Get Out Of The Boat

Add to Matthew chapter 14 turn in your Bibles to Matthew 14. Now I just to be clear. Yes. This is different from how we normally do things. And yes, I understand that some of you who are creatures of habit are freaking out right now that we did not sing but one song and then I'm already up here preaching but I do want to assure everyone that just because I'm up here preaching at you know, 5 till 11 doesn't mean that I'm going to preach for the next hour as a matter fact as we go through this. I hope that you understand the reason why we changed our order this morning because we as the people of God want to have our worship of God informed by his word. And so we're going to have an opportunity to continue to sing later. We're going to have an opportunity to respond and worship to what we here and so will do that just at a different point in the service than normal. You found Matthew 14 or if you're still turning their here's what I want you to know right at the outset as we as the people of God come together this day in 2019. There are two questions that are first and foremost in my mind two questions that I talked about at the end of last year, but that I want us to focus on again now at in this year. And that question is this how can you be everything that God wants you to be in 2019? And in the second question is how can we as a church a group of Jesus followers committed to following him together. How can we as a church be and do everything that God wants us to be in due in 2019 and that's where Matthew chapter 14 comes in. Matthew chapter 14 there are there's a story that I think it's familiar to a lot of us, but that I think gives us some guidance as we set out on this path of being what God intends us to be this year. So if you would read with me and Matthew 14 starting in verse 22 Immediately, he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds and after a dismissed the crowds he went up on the mountain by himself to pray when evening came he was there alone. But the boat by this time was a long way from the land beating by the waves for the wind was against them and in the Fourth Watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea, 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, but immediately Jesus spoke to them saying take heart it is I do not be afraid and Peter answered him Lord. If it is you command me to come to you on the water. And he said come so Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and begin beginning to think he cried out Lord Save Me Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him saying to him. Oh you of little faith. Why did you doubt and when they got into the boat the wind ceased and those in the boat worshipped him saying truly you are the Son of God. Would you guys pray with me this morning?

Lord as we come to your word we do so in the context of coming to this year we come in the context. I pray of your people gathered here Desiring to follow you in 2019 Desiring to do what you call us to do to be who you call us to be. the father at the same time we come as those who have things that we depend on for security things that we do not want to let go of but father things that stand between us and you and so Lord as we approach your word and we consider the example of Peter father. I pray that you would make us those who are willing to go outside our comfort zone. For the sake of obeying your commands and Lord. I pray that we individually would allow you to control our lives this year. I pray that we corporately would be faithful to the task that you give us and I Lord I ask your blessing on this examination of your word and on the worship that will flow out of it. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. There's a familiar story too many of you if you've been in church, maybe even if this is your first time in church, this is a story you've heard right Peter walking on water next time. You're perfect. Try walking on water all of that stuff that we see in our in our kind of common cultural context. We have this understanding of this story and it's a familiar story but as is so often the case with familiar stories. I think we can sometimes miss the whole point and we can get distracted by things that don't ultimately matter in the text. And so I want us to focus this morning on a very particular application of this passage on a very particular application is better fact this week. I was reading a book and the title of the book sums up my understanding this passage exactly. The book is by a guy named John ortberg in case you want to look this up and read it for yourself. The book's title. Those says everything I need to say. If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat. Make sense, right if you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat. And the thing that is bringing out in the book and the thing that I want us to focus on this morning. Is it getting out of the boat is crazy? But the boat is really really hard. But getting out of the boat is worth it now for you for me. I want us to understand something we read boat this morning. Each of us is coming from a very different place and sell boats in this image that I want us to see this metaphor. I want to draw out could mean a lot of different things but to sum it up. I think the boat is what we find our security in the boat is where we would Place Our Hope in the midst of life's storms. And getting out of the boat is the thing that would bring us closer to Christ. Tell whether that boat for you that thing to provide security for you is money. Or is a relationship or is fame or fortune or Facebook likes whatever that boat. Is this morning that thing that brings you security I want to tell you if you want to be what God has called you to be in 2019 at some point. You're going to have to get out of the boat at some point you're going to have to go to where Christ is which means leaving the things that you think your security and your entertainment and your joy rest in and for us as a church. This is the same thing churches can have boats to churches can get in this place where there's things we depend on for our whole experience of our and the boat for a church might be a certain tradition. Like, I don't know singing three songs before the sermon. But sometimes it's worth while for us to push against those traditions in order. We know we want to be where Jesus is. And sometimes it's not a tradition. Sometimes it's just who's there? And there's person that becomes hate if if this person is there that's church or this person is there I don't want to do church that can happen to but the thing is whether we're talking individually or corporately there are things that we trust for security that crisis if you want to follow the leave that at some point It's crazy. It's hard, but let me tell you it is totally worth it. So this is my challenge to you, even though leaving the thing that provides you security. Is going to terrify you even though it doesn't make sense to you my challenge to you and to us corporately is that this will be what we're willing to do go where we need to leave what we need to do to follow Christ. And so I want us to look at this passage with that as our background. We want to be people who go where Jesus is we've got to get out of the boat. How do we do it? And what does it look like the first thing that I want you to understand? Is it when your were still relying on that boat everything outside of it is going to cause you to fear. When you're still holding on to that thing that provides you comfort and security anything that would threaten that. Is going to cause fear I want you to look at the disciples is there in their boat and they're going across the sea. They're beaten by the wave. The wind is against them. Write this is not new most of the disciple mean I'm most of them but a lot of disciples were fishermen. They knew water they knew when they knew waves, but they were in a rocky situation. They're in this boat and things are not going well. They're in the boat and everything outside of them is building this anxiety and then on top of it, they see a guy walking on water and they freak out.

