2819 Church - WISDOM AND WONDER | Growing Through Storms | Matthew 14:22-33 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

In Season 3, Episode 3 of “WISDOM & WONDER,” Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell illustrates the greatness and grandeur of Christ from Matthew 14:22-33. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

If you are new to our church, if you're sitting in the overflow, if you're in the lobby, if you're watching across the camera, we want to welcome you to 2819, where we are serious about the spread of the gospel and the multiplying of disciples. To all of our digital disciples watching live right now in cities all across the country and pockets around the world, we welcome you to 2819 Church. We love you. We get your emails, your DMs. We thank you for what Jesus is doing in your life. And if you're new to what we are doing, that is, if you're not a follower of Jesus Christ, you are not a believer yet, and someone brought you here, or if you're watching and you're not a follower, if you're overflow and you're not a follower and someone brought you here, you're

kind of hanging around the church, exploring the claims of Christ. We are thankful that you are here. We welcome you. We honor you. We celebrate you. We say you can belong before you believe. You can keep coming. You can even join a team. You can jump into a small group. You can get deeper if you want. You can belong before you believe. We are believing that a day would come by God's sovereign grace, has nothing to do with us, that he would call you into the kingdom by his own will and that you will be amongst the brothers and sisters. So we're just thankful that you're here. We are in a series called Wisdom and Wonder. We're walking through the book of Matthew together in this series, Matthew chapter 12 through 20. We don't want to presume you knew who Matthew was. He was a Jew who was outcast in

the first century AD. He was converted to Christianity by the Lord Jesus Christ. He worked for the Roman government. He became a follower of Christ, an apostle of Christ. He died for what he saw and believed in. He wrote the book that bears his name, and we are studying that book together as a church. It will take us two and a half years to get through that book. For all of our note takers, today we'll unpack together Matthew chapter 14, verses 22 through 33.

I heard they got AC in the overflow. I should preach from over there and stream to this TV right here. Is that true? They got AC over there. Shout out to all y'all that sit in the AC. Yeah. Yeah. Matthew chapter 14 will be in 22 through 33.

For this section of scripture, this periscope, we want to give it the title, Growing Through Storms. Growing Through Storms. Through storms. Eternal God and ever wise Father. Lord, we just humble ourselves right now and I just pray, Lord, that in my weakness, you would give me strength to properly proclaim your eternal word. Pray for all the brothers and sisters under the sound of my voice. Those who have gathered here and those who are watching that, Lord, you would just give us insight and revelation. I pray against every distraction, every care and every worry.

And Lord, it is hot. It is hot. It is sucking us of energy. And I just pray you would give us supernatural stamina. Just for a few moments to sit up under the teaching of the word. I pray for those who may be elderly, those who are battling with this heat. Just give us stamina, God. And Lord, we pray, God, for just a breakthrough from some direction.

That you would move on our behalf, God, Lord. You would just move on our behalf. And you would just help us to be good stewards while we are navigating difficult circumstances. And I just pray today that you would increase good soil amongst the brothers and sisters that the seed of the word would not bounce off but it would land and bear fruit.

I ask that in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ if you agree with me would you just say amen amen and amen amen growing through our storms.

Control room, give me my picture, please. Thank you. I want to start this message right here, where I snapped this pic in December 2018 while my wife and I were sailing on the majestic waters of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is really a very large lake that sits in the center of the Jordan Rift Valley in Israel where two tectonic plates are separating and as a result of that, a deep gorge was created that runs right down the nation of Israel.

As a result of that deep gorge, the Sea of Galilee is the second lowest point in the entire earth. It sits some 700 feet beneath sea level, only second to the Dead Sea, which is just south of the Sea of Galilee, which these are the two lowest points in the whole earth. So the Sea of Galilee sits in the bottom of a basin. Surrounding the Sea of Galilee is a mountain range. At some peaks, it rises to an elevation of some 2,000 feet. And because of the topography of the Sea of Galilee, that whenever the warm winds blow across the water and the cold winds blow across the mountain ridge,

the wind that comes across the mountain ridge violently rushes down that steep bank all the way down and it rips across the Sea of Galilee. And because of that phenomenon, what happens is that it creates very violent weather patterns on the Sea of Galilee. Because of the topography, the Sea of Galilee is known for having monstrous storms and very violent winds. And out of nowhere, just suddenly, it could be calm in a moment, and out of nowhere, a storm would churn up on the Sea of Galilee. Very violent weather patterns happened on the Sea of Galilee, and as a result of that, it has claimed many fishing vessels. It has also claimed many lives. of Galilee, this historic and majestic body of water where the Lord Jesus Christ called to himself

his very first followers, Peter, James, Andrew, and John. It was around the Sea of Galilee on its southern shore. There is a city called Magdala where an unlikely follower of Jesus claimed a female named Mary who Christ cast seven demons out of her, she would go on to be one of the first human beings that ever saw the resurrected Christ on that glorious Sunday morning. It was around the Sea of Galilee where the ministry of Jesus began to grow and flourish and blow up. It was around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus fed the 5,000 men, not including women and children that we talked about last week. That great miracle of multiplication of food happened on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee where

