Get Out of the Boat

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:25-31).

This is one of the most well known stories in the Bible. Most of the times we focus on Peter – and particularly of his failure to keep his eyes on Jesus and crying out, “Lord, save me!”

But I think there is a greater failure than Peter. There were eleven others who remained in the boat paralyzed by fear. Those eleven never knew the exhilarating joy of answering Jesus’ invitation to walk on water. Peter got out of the boat and became the only human being to ever walk on water.

If I had my druthers, I want to be Peter. I want to know what it’s like to throw yourself fully into the invitation of Jesus to walk on water.

I believe Jesus is still calling on His disciples to get out of the safety of the boat to know the exhilarating thrill of walking on water. But in order to experience that, you have to first get out of the boat.

God has given to Trinity Presbyterian Church the amazing invitation to be a part of God’s renewing ministry to establish God’s Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. God has given to this tiny little church the crazy dream to be a part of God transforming the world – not just The Colony, but the world.

And as we consider this crazy and wonderful invitation, the temptation will be to play it safe. But I encourage you to get out of the safety of the boat, and let’s try walking on water. That God will change the world and establish His Kingdom is a given. It’s going to happen. But whether you and I get to play our part is totally dependent on whether we will risk it all and get out of the boat.

What are you waiting for? Get out of the boat and throw yourselves fully to the cause of Christ and let’s start experiencing