IMPOSSIBLE: Walking on Water

INTRODUCTION

CONTEXT: Impossible Series

Been preaching through a series called “Impossible”, looking at some of the miracles of Jesus.

Centered around Matt 19:26

Matthew 19:26 ESV

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

REALITY: There are times in our lives when each of us face impossible situations.

There are things we face that by human standards and means simply are not possible.

When this happens, there’s only one way for us to navigate through that season as believers.

We can sum it up in just a few words: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 14.

CONTEXT: Where are we in the biblical narrative?

We find Jesus and the disciples in the middle of his earthly ministry.

Beginning of chapter 14: John the Baptist is beheaded.

Jesus hears of this, and intentionally gets into a boat and retreats to the middle of the Sea of Galilee — IN ORDER TO BE ALONE.

Remember, Jesus is fully human as well as fully God — he experienced grief and emotions. His cousin, friend, and predecessor is dead — executed unjustly by a wicked king.

I think it’s safe to say he needed a minute.

When he comes back ashore, the crowds have heard about where he is, and he’s greeted by a welcoming committee of about 15-20k of his closest friends, all clamoring for his attention.

In the midst of his own grief, the Bible tells us he had compassion on the crowd, and he healed their sick.

The people stick around, and before you know it, it’s supper time.

The disciples scrounge up 5 loaves and 2 fish, and Jesus miraculously multiplies it to feed crowd.

John’s account of this same miracle tells us that the people were so excited by what had happened, that they were planning to take Jesus by force and make him their earthly king.

Jesus of course is the King of Kings, but his kingdom isn’t an earthly one.

Knowing that this couldn’t happen, Jesus retreats again, this time up a mountain.

That’s where we pick up in Matthew 14, starting in verse 22....

READ: MATT. 14:22-33

PRAY

THEME

Likely a familiar story for many of us, especially if you’ve grown up in church.

There’s a temptation when reading and hearing passages and accounts that are familiar to us to treat it like one of Aesop’s fables, and to tune out.

“I know the moral of this story, so I don’t have to pay attention to it.”

The assumption here is that there’s only one lesson to be learned in every story. Which if you didn’t know, is an error.

Instead, as we come to a familiar passage such as this one, we need to remember 2 things:

The Bible is a living, breathing document — the very Word of God.

It’s active, meaning it’s still at work teaching us, even today.

I’ve heard this story for 31 years, and just this week the HS was showing things to me in the text that I had never noticed before.

So even though the story is familiar, the Spirit will use different portions of it at different times in our lives to encourage and convict us.

The Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God. Because it’s inerrant and infallible, it’s intentional.

Nothing is in the Bible by mistake. The human writers didn’t just slip something in for literary flair.

Every word is intentional — it’s there on purpose — for a reason.

This goes for the actions of Jesus as well. Everything he does — every encounter he has is for a reason.

He travels through Samaria intentionally to bring salvation to a young woman.

He looks up into a specific sycamore tree to meet a man named Zacchaeus.

The list goes on and on — and this story is no exception.

Jesus’ Intentionality

Notice what Jesus does....

Sends the disciples ahead of him into the middle of the lake.

Jesus does everything on purpose — knows exactly what’s about to happen.

In fact, let’s use our sanctified imaginations a bit...

Jesus goes up the mountain to pray, by the Sea of Galilee.

I think he was praying for his friends.

Jesus knew the storm was coming, and he sent the disciples right into the middle of it.

IMPORTANT: The storm wasn’t caused by the disciples’ DISOBEDIENCE, but by their OBEDIENCE.

Disciples were fishermen — they knew bad storms.

Detail the boat/storm scenario

Jesus shows up at the 4th watch.

3-6am. Roman sentries.

WATERPARK: Wave pool. Fought waves in the deep end for 2.5-3 minutes.

By the time we got back to the shallows, we were gasping for air, completely exhausted.

The disciples battled this storm for roughly 9 hours.

Meaning: The disciples were exhausted. They had fought this thing all night, and gotten nowhere — about 3 miles.

Literally halfway on what should have been about a 2 hour trip. Galilee = approx. 7 miles across.

Reality for us: Just like the disciples, we often find ourselves in the middle of storms in life.