Jesus restored a man who had fallen. His name was Peter. You might be familiar with him, that Jesus is a God of restoration. And it was on the Sea of Galilee where a very powerful miracle took place in the first century AD. Listen to me. And it's that particular miracle among others that are akin to it in the Scriptures that gave us theological framework for this crazy marriage between the perfect will of God and storms that arise in our life. Something happened in the first century AD on the Sea of Galilee that gave us theological language for this marriage that is difficult for us to understand in America, this marriage between what's the perfect will of God and

hardship and trials and difficulties that he allows us to go through inside of his perfect will. You recall last week, we was teaching about that multitude that was fed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and they learned that he was the bread of life. He was everything they need for life and sustenance. The scriptures in their original languages was not written with chapters and verses. And so some of these things you have to read right through to understand the full context. So Jesus was just preaching all day. Jesus just fed a multitude. And on the heels of Jesus feeding that multitude, Matthew, who was on the seashore that day, he records this next incident in Matthew chapter 14 and beginning in verse 22. Matthew records, he says, immediately as an eyewitness, he writes, he made the disciples get into a boat and go before him to the other side

of the Sea of Galilee while he dismissed the crowds. So I want you to pay attention to the scene. Jesus has been preaching. Jesus has just fed a multitude. And then Matthew says, on the heels of everybody eating, Jesus immediately makes his disciples get into a boat. He sends them away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and he goes back and dismisses the crowd. I want to draw your attention to something in the text. I want to draw your attention to the word immediately. Why is it that as soon as Jesus finished feeding these people, he immediately sends his disciples away? He does not waste time. There is no lapse in time. As soon as the people are full, as soon as

he takes up the 12 baskets, immediately the Lord sends his disciples away. Why does he do that? Now, Matthew has a habit of not giving us details in his book. But John, who was also there that day, who was also an eyewitness, who was also on the seashore, he gives us some details about what happened in this moment, why Jesus sent his disciples immediately away. In John chapter 6, verse 14 and 15, John, who was also there that day, he writes these details that Matthew does not give us. Verse 14 of chapter 6, he says, when the people saw everybody pay attention the sign that he jesus had done that is the multiplication of food they said this is indeed the prophet who has come into the world and perceiving that means having discernment that's what more

christians need we need discernment perceiving that is discerning, that they, the people, the crowds, were about to come and take him by force to make him king. Jesus withdrew again to a mountain by himself. Now pause. The scripture says, John says, the people were fed and when they saw the multiplication of the food, they said to themselves, this dude must be the prophet. Man, let's go and form a coup. Let's have a political coup against the Roman government and let's make Jesus king right now. Jesus perceiving that they was about to form a coup to make him king right now, he runs from them trying to make him king. Now this is very powerful to me. Why does Jesus do this and why does he send his disciples away? I see two things happening

right here in the text. First, the Lord runs from a platform that was not his before his time. The people, the Lord knows he's a king. The Lord knows one day he's going to be crowned, but he knows the season has not come for him to be crowned a king. And so he knows that these people are in their flesh. They're being led by their flesh because they have been fed food. They're trying to move to make Jesus king, but the Lord sees that this platform is not for him. Y'all are trying to make me king outside of

the will of my father. Man, this is very important because I learned from the movements of Jesus that we got to be discerning to understand what platforms are not for us. And when we're trying to force something that is not God's will. And this is very important, especially in our generation, because we live in a generation of hyper-ambition. Everybody wants a platform. Everybody wants a stage. Everybody wants a mic. Everybody wants a light.

Everybody's trying to build these monuments for themselves. But the Lord knew that that will they were trying to give them was outside of God's will. That kingship they were trying to give them was outside of God's will. These people was in the flesh. Listen, and if the Lord was an insecure man, he'd have been like, go ahead and crown me then. Man, imagine if I gathered all of us and put you in that moment. Half of us is walking out with the crown and the tiara. But the Lord, who was so secure in himself, knew that this was not the father's will for him to be crowned in that moment man he turns down a platform that was not God's will for him because you and I got to learn to have discernment to know what to walk away from

that's outside of God's will not just because something is good that doesn't mean it's the will of God for you not just because a door opens that doesn't mean it's the will of God for you. Not just because a door opens, that doesn't mean it's the will of God for you. Not every open door is a God door. Not every handshake is a God handshake. Not every opportunity is a God opportunity. And so we got to have discernment to know it's not time for me to walk through that door. This opportunity is outside of God's will. And this is why we must

be led by the Spirit and not by our flesh. And why we must be led by the Spirit and not by our insecurities. Your insecurities will try to force you onto platforms before your time. Your insecurities are trying to force you through doors before your time. Some of us are so thirsty for everything other than Christ that anything that blows that sounds like an opportunity, we're trying to run through that door. We don't even take the time to have the sermon to say, you know what? This looks good. It looks noble, but it's not God's will for my life. It takes a secure person, a mature person to walk away from something that seems good, seems grand, seems glorious, knowing that yes, that door is open, but that's not God's will for my life.

Pay attention. The second thing the Lord does in the text, he sends the disciples away. Now pay attention. He, listen, the disciples are on the seashore. The people are in their flesh. The people are trying to force Christ into something that is outside of God's will. And the Lord does not allow his disciples to remain on the shore with the people who are in their flesh. So what I believe in an act of protection, he demands of them to get in a boat watch and he sends them away. He sends them away from the shore, away from that crowd, away from these people that's about to be outside of God's will. This is so powerful to me because the Lord does the same thing for you and I right now. How often has the word of God tried to send

you away from things that's outside of God's will? How often has the Holy Spirit tried to send you away from outside things that outside of God's will? You cannot even read the New Testament and not bump into things in which the word of God, the voice of the Lord is trying to send you away from things that are outside of God's will. Like the Lord is trying to send you away from immorality. He's trying to send you away from sexual immorality. He's trying to send you away from immorality. He's trying to send you away from sexual immorality. He's trying to send you away from lies. He's trying to send you away from false prophets. He's trying to send you away from strongholds in your mind. He's trying to send you away from bad company. He's

trying to send you away from gossip and slander. He's trying to send you away from sexual escapades outside of marriage. He's trying to send you away from bad company. He's trying to send you away from lustful practices, away from crystals and mystics and psychics. He's trying to send you away from thinking you are Sagittarius, a Libra, or a Capricorn. He's trying to send you away from divination from stars from mystics and psychics from witchcraft how are you a christian and you got crystals at the same time how are you a christian and an aquarius at the same time the lord is trying to send you away from depending on stars to guide you into your future and your

life. And if you read, read, read the New Testament, you will hear the voice of the Lord trying to send you away, watch, from everything that's outside of God's will for your life. You will feel the Spirit convicting you when you're about to step into something that's outside of God's will for your life. And for as much as you don't like that, for as much as you love cotton candy ministry, you love for your ego to be stroked, you hate conviction, man, when you grow up, you start to be thankful that the Lord loves you so much that he will convict you in your heart to send you away from everything that's outside of God's will for your life. Is anybody thankful for a loving father? Patty cake all you want.

