KING JESUS: A JOURNEY THROUGH MATTHEW'S GOSPEL (PT 18)

Have you ever regretted not seizing an opportunity that you wished you had taken? Perhaps it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel to a new or exotic place or take a promising job that entailed some risk. Maybe you faced a situation where you could have emerged stronger or deepened your faith but chose the safer path to stay within your comfort zone.
 
Today, we will look at someone in the Bible who seized an opportunity that involved a lot of risk. Often, his impulsive nature got him into trouble, but his fervor for the Lord drove him to take bold steps. In Matthew 14:22-36, we find a story frequently cited in sermons as an example of failure due to a lack of faith. The man in question is Peter the Disciple. This narrative is commonly viewed with pity for Peter’s impulsiveness and perceived lack of faith, as Jesus calls him out of the boat. Eventually, he began sinking into the turbulent waves.
 
Matthew 14:22 – 36
 
I think there is a different angle to this story. Instead of us looking at Peter’s wavering faith that caused him to sink into the turbulent waters, I want to focus on the extraordinary faith that caused him to do something that no one has ever done besides Jesus. How can you say Peter had extraordinary faith when he sank into the waters? Let me answer that question with a question: How many of us have ever walked on water?
 
It is safe to say that no one has ever accomplished such a feat. So, can we call someone a failure for doing something, even if it is for a few moments, that no one else has ever done or even tried to do? Today, I want to focus on Peter's success and relate it to you personally and our church. Instead of focusing on the sinking disciple, let us focus on the water-walking disciple of Jesus Christ.
 
Imagine for a moment a boat filled with twelve men fighting the sea's wind and storm. These men have tirelessly witnessed and assisted Jesus’ miraculous of feeding five thousand with merely five loaves of bread and two fish before this account. Jesus stays back to dismiss the crowds, minister to them, and pray. Our tired but ambitious disciples are in the boat fighting the waves and the wind. The turbulent sea sends crashing waves tossing the boat to and fro on the waters. Struggling and working not to capsize, many probably wonder if they will make it to the other side alive.
 
I can imagine Jesus standing on the shore watching the disciple’s struggle. Instead of yelling for them to come back and pick him up, he does something unconventional—he walks on top of the water to meet them in the boat. As the disciples look into the distance, they see this figure walking on the water and are terrified, thinking they see a ghost! Knowing their fear, Jesus shouts out, “Don’t be afraid! It’s me, Jesus!”
 
Once the disciples realize who it is and what is happening, Peter yells, “If it is you, then command me to come out there with you!” Jesus replies, “Come!” I don’t think Peter hesitates as he gets out. I don’t believe he checks to see if he has proper footing or if he will be stable. I think he just jumps without thinking, thus becoming the first person ever to walk on water besides Jesus.
 
Not until he realizes what he has just done and second-guesses himself does he start to sink and scream for help. Jesus, being who he is, gently reaches out, grabs Peter, helps him, and sadly says, “O Peter, why did you doubt? I told you to come, and I would have been with you every step of the way.”
 
I don’t think Peter was a failure. I think his response was natural in his excitement for Christ. Jesus told him to come, and he did, and eventually, he sank. But here is the key—Peter. Walked. On. Water! Sure, his doubt became stronger than his faith after he realized what he was doing, but this in no way makes him a failure. Author and Pastor John Ortberg writes, “The way I see it, there were eleven failures sitting in the boat.”
 
Those eleven men never knew what it was like to walk on water. They never knew the excitement, the adrenaline rush, the amazement of doing something so miraculous that it could only be attributed to God himself. These eleven men had to live with the lingering question: “What if?” “What would have happened if I had got out of the boat?” They had to live with regret of never taking the chance when God called them out of their safety net.
 
This brings us to the point of today’s message. Sometimes, God invites or even commands us to do some risky things that seem uncomfortable, foolish, and even dangerous. We love comfort. We love security. We love assurance. This is what the boat in this story represents—comfort, security, and assurance. By nature, we are not risk-takers. However, I think God has designed us to be this way because when God does call us to do outrageous things, our only response can be awe and amazement when met with success.
 
God is not a conventional God. He uses extraordinary means to accomplish unthinkable tasks. Think about it: he used Gideon and 300 men, initially 20,000, to take down the Midianite army. He used trumpets, clashing cymbals, voices, and marching to knock down the wall of Jericho. He used a donkey to open the eyes of the Spiritual realm that surrounded Balaam. He used two fish and five loaves to feed 5,000 people. I think it is safe to say that God is not conventional. Humanly speaking, I can say that God is a risk-taker, and he invites us to take risks with him. The risk doesn’t come in the form of him not knowing the outcome. The risk lies with entrusting humanity to do his will.
Humanity is the risk that God takes. We are a fickle species. One moment, we may be filled with faith to do the most extreme things for God; the next, we can’t trust him for the smallest bit of faith.
 
Why don’t we like to take risks? Here are two reasons:

1. Fear of failure
2. Our love of comfort.

I don’t think we ever set out hoping that we will fail whenever we take a risk. However, failure can be our greatest guide to success. I bet that Peter’s faith was strengthened that day. He did something so amazing that no person in history ever did, and Jesus was there to help him up when his faith faltered.
 
Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” He also said, “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” We cannot fear failure, especially when God calls us out. The boat is a safe place, especially when you are in water. But Jesus wasn’t in the boat. The safest place those twelve men could have been at that time was in the treacherous waters because that is where Jesus was!
 
I think too much comfort makes one lazy and apathetic. I am not suggesting that we go out into the world and live dangerous lives without regard for safety and security. Still, sometimes, I attribute our love of comfort to why our spiritual lives are stagnant and boring, and we do not see God doing miraculous things in our lives.
 
This brings us to the concluding questions and thoughts of this message. I hope God may ask us to do unconventional things and use eccentric methods to reach people. The question is, “Are you willing to get out of the boat?” Are we willing to leave the safety and comfort of our own lives and go to where Jesus is?
 
Taking a risk means trusting God beyond our comfort zones. We are often reluctant to take risks because of fear of failure and love of comfort. The story of Peter walking on water perfectly illustrates what happens when we step out in faith. Even though Peter began to sink when he doubted, he still experienced the miracle of walking on water because he trusted Jesus enough to step out of the boat.
 
In our lives, stepping out of the boat might mean taking on new challenges, pursuing dreams that seem impossible, or following a calling that requires us to leave our comfort zones. When we focus on the risk instead of the potential for failure, we align ourselves with God’s plan and open the door for miracles. The eleven disciples who stayed in the boat missed the opportunity to experience something extraordinary because they were too afraid to take the risk.
As a church and individuals, we must be willing to take risks to see God’s miracles in our lives. This might mean starting new ministries, reaching out to different communities, or supporting missions that stretch our faith. When we step out in faith, trusting that God will equip us and provide for us, we will see His power at work in ways we never imagined.
 
In conclusion, God often calls us to step out of our comfort zones and take risks to experience His extraordinary works. Even briefly, Peter’s act of faith in walking on water is a testament to the incredible things that can happen when we trust God and step out in faith. As we pursue God’s call for our lives and this church, let us be willing to take risks, knowing that God is with us and will equip us for whatever He calls us to do. Let us not let our fear of failure or love of comfort hold us back from experiencing God's miraculous power in our lives. Let’s get out of the boat and walk towards Jesus, trusting Him every step of the way.
 

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