0:00:00.758,0:00:09.237
Matthew 14:21

0:00:09.237,0:00:13.562
"And those who ate were about 5,000 men

0:00:13.562,0:00:17.086
besides women and children.

0:00:17.086,0:00:20.664
Immediately..."

0:00:20.664,0:00:22.250
You're going to find that word

0:00:22.250,0:00:23.961
three times in this section.

0:00:23.961,0:00:27.215
Immediately.

0:00:27.215,0:00:30.610
Matthew and Mark love to use that word.

0:00:30.610,0:00:32.527
"Immediately, He made the disciples

0:00:32.527,0:00:34.739
get into the boat and go before Him

0:00:34.739,0:00:36.112
to the other side

0:00:36.112,0:00:39.796
while He dismissed the crowds.

0:00:39.796,0:00:41.639
And after He had dismissed the crowds,

0:00:41.639,0:00:42.896
He went up on the mountain

0:00:42.896,0:00:45.893
by Himself to pray.

0:00:45.893,0:00:47.041
When evening came,

0:00:47.041,0:00:49.386
He was there alone,

0:00:49.386,0:00:51.314
but the boat by this time

0:00:51.314,0:00:53.425
was a long way from the land,

0:00:53.425,0:00:56.381
beaten by the waves,

0:00:56.381,0:00:59.173
for the wind was against them.

0:00:59.173,0:01:04.712
And in the fourth watch of the night,

0:01:04.712,0:01:07.882
He came to them walking on the sea.

0:01:07.882,0:01:10.401
But when the disciples saw [br]Him walking on the sea,

0:01:10.401,0:01:13.673
they were terrified [br]and said, 'It is a ghost!'

0:01:13.673,0:01:16.306
They cried out in fear.

0:01:16.306,0:01:20.252
Immediately, Jesus spoke to them, saying,

0:01:20.252,0:01:24.333
'Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.'

0:01:24.333,0:01:26.655
Peter answered Him, 'Lord, if it is You,

0:01:26.655,0:01:30.867
command me to come to You on the water.'

0:01:30.867,0:01:33.531
He said, 'Come.'

0:01:33.531,0:01:36.106
So Peter got out of the boat[br]and walked on the water

0:01:36.106,0:01:38.245
and came to Jesus.

0:01:38.245,0:01:40.513
But when he saw the wind,

0:01:40.513,0:01:44.140
he was afraid, and beginning to sink,

0:01:44.140,0:01:47.853
he cried out, 'Lord, save me!'

0:01:47.853,0:01:51.289
Jesus immediately reached out His hand

0:01:51.289,0:01:53.889
and took hold of him, saying to him,

0:01:53.889,0:01:57.131
'O you of little faith,

0:01:57.131,0:01:59.736
why did you doubt?'

0:01:59.736,0:02:01.399
And when they got into the boat,

0:02:01.399,0:02:04.506
the wind ceased,

0:02:04.506,0:02:06.480
and those in the boat worshiped Him,

0:02:06.480,0:02:12.049
saying, 'Truly, You are the Son of God.'"

0:02:12.049,0:02:18.406
Let's pray.

0:02:18.406,0:02:22.658
Father, I would just ask You

0:02:22.658,0:02:27.542
to give us that power to comprehend

0:02:27.542,0:02:30.117
the love of Christ,[br]and the glory of Christ,

0:02:30.117,0:02:31.656
and the beauty of Christ

0:02:31.656,0:02:33.531
that's to be found in this passage.

0:02:33.531,0:02:36.545
Help us, Lord.

0:02:36.545,0:02:37.652
Help us.

0:02:37.652,0:02:39.637
I pray in Christ's name,

0:02:39.637,0:02:42.961
Amen.

0:02:42.961,0:02:49.607
The question I want to pose [br]to you this morning is this:

0:02:49.607,0:02:54.450
Why is this here?

0:02:54.450,0:02:56.605
Not why is it right here?

0:02:56.605,0:03:00.282
Not why is this account in Matthew 14 [br]instead of somewhere else?

0:03:00.282,0:03:04.846
But why would God [br]record this for us at all?

0:03:04.846,0:03:07.161
Is this here just so we can say,

0:03:07.161,0:03:10.651
yep, there's Peter again,

0:03:10.651,0:03:12.975
bumbling;

0:03:12.975,0:03:14.275
impetuous as ever,

0:03:14.275,0:03:15.884
acting without thinking,

0:03:15.884,0:03:19.199
sinking without believing.

0:03:19.199,0:03:22.584
Listen, if that's all you get,

0:03:22.584,0:03:24.540
may God help you to think again.

0:03:24.540,0:03:26.723
Think, Christian! Think!

0:03:26.723,0:03:28.343
Think!

0:03:28.343,0:03:31.638
Why? Why does God preserve for us

0:03:31.638,0:03:33.549
what He preserves for us?

0:03:33.549,0:03:36.741
Why does God freeze events

0:03:36.741,0:03:38.816
that happened 2,000 years ago -

0:03:38.816,0:03:42.510
He freezes them in time.

0:03:42.510,0:03:46.734
And He saved them for us. Why?

0:03:46.734,0:03:49.034
Well, all you have to [br]do is start thinking.

0:03:49.034,0:03:51.578
What does Scripture say?

0:03:51.578,0:03:53.999
Like you might go to 1 Corinthians 10

0:03:53.999,0:03:57.487
and say, ah, Exodus,

0:03:57.487,0:03:59.933
Leviticus, Numbers... remember?

0:03:59.933,0:04:02.246
The Hebrew children out [br]there in the wilderness?

0:04:02.246,0:04:05.532
The Apostle Paul says guess what that is?

0:04:05.532,0:04:08.560
That is an example.

0:04:08.560,0:04:10.660
That is for us.

0:04:10.660,0:04:13.918
Those were written down [br]for our instruction.

0:04:13.918,0:04:16.933
Those people - they came [br]out through the sea.

0:04:16.933,0:04:18.046
They were with Moses.

0:04:18.046,0:04:20.093
They went out into that wilderness.

0:04:20.093,0:04:22.103
And they mumbled, they complained,

0:04:22.103,0:04:23.971
they grumbled, there were serpents,

0:04:23.971,0:04:25.422
there was judgment.

0:04:25.422,0:04:27.324
Why all of that?

0:04:27.324,0:04:30.876
For our instruction upon whom the ends

0:04:30.876,0:04:32.197
of the world have come;

0:04:32.197,0:04:34.834
or the end of this age,

0:04:34.834,0:04:36.275
the end of this time.

0:04:36.275,0:04:39.693
We are the people that the [br]end of the ages has come upon.

0:04:39.693,0:04:41.602
Whatever was written in former times,

0:04:41.602,0:04:43.065
Paul says in another place,

0:04:43.065,0:04:44.630
what is it there for?

0:04:44.630,0:04:46.530
Whatever was written in former times

0:04:46.530,0:04:48.503
is for us; it's for our instruction.

0:04:48.503,0:04:51.126
That what? Through the Scriptures,

0:04:51.126,0:04:53.933
there would be endurance, encouragement,

0:04:53.933,0:04:56.694
in the Scriptures that we might have hope.

0:04:56.694,0:04:58.021
Or you think about Luke.

0:04:58.021,0:05:00.346
What did he say? [br]"O excellent Theophilus..."

0:05:00.346,0:05:02.875
I am going to record some things for you

0:05:02.875,0:05:05.716
so that you might know with a certainty.

0:05:05.716,0:05:08.240
That's why these things have [br]been recorded for us.

0:05:08.240,0:05:10.284
Certainty. Hope.

0:05:10.284,0:05:12.028
Or you think of the Apostle John.

0:05:12.028,0:05:12.975
What did he say?

0:05:12.975,0:05:14.491
He said, well, you know what?

0:05:14.491,0:05:16.842
There's a whole lot that Jesus Christ did,

0:05:16.842,0:05:18.742
but there are some very specific things

0:05:18.742,0:05:22.132
that I have recorded for you, why?

0:05:22.132,0:05:27.372
So that you might know [br]that Jesus is the Christ.

0:05:27.372,0:05:29.907
That you might know who He is,

0:05:29.907,0:05:32.855
and knowing, you might have eternal life.

0:05:32.855,0:05:34.285
That's what we find.

0:05:34.285,0:05:35.350
Scripture.

0:05:35.350,0:05:37.035
This is Scripture.

0:05:37.035,0:05:38.545
And why is it here?

0:05:38.545,0:05:40.834
Well, it's inspired. It's breathed of God.

0:05:40.834,0:05:43.097
It's profitable.

0:05:43.097,0:05:44.802
And you know what it's here for?

0:05:44.802,0:05:49.913
It's to make the man of [br]God complete or perfect.

0:05:49.913,0:05:52.209
That's why these things [br]are recorded for us.

0:05:52.209,0:05:53.949
So we can't just say,

0:05:53.949,0:05:56.958
well, you know, Jesus walking on water;

0:05:56.958,0:05:58.087
Peter walking on water,

0:05:58.087,0:05:59.931
that's a neat story,

0:05:59.931,0:06:02.393
but it really doesn't [br]have much implication

0:06:02.393,0:06:05.587
in my own life.

0:06:05.587,0:06:07.174
That's not true.

0:06:07.174,0:06:09.184
It's an example.

0:06:09.184,0:06:11.387
It is to give us certainty.

0:06:11.387,0:06:13.163
It is to give us hope.

0:06:13.163,0:06:14.710
It is to give us an idea

0:06:14.710,0:06:16.595
about who this Christ is

0:06:16.595,0:06:18.181
that we're dealing with.

0:06:18.181,0:06:20.107
Certainty about Christ.