It's only when we're immature, we only celebrate for things that make us feel goosebumps. Look at me. When I look over my shoulder and I think about all the things the word protected me from. And I think about all the times the Holy Spirit punched me in my soul and said, don't make that handshake. Don't make that deal. Don't walk through that door. Get out of that church.

Move from that city. Don't make that deal. Don't walk through that door. Get out of that church. Move from that city. Don't take that job. Man, all these things, the Lord was trying to send me away from things that was outside of his will. Somebody, he sent you away from a church that's outside of his will. Sent you away from, can I go deeper? Some of you, you've been crying about a divorce from somebody who was not saved for a very long time. And I know it broke your heart. But when you look at the person that you're no longer with, you realize God gave you an honorable exit from a bad circumstance.

That's why they abandoned you. The Lord sent you away from something that was not his will to begin with. The Lord sees the people in their flesh. And in what I believe is an act of protection, he gets his disciples out of there as quickly as possible. You're not going to hang out with people that don't want my will. He sends them away.

Verse 23. And after he dismissed the crowds for himself, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone stop i want you to see the wisdom of jesus right here in the text that's the series right wisdom and wonder now pay attention family the lord has just been preaching all day he has just fed some 15 000 people all day he's been healing the sick all day and as soon as he's done with the crowds he pivots and the first place he goes is into the presence of God.

He sends the disciples into the sea. He sends himself into the secret place. He pivots from his work and he runs to a place of holy solitude. I love this about the Lord because he's modeling for us that beautiful, healthy rhythm of work and solitude, work and holy solitude, labor and the secret place, labor and the secret place. I know what it is personally to have been preaching all day or pouring to people all day, and immediately after that that you're vulnerable. You feel weak, you feel tired, you're open, you're in a very vulnerable space. But we see this rhythm of God all throughout the New Testament. He pours out, He goes back to the Father. He pours out, He goes back to the Father. He pours out, He goes to be poured into. And so we see this beautiful rhythm in the life of Jesus of ministry and replenishment,

work and replenishment, labor and replenishment. Man, this is for everybody in ministry. This is for every parent, every single parent. This is for everyone with a strenuous job. This is for everyone who is a believer. Man, listen, it is not virtuous to have a hustle culture and be busy all the time and have no time for the presence of God. Let me say that one more time. There is nothing virtuous about hustle culture in which we don't have time for God's presence. If we're too busy for God's presence, we are too busy. We are kidding ourselves, and we are the God of our own lives to think that we can do the work of the Lord for a long period of time effectively without

being poured into by the Father's presence. And so we got to develop, listen to me, this healthy rhythm of serving the Lord, watch, and being with the Lord. Serving the Lord and being with the Lord. There's too many of us who make ministry your relationship. And you think as long as you serve and you have an intimate relationship with Christ, no ministry should flow out from the overflow of your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. And so Jesus, your Lord, gives you a model for what? Labor and replenishment. And we see this dance in the scriptures between prayer and power, prayer and grace, prayer and guidance. The Lord ministers, the Lord gets replenished. Now, if Jesus needed to get into the presence of the Father,

how much more do you and I need to get into the presence of the Father? Some of you are burned out because you don't have a prayer life. And you're weary because you don't have a prayer life. And you're frustrated because you don't have a prayer life. Some of you are actually trying to do this in your own strength. How far has that gotten you? I want you to notice this other detail in the text. It says, when evening came, he was there alone.

So that means if he dismissed the people and then evening came, Matthew is telling us that the Lord had been in prayer for a considerable amount of time. This is also very powerful to me because the Lord is modeling for us that we must develop the spiritual discipline of sitting in God's presence. That I understand there are times when you can only fire off a quick prayer and there is nothing wrong with that. But as a follower of Jesus, please hear me. We have to develop, hear me, we have to develop the discipline of knowing how to sit in God's presence for a period of time. Some of you are afraid to go into God's presence because you can't get beyond five minutes

in there. But I'm telling you, 20 years in, I have learned, man, that it's in that secret place. Hear me, God does his best work in your life in the secret place. I know what it feels like when I was a young Christian to think God is going to do his best work in my life when I get on a stage. Don't be offended. Look at, no, you know what? I take that back. Be offended. If you're offended, be offended for truth. I see some of you looking at me cross-eyed. Be offended for truth. Listen, we have to develop the discipline of knowing how to sit in God's presence. I thought that when I got on a platform, man, that was... Listen to me carefully. There is nothing we need more important than the presence of Almighty God. And God does

not do his best work when you're on a stage or when you're holding a microphone. That's not when he's doing his best work. He does his best work in you when you're sitting in his presence. Listen to me. It's in his presence, man, you can wring out your heart from all of your sin and failure. It's in his presence, man, where he could convict you about your sin. It is in his presence where he gives you guidance. It is in his presence where he gives you warning. It is in his presence where he transforms your heart. It is in his presence where he reveals himself to you at a deeper level. There are a lot of you who have not seen the Lord because you don't sit in his presence. You know the voices of men. You know the books of men, but you don't know the word of God and you don't know the presence of God. And God will do his best work in you, in your mind, in your heart, as you spend time sitting in his presence. Go for a walk. Listen to worship music. Find a quiet

place in your house. Lock yourself in a room. Find time during the week to get alone with the Lord, away from spouse, away from children, away from spouse, away from children, away from ministry, away from job, and just sit there in his presence. Pray, read the word, ask God to speak to your heart. Lord, show me me in your presence. And I want to go just a little bit further for those of you who are more mature. At some point in time, that time in a secret place can't be just six hours or three hours or two hours of just begging him for everything that you want. No, I'm serious about this. Man, as you grow, you realize

some of that time in his presence because you just want to be close to him. Can anybody agree with me about that? Like, I just want to be close to him. Verse 24. But the boat, by this time, was long away from the land. It was beaten by the waves, and the wind was against them. Stop. So I want you to notice, Matthew, who was in that boat, he said, by this time, he will tell us by the time in the next verse, by this time, the boat was a far way from the seashore. So they had been rowing in that boat for hours.

