, he was showing them. They knew that

he was going to get alone with the Father. That

that's where it's all about, you know, that's what it's

all about. Being with your Father in heaven, seeking his face,

hearing from him, getting your marching orders from him. That's

what it's all about. So Jesus did that first, and

that's the first prime, the first reason. But there's another reason.

He sends them out ahead of him, and he has

a he has a little bit of a plan for them,

and we'll see what that is. But he has a

teaching moment and he sends them on their way, and

it's a teaching moment, as we will see verse twenty four.

But the boat was already a considerable distance from land.

So it's it's out there in the middle of the

lake's like thirteen miles across, and it is a considerable

distance across the lake, and it's being buffeted by the

waves because of the wind and the waves, the wind

against it. Now we know from the Book of Mark

that they were about the way across here, so they've

been fighting the wind in the waves for quite a while. Now.

The Sea of Galilee, you may know that some of

you may have been and may have actually visited there

sometime in the tour of the Holy Land, but it's

it's in a bowl with mountains all around it. And

the way the form of the geography is when the

heat comes into that region, when it gets warm, what

happens is is that it draws winds down from off

the hills down into the lake and it just begins

to just create these these these wind squalls and these

huge waves that can be very dangerous. And so that's

what's happening here. It's stormy, it's treacherous, and the Disciples

as they head across east to west, we know they're

not sailing because again Mark, he likes to include details

that we don't have here. They were rowing, so that

may have been they had a sailboat and they had

to say ails down because of the wind was too much,

or tore them down, or maybe that's all along. But

we know that they're rowing with all their might. They're

putting all their energy, all their focus in getting across

the lake. And you certainly they're frightened. Certainly they're there.

They've been doing this all night. They have no sleep,

and so you get it, you get where they're at.

Have any of you ever owned a boat? They raise

the hand. You still have it, Okay, still do well.

The highest percentage of people who own boats are in

the state of Washington, believe it or not. So we

we liked the We liked to be out in the water.

I guess my neighbor owns a power boat with a

cabin and everything else. And I talked to him yesterday.

I said, Mark, I said, you have your they have

your boat out in the water during the summer. He said, no,

oh really yeah, he said, it's uh, it's being worked on.

I said, really, you guys don't know about boats, right,

And I said and he then he said, you know what?

You know what boat stands for? He said, bring out

another thousand and he said that should be updated to

another ten thousand. But have you ever been on rough seas?

You know the terror of what you know that the

fear of being out there, the power of the ways.

Lloyd's dad was a captain in the Coast Garden, so

he was responsible for a lot of rescue of people

out on boats that were in greats high seas. And

my friend Bob Carlson, he grew up without a father

because his dad was a captain on a foss hug

boat out here out of Tacoma and years ago and

they were in a storm and the boat went down

and he died. So it' it's it's it's a serious

thing when you're out in some really rough water. Now

now growing up my family, my dad bought an amphibious

duck World War two duck uh and brought it home

and announced my mother that he's going to we're going

to make a camper out of it, and we're going

to take the take it out like an RV, but

RV that can go in the water. And so the

next couple of years working working on a building out

and help my dad. My dad was an industrial large teacher,

so he's kind, he was kind of crazy. He'd work

on anything, and so we did have it. We had it,

and we took it everywhere all over the West Coast

and everything else. My fourteenth year that summer. We were

headed out up to Alaska from Canada, right along that

kind of that lower piece of Alaska. And uh, it

was in the morning and the sea was really high waves. Uh.

The kids, four of us were all asleep, my parents

were awake and uh. And because of the high water,

water began to come into an opening and the front

of the boat that began to pour in. It opened

up me and he didn't notice that at the time,

but it kept going. But after a while he noticed

that the boat was was going down, and they saw

that there was a hole, much water in the hole,

and so he yelled, get the boat, lifeboat off the top.

And so I scrambled out of my sleeping bag and

my underwear and too much information, but that was okay

now in a way I sleep. But anyway, so I

got the boat, the boat off the top, and it

was a matter of about three minutes. Got the lifeboat

off and in the water. My mom helped me do it,

and everybody jumped in the in the lifeboat except for

me and my dad. We had to go back for

the dog PG, so we went back inside. He threw

me the dog and just as he did that, the

boat went down. And there was like this big rush

of water and then kind of he felt kind of

like a cork being popped out, and it was freezing

water by the way as Alaska. But we were able

to swim onto the lifeboat. And I'm not going to

tell you the rest of the story other than because

I don't have time another sermon, But we were rescued

by a passing ferry boat that was two miles away.