The wind the waves everything is against them. So that when they see Jesus outside of the boat. Even Jesus terrifies them. When you're into the boat when you're when you're trusting the boat for you Security even Jesus. Could you even Jesus telling you? Hey, I want you to get outside of your comfort zone for the sake of my kingdom. You can look at Jesus and say I don't recognize you you scare me. And that's true. I think that a lot of us wouldn't recognize Jesus if he actually showed up. I think we create this image of Jesus and we imagine that Jesus is goal for my life is the same as my goal for my life. Right? I want to be rich Jesus must want me to be rich. I want to be well-liked. Jesus must want me to be well-liked. I want to be successful. I want to be popular. Jesus must want me to be successful and popular so that when the real Jesus shows up and says, I want you to give up everything and I want you to know that following me is going to cause men to hate you we say all that can't be Jesus. This guy terrifies me. The disciples see Jesus walking on the water and Jesus terrifies them. Why because Jesus isn't in the boat. This isn't giving the approval if you will to the thing that brings them security. Jesus is not telling them. Hey, that's okay. Yeah, keep trusting those things. I'll just be here with you most of us want Jesus to come into our lives and to give his stamp of divine approval to the things that we like.

And yet so often he's not there. And he's calling us to leave those things.

To walk into the fear and to trust him, but when you're in the boat anything outside if it's going to cause you to fear and that's where some of you are this morning some of you coming in here you are wholly committed to your boat. You are wholly committed to what you want. And the thought of it too would call you to leave that the thought of a Jesus who would put some sort of pressure on your life that would take you out of that security is terrifying. I'm not going to pretend otherwise not going to pretend that following. Jesus is easy. I'm not going to pretend that this is going to be a simple thing. What did I say getting out of the boat? It's crazy. It's hard. Crazy, let's just take that simple little term for a second. How many of you are crazy?

We had a lot of honest people here. Write the saying goes right every family's got that crazy person. If you don't know who it is in your family, you're it. right crazy hard We don't like things hard. How many mattresses are sold saying sleep on this mattress if the hardest thing you've ever slept on like concrete but better. No, we want a soft mattress. We want a soft life. We don't want a hard life. We want an easy life. Doing what God wants you to do being who God calls you to be is going to lead you into times when people think you're crazy and when doing that is going to be exceedingly difficult and it's counterintuitive is it is though it's crazy as the world thinks you are as hard as it is. It is worth it to follow Christ. And so if you're in that place in fear and you're looking at Jesus when he sang I want you to go share the gospel with your neighbor or he's saying I want you to take the gospel to another country or he say I just want you to be kind of the person that works at everybody's picking on or he say I want you to students to change your major so that you can do what I called you to do, even though your parents won't appreciate that. It's crazy. It's hard. The following Jesus is always worth it. now notice though how Peter response everybody's afraid and that includes Peter Jesus then goes to settle their fear and he doesn't settle their fears by saying this isn't something you should be afraid of he just says take heart. It's I he doesn't pretend that the wind isn't really doesn't pretend that the waves are real. He doesn't pretend that he's walking on water which is slightly terrifying when you think about that. He pretended none of that's happening. He just says look at the enough for you to know. Did this is me. Peter being Peter wants proof and look how he looks for proof Lord. If it's you command me to come to you on the water. Now I'm sitting back thinking there's got to be a better way to prove this. There's got to be a better way to prove that. That's Jesus than me getting out of his boat. And as a matter of fact, I think that Peter recognizes this he wants to know that that's actually Jesus hat. What is the proof that Peter asked for? Lord if it's you command me to get out of the boat and walk on the water. He doesn't say invite me out. He doesn't say Lord if that's you I'll come to you know, he says you command me. Doesn't matter how much everything outside the boat is causing you to fear. You have to want to obey Jesus more than you want.

