TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Morning Manna - September 12, 2025 - Matthew 14:22-33 - Faith That Walks on Water

Episode Date: September 12, 2025

In today’s Morning Manna: Faith Friday, we journey through Matthew 14:22–33, where Jesus comes to His disciples in the darkest hour, walking on the stormy sea. Peter’s bold step of faith quickly falters when his eyes leave Christ, yet his desperate cry, “Lord, save me,” is immediately answered. When Jesus enters the boat, the winds cease, and the disciples worship, declaring, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” This powerful passage reminds us that storms test our faith, but they also reveal the glory of Christ and draw us into deeper worship. Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc BurkhartYou can partner with us by visiting FaithandValues.com, calling 1-800-576-2116, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961.Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves!AmericanReserves.comIt’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today!Amazon.com/Final-DayApple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books!books.apple.com/final-dayPurchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today.Sacrificingliberty.com

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Morning Manna, and it's Friday, and that means it's Faith Friday, and we will be focusing our attention on the topic of faith. Also on Fridays, we go to the Lord's table for Holy Communion, so we invite you to participate with us at the end of today's lesson. Have bread and your choice of grape juice or red wine, and the only thing that we ask, as a good one, a condition to participate in communion is that you are born again and baptized and if you meet those qualifications you are invited to be in the Lord's supper with the rest of us from around the world for nearly two months we've been on this theme boat faith and today we're going to be studying Matthew 14 verses 22 through 33 in our first lessons our focus was obedience obedience before the storm

and then last week we we changed to trust trusting faith in the storm so we had obedient faith before the storm then we transitioned last week to trusting faith in the storm and eventually we're going to get to after the storm but today is going to be boat faith, trusting faith in the storm and I'm going to pray

invite the Holy Spirit and Doc's going to read Matthew chapter 14 verses 22 to 33 Almighty God our precious wonderful Heavenly Father Father we thank you you for this beautiful day. We give you glory and honor and praise. Father, we thank you. We are so

happy and grateful to have a Heavenly Father. And Father, we're grateful to have your son as our Savior and as our elder brother. And we are grateful to have your spirit as our companion and friend and guide and comforter. So, Father, we invite the Holy Spirit to lead this morning manna Bible study and teach all of us about faith in Christ. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. And just a reminder, at the end of our lesson today, we'll be participating in the Lord's supper.

And so please have bread and either red wine or grape juice available to participate in the Lord's table today. So let's keep that in mind as well. welcome everyone to morning man our faith friday edition here that we've been having here for the past almost now in early two months every friday uh dealing with both faith and so we're continuing that study right now we're in matthew chapter 14 today and we're going to pick up at verse 22 i'm going to read through verse 33 this morning so if you'll read along with me let's get right into our study this morning matthew chapter 14 starting at verse number 22 i'm reading from the king's

James. And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him to the other side while he sent the multitude the way. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. And when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went under them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying it is a spirit. And they cried out for fear, but straightway Jesus spake into them, saying, be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. And Peter answered and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said,

come. And when Peter was to come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried, saying, save me and immediately jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him o thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt and when they were coming to the ship the wind ceased in verse 33 then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the son of god god bless the reading of his word today amen now because there's so many verses in this reading, I'll have to be briefer in my teaching about each verse because we've got to get from verse 22 to verse 33. Typically, we don't do any more than four or five verses in

an hour, sometimes one or two. This time we have quite a few verses. What's the context of this scene? Well, in chapter 14 of the gospel according to St. Matthew, Herod had just just beheaded John the Baptist. And in verse 13, it says when Jesus heard of it, heard of the beheading, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart. And when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

okay and and so then in verse 15 it says when the evening came the disciples came to him and said this is a desert place and and the time is now passed meaning it's late all the stores are closed the restaurants are closed all the shops are closed see the time is now past it's it's after five everybody has gone home back in the cities they're in a desert place but the disciples are saying hey back there in the city everything's locked up. It's evening. And the disciples said, Lord, just, let's just send this crowd home. Let them, let them go to the villages. And Jesus said, they need not depart. Give them something to eat. And so this is where he fed thousands of men and women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish. So now we get to verse 22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship And to go before him unto the other side While he sent the multitudes away Now we have the context of today's lesson

Straightway It means not a straight line. It means immediately. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat. They just fed the multitudes. It was just an amazing miracle. With five loaves of bread and two fish, they fed thousands of people.

Jesus is a hero. The disciples are heroes. The people are looking at. at them as these are the people we desire to bring back the state of Israel this is a king

who can feed the people and Jesus immediately made his disciples get into a boat it says King James says and straightway Jesus constrained his disciples the word

constrained means compelled almost almost to the point of force yes yes yes where he was i can see him doc literally putting his arms around each disciple one of the times and get in the boat right and they were they're resisting they didn't want to go and in jesus is is kindly but for firmly pushing his disciples into the ship. Now, Rick, why do you think he had to compel them to do it, constrain them to do it? Well, that's a good question, Doc. Thank you.

Yes, that's a good question. I have my thought. I'd like to hear yours, though, first. Okay. I think I'll give you two reasons. Right. Number one, he did not want, he did not desire. I got to get rid of that word one. He did not desire his disciples to stay with the multitudes because the multitudes were looking upon them as heroes. And he did not desire that they get caught up in pride of thinking they were really.

somebody special and hey maybe we are going to be the new government of Israel look what just happened that's reason number one reason number two and I lean on this one I lean towards this one

that they didn't desire to leave Jesus behind he wasn't getting in the boat right they were like no no master no Lord Jesus come on get in the boat with us no I'm not going we're not going if you're not going we're not going yes you are come on guys get in the boat Lord you get in the boat and we will go with you know you get in the boat and I'm staying I think that's the conversation that was taking

place and they were like why are you doing this please come with us we we are not going to leave you here in the desert by yourself all night. I think that was their concern for him that he was planning to stay alone in the desert and they wanted to

obviously they loved him they desired to be with him they love being in his presence they cared about him they desired to protect him I mean think about it in their minds they're protecting

the son of God they still weren't they still didn't know he was the son of god right but they were kind of like his bodyguards we have to be here we have to protect you and i think jesus was just ushering them into the boat saying please guys just do what i'm telling you to do so he do you have a you have a different well i i've got a different one but it's being influenced by Charles Spurgeon last night. So I'm looking at, you know, the different commentators on this, and Spurgeon had a different thought on it.

