1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,680 Have you ever found yourself standing in a moment that would require great faith? 2 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:14,280 A moment that seems so impossible, you know one of two things. 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:19,440 Either God is calling you out, or you are just out of your mind. 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:24,320 I am excited to share this story with you today, as we talk about a moment in history 5 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:30,480 where the divine collided with the natural, and we take a well-known story. 6 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:35,920 Today we're going to talk about the story where Jesus walked on water, and it has been 7 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:40,000 told many times as a failure. 8 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:46,280 But today I want to jump in a little bit deeper and see what happens when great faith meets 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:52,920 overwhelming fear, and what it looks like to see beyond our human perspective, and think 10 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:59,520 in God's perspective, and what happens when we surrender and we walk out on the waves 11 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,400 and meet Jesus. 12 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:06,000 So I'm excited to share the next few minutes together as we talk here on the Live Out Loud 13 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,480 podcast, and we share the next, oh I don't know, 10 to 15 minutes together, and just talk 14 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,480 about Jesus. 15 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,640 And if you have any comments about our conversation here today, I would love to hear from you. 16 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,640 I would love to hear your thoughts on them, and an easy way for you to connect with me 17 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:22,900 is via Instagram. 18 00:01:22,900 --> 00:01:26,320 I am on thespaceeliandaboys.co. 19 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:31,400 Head right on over and we can start conversations today about the things we talk about here, 20 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,240 or just about life. 21 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,160 I would love to connect with you that way. 22 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:45,200 So with that said, let's jump into our time together today. 23 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,960 A few years ago, I was getting ready to share an evening with a group of single moms. 24 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,840 I had been asked to speak at the gathering. 25 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:58,160 So I spent time gathering my thoughts and asking the Father what it was he wanted to 26 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,360 speak to our hearts that night. 27 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:06,000 As I was praying over this, he took me to Matthew 14. 28 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,440 And as I began diving into that chapter, it wasn't a new story to me, and it probably 29 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,360 isn't new to you. 30 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,840 It's the one where, like we said earlier, Jesus walks on water and when Peter tried 31 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,160 to walk on water as well. 32 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:26,280 But in the time I spent studying this, I realized it was so much more than I initially read. 33 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,800 And this story has stayed with me since I read it that day. 34 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:32,960 I have taken it to heart. 35 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,200 I dwell on it often. 36 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:36,960 I think about it. 37 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,960 And I want to pursue the lessons that I learned in this chapter. 38 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,960 So we're going to jump right in into Matthew 14, starting in verse 22. 39 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,000 And it's only a few verses. 40 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:54,640 It's not very long, but I wish they would have given us more details about what happened 41 00:02:54,640 --> 00:03:00,360 in those encounters as the boat was floating on the water and the conversations that went 42 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:06,840 on and the thought processes or the light banter that went on between friends. 43 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:08,280 But we don't have a lot of detail. 44 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,040 So it does leave a lot to the imagination. 45 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:16,800 But we do have some detail in the story that I want to draw out today and talk about it. 46 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:23,560 And hopefully we can apply this to our daily life and to those moments where we are faced 47 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:31,200 with a big opportunity or a big moment in life and we have to choose to step into it 48 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:32,560 or hold back. 49 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,560 So let's jump into our story today in Matthew 14. 50 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,560 The story starts by Jesus and his disciples. 51 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,840 They have just finished a teaching moment. 52 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:47,080 Jesus had finished teaching to the crowds and he sent his disciples on ahead of him 53 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,520 because he wanted some alone time. 54 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,160 So he went up on the mountain and he prayed and spent time with his father while the disciples 55 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,020 went across the lake. 56 00:03:56,020 --> 00:04:00,400 And some details we do know about the story is that the disciples in this small little 57 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:05,920 boat were up against the waves and the wind on the lake. 58 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,600 After that night Jesus wanted to go out and meet them. 59 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,940 He just walks on water because he is fully God. 60 00:04:12,940 --> 00:04:17,640 So he starts walking on the water and the disciples see him coming towards the boat. 61 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:24,240 And of course naturally they were terrified and they were exclaiming that it was a ghost. 