Now Matthew tells us as they were rowing in that boat, 12 men in a small boat, that the waves was beating against the boat and the wind was against them. Now Matthew does not write in detail, but this is code word, code language for the fact they sailed directly into a storm. When they left, it was calm, but now they're sailing directly into a storm. And it is here in this storm, there are nuances that speaks realities to things that happen in our life. Question, did Christ know what direction he sent them in when they left the seashore? Yes.

Did he know how far they would row before they got into trouble? Yes. Did he know that they would row directly into a storm when he sent them out? Yes. And now I want to bring your memory back to the words that Matthew wrote.

Jesus made them get into a boat and sail to the other side. It was not a suggestion. It was not their idea. He said, preacher, I don't get it. The Lord made them get into a boat and sail to the other side. The Lord made, forced, demanded, commanded, instructed them to get into that boat and sail to the other side. So if the Lord was the one who made them get in the boat and the Lord was the one that made them sail to the other side, the Lord was also the one that knew they was going to run into that storm. So it must have been his will for them to run into that storm. The same thing happens in my life and your life. Some of you and I know what it is to have a season of calm in our lives. We're inside the will of the Father. We are obeying the Lord Jesus. We're doing everything we know how to do and out of nowhere a hardship emerges some trauma emerges

some conflict with some people emerges some trial emerges some demonic attack emerges some warfare emerges all while we're inside the will of God because I want you to see not every trauma is from the devil not every hardship is from the devil. Not every hardship is from the devil. There's some things we label the devil, but it is God who allowed you to sail into that hardship. You was obeying Christ. You're inside his will. You're doing everything you know how to do, and a relationship splits. You get backstabbed, something you win fall apart. You and I know what it is, some of us, to be doing everything inside the will of God and then sail directly into some hardship that we did not want,

we did not ask for, we did not plan for, we did not script, we did not pray for. So we see right now they have sailed into a storm by the will of God. The same way I'm telling you, a lot of you are dealing with hardships right now, drama right now, issues with people, conflict issues. A lot of you listening to me right now are dealing with things that is not because you've done wrong, and it's not because God doesn't love you. It's because he actually sent you into that storm. It's the same way the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. So there are some trauma. There are some hardships. There are some trials. There are some things you and I will experience in this life that have been designed

for you to experience. The Lord has allowed you to walk into those hardships and trials. And I want you to notice, it says here, man, that the waves was beating against the ship. This is very powerful to me. That means there was rowing against resistance. This is very powerful because nowhere in the text do they try to turn around i learned from this moment that when you know you're inside the will of god you know you're doing the right thing you know you've made the right decision and you're feeling adversity as a result of that decision, that does not mean you should be deterred from continuing to go forward. Because I know what it is, and some of you know

what it is, to be tempted that you're moving in one direction, you've stepped out in something God told you to do, and all of a sudden you feel adversity. And then the temptation would be that because the warfare is so strong, because the winds are so strong, because things are not working out the way that I planned, I should just turn around and go back. Go back to what? You're going to go back to the seashore that you left? What are you going back to? You're going back to a life of sin? You're going back to the church God told you to leave? You're going back to the job he told you to leave? You're going back to the job he told you to leave? You're going back to the relationship he got you out of?

He told you to start the ministry and you're going to go back and abandon the ministry? Like, you have nothing to go back to, family. The only thing behind you is the season you have left. And there's only one direction in the kingdom and it is forward. So not just because you feel adversity inside of God's will, that does not mean you should be deterred from going back to where you came from. When you feel adversity inside of God's will, keep rowing forward inside of God's will. Verse 25. Now, this is crazy to me. And when people read this, you just read it and you keep going.

Like you've seen somebody do this before. And in the fourth watch of the night, he, that is Jesus, came to them walking on the sea. Stop. Family, this blows my mind. Okay? Because you ain't never seen nobody do this. I never seen anybody jump into a pool and walk across a pool. There are two powerful things in this text.

It says that at the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came walking to them on the sea in the middle of a storm. The fourth watch of the night is sometime between 3 and 6 a.m. Preacher, I don't get it. God, watch. That means they've been out there for like six to eight hours.

And if the Sea of Galilee is only eight miles wide, according to other writers and history, they have already rolled like five or six miles. Watch. They had almost rolled

across the whole sea in adversity. And the Lord waits until they're almost at the shore. The Lord waits until they're almost at the shore to come and meet them where they are. This is so powerful to me that he did not rush to get to them where they are. He let them linger in that trial for just a little bit of time. He let them linger in that trial for just a little bit of time he let them linger in that adversity for just a little bit of time man this is for all of us oh my god who knows what it feels like to

say lord i've been in this for a long time i've been dealing with them for a long time i've been dealing with this warfare for a long time i've been dealing with this problem in my life for a long time. I've been dealing with this problem in my life for a long time, but I want you to see that Jesus eventually, watch, came to them. Now, family, this is crazy to me. A man comes to the boat walking on the ocean. He's walking on the water. And we read that, and it's like, oh, Jesus walked on the water and we read that and it's like oh jesus walked on the water you ever seen somebody do that your family look at me i'm almost done muhammad never walked on water in fact muhammad never muhammad never performed any miracles joseph sm Smith never walked on water and never performed any miracles. Every progenitor of every religion, none of them has ever walked on any body of water.

