00:00Today, I want to talk to you about a story you probably already know.
00:06It's one of the most familiar moments in the New Testament.
00:11Jesus walks on water.
00:14Peter gets out of the boat.
00:16He becomes afraid.
00:18Peter starts to sink, and Jesus catches him.
00:24You know, most people remember the sinking.
00:26But I think we sometimes focus so much on Peter's sinking that we miss something important.
00:35Peter walked.
00:37Now, before Peter even ever went underwater, he actually stepped out of the boat and walked on water toward Jesus.
00:48And I think there's something in that story for you and me.
00:52The account is in Matthew chapter 14.
00:56The disciples are out on the water, and the weather is turned against them.
01:02The wind is strong.
01:03The waves are beating against the boat.
01:06They are tired, probably frustrated, and trying to make their way through a difficult night.
01:12Then, they see someone coming toward them, walking on the water.
01:19They're terrified.
01:22But Jesus speaks to them and tells them to not be afraid.
01:26Now, that part matters to me because Jesus has not stopped the storm yet.
01:32The wind is still blowing.
01:35The waves are still there.
01:37And the boat is being tossed around.
01:40But Jesus is there.
01:43Sometimes, that's where faith begins.
01:46Not when everything gets easier.
01:49Not when every problem disappears.
01:52Sometimes, faith begins when you realize that Jesus is present in the middle of what you are facing.
02:01Peter hears Jesus and says, in effect,
02:06Lord, if that is really you, tell me to come to you.
02:11And Jesus says, come.
02:15So, Peter gets out of the boat.
02:17Now, I want you to think about that.
02:20He actually does it.
02:23Peter steps onto the water and starts walking toward Jesus.
02:29Now, we know what happens later.
02:31So, it's easy to rush through this part of the story.
02:35But Peter did something remarkable.
02:38He trusted Jesus enough to leave the boat.
02:42And then, something changes.
02:46Peter notices the wind.
02:48The interesting thing is that the wind was always already there.
02:54Nothing new had happened.
02:56The storm did not suddenly begin after Peter stepped out.
03:01What changed was where Peter's attention went.
03:06You see, he had been looking toward Jesus.
03:10And then, he became overwhelmed by what was happening around him.
03:14And I think you and I can completely understand that feeling.
03:18You know, you can start something believing God is leading you.
03:24You could be moving forward with confidence.
03:27And then, somewhere along the way, you start noticing everything that could go wrong.
03:33The fear gets louder.
03:34The problem, well, it looks bigger.
03:38The uncertainty begins to take over.
03:41And suddenly, you start wondering whether you should have ever stepped out of the boat.
03:48Maybe you have felt that way.
03:50I know I have.
03:52Maybe you started rebuilding something in your life.
03:56Maybe you decided to forgive somebody.
03:59Maybe you started praying again.
04:02Or maybe you took a step you knew you needed to take.
04:07And now, you're somewhere between where you started and where you hoped to be.
04:13And the wind feels a little stronger than you expected.
04:18You see, Peter understood that.
04:21He became afraid and he began to sink.
04:24But this is where I think the story becomes especially beautiful.
04:31Peter cries out, Lord, save me.
04:44You see, Jesus did not stand there and lecture Peter while he was sinking.
04:50He did not tell Peter to come back when his faith was stronger.
04:55Peter called out, and Jesus reached for him.
05:00I think that tells us something very important about Christ.
05:05A moment of fear does not put you beyond his reach.
05:10A moment of doubt does not mean he has walked away from you.
05:15Peter's prayer was not long or complicated.
05:20He simply needed help.
05:23And sometimes, your prayer may be just as simple.
05:28Jesus, help me.
05:32There's nothing wrong with that prayer.
05:34You don't have to impress God with the way you speak.
05:38You know, you can just talk to him.
05:40Jesus does ask Peter why he doubted.
05:43But notice something important about when that happens.
05:48Peter has already been caught.
05:51And Jesus is holding him.
05:53You know, that gives us a different picture of correction.
05:58Jesus is not standing far away from Peter, disappointed and unwilling to help.
06:04He's close enough to reach him.
06:07And then Peter and Jesus go back to the boat together.
06:11Peter's story does not end underneath the waves.
06:15It continues with Jesus.
06:19So, maybe the lesson is not simply Peter sank because he did not have enough faith.
06:26Maybe the fuller lesson is that Peter trusted Jesus enough to step out.
06:32And when fear got the better of him, he knew who to call.
06:37That sounds a lot more like real life to me.
06:41You see, faith does not mean pretending the storm is not happening.
06:45Faith does not mean you will never feel afraid.
06:49Faith means you keep turning your attention back towards Christ, even when the wind is blowing.
06:56You can be nervous and still move forward.
07:00You can have questions and still pray.
07:04You can have a difficult day and still believe that God is with you.
07:09And if you stumble, that does not mean your story is finished.
07:15Maybe you've been hard on yourself because you got scared.
07:20Maybe you've been thinking about the moment when you started sinking instead of remembering how many steps you already took.
07:29You see, not only did Jesus walk on water, but Peter did too.
07:36And so can you.
07:38Look at where you are.
07:40Think about what you've already walked through.
07:44There have probably been moments when you did not know how you were going to make it through something.
07:49And yet, here you are.
07:52You're still here.
07:54You're still moving forward.
07:57You're still talking to God.
07:59And you know what?
08:00That matters.
08:02Peter was not finished because of one frightened moment on the water.
08:07However, Jesus continued working in his life.
08:11And Peter would eventually become one of the central figures in the early church.
08:17One bad moment did not become the definition of his entire life.
08:22And I don't think your worst moment has defined yours either.
08:29Maybe today you just need to look back toward Jesus.
08:33Maybe the wind has gotten your attention again.
08:37You know what?
08:41If you have to do it again tomorrow, then do it again.
08:46Faith is not about never getting distracted.
08:50It's about knowing where to look when you realize that you have Christ in your life.
08:56And you know, I love this story because Peter did not walk on water because he was extraordinary.
09:05He walked because Jesus told him to come.
09:09And when Peter could not keep himself above water, Jesus was still there.
09:15That is the part I hope you remember today, friends.
09:20The storm may be real.
09:22The fear may be real.
09:24The uncertainty may be real.
09:27But you know what?
09:28Jesus is real too.
09:30And he's closer than you might think.
09:35So, if you feel like you're somewhere out in the water today, keep looking toward him.
09:41Take the next step.
09:43And if you start sinking, call his name.
09:47Because Peter did not just sink.
09:50Remember, Peter walked on water.
09:54And when he could not walk anymore, Jesus caught him.
10:02God bless every single one of you.
10:05Well, I got ahead of myself there, didn't I?
10:08My proclamation of faith.
10:11My name is Douglas Vandergraaf.
10:13And I believe in Jesus Christ.
10:17God bless every single one of you.
10:21Every single one.
10:24And everyone you love.
10:30Bye-bye.
10:31Bye-bye.
10:32Bye-bye.
10:32Bye-bye.
10:32Bye-bye.
10:32Bye-bye.
10:33Bye-bye.
10:33Bye-bye.
10:33Bye-bye.
