Father, as we come to worship you through your word, through listening to your word,
I ask that you would touch our hearts, that you would bring your word in the deepest parts of
our hearts, that we would know the freedom that you bring, the liberation that you bring from sin
and from the evils that dwell so closely to us. So Lord, as we come here at this point of the
service, would you bless us and pour out your Holy Spirit upon us. In Jesus' name, amen.
And you may be seated.
So just a couple of weeks ago, I was walking to the pool. I like to go to the pool every morning,
or I try to go every morning. I'm for five days a week. I get four usually, and it's one of the ways
that I manage my stress. And as I was walking towards the location, one of my neighbors kind
of called me over. And so I went over, and I hadn't really talked to him before. So we started talking,
and we talked about, you know, his children and my son, because he had seen my wife and our son
walking together down the street. And we eventually got to talking about what I do for a living. So I
told him that I'm a pastor and that I, you know, I study theology as well. And he, you know, he was
totally fine with that. He said, you know what, I actually, I believe in God. And he said these
words. He said, I'm about 99% sure of God. And there's always, you know, that always that 1% doubt.
And I thought, you know, that's interesting. And so I shared with him, you know, I, you know,
God did a, like, a marvelous work in my life that, and God did a full 180 in my life. So I know that
for sure that God exists. But then as I was saying that, I was remembering, you know, I've had doubts
in my life as well. I've had doubts even as a Christian. And so I shared that with him too.
And it's kind of a weird mix. And maybe some of you were listening very carefully in the Matthew text
that I read earlier. But Jesus has some pretty interesting words about doubt. And so I'll invite you to
turn to that. You know, we have some big questions about that because we all experience doubt. And so
what would Jesus say if he were, you know, in the conversation with my friend and I talking about
that 1% of doubt? Would Jesus be okay with that? Or how would that work? Maybe some of you have asked
questions to Christians and they said, just believe. So we'll look at that. We'll look at Matthew chapter 14
and see what Jesus has to say about our doubts. Now, before we start at verse 22, it's helpful for
us to remember that Matthew, who is the author of this gospel or this book in the Bible, Matthew is
writing a historical account. He's claiming to be writing a historical account. Historical in the sense
that he's an eyewitness. Historical in the other sense that this is part of a long train of God's acts
in history. This is part of something, a continuation of something that God has been doing. So these are
the two basic claims. We see that in the genealogy at the beginning of the book. And the third thing is
that it has big implications for us today. So let's look at verse 22 and we'll start there.
Matthew chapter 14, verse 22. Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before
him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds. So just for a bit of context, Jesus just performed a
big miracle. He just fed 5,000 people, 5,000 men, plus women and children. And before that, he had just
heard the news that his cousin, John the Baptist, was executed. So he was going to find solitude.
And on his way towards finding solitude and spent time with God, he stopped and he saw a big crowd
that was following him. He had compassion on them. He fed them. And now he's dismissing the crowds and
he's sending his disciples over because they have a mission to do. He's sending them over across the sea.
Okay, so now in verse 23, we see that, and after Jesus had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the
mountain by himself to pray. And so Jesus was finding the solitude after hearing the news and after a lot
of teaching and miracles and all these things. Now, some of you might be wondering, like, Jesus is praying?
You know, if we had, you know, if some of our friends, my wife and I's friends were, you know, when they come
over to dinner, we pray in Jesus's name. And so they would maybe hear this and wonder, you know, is Jesus
praying in Jesus's name? Like, how does that work? Like, is he just talking to himself? Well, and another part of
this confusion around why Jesus would pray is that, you know, we think that prayer is only useful because
we're in a bad situation. So why is Jesus praying? Well, very essential to prayer is communion with God.
Jesus, from all eternity, has been in communion with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit. And so Jesus
is just continuing fellowship, communion with God. This is very right for Jesus. Why would he not pray?
Why would he not spend time with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit? And this is really, I know,
this really, the reason why I'm spending time on this is because it really convicted me this week.
You know, I haven't been spending that much time in prayer, maybe the last couple of weeks, actually.