And because Spurgeon asked the same question, why did Jesus have to compel the disciples, constrain them to get into the boat? And Spurgeon thinks it's because they saw a storm brewing on the sea, and they didn't want to travel by boat. In other words, was sending them into the storm. Now, that's interesting.

And Spurgeon, I like what he said about it. He said, it was safer in the storm in God's will than it was to remain on land without it. Yes. And I never thought about it. Looking across the water, they could see the lightning. Right. You know, just faint. It's out there.

you know hey there's a storm brewing that's a good point uh lord we'd rather stay here or it's safer if we stay here with you but but no matter which one of those it is no matter which one of the three it is and there could be other thoughts too the fact is jesus told them to go yes It actually came down to Jesus saying This is my will This is my instruction Are you going to obey me or not?

Right He compelled them He ordered them to get in the boat Yeah, so they may have feared To see at night, seeing the lightning flashing or they hesitated to leave him alone but here's the principle of faith faith often begins with obedience we do to an to an instruction we do not fully understand right the guys were looking at him said why are you doing this lord yeah now think about

the last lesson we talked about jesus was in the boat with them in the storm. Now, if we're using Spurgeon's example, Jesus is sending them into the storm without him in the boat. Ah, but the principle is still the same, Doc. The principle's the same, yes. And we're going to get there. Yeah. So they trusted Jesus's command more than their feelings. The lesson for us is to obey Jesus Christ, even when his instructions seem puzzling or risky. I am personally right now,

and I'm not going to explain what it is. I will later. I am personally dealing with what I believe is an instruction from the Lord that's going to have a major impact on my life and it seems risky and you know hey shutting down true news was risky but this one's even bigger he builds our faith he gives us instructions that we're like oh that are you are you sure about this lord

saying to him, Jesus, are you sure? You really, you really desire us to leave without you? Can't we just stay here with you? But Jesus, sometimes he intentionally sends us into a storm. Yes. And we have to accept it because we're sent into the storm to grow our faith. storms often follow acts of obedience but they are still under the control of Jesus Christ

I can think back over my lifetime as a young Christian where the Lord would give me instruction and I would obey it and a storm would come and Doc back then I didn't know Spurgeon, I didn't know McLaren, I didn't you know, and I didn't know anybody who knew them either. I didn't have any sound

biblical teaching. I just went to church. And you don't get often you don't get sound biblical teaching by going to church. Ironically, yes, that's true.

Yes. it's sad but it's superficial in today's modern age is so superficial surface level teaching touchy-feely kind of stuff but I would be puzzled Doc when I was a young Christian because I knew I obeyed Christ and then suddenly I'm in a storm and I can remember stopping to think

wait a minute first this happened and the Lord told me to do this I did this then he told me to do this and I obey and I'd retrace my steps

in my mind and I would think I didn't imagine that all those things happened and if that was all my imagination then I don't know God I don't know if I'm saying that was real

I know that I obeyed him but I'm in a storm and then I have I had the Job's friends well Rick you told everybody this is what the Lord told you to do and look at the mess you're in well that really hurt but now I look back and I realize he was building my faith I did obey him he did give me an instruction I did obey him and he and he sent a storm now sometimes the storms come from the enemy sometimes the enemy sends a storm but you know what even then the lord allows the storm to be sent so don't be shocked that you are in a storm immediately after an act of obedience amen but know this whether the devil brought the storm or jesus brought the storm he is still lord that's right and he's still lord whether he's in the boat or he's not in the boat that's right so the storm

is not outside his will but it's part of his faith training remember jesus does his best education his best training is always in the field he's not really a classroom teacher now like in this Bible study but every one of you he's going he's got field training scheduled for you yeah every one of you he has field training scheduled for you to then apply in real time in real life what you heard in in morning manner understand that Jesus Christ sends us into the storm and remains the Lord through the storm. This is an important principle in boat faith. It's the Lord who sends us into the storm,

and it's the Lord who is Lord in the storm. Praise God. And he's the Lord when the storm is over. Yes. To get into a ship and go, before him onto the other side. So once again, the boat becomes the classroom of faith. Go before him.

Go ahead of him. They were to journey without his visible presence. Doc, the other lesson was they had the visible presence. And he was asleep in the boat. this time he's not in the boat but the presence is there amen he's present when you can't see him he's present when you can't feel him he's present when you can't hear him what what you and i are going to get out of these boat faith lessons is that he is always present rely on his presence it's easier to follow jesus when you can see him when you can feel his presence

when you can hear his voice but it's a lot harder even if he's sleeping in the boat you can see him i'd rather hear a snoring jesus than then not to see him at all but it's much harder to follow him when you cannot see him, when you can't feel his presence. Our faith is tested when we walk by faith and not by sight. What does that mean? We walk by faith, not by sight. There are times we can't see Jesus. There are times when he deliberately.

disappears but he's not he's not he's just invisible at times but he's there that's the point i want you to understand he is invisible to our natural perception but his presence is there presence presence i i desire that you come through these lessons understanding his presence as what it's all about. Amen. So we have to trust him when he seems absent. And when he seems absence, absent, he is preparing to reveal himself more fully.

Think of that. Like, okay, I'm in a trial, and I can't find Jesus right now. I don't see him. I don't feel him. I don't hear him. I don't know where he's at. Here's what you've got to tell yourself. First of all, his presence is there.

He didn't desert you. He said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. Amen. But he's busy preparing a blessing for you. He's busy preparing your victory. He didn't desert you. He's just occupied preparing your victory. He's moving things around.

He's shaping things. he's altering the reality of the world for you he's going to bring you through the storm and this really foreshadows the mission of the of the worldwide church we are sent into this world while christ himself is not seen in this world and people go where is this christ you you christians have been saying for 2,000 years he's coming back where is he see peter said in the last day there will be mockers and scoffers saying where is christ look he sends you into deep water so you can discover his deep power it's all about his presence so while this is still verse verse 22 while he sent the multitudes away

He dismissed the crowds He displayed his authority And he displayed his care Yes He sent the crowds home He said go, leave I fed you, I healed you, I fed you Go, bye, go on

And we think, well, that can't be a loving Jesus Yeah, it is He's saying, get on with life, get on with life I healed your diseases as I fed you Now go on, go on get back to life okay see we just want to hang around and stay in that glory of when he does a miracle who doesn't but he'll say hey come on let's go we got things to do sometimes separates his disciples from public applause to teach us private trust.

