When We Walk Through The Storm

My own sermon that I preached in my homiletics class has come to mind more than once the past two days. It's awesome how God works and speaks to our lives, and sometimes we just need to be reminded of His promises that we know very well. I hope you will be encouraged my friends. It is based off of Matthew 14:22-33. This story of Peter walking on water may be familiar to you, but I hope today God will open your eyes to this passage in a new light because it is a perfect imagery of our walk with Him when we are facing storms in life. I have recently been going through a storm in my own life, but without having to face this, I do not know if I would have the same message to share with you today. I started this sermon a few weeks ago not really sure what direction God was going to take me.
Many of us are at a time in our college career where we may be facing some big decisions about our futures. Such as, what do we sense God is calling us to do after Bethel or where do we see ourselves 5 years from now? It seems like by now we should know this answer, but maybe you don’t. I know I don’t. I feel as if I have been walking through a storm going through this cycle of taking courage and then doubting that God has called me at all. Maybe you have gone through this too. I have four points for us today, to help us understand this passage and how we can apply it when we are facing hard times or maybe some big decisions.This incident of Jesus walking on water served to strengthen the disciples’ trust in Him. Peter needed further confirmation of Jesus’ identity and power so he decided to get out of the boat upon seeing him. Peter was a man of reckless faith who often willingly risked his own safety and comfort to be near Jesus, and this is just one example of that. When he first stepped out onto the waves he trusted that the one who had called him would not let him sink. But when he allowed fear and doubt to overwhelm him, he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink. He forgot who had called him, “Come,” Jesus says in verse 29, and as he began to sink, he cried out for the Lord to save him; his eyes again fixed on the one who reaches out. Upon his cry, Jesus immediately reached out and caught him getting him back into the boat.I think it is safe for me to say that all of us have doubted God’s strength, God’s call, and/or God’s ability to save us when we are facing the storms of life, which leads me to the first point. We must remember His strength. When we find ourselves at our weakest we seek for a way to renew our own strength. Some people do this by turning to addictions  other people, or their own ambitions. But as Christians, we must do this by remembering His strength through reading scripture, praying, and fellowship with other believers. In verse 23, it says “Jesus went to a mountainside to pray.” This is not unusual because Jesus often did this. He needed to be with the Father and sought His strength through prayer. In verse 27, Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples “Take courage! It is I. do not be afraid.” This encouragement strengthened Peter to forget about his weaknesses, his own shortcomings, and humanity, which gave him the courage to step out of the boat. He did this not by his own strength but by Christ’s strength. When we do this in our own lives it leads us to reckless living that causes us to be more like Christ. So do not be afraid, take courage, and step out in faith.
Secondly, we must resemble Jesus. What do you think Jesus looked like while walking on the water? Was he calm and bold or was he scarred and timid? Jesus could have waited until after the storm to meet the disciples, but instead he boldly stepped out and met them where they were. We know how to get through the storms because Jesus is our perfect example. He stepped out boldly, trusting in the Father. Granted he was God and had the supernatural power of being able to do such an act, but he was also human and prone to doubt. Yet he did not. Peter is also an example for us because without much hesitation, so it seems, got out of the boat trusting that Jesus would not let him down. So, we must model ourselves after Jesus and Peter, willing to say, “Lord, if you are in this, I will get out of the boat.”Peter only began to sink because he forgot who had called him, and doubted that Jesus could keep him afloat. This leads me to my third point, recall His call on your life. Just as Peter had been called, so are we. We have each been called for a specific purpose, and the storms that we go through only help us to fulfill that purpose. So why do we doubt? Maybe you have thought in the past, “If God really knew me like I did, He wouldn’t use me.” I have been tempted to believe this; however, I have come to know that this is a lie straight from the enemy. So why do we doubt God’s call? When we walk through the storm we are often tempted to take our eyes off Jesus, focusing on the storm around us rather than on him. That is what Peter did. Maybe we think we don’t need him and can do this ourselves. Verse 30 says, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink” It is easy to doubt, and I do not believe doubt makes us any less of a Christian, but can actually lead us to a deeper faith.
Finally, the most beautiful image of all is when Jesus reaches out for Peter in verse 30 and 31, crying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand catching him getting him back into the boat. I see a cycle in this passage that we often go through of finding courage as Peter did to step out, but when we see the storm for the storm and not for our strengthening we begin to doubt. But I am so thankful that we can cry out for Jesus’ help because he will save us. In verse 32 through 33 we hear the good news of this message that the “winds will cease,” meaning that our storms will come to an end. Also, that Jesus “truly is the Son of God.” It is hard to trust and always have faith, but Jesus never said it would be easy, but I know that he never said we would have to go alone. He will never leave us nor forsake us. 
This story demonstrates Jesus’ ability to help us in the storms and troubles we face in life. God allows us to experience storms so we can strengthen our trust in him. I am not sure it can always answer our “why” do we have to go through this or “what if” I had done things differently questions, but I do believe it is important for us to keep asking God the hard questions. Though we may not always get an easy answer, when the next storm comes we know and trust that He will help us through and that in the end we will be close to him. So, my challenge to us is to step out of the boat in full trust that he is right there, walking in the storm too.