And maybe some of you are in that boat as well. That prayer has only become a duty where, you know,
you're in need and you pray. You need something, you pray. You're in a bad situation, you pray.
But a huge part of prayer, a central part of prayer, is that it's communion with God. And so Jesus is
reminding us of that essential truth today. So verse 23, we'll continue there. Verse 23b.
Now when evening came, he was there alone. So the evening, just before the evening, they had supper,
they left, and now we're getting into later into the evening. Jesus was alone in the mountain and
praying. But verse 24, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves,
for the wind was against them. Now this section depicts a very common experience where we might
sense that Jesus is leading us to a particular place, and then things are going wrong. Things are
not going well. You're starting to fear for your life. And you're probably starting to wonder, Jesus,
like, what were you thinking? Like, you sent me there. I'm sure some of you have asked that. I have
asked that many times. Jesus, why did you allow me to go in this area and spend, you know, months here
in this place where it seems like there was no fruit, where I was in danger? Jesus, why would you
do that? Like, did you call us here? See, and based on our circumstances, we start to doubt
and judge Jesus. God, I thought you led me to this job, or had me marry this person, or give this up,
or to adopt these children, or fill in the blank. I thought you were calling me to this. Didn't you know
that it would turn out this way? And this is a big mystery in the Christian faith, is that we don't
always have an answer to that dilemma. We don't always have an answer at the end of our circumstances.
Sometimes we find out why God led us to a place. Other times, we don't. So I studied at McGill
University, and I became a Christian there. Years after that, it became very obvious to me why
after I had applied to the University of Toronto and received a substantial scholarship,
was refused from the school a couple of months later. I went from full scholarship to refused from
University. That didn't make sense to me. Years later, I became a Christian. That made sense to me.
God wanted me to go to Montreal so I could hear the gospel. That made sense to me. But, you know,
why did I become a Christian at 19 and not at 12 or 3 or at 30? I don't know. Probably won't know
until I see Jesus, until I get to heaven. But as the disciples are delivering these big life questions
while holding on for their lives, something completely shocking and unexpected happens next.
In verse 25,
But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,
the disciples were terrified and said,
It is a ghost. And they cried out in fear.
Sorry, I think I skipped there.
Verse 25.
And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea.
Okay, so the fourth watch is between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
So smack it right in the morning.
And just by the way, if you call me between 3 and 6,
I probably won't answer. I'll be sleeping. I have headphones.
Or not headphones, I have earplugs.
But Jesus here is coming.
He's coming to them.
He's coming to them on the sea.
It's really, really unexpected.
This setting really shows us the helplessness of the disciples.
They're on the middle of the sea.
And in the ancient cultures, the sea
was known as the area of chaos,
of death.
And maybe some of you come from
a northern community.
Maybe we have someone from an indigenous community.
You likely know
quite a few people who have drowned.
I know some people in my family
who have drowned.
The waters are a dangerous place.
We haven't mastered them completely.
And so they're in this place of chaos.
And not only that,
but Jesus is in the mountain.
Jesus is not useful in the mountain.
They need Jesus right there on the sea.
And there's, I mean, there's no flare guns.
There's no emergency helicopters.
No phones.
Everyone's asleep between 3 and 6.
Things are going really, really badly for them.
But Jesus is walking on the water
towards them.
So here we are.
The miracle.
Okay, so some of you are thinking,
okay, walking on the water.
How are you, Jonathan?
How on earth,
or maybe how on water,
Jonathan, are you going to explain this to me?
Like, please tell me that you're going to take
a very symbolic view of this.
Like, are you going to ask us to believe
this really happened?
If some of you have looked at this passage before
and looked at commentaries,
you would notice that many people
have written many things about this.
And I'll just say there's a lot of foolishness
that's been written about this.
Some people have said that there's a low tide
at that moment.
And that Jesus is coming
because there's a low tide.
So there's no miracle.
He's just walking on the bottom of the sea.
But if any of you have seen any pictures
of under the water at the bottom of the sea,
there's coral reefs and rocks.
And so Jesus would be walking like this
and cutting his feet
and not enjoying this.
Like, I don't think that makes sense.
Someone else wrote that there's,
that Jesus projected an image of himself.
