The Problem With Self-Centered Faith

Bible Passage: Matthew 14:22-33

Coming back from camp was always such a spiritual time for me that didn’t last. Every year that I went I would have this Spiritual renewing of my mind and my soul. I would be on fire for change in my actions and my faith for the long haul. Every year I would think to myself. Self this is the year that I make the changes I need to make. But then within a few weeks to maybe a few months later reality would hit. The not camp world would sucker punch me and I would lose interest and be back to exactly how I was. That camp High would only get me so far. While my faith was based on Christ. It really revolved around myself. After that camp high would wear off so would my desire to read scripture. So would my desire for prayer. My desire for discipline. I felt like I was doing all that I needed to do to have the relationship I desired. God was there but when nothing changed because I wasnt putting in the work I struggled. I saw the relationships my friends had with Jesus and that didnt help me get anywhere. It always felt easy for them but I always felt like I always had to work way to hard for it. I always wanted to meet God on my own terms not on his. I was the center of my faith not Jesus. I trusted in him, had faith in him, confessed myself as a Christian but I was bearing no fruit. When I would pray asking him to move in my life and ask him to give me the desire to grow and it wouldn’t be answered immediately I would struggle and fall. Like we will see in our scripture tonight.

Matthew 14:22–33 ESV

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

1. Fear before faith

First watch:6-9

Second watch: 9-12

third watch: 12-3

fourth watch 3-6

This takes place immediately after Jesus fed the 5000. Jesus made his disciples get in their boat to head to Gennesaret. He needed some time to himself to pray. After several hours of quiet time it was time for him to rejoin his disciples. But the boat was long gone and there was a storm whipping in. Does anyone know roughly what time this was that Jesus was coming to them? I can only imagine a stormy night out in the middle of the sea. You have no flashlights or anything and from a distance you picture a humanoid figure standing on the water. Youre sleep deprived and stressed trying to keep the boat from being taken by the waves. Obviously this would be a terrifying sight. Jesus isnt just walking on a calm surface. He is walking on the waves. Put yourselves in their shoes. Obviously a freaky sight. But they let their fear cloud there sight. They knew Jesus had stayed behind. They knew Jesus had performed miracles. Yet they still doubted that Jesus could be walking out to them. They thought it was a ghost. I just imagine this boat full of sleep deprived Godly men freaking out because there is a “ghost” walking to them in the middle of nowhere. Jesus calls out to them. Telling them not to fear.

Their fear clouded their faith. They were eye witness to Jesus perform miracles. Literally right before this Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And yet they doubted. In our lives we see miracles happen. We see God do mighty things in peoples lives. But when he doesn’t move in our lives when we want him to then we doubt. We fear his movement because we don’t like change or being patient. The storm rages on and we freak out even though God is calm and walking beside us through the waves.

2. Test before faith

Peter Tests Jesus. Peter has Jesus call him onto the water to himself. He needed proof. Jesus saying it was him wasn’t enough. He had to experience Jesus before he could trust that everything was right. We are the exact same way. Jesus calls us out of our comfort zone and we may trust him but for how long before doubt creeps in. Our faith is never fully in Jesus. Our faith permeates only skin deep. Before we can give ourselves completely to Jesus we test him. Because that one time we were truly ourselves around others we were burned. People have hurt us. People have broken us down so we don’t want anyone inside. So we unconsciously test Jesus. God if you remove this struggle from my life then I will trust you. God if you give me what I want then I will trust you. Do those prayers sound familiar to anyone? Chances are they do. Well heres a reality check. That isn’t how God works. If that testing mentality is our approach to faith then we will never be able to have faith. We will never be able to believe in a God that loves us and sent his son to save us and take our sins to the cross. We will never have enough proof until we are standing at his throne and see him face to face.

Don’t test God. As Peter tested God and he was walking to Jesus.

3. Doubt before faith

He began to doubt. When he stepped out of the boat and onto the waves he had his sight on Jesus. He wasn’t looking at the waves, he wasn’t looking at the sky to see the clouds and the wind. He had his eyes forward and fixed on Jesus. The moment his eyes shifted to the situation he was in he immediately started sinking. He immediately lost his focus

and was focused on himself and the situation he was in. When we are on fire for Jesus we are stepping right out of that boat running out to Jesus with careless abandon. Our home life, our financial situations, our stress, our struggles. We leave it all in the boat and run to trust Jesus. But then reality catches us. The storm catches us and we start to sink. We fall and struggle to stay afloat. We rely on ourselves even though we are there at the feet of Jesus. Remember we ran to him. He saved us. He never left us. But we doubt him. We need to fall at his feet in worship not in doubt. After he reaches out and saves Peter he helps him back in the boat and the storms immediately calmed.

Our lives are full of storms. There are huge waves in the way of our path. But Jesus is right there ready to calm them.