It may not be physical wind and waves.

Circumstances that batter our boat, and cause us fear and doubt.

Financial trouble

Job loss

Loss of a loved one

Loss of a relationship

Unexpected diagnosis

Problems with our children

Whatever the case, we find ourselves beaten and tossed about, fighting for our lives.

Sometimes God allows us to find ourselves in the middle of the storm so that His glory is put on display.

Thing about storms: There’s no way out under our own power.

Think about the disciples....

Experienced boaters, fought a storm for 9 hours and went nowhere.

When Jesus shows us, they’re at the end of themselves, which is exactly the point.

Storms bring us to the end of ourselves in order that God’s power/glory are on full display.

We battle and battle to the point that there is no apparent solution.

Then suddenly, God shows up.

All of a sudden, we look back and say, “I have no way to explain how we got out of that EXCEPT God delivered.”

“I don’t know how we made ends meet…the numbers don’t add up.”

I don’t know where that job offer came from, but it’s exactly what I said I needed/wanted.

The doctors can’t explain it, but the cancer’s gone.

I feel like I should be sad because a person I’m close to just passed, yet somehow I have joy and peace.

We look back and we recognize that in the middle of our storm, God made a way.

God allows us to find ourselves in the middle of the storm so that His glory can be put on display.

Sometimes God shows up in the most unlikely way so that we recognize Him as Lord.

Matthew is FAR less concerned about WHAT Jesus does, or even what the disciples do, as he is concerned about WHO Jesus is.

Look even at how Jesus addresses the disciples...

They think he’s a ghost, and at this point they’re beside themselves. Hysterical in fear.

v. 27: “It is I”..... Original: “I AM.”

Same title God uses throughout scripture to refer to himself.

All the way back to Moses at the burning bush.

God calls Moses to go back to Egypt, Moses asks “Who will I say has sent me?” God’s response: “I AM has sent you.”

Jesus is asserting his divinity even as he calms the disciples fears.

In fact, that’s the very reason they SHOULD calm their fears, because the Great I Am is present with them.

Here’s the thing: Peace isn’t found in the absence of storms, but in the presence of Jesus.”

I fear too often we blur the lines between friend and Lord when it comes to Jesus.

Absolutely, the Bible tells us we have been made friends of God rather than enemies.

It tells us that Jesus himself is our friend, and yet, it far more often refers to him as LORD.

Jesus isn’t just our friend, he’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who has dominion over all things.

I’ll prove it to you....

Jesus WALKED to the boat.

There were easier ways to get there.

He could have just appeared…he does that elsewhere.

He could have been carried by angels to boat if he really wanted to.

For that matter, he could have calmed the storm from the shoreline.

And yet, he chooses to WALK to the boat. Notice what he’s walking on....

The sea — the storm.

THE WIND AND WAVES — THE THINGS THAT WERE CAUSING THE DISCIPLES FEAR AND ANXIETY — WERE UNDER HIS FEET. HE’S LITERALLY TRAMPLING ON THEM.

He’s proving to the disciples, even in the very method of transportation he chose that he’s in complete control.

All things are under his feet and subject to him.

So what does that mean for us?

We tend to treat Jesus like he’s just our friend.

What happens is Jesus just shows up in the boat with us to give us a pat on the back and some encouragement to keep fighting that same old storm.

When we look at Jesus as LORD, not just friend, all of a sudden our entire perspective shifts.

When we recognize him as Lord, that he is in control of all things, we recognize that those waves that we’re fighting —

The waves of:

Fear

Anxiety

Loneliness

Bitterness

Heartache

Loss

Health

Family

Job

Kids

All of those waves that we’re fighting against, that have us at the end of our rope, are LITERALLY UNDER HIS FEET.

He comes to you and me this morning, just like the disciples, walking on the waves.

Trampling the very things that have battered us over and over again.

When we recognize that Jesus is Lord, we see that all things are under his feet — under his dominion and rule.

Now, we no longer have a friend patting us on the back, watching us struggle, we have a savior who comes to rescue and deliver.

IN OTHER WORDS: He won’t just get you through the storm, he’ll give you victory over it.