Okay, well, wouldn't that be equally miraculous?
That Jesus projected an image of himself?
Someone else wrote that Jesus
is still close to the shore.
He's walking on the shore,
maybe a couple feet down from the shore.
Okay, so Peter walks in the water?
Like, how does that make sense?
Because Peter walked from the boat towards Jesus.
So Jesus doesn't walk on water,
but Peter walks on water?
And other people have compared it to myths,
but the literary genre is not the same.
And some people said that it was first understood as myth,
but later thought of as historical,
but there's no proof for that.
So what is happening here?
What is, is Jesus really walking on water?
Well, if we can have our first point, Andrew,
I think this will help us to remind us
of what is happening.
So this is the point that we've been reminding ourselves
as we are looking at these miracles
over our series.
This is a true story about Jesus
and a real miracle.
At least this is the claim that Matthew is making.
And we have to take him for what he's saying.
We can't just think he's foolish,
think he's stupid.
This is a true story about Jesus
and a real miracle.
Now the examples above,
to me at least,
sound quite ridiculous.
And part of that,
I think,
is because we don't,
often we don't check our assumptions.
We have very strong assumptions
and a lot of people
have strong assumptions
about the miraculous
and about the world.
And they bring those assumptions to the text
and they can't,
they can't listen to the text anymore.
It's not making them more rational
to have these very strong assumptions.
But we need to check our assumptions
to be able to be reasonable
with our assumptions.
I wish I had the quotes with me,
but Stephen Hawking,
you might know him
as one of the greatest physicists
that ever lived,
wrote a book in the Grand Design.
And at the very beginning of his book,
in the thesis of his book,
he talks about how laws created the universe.
So we see,
we can observe that there are laws,
therefore the laws have always been there
and the laws sustained the universe
in the way that the whole universe functions.
So therefore,
the laws must have brought the universe
into existence.
But how was,
how were there laws
before anything appeared?
Like that just,
the logic doesn't make sense.
There's a really good book
on his,
as a response to the Grand Design
by John Lennox,
who's a Christian scientist.
And even the title of the book,
The Grand Design,
like when you have a Grand Design,
would you think
that there's a Grand Designer?
Like,
doesn't that just
logically follow?
See,
God,
who is the Grand Designer,
the lawgiver,
can reveal himself
within his created order.
There's no controversy with that.
It seems perfectly logical.
And I was,
I was thinking of how can I,
what is a good image
for me to communicate this
with you this morning?
And I tested this
at the eight o'clock service,
and there was no riots
or nothing,
no objects thrown at me.
So I'm going to share it
with you as well.
I think this is helpful.
If it's not,
come tell me afterwards.
But,
for God to enter his creation,
an act miraculously
would be like a jazz artist
improvising a stunning tune
above the underlying chord sequence.
I'm assuming a tiny bit
of music knowledge
and some experience
with jazz music.
Some of you maybe think
that jazz is completely chaotic.
It's just people
playing random notes.
I assure you,
that's not the case.
There's,
they have a sheet
where there's a sequence
that's happening
and there are chords
and the person
who is improvising
is improvising
within those chords
something that is
quite logical
and it's quite masterful,
actually.
It's very impressive.
Years ago,
when I was at McGill,
I studied French horn
at McGill,
I was asked to join
the jazz ensemble,
the McGill jazz ensemble
for a concert.
They had a special guest
from the States conducting
and I was the third
French horn player they asked.
So you can,
you can understand
that French horn players
don't usually like to be asked
to play jazz
in a jazz ensemble.
So we,
so I went,
I did the gig,
I thought this would be cool
and this will be fun
but the conductor asked me
to play a solo
and I told him
very kindly,
sir,
I don't play solos.
I don't improvise.
I'm a French horn player
not a saxophone player
and he said,
ah,
you'll be fine.
Just pick two notes
and just play them
over and over again
in a very good
rhythmic sequence
and you know what,
actually I remember
there was a French horn player
once that played a solo
in my band
and he played
this very famous tune
and he just played
a little bit more jazzy.
You'll be fine.
So I thought,
okay,
I can do this.