More than you want to stay in the boat. Jesus Peter says I'm not getting out of this boat, unless you tell me to God. I'm not going to do this of my own volition. This isn't just Peters good idea for the day. Let's get out of the boat and walk on water. Although knowing what we know. That wouldn't surprise us. But this is not something that he just dreamed up in his little less you command.

What does Jesus say? Come one word simple command, So what does Peter do? Proves the fact that he wants to obey Jesus more than he wants to stay in his boat and he gets out of the boat. Here's the thing. I don't want you to do all that you can forgot in 2019 because I told you to do it that's a really crummy reason to do it as a matter of fact, if you're looking to me for Life advice, I'd highly recommend looking elsewhere. I don't have the best track record will just put it that way. but if Jesus said do it There's no other option for the follower of Christ if either says to go. Go if it says to come you come that's what it means to follow Christ in Peter recognizes that he says I'm not getting out of this boat, unless you command me and Jesus commands in. What is Jesus commanded you to do?

I think that would be important because in Matthew 28 Jesus actually defines discipleship as obeying what Jesus commanded not to earn God's favor because God's given you favor not to prove your worth Todd. Because God already demonstrated your Worth to him by sending his son to die. Jesus died for you and then he sends you as his follower, and these are the things that he says to do. Love God. Love others make disciples. There's a bunch of other commands, but he himself says love God love others that all the rest of it. Love God more than you. Love your boat. Love others more than you love your own comfort and your security make disciples, even though the last thing that you want to do is engage the people around you that's what God through Christ has commanded you so you don't have to wonder you don't have to wonder just God want me. To make $1000000 in Spanish 95% of it on my own happiness and and then give the rest away so I don't feel guilty. You don't have to wonder if God wants you to put the needs of others ahead of your own desires. You don't have to wonder that. He's already commanded you. You don't even have to ask him Lord. If it's you who commanded to get out of the boat. He's already said get out of the boat. Get out of those things that you rely on instead of me get out of those things that you are worshipping in my stead get rid of the idols and trust me. He's already commanded you. and you as the disciple should want to obey Jesus more than you want to stay comfortable more than you want to feel secure secure and let me just point this out. Obeying. Jesus is always going to bring you the most fulfillment possible. How do you think Peter felt as he climbed up the side of that easy to get out of a boat, by the way, I mean unless it's like a canoe or something. I guess that's easy. But I did this boat is built for being out in the theaters got high side. This took some work for Peter to get over and it probably took just a or two of all my goodness. What's going to happen these clean to the side of the ship before he lets go so his feet can touch the water. When he lets go.

And he doesn't think what do you think about at that moment put yourself in Peter shoes? Feel the water solid under your feet.

That's the thing. I don't know. Is that still a thing?

Can you imagine what would be going through your brain at that point time? Oh my goodness. I'm standing on water and then you turn and you begin to not to stand on it, but take steps is not like he got lucky and hit the one rock in the middle of the sea, but like this one works and this one works and that is so cool. How amazing how fulfilling would that be when you're doing what is crazy you're doing what is impossible because Jesus commanded you to do it. Wow. How cool would that be? Pretty pretty awesome. And that's what God has called us to do is call us to do the impossible for him. And can you imagine what it would feel like to do something that you can't do because it's so crazy and it's so hard and yet you do it. Anyways. It's totally worth it. Totally worth it. Now sometimes sometimes getting out of the boat is not the problem sometimes getting into the boat is the problem. This was my experience. Anyways, when I was in Idaho, I had this buddy, who was this? This guy's awesome. Okay, talk about life goals lived in attached Ed and he kayaked and snowboarded and he hunted and fished full-time and that's what he did. Good life and I'll admit as as a as a young husband in a young father. I was a little jealous. about this lifestyle until he invited hacking I've never been kayaking and I'm like like go paddle around on the lake kind of figure this thing out. He's like no we're going to go down, you know that Olympic class run with the Rapids and all that stuff and me being me said, okay sounds great. Let's do it. Are like so do I need to learn like how to do that whole you go underwater and you roll back up saying he's like, I don't worry about that. He's like I'll be close enough. If you go under I'll just come over and flip the boat back up.

