Finding Peter, Being Saved – Radical Discipleship Part VI

Sermon Title: Finding Peter, Being Saved

Good News Statement: Jesus rescues us with love

Preached: Sunday, February 13, 2022 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 14:22-33: Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Matthew chapter four-teen verses twenty-two thru thirty-three. Listen to the words of Matthew, the Humanist…

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, Amen.

 

Introduction:

          At the end of the 5th century, Roman Pope Gelasius officially declared the date of February 14 “St. Valentine’s Day.” It wasn’t until the Middle Ages, though, that the holiday became associated with love and romance. Here are some more fun facts about Valentine’s Day.

          Box of Chocolates: The Valentine’s Day tradition of giving a box of candy was started in the 19th century by Richard Cadbury, a scion of a British chocolate manufacturing family. With a new technique recently established at the company to create more varieties of chocolate, Cadbury pounced on the opportunity to sell the chocolates as part of the beloved holiday.

How ‘X’ Came to Mean ‘Kiss’:  The idea of using a kiss to sign off on valentines also has a long history, according to the Washington Post. The use of “X” came to represent Christianity, or the cross, in the Middle Ages. During the same time, the symbol was used to sign off on documents. After marking with an X, the writer would often kiss the mark as a sign of their oath. As the gesture grew among kings and commoners to certify books, letters and paperwork, these records were described as having been “sealed with a kiss.”

            ‘Sweethearts’ Candies Started Out as Cough Drops: The iconic chalky heart-shaped candies that have been passed out lovingly every Valentine’s Day started out as cough drops. These “sweethearts” were created by pharmacist and inventor Oliver Chase. Chase’s brother came up with the idea to print messages on the candy in 1866, and the candies got their heart shape in 1901, appealing specifically to Valentine’s Day sweethearts.

And lastly, in 1916, Hallmark’s Valentine’s Day greeting cards appeared on store shelves. About 145 million is the approximate number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged every February 14, according to Hallmark. Approximately $21.8 billion was spent last year on Valentine’s Day gifts according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). And this year it is estimated that $23.9 billion will be spent on Valentine’s Day.

After hearing some of these facts about Valentine’s Day, I’m sure some of you are probably thinking that Valentine’s Day is just another commercial holiday after all it was shared that $23.9 billion will be spent on Valentine’s Day this year alone. However, I encourage you, no I challenge you, to set aside the chocolates, the cards, the dinner reservations, the flowers, and focus on what has remained consistent for over 700 years. What has remained consistent about Valentine’s Day is the feeling and act of love.

This love is more than what Paul describes in his letter to the people of Corinth—that love is patient and kind and rejoices in the truth and bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things, and endures all things. This love that we share with others on Valentine’s Day is a love that says, “I notice you. Thank you. I am here for you.” It is also a love that says, “I have faith in you. I will never give up on you. I will take risks for you because I believe in you.” This love is what Jesus gives to Peter when Peter, while walking on water, loses his faith. The love that Jesus gives and the love that we share with others is a love that can rescue me, that can rescue you, and that can rescue anyone even when faith is lost. Jesus rescues us with love.

Opening Prayer:

            Let us pray…Dear Jesus, rescue you us: rescue us with your love. Allow today’s message to be a message of love and faith; and allow this message to be a reminder that when we, too, share our love, we are in turn rescuing someone in our own life. I pray that my words fall to the ground as your words settle in the hearts of those before me. In your name we pray, Amen.

Body:

In these verses we see a beautiful word picture of Peter walking by faith and not by sight and being rescued through love by Jesus. Peter here is stepping out of his safe zone, stepping out of his comfort zone, into the unknown not knowing whether or not he will be rescued if he fails the commands of Jesus. The “World English Dictionary” defines rescue in this way; ‘to bring someone or something out of danger, harm, or attack…and to deliver or save.” This story is about rescue on many levels. When Jesus sees people in danger, He responds out of love and saves them!