So I got to the concert,
made a total fool of myself.
It was completely chaotic.
It had no sense
with the music
but the rest of the ensemble
sounded great.
So,
okay,
that's a little anecdote
to help us understand
that for Jesus
to walk on water,
he's not obliterating
the laws of nature
but he,
because he created
the laws of nature,
he understands them
so well
and because he's sovereign
over the laws of nature,
he can exercise
his sovereignty
over them
in a way
that is completely compatible
even though
he's walking on water.
He's the one
who created those laws.
Okay,
so not only does Matthew
claim the event
to be historical,
he also claims
that it relates
to a historical sequence,
that God has been acting
with his people
for years,
for centuries
and millennia.
We see that God
created the universe.
We already looked
at that briefly
but he also revealed
his mercy
by delivering his people
through a body of waters,
the Red Sea.
And not only that
but we see the prophets
who have done miracles
that God had enabled them
to do water miracles
and the psalmists
who sing about God
delivering people
from out of the water.
See,
this is completely
consistent
and historical.
It's following
the historical sequence
of what God has done.
And now Matthew
is recording God
before him
walking on the waters.
So we've got
our next point,
Andrew.
I think this will help us
summarize what is happening
so far.
So Jesus walking on water
isn't an impossibility
or an isolated event.
It's an announcement
that the sovereign Lord
is here.
Jesus walking on water
isn't an impossibility
or an isolated event.
It's an announcement
that the sovereign Lord
is here.
So how do the disciples
respond to Jesus
walking on water?
Like,
do they yell,
like,
Jesus,
come over here,
save us,
help us,
we're dying here.
Is that what they do?
Let's look at verse 26.
We read,
Now you might be thinking,
like,
that's odd.
Like,
didn't they just see
Jesus multiply bread
and feed over 5,000 people?
Like,
why wouldn't they just believe
that Jesus was there
and walking on the sea?
Now I think this verse
is very helpful for us
to understand
that this is a real miracle,
that people don't expect
people to walk on water.
And it also,
you know,
just as a side note,
like,
this really shows
that Jesus is
both human,
but also God,
fully human,
fully God.
And so there he is
walking on water.
And these people
who are seeing
this man,
who is God,
walking on water,
are in awe.
Is this a ghost?
Now some of you
also might be thinking,
okay,
this is strange,
but bear with me
for a moment.
Like,
some of you
have gone to the dentist.
Maybe it was
the 50th time
you've been to the dentist.
And,
you know,
you're fine,
everything's good.
The dentist,
you know,
it's three in the afternoon,
the dentist has been doing this
for five hours already.
They're well trained,
they know what they're doing.
But all of a sudden,
when the buzzing instrument
is coming close to your mouth,
you're starting to wonder,
uh-oh,
is this the time
when they're going to get it wrong?
Right?
We all of a sudden
start to forget,
we start to fear.
Just last week,
I was flying from Halifax,
and as you see in the blog,
I went to Halifax
to a conference,
and I was sitting by the window.
I love the window seat.
I was sitting by the window,
and I saw the wings
kind of going like this
in the turbulence,
and I started to wonder,
how is this plane made?
Like,
are the wings
kind of like,
you know,
drilled from the top,
and there's kind of like
a thing that goes on top,
or are they like
really built into the body?
And I started to doubt,
I started to fear,
and it's poured,
so they give you a drink.
I was looking forward
to my drink at that moment,
so I can forget
about what was,
about my fear,
that,
wow,
the wings might just like
pop off,
and the body,
like,
do these pilots,
are these pilots trained
for these moments?
So,
okay,
so I think that something
similar is happening here,
that even though we have
full confidence in something,
or in someone,
there's still times
when we fear,
because that's who we are,
that's,
that's just who we are
as human beings.
We,
we fear,
our emotions
can,
can flood
the,
the rational part of us
that,
that causes us to fear.
So,
where am I here?
Okay,
so here's,
if I can have my,
my next point,
Andrew.
We are cast away
from God's presence.
Therefore,
our hearts become faint
as we strive to survive.
Now,
I use the word
cast away here,
deliberately.