0:06:20.107,0:06:23.583
So, let's get a feel,

0:06:23.583,0:06:25.632
just walk through the account,

0:06:25.632,0:06:29.645
and get a feel.

0:06:29.645,0:06:31.119
You might have noticed

0:06:31.119,0:06:36.827
that I started reading in verse 21.

0:06:36.827,0:06:40.190
Now, here's what I want you to do.

0:06:40.190,0:06:43.102
Not just go through the account again,

0:06:43.102,0:06:46.035
but I want you to put yourself

0:06:46.035,0:06:49.900
in the disciples' place.

0:06:49.900,0:06:51.239
Think with me here.

0:06:51.239,0:06:53.355
What are these guys thinking?

0:06:53.355,0:06:55.454
What have they seen?

0:06:55.454,0:06:59.149
What's going through their minds?

0:06:59.149,0:07:01.794
They just witnessed

0:07:01.794,0:07:05.067
one of our Lord's greatest miracles -

0:07:05.067,0:07:07.107
thousands and thousands of people -

0:07:07.107,0:07:10.566
He fed them all.

0:07:10.566,0:07:13.331
And then you read it,

0:07:13.331,0:07:15.208
"Immediately, He made the disciples..."

0:07:15.208,0:07:16.292
- He made -

0:07:16.292,0:07:20.006
"...the disciples go down into the boat."

0:07:20.006,0:07:22.267
Now, think what's going on in their mind.

0:07:22.267,0:07:25.643
They're walking down to the boat.

0:07:25.643,0:07:27.908
They've just been witness to this miracle.

0:07:27.908,0:07:29.730
There was a power.

0:07:29.730,0:07:32.394
There was a glory in all of that.

0:07:32.394,0:07:33.660
But you know what?

0:07:33.660,0:07:36.107
It ended so strangely.

0:07:36.107,0:07:38.725
And Matthew doesn't [br]really pick up on this.

0:07:38.725,0:07:40.915
John picks up on it.

0:07:40.915,0:07:43.314
And so if you've got your [br]finger there in John 6,

0:07:43.314,0:07:45.641
I want you to see something.

0:07:45.641,0:07:52.466
John 6:14,

0:07:52.466,0:07:56.790
"When the people saw the sign

0:07:56.790,0:08:00.724
that Jesus had done..." -

0:08:00.724,0:08:04.031
the feeding 5,000 men [br]plus women and children.

0:08:04.031,0:08:06.323
That's the miracle [br]that's being talked about.

0:08:06.323,0:08:09.303
That's the sign.

0:08:09.303,0:08:12.572
"...They said,

0:08:12.572,0:08:14.904
'This is indeed the Prophet.'"

0:08:14.904,0:08:16.542
Now do you see what happened?

0:08:16.542,0:08:19.021
All these thousands and [br]thousands, they've been fed.

0:08:19.021,0:08:21.297
And the crowd, they're saying,

0:08:21.297,0:08:26.495
"Hey, this is the One!"

0:08:26.495,0:08:28.412
"This is the Prophet!"

0:08:28.412,0:08:31.859
"This is the One Moses spoke about!"

0:08:31.859,0:08:35.989
Now, you know, doesn't it seem like[br]that would be a good thing?

0:08:35.989,0:08:37.775
The crowd began to recognize that?

0:08:37.775,0:08:38.926
Isn't it amazing?

0:08:38.926,0:08:41.996
It's mystifying how many times

0:08:41.996,0:08:43.836
Jesus would say to people,

0:08:43.836,0:08:45.733
"Don't tell anybody about Me."

0:08:45.733,0:08:47.963
"Don't tell people what I've done."

0:08:47.963,0:08:49.630
I mean, this is kind of similar.

0:08:49.630,0:08:51.869
The people are recognizing something,

0:08:51.869,0:08:53.279
and we look at it and we say,

0:08:53.279,0:08:56.973
well, certainly that seems [br]like it's a good thing.

0:08:56.973,0:08:58.281
"This is indeed the Prophet

0:08:58.281,0:09:01.075
who is to come into the world."

0:09:01.075,0:09:02.535
But here's Jesus,

0:09:02.535,0:09:04.946
"perceiving then that they were about

0:09:04.946,0:09:08.144
to come and take Him by force

0:09:08.144,0:09:09.503
to make Him King,

0:09:09.503,0:09:13.736
Jesus withdrew again to the mountain

0:09:13.736,0:09:15.201
by Himself."

0:09:15.201,0:09:17.184
Now, here's the thing,

0:09:17.184,0:09:20.928
I want us to imagine [br]being those disciples.

0:09:20.928,0:09:24.558
They're watching all this.

0:09:24.558,0:09:26.375
They knew.

0:09:26.375,0:09:29.574
They knew - you know, [br]those disciples were asked:

0:09:29.574,0:09:31.416
"Who do men say that I am?"

0:09:31.416,0:09:34.487
But, "Who do you say that I am?"

0:09:34.487,0:09:36.567
They say, "You're the Christ."

0:09:36.567,0:09:37.891
You see, they knew this.

0:09:37.891,0:09:39.655
And you can imagine them looking.

0:09:39.655,0:09:42.814
Yes! The crowd is jumping on board.

0:09:42.814,0:09:44.380
The crowd sees who He is.

0:09:44.380,0:09:46.062
The people are finally getting it.

0:09:46.062,0:09:51.303
They're beginning to understand [br]what we already understood.

0:09:51.303,0:09:52.665
You can imagine them,

0:09:52.665,0:09:56.005
they're getting in the boat,

0:09:56.005,0:10:01.785
and there's such a mystery about Christ.

0:10:01.785,0:10:03.344
There's a power.

0:10:03.344,0:10:04.764
There's a beauty.

0:10:04.764,0:10:06.505
There's a glory.

0:10:06.505,0:10:13.241
But something just so perplexing.

0:10:13.241,0:10:14.696
The people are saying,

0:10:14.696,0:10:18.028
"It's time to make Jesus King!"

0:10:18.028,0:10:19.975
And that's what they were waiting for.

0:10:19.975,0:10:22.116
That's what the [br]disciples were waiting for.

0:10:22.116,0:10:24.525
They kept asking Him, [br]"When? "When's the Kingdom?"

0:10:24.525,0:10:26.255
"Is it now, Lord? It's now, right?"

0:10:26.255,0:10:28.038
"You're going to take the throne now

0:10:28.038,0:10:30.325
and we're going to sit on [br]these thrones with you

0:10:30.325,0:10:31.854
and that's all going to happen."

0:10:31.854,0:10:34.308
So they're seeing that.[br]You can imagine them.

0:10:34.308,0:10:36.575
This is the moment we've been waiting for.

0:10:36.575,0:10:38.647
It's all coming together.

0:10:38.647,0:10:39.990
And Israel's lining up.

0:10:39.990,0:10:41.979
The people are lining up.

0:10:41.979,0:10:44.106
But the problem is

0:10:44.106,0:10:45.959
Jesus doesn't cooperate.

0:10:45.959,0:10:48.110
He doesn't take His throne.

0:10:48.110,0:10:50.227
He shuts the whole thing down.

0:10:50.227,0:10:52.106
Immediately,

0:10:52.106,0:10:54.502
He dismisses the disciples.

0:10:54.502,0:10:57.220
He dismissed the crowds.

0:10:57.220,0:11:02.638
And He goes up on a mountain to pray.

0:11:02.638,0:11:06.531
You know, they're getting in the boat,

0:11:06.531,0:11:08.408
and they begin to head out.

0:11:08.408,0:11:09.782
And they're thinking...

0:11:09.782,0:11:11.460
I mean, how would you be thinking

0:11:11.460,0:11:15.861
if you saw this sort of miracle happen?

0:11:15.861,0:11:18.290
But then everything you [br]thought about the Messiah

0:11:18.290,0:11:19.853
and His coming and being King -

0:11:19.853,0:11:23.165
and Jesus shut it down.

0:11:23.165,0:11:24.697
He's so supernatural.

0:11:24.697,0:11:27.106
He's so powerful and pure.

0:11:27.106,0:11:32.560
But He just doesn't do [br]what He's supposed to do.

0:11:32.560,0:11:35.547
If He's the King of Israel, then why?

0:11:35.547,0:11:38.758
Why this?

0:11:38.758,0:11:41.895
And so they're going out there.

0:11:41.895,0:11:45.202
And what we see from the account,

0:11:45.202,0:11:50.694
darkness settles around them.

0:11:50.694,0:11:58.683
Of course, there's got to be this wind.

0:11:58.683,0:12:07.071
A buddy and I rowed out in a row boat

0:12:07.071,0:12:09.778
out onto Three Mile Lake

0:12:09.778,0:12:13.138
up there in Paw Paw, Michigan.

0:12:13.138,0:12:14.329
It was beautiful.

0:12:14.329,0:12:16.107
We had our fishing poles.

0:12:16.107,0:12:19.264
We rowed out on this lake pretty far

0:12:19.264,0:12:20.783
and while we were out there,

0:12:20.783,0:12:23.467
a cold front blew in.

0:12:23.467,0:12:26.890
Wind - and it was not so nice going back.

0:12:26.890,0:12:28.983
It was cold. It was windy.

0:12:28.983,0:12:30.605
Not waves like we find here,

0:12:30.605,0:12:33.088
but that was difficult, [br]rowing against that.

0:12:33.088,0:12:34.577
I remember what that was like.

0:12:34.577,0:12:35.799
Here are these guys.

0:12:35.799,0:12:38.093
Darkness settles in,

0:12:38.093,0:12:40.212
and this wind whips up.

0:12:40.212,0:12:42.646
And my understanding is[br]their boats had a sail.

0:12:42.646,0:12:45.677
But what's happening is that wind[br]is blowing directly at them.

