Risk?  What Risk?

Matthew 14:25-34   Normal Christians accomplish extraordinary things when  they exercise their faith.

When God calls us to do something, sometimes we react in fear.  Oh Lord not me or I can’t do that.  We sometimes react how Moses did in Exodus 4.  God said, here is what I want you to do.  I want you to go to Pharoah a man who can kill you at a moments notice and tell him to let My people go.  Just let the main workforce of Egypt leave.  So Moses was a little fearful.  That was risky.  Actually it was beyond risky, it could get you killed.  Well so then Moses questioned God and argued a little with him.  Before we condemn Moses we must admit that sometimes we argue with God to when He tell us to do something.  As Moses resisted God, God did some miracles to show Moses that He would be with Moses.  Ex 4:6-9  Then in verse 10 after seeing what God can do Moses still resisted.  We are just like Moses many times, yet do we do what he did.  Moses finally, yielded to God’s will.  Moses was a normal person like you or I, but once He allowed yielded totally to God, God was able to use Moses to do miraculous things.  Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt.  In the process, he led them through the Red Sea as on dry ground.  God was able to use Moses to accomplish much once Moses yielded to God.

I used the story of Moses as a precursor to Peter walking on the water.  In Matthew 14:24-34 is where this occurrence is recorded.  Here is the scenario, the disciples are out on the sea at night in a fishing boat with a storm beating their boat silly.  So there they are on the seas in middle of a storm and then they see something.  They see Jesus walking towards the boat on the water.  They were already afraid due to the storm, now they see someone walking on the water towards them.  So they were even more afraid.  Verse 26 says “they were terrified, and said ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear.”  So you have a boat of panic stricken disciples seeing this person walking on the water in middle of a storm.  Verse 27 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage it is I; do not be afraid.”  Jesus tries to calm their nerves a little.  He realized what His plan was for this situation and that He was about to teach them a lesson in faith.  The disciples on the other hand were not realizing what was about to happen.  Romans 8:28, 29  All things work together for good....why?  Even the rough times in life conform us to the image of Christ.  So even being caught out in a squall in middle of the night was for the good of the disciples. 

Verse 28 “Peter said to Him, ‘Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’”  Notice Peter didn’t sit down and calculate the risk.  He didn’t question whether Jesus was able to do something miraculous.   Verse 29 Jesus answers, “And He said ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water toward Jesus.”  Now that takes faith.  He trusted God’s ability and proved it through action.  The others remained in the boat.  Now when Peter stepped out of the boat did Peter risk anything?

There are two view points on this....

The Human View:  Yes.  Peter risked his life.  There was a storm and of course no one could walk on water.  So more than just risk his life, Peter was purely crazy.  Why the crowd stayed in the boat.  He not only did something crazy, Peter did it alone.  Out of 12, he was the only one who stepped out on to the water!  If the idea of walking on water wasn’t enough, then there was the wind, the waves, and the lightning Peter had to contend with.  Peter must’ve been on drugs or something to get out of that perfectly good boat..... that is how man perceives this.

Now let’s look at this from the Viewpoint of Faith.  Was Peter risking anything when he stepped out of the boat.  The answer from faith is No!  Peter had his eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Peter stepped out of the boat by faith, even though no one else would go with him.  He alone trusted God to do what He said. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, Peter was perfectly safe.  This is how faith sees Peters actions.

Peter was perfectly safe, walking on the water until he got his eyes off of Jesus.  Verse 30, “But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord save me!’”  Notice that as long as he was looking at Jesus he was safe.  When Peter got his eyes off of Jesus on to the storm, the miracle stopped and Peter began to sink.  Then Peter cried out “Lord save me!”  Verse 31, “Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’”  Notice with a short prayer or request “Lord save me” Jesus rescued Peter.  Our prayers don’t always have to be eloquent, but they do have to be from the heart.  Sinking into a raging see makes one’s request real sincere quickly.  Jesus rescue Peter and then asked “Why did you doubt?”  Today the question is the same to us why do we doubt?

Isn’t God all powerful?  Doesn’t He perform His will?  God does what He says He will do.  God cannot lie.  So why do we doubt?  Why do we calculate the risk to follow Christ?  Why do we stay in our boats and never step out on to the sea of faith?

What is your boat today?  What is it that God is telling you to do and that you are resisting Him on?  Why doubt?  “Faith casts out fear”  Trust God and turn your anxieties over to Jesus.  Arthur W. Pink in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount says this, “Where faith is in exercise and there is conscious communion with God, anxiety cannot cast us down.”   The way to avoid risk it to seek God’s will through the Bible and prayer, keeping our eyes focused on Christ and walk by faith and not by sight.  In the will of God where is the risk?  The risk is located outside the will of God.

Today, who are you going to be?  The eleven in the boat or the one who stepped out of the boat by faith?  If God is speaking to your heart, then come.

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