Walking on Water

Video

Introduction

The usual way that this account is looked at is that in the storms of life we can focus on Jesus and He will get us through.

What if there is another way in which to look at this account?

What if it is a challenge to us in which the way we live our lives and use the gifts God gave us?

After my mother had died we were going through some of her things, and I came across a set of china that I can only recall seeing a handful of times throughout my life. It was a gift that mom had received and spent most of its time sitting in the china cabinet gathering dust and unused.

What if this account about Jesus’ walking on water is a challenge for us to get out of the boat and walk on water?

Matthew 14:22-26 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 14

22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

I Wonder

I can’t help but wonder if the disciples felt abandoned by Jesus. Jesus sends the disciples out by themselves and it’s dark out. In John 6:17 NLT - But darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Carpernaum.

Shortly after they set out they find themselves in the midst of a terrible storm and to top it off they see Jesus but are so afraid they think that it is a ghost.

John Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat

Sometimes you are in a cave and no human action is able to get you out. There is something you can’t fix, can’t heal, or can’t escape, and all you can do is trust God. Finding ultimate refuge in God means you become so immersed in his presence, so convinced of his goodness, so devoted to his lordship that you find even the cave is a perfectly safe place to be because he is there with you.

Matthew 14:27-32 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 14

27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

The Shift

The disciples shift their focus and see that Jesus is walking on the water and this shift leads Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water. He quickly loses sight of Jesus and begins to sink. I think we see something valuable in this. If we focus on Jesus, we can do amazing things.

John Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat

It is hard enough to get out of the boat when the wind is calm and the water’s smooth. But in life that is rarely the case. Sooner or later the storm strikes – in your marriage, work, ministry, finances, or health. It is in the act of facing the storm that you discover what lies inside you and decide what lies before you…. Storms have a way of teaching what nothing else can.

Hank Erwin

The city of Birmingham, Alabama (or as it had become to be known in the 1960’s as Bombingham for the over 50 bombings that had occurred since 1947) was in total upheaval. Martin Luther King, Jr. called Birmingham “the most segregated city in the United States.”

In 1973, Hank Erwin, a traveling sports chaplain is allowed to speak to the Woodlawn High School Football team. Hank’s speech moves nearly the entire team to accept Hank’s invitation to commit their lives to follow Jesus Christ, and to join in prayer and work.

The change that is brought about by this event is nothing short of a miracle. The much segregated city of Birmingham experiences a change that starts with Woodlawn High School foot ball team. In 1974, a rival high school Banks High School that defeated Woodlawn in the city championships the year before, hold a joint football camp. You see, Hank arranged a meeting during the off season of the Bank’s and Woodlawn’s football teams that led to a spiritual awakening and camaraderie between not only rival teams but united 2 schools that had previously been segregated. People no longer so the color of each other’s skin; rather they saw people created in God’s image and culminated in a high school football game having 42,000 people in attendance that united in the Lord’s Prayer. All this was sparked because Hank chose to step out of the boat and get his feet wet.

Alice Cooper

Speaking with Natalie Morales, Alice Cooper describes growing up in a religious home as the son of a preacher. Soon, though, he became like the Prodigal Son, battling alcohol and drug addiction, which he believed would surely kill him before the age of thirty. Reflecting on his decision to get clean, he says, “I don’t have a sponsor; I have a Savior.” (It’s worth mentioning that Cooper benefited from the support of his wife, Sheryl. Generally speaking, God uses community in the journey of battling addiction.) With Sheryl, he established the Solid Rock Teen Center in Phoenix, Arizona. As much or even more than Cooper’s own steps to recover, it was Sheryl’s faith, in fact, that demonstrated the power of a “little faith” in God to transform our lives. “In the midst of that dark valley,” she says, “I had to believe him when he said I’m done. I’m done with all this.’ I didn’t have a lot of faith that this was actually so, but I said, ‘Let’s try this on these conditions,’ because I believe marriage is forever.” Even her “little faith” made the difference. It’s just this kind of “little faith” that Jesus hopes for in his followers.

John Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat

Faith grows as we step out without knowing the outcome and discover that God is trustworthy, that with him the impossible becomes possible.

If I am going to experience a greater measure of God’s power in my life, it will usually … begin by my acting in faith – trusting God enough to take a step of obedience. Simply acknowledging information about his power is not enough. I have to get my feet wet.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 40

31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Lent is a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter, so it’s a great time to step out of our “boats” to experience new spiritual practices that will challenge us. In addition to traditional practices such as prayer and worship, we’re free to think more expansively about practices such as exercise or music performance as spiritual practices, so long as we dedicate these practices to God.

I used to go to some churches with pipe organs to go play these beautiful instruments and get lost in the music. Most of the music written for pipe organ is deeply routed in worship music such as hymns and cantatas composed by people like Johann Sebastian Bach or Johann Pachabel. I found this time a huge connect point with God because I feel that God gave us the gift of music and we can choose to honor and glorify Him with it or chose not to honor and glorify God with it.

Conclusion

When human beings get out of the boat, we are never left quite the same… Every time you walk on the water, each time you trust God and seek to discern and obey his calling on your life, your God will get bigger, and your worship will grow deeper, richer, and stronger.

As we look around our world today and see the storms of life, what if instead of staying in our safe place we chose to step out of the boat and get our feet wet?

What if we stepped out of our comfort zone and trusted God with what He has in store for us?

I believe as the prophet Isaiah believed - those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Will you join me on an incredible journey and do some walking on water?