0:12:45.677,0:12:46.872
That sail does no good.

0:12:46.872,0:12:49.351
They have to grab the oars.

0:12:49.351,0:12:52.994
We're told it's the [br]fourth watch of the night.

0:12:52.994,0:12:54.972
That's between 3 and 4 a.m.

0:12:54.972,0:12:57.433
They started in evening.

0:12:57.433,0:13:02.249
They've been rowing 3 to 4 [br]miles is what we're told.

0:13:02.249,0:13:07.848
Wind, storm.

0:13:07.848,0:13:10.650
Can you imagine that?

0:13:10.650,0:13:15.787
And you hear one of them.

0:13:15.787,0:13:22.478
Maybe it was Thomas back there.

0:13:22.478,0:13:25.145
"What is that?"

0:13:25.145,0:13:32.557
I don't know if it was like that.

0:13:32.557,0:13:36.727
This unearthly fear grabs them.

0:13:36.727,0:13:40.185
Someone or something is moving

0:13:40.185,0:13:42.658
across the top of the water.

0:13:42.658,0:13:44.320
It's dark. It's stormy.

0:13:44.320,0:13:46.181
This is not good.

0:13:46.181,0:13:49.553
I mean they literally cry out,[br]"It's a phantasm!"

0:13:49.553,0:13:51.778
It says they screamed with terror!

0:13:51.778,0:13:53.844
These are men's men.

0:13:53.844,0:13:56.614
These are sailors, fisherman.

0:13:56.614,0:13:59.722
These guys are gripped with fear.

0:13:59.722,0:14:02.960
The thing I love about this

0:14:02.960,0:14:07.051
is one of those immediately's [br]comes in right here.

0:14:07.051,0:14:12.819
"Immediately..."

0:14:12.819,0:14:15.407
Everything changes.

0:14:15.407,0:14:22.496
Immediately, this sweet, familiar voice.

0:14:22.496,0:14:23.967
Steady voice.

0:14:23.967,0:14:25.526
It comes to their ears

0:14:25.526,0:14:27.759
over the howl of the wind.

0:14:27.759,0:14:32.613
"Take heart; it is I. Don't be afraid."

0:14:32.613,0:14:33.930
And there's Peter.

0:14:33.930,0:14:35.429
I mean, put yourself in there,

0:14:35.429,0:14:36.797
among these 12 guys.

0:14:36.797,0:14:37.824
And there's Peter.

0:14:37.824,0:14:38.955
And I'll tell you what,

0:14:38.955,0:14:40.963
it all registers with him right away.

0:14:40.963,0:14:42.641
Bang bang!

0:14:42.641,0:14:44.303
It's the Lord!

0:14:44.303,0:14:46.963
I know that voice.

0:14:46.963,0:14:49.239
"Lord, if it's You,

0:14:49.239,0:14:51.729
command me to come to You."

0:14:51.729,0:14:53.451
And that answer that comes back

0:14:53.451,0:14:56.921
across those waters,

0:14:56.921,0:15:01.166
above the howl of that wind,

0:15:01.166,0:15:07.986
it's not: "That's silly, Peter."

0:15:07.986,0:15:10.798
"Come."

0:15:10.798,0:15:14.045
And the thing about it is,

0:15:14.045,0:15:15.936
Matthew tells us what happens next.

0:15:15.936,0:15:21.599
Look at Matthew 14:29.

0:15:21.599,0:15:26.674
What happens next?

0:15:26.674,0:15:30.094
"So Peter got out of the boat."

0:15:30.094,0:15:34.197
Now just stop right there.

0:15:34.197,0:15:43.073
Peter expected to walk, not swim.

0:15:43.073,0:15:45.196
You know what? John 21?

0:15:45.196,0:15:48.268
There's another time Peter's in the boat.

0:15:48.268,0:15:51.758
And the Lord comes to the shore.

0:15:51.758,0:15:53.245
And you remember John says,

0:15:53.245,0:15:54.934
"Hey Peter, that's the Lord."

0:15:54.934,0:15:56.611
Do you remember what he did?

0:15:56.611,0:16:03.200
He threw himself into the water.

0:16:03.200,0:16:05.369
You throw yourself into the sea

0:16:05.369,0:16:09.165
when you plan to swim.

0:16:09.165,0:16:12.149
But you know, that's not what [br]it says here in Matthew 14.

0:16:12.149,0:16:13.076
It's different.

0:16:13.076,0:16:16.577
Peter got out of the boat and walked.

0:16:16.577,0:16:18.571
He didn't throw himself into the sea.

0:16:18.571,0:16:19.623
He wasn't thinking,

0:16:19.623,0:16:21.270
"Lord, command me to come to You

0:16:21.270,0:16:23.573
and I'll swim to You."

0:16:23.573,0:16:28.172
That's not what he was thinking.

0:16:28.172,0:16:32.149
Peter walked on water.

0:16:32.149,0:16:35.531
The truth is we half expect [br]Jesus to walk on water.

0:16:35.531,0:16:39.253
Why? Because He can [br]take loaves and fish...

0:16:39.253,0:16:41.433
He did stuff like this. We expect it.

0:16:41.433,0:16:44.039
We expect it, not if we were there,

0:16:44.039,0:16:46.271
and we were beholding it first hand.

0:16:46.271,0:16:48.386
I'm just saying 2,000 years removed,

0:16:48.386,0:16:50.745
we expect Jesus to be able to do this.

0:16:50.745,0:16:54.691
But the thing is Peter is doing it.

0:16:54.691,0:16:56.444
And if you were actually there,

0:16:56.444,0:16:58.126
imagine you're one of the other 11.

0:16:58.126,0:17:00.640
This thing is getting more [br]surreal by the moment.

0:17:00.640,0:17:01.602
And the thing is,

0:17:01.602,0:17:03.938
we're so used to the story,

0:17:03.938,0:17:07.211
that we miss the ridiculousness of it all.

0:17:07.211,0:17:11.446
The fact is the supernatural [br]is mounting up here.

0:17:11.446,0:17:14.169
Jesus walks across the water.

0:17:14.169,0:17:15.756
Peter gets out of the boat.

0:17:15.756,0:17:17.389
He walks across the water.

0:17:17.389,0:17:19.354
He sinks.

0:17:19.354,0:17:20.703
He comes back up.

0:17:20.703,0:17:23.054
He and Jesus walk on the water again

0:17:23.054,0:17:24.024
back to the boat.

0:17:24.024,0:17:25.225
They get in the boat.

0:17:25.225,0:17:27.141
The wind stops.

0:17:27.141,0:17:29.408
And then the thing that [br]Matthew doesn't tell us

0:17:29.408,0:17:31.180
that John tells us

0:17:31.180,0:17:35.058
is that then they were [br]immediately at the shore.

0:17:35.058,0:17:38.049
I mean, the miracles are stacking up here.

0:17:38.049,0:17:40.344
They're coming at us in a hurry.

0:17:40.344,0:17:42.943
And here's the thing,

0:17:42.943,0:17:53.218
you know when you go to John's account,

0:17:53.218,0:17:55.163
you know what happened.

0:17:55.163,0:17:58.570
They're back at the land.

0:17:58.570,0:18:00.797
And those people that [br]were on the other side

0:18:00.797,0:18:05.596
that ate of the fish and the bread,

0:18:05.596,0:18:07.516
they were trying to figure all this out.

0:18:07.516,0:18:08.518
Now, wait a second,

0:18:08.518,0:18:11.348
the disciples went in the last boat.

0:18:11.348,0:18:15.300
Jesus didn't get in the boat with them.

0:18:15.300,0:18:18.809
How did He get here?

0:18:18.809,0:18:20.198
These aren't the disciples.

0:18:20.198,0:18:21.755
These aren't the ones that know.

0:18:21.755,0:18:24.390
This is the crowd that ate the bread

0:18:24.390,0:18:26.264
and the fish the day before.

0:18:26.264,0:18:28.611
And specifically in John's Gospel,

0:18:28.611,0:18:30.351
they ask Him.

0:18:30.351,0:18:37.489
They say, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

0:18:37.489,0:18:39.523
"When did You come here?"

0:18:39.523,0:18:42.063
What they're really looking [br]for is an explanation.

0:18:42.063,0:18:43.978
How did you get here?

0:18:43.978,0:18:46.490
When?

0:18:46.490,0:18:47.747
This doesn't make sense

0:18:47.747,0:18:49.432
that You could be here already.

0:18:49.432,0:18:52.554
Now, again, put yourself [br]in the disciples' spot.

0:18:52.554,0:18:55.621
Imagine if you're Peter.

0:18:55.621,0:18:58.470
You know what's happened the night before.

0:18:58.470,0:19:00.440
And the crowd's asking.

0:19:00.440,0:19:03.291
And you're like, "Yeah, yeah! Tell them!

0:19:03.291,0:19:06.688
That was exciting! Jesus, tell them!"

0:19:06.688,0:19:08.240
You could imagine they're ready

0:19:08.240,0:19:10.246
to jump out of their shoes to say,

0:19:10.246,0:19:12.402
"Let me tell you how He got here!

0:19:12.402,0:19:14.485
And when He got here!"

0:19:14.485,0:19:18.206
But, silence.

0:19:18.206,0:19:19.718
Not a word of explanation.

0:19:19.718,0:19:22.164
"Jesus answered them, [br]'Truly, truly, I say to you,

0:19:22.164,0:19:24.372
you're seeking Me not [br]because you saw signs,

0:19:24.372,0:19:27.423
but because you ate [br]your fill of the loaves.'"

0:19:27.423,0:19:29.059
And you know what's interesting,

0:19:29.059,0:19:33.451
He freely then speaks about the feeding

0:19:33.451,0:19:35.006
of the 5,000.