Now watch me. Jesus could have gotten a boat and met them in a boat. He could have ran around the Sea of Galilee and met them where they was going. So why is Jesus coming to them walking on the water? I think for two reasons. The first one is in Psalm 77 and verse 19. In the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Christ was born the writer of Psalm 77 verse 19 speaks of God Almighty and says your way was through the sea oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god the Bible is heat your way your way was through the sea. Oh my God, oh my God. Watch. And your path was through the great waters.

Oh my God, watch. And your footprints were unseen. So the writer of Psalm 77 writes about a God that walks on water and leaves no fingerprints, no footprints. So now here comes Jesus. Hundreds of years later, sends his followers into a storm on purpose. And comes walking to them, a group of Jews who knew the Old Testament. He's walking on them on the sea. What is he doing? He's walking on the water and he's walking out

the word at the same time. He is walking on the water and fulfilling scripture at the same time. He is walking on the water and revealing himself to these 12 men at the same time. He's not walking on water to show off. He's not walking on water because he couldn't find a boat. He's walking on water because he is the word embodied in flesh man I feel we need a praise break for Christ who is the word made flesh This makes me feel some kind of way because I'm enamored with Jesus. He's not in a category with any other prophet.

He's not in a category with any other progenitor of a religion. The one I call Lord and Savior is filling out the old scriptures. He's filling out the old text. He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. He is the word and made flesh. John said, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, verse 14, and the word was God, verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. So I can't get close to Jesus. I can't hear the voice of Jesus. I'm looking for get close to Jesus. I can't hear the voice of Jesus.

I'm looking for the character of Jesus. I'm trying to learn more about Jesus. Man, anywhere you open this, you bump into Jesus. So if I'm one of the Jewish men in that boat, and I see him walking towards me, man, I know that this man is fulfilling scripture. But they didn't get it, though. They didn't get it. Matthew chapter 14, look at the next verse.

I'm almost done. Look, what verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. And they said, it is a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, take heart.

It is I. Do not be afraid. Stop. Family, I want you to see this. Now some of you, I hear every time people preach this, they bash the disciples for being afraid. Really? I know what it is to be out on the open sea in the middle of a storm. Some of you have been on a cruise ship. I know what it is to be on a cruise ship and standing on the deck in the middle of a storm. The rain has fallen. The wind is blowing. The ocean is trying to move. I'm looking out at the water. The water is black. The waves are powerful. You don't see anything in the distance. It's just great ocean and great storm and great waves and it makes you feel powerless and helpless. And in the distance, they see a figure, a ghostly figure walking towards them. Now, since you ain't never seen no man walking in water, obviously they're afraid.

And I know you dug out and I know you're brave, but if you was on that small boat in the middle of the ocean and see somebody walking towards you, my ninja, you know you would have been afraid too. They say it's a ghost. Look, many people died in the sea of galilee so the locals were superstitious about bodies that haunted the waters and so the disciples who have not been raised in that area they lean into the superstition you see what happens how fear makes you have bad doctrine. You see how easily fear can make you have bad doctrine. Anxiety makes you have bad doctrine. They're terrified. Watch. I'm almost done.

And they say it's a ghost. Now, family, pay attention. Nowhere in the text does the Lord rebuke them for their fear. This is powerful because I think one of the disservices we do in America is we make people feel bad for feeling afraid. Fear is a normal human response to something that is outside of your control. It's a normal human response to things that are changing. Anybody would have been afraid in that moment. And I want you to see the wisdom of the Lord, the grace of the Lord, that he gives them permission to be afraid.

He doesn't rebuke them because they're afraid. Just like he gives you, listen, he gives you permission to be afraid. Some of you have been afraid. The Lord calls you out of something to something. He calls you in a transition. Immediately you feel afraid. He tells you to step out of something to something. He calls you in a transition. Immediately you feel afraid. He tells you to step out of a comfort zone. Exactly one year ago before I came up on this platform,

he called me out of a comfort zone and I was afraid. And many Sundays I've came up here afraid. But the Lord has given me grace in that fear. He gives me his prayer. Look what he does. He doesn't respond to them with a rebuke because of their fear. He responds to them with comfort. And how does he comfort them with two things his word take heart that is his word and it is i that is his presence so how did the lord comfort these men in their fear with his word and with his presence

he uses the same thing to comfort you and I. When your heart is dealing with anxiety, when your heart is dealing with fear, when your heart is dealing with depression, loneliness, or sadness, I want you to know that you can find comfort in his word and you can find comfort in his presence. You can put your heart in the Psalms and find comfort in Proverbs and find comfort in the Old Testament and find comfort in his presence. You can put your heart in the Psalms and find comfort in Proverbs and find comfort in the Old Testament and find comfort in the New Testament and find comfort. I know we're always seeking for comfort from all these other vices, but the greatest vice you will ever have is the word of God and the presence of God. Many of you, myself included, know what it feels like to be dealing with trauma in your heart

you go and put yourself in god's presence you go for a walk you turn on some worship music you are away with the lord and then all of that anxiety it dies down anybody know what that feels like it just it just dies down why because his presence destroys that anxiety. Fear and God's presence, they almost don't coexist. That from the time you go into his presence, fear dies down. Anxiety dies down. Worry dies down. So he comforts them with his word and with his presence. The same way I'm encouraging you, when you need comfort for your heart, man, get rid of the vice and run to God's

word and to his presence. Now, stop running all the time to your prophet and to your favorite apostle and your favorite fill in the blank. And you're running to and fro behind your favorite apostle and your favorite prophet. And you're hopping on planes following your favorite prophet. Why don't you sit down in your house and open your Bible and get into God's presence? Some of you, you love prophets because you don't have a prayer life. You love chasing prophets because you want some easy, thus says the Lord,

into what your future is, not knowing the Lord can give you a revelation in his presence. I know, especially black people, you love anybody with the title prophet. You exalt them like they're Christ themselves. Yo, you give away your whole 401k after some prophet that made some $80,000 line.