And what had to happen. There's actually ten different things

had to happen in order for us to survive and

be rescued. Several of them happened when we're still on

the boat, but the rest does then happened in order

for us to be survived and rescued. And I did

a calculation this week based on a kind of percentage

of this actually happening, and it turns out that if

you put that all together, my chances of being up

here this morning and speaking to you are one in

five million. I tell you, the Lord saved us. I mean,

it's just amazing, just absolutely amazing, just crazy. And yeah, yeah,

I was in my underwear when I got rescued in

the by the ferry boat too. But anyway, back to

verse twenty four, back to the disciples story. But the

boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by

the waves because the wind was against it. Now during

the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to

them walking on the lake. The fourth watch is anywhere

from three am to six am, and so probably it's certainly,

probably still dark. Probably, and we know that disciples are

rolling away, and just think of being in a boat

at that moment. And as I said, they're only part

way across after all these hours. And I'm sure the

disciples were thinking, why are we here? Jesus made us go.

Remember I read that Jesus made the disciples go. Jesus

made us go. Does the Lord ever send us into

a storm? He does right here. And perhaps you're in

a storm this morning. Maybe not. But you know what

a storm is like, And storms can come in a

lot of different flavors, right. It can be a relational storm,

struggle with somebody in your life, whether it's a marriage

or a friendship. It could be financial, it could be spiritual,

it could be emotional. These different kinds of storms come

into our lives, and sometimes it's not because we cause them.

Sometimes we do, right, Sometimes we cause that storm, but

sometimes the Lord sends us into it. But fortunately Jesus

went out to them walking on the lake, right, amen,

Fortunately Jesus went out to them walking on the lake.

And I don't think I have to tell you that

walking on water is a amazing, crazy, incredible, never done before

kind of thing, right. I mean, this is some serious

miracle happening here. Serious miracle. Yeah, he had did the

miracle of feeding the five thousand, another serious miracle, but

this is a serious miracle following that, and so he's

out there doing something nobody has ever done. And so

you kind of wonder, well, what the disciples might think,

but we'll get to that right now. So, oh, verse

twenty six, when the disciples saw him walking on the lake,

they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said, and they

cried out in fear. Now, the first thing I think

of when I read this story, when I come to this,

I always think, well, shouldn't they been expecting him to come?

I mean, you know, after all, it wasn't that long

ago when they were in the boat with Jesus during

the storm, and then he took care of it, right,

he calmed the storm and they know that he sent

them out there, so they start they see something someone,

some figure coming. You think they'd expected to be Jesus, right,

you think that, but it might have been dark, and

you know whatever, And of course you don't expect anybody

to be walking on the water. So okay, I give

that to them, So they instead of saying it is

the Lord, they say it is the ghost. But if

we're honest, honestly, what would you do. I mean, in

that situation, hadn't slept all night, You're just rolling at

the oars, You're freaking out all this stuff, and then

you see this human figure coming on the water towards you.

I told I told church last the last service. I

think I'd scream like a little girl. But I also

you know, there's nothing wrong with that. If your little

girl hare, it's okay. But I think I would scream

like a little girl anyway. So I'm not judging the

disciples anymore Verse twenty seven. But Jesus immediately said to them,

take courage. It is I do not be afraid. Take

courage it is I do not be afraid. There's two

statements calling for their faith, calling them not to be afraid.

Take courage and do not be afraid. Those are two

statements powerful and by the way, three hundred times plus

in the Bible, God encourages us to not be afraid.

That's the reason for that is because we tend to

be afraid at times. Right, So those are two powerful statements.

But in the middle he says, it is I literally,

it is the I am is I am? Out of

Exodus when the Lord reveals himself to Moses, he says,

it is I am. I am the one who calls you.

I am the creator. I am I Am the God

of the universe. And Jesus makes what I call a

little faith sandwich there. You know, take courage, don't be afraid,

I am all right, you can take that. You can

take that home with you and you can eat it. Okay,

all right. So so that that's what he says to them.

How what's the response, Well, one person responds to him,

I think you know who that is verse twenty eight. Lord,

if it is you, Peter replied, tell me to come

to you on the water. You know, Peter, the fisherman,

the passionate, the uh, the one who with with his

foot in the mouth half the time. You know, the

one who falls on his face half the time. You know,

can you relate to him? You better? You better? You

bet you can relate to him? Right, Peter is the

one disciple in the Bible. Think of this who we

know more about in his interaction with Jesus than anyone else.

I mean, we know a lot about you know, John,

a little bit here and everything, But we see Peter

again and again figuring out how to be a disciple

of Jesus. And so so we're meant to I believe

we're meant to relate to Peter in some ways. And uh,

you know, we can identify with him. But here in

his response, he's a little crazy, am I right? I mean,

what what are you saying? And I think the disciples

the rest of him are looking at him, going what

and then looking at each other. Oh, there goes Peter again.

What's he saying? Does he have a death wish? Does

he you know? What? What is he saying? What is

he doing? And but you know, you know, it's a

big storm. We're barely hanging on here, Peter. What are

you talking about? Going out to Jesus? Right? I think

I think they did not understand and we are told again.