0:19:35.006,0:19:36.544
He speaks about the feeding.

0:19:36.544,0:19:39.836
He speaks about the [br]spiritual implications of this

0:19:39.836,0:19:41.288
and how all this works out.

0:19:41.288,0:19:44.693
He's the Bread of Life.

0:19:44.693,0:19:46.336
John 6 is full of that.

0:19:46.336,0:19:48.747
He has no problem [br]talking about the miracle

0:19:48.747,0:19:50.226
that happened the day before.

0:19:50.226,0:19:53.101
But you know, all that happened [br]on the sea that night,

0:19:53.101,0:19:56.928
He's absolutely silent.

0:19:56.928,0:20:00.593
And we might just say, why?

0:20:00.593,0:20:04.150
Well, the obvious reason is [br]that the miracles at sea

0:20:04.150,0:20:07.274
were not for the crowd.

0:20:07.274,0:20:08.415
Who were they for?

0:20:08.415,0:20:10.799
They were for the disciples.

0:20:10.799,0:20:13.504
And for us.

0:20:13.504,0:20:22.053
For all of this, what is the lesson?

0:20:22.053,0:20:26.158
What's the lesson in all of this?

0:20:26.158,0:20:29.917
I'm going to use this word "impetuous."

0:20:29.917,0:20:31.817
Impetuous.

0:20:31.817,0:20:35.856
Oftentimes, we hear Peter - impetuous.

0:20:35.856,0:20:39.564
What does that mean?

0:20:39.564,0:20:42.994
Acting without thinking.

0:20:42.994,0:20:46.653
But you see, here's the thing,

0:20:46.653,0:20:50.043
is this teaching us that we should[br]not be impetuous like Peter,

0:20:50.043,0:20:52.040
and that we ought to be much slower

0:20:52.040,0:20:54.472
to jump out of the safety of our boats?

0:20:54.472,0:20:58.753
Is that what this is teaching?

0:20:58.753,0:21:02.393
I doubt it.

0:21:02.393,0:21:07.086
The emphasis is not on Peter sinking.

0:21:07.086,0:21:10.510
The emphasis is to be [br]found in these words:

0:21:10.510,0:21:15.960
"Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

0:21:15.960,0:21:17.373
Now see, here's the thing.

0:21:17.373,0:21:24.413
This account is found in Matthew's Gospel,

0:21:24.413,0:21:27.778
Mark's Gospel, and John's Gospel.

0:21:27.778,0:21:30.619
And you know what's interesting?

0:21:30.619,0:21:35.053
The Peter incident is only preserved once.

0:21:35.053,0:21:38.499
But in all three of them,

0:21:38.499,0:21:41.793
God wants us to know;

0:21:41.793,0:21:45.147
He wants us to hear[br]what Jesus said to them.

0:21:45.147,0:21:50.230
"It is I. Be of good cheer."

0:21:50.230,0:21:53.719
"Take courage. I have come."

0:21:53.719,0:21:56.592
That's the heart of this.

0:21:56.592,0:22:01.085
It's not: Lose heart when it comes [br]to getting out of the boat

0:22:01.085,0:22:03.053
or you'll end up sinking like Peter.

0:22:03.053,0:22:04.213
That's not the issue.

0:22:04.213,0:22:06.310
It isn't primarily about Peter's failure

0:22:06.310,0:22:07.467
or Peter's faith.

0:22:07.467,0:22:11.505
It's primarily about Jesus' presence.

0:22:11.505,0:22:12.971
Jesus has come.

0:22:12.971,0:22:14.597
He is on the scene.

0:22:14.597,0:22:15.844
That's the issue.

0:22:15.844,0:22:17.678
Take heart. Take courage.

0:22:17.678,0:22:20.034
You can be of good courage [br]if you've got the Lord

0:22:20.034,0:22:22.171
and the Lord has come [br]and the Lord is there.

0:22:22.171,0:22:23.483
And didn't He say,

0:22:23.483,0:22:25.849
"Lo, I am with you always..."

0:22:25.849,0:22:28.659
"I'll never leave you or forsake you."

0:22:28.659,0:22:30.674
This is what this is all about.

0:22:30.674,0:22:31.748
His presence.

0:22:31.748,0:22:33.907
These three accounts hit us all

0:22:33.907,0:22:35.610
with this reality.

0:22:35.610,0:22:38.026
The emphasis is that when Jesus shows up

0:22:38.026,0:22:39.463
things happen. What happens?

0:22:39.463,0:22:40.870
A believer walks on water.

0:22:40.870,0:22:43.726
Not just any place, any time,

0:22:43.726,0:22:47.723
but at that place and [br]time where Jesus comes;

0:22:47.723,0:22:49.826
where Jesus is.

0:22:49.826,0:22:51.552
That's what this is all about.

0:22:51.552,0:22:52.840
And if anybody says,

0:22:52.840,0:22:55.423
"No, no... it's not that.

0:22:55.423,0:22:58.001
This can't be teaching that [br]when Jesus is with me,

0:22:58.001,0:23:00.468
I can do impossible things [br]like walk on the water."

0:23:00.468,0:23:02.025
If that's what you're thinking,

0:23:02.025,0:23:05.631
you're missing the whole point.

0:23:05.631,0:23:08.962
When Jesus came on the scene,

0:23:08.962,0:23:10.908
the water obeyed Him.

0:23:10.908,0:23:13.596
It held Him up. It held Peter up.

0:23:13.596,0:23:15.333
The wind obeyed Him.

0:23:15.333,0:23:17.919
The boat obeyed Him.

0:23:17.919,0:23:19.892
That's what happens when Jesus comes.

0:23:19.892,0:23:22.751
Take heart. Take courage.

0:23:22.751,0:23:23.877
Be of good cheer.

0:23:23.877,0:23:27.076
It is I. Do not be afraid.

0:23:27.076,0:23:29.292
Jesus is saying that when I've arrived,

0:23:29.292,0:23:32.191
when I'm with you, you're good.

0:23:32.191,0:23:35.319
What we don't want to do is attack Peter.

0:23:35.319,0:23:38.975
I mean, look, this whole account

0:23:38.975,0:23:42.314
was not lost on Peter.

0:23:42.314,0:23:45.055
Peter saw the Lord. It's the Lord!

0:23:45.055,0:23:46.498
"Command me to come to You."

0:23:46.498,0:23:48.809
He got out of that boat and he walked.

0:23:48.809,0:23:50.284
It was not lost on him.

0:23:50.284,0:23:52.365
Look, we can attack Peter,

0:23:52.365,0:23:54.858
and that's oftentimes what[br]happens when we read this.

0:23:54.858,0:23:56.105
Oh, there's Peter again...

0:23:56.105,0:23:57.815
he's sinking over there.

0:23:57.815,0:23:59.213
No, Peter walked on water.

0:23:59.213,0:24:00.222
Yes, he sank.

0:24:00.222,0:24:02.112
Yes, we can say, well,

0:24:02.112,0:24:05.174
he tried to keep Jesus [br]from going to the cross.

0:24:05.174,0:24:07.320
That's true. Yes, he [br]denied him three times.

0:24:07.320,0:24:09.737
That's true. Yes, he fell [br]asleep in the garden.

0:24:09.737,0:24:10.853
But I'll tell you this,

0:24:10.853,0:24:12.734
he's the only one [br]that trusted the Lord

0:24:12.734,0:24:15.717
enough to get out of that [br]boat and walk on water.

0:24:15.717,0:24:17.356
That's a reality.

0:24:17.356,0:24:18.603
He wasn't showing off.

0:24:18.603,0:24:21.560
He wasn't being presumptuous.

0:24:21.560,0:24:24.831
Why? Because Peter heard the Lord's voice.

0:24:24.831,0:24:27.577
Some kind of confidence [br]grabbed hold of him

0:24:27.577,0:24:29.119
and he got out and he walked.

0:24:29.119,0:24:30.236
And I'll tell you this,

0:24:30.236,0:24:32.764
Jesus never faulted him for [br]getting out of the boat.

0:24:32.764,0:24:34.509
Jesus never faulted him for saying,

0:24:34.509,0:24:36.031
"Lord, command me to come."

0:24:36.031,0:24:37.310
He never faulted him

0:24:37.310,0:24:38.776
for getting out of the boat.

0:24:38.776,0:24:40.035
He never faulted him

0:24:40.035,0:24:41.892
for walking on the water.

0:24:41.892,0:24:43.541
He only faulted him for one thing.

0:24:43.541,0:24:45.614
Only one thing -

0:24:45.614,0:24:47.657
for doubting Christ

0:24:47.657,0:24:51.914
once he was out of the boat.

0:24:51.914,0:24:53.412
Listen.

0:24:53.412,0:24:58.988
Presumption was never the problem here.

0:24:58.988,0:25:06.496
I get the feeling sometimes,[br]especially among those

0:25:06.496,0:25:11.152
who bear this name [br]"reformed" or "Calvinistic."

0:25:11.152,0:25:14.364
It's almost like I get this feel

0:25:14.364,0:25:18.394
that caution is the word of the day.

0:25:18.394,0:25:21.655
That was not the case in Scripture.

0:25:21.655,0:25:24.067
That is not the case.

0:25:24.067,0:25:26.139
You cannot show me

0:25:26.139,0:25:28.419
verse after verse after verse

0:25:28.419,0:25:29.937
where Jesus was saying,

0:25:29.937,0:25:35.098
"Guys, be very careful, [br]lest you trust Me too much."

0:25:35.098,0:25:36.686
Never did that come across.

0:25:36.686,0:25:39.462
Nothing like that.

0:25:39.462,0:25:41.678
You know what you find?

