This year for the month of June, the 9th and Main congregation has for its monthly theme “Increasing Our Convictions”. We started off this month by introducing the theme, and last Sunday we heard a lesson about how we need to be a more convicted congregation – one that is standing, “fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Php. 1:27). The Corinthian congregation had these words written to them so they could be more unified: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). I’m thankful that we’re already a unified congregation; however the more unified we can be the better off we are. These things being said, let us now focus our attention on how we can better ourselves by examining a lesson Jesus taught His disciples

In Matthew 14:22-33, we read of when Jesus walked on the storm tossed sea of Galilee. Before this event happened, Jesus fed “about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matt. 14:21). The text then says: “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away” (Matt. 14:22). Note that Jesus knew what was going to befall His disciples as they made their voyage across the Lake of Tiberias. The Master Teacher was going to use this event to teach the disciples a very important lesson. As this account unfolds, we learn that Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and the Scripture then says: “Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea” (Matt. 14:23-25). To put this into perspective, the Lake of Gennesaret took only a couple of hours to cross. As Jesus sent the disciples away before evening, they should’ve already made it to the other side. However, it was now the fourth watch of the night and the disciples were in the middle of the Sea tossed by the waves because the wind was contrary (the fourth watch of the night was from 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM), The disciples were getting nowhere fast, and Jesus knew it. The Lord now goes to them on the Sea, not by boat, but by walking on the Sea – a great miracle indeed! This shows that Jesus has power over the creation; after all He is the one who made all things (Col. 1:15-17). This gives us encouragement and hope knowing that no matter how difficult the storms of life are, Jesus can always help us in our time of need.

Furthermore, when the disciples saw Jesus “walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid’” (Matt. 14:26, 27). The words of Jesus are truly wonderful. He can speak words of comfort to us in times of great distress, which are able to help us make it through them. Notice the words which Peter said to Him in response. Simon said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matt. 14:28). As always, the words of Peter are surprising indeed. He could’ve asked the Lord to come into the boat with them, or to stop the winds and the waves. However, he didn’t do so. Peter desired to come to Jesus amidst the storms of life, and Jesus made that desire become a reality by only speaking a word. “He said, ‘Come’” (Matt. 14:29). Here we learn that Peter was walking “by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). After all “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). 

Brethren, as much as I’d like to say that the account ended there, I would be doing an injustice to the text. The Scripture goes on to say, “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (Matt. 14:30, 31). We have now the contrast between a faith that walks, and a faith that sinks. Today are you walking to Jesus by faith, or drowning under the storms of life because of doubt? Consider the life of Peter, a disciple that had his ups and down and his highs and lows. Here we’ve seen the little faith of Peter.  However, when fast forwarding in Peter’s life, we learn of the great faith he had to stand up amongst his people and preach the Gospel to them in Acts 2. Peter is a very relatable character indeed. Let us strive to imitate the great faith he had in that no matter how hopeless or difficult the current situation we’re facing may seem, we have the One who can calm the storms of life by our side. Jesus said to the eleven before ascending up into Heaven, “’I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matt. 28:20) This is one of the promises that we can trust with all of our heart knowing that Jesus will keep His word!

In summary, we’ve discussed what we as a congregation have been hearing preached from the pulpit, the ups and downs of the apostle Peter, and how we would do well to imitate the great faith he had later in life. Therefore, let us do as the wise man wrote: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Pro. 3:5, 6).