[see sermon outline]

• What picture of Peter do you see in Matthew 14:22-33?

     “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on a mountain by Himself to pray.  And when evening had come, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear.”
     “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid.’ ”
     “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ ”
     “So He said, ‘Come.’  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying ‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ”
     “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.’ ”
     Maybe you see Peter afraid and sinking in the water.  Some people see Peter far from Jesus, his fear replacing his faith.  They see Peter failing, and they see Jesus upset with Peter.
     Perhaps you see Peter walking on water as he bravely attempts to obey Jesus.  Some people see Peter doing a wonderful thing here and sympathize with his difficulties.  They see Peter moving toward Jesus, his faith in Jesus struggling with his fear of the storm.  They see Peter failing in spite of a good effort, and they see Jesus disappointed in Peter.
     I hope you see something else.  Do you see Peter asking Jesus to increase His expectations of Peter?  Do you see Peter next to Jesus when the fear sets in?  Do you see Peter doubting because he lost his focus?  Do you see Jesus being proud of Peter?

• Do you see Peter asking Jesus to increase His expectations of Peter?

     In the boat, Peter was having problems dealing with the storm.  The surrounding water kept Peter from simply leaving his problems behind him.  When he recognized Jesus coming across the water, he saw that Jesus knew how to deal with these problems.  He wanted to go to Jesus.  But, to go to Jesus, Peter would have to face his problems head to head.  He would have to learn to do new things.  He wasn’t sure he could do it.
     Why the strange request of Jesus?  Perhaps Peter was being his usual impulsive self.  Perhaps he wanted to please Jesus with an unusual show of faith.  Either way, Peter understood something we need to learn.  Jesus expects from us only the things that he knows we can do, even if He has to help us.  Jesus commands only what He expects from us, nothing more and nothing less.  Peter knew this.  Only Jesus would expect Peter to walk on water if He commanded so.  Only Jesus had the power to help Peter to obey that command.
     By asking Jesus to command something unusual of him, Peter was also asking Jesus to raise His expectations of Peter.  If Jesus approved this request and commanded Peter to come to Him, then Peter’s only options would be to obey or to disobey.  Leaving the boat would mean getting a lot closer to the storm and the water, the same problems he was trying to avoid.  On the other hand, the only way to please Jesus is by obeying Him.  Peter would have to get out of the boat onto the water if he wanted to please Jesus.
     Peter’s example here makes one thing perfectly clear.  If we ask Jesus to expect more from us, then we need to plan on doing more for Jesus.

• Do you see Peter next to Jesus when the fear sets in?

     Where was Peter when he began to panic and sink? How far was Peter from Jesus?  “So He said, ‘Come.’  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying ‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ”  Peter was close to Jesus, close enough that Jesus could just reach out and grab him.  So unless Jesus turned into a big rubber band, Peter was within arm’s length of Jesus.
     Our spiritual walk with Jesus will take us many places.  Some places will have sunny weather and a wide road easy to walk.  Other places will have dangerous storms and a narrow path filled with challenges.  We need to learn from Peter that fear can find us anywhere, even when we walk close to Jesus.

• Do you see Peter doubting because he lost his focus?

     Peter trusted Jesus’s authority enough to ask Jesus to command him.  Peter trusted Jesus’s help enough to ask Jesus to save him.  Peter trusted Jesus’s guidance enough to walk with Jesus to whatever destination Jesus had in mind.
     Peter lost faith when he let himself get distracted by the storm.  Did he lose faith in Jesus’s ability to command, to help, and to guide him because he didn't believe Jesus any more?  I don’t think so.  Peter lost faith simply because he lost his focus on Jesus and what Jesus could do.  When Peter focused on himself and his own frailities, he doubted himself and then he became afraid.  Jesus had just proven to Peter that, with Jesus’s help, he really could walk anywhere with Jesus — even if Jesus was walking on water.  Still, Peter opened the door to his fears when he moved his focus off Jesus.
     Ordinary people like you and I can walk with Jesus if we accept His help.  When ordinary people obey and follow Jesus, they can do extraordinary things.  Jesus proved it.  However, we must be careful to keep our focus on Jesus, or we may be overcome by the same fear that threatened Peter.

• Do you see Jesus being proud of Peter?

     Did Jesus think Peter should have done better?  Yes, and He said so plainly.  Was Peter reminded that a bold start is not enough by itself?  I think so.  Did the other disciples learn an important lesson about commitment and perseverance?  I hope so.  But, was Jesus disappointed with Peter enough to be greatly upset or angry?
     As we noticed earlier, when Peter obeyed Jesus, he pleased Jesus.  Jesus was pleased enough with Peter’s request that He granted it.  Jesus was pleased when Peter left the boat and walked on the water to obey Him.  Jesus was pleased enough with Peter’s courage that He reached out immediately to comfort Peter’s fears.  Jesus was pleased enough with Peter to discipline him this time with a gentle chiding instead of a stern rebuke (i.e. Mark 8:31-33).  And apparently Jesus escorted Peter back to the boat, instead of leaving Peter to wait alone for the boat to pick him up.  All in all, it seems to me that Jesus was quite proud of Peter while still encouraging him to grow in faith and in spite of some disappointment.
     Some might assert that Jesus was upset in Peter because He had to grab hold of Peter to keep him from sinking.  Are those people really being fair to Jesus when they say that?  After all, just when did Jesus start holding Peter up?  Was it when Jesus’s hand reached out or when Peter’s feet hit the water?
     Like Peter, we need to love Jesus enough to please Him with our obedience.  Like Peter, we need to be humble enough to ask for Jesus’s help when we are in trouble.  Like Peter, we ought to be grateful that Jesus takes pride in His followers while still encouraging them to do better.

     Would you like for Jesus to be pleased with your obedience and your courage?  Would you like for Jesus to save you from drowning in your fears?  Would you like for Jesus to discipline you with gentleness instead of harshness?  Would you like for Jesus to be proud of you?  Would you like for Jesus to encourage you to do better?
     Like Peter, all you need to do is walk with Jesus.