0:25:41.678,0:25:44.341
You find that there in the [br]Sermon on the Mount,

0:25:44.341,0:25:45.789
we heard about it last night.

0:25:45.789,0:25:48.034
God so clothes this

0:25:48.034,0:25:50.488
and He takes care of that,

0:25:50.488,0:25:52.314
and what does He say?

0:25:52.314,0:25:55.489
"O you of little faith.... trust Me."

0:25:55.489,0:25:58.971
You remember they were out there one [br]day and they were in a boat again.

0:25:58.971,0:26:00.055
They were with Jesus.

0:26:00.055,0:26:03.344
And He said, "Beware of the[br]leaven of the Pharisees."

0:26:03.344,0:26:06.731
And they say, "Oh! We [br]forgot to bring bread!"

0:26:06.731,0:26:08.247
And He said,

0:26:08.247,0:26:10.151
"O you of little faith."

0:26:10.151,0:26:11.630
Or you remember another day.

0:26:11.630,0:26:13.836
"Lord, why could we not cast that demon

0:26:13.836,0:26:16.287
out of that young man?"

0:26:16.287,0:26:19.613
"Because you didn't have faith."

0:26:19.613,0:26:21.256
Isn't this what we get hit with

0:26:21.256,0:26:22.378
over and over again?

0:26:22.378,0:26:23.827
Or you remember another time

0:26:23.827,0:26:26.339
that there was wind out there[br]on the Sea of Galilee.

0:26:26.339,0:26:28.038
And Jesus fell asleep in the boat.

0:26:28.038,0:26:30.239
He didn't come walking [br]on the water that time.

0:26:30.239,0:26:32.425
But He woke up and same thing.

0:26:32.425,0:26:36.319
"Why do you not trust Me?"

0:26:36.319,0:26:38.651
You know, the thing is,

0:26:38.651,0:26:43.053
we typically tend to fear presumption.

0:26:43.053,0:26:45.755
Oh, I find that so often!

0:26:45.755,0:26:47.503
We want to be so careful

0:26:47.503,0:26:49.537
lest we be presumptuous,

0:26:49.537,0:26:51.721
when in fact, Scripture seems to suggest

0:26:51.721,0:26:54.021
that just the opposite is the issue.

0:26:54.021,0:26:57.675
"Peter, why didn't you trust Me?"

0:26:57.675,0:27:00.462
Not: "Peter, you idiot!"

0:27:00.462,0:27:01.912
"Why were you so overconfident

0:27:01.912,0:27:04.516
to step out of that boat?"

0:27:04.516,0:27:05.669
It's not that.

0:27:05.669,0:27:07.901
That's not what you find in Scripture.

0:27:07.901,0:27:10.467
Constantly, Jesus is saying,

0:27:10.467,0:27:13.708
"Do you not yet perceive?"

0:27:13.708,0:27:15.853
"I fed the 5,000. I fed the 4,000.

0:27:15.853,0:27:19.530
Is that not resonating in your head?

0:27:19.530,0:27:21.469
That when I'm with you, you're good?

0:27:21.469,0:27:24.627
When I'm with you, I supply your needs.

0:27:24.627,0:27:27.780
When I'm with you, [br]impossible things happen.

0:27:27.780,0:27:29.604
So trust Me!

0:27:29.604,0:27:32.405
And get out of the boat!

0:27:32.405,0:27:35.024
Don't stay in the boat!"

0:27:35.024,0:27:38.585
Oh, I am so convinced,

0:27:38.585,0:27:41.219
we've got all these reformed people.

0:27:41.219,0:27:45.612
You'll carry your Jonathan [br]Edwards out of here,

0:27:45.612,0:27:49.465
but all the time, you're in the boat.

0:27:49.465,0:27:56.998
And Jesus has no [br]hesitation to call us out.

0:27:56.998,0:27:59.153
Let me ask you this,

0:27:59.153,0:28:02.476
as you and I sit in our little boats

0:28:02.476,0:28:06.157
looking over the side.

0:28:06.157,0:28:07.447
Based on verses like this,

0:28:07.447,0:28:09.805
do you get the feeling that [br]God's more concerned

0:28:09.805,0:28:12.424
that we're going to just [br]rashly spring out of the boat

0:28:12.424,0:28:14.103
and foolishly trust Him to help us

0:28:14.103,0:28:17.226
and protect us in some crazy endeavor

0:28:17.226,0:28:18.948
done in His name?

0:28:18.948,0:28:30.403
Or is God more concerned [br](incomplete thought)

0:28:30.403,0:28:35.929
He wants us to step out.

0:28:35.929,0:28:40.505
He wants us to do crazy endeavors

0:28:40.505,0:28:42.761
in His names' sake.

0:28:42.761,0:28:44.916
Those 120 came down from that upper room.

0:28:44.916,0:28:49.798
That was a totally crazy endeavor [br]they were about totally.

0:28:49.798,0:28:52.089
Is God more concerned

0:28:52.089,0:28:53.744
that lacking faith,

0:28:53.744,0:28:56.208
we be too timid to ever [br]get out of that boat?

0:28:56.208,0:28:57.707
That's what it seems like here.

0:28:57.707,0:28:59.967
Do you know what the boat is?

0:28:59.967,0:29:02.842
Do you know what a boat is?

0:29:02.842,0:29:09.623
The boat is where you don't walk on water.

0:29:09.623,0:29:15.442
It's the place of safety, of security.

0:29:15.442,0:29:17.688
In fact, do you know what it is?

0:29:17.688,0:29:22.936
I'm going to show you something here.

0:29:22.936,0:29:30.189
Look with me at how [br]Matthew's account ended.

0:29:30.189,0:29:31.405
What does it say?

0:29:31.405,0:29:33.849
They worshiped.

0:29:33.849,0:29:35.917
Do you see that?

0:29:35.917,0:29:42.985
If you look there, Matthew 14.

0:29:42.985,0:29:44.673
Verse 33,

0:29:44.673,0:29:51.303
"Those in the boat worshiped Him saying,

0:29:51.303,0:29:57.308
'Truly, You are the Son of God.'"

0:29:57.308,0:30:00.192
You know what John 6:21 says?

0:30:00.192,0:30:05.103
John 6:21 says they were glad

0:30:05.103,0:30:08.332
to take Him into the boat.

0:30:08.332,0:30:09.631
Now think with me.

0:30:09.631,0:30:15.652
Gladness. Worship.

0:30:15.652,0:30:18.042
Do you know what Mark says?

0:30:18.042,0:30:19.097
Listen to this.

0:30:19.097,0:30:21.898
We haven't looked at Mark's text yet.

0:30:21.898,0:30:26.825
Mark 6:51-52 - same account.

0:30:26.825,0:30:28.074
Let me read it to you.

0:30:28.074,0:30:30.032
You don't have to turn there.

0:30:30.032,0:30:36.072
"He got into the boat with them,

0:30:36.072,0:30:39.209
and the wind ceased,

0:30:39.209,0:30:44.527
and they were utterly astounded."

0:30:44.527,0:30:46.123
They worshiped.

0:30:46.123,0:30:47.892
They were glad.

0:30:47.892,0:30:50.517
They were astounded.

0:30:50.517,0:30:52.714
Listen to this.

0:30:52.714,0:30:54.350
"They were utterly astounded,

0:30:54.350,0:30:56.045
for they did not understand

0:30:56.045,0:30:59.059
about the loaves,

0:30:59.059,0:31:05.581
but their hearts were hardened."

0:31:05.581,0:31:08.423
Do you know that that is a reality?

0:31:08.423,0:31:12.373
You can be glad in the Lord.

0:31:12.373,0:31:14.205
You can sing the hymns

0:31:14.205,0:31:16.748
and you can worship Him,

0:31:16.748,0:31:24.008
and yet, there is a hardness to trust Him

0:31:24.008,0:31:27.814
how He would be trusted.

0:31:27.814,0:31:32.017
Because all three - same account.

0:31:32.017,0:31:34.422
And under inspiration they tell us

0:31:34.422,0:31:37.783
that despite the worship and the gladness,

0:31:37.783,0:31:43.039
there was yet a hardness [br]in these people of God.

0:31:43.039,0:31:44.481
They weren't perceiving.

0:31:44.481,0:31:50.764
They weren't getting what [br]these things really meant.

0:31:50.764,0:31:53.104
There's probably somebody ready to say,

0:31:53.104,0:31:56.236
"Hey, look. What do you [br]want us to believe?

0:31:56.236,0:31:57.998
Do you want us to believe that we can

0:31:57.998,0:31:59.427
go down to the water here

0:31:59.427,0:32:02.363
and walk on the water?"

0:32:02.363,0:32:05.675
"Listen, preacher, you and I can [br]walk down there afterwards

0:32:05.675,0:32:07.680
and you're not going to walk on it

0:32:07.680,0:32:09.423
and I'm not going to walk on it.

0:32:09.423,0:32:11.395
So what do you have to say to that?"

0:32:11.395,0:32:12.316
I would say this.

0:32:12.316,0:32:14.945
Now, I don't know if out there [br]on the horizon somewhere

0:32:14.945,0:32:17.587
you can see a mountain

0:32:17.587,0:32:20.576
like the folks that come from Denver.

0:32:20.576,0:32:26.936
You can see those great [br]big mountains on that range.

0:32:26.936,0:32:30.759
But what are you going to say?[br]You can't move that mountain?

0:32:30.759,0:32:33.899
Our Lord says you can move that mountain.

0:32:33.899,0:32:36.683
The reality is we can move mountains

0:32:36.683,0:32:38.140
looking to Christ in faith;

0:32:38.140,0:32:40.108
looking to God in faith.