Some of you have seen
the movie cast away,
and you see what
being on the sea
and being in a boat
for a long time
does to you.
But,
the whole idea here
of being cast away
from God's presence,
and therefore our hearts
becoming faint
as we strive to survive,
brings us back
to the very beginning
of when God created
everything,
and created a garden,
and created human beings
to put them in the garden,
and to relate to them.
See,
in the garden,
God created
a place
where love
abounds,
where there's provision,
where we don't have to worry,
we're in communion with God,
everything is provided,
and we enjoy.
But now,
now that human beings
have sinned
and rebelled against God,
God
exiled us
or cast us
out of the garden,
out of this place
of harmony with God,
full provision with God.
So then,
you know,
we strive to survive,
we fear,
we get anxious.
That's just part of life.
And in some way,
this,
you know,
we as human beings
long for this return
to harmony,
so we create
these institutions
or politics
and technology
and the sciences
to try to capture
that goodness
and that harmony,
that safety
and security
that we had
with God.
But,
but this,
you know,
in these education systems
or political systems
or the sciences,
although they,
you know,
we try to use them
as means for salvation,
they are not what,
what will bring us
satisfaction.
They are not the presence
of God.
Our salvation
or our rescue
really is being brought back
into that relationship
where God comes to us
and rescues us
to safety with him.
And this is what we see
Jesus doing
in verse 27.
Let's look at verse 27.
But immediately,
Jesus spoke to the disciples
saying,
Take heart,
it is I,
do not be afraid.
He says,
Take heart,
it is I,
do not be afraid.
If I can have my next point,
Andrew.
So this is the next point.
I'm just,
I've looked at the Greek
and part of the original language
is written in such a way
that this would be
a very logical conclusion.
This is what the disciples
would have heard.
They would have heard,
Take courage.
I am is here.
Do not fear.
Take courage.
I am is here.
Do not fear.
And when they would,
when they would have heard this,
they would have,
you know,
like in the movie
when there's the memory flashback
that comes
and you just see
the different scenes
of one's upbringing,
they would have,
you know,
Peter and Andrew and John,
they would have heard,
you know,
they would have been brought back
to the stories
of when they were children
and hearing of the God of Moses,
the God who revealed himself
to Moses saying,
I am that I am.
Or the God who spoke
to Isaiah saying,
I am the Lord your God.
Do not fear.
They would have heard
that divine name.
They would have heard
that God is with them.
And this story tells us
in a very powerful way
that in the midst
of our storms
or our fears
or our uncertainties,
the Lord mercifully comes
to comfort
and to rescue.
Jesus is saying,
Friend,
your body is failing you.
I am is here.
You're facing poverty.
I am is here.
You're feeling lonely.
I am is here.
You're afraid of the future.
I am is here.
You're feeling hopeless.
I am is here.
Your marriage
or your relationships
are crumbling
before your eyes.
I am is here.
And I think this is
further pointed out
by the bracketing statements,
Take courage
and do not fear.
These are words,
the most common commandments
of God in the Old Testament.
Take courage.
I am is here.
Do not fear.
Now, I understand
that sometimes
God comforts us
with the promise
of the future,
a future rescue.
And other times
he rescues us
as a sign
of the future rescue.
And so there's always that,
we're always pointed
towards that future
culminating rescue
when God makes
all things new
and brings us back
into his presence.
And this story tells us
that Jesus came to us
in our exile
and comes to us
ready to help.
Now, I often forget
that God is near
to my friends
and my families
and neighbors
who are now Christians.
I often forget that.
I often forget that God
is somehow
in his providence
near to them.
When I became a Christian,
I remember
kind of looking back
at my life
and being able to see
some significant moments
that I think the Lord
was kind of pointing to me
that he was there.
He was there.
He was directing me this way.
He was preparing me for that.
He allowed this to happen
so that I would cry out
to him one day.
It didn't make sense
to me then.
It made sense to me after.
And so this, I think,
is a very good encouragement
for us
to remember
that God is near
to our unbelieving friends
and families
and neighbors.
And this is part
of Matthew's thesis.
Emmanuel,
God is with us.
We pray
because God is near.