And another thing that we see here is that he is both the shepherd to the multitude of sheep and to the few sheep. He's always the shepherd. And the shepherd decides how many are in the flock at the time. Matthew Henry Christ sometimes sends his disciples to see though he foresees a storm they must be ready to go where he sends them

though it be into hazard Alexander McLaurin he compelled them for their hearts clung to him and to the applause of the crowd but he would have them learn that faith grows not in excitement but in solitude and storm

we are not we are not we are not to see free church of Scotland 1800s the crowd would have made them kings a master made them sailors he constrain he constrained them away from danger of pride that they might meet the danger of storm and so learn faith. Yeah. Robert Horton, Congregational Church of England, he bade them depart from the multitude,

for disciples are not trained in the shouts of the crowd, but in the silence of obedience. I talk so many of today's mega churches, it's all about the applause, the crowd, the attention. Yeah. People follow religious

celebrities when they should be following the master. Wow. First 23. And when he has sent to multitudes away, he went up into a apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone Jesus was there alone

get a picture of what this was like I mean if anybody who's been to the holy land you know what the desert looks like the mountains the mountains are bare this is a desert these are bare rocky mountains he sent them he sent the multitudes away he climbed up into the mountain by himself to pray and when the darkness had come he was there alone jesus cared both for the crowd and his disciples but he expressed it in different ways he sent the crowd away as a crowd go home but he sent the crowd away as a crowd go home but he sent the disciples away from him. He was both shepherding king.

He went up into the mountain apart to pray. The one thing that we see here is that Jesus continuously prayed. There's an example of praying throughout the gospel. gospel the mountain represents solitude elevation communion he was alone with the lord and when you're alone with the lord you're elevated and when you're alone and elevated with the lord you're in communion with him that's right and here was his very son of god that dedicated time to be with the father and if it was worthy enough for the son of god then we need to question whether it's worthy

for us in our lives too how you know jesus made it a priority to spend time alone with the father do we make it a priority to spend time alone with the father yes yes and and i you know i can say i and i i i regret it that sometimes i got so bogged down so burden with managing this ministry that it cut into my prayer time. And I've got to tell you, I am so blessed that this year, the Lord has renewed that fellowship. Yes. I'm, I'm, I put it back into proper,

to its proper priority. Right. I need to be with him. Critics of Jesus. Critics of Jesus, say why weren't you in the boat with your disciples that's where your ministry is yes or why didn't you go ahead and continue feeding the crowds that's the greater ministry aren't you running away by spending time and prayer you shut down your you shut down your feeding program yeah you shut down your

teaching program and your feeding program to what pray you can pray anytime and not only pray but you isolated yourself from everybody else so he prayed as mediator he was praying for his disciples who were on the sea he was praying for the multitudes who were going home his understand this the prayer preceded the miracle miracle was he walked on water he prayed before he performed the miracle amen preach it rick the power flowed from communion with his father in heaven when when he left that mountain he said i feel so good i could walk on water and he did anything i could walk on that sea but how many times especially when you have a calling in your life

to ministry how many times are we um i hate to use the word seduced but it just how many times have we been drawn into doing work of ministry instead of being administering to the father it's so easy to do i mean it's so very easy there's always something to do there's always another project there's always another to-do list there's always something that's not quite finished there's always something to do but do we make it a priority to get the to-do done with the father and so when the evening was come he was there alone when darkness fell he was on the mountain alone where we learned here while his disciples struggled at sea He prayed on the mountain.

And that shows his constant intercession for us. Jesus intercedes for his people, even when they feel far from him. So when disciples feel alone in the storm, they need to remember that Christ is interceding for them. heaven we're never we're never alone he said i will never leave you nor forsake you while we struggle below christ prays above just get this into your head into your heart whatever you're struggling with today your lord is praying for you above he's on your side he's in your corner he is encouraging you amen amen amen he's not going to let you be overtaken john gill christ went up to pray both for himself as a man and for his disciples who were

in distress upon the sea and for the people he had dismissed Albert barnes he went to pray not because he needed to persuade god but to commune with him Alexander McLaren the night of solitary prayer explains the morning of triumph oh i like that that's McLaren for you and where did Alexander McLaren get that sentence in prayer he was in prayer he went on to say he who had been alone with God could walk fearlessly on the storm. William are not. When the crowd would have made him king, he fled to the mountain to pray. His safety lay not in their shouts, but in his father's smile. Yes. The king humbled himself

before the father. So Jesus, we are to be in the presence of Jesus, but Jesus taught us he desired to be in the presence of his father yes robert horton we note the balance of christ's life crowds below prayer above the kingdom advances not by noise but by hidden communion with god verse 24 i don't know if we're going to get through all these verses but the ship was now in the mist of the sea tossed with waves for the wind was contrary they were far from land no escape no quick return entirely at the mercy of the sea now doc this is interesting the greek word translated as mist

there is some interesting meaning in this word the word is stadion I understand it says when the ship was in the mist of the sea what is this word mist

stadion it means furlong race miles a certain measure of distance Doc, this word is used to refer to the distance of a racetrack

that's how this Greek word is used when you're talking about the distance of a racetrack what does this have to do with a sea Stodion is the total length, the distance God requires

each of us to run in our race of faith. Oh, wow. That is, doing all that he measures out to receive the full inheritance. It's the same word stadion. That's in 1st Corinthians 9, verse 24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all. but one receiveth the prize so run that ye may obtain it's the same word doc he sent the disciples

on a racetrack to measure the distance that they could go that their faith would be strengthened and built so that they would receive the inheritance it's funny you look up words and i look up different words and i never even thought to look up midst of the sea and there's a whole sermon just in that one word yes just in one word there's a whole message there the word mist symbolizes the depth the length the the the expanse of the trial that he sent them into right it's it's the place where your human resources fail and god's strength takes over and you know and that fits in with the idea there whether the disciples knew they were going into a storm or not jesus knew it and was sending them into it yes

sending them into that race if you will knowing that they faced a trial in the in the midst in the stadion of the storm that's great Rick that's that's great you know doctors may be hard to believe there was a day I used to I used to jog every day it was a long time ago and and you know I could easily jog three miles that was that was not a problem for me but I had a neighbor that would challenge me to go with him and he ran five miles that was that was the stretch i could barely make it okay every time i went with him i was i was pushing the limit this is as far as i can go five miles please don't go six okay what god did here with the disciples is he sent them five miles he sent them six miles okay he said i'm sending you out

there in a storm beyond your ability to cope with it yeah i'm going to i'm going to i'm going to i'm going to i'm going to test your faith i'm going to stretch it you're you're going to and they got to the point where they couldn't do anything they were beyond their human ability to save themselves I'm glad you're biblical now because Proverbs 281 says the wicked flee when no one's chasing them. That's why I gave up running. That's right. I'm not wicked. That's right.