0:32:40.108,0:32:42.370
Water can hold us up just as certainly

0:32:42.370,0:32:44.470
as mountains can be moved.

0:32:44.470,0:32:47.129
That is the reality.

0:32:47.129,0:32:48.864
When Jesus is with me,

0:32:48.864,0:32:51.212
I can just as confidently [br]expect that water

0:32:51.212,0:32:52.722
to do miraculous things

0:32:52.722,0:32:54.717
as I can expect a mountain to move.

0:32:54.717,0:32:57.079
We need to have faith [br]to look at these things

0:32:57.079,0:32:59.774
the way the Lord meant for [br]us to look at these things.

0:32:59.774,0:33:00.997
Listen, what did He say?

0:33:00.997,0:33:02.780
What did He say when He walked here?

0:33:02.780,0:33:04.460
He looked at some people one day

0:33:04.460,0:33:07.093
and He said, "Which is [br]easier for Me to say?

0:33:07.093,0:33:11.359
Your sins be forgiven [br]or rise up and walk?"

0:33:11.359,0:33:14.444
What's easier to say?

0:33:14.444,0:33:15.634
Walk on water?

0:33:15.634,0:33:16.861
Peter, come to Me?

0:33:16.861,0:33:19.649
Or walk on scorpions and serpents

0:33:19.649,0:33:22.976
and crush Satan shortly under your heel?

0:33:22.976,0:33:24.248
Or to walk on your sins -

0:33:24.248,0:33:27.041
to walk above your sins, your problems,

0:33:27.041,0:33:30.580
your doubts, your fears, your unbeliefs?

0:33:30.580,0:33:32.878
Which is easier to say?

0:33:32.878,0:33:37.392
To step out in faith.

0:33:37.392,0:33:40.481
Presumption is not the problem.

0:33:40.481,0:33:46.101
The point is that we worship.

0:33:46.101,0:33:47.478
I know we worship.

0:33:47.478,0:33:50.100
We're interested in the character of God.

0:33:50.100,0:33:53.944
We want to see God big.

0:33:53.944,0:33:55.785
But let us not be the kind of people

0:33:55.785,0:33:59.466
that worship and even are glad,

0:33:59.466,0:34:02.714
but there is this hardness of unbelief.

0:34:02.714,0:34:03.945
We worship, but...

0:34:03.945,0:34:05.770
You don't want that "but" there.

0:34:05.770,0:34:07.852
And the thing is, isn't it amazing?

0:34:07.852,0:34:11.968
Jesus is willing.

0:34:11.968,0:34:13.711
"Lord, command me to come to You."

0:34:13.711,0:34:15.976
"Come."

0:34:15.976,0:34:17.873
And you know what?

0:34:17.873,0:34:20.766
Something that I find remarkable

0:34:20.766,0:34:23.819
in Mark's Gospel account of this is this:

0:34:23.819,0:34:25.347
Mark 6:48 says,

0:34:25.347,0:34:27.326
"About the fourth watch of the night,

0:34:27.326,0:34:28.258
He came to them..."

0:34:28.258,0:34:29.885
Now listen to this.

0:34:29.885,0:34:34.362
"...He came to them walking on the sea.

0:34:34.362,0:34:38.018
He meant to pass them by."

0:34:38.018,0:34:39.837
Do you ever read things like that

0:34:39.837,0:34:41.559
and it's like what?

0:34:41.559,0:34:46.507
"He meant to pass them by."

0:34:46.507,0:34:50.098
What does that sound like?

0:34:50.098,0:34:52.063
Luke's Gospel - you remember the two

0:34:52.063,0:34:53.767
on the road to Emmaus?

0:34:53.767,0:34:57.030
It sounds remotely similar to that.

0:34:57.030,0:34:59.627
That He acted as if He [br]was going to go further.

0:34:59.627,0:35:02.735
He intended to pass them by.

0:35:02.735,0:35:08.285
Does anybody ever get tired [br]of those doubtful prayers?

0:35:08.285,0:35:11.269
"Thy will be done..."

0:35:11.269,0:35:13.145
Now, I know that's a biblical prayer,

0:35:13.145,0:35:15.842
and I know it's got a right place,

0:35:15.842,0:35:19.223
but Christians who [br]hesitatingly look at life

0:35:19.223,0:35:20.826
and are always in doubt

0:35:20.826,0:35:23.040
about whether they [br]should ever do anything -

0:35:23.040,0:35:25.862
oh yes, they admit that [br]God is able to do things

0:35:25.862,0:35:27.981
at least in theory.

0:35:27.981,0:35:32.597
But the feeling I get is that Jesus

0:35:32.597,0:35:34.675
might intend to pass by,

0:35:34.675,0:35:37.620
and He will pass by

0:35:37.620,0:35:39.611
if we don't need Him.

0:35:39.611,0:35:41.215
But you notice He always stops

0:35:41.215,0:35:42.709
for those who need Him.

0:35:42.709,0:35:44.712
You find that all through the Scriptures.

0:35:44.712,0:35:46.779
Always stopping for those who need Him.

0:35:46.779,0:35:48.607
Oh, there are ten thousand reasons

0:35:48.607,0:35:50.869
why we don't get out of the boat.

0:35:50.869,0:35:52.299
Why?

0:35:52.299,0:35:54.707
It's dark out there.

0:35:54.707,0:35:56.830
The waves are big.

0:35:56.830,0:35:58.598
There's likely an undertow

0:35:58.598,0:36:01.333
and I'll be pulled under.

0:36:01.333,0:36:03.509
We don't have enough money

0:36:03.509,0:36:06.375
to get out of this boat.

0:36:06.375,0:36:08.692
So we just sit there.

0:36:08.692,0:36:12.389
"Well, the Lord's will be done."

0:36:12.389,0:36:14.992
"If He wants me to get out of the boat

0:36:14.992,0:36:18.211
then He'll take me out of the boat."

0:36:18.211,0:36:20.212
But it's all so doubtful.

0:36:20.212,0:36:22.093
I mean, after all, liquid molecules -

0:36:22.093,0:36:25.388
they cannot support the weight

0:36:25.388,0:36:27.249
of a human being.

0:36:27.249,0:36:28.338
That doesn't work.

0:36:28.338,0:36:29.420
It just can't work.

0:36:29.420,0:36:30.616
The lake is deep

0:36:30.616,0:36:32.630
and the side of the boat is high.

0:36:32.630,0:36:36.028
This whole endeavor is doubtful.

0:36:36.028,0:36:39.159
Let us hear Peter.

0:36:39.159,0:36:44.876
"Lord, command me to come."

0:36:44.876,0:36:46.546
Here's a question.

0:36:46.546,0:36:50.076
If you had been in the boat that night,

0:36:50.076,0:36:53.578
would it have occurred to you

0:36:53.578,0:37:00.692
to ask the Lord to command you to come?

0:37:00.692,0:37:02.105
Think about it.

0:37:02.105,0:37:07.752
Seemingly, it did not occur to eleven.

0:37:07.752,0:37:12.158
But would it have occurred to you?

0:37:12.158,0:37:16.747
And if you say I hope it would have,

0:37:16.747,0:37:17.966
well then, I would say,

0:37:17.966,0:37:20.296
let it occur to you now.

0:37:20.296,0:37:22.520
I want to point something out.

0:37:22.520,0:37:26.931
Difficulties do not mean

0:37:26.931,0:37:32.153
that something is not God's will.

0:37:32.153,0:37:35.965
I find Christians who want to interpret

0:37:35.965,0:37:37.960
God's dealings with us that way.

0:37:37.960,0:37:39.629
Oh, there's a problem.

0:37:39.629,0:37:41.399
There's a roadblock. There's a bump.

0:37:41.399,0:37:43.315
There's difficulty there.

0:37:43.315,0:37:47.727
(Incomplete thought)

0:37:47.727,0:37:49.486
Think of Abraham.

0:37:49.486,0:37:51.908
Was there difficulty set [br]in the way of his faith?

0:37:51.908,0:37:54.415
Like, maybe he's old, and his wife is old.

0:37:54.415,0:37:55.547
That's a difficulty.

0:37:55.547,0:37:58.239
Joseph - there were [br]some difficulties there.

0:37:58.239,0:38:01.128
He's finding himself in the prison.

0:38:01.128,0:38:03.675
That is a difficulty.

0:38:03.675,0:38:05.950
Lazarus - that was a difficulty.

0:38:05.950,0:38:09.660
He was four days dead in the grave.

0:38:09.660,0:38:12.815
Peter - dark, stormy, water.

0:38:12.815,0:38:14.125
Have you ever noticed?

0:38:14.125,0:38:16.482
God likes to put obstacles in our way.

0:38:16.482,0:38:18.474
Why? That tests our faith.

0:38:18.474,0:38:21.551
That tests what we think of Him.

0:38:21.551,0:38:23.806
Bunyan had it, right? Did he not?

0:38:23.806,0:38:26.804
Pilgrim came to the Hill of Difficulty

0:38:26.804,0:38:28.447
and he went up that hill.

0:38:28.447,0:38:29.526
He didn't go around.

0:38:29.526,0:38:31.185
In fact, going around was exactly

0:38:31.185,0:38:34.187
the thing that he shouldn't do.

0:38:34.187,0:38:37.318
And if we get out of the boat,

0:38:37.318,0:38:39.480
are we ever going to sink like Peter?

0:38:39.480,0:38:41.705
Yes, that's going to happen.

0:38:41.705,0:38:43.317
But you know the thing is,

0:38:43.317,0:38:45.696
we're still okay. Why?

0:38:45.696,0:38:48.647
Because the Lord is there[br]and He cares for His people.

0:38:48.647,0:38:49.696
Look at something.

0:38:49.696,0:38:54.380
Look at Matthew 14:30.

