STEP OUT OF THE BOAT?
Or
STEP INTO THE BOAT!
One morning as I was endeavoring to wake up I was staring at our fireplace mantel. Our fireplace mantle is adorned with several SNOW BABIES (Snow Babies are collectible figurines). Three of these figurines are boats with three babies in them. We have heard the phrase; “Step Out of the Boat.” This phrase is in regards to us exercising our faith and is referring to the scripture in Matthew 14:28-29(NKJV) And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
I was curious about how many hits Google would reveal if I put this phrase in the search engine; Step Out of the Boat. Google produced 52,500,000 results for this phrase. Thousands of sermons have been preached and several books have been written on this subject of exercising your faith. Here are a few titles of books on the subject (I am not endorsing these books because I have not read them):
Step Out of the Boat by Joel Osteen
If You Want To Walk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out of The Boat by John Ortberg
Step Out Of The Boat God Is Waiting To Do Miracles by Levi Land
What began to stir in my heart was: Before you can step out of the boat, you must get into the boat!
I believe the reason why so many of us fail in exercising our faith and begin to sink, is the fact; we have not prepared ourselves spiritually. Instead of becoming mature believers many of us have remained infant Christians.
I think a great question to ask ourselves is: What does the boat represent?
When Matthew 14:22-36 is read much focus is given to verses 28-31 and that is great; however, I think we need to take a serious look at the verses prior to and after verses 28-31. In Matthew 14:15-21 is the story of Jesus feeding the 5000+. The people are hungry and it was a deserted place without the availability for a food source. Jesus tells the disciples to give them something to eat. The disciples tell Jesus what they have and we know the story of how 5 loaves and 2 fish feed over 5000+ with leftovers. The disciples again witness more miracles.
In Matthew 14:22 (NKJV) it says: Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
Jesus made (strongly urged) his disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side, ahead of Him. Jesus gave the disciples an assignment; He told them what His next plan was for them. Great miracles were to take place on the other side in Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34-36).
Ask yourself, what does this boat represent?
- They had to be skilled (learned, taught) in order to navigate through elements
- A way the reach a destination
- Unity – working together to arrive at destination
- Safety through rough waters
- A means of life support, financially (a trade) and physically
- What needs to be done to the boat to make it sea worthy?
- What skills need to be honed?
- What supplies need to be on board?
- Is this all about being prepared to complete an assignment ahead of us?
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you other things this boat could represent.
Now let’s read these passages as a whole.
Matthew 14:22-36(NKJV)
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. (Jesus spends time in pray preparing for what is to occur in Gennesaret.)But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. (The disciples were skilled boaters many fishermen by trade, they were use to rough waters)Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. (3am-6am)And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. (In the dark it would have been difficult to see, chances are they had very minimal lighting.)But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (Peter is the one who asked to come to Jesus, Jesus only said come after Peter asked. I think the original assignment was for them to go to the other side.)So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. (And now great miracles are about to take place.) And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,
and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. (Jesus spends time in pray preparing for what is to occur in Gennesaret.)But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. (The disciples were skilled boaters many fishermen by trade, they were use to rough waters)Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. (3am-6am)And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. (In the dark it would have been difficult to see, chances are they had very minimal lighting.)But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (Peter is the one who asked to come to Jesus, Jesus only said come after Peter asked. I think the original assignment was for them to go to the other side.)So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. (And now great miracles are about to take place.) And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,
and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
I do not want to minimize the scripture where Peter gets out of the boat and walks on water until his faith fails…please do not get me wrong…however…
When we study the scriptures of what took place prior to Matthew 14:28-31, it is very clear Jesus was preparing the disciples to serve others as He was doing. Let’s read:
Matthew 9:35-38(NKJV)
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Matthew 10:1-8(NKJV)
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
You can also look up and read Mark 6:7-12, Luke 9:1-6.
Here again Jesus teaches the disciples how to serve the people.
Mark 9:18-19(NKJV)
And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”
Mark 9:28-29(NKJV)
And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
John 14:12-14(NKJV)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Also you can read Mark 16:15-18, John 20:21-23, Acts 1:4-7, Acts 2: 1-4,
Acts 2:38-39(NKJV)
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Now I could have spent several more hours developing this study and the blog would have ended up being 50 pages long (hum, maybe a new book on the horizon). I do not think you want to read 50 pages. So I encourage you, look up these passages in your Bible pray and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate and give you deep understanding. Ask the Lord to show you how to apply His Word to your life. To know how the serve the King we need to know how the King came to serve. Learn what Jesus did in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Learn how the disciples carried out the work of the Kingdom throughout the rest on the New Testament.
Conclusion: You need to get into the boat, before you can step out of the boat!! Have you gotten in to the boat?
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