The storyline tells us all we need to know. Matthew 14:22-23 reads, “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone…” Jesus sent His disciples away from him to the other side of the lake. In fact, the text says, He “MADE” them get into the boat and go to the other side! Do you know why? Because that is where the gospel work is needed. That is where love and faith needed to be shared. On the other side of the Sea, opposite of those who Jesus just fed with two little fishes and five loaves of bread, await people like you and me who need to be rescued—who need to be loved. On the other side of our doors is a world that awaits to be rescued and loved.

Besides making his disciples travel without him, Jesus finds solitude in the quietness of a nearby mountain. There must be something spectacular about mountains in the Bible. Moses encounters a burning bush on a mountain which informs him that he will save the People of Israel—God’s chosen people—Moses receives the Ten Commandments on a mountain, Jesus is transfigured on a mountain. From a mountain, a person can see the world below. This is where Jesus begins to pray that the world below will be rescued and saved and experience a love that will never end (1 Corinthians 13:8).

The story begins to intensify. Matthew writes, “When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea” (Matthew 14:24-25). It appears that the disciples have encountered yet another storm at sea (Mark 4:35-41).  We discover the disciples doing what Jesus told them to do and going where He told them to go, but they were in trouble. Remember that, on the boat, was at least four professional fishermen – so they knew their way around boats and the water. But the text says, “They were beaten and blown about by the wind because the wind was against them.” There is no turning back now. Jesus is not sleeping in the stern of the boat this time.

Like the disciples, we are sent out by the very words of Jesus to do the work of Jesus even though we may not know exactly what we are doing. Jesus orders us to seek and save the lost: easier said than done! Many times, when we are brave enough to go and do His will, we find ourselves in a storm. The winds of the outside are beating us down and blowing against us; it even threatens to capsize our boat at times. It becomes unnerving, frightening, and discouraging.

It is in the midst of the storm that Jesus came to the disciples. This was personal. He had sent them out there and was not going to leave them to fend for themselves; after all he could see what was taking place from the mountain. It is the same for us. When we chose to step out of our will and into His will, we may well experience opposition, but if we’ll stay the course, He’ll come to us: he will pray for us and he will never stop loving us

Notice what comes next: “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost [or spirit].’ And they cried out in fear” (Matthew 14:26). It appears that the disciples were more frightened by the ghost or spirit walking towards them than the death-threatening storm wanting to seize and destroy their boat and lives. The waves which were beating up the disciples, was the path Jesus used to walk to them. Jesus did not calm the storm, “Peace! Be Still.” Instead, he walked through the chaos to rescue his people. He proved to the disciples that his love can overpower any storm. His response formed words of comfort, “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).  In other translations it says, “Don’t lose heart, I’m coming to the rescue.”

Peter, being Peter (there’s one in every crowd), wanting to confirm and affirm that this was Jesus said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28).  Peter’s statement can be stated like this, “Jesus, prove yourself! Do something that is humanly impossible”—like Jesus hasn’t done enough impossible things already. Sometimes, when our faith is weak – we ask for a special sign to assure us – and this is exactly what Peter was doing. I don’t know about you, but I have tried to walk on water…but have been very unsuccessful. Even when I listened to my older brothers, I still sank. But Jesus didn’t sink. He walked on water because anything is possible with God!

Under no obligation to do so, Jesus submits himself to the command of Peter, the same Peter who will deny him three times. Jesus simply says, “Come.” He didn’t tell Peter to watch his step, be careful about getting out of the boat, or even take off your sandals – He simply said, “COME.” When I read this word, I am reminded of how simply our Lord’s call to us is. He says, “Come. Come, follow me.” Is that not exactly what Peter was doing? To follow someone means you walk where they walk. Jesus was walking on water and so was Peter and so can we if you have faith and believe!