0:38:54.380,0:38:57.575
"When Peter saw the wind,

0:38:57.575,0:39:01.366
he was afraid."

0:39:01.366,0:39:03.107
Now notice these words:

0:39:03.107,0:39:05.955
"...beginning to sink,

0:39:05.955,0:39:07.250
he cried out,

0:39:07.250,0:39:09.522
'Lord, save me!'"

0:39:09.522,0:39:11.851
Don't you love that?

0:39:11.851,0:39:15.930
Just several weeks back,

0:39:15.930,0:39:21.306
one of my daughters brought up some show,

0:39:21.306,0:39:23.541
and I hope there's not something about it

0:39:23.541,0:39:25.751
where you all want to [br]crucify me if I say it,

0:39:25.751,0:39:27.461
but there's some outdoorsman thing.

0:39:27.461,0:39:29.557
Some guy name Bear Grylls.

0:39:29.557,0:39:31.071
Some Englishman.

0:39:31.071,0:39:33.379
Some outdoorsman.

0:39:33.379,0:39:34.866
He's a nut.

0:39:34.866,0:39:39.390
And he went to Scotland in a blizzard

0:39:39.390,0:39:41.706
and he wants to show you how to survive.

0:39:41.706,0:39:43.697
And of all things, he wants to show you

0:39:43.697,0:39:45.023
how to really survive.

0:39:45.023,0:39:49.551
So he comes up to a peat bog,

0:39:49.551,0:39:51.757
and he's saying I'm going to go in here

0:39:51.757,0:39:53.723
and it's blizzard and the snow's coming,

0:39:53.723,0:39:55.313
and he says I'm going to show you

0:39:55.313,0:39:58.170
how if you fall into a [br]peat bog in a blizzard,

0:39:58.170,0:40:00.595
how you survive.

0:40:00.595,0:40:03.852
And so he builds this whole story

0:40:03.852,0:40:05.164
and you're ready for him

0:40:05.164,0:40:06.720
to jump in this peat bog

0:40:06.720,0:40:08.735
and go up to his waist or something.

0:40:08.735,0:40:12.104
He says, look, now that I've [br]told you all about this,

0:40:12.104,0:40:13.850
I'm probably going to step in here

0:40:13.850,0:40:15.242
and find this thing shallow,

0:40:15.242,0:40:17.293
and I'm just going to walk right [br]across to the other side.

0:40:17.293,0:40:20.225
So now you've kind of got the picture [br]in mind that maybe it's not that deep.

0:40:20.225,0:40:21.616
He's going to take a step in there

0:40:21.616,0:40:24.345
and he may actually [br]be able to walk across.

0:40:24.345,0:40:25.794
He takes a step in there

0:40:25.794,0:40:29.287
and he disappeared, like that.

0:40:29.287,0:40:31.150
He was gone.

0:40:31.150,0:40:33.200
Like (gasp!)

0:40:33.200,0:40:35.954
And I was thinking that image,

0:40:35.954,0:40:37.505
if Peter - bang!

0:40:37.505,0:40:39.626
It would have just come [br]out from under him.

0:40:39.626,0:40:41.803
Boom! He's gone.

0:40:41.803,0:40:43.435
Isn't that amazing?

0:40:43.435,0:40:45.842
"Beginning to sink..."

0:40:45.842,0:40:48.593
I thought, look, if the same thing

0:40:48.593,0:40:51.071
happened to Peter that [br]happened to Bear Grylls,

0:40:51.071,0:40:57.394
he wouldn't have got three [br]words out of his mouth.

0:40:57.394,0:41:00.174
What I see in that

0:41:00.174,0:41:02.346
is even in Peter's unbelief,

0:41:02.346,0:41:04.462
the Lord is with him.

0:41:04.462,0:41:09.419
And he is not allowed to just go "woosh."

0:41:09.419,0:41:12.406
"Beginning to sink..."

0:41:12.406,0:41:19.361
That is encouraging.

0:41:19.361,0:41:24.026
Because what the Lord was doing

0:41:24.026,0:41:30.984
was He's allowing Peter [br]to sink gradually enough

0:41:30.984,0:41:33.326
so that he can cry out,

0:41:33.326,0:41:37.067
"Lord, save me!"

0:41:37.067,0:41:39.791
Peter began to sink.

0:41:39.791,0:41:42.989
Every time you read that from now on,

0:41:42.989,0:41:44.865
but notice the next thing.

0:41:44.865,0:41:47.399
"Jesus immediately," - I love that!

0:41:47.399,0:41:50.023
It doesn't say that Peter immediately sank

0:41:50.023,0:41:54.749
and Jesus began to put out His hand.

0:41:54.749,0:41:56.849
It's the opposite.

0:41:56.849,0:42:03.105
Beginning... Jesus immediate.

0:42:03.105,0:42:04.293
Guess what?

0:42:04.293,0:42:05.764
You get out of the boat,

0:42:05.764,0:42:07.405
we're like Peter.

0:42:07.405,0:42:11.231
Don't look at Peter like [br]he's some ridiculous case.

0:42:11.231,0:42:12.910
Go look at yourself in the mirror

0:42:12.910,0:42:14.621
and say I'm just like him.

0:42:14.621,0:42:16.535
Because if you get out of the boat,

0:42:16.535,0:42:19.525
you're going to have times you sink too.

0:42:19.525,0:42:23.205
Like all those biographies I was showing[br]you yesterday that I've read?

0:42:23.205,0:42:26.995
Those guys - they sink too.

0:42:26.995,0:42:28.761
And here's the thing.

0:42:28.761,0:42:33.656
I love this too.

0:42:33.656,0:42:38.798
Because I remember 28 years ago,

0:42:38.798,0:42:41.261
at the depth in the bog,

0:42:41.261,0:42:44.234
in that peat bog of my own sin,

0:42:44.234,0:42:46.431
the miry clay...

0:42:46.431,0:42:48.718
Do you know that night the Lord saved me

0:42:48.718,0:42:52.015
just three words and I don't think [br]they came out of my mouth.

0:42:52.015,0:42:54.591
I think I just thought them.

0:42:54.591,0:42:57.947
"Lord, help me."

0:42:57.947,0:43:00.446
I've heard sister Connie [br]say the same thing.

0:43:00.446,0:43:02.646
Three words.

0:43:02.646,0:43:04.119
Lord, help me.

0:43:04.119,0:43:08.837
Lord, save me.

0:43:08.837,0:43:13.331
I've heard of people under demonic attack

0:43:13.331,0:43:15.026
waking up in the night -

0:43:15.026,0:43:18.705
something has them by the neck:

0:43:18.705,0:43:20.340
"Lord, help me."

0:43:20.340,0:43:22.323
And it's gone.

0:43:22.323,0:43:24.488
And the thing is,

0:43:24.488,0:43:26.299
Jesus did not say,

0:43:26.299,0:43:30.397
"Peter, I wish you would [br]get more sophisticated,

0:43:30.397,0:43:32.784
more intellectual, more professional,

0:43:32.784,0:43:34.180
more polished, if you think

0:43:34.180,0:43:37.190
you are going to get My attention."

0:43:37.190,0:43:39.967
What a prayer!

0:43:39.967,0:43:42.465
"Peter, you insult Me [br]with your simplicity."

0:43:42.465,0:43:43.927
None of that.

0:43:43.927,0:43:45.549
What a prayer for God's people

0:43:45.549,0:43:48.398
who venture out of the boat.

0:43:48.398,0:43:51.873
You can imagine our [br]brother serving overseas,

0:43:51.873,0:43:53.758
"God, help me."

0:43:53.758,0:43:56.239
He stepped out of the boat.

0:43:56.239,0:44:02.024
What keeps us from daring [br]to trust Christ more?

0:44:02.024,0:44:04.096
You think about your own life.

0:44:04.096,0:44:06.354
We've got our boats.

0:44:06.354,0:44:07.470
Every one of us do.

0:44:07.470,0:44:11.662
These places that if we [br]trusted the Lord more

0:44:11.662,0:44:14.745
we would get out of them.

0:44:14.745,0:44:17.174
And the Lord's out there.

0:44:17.174,0:44:20.171
"Come."

0:44:20.171,0:44:23.618
It's like He was going to walk by them,

0:44:23.618,0:44:25.645
but what?

0:44:25.645,0:44:27.415
They needed Him. They cried out.

0:44:27.415,0:44:29.484
He saw they were in terror.

0:44:29.484,0:44:32.414
He came to them.

0:44:32.414,0:44:35.144
What keeps us from [br]daring to trust Christ more?

0:44:35.144,0:44:37.205
Is it hardness?

0:44:37.205,0:44:38.849
This hardness.

0:44:38.849,0:44:42.383
We don't perceive really what

0:44:42.383,0:44:45.596
those 4,000 and those 5,000 that were fed

0:44:45.596,0:44:49.603
were meant to show us.

0:44:49.603,0:44:51.169
Have you ever found

0:44:51.169,0:44:55.442
that when you've stepped out of the boat,

0:44:55.442,0:44:58.263
that Jesus let you sink

0:44:58.263,0:45:02.596
right to the bottom of the sea?

0:45:02.596,0:45:04.880
It doesn't happen.

0:45:04.880,0:45:06.854
You answer this question.

0:45:06.854,0:45:09.969
I want to answer this question.

0:45:09.969,0:45:14.017
Where do you want to live your life?

0:45:14.017,0:45:17.412
Do you want to dwell in that [br]calculated safety of the boat?

0:45:17.412,0:45:19.813
If we're to significantly advance,

0:45:19.813,0:45:21.526
we need to step out.

0:45:21.526,0:45:24.707
Out where?

0:45:24.707,0:45:27.452
Out there.

