I. Introduction
A. What would be the best message for the first of the New Year?
1. I’m sure that every preacher has an answer for that question
2. And like me, probably, its different from year to year
B. Just about a month ago we were watching John MacArthur one Sunday Evening and he was talking about Peter’s trip on the water.
1. Turn to Luke 17:5
2. MacArthur’s message was not like this one, but it put the story in my recent memory
3. Then a few weeks ago I was talking to some one and they told me that their faith was not where they wanted it to be, they asked me how to increase their faith as the apostles asked in Luke 17:5
Luke 17:5 (NKJV)
And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
a. What flashed through my mind was Peter and walking on the water and I told this individual, “Get out of the boat.”
b. Imagine that individual asking, “How can I increase my faith?” And me saying, “Get out of the boat.”
c. The look on their face was quite amusing
(1) Lets turn to Matthew 14:25-32 and read this incident
Matthew 14:25-32 (NKJV)
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. {26} And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. {27} But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." {28} And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." {29} So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. {30} But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" {31} And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" {32} And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
II. Body
A. What I see in this story
1. First, this is a real incident, not a parable
2. However, we can look at this as a kind of parable
a. The raging lake water is life in this old world of ours
(1) Stepping out into the water we have two alternatives
(2) It takes courage to step into the water and when we do step into the water we can
(a) Sink
(b) Or swim
(c) Or in Peter’s case walk on the water
(3) It takes courage to leave our little houses in the morning
(a) Or to begin to engage in the daily grind, what ever that might be
(4) When we leave our little house in the morning we must sink or swim
(a) Or we must keep our eyes on Jesus and walk on water
(5) The alternative is to stay home
(a) Stay in bed, pull the covers up over our head and hide from the world
(b) There are times that is the thing to do, in all practicality that is because of
i) Blizzards
ii) Tornados
iii) You know, adverse weather
iv) And other things which preclude our venturing out
(c) However, there are also times when we must leave our houses and brave the world
i) Even under the most adverse conditions
b. Think of the boat as a safe place, like our houses
(1) Turn to Matthew 8:23-25
(2) Some preachers will tell you that the boat the disciples were in was about to sink
(3) But, the Scripture does not say that
(4) There was a time that the boat was being swamped and about to sink
Matthew 8:23-25 (NKJV)
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. {24} And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. {25} Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
(a) Disciples, Christ, boat, storm
(b) This time the boat was being swamped
(5) But, in the other instance, there is no mention of the boat sinking
(a) There were at least four men on that boat that we know were experienced fishermen
i) Men who knew boats
ii) Four sailors
a) Andrew
b) Peter
c) James
d) And John
iii) Men who knew the sea of Galilee
iv) Their consternation was not the storm
v) It was seeing what they thought was a ghost
(6) No matter, the boat was safe place
(a) But, they were frightened by Jesus’ appearance
i) It was some time before dawn, the fourth watch is from 3 to 6 a.m.
ii) It was dark
iii) Jesus was walking on the water
iv) Something completely outside their experience
v) So it was, perhaps, that their knees smote together
(b) But, Jesus called to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
(7) Hear the sighs of relief, “Oh, its the Master.” From the mouths of eleven, but Peter, what does he say?
(a) "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
3. "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
a. Frankly, I believe that this should be rendered, "Lord, since it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
(1) Peter knew the Lord’s voice
(2) This is not a test of who this was physically
(3) This was a test of the Lord’s will and Peter’s resolve
(a) "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
(b) Notice the word, “command”
i) Lord don’t just suggest, command
ii) Don’t just say OK, command
b. Do you know the Lord’s voice?
(1) Can you, like Peter, discern the Lord’s voice?
(a) Lets explore the voice of God, turn to 1 Kings 19:11-12
B. The voice of God
1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV)
Then He (That is the Lord) said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; {12} and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
1. A still small voice
a. The very next verse says
1 Kings 19:13 (NKJV)
So it was, when Elijah heard it,
b. Lets just stop there, the subject of the Lord’s conversation is not the point right now
c. The point is the means of perception of the Lord’s voice
(1) Elijah heard it
(a) Was it with his ears?