I started having second thoughts literally because I'm kind of slow as we're getting the kayaks out of his truck and walking down to the river. And I'm getting nervous and I'm like, dude. I don't know how this is going to work. I don't know how to do this. Like if I roll over and I hit my head is like you're put a helmet on. All right, I can't breathe underwater. He's like, don't worry. I'll be there to flip it back over. I was a nervous wreck by the time we set off paddling and we're paddling when you when you put in a kayak, you know, what you put in a nice calm section. Not joking. My first spill did not wait for the Rapids. I went over in the calm flat stretch like six inches of water.

I was out of the kayak before my head hit the water. And you got like a little skirt on and everything. It's not easy to get out of the kayaking and he's like man. I didn't even see you pull the skirt. I was like I didn't I just jumped.

The hardest thing for me was getting back in that kayak knowing that I just tipped over in the, stretchy water will experience all day. You know what I spent the rest of the day do it swimming. Because every time we came to her I would fall out I'd end up having to get out. I never waited for him to come rescue me. I don't know where he thought that was a good idea at least waited until I went underwater but I would always just jump out of the kayak and swim that Rapids we come to next Flats, but I have to get back in the boat. You know what I found by the end of the day.

That kayaking trip was the most fun. I'd had I think. to that point in my life and I swam most of it kayak and yet I tell people I love kayaking.

It was really hard to get into the boat whether it's hard getting into the motor out of the boat. You get the idea once you actually do that hard thing. You'll be amazed how incredible your experience is. Peter gets out of the boat.

I got into a boat and I got the kayak for like 10 ft. It was so cool. Whatever that hard thing that God calls you to do is to be and to do for his glory recognize that will be the most fulfilled you'll ever be but it has to be an ongoing commitment. You know how many times I've kayaked since that trip.

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what are good reasons for that will leave them unsaid? But there has to be this ongoing commitment that fulfillment is going to be experienced. If those steps that Peter takes are going to continue to fulfill them. He has to continue making that decision. I'm going to trust Christ. I'm going to go where Christ calls me to do and yet the very human thing to do. is to do exactly what Peter did to take those first few just elated. fulfilled wonderful steps and then to realize wait a second. I'm doing something that's crazy. I'm doing something that's hard and like Peter he sees the wind. Can you see when?

No, and yet Peter saw it. And it terrified him. Peter sees the wind and he forgets that commitments Lord if you command I'll come to you. He forget commitment. He takes his eyes off of Jesus and he starts looking around at the trouble. That is all around him. And what happens he begins to think and this is where we always poke fun at Peter like yeah, Peter. Come on, man you of little faith. Jesus says that you know, yeah Peter you wrote a check your mouth couldn't cash your mouth write a check your feet couldn't cash. You failed. Peter would say no. Because even as he forgets his commitments even as he stink sinking, what is he cry out look at the text. What does he cry out?

I got to hear it. Lord save me. Lord save me he still got it figured out he forgot that ongoing commitment. He forgot about the fact that he had said I'll do it Jesus. If you tell me to do it, he took his eyes off and he looked at all the problems and he got scared but he still remembered Jesus is still the one that can save me Lord save me two things here. We look at the story and we want to make fun of Peter. We want to make fun of Peter because he he started thinking how about we celebrate the fact that he got out of the boat in the first place. It's not necessarily in the passage, but I guarantee you some of the other two said I shouldn't guarantee you hyperbole forgive me. I imagine that the disciples who stayed in the boater like oh there goes Peter again. Teacher's pet Peter wants everybody to look at him and talk about him. And then when he begins to think they said I could have told you that was going to happen. That's what normally happens to people on the water. That's what normally happens when people are doing things beyond our ability eventually they start to sink but instead of criticizing Peter. We should say look at Peter. He got out of the boat and even as he sinking He remembers Jesus can save me. It's so easy to be the critic. It's so easy to be the one who sits in your boat of comfort laughing at those who get out of their ears and begin to think instead of celebrating. Those who try. If you call out for Christ when the need comes so easy to sit and criticize I love I love that quote from Teddy Roosevelt. I don't have it written down. So I hope it's on the screen. It's not the critic who counts not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of Deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly who airs who comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming but who does actually strive to do the Deeds who knows great enthusiasms the great devotions who spends himself in a worthy cause who at the best knows in the end the Triumph of high achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid Souls who know neither Victory nor defeat.

It's easy to criticize. It's easy to be the man outside the arena who leaves the tasks to others. It's easy to be the person who clings to the security and mocks those who don't. It's easy to be the person in the Pew who mocks those who go out and try to do things for the kingdom and MOX when they failed I knew that was going to happen. That was never going to work.