And a year later, you just as messed up as you was before that. I know a prophet better than your prophet. He has a name that's above every name. I don't even know why I'm talking like that, but I rebuke all of us that worship prophets. Listen, honor men that preach well. Yeah, do that. Honor women that preach well. Stop worshiping these prophets.

Man, you got fools that take the title of prophet and you give them your whole savings account. It's the year of this and the year of that. Really? How are you going to say that to a whole room? You have no idea who's in sin. How many words have you gotten from that prophet that has fallen to the floor some of these prophets the only person profiting from their ministry is the prophet you'll be in tears and then you want to go run after your favorite prophet

listen the next time you find your heart in need, throw yourself in God's word and put yourself in God's presence. Read the scriptures. Read the scriptures. Read the scriptures. Read the scriptures. Go in God's presence. He comforted them with his word and with his presence. Move on, Philip.

Move on, Philip. Move on, Philip. No, no, no. Move on, Philip. Move on, Philip. Move on. Verse 28. I'm landing the plane and Peter answered him

Lord if it is you command me to come to you on the water and he said somebody just said to me, take heart. They told me it's the perspiration that's getting in the microphone because we don't have an AC and because we're trying to fix

a hundred thousand dollar problem and because we're doing everything we can to spread the gospel inside the constraints that we're dealing with and I don't know if it's my perspiration

or it's demonic. Nothing is going to hinder the proclamation of God's word. It's warfare. As soon as I get to the end. All right, let me hurry up before they give me a handheld. And Peter answered the Lord, if it is you, command me to come out to you on the water. And he said, come.

So Peter got out of the boat. It's crazy. And he walked on the water. It's crazy. And he came to Jesus. Stop. Now, family, I just want you to pay attention to this. Peter says, Lord, if it's you, command me to come. Like, we're afraid,

we see this figure, we think it's a ghost, and he shouts, Lord, if that's you out there, command me to come. Now, Peter has a reputation for being bold and being courageous and being impetuous, but family, you got to put all the verses together. Did not Jesus just tell them, take heart? Watch. It's going to make sense in a second. Didn't Jesus just tell them, take heart? It is I.

I thought my sheep know my voice. So if Peter, if you know my voice why are you asking me lord watch this word if if it is you command me to come what my word wasn't good enough my presence wasn't good enough i just said said to you, take heart in his eye. And that's not enough for you? Now you're asking me, Lord, if it is you command me to come? You know what Peter is fishing for? Confirmation.

You know what the Lord does not do? Rebuke him. I gave you a clear instruction and now you want confirmation? But grace. God. I gave you a clear word and you want confirmation? But grace. I gave you a clear vision and a dream, but you want more confirmation, but grace.

How many times has the Lord given you and I a clear instruction, and you're still waffling with doubt and unbelief? You're still wrestling with uncertainty. You say, Lord, I know I heard you four times, and I know what the pastor said in the sermon, but I just need one more word of confirmation. Aren't you thankful you serve a Lord who is gracious and merciful? Is anybody glad that Jesus has been patient with you? How many times have you know you heard from God, but he obliged you when you were seeking him for confirmation? And I want you to peep that Peter didn't get out that boat until he heard the Lord say, come. That he didn't step into something

until he had confirmation. So you see, the Lord gives you permission, watch this, to ask him questions. Some of you are so afraid of the Lord, you will never ask him questions. Lord, I know you're calling me to do this, but can you give me a little bit of confirmation? Can you give me some assurance? Can you give me some sign that this is what you really want me to do? And how many times has he

obliged your weakness and your need for confirmation? At what point in time do we give him glory and honor that he is patient and merciful and gracious? Is anybody thankful that the Lord deals with you in kindness and in mercy and grace and in the wrestle with your own doubt and your own insecurity and your own fear, he still gives you permission to ask him for confirmation. But family, we can't just stop there. Watch. Twelve men heard Jesus say, come, and only one hopped out of that boat. How many times have a whole church heard a word, but only a handful of people follow? How many times has a whole church heard God's voice, but only a handful of people follow? Peter will always be remembered as the only other human being that walked on water

as the Lord supernaturally sustained him. And the only reason that happened, because he had the courage to hop out of a comfort zone. I wonder how many things, man, will be written into your story when you hear God say, come, and you have the courage to hop outside of a comfort zone. I know it's afraid. I know you're scared. I know it looks nervous. I know you don't know all the answers. The Lord never gives you A to Z because if he did, you would never need faith. And there are some doors only open when we take that step of faith. There are some

things that unlock when we take that step of faith. Peter will always be remembered as the only other human being to walk on water because he heard the word come and he hopped out of a comfort zone. What is the Lord telling you to do? What confirmation has he given you? What are you waiting for? The Lord says, come, do it. Verse 30, but when they saw the wind, when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me.

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him saying, Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt? Minister Frank. minister frank look peter is walking on water and he's being sustained by the supernatural power of the lord as his eyes is on jesus this is very powerful because i want to encourage everybody in this room and whatever the lord has called you to do whether it's to be a parent do something in ministry write a book give birth birth. He will sustain you in anything he's called you to do so long as you keep your eyes fixed on him. But as soon as you get distracted, look at me, as soon as you get distracted by pride,

by arrogance, by chatter, by wrong voices, by trouble. As soon as you start looking to the left and to the right and you take your eyes off of Christ, for some of you, as soon as you put all of that self-reliance on yourself, you start to sink. And you know what this is like. You get distant from the Lord, you sink in your mind, you sink in your heart, you sink in your life. You sink in your relationships. The only thing that follows removing yourself from Christ is sinking. You go down. It's his love that he allows you to sink. To teach you that you can't do this in your own strength. He would be cruel to let you turn your back from him and you flourish.

