Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
It’s the character and competence of the One whom you put your faith in that matters the most!
I. Faith Requires Risking Failure.
God never intended that we go through life in a desperate attempt to avoid failure
There’s something inside of each of us that tells us our lives are about something more than sitting in the boat
This is important because what we’re seeing here radically redefines “failure” in our lives as Christians
He learned that if you want to walk on the water, you have to get out of the boat
Only Peter experienced the embarrassment of public failure. But ONLY Peter knew the glory of walking on the water!
II. Faith Means Choosing To Follow Jesus
A disciple is someone who says, “It is my ultimate goal to live the way that Jesus would live if He were present in me
Growth means entering new territory, getting out of the boat
God will bring us to the end of our resources so we can discover the vastness of His
III. Faith Results In Remarkable Things.
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