So what would you do
if you were
with the disciples
in that boat
in the middle of the sea,
in the middle of the storm,
and saw Jesus
walking towards you
and saying,
I am is here.
Take courage.
Do not fear.
I am is here.
Would you say,
Jesus,
bad grammar.
I am here.
Well, let's see
what Peter does.
Verse 28.
And Peter answered Jesus,
Lord, if it is you,
command me
to come to you
on the water.
And Jesus said,
come.
So Peter got out
of the boat
and walked on the water
and came to Jesus.
Now when I read this,
I don't see myself
in Peter's shoes.
I think,
wow,
like what an imagination.
Like he sees Jesus
walking on the water?
I want to walk
on the water too.
I just don't relate to that.
I'm maybe more fearful
or I'm more careful maybe.
That's the word
that I like to use,
but I'm just more
of a wimp.
I don't see these opportunities
and think,
wow,
I should do that too.
So anyway,
wow,
like what an imagination.
What,
you know,
what ambition
that Peter would ask Jesus
to walk on water with him.
It's worth noting
that many,
many people
have written,
you know,
very polarized
opinions on this scene
that Peter,
you know,
like Peter is testing the Lord.
He's putting the Lord
to the test
and that's why
he falls in the water.
So we shouldn't do that.
It's not a lesson for us.
Other people,
on the other hand,
say,
wow,
like Peter asked
and it was his faith
that led him to ask
and he walked on water
and the others,
they just stayed in the boat.
Like they weren't faithful
or they weren't full of faith
but Peter had faith
and we should be like Peter.
And so it's like,
woo,
like you're being pulled
into the two extremities.
Like what do we believe
about this?
Well,
I see this not as a prescription
but as a description.
I think we can get lost
when we focus too much
on the disciples
and try to gain,
you know,
too many insights from them.
We can sort of
get ourselves
into fog
when we do that.
I think that it's better
for us to focus on Jesus
and so I think,
you know,
I take the view
that our faith
and personality
aren't necessarily
isolated from themselves.
Peter's personality
and faith combined
had him ask Jesus
to walk on the water.
Okay,
good.
And both were involved
in his,
yeah,
in his request
but Jesus isn't surprised
by these
but he works with them.
He works with our personality.
He created our personality.
He works with our faith.
He gave us faith.
He works with both.
I don't see this
as a,
necessarily as a prescription,
however.
I see that as a description.
And what happens
in verse 30
is shocking.
Let's take a look
at verse 30.
It says,
But when Peter saw the wind,
he was afraid
and beginning to sink,
he cried out,
Lord,
save me.
And Jesus immediately
reached out his hand
and took hold of Peter
saying to him,
O you of little faith,
why did you doubt?
And so we see here
that even though Peter
had great faith
and then doubted,
that Jesus was merciful,
Jesus was strong,
Jesus was able
to pull him out of the water
and I think
this is what the text
is having us contemplate,
is the faithfulness
of Jesus
and the mercy of Jesus.
Now this brings up
some pretty significant questions,
some big questions.
Like,
you might be thinking,
like he actually,
like Peter actually
went out of the water,
unlike the others.
Like,
why did Jesus
speak so harshly?
Why did he say
you had little faith
and doubted?
Like,
isn't that,
isn't that a bit harsh?
Like,
is Jesus punishing Peter
for his ambition?
Can I have the next point,
Andrew?
Jesus may allow us
to fall
so that our faith
won't lead to arrogance
but to a call
for mercy.
Jesus may allow us
to fall
so that our faith
won't lead to arrogance
but to a call
for mercy.
And this,
this might be a bit hard
for us to,
to kind of,
you know,
wrestle with,
but it really does go
against what we would expect
if Jesus' sole purpose
was to cater
to our felt needs.
You know,
if we have that relationship,
if we think that we have
this relationship
with Jesus
where,
you know,
he should just cater,
he should just serve us
and he should answer
every,
every prayer
like we want him to,
that's not a relationship
and that's not how he works.
And I think
Jesus may allow us
to fall
so that our faith
won't lead to arrogance.
It won't lead to that
towering over God
and trying to put him
in a box
and say,
God,
you owe this to me.