Going back to the other Mark and John, we're told

that their hearts were hardened because they didn't understand the loaves.

They didn't understand what just happened previously. They didn't see

him yet, they didn't see Jesus yet as he was

meant to be seen. I think right here, when we

asked why could Peter do this, what's causes to come out?

I think there are two things. I think the first

thing is that Peter did remember the loaves, and you

know there are twelve baskets that went out that they've

gathered afterwards. Everyone got a basket. They may have had

him in the boat. They probably did. I think Peter

was the one who remembered Hey passed out the fish

and the bread and then multiplied in my hands, and

that was so amazing, and I want to do it again.

I want to be a part of jesus miracles again.

I think that was part of it right there. I

think also, you know Peter was in Jesus interacted with

Peter multiple times from a boat, at least three times

we know of, But the first time was when he said,

cast the net on that side. You can't do anything.

Peter compared to what I can do. You've been fishing

all night, right, and so he casts he hears the Lord,

the Lord says, do that, I cast it. And so

at the Lord's command he said, I have to fished

all night, but because you say so, I will, right,

And so he does it. And then that he has

that great miracle. And I think Peter thought back to

that miracle at that moment. I can't prove it, but

that is why I believe he says, you know, if

you call me out, I'll come, because he believed in

the words of Jesus to him that if that's you

and you speak those words, I will do it at

your word to me, Jesus, at your word, I will

do the impossible. Huh, verse twenty nine. So what does

Jesus say, come? Is he saying that word to you?

Maybe this morning, maybe this week, maybe this year. I

believe that Jesus is so amazed and pleased at Peter's request.

And from Mark we learned that Jesus intended to walk by.

He didn't intend it says that he didn't intend to

get do anything, but just I think he intended to

see what's gonna happen. Who's gonna speak up, what's gonna go?

But he says, come, come, Peter. Then Peter got down

out of the boat, walked on the water, and came

towards Jesus. You know, at jesus invitation, Peter recognizes his voice.

He knows it's his Lord over the side. He goes

out in the rough water. Doesn't matter. He's headed towards Jesus.

That's all that matters. That's all he wants. He just

wants more of Jesus. He just wants more of his savior.

He just wants more of the works of Jesus. He

wants to walk in Jesus' power. He wants all that

Jesus will offer him. At that moment, he says, yes, Lord,

I'm coming, and out of the boat he steps and

he's walking on water. He's a walking miracle. There he goes.

And I am so struck by the fact that when

I asked this question, the answer is Peter. And that

is who takes the initiative. It's Peter, not the Lord.

It's Peter. And how often do we wait and we

say it and say, okay, if the Lord wants to

do something, then he will. Peter says Lord, if it's

you call me out and I'm coming. Faith is like

a coin with two sides. One side is the faith

of believing, believe what God say He's going to do right,

believing his word, believing in him. The other side is action,

the action of faith. It's what we call risk, because

that kind of faith is spelt risk. And you can

have all the belief of faith you want, but if

you don't have the risk faith to step out and

take action, to go and to move, you don't have faith.

That is faith, and that is the faith of that

we are to have as is disciples of Jesus. That's

what he longs for us to have and to walk

in and to be that kind of disciple that we

would step take the initiative and say, Lord, where are

you calling me? Call me out of the boat, call

me to take a risk, Call me to step out

of my comfort zone where I feel safe and secure

and comfortable. I don't want to be just a comfortable Christian.

I wanted to be a disciple of you Lord, verse thirty.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and

he began to sink, and he cried out, Lord, save

me now. The reality is we're frail human beings and

we're figuring it out as we go. Reality is, we're not.

We don't always have perfect faith. Most of us here

have cried out, Lord saved me more than once, maybe

many times. Right, Lord, I need you now, Lord saved me.

And that's what Peter does because because he's been getting

distracted on his walk towards the Lord, he got his

eyes off the Lord. Right, And we can do that too.

We can start make we can take steps forward, and

then we can start going. Well, should I have really

done that? This is too hard or this is scary,

or maybe that was foolish or whatever, But no, the

Lord called you, and you go, and you go directly

to him, right. But so Peter faltered, and we can

give him grace because we do too. And then he

said the right words, right, the right prayer, Lord save me.

That's all you need right now we know that prayer

verse thirty one. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand. Immediately

he reached out his hands and caught him. You of

little faith, He said, why did you doubt? No hesitation?

There he is. Peter had nothing to worry about ever,

because the Lord was gonna grab him no matter what.

Right is Jesus being a little too hard on Peter?

I believe that Jesus. This is one of those moments

where it's hard to read into. But I think Jesus

said it was with a kind of a grain of

salt tongue cheek sort of thing. Peter, you know, little faith?