62 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,080 And this is where our story begins. 63 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,560 I'm going to read it from Matthew 14. 64 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,520 They said, It is a ghost. 65 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:31,880 They cried out in fear. 66 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,720 But Jesus immediately said to them, Take courage. 67 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:35,720 It is I. 68 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,560 Don't be afraid. 69 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:38,560 Verse 28. 70 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:43,400 Lord, if it's you, Peter replied, Tell me to come to you on the water. 71 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,240 Come, he said. 72 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:50,680 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. 73 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,240 I want you to pause right there. 74 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:58,240 And notice how Peter didn't say, Lord, if that's you, let me walk on water. 75 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:03,360 But instead he said, If that's you, call me out to you. 76 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:09,040 I have to wonder if Peter knew exactly what he was asking in that moment. 77 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:14,400 Peter could have asked for the miracle itself of being able to walk on water. 78 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:20,360 But instead he asked for the ability to trust Jesus in that moment. 79 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,080 I don't think he really knew what he was saying. 80 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:28,940 He probably saw Jesus, his best friend, coming towards him and got excited at the possibility 81 00:05:28,940 --> 00:05:30,760 of walking on water. 82 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:35,520 Peter was always pushing the boundaries in a beautiful way and sometimes in a way that 83 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,760 got him into trouble. 84 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:42,360 And here he was pushing the boundaries again of wanting to walk on water. 85 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:48,880 But the way he worded it, Lord, if that's you, call me out to you. 86 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,960 How often in life do we focus on the finished product only? 87 00:05:52,960 --> 00:06:00,080 We ask God for the ability to walk on water in the form of asking for, say, patience. 88 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,280 But God gives us opportunities to learn to lean on him. 89 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:10,040 Instead of just giving us patience, he gives us growth as we learn to lean on him. 90 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:15,920 When our humanity and inpatience get in the way, it gives us an opportunity to push our 91 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:20,160 selfish ways aside and learn patience towards others. 92 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,240 And that is exactly what Peter subconsciously asked for. 93 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,800 It was the process of getting to Jesus. 94 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,520 Jesus in that moment could have said, No, that's all right. 95 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:31,640 I'll come to the boat soon enough. 96 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:36,960 And he would have absolutely been able to say that because he knew the extent of Peter's 97 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,740 humanity and his doubt. 98 00:06:39,740 --> 00:06:43,240 But Peter got so much more than what he asked for. 99 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,680 And Jesus called him out. 100 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,840 We take up the story in Matthew 14, verse 29. 101 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:54,040 Peter got down out of the boat, walked on water, and came towards Jesus. 102 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,680 I'm going to pause here again and talk about our beloved Peter. 103 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,360 He is so relatable in so many ways. 104 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:05,560 But in this moment, Peter made the decision to step out of the boat. 105 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,600 Peter was a fisherman by trade, so he grew up near the water. 106 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,160 He knew how the wind and the waves worked. 107 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:18,240 He knew the dangers and how quickly things could go from bad to worse. 108 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:22,320 He stepped out of the boat knowing he wanted to be closer to Jesus. 109 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,440 I'm sure he didn't know what to expect. 110 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:29,200 He'd never been on the waves himself, only in a boat. 111 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:35,280 But in that part of the story, where he steps out of the boat, he had a moment of great faith. 112 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:41,560 As he stepped over into the waves, I'm sure there was a moment of pride where he was showing 113 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,000 off for the rest of the disciples. 114 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:50,720 And probably excitement that he was doing something that only Jesus could do. 115 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:56,040 And soon after he had a moment where he realized that what he held his security in, what he 116 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,000 held his faith in, was suddenly gone. 117 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,200 The boat? 118 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,520 He was no longer in it, and that's what was keeping him above the waves. 