So the sea was tossed with waves. Yes. That means the boat was being battered and the disciples were facing physical danger. they were on the verge of drowning and so there was great emotional turmoil yes anytime you're in a situation where a boat is ready to sink or a plane is ready to crash or whatever I mean it is emotionally stressful and don't confuse the fact that you're going through a storm that God is somehow punishing you or you're going through it because of disobedience. Jonah went through a storm because of disobedience,

but Paul went through storms because he was being obedient. Yes. And these men were obedient. Yes, they were doing what Jesus told him to do. He compelled them, constrained them to get into the boat and go to the other side. Whether they knew it was a storm or not, the storm came, and they were forced to deal with it. And obviously they didn't learn the lesson from Matthew 8. that Jesus with them, whether he's in the boat with them or not. That's right. So life storms will come upon us. Sometimes suddenly, sometimes they're violent.

They can be emotionally violent. But the tossing of the boat, the boat that we're in in this life, the tossing of the boat during a storm of your life is not, the abandonment of Christ but it is his preparation for revelation of his power oh glory

hallelujah so we've got to learn to ride the storm not in calm seas but in tossing seas in tossing waves that's where you learn to be a sailor that's right

you don't learn to be a sailor staying on dry land. Well, you're not even a sailor on calm seas. That's right. You're not a sailor until you have gone through a storm. Amen. For the wind was contrary. What does that mean?

The wind was opposed to them. The wind was opposed to their progress. All their human effort was wasted. Have you ever? felt in life like you're walking into wind i have i have felt this for years in my life like at times i'm i'm just tired of it it's like but i realize the lord has always been making me stronger like lord can you make that wind stop blowing in my face it's the wind of opposition He's like, no.

It's making you stronger. Amen. So we as disciples, we often find, we encounter resistance when we're walking in obedience. And that opposition comes from the world, from our flesh and from the devil. Contrary when here means hindrances. that make our faith weary. But again, faith is not proven in calm waters, but in contrary winds.

But even contrary wind is under the sovereign control of God. He sends it as a test, not as a punishment. Right. I mean, Jesus sent these men into a storm, knowing that the storm would arise. Matthew Henry, they were tossed with waves as the ark was to show that the church must expect to be so in this world. Yet it was in the way of duty that they were thus tossed. Amen. Adam Clark, this was permitted that their faith might be tried.

and that they might be prepared for a greater display of Christ's power. Charles Bridges, the waves that threaten to sink us are the very waves that teach us faith. Contrary wind is the discipline of love. Contrary wind is the discipline of love. That's going to stick with me today. Yes. Albert Barnes. The wind was against them.

So it often is in the Christian life. Every effort seems in vain, but it is in such seasons that the Savior manifests his power. Let's check in and see what Alexander McLaren said. The boat in the midst of the storm is the emblem of the church and of the individual soul. It is beaten by the storm, but watched by the master. Robert Horton, here is the paradox of discipleship. They obeyed his word and yet were battered by the storm. Obedience does not exempt from trial.

Here it is, Doc. Horton said, obedience does not exempt from trial. It ensures the presence of Christ. How do you ensure the presence of Christ? obedience obedience guarantees the presence of Christ does not guarantee the absence of storms of storms it guarantees the presence of Christ even in the storms Satan will say to you hey you remember last time you were obedient remember how I beat you up you don't want to do

that again but a mature Christian gets to the point and says, oh, yes, I do, because Christ is present with me. And I love his presence. I'd rather be beat up in the presence of Christ than to be calm in your presence, devil. Boy, can you really say that? Can you really, really say that? You will when you get in his presence. When you get in his presence, yeah, you can say it.

verse 25 and in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went onto them walking on the sea so we know the fourth watch is between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. It's the darkest, the coldest, most discouraging hours. They had struggled for hours. Remember when they left, the sun was just going down. It's now 3 a.m. Yeah. And I still remember on one of our trips to Jordan, we were driving through the night.

And when you're driving through the desert out there, when there's no lights in the city anywhere, it is dark. I mean, dark, dark, kind of dark I didn't even have when I was a kid. You know, back before all the city lights and everything starting to blur in the sky and stuff. I mean, it was pitch black, dark, and you can only imagine, you know, it's pitch black, dark, you're out there on the water, the waves are there. You hear the wave, but you really can't see them until they're right in front of your face. That's how dark it was. Or when the lightning flashes. Oh, my goodness.

And you get just that millisecond glimpse of a giant wave, you know, about to devour your ship. I mean, you've got to understand. this was this was truly contrary I don't know if I really I don't know if I've ever really thought about the time span they got in that boat as the evening fell and we're now at the fourth watch somewhere between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Right. So they had been struggling for hours in their own strength trying to survive. Yes. But Jesus delayed his coming to test their endurance. Do you hear what I said? He delayed his arrival to test their endurance in the storm. Why? Because he often waits until our human strength is exhausted

it before he reveals his supernatural power. Glory. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Amen. Remember this delay is not abandonment. His timing is perfect for our faith to grow. Our deliverance comes when hope seems gone.

That's why it's so spectacular. because then our faith rests in God alone. Yeah. He desires people, the scoffers and mockers, to say, well, that was God.

I don't know how he got out of that mess. I don't know what saved her. Had to be God. They were gone. For sure, they were going down. That's what the Lord wants. That's what he desires people to say.

