FOCUS ON CHRIST AND NOT ON OUR SITUATION

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘Lord, if it’s You,’ Peter replied, tell me to come to You on the water.’  ‘Come,’ He said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.  ‘You of little faith,’ He said, ‘why did you doubt?’ ”  Matthew 14:28-31 (NIV)  

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle Matthew.  While Jesus, The Christ, was in His hometown, He heard that John the baptizer had been beheaded by King Herod. (Matthew 14:1-12)  He then withdrew by boat to a solitary place.  Crowds followed Him on foot around the lake.  When he reached the shore, He saw a large crowd.  He had compassion on them and healed the sick among them. (Matthew 14:13-14)  As evening approached, His disciples told Him to send the people away so that they could buy food for themselves.  Jesus told His disciples to feed them and they replied that they only had two small fish and five barley loaves of bread. (Matthew 14:15-17)  Jesus told them to tell the people to sit down and bring Him the fish and bread.  He blessed them, broke them, and fed five thousand men plus their women and children.  They all ate until they were satisfied and there were twelve baskets full of left-over pieces. (Matthew 14:18-21)  Then Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and go back to the other side of the lake.  He dismissed the crowd and went up to a mountainside to pray.  Later that night, shortly before dawn, He walked on water out to the boat. (Matthew 14:22-25)  When His disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were afraid.  Jesus said to them, “Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid.” (Matthew 14:26-27)  That was when Peter said, “Lord, if it be You, bid me come unto You on the water.”  Peter walked on water as long as he focused on Christ.  However, when he took his eyes off of Christ and focused on the wind and waves around him, he began to sink.

APPLICATION

Christ is omnipotent and He can use His power to help us to do that which seems impossible.  Through Him we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)  Our God is bigger than our problems.  He is more powerful than the storms of life that we face.  In fact, He controls the storms.  He can calm the storms or give us the strength to go through them.  Either way, He will be with us.  We will survive the storms as long as we believe and focus on Him and not on the storm.