So you sink in your mind. You feel empty on the inside. Things are not working the way they used to, but you disconnected from him. You turned away from his body. You took your eyes off of him. But I want you to see the Lord did not let Peter drown. Peter shouted really quick,

Lord, save me. It's a very quick prayer. And we see in this prayer, it is fervent, it is direct, it is honest, it gets straight to the point. He wasn't up there babbling for half an hour. He would have died. That sometimes when you're in trouble, you don't got time for a thesis. You just need to be honest with the Lord Jesus. Lord, I'm hurting. Help. Lord, I'm struggling. Help. Lord, I messed up. Help. Lord, I fell again. Help. You know what he wants in your prayer time? Honesty and fervency in your prayer. It should be with your whole heart, and it should be honest. And look what the Lord does. He reaches down, he grabs Peter and he pulls him up because every time you fall down in God's will, he will pull you up again. Every time you fall down in your hardships and your trials, if you're in God's will, he'll pull you up again.

Now, hold one note for me, Frank. There's a passage I want to read to you. I don't know if you got time for one more passage, but do you? Before I close, can I say something to you? This ain't the first time they've been in a storm. Why are you tripping? Matthew chapter 8, verse 23 through 27. At another ministry time, and when he got into the boat with them, his disciples followed him in the boat. And behold, a great storm arose on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves.

But Jesus was asleep. If I said we're going to the other side, Jesus is asleep. If he's with you, why are you afraid that he won't bring you all the way to the other side? And they went and woke him up. Lord, save us, they said. We're going to perish. And he said to them, why are you afraid? Oh, you of little faith. Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm because when we're in the presence of Jesus, he brings calm. And the men marvel saying, what sort of man is this? Now watch, pay attention. He calms a storm and they ask a question. What sort of man is this? Did you see that? He calms a storm and they ask a question.

What sort of man is this? So they're trying to figure out who is this man we've been walking with. And then sometime later, verse 32, and when Jesus got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat, they didn't ask what kind of man is this the second time. They worshiped him. Truly. God, this is so powerful. You are the son of God. Say, Philip, I don't get what you're trying to show us.

When he calmed the first storm, they're asking, who is he? When he calms the second storm, they're saying he's the son of God. The more they keep seeing Jesus perform miracles and teach and walk on water, their Christology of who he is is developing. Their knowledge of who he is is growing. Family, lean into the Christology of the text, that the text is not just about me telling you you're going to be a water walker or how to have water walking faith. Yes, we could talk about that kind of faith, but the greater emphasis in the text is not on you having faith to walk on water. You're probably never going to do that. The greater emphasis of the text is that Jesus walked on water so we would learn that he

was God in the flesh. The greater emphasis of the text is that we will start seeing Jesus for who he is. The focus on the text is not Peter. The focus on the text is Jesus. He is the hero of every single verse. Peter is not the hero. Yet every time we come to this text, we make Peter the hero. And then we tell you to have water-walking faith. And yes, you can have that type of faith, faith that does the impossible. But family, the greater thing in the text is that, watch, the Lord is developing their faith incrementally. He calms one storm. Who is this?

He feeds them with manna. People are trying to make him king. He walks on water and calms one storm. Who is this? He feeds them with manna. People are trying to make him king. He walks on water and calms the storm. They said, surely we've seen enough. This man has to be the son of God. And what is the revelation for you? Listen, that the victory in all of the trials that you survive is not just about shouting that you are a survivor. The real victory in all the trials that you survive is you're growing in the grandeur and greatness of who Jesus is in your life. That you look over your shoulder. See, you don't want to get excited about that because you want to be the hero of your own story. But the greater testimony in everything you have survived is not that you were strong,

was that Christ was strong in you. It's that Yahweh was strong in you. It was that Yahweh was the one who delivered you. It was Yahweh was the one who was merciful to you and my cry is when I teach the Word of God you will not be enamored by men or you will not be enamored by the person with the microphone but as we're walking through Matthew you'll be more enamored with the one you call Savior and Lord. No? No see let me talk to my American brothers and sisters. How did you know he was Jehovah Jireh? How did you know he was a provider? Didn't you go through a financial storm and the Lord made a way for you out of no way how did you know he was Jehovah Shama

how do you know that he was the God of your peace haven't your heart been trouble and the Lord gave you peace in the middle of some trouble how do you know that he was a healer haven Haven't some of us been sick, been broken in our hearts, our physical body, and he healed some brokenness in your heart? He healed something in your mind? A man got healed of cancer in our church, and then you knew he was a healer. How did you know he was faithful? You didn't know he was faithful until you was jammed up, and he came through for you when nobody could come through for you.

Watch. How did you know he was merciful? Think about all the times you sinned, you messed up, you failed, you've fallen short, and he didn't strike you dead like ananias and sapphira how many times has he forgiven you how many times has he given you grace the greater miracle in all of this is we keep growing in the revelation of who he is what is the point of having a testimony if Christ is not at the center

how did you know he was a savior if at some point in time in your past he did not rescue you from the domain of darkness. So let me close the message with this. I want to give you five things. You can take a picture of them when they come up on the screen that you can keep for the rest of your life. What do you use them for? Every time you go through a hardship,

a trial, a difficulty, warfare, conflict with people, when you go through these things and you're inside of God's will, I want to give you five things to remember because listen to me. God allows storms for two reasons. He allows storms for correcting and storms for perfecting. The storm he put Jonah in was to correct him because he was running in the wrong direction. The storm he put the believers in, these believers, was to perfect them, perfect them in their faith,

but perfect them in their revelation of who he was. So every time you go through something that God allows, not the storms you create because of sin and disobedience. I'm talking about the storms that God allows. That is, I'm in his will, I'm being obedient, I'm doing everything I know to do, and a storm emerges. Hardship, trouble, trials, conflict. There are five things in this text, and I just want to give them to you. My Bible is closed. Look, I'm done. Just remember, I'm not pulling them.