It must be God. Yep. It must be God. and then Jesus went unto them he had never forgotten them he had been praying for them the whole time he came at the appointed time and he appointed the time amen he chose the time it wasn't like he was praying talking to his heavenly father and all of a sudden at three he goes oh i forgot the disciples oh i got to go i got to go see you father i got to i got to get out there on the water. No. He stayed in the perfect peace. He remained in the perfect

peace of the presence of his Heavenly Father. And at the appointed time, he walked on the water to them. He prayed on the mountain. Now he comes walking on the sea. He didn't walk on the sea until he prayed on the mountain. Christ will always come to his people at the appointed time of their need. He appoints the time. Yep. He sets the appointment, folks. And I'll tell you, Doc, I see a principle

of, you know, eschatology in this verse. The second coming, it will be in the world's darkest hour. Yes. He will come at the appointed time. Not the time that we mathematically figure it out, but his time. He came walking on the sea, a display of divine authority. Amen. The waves that the men feared,

Jesus tread under foot you understand that what we fear he walks on glory that's good Job Job 9 verse 8 he's the one who treads upon the waves of the sea he doesn't even wear he doesn't even wear wading boots yeah he treads with his kids because his his shoes don't even get wet that's right he doesn't wear waiters when he walks on the water or what if I go down it is no the only thing that's going to go down are the waves praise God What threatened to destroy the men became the pavement of the approach of Christ.

The very waves that threatened those men became pavement. I see those waves bowing down. The master's coming. Let us bow down and worship him. The master's coming. He knows he didn't command the seas and the waves to cease. He walked on them. Yeah, that's right. They eventually cease, but he walked on him. His delay is not abandonment.

He's never late. Storms are not signs of abandonment. He comes in the midst of them when we have run our race to our enduring. glory Christ has authority over the things that terrify you what is it that terrifies you right now is it disease

has somebody told you you have cancer has somebody told you you have heart disease has somebody told you you're facing financial bankruptcy these are the things that terrify us he has authority over them he walks on them let's look at

Charles Bridges the waves that were their terror were Christ's path so does faith learn that our greatest fears are but the steps of our Savior's approach McLaurene the waves were his pavement

the wind his service his servant he comes across the storm to bring his followers peace we are not he came not in the first watch lest they should forget their weaknesses nor in the second lest they should trust their skill but in the fourth when despair was near then they saw his glory Horton Robert Horton The coming of Christ in the darkest hour is the lesson of every storm

He delays that faith may grow But comes that despair may vanish Oh, what do I do, Doc? We're at I'm only at 26 We got it I'm going to try to get through it very quickly Verse 26

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea They were troubled saying It is a spirit And they cried out for fear Okay, here's another principle about his presence His presence was real But their perception

was clouded by their fear there wasn't anything mysterious about his presence but they couldn't recognize his presence because of their fear there are times when christ is absolutely present and we can't see him discern him because we're overtaken by fear sometimes we fail to recognize him

we've got to learn to recognize him we've got to learn to recognize him in the midst of the storm the same sea that terrified his disciples was the very place of his triumph but they couldn't see it initially because of their fear

yes they were troubled they were ready to believe it was a ghost rather than Jesus they were troubled why that's what fear will do to you yes they were troubled and because they were troubled

they couldn't recognize his presence and they said it's a ghost things are things have gone from bad to worse we're dying in a storm and now ghost is here Doc, they were probably thinking that ghost is telling us, this is the grim reaper coming for our souls.

Their faith vision was distorted. Here's why. Faith and fear cannot dwell together. Fear blinds you to the presence of Christ. so the storm and the darkness fed their imagination and then therefore they they mistook the real presence of christ as a ghost this is why we can't let fear come upon us when we're in a storm and they cried out for fear them. Again, they're like, how bad can things get?

We're out here alone in a storm. We're going to drown. And now there's a ghost coming. And that's when these guys probably started crying for their mama. Like, I can't take anymore. They were just overtaken by fear. but their cry they cried for fear and even though this cry was misdirected

it prepared them to hear the comforting words of Christ in the storm so don't let fear distort your vision when you're in the storm he's nearer than you think McLorrin the waves were solid beneath his feet but their hearts were tossed more than the sea

yes oh wow McLorren said fear created a phantom where faith should have seen Christ their hearts were toss more than the sea. Robert Horton, superstition interprets Christ as a ghost. Fear turns deliverance into terror.

Only faith sees clearly that the figure in the storm is the son of God. But straightway Jesus spake unto them saying, be of good cheer. It is I, be not afraid. It is I. It is I. He responded immediately, but straightway Jesus spake to them. Straight mean. straightway meaning immediately the moment they cried he spoke you know it's important

i'll go ahead the moment the moment they cried he spoke because his calm words will steady your heart and is it an interesting he started this passage with and straightway in verse 27 but straightway in other words he had control from beginning to end so doc here's that here's that here's this faith lesson again what did he offer them in the storm not the first thing he offered them in the storm was not deliverance from the storm but his presence amen And with his presence came reassurance. Oh, okay, it's Jesus. Jesus is here.

Okay, we're okay. Waves, you can go ahead and do whatever you want to do. Jesus is here. He said, it is I. It's the same word. God revealed to Moses. Exodus 314. It's the same word.

It's the Greek form of the same word. I am. Doc, it's the same. The Greek is I am. It's the same that God spoke to Moses at the burning bush. I am. I am. He identified when he said, I am.

It is I. I am. He's saying, I am the one who walks on the sea. I am the Lord of Creation. I'm God. The cure for your fear is not an explanation of the storm, but a revelation of his presence. Fear.

rest not on the absence of danger it i mean faith faith rest not on the absence of danger but on the presence of christ praise god it is i that word it is i am it transformed the fear of a ghost into the assurance of a savior be not afraid again he forbids you fear because fear and faith are incompatible whatever you're facing you have to banish fear miracles will not happen if you have fear mixed with your faith wow be not a lesson what a lesson Look, we have to get to the place that we see storms as the place where Christ says, Fear not, it is I. Let this bring comfort to you.

If you're in a storm right now, that Christ is saying to you, fear not, it is I. He has the power to calm seas and souls. with his words, with his presence. Charles Bridges, the voice of the Savior is enough to hush the tempest of fear. The presence of Christ transforms the scene of terror into a place of peace. Yes. Albert Barnes, it is I. This was sufficient to dissipate their fears.

Jesus came to them in love, and the assurance of his presence was enough. McLaren he did not explain how he came nor why he delayed he gave them himself it is I that is enough to scatter fear we am are not the medicine for their terror was his word it is I the sea was not calmed yet but their hearts were calm by his presence. See, we're backed boat faith is his presence, whether he's in the boat or on the sea. It doesn't matter. It's his presence.

Robert Horton, the command to cheer and the command not to fear, both rest on the revelation, it is I. Faith is built not on circumstances, but on the person of Christ. Amen. Wow. I know I'm so far over. Boy, what a message today, Rick. You want me to continue if we haven't had communion at. All right, I'll continue. do.