Why'd you doubt? I think he's probably smiling when he

said it. Why do I think that because all he

had to do is look back Peter. All had he

to do is look back over his shoulder at the

eleven sitting in the boat. If Peter had little faith,

they had zero. I think the Lord was so just

so overjoyed by Peter in this moment. I mean, I think,

I mean, what and should Peter have done this? After all?

I mean, maybe he shouldn't have done it. Tell me

somebody else who's walked on water besides Jesus, Not John,

you know, not Matthew, not any of their disciples. Peter did.

Peter did Verse thirty two. And when they climbed into

the boat, the wind died down, and for the second time,

Jesus calms a storm. Right first time, when he wakes

up the second time when he walks by, and so

certainly the miracle of controlling controlling the wind and the waves.

And then verse thirty three, it says, now those who

were in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly you are

the son of God. Now I will say this that

it's easier to worship the Lord when he's done all

these great things for you, right and his immreily has

done that. But something that is interesting to me that

it says that those who were in the boat, they

didn't have to say that. It could have said they

were the Lord, those who are in the boat. Why

do I say that is because I believe it is

kind of indicating that we don't have to mention Peter

because he already has, because he already has recognized Jesus

as the son of God right then already. And so

it says that they worship and they truly you are

the son of God. But Peter, because of his faith,

because of what's going on in him, and his willing

to step out, he's already recognizing he's already worshiping the

Lord by stepping out and going towards him. Truly you

are the son of God. Yes, they say, it, but

he experienced it at a different level. So Peter's story

here gives us a few questions to consider. One is

will I live my Christian life in the boat, safe, secure, comfortable,

while of it out walking towards Jesus on the water.

Is it enough for me to have faith that Jesus

will show up during the storm and take care of me?

Will that be enough for me? Is that all I want?

Or do I want more? Will well I ask for more?

Will I will I ask him to call me so

I recognize his voice and follow him. Do I want

to stay alive or do I want to truly live?

I can stay alive in the boat, or I can

truly live, risking whatever it takes to follow you. There's

two different ways I see this stepping out. One is

stepping out during a transition in your life, a life

change or a time to make a decision to let

go of of something, to take a hold of what

the Lord has for you. And that kind decision maybe

take a moment, but at some time, and it's a

life changing type of thing. And some of you are

at that point right now where you stay in the

boat or will you step out right? Maybe it's letting

go of a habit. Maybe it's it's changing some particular

thing in your life that is pulling you back or

holding you down. But the other way is simply every

day stepping out. I find myself every day asking the

Lord call me out of the boat, call me out

of the boat. Give me an opportunity to speak to somebody,

courage them, give a word, help somebody, show some love.

But give you. I'm a disciple Jesus of you, so

give me an opportunity. And so that's another way that

you can step out of the boat towards the Lord.

Jump down to the end here for the sake of time.

You know, psychologists say there's a crucial moment when person

makes the decision that if they don't make it when

they want it, they decide on something. If they don't

do it given time, the likelihood of them doing it

goes down and down and down. And so what's so

important besides asking the Lord to speak to you and

call you it is to take that step and to

go and to do it, and then finally, of course,

to keep your eyes on him. That's those are three

points right there. Right. Peter showed us that let's all stand.

I'm gonna say that I'm gonna like to say a

corporate prayer for you, and while I'm doing that, I'm

gonna also ask the Destiny team to come back up,

because what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna pray for everybody,

and then I'm gonna invite those of you that God

is speaking to about this particular issue. Heavenly Father, I

thank you again for your word that speaks truth to us.

And Lord Jesus, I thank you Lord that you allow

us to be in situation so that you might show

us more of who you are as you call us

to be your disciples again and again again. So I

thank you for that, Lord, and I pray for each

and every person here that they would choose today to

no longer stay in the boat, but they'd be willing

to step out at your word and follow you and

seek you and delive a life of risk. That's faith,

not just in believing, but with action. Lord, give us

that this day granted Holy Spirit upon us. Grant that

request so that in the name of the Father Son,

the Holy Spirit, that we could receive that. May you

receive that now and take it with you and not

ever let that go. You are a disciple of Jesus Christ,

and you're called by him to follow him, be with him,

and you're called to bring forth to the world his

words and his works. Let it be done in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen,

So I want to give you an invitation. Now praise

the Lord. Lord is speaking to some of you. There's

some transitions you're going through. Come and receive. God is

speaking to you about being a person of risk. Come

and receive. And if you're here this morning and you've

never given your life to the Lord, now is the day.

Step out of the boat. Or if you've been you've

been not been walking with him. You gave your life

to him several years ago, but you've not been walking

with him. Come forward and recommit your life to the Lord.

Come forward and receive this morning, and God bless you.

Thank you for coming. The Lord be with you.