I'm pulling them right from the text. Five things that you can hold on to when you're in the middle of a God-allowed storm. You listening to me? You listening to me? Number one, the Lord led me here. I'm serious imagine the next time you're crying because hell is breaking out in your life but god allowed it and you sit down and think to yourself wait a second the lord led me here jesus was led into the wilderness the lord led me here if led me here, I'm supposed to be in this.

Straight from the text. Number two, the Lord is praying for me. Gosh. He was up on that mountain all night praying. You don't think he was praying for his followers? I mean, the text doesn't say, but I can posit that. I can lean on the text just a little bit. How? John chapter 17, did he not pray for all of you? So I know he prays for you. Romans chapter 8, he says he makes intercession for us. So when no one is praying for you, the Lord is praying for you.

Romans 8 says he makes intercession for you. So I know he was praying for them in that storm. Number three, the Lord will come to me. That is, I may not feel his presence in the moment. I may feel he's far away. I may feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. I feel like he's not listening. Do I got to fast? Do I got to turn something down? I don't know. But listen, if you're in a storm that he allowed, he will come to you. That is, at some point in time, you will feel his presence. You will feel his comfort. You will feel him all around you. He will come to you. You can open the scriptures and he will come to you in the word.

Number four, the Lord will grow me. Here's what I promise you. If you know how to live well and suffer well, everything he brings you, listen, every time you go through something, he is shaping you, perfecting you. He's transforming your character, your faith, your confidence,

your trust. He's going to grow you. That's why you don't just go through something, you grow through it. And the last one, the old saints used to say, the Lord will see you through. He will see you through. The old saints used to say,

if he brought you to it, he'll see you through it. There is nothing the Lord allows to blow up in your life that he will not get you on the other side. Just don't stop rowing forward in the will of God. That is my prayer for you, that you would not hold on to an American gospel that makes you think that your sailing with Jesus has

no storms or trouble, but that you would hold on to the promise of the scripture. In this life, you will have tribulation. You will have trouble, but take heart. I've overcome the world. Take heart. I'm there with you. I led you to it. I am praying for you. I will come through you. I will grow you. I will bring you through it. Isn't that what Jesus said? The one who died and was resurrected, he said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And so here, the next time you find yourself in a trial while you're inside of God's will, instead of staying in the basement in depression, sit down and pull these out and say, Lord, you led me here. Jesus, I thank you that right now you're praying for me and my community, they're praying for me. Lord, I feel your presence. You're coming to me right now in

the middle of this trial. Lord, I thank you. I don't see it now, but I know you're going to transform me as I go through this trial. And Lord, I'm thankful that I don't see it now, but I know you're going to transform me as I go through this trial. And Lord, I'm thankful that this will not last always. You're going to bring me out on the other side with a greater revelation of who you are and a greater revelation of my need for you. Be encouraged, my brother and my sister. That is my prayer for you. Father, in the name of Jesus, stay still.

Stay still. Lord, there's so much drama in this room. There's so many trials and tribulations happening in this room, in the overflow, in the lobby, across that camera. There are so many sons and daughters who are dealing with difficult circumstances right now. Warfare, trouble and conflict with people, financial trouble, bad news that came to them. Some of us right now are enjoying a period of calm, and we're headed for a storm, and we don't even know it. But Lord, I thank you for your word in advance. And Father, right now, I pray for all the brothers and sisters,

all of those who are inside the context of your will. I pray, God, in the name of your Son, that we will hold on to this Christological truth, that you are the bread of life, but you are the Son of God, that you will never leave us, you will never forsake us. You come walking over the raging seas, over the raging issues of our life. You come walking over those things, showing your dominance. You flex on nature. You flex on the devil. You flex in our circumstance, showing your grandeur, your greatness, your glory, and your power. And Lord, I want to pray for us that we would grow up in maturity. That as we're shedding tears, going through trouble, we would keep coming out on the other side. More intimate with you, more dependent on you, more in awe of you, that we would not turn the Scriptures

and Christianity into a platform to make men heroes, but we will keep seeing, Jesus, that you are the hero of every text. You are the hero in our lives. Lord, what do I want? Deepen the love of my brothers and sisters for you. Let them love everything you love and hate everything that you hate. I pray you would tear down every idol that's sitting on their hearts.

I pray you would have all supremacy over their minds and over their hearts. I pray, Jesus have all supremacy over their minds and over their hearts. I pray, Jesus, we would have a theophany like Isaiah, and we will see you high and lifted up. I pray, Jesus, we will see how gracious you are in all of our fallacies and failure. And I pray we would keep marveling at who you are, Lord Jesus, until just a thought of you, God, makes us feel weak in the knees like SWV. And Father, while heads are bowed, I pray for the one who is far away from you, those who are of the household of faith before the beginning of time. I pray right now, God, for the salvation

of some brother, some sister that's far away from you. Some person watching me on the camera, some person in the overflow or in the lobby. I pray right now they feel something welling up on the inside. I pray for those you are sanctifyingly saving them right now by the power of your Holy Spirit. I thank you for the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. I thank you, God, for the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that right now in their chair, you're snatching them from the fires of hell and you're bringing them into the kingdom of light. Right there in their chair, you're switching their address from hell to heaven. Right there in the chair, you're giving them a brand new name. You call them son and daughter.

Right there in the chair, you're sealing them a brand new name. You call them son and daughter. Right there in the chair, you're sealing them with the Holy Spirit and signing them in the Lamb's Book of Life. They are among those you knew before the foundation of the world. I thank you right now. Souls are being saved as the word is being proclaimed. I believe it by faith. I pray you would lead them and guide them into a deep intimate relationship with you and to all purpose and I pray everyone will leave out of this room encouraged, inspired and in awe of who you are. I pray we will look over

our shoulder and remember all the things you've brought us through. And today will be a day of rejoicing and praise for who you are. I pray a spirit of joy fall on this congregation now and awe and wonder for who you are in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.