(b) Or was it a perception in his mind?
(c) There is no way to tell
(2) But, the point is that the Lord’s voice was not boisterous
(a) Elijah had to want to hear it
(b) Our world has so many distractions
i) Loud noises, destroying our hearing
ii) Riotous living, destroying our bodies
iii) Immoral practices, destroying our souls
iv) So many distractions that we cannot hear the still small voice of the Lord
a) Unless we slow down and listen
b) Really listen with our whole heart
c) Lets turn to Matthew 1:20
2. The Word of God can come in a dream
Matthew 1:20 (NKJV)
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
a. There are many instances where the Word of God came by a dream
Genesis 31:11 (KJV)
And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
(1) The Lord gave Pharaoh a dream about the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine
(2) The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream about the future
(a) Turn to Acts 2:17
b. In Peter’s sermon he quotes the prophets concerning the New Testament times
Acts 2:17 (NKJV)
'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
c. One must be careful of this, though, because we dream as our minds will
(1) Satan can influence our dreams
(2) We can dream as our lusts dictate
3. The word of the Lord can come as a feeling or and urge
a. We, sometimes, have those urges to do something
(1) A feeling that we should take a casserole to our neighbor
(2) A feeling that we should speak to a friend about our Lord
(a) Let us turn to Isaiah 6:1-8
4. The word of God can come to us in a vision
Isaiah 6:1-8 (NKJV)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. {2} Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. {3} And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" {4} And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. {5} So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." {6} Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. {7} And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." {8} Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
a. Looking back at Acts 2:17
Acts 2:17 (NKJV)
'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
b. Young men shall see visions
c. But there is one other way to know the Word of God
(1) Turn to 2 Timothy 2:15
5. The word of God can come to us by reading it
2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
a. I so much more prefer the Old King James rendition
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(1) Study, implies hard word to feed on the precious Word of God
(2) The Bible is directive in nature
(a) Thou shalt
(b) But, once we have received the Word of God, then what
C. Get out of the boat
1. What do you suppose happened to Peter’s faith after this incident?
2. Jesus obliged Peter and commanded him to “COME”
3. And what happened?
Matthew 14:28-29 (NKJV)
And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." {29} So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
a. COME
b. And Peter walked on the water towards Jesus
(1) Turn to Matthew 28:19
4. Lord since it is you, command me to witness to Joe
a. The commandment is in the Bible
Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luke 24:47-48 (NKJV)
"and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. {48} "And you are witnesses of these things.
John 20:21 (NKJV)
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
b. Are we going to be like the eleven others in the boat?
c. Or are we going to be like Peter and get out of the boat
d. If we are going to increase our faith we must get out of the boat
(1) I shared with the church years back about the testimony of the man who had just moved into Phoenix to become the pastor of one of our largest churches. This pastor related a story about his previous church. He had a great deal of trouble with the mens early morning Bible study. The men studied the Bible, but then commenced to create dissension in among the congregation. These men studied the word, they knew the word, but they fell short in living the word.
(a) Please turn to James 2:14 - 19
e. Faith is belief in action.
James 2:14-19 (NKJV)
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? {15} If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, {16} and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? {17} Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. {18} But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. {19} You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!
(1) You see, faith, in reality is belief in action
(2) You want to increase your faith be a Peter
(3) Get out of the boat
D. Oh, we know that Peter got distracted
1. He saw the waves and grew fearful
a. And he began to sink
2. But, he did not call out to the other sailors in the boat
a. He did not call out to his brother, Andrew
b. He did not call out to James or John
c. Instead he called out to a carpenter, his Lord, his Savior
3. We may well get distracted like Peter, but we should do as Peter did, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
a. Where was Peter’s faith?
b. Just where our faith should be, in our Lord
III. In conclusion
A. I have one thing to say, get out of the boat