But,
that we would cry
and call for mercy.
Jesus,
save me.
Lord,
save me.
That we would have
that posture
before him,
that posture
of humility.
And so,
we see in this story,
this very powerful story,
that God's mercy
forms the basis
of our faith
and sustains us
through our journey.
And this,
just by the way,
this is one of the reasons
why I really like
the Anglican way,
the Anglican liturgy.
I think mercy,
seeking the mercy of God
is at the very center.
And it's so easy
for me to become arrogant.
I become way more arrogant
than I become humble.
Who would have guessed?
But I have the suspicion
that you might have
that experience as well,
that it's way more easy
for us to become arrogant
or proud
or heart of heart
and think that others
owe us certain things.
You know,
when we drive,
like,
you cut me off,
well,
you better drive fast
because,
like,
I'm going to tailgate you.
I don't know,
like,
how dare people do that to us?
But,
but we're creatures.
We're fallen creatures.
And we're all in need
of God's mercy.
Now,
some of you
are probably thinking,
okay,
I can understand
that Jesus is merciful
by pulling Peter
out of the water.
That's very good.
That's very fine.
But he rebukes him
for doubting,
like,
we mentioned that
just earlier,
but,
like,
Jesus rebukes Peter
for doubting.
Like,
isn't that,
like,
isn't that just one
of those weird
religious tactics
to have people
completely buy into
the cult,
like,
without thinking
things through?
Like,
you're not allowed
to ask questions.
You have to just believe.
You have to believe
wholeheartedly.
No questions,
no doubts.
And if you have
questions or doubts,
God is going to be
angry with you.
God's going to curse you.
Is this,
is this what's happening
here in the text?
And I think this touches
on what my friend and I
were having a conversation
over.
You know,
is Jesus okay with
that one percent
of doubt?
Now,
doubt is a very,
very big theme,
and I can't unpack
the theme exhaustively.
There's someone
from our congregation
whose sole purpose,
his job,
in his job,
is to be a good doubter,
is to read proposals
and doubt every single
word and phrase
that is in the proposals
and report to say,
this is wrong,
this is not good,
this is not a good estimate,
this is bad,
you shouldn't do this,
and, like,
just completely doubt
everything that the people
sent him.
Other people,
like myself,
like I was pursuing
a music career,
and some of you
maybe are musicians
or are doing job interviews,
and your sole purpose
is to not doubt.
If you doubt,
you'll miss your opportunity.
You'll overthink things,
so you try to suppress
that aspect of you
that doubts,
and you just try to have
full confidence
in what you're doing.
But I understand
that many of us
are facing trials right now
that have us doubting,
so I want to be careful.
I've tried to think
of different degrees
in different ways
that we doubt.
I think one of the ways
that we doubt
as human beings
is that we use doubt,
we use skepticism
or questions
as a mask
or as a hand
that says,
I'd rather keep
my autonomy,
thank you.
I think a classic example
of that is Jordan Peterson.
We see him,
you know,
talking about God a lot,
but talking about Jesus,
no,
and then he has
very sophisticated ways
of walking around
the issues of the historicity
of the Gospels
and all that.
So in some ways,
he wants to adhere to that,
but no,
like,
if it's going to cost me
my life,
no thank you.
And we use questions
and we try to use doubt
in that way
to create a barrier.
And others who have
intellectual doubts
that,
you know,
if they were resolved,
we would happily embrace
the Christian faith
or some truths
about the Christian life.
like,
I just,
I'm struggling with Jesus
with this one thing.
Do you really mean that?
And we feel pressed inside
emotionally
where we're not sure.
But if the answer
were to come,
we would embrace
that truth.
We would embrace Jesus.
That's,
I think,
the second way
that we tend to doubt.
And the third way,
I think,
is
when we have
circumstances
that
bring trial
over us
and our emotions,
you know,
they get the best of us.
And we wonder,
God,
are you good?
Are you good in this?
Are you still good in this?
Are you faithful?
Are you going to be faithful?
God,
are you going to be with us?
Are you going to be with me?
And I think we see this
with Peter,
that he was convinced
of Jesus walking on the water.