0:45:27.452,0:45:28.930
Beyond the side of the boat.

0:45:28.930,0:45:30.383
Beyond.

0:45:30.383,0:45:32.674
Beyond the boat.

0:45:32.674,0:45:34.617
God calls us to a life

0:45:34.617,0:45:37.038
where we can't walk

0:45:37.038,0:45:39.054
where He wants us to walk,

0:45:39.054,0:45:43.234
unless He holds us up.

0:45:43.234,0:45:44.654
Tozer said this:

0:45:44.654,0:45:48.988
One of the greatest proofs of our weakness

0:45:48.988,0:45:50.818
is when there's no longer anything

0:45:50.818,0:45:54.686
terrible or mysterious about us.

0:45:54.686,0:45:56.132
When it can all be explained.

0:45:56.132,0:45:57.654
Stepping out of the boat

0:45:57.654,0:45:59.245
is stepping out into that realm

0:45:59.245,0:46:01.135
of the supernatural.

0:46:01.135,0:46:04.023
It's stepping out into the realm of God

0:46:04.023,0:46:06.643
where you don't survive [br]unless God is for you

0:46:06.643,0:46:07.873
and undergirds you;

0:46:07.873,0:46:10.424
unless God holds you up.

0:46:10.424,0:46:15.279
I think we need more crazy Christianity.

0:46:15.279,0:46:17.493
We need more people like Peter.

0:46:17.493,0:46:18.787
They step out of the boat.

0:46:18.787,0:46:21.353
And they step out with that confidence.

0:46:21.353,0:46:24.352
Because not a confidence in self -

0:46:24.352,0:46:28.471
it's a confidence in what [br]Christ is going to do for us.

0:46:28.471,0:46:30.876
Should we not intentionally [br]take our churches

0:46:30.876,0:46:33.248
and our families and ourselves down paths

0:46:33.248,0:46:36.524
that demand more than our spiritual gifts?

0:46:36.524,0:46:37.970
More than our logic?

0:46:37.970,0:46:39.634
More than the current funds

0:46:39.634,0:46:43.282
in the checking account?

0:46:43.282,0:46:45.235
Why?

0:46:45.235,0:46:47.009
Because Christ is with us

0:46:47.009,0:46:49.334
and He says, "Take courage."

0:46:49.334,0:46:51.740
Why? Because by nature, we're timid.

0:46:51.740,0:46:53.580
We're faint.

0:46:53.580,0:46:55.261
"Take courage."

0:46:55.261,0:46:57.041
Why? "I am with you."

0:46:57.041,0:46:58.767
Don't ever be quick to say,

0:46:58.767,0:47:01.842
"Oh, we can't do that.

0:47:01.842,0:47:04.957
It's too big. It's too expensive.

0:47:04.957,0:47:06.814
It's too far.

0:47:06.814,0:47:08.788
It's too outrageous.

0:47:08.788,0:47:11.036
It's just overall too impossible."

0:47:11.036,0:47:13.051
We should fear that talk.

0:47:13.051,0:47:14.899
We should fear staying in the boat

0:47:14.899,0:47:17.929
and not putting our great God to the test.

0:47:17.929,0:47:20.131
And I don't know what this [br]means for all of our lives.

0:47:20.131,0:47:22.611
I've been thinking about [br]this message for weeks,

0:47:22.611,0:47:23.698
and I've been thinking

0:47:23.698,0:47:25.589
what does this mean for me?

0:47:25.589,0:47:28.100
I want to get out of the boat.[br]I don't want to live in the boat.

0:47:28.100,0:47:30.371
I don't want to get to [br]the end and just find

0:47:30.371,0:47:34.537
I lived in the boat all the time.

0:47:34.537,0:47:36.091
I should have been saying,

0:47:36.091,0:47:37.652
"Lord, command me to come."

0:47:37.652,0:47:41.377
"Command me to come."

0:47:41.377,0:47:43.318
Because I find that He says, "Come."

0:47:43.318,0:47:46.326
Can you imagine Peter

0:47:46.326,0:47:48.416
reminiscing in the years that followed?

0:47:48.416,0:47:52.341
I imagine him sitting there,

0:47:52.341,0:47:55.629
looking into the fire,

0:47:55.629,0:47:57.515
thinking...

0:47:57.515,0:48:03.758
thinking back to that night.

0:48:03.758,0:48:06.316
Remembering.

0:48:06.316,0:48:08.318
Reminiscing.

0:48:08.318,0:48:12.300
Those words.

0:48:12.300,0:48:13.578
He can hear them.

0:48:13.578,0:48:16.564
He can hear that voice.

0:48:16.564,0:48:21.513
"O you of little faith,

0:48:21.513,0:48:25.986
why did you doubt?"

0:48:25.986,0:48:29.275
And you know Peter didn't answer.

0:48:29.275,0:48:30.805
Why?

0:48:30.805,0:48:33.613
Because he never had a good answer

0:48:33.613,0:48:35.341
to that question.

0:48:35.341,0:48:37.817
He never did.

0:48:37.817,0:48:40.708
It's really difficult to have an answer

0:48:40.708,0:48:45.746
when you've just been walking on water

0:48:45.746,0:48:52.702
to have the Lord say, "Why did you doubt?"

0:48:52.702,0:48:55.515
What are you going to say?

0:48:55.515,0:48:57.285
Think about this.

0:48:57.285,0:48:59.603
Peter - seasoned fisherman.

0:48:59.603,0:49:02.142
Sailor.

0:49:02.142,0:49:05.633
Something happened in [br]that wind right there.

0:49:05.633,0:49:08.491
And it says it caused him to fear.

0:49:08.491,0:49:10.171
What would it have taken to cause

0:49:10.171,0:49:13.264
a man like Peter to suddenly fear?

0:49:13.264,0:49:14.873
A great big gust

0:49:14.873,0:49:16.982
that took him off his feat?

0:49:16.982,0:49:19.092
But still, why?

0:49:19.092,0:49:21.758
He'd been walking on water.

0:49:21.758,0:49:23.643
"Why did you doubt?"

0:49:23.643,0:49:28.279
In other words, you never need to.

0:49:28.279,0:49:31.426
Peter thought about water.

0:49:31.426,0:49:33.185
You can imagine.

0:49:33.185,0:49:39.397
"I felt a firmness under my feet.

0:49:39.397,0:49:40.976
It was like walking on land,

0:49:40.976,0:49:43.419
and yet it wasn't like walking on dry land

0:49:43.419,0:49:45.360
because there was no ground there.

0:49:45.360,0:49:49.567
There was some unseen reality

0:49:49.567,0:49:52.394
that held me up.

0:49:52.394,0:49:53.735
And I felt it.

0:49:53.735,0:49:57.279
I felt it give way

0:49:57.279,0:50:00.423
when my eyes came off of Christ.

0:50:00.423,0:50:02.502
I felt it.

0:50:02.502,0:50:04.162
I felt it.

0:50:04.162,0:50:11.135
It caused that knee-jerk prayer:

0:50:11.135,0:50:13.114
'Lord, save me!'

0:50:13.114,0:50:17.575
I felt it give way.

0:50:17.575,0:50:21.868
And I know it was not [br]faith that held me up.

0:50:21.868,0:50:24.328
It was God that held me up.

0:50:24.328,0:50:25.402
And He held me up

0:50:25.402,0:50:27.455
and there was a firmness

0:50:27.455,0:50:31.854
as long as I was looking to Christ."

0:50:31.854,0:50:34.019
And he could remember.

0:50:34.019,0:50:35.537
There was a confidence.

0:50:35.537,0:50:37.938
Peter had a confidence.

0:50:37.938,0:50:41.467
A tremendous sense of safety,

0:50:41.467,0:50:43.177
of security.

0:50:43.177,0:50:46.923
A tremendous freedom.

0:50:46.923,0:50:53.999
"Peter, why did you fear?"

0:50:53.999,0:50:57.419
Him just thinking, you know,

0:50:57.419,0:51:08.740
I never did have a good [br]answer to that question.

0:51:08.740,0:51:12.294
Father, I pray

0:51:12.294,0:51:22.962
that some boats would be stepped out of.

0:51:22.962,0:51:25.956
Father, please,

0:51:25.956,0:51:30.400
help us to trust Your Son.

0:51:30.400,0:51:33.079
Help us to bring You more glory.

0:51:33.079,0:51:34.676
We see that it is a glory;

0:51:34.676,0:51:36.108
it's a worship issue,

0:51:36.108,0:51:40.295
as we see Abraham there in Romans 4,

0:51:40.295,0:51:44.946
and we know that trusting You

0:51:44.946,0:51:48.518
brings You glory.

0:51:48.518,0:51:51.444
And I pray Lord, I want this.

0:51:51.444,0:51:52.629
I want this.

0:51:52.629,0:51:58.145
I want to trust You more.

0:51:58.145,0:52:01.652
Help us.

0:52:01.652,0:52:06.236
Help us to go forth from this place

0:52:06.236,0:52:09.353
resting, trusting.

0:52:09.353,0:52:11.235
I pray that this account may help us

0:52:11.235,0:52:15.366
to be more certain, more confident,

0:52:15.366,0:52:18.412
more established on this Person of Christ

0:52:18.412,0:52:20.060
willing to help;

0:52:20.060,0:52:22.231
would have walked past,

0:52:22.231,0:52:25.188
but He came immediately.

0:52:25.188,0:52:27.496
"It is I."

0:52:27.496,0:52:29.208
"It is I."

0:52:29.208,0:52:30.397
"Be of courage."

0:52:30.397,0:52:36.021
Lord, we want that courage.

0:52:36.021,0:52:40.829
I pray in Christ's name, Amen.