GETTING OUT OF THE BOAT

Tribe's One Year Anniversary

Tribe Recap June 3, 2018 | Matthew 14:22-31

Peter saw a ghost one night as he and his friends traveled across the sea.  Fear gripped the disciples as they battled the wind and waves crashing against their little boat.  Who could this be walking across the face of the water?  No one can walk on water beside a ghost, right?

Then the ghost spoke, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matt 14:27).  Something clicked in Peter’s mind...this is no ghost, and he replied to the man on the water, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

The premonition on the water said, “Come!”  And out the boat went Peter after the Lord, walking on water.  Sometimes we forget that there were two men in history that walked on water, Jesus and Peter.

The first step in being a water-walker is to see what God is up to and invite the Lord to call you out.  Have you made a declarative statement like Peter?  Have you said, “if it’s you Lord, call me out!”  Be advised, this is a dangerous prayer because of how God responds to Peter..... “Come!”  Jesus bids us to come out on the rolling, moving, dark, windy sea!  If you ask it of the Lord he will call you out of comfort into the great adventure of going closer to him and deeper into your destiny.

When Jesus answers us, we need to take him up on his offer like Peter did.  We need to get out of the boat.  This is certainly the hard part.  It’s safer in the boat and more dangerous out on the water.  But Peter went out there to be where the Lord was.  If you see Jesus on the water, step out of the boat.

As Peter began making his steps over the waves, he became afraid and sank.  This is a wonderful part of the story because it’s something we can all relate to.  Peter wasn’t perfect and neither are we.  As Peter was sinking he cried out for help “and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him” (Matt 14:31).  Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us.

Out on the water we must keep our eyes on Jesus – he is the one holding us up.  When we sink, he is the one saving us.  When we get back into the boat – he is the one stilling the storm.  It’s all about Jesus.

When all is said and done getting out of the boat is not about training, or pedigree, or stature, or what people think, or how many friends you have, or how rich you are, or any other measurement of man.  It’s about guts.  The question is, who has the guts to follow Jesus?  Evidently not everyone – the way to heaven is narrow and few find it.

Few get out of the boat.  Whether it’s a decision to give your life to the Lord, going to church when you don’t want to, overcoming anxiety or depression, sharing Christ with a work-mate, going on a missions trip, giving a testimony, starting a new venture, working on your marriage, getting a hold of your finances, or anything else the Lord is inviting you to, I encourage you to have some guts and get out of the boat....it’s Jesus out there not a ghost!  The only way to find out if you’re a water-walker is to get out of the boat and keep your eyes on Jesus.  There on the water, miracles abound.