Verse 28. Do you want to do 28 to 32 next week? No, because I have another lesson. All right, folks, you get the bonus round. Okay, verse 28. You know, look, if you have to get out of it, just listen to it over the weekend. Amen. I know you have things to do.

You can listen to this over the weekend. Matthew 1428, and Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. Peter, always, he's the alpha male. He's the first to respond. He was eager, he was bold, but more than that listen

Doc this I saw it differently this time I always saw Peter's desire to get on the water is like hey I'm going to prove to you Lord

I can do just what you do I'm not going to be afraid I'm going to do this I'm going to walk on the water like you I've always saw it as Peter's Peter wants to demonstrate he's got faith but now doc i saw something different today peter said i longed to be in your presence

and if you're standing on water that's where i'm going if i have to get out of this boat and do something that's not humanly possible if that's what's required to be in your presence then count me in i'm coming coming. It was the presence of Christ that Peter longed for.

Not the demonstration that he could walk on water. Yes. At that moment, Peter said, my safety is with my Savior. Right. If it be you, tell me to come to you. Yes. Okay, so he said, Lord, if it be you. what did what did peter say verify it's you can we have a two-step authentication code here

what's your social security number jesus what's the last four numbers of your social security number okay lord if that be you could you send a code to my phone right now He said, I want to make sure I'm not trusting a ghost. Lord, if this is you, then here's the code. I need you to sin. The if is his language of longing. He desired to act only if Christ commanded him. He did not step out on presumption.

See, Peter always gets blamed of being presumptuous. Oh, he just got out of. the boat. No, he didn't. He asked for a commandment. He expressed his desire to be in the presence of Christ. Amen. And he knew the only way he could be in the presence of Christ was to do something it was not possible to do. Walk on water. But he didn't just jump out of the boat, say, here I come. He said, Lord, if that's you, command me to come to you. He sought the Lord's He was bold, and yet he acquiesced to the Lord's authority, bid me to come on the water. Peter didn't ask for the safety of the boat.

He didn't ask for safety in the boat. He asked for the nearness of Christ. He said, I'm safer. standing on a stormy wave next to Jesus than I am in this boat. Did you get that? When the storm of life is raging in you, you're safer standing on the stormy waves next to Christ than you are in whatever boat you're in.

Peter didn't say save this boat he said bid me to come he's like who cares about the boat we can all walk on water we'll walk to the shore let's go let's just be with Jesus he desired fellowship more than security his faith long to be with Jesus even if it meant leaving all human

assurances and support platforms hey when you're a fisherman the boat your feet is used to standing on the bottom of the boat yes not walking on the water but I mean, after all, what's the purpose of a boat?

To keep you from going in the water. Yeah, that's right. But Peter did not move until Jesus commanded him. Now, look at this. Peter, Peter's faith turned a storm into an opportunity for fellowship. At that point, Peter didn't care about the storm. It was still storm. when he said, I'm getting out of this boat

if you tell me to. The storm, he was oblivious to the storm. The presence of Christ was all he desired at that moment. So the miracle began not with walking, but with the request.

Faith seeks permission. Not self-will. The permission of God to grant your request. So our faith should be bold, but always in submission to Christ. It is better to be with Christ on stormy waters than without him and a safe boat. John Gill, Peter does not rashly leap into the sea. see, but desires Christ to command him, showing both faith and dependence on his word.

Adam Clark, Peter, wished to go to Christ, not for bane glory, but from love. Yet he would not attempt it without the Lord's command. Charles Bridges, faith dares the impossible, if only Christ bids it. Love longs for his presence, though the path is on the stormy wave. Albert Barnes This showed the ardor of Peter's attachment His willingness to leave all for Christ

and yet his dependence on Christ's command Alexander McLaren Peter's rash eagerness had in it a true core of faith. He desired fellowship more than safety William are not

Peter asked not for the calm shore but for the rough sea if only he might be near his Lord love love counts no danger if Christ is the goal Robert Horton faith does not leap in the dark it waits for Christ's word

Peter's request was bold but not reckless for it rested on the Lord's bidding verse 21 and he said come and when Peter was come down Out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. One word, come. That's all you need to walk on water.

Come. Come. That word became stepping stones in the water. Peter put his feet on the stones in the water. He didn't walk on the water. He walked on the word. You get that in your heart. Get that in your mind.

He didn't walk on water. he walked on the word come his faith was in the word of god and you would think rick when peter started walking on that water out to jesus surely one of the other disciples say you know what i'm going out there too but not a single other one did it no they were in awe of what was going on and when peter was come down out of the ship he didn't hesitate the moment he got to to command he immediately obeyed to command that's what he was waiting for hey you say the word i'm coming leaving the boat meant forsaking the last human security he had that boat even though that boat was going to sink in the sea that was it that's all they had the boat you know we

have a saying here you know i'm down to my last rope okay what does that mean after this I'm done I don't this is it I'm down to my last rope well he was down to his last boat that thing that thing was ready to go down he got out of the only thing that could possibly get him to shore and there was no assurance it was going to make it so faith always requires action obedience turns God's command into experience and the walk of faith always involves risk because we have to leave behind what feels safe in order to trust Christ alone to be in his presence

if you desire to be in his presence is your desire great enough to walk into a storm where will you go how much risk how much danger will you face to be in the presence of christ jesus wasn't afraid of the storm he created the storm he created the seas when you're with the master when you're with the creator there's nothing to fear he walked on the water to go to Jesus. He walked on the water.

He walked on the water. He walked on the water. Doc, the miracle was not walking on the water. The miracle was walking to Jesus. Glory. Amen. So, the

purpose of our faith has always got to be fellowship with Christ. Not just spiritual power for the sake of spiritual power. This is why Jesus said in the last days when he comes back people saying Lord Lord Lord

I did these miracles in your name and he's going to say I don't know you I don't recognize you. You know why? They weren't in his presence you only know people who are in your presence Doc this is the this is the principle about

presence the people who he will turn away when he returns are those who were not in his presence. I know you not. I don't recall spending any time with you. Do I know you? That's what he's saying to people when he returns. Excuse me.