Wow,
like,
Jesus,
invite me.
But then he saw the wind
and he got afraid.
And so he began to sink.
But what I find
really interesting
about this text
is that
there's no resolution
to the question.
Oh,
you of little faith,
why did you doubt?
Then it moves on.
We see in verse 32,
it just moves on
to,
and when they got into the boat,
the wind ceased.
See,
I think Matthew
used this question
as a rhetorical device,
as a very powerful way
to have
you and I
ask that question
of ourselves.
What is my doubt?
What is my 1% of doubt?
Is it
a mechanism
that I use
to preserve
my autonomy
and preserve myself
and do what I want?
Is it a license
to live my own
personal lifestyle
and enjoy
things that are
contrary to God's will?
Or,
you know,
are my doubts
really about
finding out more?
Is it true skepticism
where I would love
to have the answer?
And if you're in that
position right now,
if you're asking
those big questions,
feel free to talk
with me
or some of the others
after the service.
I would love to pray
and walk through
that with you.
And
for others,
you know,
it's really about
the goodness of God.
so-and-so
in my family
is sick.
Is God still good?
So let's see
how this story
wraps up
in verse 32.
We see here,
it says that
when they got
into the boat,
the wind ceased.
And those in the boat
worshipped Jesus,
saying,
truly,
you are the Son
of God.
And so here we see
in this story
the power of Jesus
as the Lord,
the sovereign Lord
over creation.
We see the mercy
of Jesus
walking towards
his disciples
who are in trouble.
He's walking on the sea
in the middle
of their trials
and he's there
with them.
We see his mercy
and he rescues Peter.
We see the big theme
of salvation
and worship
where Jesus
rescuing them
and ceasing
the wind
brings worship.
That they worship,
they see Jesus
and they say,
truly,
you are the Son
of God.
See,
this story,
Jesus powerfully
conquered the deadly
powers of the sea
and saved those
on the sea.
But this also
powerfully captures
what he would
later do
on the cross.
So if we have
our last point,
Andrew.
Jesus on the cross
is God's
strong hand
extended
to all who cry,
Lord,
save me.
Jesus on the cross
is God's
strong hand
extended to all
who cry,
Lord,
save me.
See,
you and I
are,
in some ways,
we're Peter.
We're sinking.
We're sinking
and we are
completely dependent
upon the rescue
and the mercy
of Jesus.
and there's no
better way for us
to contemplate
the mercy of Jesus
than looking at the cross
where Jesus,
the Son of God,
who was all-powerful,
gave up
his splendor,
gave up
his glory,
everything that,
all the praise
that was due to him,
all the praise
that he had in heaven,
he laid it down
and he came to die
for us
so that he could
offer the ultimate
rescue
over our
sin,
over our death
and he will one day
put all of creation
back into its
proper order
so that we will have
full harmony
with God
like in the garden.
Please stand.
Jesus can meet
you in the storm.
Jesus can meet
us in our fears,
in our uncertainties,
in our hypocrisy,
in our lack of faith,
in our doubts,
and any other situation.
Some of you have doubts
and again,
I invite you to come
talk with me after
or talk with someone else
and others of you
are feeling lost
or running away
and you know it
in the deep
parts of your heart
and you're wondering,
you know,
if I call out to Jesus,
will that be good for me?
Will that be good?
And I assure you,
it is good.
It is good to call out
to Jesus.
He will save you.
He will save you
from the deadly waters.
Let us pray.
Father,
you are the
ultimate giver
of life
and you sent
your son Jesus
that we might have life,
that we may have life
in him.
And I thank you,
Lord,
that you,
Jesus,
died on the cross
for us,
for our salvation.
And I pray
that the truths
of your gospel
would touch us
so deeply today
that,
Lord,
many of us here
would understand
the goodness
that comes
through our
relationship with you,
through repenting
and turning to you
and asking
for your mercy.
So,
Lord,
as we meditate
upon these words,
as we meditate
upon the cross
and what Jesus
has done
for us,
I pray that you
would bless us,
that you would
bless us
and grow us
and allow us
to know
that goodness
of fellowship
with you.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.