Get out of your boat

Will You Get out of Your Boat?

Matthew 14:22–33 NIV

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

1.There is more to life than sitting in your boat.

2. Everybody has a “boat”.

Get out of your boat!

Face your fears and choose not to let fear have the last word in your life

Discuss and emberce the unique calling of your life

Experience the power of God in your life to do something you would not be able to do on your own

Get out of your boat and share your faith with a non Christian

Learn to do it every day of your life

What is your boat?

a “boat:” a seemingly safe, secure, stable, comfortable, familiar situation. It can be a job, a ministry a relationship, a friendship, a routine, an office, an income level, a house, a town, a role, a title a style, a way of doing this, a level of commitment, a major, a career path, a way of thinking etc.

What is your boat?

Why Get Out of your boat?

Greater Life change occurs out of the boat than will ever happen in the boat.

“as long as you do what you have always done, you will always be what you have always been… or less”

In the first14 chapters and 21 verses of Matthew’s Gospel, Peter was just one of the twelve disciples, But after he walked on water, something happened to peter. His life was changed. He had new confidence, greater insight, and more faith. One chapter after getting out of his boat, in Matthew 15:15 , for the first time in the gospels one of the disciples is seen as stepping up and speaking for the rest, Jesus gave a parable and Peter stepped up and said, “Jesus please explain the parable for us.” In chapter 16 Peter is the one disciple who steps up with sterling insight and says, “You are the son of the Living God.” Jesus looked at him, the guy whose life had been changed by getting out of the boat and said. “You are blessed I am going to build my church on people like you. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Peter’s life was changed because he stepped out of his boat.

Matthew 15:15 NIV

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

2. More excitement and true adventure come from being out of the boat than in the boat.

3. Increased faith is required out of the boat.

a. it does not take any faith to sit in a safe place.

b. it does take faith to go walking on the water in the midst of a storm.

c. Without faith you cannot please God.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

d. There is no faith without risk.

e. If you don't want your faith to grow, stay in your boat.

“You cannot continue life as usual and stay where you are, and go with God at the same time.” - Henry Blackaby

1. Sometimes we spend so much of our time and energy focused on avoiding and eliminating the evil from our lives that we miss the opportunity to do good.