Have we met? Yes, I used your name. I understand that. You used my name, but did we ever meet? Did you ever come over to my place? Did you ever walk with me on a stormy sea? Did you ever, did you learn peace in my presence? So Peter's faith transformed a stormy sea into,

a place of communion. The impossible became possible because his faith rested on the word of God. Faith is not about mastering the circumstances of life. It's about moving toward the master. He walked on the water not for the purpose of walking on the water, but to go to Jesus. what's the point of walking on water if you're not going to jesus amen

we are not faith took the word of christ as its stepping stone without that word the sea was deep and devouring with it the sea was as solid as rock i like that way Robert Horton, faith lives on a single word from Christ. Come. It was short, simple, sufficient. Peter obeyed, and the impossible became possible. The impossible became possible. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink, crying, Lord, saved me. He began well.

His faith was fixed from Christ, but then distraction set in. instead of looking at Christ he looked at the storm again fear and faith cannot dwell together amen the wind had been there all along been there for hours but his perception shifted from faith to fear he was in fear is that a ghost is that you lord is that you if it's you tell me to come he got out of the boat his faith is his perception is now on christ He's focused on Christ, and then once again, he turned his attention away from Christ and looked at the wind, looked at the ways, looked at the roaring sea, and fear came back on him. This is what happens, our faithful falter, when we focus on the storm of our life. so these these trials are magnified when we measure them against ourselves instead of measuring them against christ

he was afraid fear entered where faith weakened again faith and fear cannot dwell together courage is lost when the eyes are turned from christ and we start looking at our our danger. Fear is a faith thief. It robs you of confidence and it paralyzes, it neutralizes your previous obedience. Yes. And beginning to sink.

sinking is the natural result of fear fear was triumphing over faith sinking was the natural result of fear triumphing over faith so the same sea that held him up now threatened to to drown him because his

he took his eyes off the savior right and notice that it was the same wind and the same waves when he was in the boat right and the same waves and the same wind when he was walking on the water right but notice it says and the eyes off jesus that was the key but beginning to sink that word beginning actually shows us the mercy of christ Peter was not allowed to drown, but only to stumble. Fultering faith is not failure if it quickly returns to Christ.

You will falter at times in life. Don't hate yourself for it. Just get your focus back on Christ as quickly as possible. And cry out to him. him and cry out to him. And so what happens? Jesus takes Peter's weakness, and he makes it an opportunity to display his power. Peter cried, Lord, save me.

Well, at least he got that right. Yes. He knows Jesus didn't say, you know what? You've got to learn, Peter. Now, come on. Yeah, I'm going to let you go down and get a lung full of water. you'll learn this lesson that's not what the Lord did

won't you no no Robert Horton the Robert Horton said the weakness of faith is not the end of faith

if only it turns again to Christ with the prayer of Lord save me McLearn when he looked at the storm down he went when he looked at Christ up he came verse 31 and immediately Jesus stretched

forth his hand called him and said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore did thou doubt notice Jesus' response was instant immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand

the moment Peter began to sink the hand of Christ was there saying hold on Peter Christ does not delay his help when we cry for help his nearness

was revealed at the moment of Peter's weakness see again the devil will tell you oh Christian saint I noticed I notice your faith is wavering

and you got some fear in you you're not as big and bad as you said you were are you? See, the devil will try to get you to now be afraid of your fear. Yeah. Yeah, he'll try to get you to be afraid of your fear. You're going to sink now. Oh, your Lord's going, he's going to walk away from you.

No, he's not. His hand's going to reach out to you. He doesn't punish us because we have momentary weakness. He stretches his hand to us. If we cry, if we cry to him, Lord, save me. Yes. Lord, I made a mess. Save me. Lord, I got myself into some.

I can't get. Save me, Lord. I'm here. And he's he, oh, I'm here. His presence is there. The saving hand. of Christ demonstrates his willingness

to rescue you in your faltering faith. He did not allow Peter to sink beyond recovery. Grace is swifter than failure. Oh,

Lord, have mercy. Grace moves at a speed we can't comprehend and caught him the grip of Jesus's hand secured Peter when Peter's own strength failed the hold of Christ on our hand is stronger than our own he said I'll never leave you no one will take you out of my hand he said that you in the book of John no one will take you from my hand praise god he's got you says he was caught

and jesus caught him as he was sinking jesus caught him he holds tightly to those who cry to him then he said oh thou of little faith this is not a this is not a condemnation he acknowledges peter had faith but it was little but little faith can walk on water yes you got to see that little faith walked on water it what he didn't sink because he had little faith he sunk because he took his eyes off jesus yes little faith is sufficient to walk on water he didn't say no faith he said little faith

what was jesus doing growing strengthening their faith and you know there's been i don't know if you recall back in sunday school class or even going christian bookstores where they try to depict the scene and some of the scenes it's peter he's down to his neck and water reaching out or there's this one portrait where you see Jesus, he's up above the water and Peter's looking as if he's, you know, four or five feet below the water reaching up. It's a great picture, a great image, but that's probably not the reality of the situation. He was just beginning to sink.

Yes. Now, maybe it was ankle deep, maybe even halfway up his calf, not, maybe his knee. He was just beginning to sink. He didn't sink. You can be sure. You can be sure, Doc. Peter screamed, save me as fast as he could say it. Oh, sure.

He didn't wait until he was gurgling with water. That's right. So then Jesus said, wherefore did thou doubt? He's probing Peter's heart. Peter, why did you doubt my presence? Why did you doubt when I'm present? This was puzzling to the Lord. I'm here.

What made you doubt? See, doubt is unreasonable in the presence of Christ. So, this rebuke, wherefore did you doubt? It reveals the root of the sinking. It wasn't the waves, but it was Peter's wavering heart. So Christ will always call us to examine the causes of our doubts, our fears, our unbelief, and then he'll strengthen our faith to replace those things with trust in his presence.

Alexander McLaren, the outstretched hand is swift to save. The searching word is meant to heal. Faith that ventures on Christ can never utterly fail. Amen. Praise God. R.F. Horton, he does not abandon Peter to his fear. He saves him and then teaches him. them christ rescues and then reasons delivering body and soul together

verse 32 and when they were come into the ship the winds ceased when people miss this verse completely they miss what do they miss they walked back to the boat together and Jesus got in the boat they walked back to the boat Peter walked on the water again he walked on the water again but this time in the presence of Christ

right see this time Jesus has got his arm around Peter's shoulder Peter we're going to do this again I'm as close to you as anything nothing's going to hurt you you're not going to fail

I'm here I'm with you Peter you can walk on this water and Peter's yes yes Lord yes I can do it now I can do it you're with me and they both Peter and Jesus got into the ship and when they both got into the ship

the wind stopped now you might be asking if Why didn't Jesus stop the wind before then? Because he was going to build Peter's faith. That's right. And the faith of the disciples that were still in the boat. What did you fail at?