Give me one. Give me person. Who will gladly go and fail for the cause of Christ over 2,000 who will sit and mock the one who goes give me one.

B1 My prayer God, let me be one even though it's crazy. And even though it's impossible will go out and do the thing you called me to do, even if I fail because you are sufficient to save me and I'm not worried about what the peasants have to say. If the king is commanded me to go. I'm not going to worry about what those who sit in comfortable silence do if God has called me to go in to speak. I'm not going to be content to Simply Mark the time by the passing of an hour every Sunday when God has called me to live a life that is dedicated to him. I'm not going to be a Critic. Going to be the man in the arena who tries and Lee who though I fail. know that I tried

Church Will you be that kind of person? Who went something crazy is brought up. Hey, I don't know let's plan to church in the next 2 years. Let's send people out from our fellowship to start a new Fellowship where there is. No that's crazy. That's hard and be easy for all of us to sit back and say Good luck. Where will we be faithful to engage that tap if easy to sit back and be the one who says look just binge Netflix and be happy. It's easy to be the one who says well everybody else is just trying to milk whatever enjoyment they can out of life why put yourself through the difficulty of pretending to follow Christ pretense. I'm going wherever he calls I'm going to do whatever he calls me to do. I'm going to give up whatever he calls me to do because the critics are the ones that don't get out of the boat. And even if getting out of the boat, I failed because I forget. I take my eyes off of what is supposed to be happening. I take my eyes off of Christ and I and I look at the problems and I begin to think I want to be the one who's at least out there in the waves crying Lord save me I got in over my head Lord safe. I took my eyes off of you, but at least I'm in the water.

That's my question. Will you be one sitting in the boats? Or will you be one who goes whether you succeed or fail because success is not measured in what you accomplished. Its measured in Jesus's ability to save. Success is measured in you getting out of the boat. Not you actually reaching the shore success is measured in you when you sing crying out Lord save me not in continuing to walk on the water success is defined not by your capability. Goodbye, Jesus is ability to save you to motivate you later testimony to the world that we have a Risen King, but then his people keep trying crazy stuff because he said to do it. Whether we succeed or fail is not an issue. What is mattering is worth pointing to the sufficiency of Christ when we get out of the boat we say whether I sink or whether I don't Jesus gets the glory whether I have to cry out for salvation or I see what God wanted to Compass accomplished. I know that it's because of his power and not because of anything in me. Success is giving God. The glory success is pointing to Jesus and saying he did it. Peter's feet couldn't keep him on the water. Peters belief couldn't keep him on the water. Jesus was the one who kept them on the water. And when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, Jesus is the one who saved him from the water. Jesus gets the glory.

That's where we come to At Last in this story. Verse 33 and those in the boat worshipped him saying truly you are the son of God. Those who got out of the boat and those who didn't. Everyone who saw what Jesus did worshipped him and search that's what I want us to be people who see what God has done for us in Christ. And then we worship him out of that because it's not about us it's not about what we do or don't do ultimately the question is does Jesus get the glory for my life does Jesus get the glory for what he's done if you're sitting here and you know that Jesus saved you from your sins you have something to worship this for this morning. If you're sitting here and you've ever had success and sharing the gospel with another person you have something to worship Jesus for I'll go so far the fact that you're sitting here in a church this morning says it's you have something to worship Jesus for 2000 years ago. Jesus left. And he left behind 12 disciples and he said go and tell the world the gospel the fact that the Gospel made it this far from the Middle East to here. means you have something to worship Jesus for And here's my other conviction, you will never run out of things to worship Jesus for if you're faithful to get out of the boat.

You don't have to raise your hand. How many of you have been bored with church? If the same thing week after week I come I shake the same hands. We sing the same songs. I hear the same guy get up and talk.

And then I leave. and I come to next week and I do the same things and I do the same things and

you've lost sight at that point the point at which your bored with church means you've lost sight of what Christ has done or you've not been out where Jesus is doing things to see him and then to come back into worship. My Hope and my goal for us as a church, is it each week we come into this place ready to worship not because we're just following a stale tradition but because we've been out on the water that week because we've been out where Jesus wasn't we've seen Jesus do the impossible and every week we come in excited to declare the glory of our King because we've seen him do amazing things

I want worship to be a duty I wanted to be a response to a Christ is doing so in light of what Christ has done for you in light of what Christ will do as you choose to get out of the boat do the crazy thing do the hard thing it's worth it because it will lead you to worship as you see him move. In light of those things. I want to invite you to worship invite the worship team to come forward. They're going to lead us in some songs. I want you to worship Christ for what he has done what he is doing and what he will do. Would you pray with me?