Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Have you ever been on a boat?

I love getting out on the water and sailing.

Ever time I’m a boat, that scene from What About Bob? plays in my head … “I’m sailing!

I’m sailing!

Dr. Leo Marvin, I’m sailing!

I sailed!

I’m a sailor!”

CLASSIC.

Obviously, sailing is expensive, but if you get the chance you can always pay the $2.75 fair and go sailing with the MTA Ferry down the East River, here in NYC.

We’ve done it a lot and I absolutely recommend it.

Well, obviously, we can’t go sailing today.

But we can make a paper boat and dream!

Join William’s son, Ethan, as he teaches us how to make a paper boat out of that piece of paper you should have grabbed.

[PLAY ETHAN PAPER BOAT VIDEO]

Attention:

That’s pretty impressive Ethan!

I didn’t know how to do that until you showed me!

Thanks buddy!

Need:

You may not realize it, but boats are very comforting aren’t they?

Take Tom Hanks in Cast Away.

When he saw that rescue boat, I’m sure he was comforted.

These little boats that we just made serve as a visual representation of our comfort levels.

Far too many of us have become comfortable in our lives.

Someone else will take a stand.

Someone else will object.

My bank accounts good, I don’t need to seek God’s face today.

That scares me, I’m not quitting my job and going all in on that start up I’m passionate about.

That future student loan debt is way too much, I’m just going to stop my education here.

It’s unfortunate, but many of us allow our comfort zones to control our lives.

Transition:

In Matthew 14, we see this very thing play out in the lives of Jesus’ disciples and we see how one of them refused to allow the comfort of the boat to keep him from following God.

Now, these guys were just normal dudes, working to support their families, trying to get ahead in life, and scratch out their own place in this world.

Then, out of nowhere, they each get invited by Jesus to come and follow him.

Each one of them take Jesus up on his invitation and begin a journey that will change their lives and the rest of the world.

Throughout their three years of following Jesus around, we can see their faith gradually begin to grow in who Jesus was and claimed to be the Son of God who came to save us from our sins.

One such episode in their lives of following Jesus is found in Matthew 14:22-33.

READ Matthew 14:22-33

Scripture Statement: Here we see the disciple’s faith in Jesus grow and that Peter’s faith in Jesus had grown to the point where he was able to GET OUT OF THE BOAT and follow where God was leading him.

Sermon Statement: God wants you to GET OUT OF THE BOAT today.

Transition:

In this episode of Jesus’ life, we see at least three things happening.

The first thing that we see happening is that Jesus invites you to get out of the boat.

Point #1: Jesus Invites You to Get Out of the Boat (vv.

22-29)

This is an interesting scene in Jesus’ life.

He was looking for a place to rest, recharge, and grieve the death of his cousin – John the Baptist.

But crowds of people kept following him around because of the miracles he was doing, the teachings he was giving, and they simply wanted to be around such an electrifying individual.

Jesus’ popularity was draining him and he needed a quiet place to grieve and refuel, so he went out into a remote place, but the crowds kept coming.

Instead of turning them away or just letting the disciples deal with them, Jesus had compassion for them and sacrificed his physical and emotional capital and healed them and taught them well into the evening.

Because of how late it was and where they were, Jesus didn’t turn them away but instead miraculously fed over 5,000 people using just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

After everyone had eaten, Jesus quickly changed course and dismissed everyone, including his disciples.

He sends people home and his disciples out onto the Sea of Galilee and he goes up onto a mountain to pray.

Why would Jesus do that?

He was tired, his disciples were tired, it was late, and he was able to make his own schedule.

So, why not camp out for the night, then in the morning they all get into the boat and pass over to the other side?

Why the immediacy?

Well, there are several reasons for why Jesus did this:

1. John 6:15 tells us that the crowds and maybe even Jesus’ disciples were thinking about forcing Jesus to become a king, so before they could he sent everyone packing.

2. Jesus was inviting his followers to focus on him in the midst of the storm.

a. Jesus knew a storm was coming.

i. “The Sea of Galilee is noted for its sudden and violent storms caused by cold air sweeping down from the vast naked plateaus of [the surrounding mountain tops] through the ravines and gorges and converging at the head of the [Sea of Galilee] where it meets warm air.”

(Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Douglas, 502)

ii.

Matthew says that “‘the wind was against them’ … [which] refers to a strong wind from the west – a regular feature during the rainy season (Mark’s ‘green grass’ [6:39] confirms the season.).” (EBC, #343-44)

b.

Jesus intentionally sent them out into the storm.

i.

This is because “there are two kinds of storms: storms of correction, when God disciplines us; and storms of perfection, when God helps us to grow.

ii.

The disciples were in a storm because they obeyed Christ and had to be perfected.

Many Christians have the mistaken idea that obedience to God’s will produces “smooth sailing.”

But this is not true.

READ John 16:33

Jesus invites you to get out of the boat, even though storms will come our way.

Honestly, storms are going to come your way, so you might as well be ALL IN for Jesus because you are safer in his will than outside of it.

This world offers us tons of security, but they are all false because they can never truly meet your needs or conquer your fears.

Only Jesus, the one who walks on the water, can fully set you free and help you live the life you were made to live.

You can get out of your comfort zone because Jesus sacrificed his comfort for you by allowing himself to be murdered on a cross so that you could have ever lasting, abundant life in him.

Security and living your life to the fullest are NOT found inside the boat.

Living an abundant, adventurous life that is worth more than anything this world can offer you is only found outside of your comfort zone and out on the waves with the one who controls the waves!

Application: Vision of my comfort zone - Guided Prayer

I’ve seen this in my life.

Transition: We’ve see that Jesus invites you to get out of your boat today.

The second thing that we see from this episode of Jesus’ life is that getting out of your boat is based on FAITH.

Point #2: Getting Out of the Boat is based on FAITH (vv.

28-33)

It wasn’t until Peter got out of the boat that his view of Jesus began to change and his faith in Jesus started to become personal.

1.

Peter shows us that we can get out of our boat by placing our faith in Jesus, our Savior, and not in the severity and strength of the storm.

a.

It only takes one person getting out of the boat until it changes everyone inside the boat!

b.

It only takes one person to have an active faith in Jesus until it changes the whole environment around them.

c.

It only takes one person to getting out of their boat for a chain reaction to start around them to where it changes a whole city.

d.

Peter got out of the boat and it sparked a chain reaction throughout the entire group of Jesus followers that stayed in the boat.

e. Peter’s active faith in Jesus affected the rest of the group so much so that they took another step in their faith and worshipped Jesus for who he truly is: the Son of God.

2. This miracle magnifies the kingship of Jesus Christ.

In fact, when Matthew wrote Peter’s request, “Bid me to come,” he used a Greek word that means “the command of a king.”

Peter knew that Jesus Christ was King over all nature, including the wind and the waves.