Just like he comes to us walking on the water, he extends a call to us to walk on those same waves — as long as we keep our eyes on him.

Watch what happens.....

Peter’s Faith

Jesus comes walking to the disciples, and Peter speaks up.

Peter tangent — speaks first, then thinks.

“If it’s really you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

Could think of 100 ways for Jesus to prove it was really him that DON’T involve me getting out of the boat.

Peter just takes things straight to an 11 and goes immediately to walking on water.

Jesus responds with a single invitation: Come.

Watch this...

Peter climbs out of the boat, and begins to take those first few tentative steps.

He locks his eyes on Jesus, and begins to walk towards him.

All of sudden, he finds himself walking on top of those waves that gave him so much fear just a minute ago.

Just as Jesus had dominion over the storm, when Peter stepped out in faith...

When he placed his full trust in Jesus...

When he was obedience to the invitation Jesus gave him...

When he locked his focus on Jesus — wasn’t looking to anyone else for affirmation....

He found himself in victory over the storm that he was so beaten by just a moment ago.

Here’s the thing...

It’s easy to step out of the boat when the power of God is present.

Peter was in the physical presence of Jesus.

He sees Jesus walking on the water.

There’s an assurance he got just by the miracle he witnessed.

Peter had a bravery that he might not have had, had Jesus not been visible in front of Him.

The same can be true in our lives...

Sometimes it’s easy for us to respond in faith and obedience when we see God at work.

We find ourselves in a boat, and all of a sudden Jesus starts showing us a glimpse of victory over the storm.

In a more real sense, we see God make a way in our circumstance...

The job we prayed for opens up.

There’s an unexpected bonus on your next paycheck.

There’s an answer to your prayer just when it seems the night’s at its darkest.

When that happens, sometimes we find ourselves eager to follow Jesus.

“You want me to step out of the boat and walk to you? You got it Jesus!”

Once Peter started following Jesus, the storm actually got bigger.

Think about Peter’s position....

From the boat, he was above the water.

Once he stepped out of the boat, those waves were way over his head.

All of a sudden, he finds himself letting the waves get the best of him.

He takes his eyes off of Jesus.

As soon as he does, he gives room for fear and doubt to take up residence.

When he does, he immediately starts to sink.

Here’s the reality...

The enemy is going to attack the hardest when we’re walking in faith and obedience.

He wants to steal, kill, and destroy.

He wants you drowning in fear and doubt, not walking in victory through faith.

The Rescue

When Peter found himself sinking, he mustered enough breath for one cry: “Lord, Save me!”

Friends: When we cry to Jesus in the middle of our storms, watch what he does:

Without hesitation, he picks Peter up out of the waves.

When we reach the end of ourselves, Jesus is faithful to rescue us.

Bailey Story

Movie— Peter sinking made her sad.

Why did he sink? Because he wasn’t looking at Jesus.

“Jesus always pulls us up if we look back to him.”

Didn’t just pick Peter up…

WALKS WITH HIM BACK TO THE BOAT.

Peter’s on top of the storm again — this time with the Master’s arms around him

NOW, he can walk confidently on the waves.

When Jesus rescues us, he walks with us in victory.

Conclusion

The Invitation

As we come to a close this morning, there are 3 groups of us here this morning, and I’m going to invite each of you to respond.

Some of you are in the middle of a storm this morning.

You’re desperately trying to be obedient, but the waves seem so big.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Ask him this morning to remind you that he’s in control — that he’s Lord.

Maybe you need to stop treating him like a friend and start treating him like the King of Kings — the one who walks on the waves you’re so overwhelmed by.

Some of you are in the boat, debating whether or not to step out.

You see God doing great things around you.

Maybe he’s even called you to something specific.

This morning it’s time to step out of the boat — you need to respond in obedience to what he’s calling you into.

Some of you have taken your eyes off of Jesus and are drowning.

You’ve allowed fear, doubt, bitterness, anger, frustration, to rule your life rather than Jesus.

If that’s you, there’s good news....When we cry “Lord Save me,” he’s right there to pull us out of the waters.

If this is the camp you find yourself in this morning, repent for giving the enemy your attention and refocus your eyes on Jesus.