119 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:10,240 In Matthew it says, But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid, and began to sink, and 120 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,080 he cried out, Lord, save me. 121 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,000 Peter had a few moments of triumph over the waves. 122 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,480 He had a few moments of excitement and possibilities. 123 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,000 But he soon let fear overshadow his faith. 124 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,680 And in that moment of wavering trust, Peter began to sink. 125 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,600 We know how the story goes. 126 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,960 Peter cried out for his friend to save him, and Jesus did. 127 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:41,520 He reached down, and in that moment he grabbed Peter's hand and pulled him from the waves, 128 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,500 pulled him from the thing that was bringing him down. 129 00:08:44,500 --> 00:08:48,280 He pulled him out of the place that was clouding his faith. 130 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:53,760 Jesus never once looked down on him and thought, Well, you should have had enough faith to walk 131 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:55,280 on water. 132 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:59,280 He met Peter in the exact way that he needed him. 133 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:04,920 It's in this moment where so many of us think that Peter failed, where his friends back 134 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:10,800 in the boat probably thought that Peter had failed, and Jesus even said, Ye of little 135 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:14,080 faith, why did you doubt? 136 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:19,280 We can see those words and think that that's a reprimand for the way Peter began to sink 137 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:20,780 in the waves. 138 00:09:20,780 --> 00:09:21,780 But it is not. 139 00:09:21,780 --> 00:09:27,360 It was just a statement of love towards Peter, of Peter trust in me. 140 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:34,320 A statement of love towards all of us, of God the Father saying, Put your trust in me. 141 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,640 I am bigger than the waves. 142 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,120 I will meet you exactly where you need me to be. 143 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:45,440 And as the story goes, we think Peter had a failed moment. 144 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:53,480 But in that brief second, when Jesus and Peter's hands met in the swell of the waves, they shared 145 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:58,120 an encounter that the rest of the disciples in the boat didn't share. 146 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:03,640 Yes, Jesus made it back to the boat with Peter, and he had an encounter with the rest of the 147 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:10,840 disciples, but Peter, who took a step of faith out of the security of the boat, and Peter, 148 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:17,040 who was taken over by anxious thoughts and putting his trust in the wrong place, and 149 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:22,920 was taken over by the waves, only then did he experience that beautiful exchange between 150 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:28,960 his weak and broken faith and the beautiful grace of the Savior. 151 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:30,880 We all have a story to tell. 152 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:36,800 It can read that we stayed comfortable in the boat, and that we had a spectator story, 153 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:39,640 much like the disciples who stayed back. 154 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:46,120 Our story could also tell of people who wanted to get out of the boat, but maybe we decided 155 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,820 to stay inside where it was safe. 156 00:10:49,820 --> 00:10:56,460 It can also read that we wanted to get to all that Jesus had for us, and we took steps 157 00:10:56,460 --> 00:11:03,440 of faith over and over again, even if it looked like failure to everyone else. 158 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:09,360 But in those moments of what looks like failure, we also have powerful encounters with Jesus. 159 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:14,200 The encounters we have with him there look completely different than the ones we have 160 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:16,640 in the security of life. 161 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,640 Much like the disciples in the boat, they had a very different story to tell than the 162 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,120 one Peter did. 163 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,520 They were all in the same moment, but their story looked different because of what they 164 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:29,480 chose to do. 165 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:34,600 When we choose to step into the more that God has put in front of us, it is a chance for 166 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:40,400 us to say, I fully trust that you are going to be right beside me. 167 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:46,040 I'm leaving my earthly security in the boat and stepping out into what all God has put 168 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:47,400 before me. 169 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:52,800 I want to encounter Jesus in a real way, in the places of life that are uncomfortable 170 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,560 and scary and overwhelming. 171 00:11:55,560 --> 00:12:01,640 I want him to show up in the middle of my mess and see him pull me out and feel him lock 172 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:02,640 beside me. 173 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:08,240 I don't want to stay in the boat and wait for him to get to me. 174 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,800 I want to go and meet him. 175 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:11,800 We get to choose. 176 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,920 Do we want to step out of the boat and have a faith moment? 177 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:23,960 Or we can choose to stay inside of the boat and simply have a spectator's story.