There is a hymn entitled, “Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go,” but what if He calls you to get out of the boat and step out on the water? Could you do it? Could you go? Could you walk on water? What would you do if Jesus said, “come”? It was a powerful response to Peter and it can be a powerful call to us. He calls us to walk where we don’t even think we can walk. He calls us to see the lost, to seek out the lost, and to share the love of Christ with others. He calls us to walk on “water” because he knows that if we sink we can call out to him to be rescued and saved by love.

Peter, beginning to walk on the water, noticed the strong wind and he became frightened and began to sink. Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). Lord, help me. Lord, I am disappearing; come find me. Lord, rescue me from the pits of despair. Lord, send your love upon me now. Some say, “Peter failed.” True, but at least he got to walk on the water. As long as his complete focus was on Jesus, he walked in victory. When he lost focus, He sank– but Jesus didn’t leave Him. Jesus still loved him. Jesus reached below the surface of the water to rescue Peter. Are any of you needing Jesus to rescue you today, to reach down and save you?

Even though Jesus blames Peter for having little faith and for doubting (Matthew 14:31), Peter did what no one else had ever done. Peter, being terrified and with little faith, was still able to walk on water during the storm. Why? Because Jesus never stopped loving him. Jesus found Peter when Peter was lost and seeking aid. When our focus is on Jesus, we’ll find ourselves doing what we think is impossible. We may find ourselves discovering people who need Christ and the church, and actually becoming the voice of the gospel for Christ through which people are being saved by love. However, when we do like Peter did and begin to look around, instead of at Jesus, we may find ourselves sinking in the waters of doubt. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus – bad things began to happen. Notice that Jesus hadn’t moved away from Peter though, rather Peter had simply stopped focusing on the One who was his source of strength. The result was that he began to see the storm and not the savior, so the storm began to swallow him.

How many times have we started out like Peter, full of faith and courage, only to look around at people, the task, or the situation, and begin to doubt whether we can do it, even though we know our Lord has called us to it? How many times could we retell this type of story in our own lives? We begin fresh and new on our journey of following Jesus’ lead – only to – lose our focus and begin to sink. We may sink, but Jesus rescues us with love.

Conclusion:

When Jesus immediately came to the rescue, two things happen: First, when Jesus rescued Peter and got into the boat with him, the storm ceased. Jesus has a way of calming the storm – when we commit to Him. Second, Jesus took care of Peter in such a way that everyone bowed in worship saying, “Truly, YOU ARE the Son of God.” This is the same response that the centurion soldier gives at the cross when Jesus breathed his last breath. Jesus is recognized by others for doing miraculous things: for healing the sick, providing for the poor, casting out demons, being resurrected, and walking on water. Jesus is also known for saving us, for rescuing us with love, and for finding us when we lose our focus and sink in the raging waters of life. It’s astonishing to realize that he saw all of this taking place from a mountain, the very mountain by which he was praying that his people would be saved.

The story of Peter and Jesus walking on water is a story that not only talks about losing faith, and being tossed about in life, but is a story that provides a message of being saved by Jesus’ ending love. Even though we may fail at times, God’s grace will always avail! Even though we may find ourselves sinking at times, God’s mighty hand will reach down to save us. Even though we may be terrified and lose our focus and become lost, Jesus will do the impossible to make sure that we are found. Even when the surface below us gives way, Jesus will be there to rescue you with love—a “Love [that] is patient…is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). His is powerful!

Jesus’ love is our life-persevere. Jesus’ love is more than chocolates, cards, reservations, and flowers. Jesus’ love is our saving grace that finds us during any storm. Do you need to be loved today? Do you need to be rescued and saved?

Closing Prayer: For our closing prayer, please repeat after me:

Dear Jesus, thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me. Amen.

Benediction:

Do you need saving? Do you need to be found? Do you need to be loved? This Valentine’s Day share the love of Christ with others. Let others know that they are loved by Christ and that they, too, can be rescued. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go, transforming lives as you live well and wisely in God’s world. Amen. Amen.