Jesus says, get in my presence and we're going to do it again. What did you fail at in life? Jesus says, now that you recognize my presence, we're going to do it again and we're going to do it successfully. together together and when we do this together that storm is going to stop I don't know about you but I'm having church over here this is this is good Jesus didn't say hey Peter I just looked at my watch I got an appointment I got to go yeah we got to get over to Gnestra there's a demoniac

over there we got to get to but he didn't say hey peter there's the boat get yourself over to it i got to go i'll meet you on the other side he didn't abandon peter after the sinking he walked him back in safety in fellowship so so the boat represents restoration community what's the community the other disciples were watching this whole scene they were all there bug-eyed

jaws dropped bug-eyed like what is going on did I just see that they all learned through Peter's experience your faith walk will teach others and other people's faith walk will teach you we are in this together

the boat is the church and the church sometimes goes through stormy seas but we're in this together amen he didn't leave his disciples in failure he restored them with his presence he got in the boat what is it in your life that's that's stormy right now he's going to get inside of it he's going to take a seat inside

your life where whatever is stormy when you get into his presence when you take your eyes off the storm the wind ceased amen immediately upon the entry of christ in the boat the storm stopped his presence brings calm that's because the sea was under his sovereign command the storm fulfilled his purpose and now it was done yeah the lesson was over there was no purpose for the storm now the lesson was completed and when faith learns its lesson christ brings peace in the storm hallelujah look the true miracle the true miracle in this story is not the calming of the sea it's not peter walking on water it's the strengthening of faith yes that's the miracle

So storms are temporary classrooms, and when their purpose is finished, Christ speaks peace. And we all need to hear this. Charles Bridges, the storm fulfilled its work to try their faith. then at his presence the tempest hushed into silence for nature knew her lord Adam Clark when Christ is in the vessel the storm ceases all is calm where the savior is Albert Barnes the storm was hushed at once the lesson was plain that Jesus had absolute power and that he would protect them Alexander McLaren he entered the boat and the wind sees the peace of his presence is greater than the fury of the storm.

Oh, I like that, Doc. The peace of his presence is greater than the fury of the storm. What storm are you in right now? What storm is the peace of his presence is greater than the storm you're in? don't seek the Lord to come to end the storm seek the Lord to come to be in his presence we beg for God to stop the storm but we don't beg for his presence

oh it's his presence that stops the storm oh doc when this is over I got some thinking to do I got some shouting to do William are not

the tempest fell silent when the master entered the waves had served their purpose they had brought the disciples nearer to their Lord William Horton Robert Horton the calming of the sea is the seal of a whole miracle when Christ is welcomed

into the boat the storm ends and peace prevails. It's not the miracle. It's the seal of the miracle. Yes. In verse 33 then they the day that were in the ship came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the son of God and there's the testimony so the storm ended not

with high fives but with worship Glory. Glory, glory, glory. Worship is the true response to the saving power of Christ. Their fear gave way to reverence. Their doubt gave way to adoration.

So the presence of Christ in the boat turned the place of fear into a sanctuary of praise they had church in the boat they broke out into a church service

in a boat listen to this true boat faith always leads to worship it sees Christ not just as the deliverer but as our Lord see we we we desire him to be our deliver but are we desiring him to be in our presence

who hmm why do you keep poking me today rick why that's the word saying of a truth thou art the son of god this is the first recorded confession of jesus as the son of god that's right The very first time, thou art the son of God. It was at that moment, look at this. At the moment, they almost drowned and they see that his presence brings peace. That's the moment it was revealed to him that he was the son of God. It wasn't the calming of the storm.

It was the calming of their hearts. that's when they saw that he was the son of god not when the storm disappeared and was calm but when their hearts were calmed in his presence see these outward miracles don't reveal that he is the son of god it's your it's your recognition of his presence that opens up your spiritual eyes to see that he's the son of god Jesus, Lord. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Of a truth. Of a truth. That means certainty. All doubt was removed. They knew that's the son of God. They said, he's got divine authority over creation. He's got authority over fear. He has authority over our souls.

So in this one experience, these fearful doubt, young men matured in the storm the storm was necessary for them to see that he is the son of God amen worship and confession worship and confession go together the lips speak what the heart believes Matthew Henry when the storm was over they not only acknowledged his power but confessed his divinity

those that have been saved by Christ's grace should worship him Charles Bridges the end of the storm was adoration the waves that threat to sink them brought them to their knees in worship oh man your storm will bring you to your knees and

when you're on your knees in the storm worship him hallelujah worship was not forced but natural the only fitting into such an experience yes glory to god are not are not the storm ended in a creed and a hymn thou art the son of god was their creed worship was their hymn got to watch this old scottish preachers they tell it like it is robert horton the confession thou art the son of god is the fruit of discipline through storm the rough sea had been their teacher but christ their revelation all right doc that's it all right well rick would you pray for us first

this message today was a challenge to our faith once again they got that little faith idea there. Jesus didn't condemn Peter. Peter had faith. Peter was walking on the water. But when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, that's when he began to sink. We're guilty at times to taking our eyes off Jesus and his presence. Would you pray for us today that we would keep our eyes on him at all times? I would. Heavenly Father, Father, Father, Father,

thank you for your presence today yes thank you lord it's your presence in this morning manna class that is blessing us it's your presence i pray father for your presence to be manifested wherever our classmates are located right now that your presence would extend uh to Every single person's home, office, workplace, wherever they are right now, let your presence be there with them. Father, forgive us for not understanding the importance of your presence and emphasize other things in our spiritual walk. Good things. Nothing wrong. Good things.

But we put them above your presence. so father from now on we're seeking your presence yes if we don't have your presence we're not going on we're not going forward we're not getting out of the boat until your presence is there yes we're not taking on any other projects unless your your presence is there we're not going anywhere unless your presence is there unless you bid us to come it's your presence that we need we're not going to complain about the storms we're not going to fear the storms we're going to cling to you your presence it's impossible to hug you too tight it's impossible yeah in the storms sometimes we're afraid but we're going to hug you yes lord we just hug you because

we're afraid, but we know to be in your presence. So now, Father, we enter into communion with your son, and we believe in his real presence. We believe in his real presence in Holy Communion, that his presence is in the bread and the wine. Yes. We can't explain it. We can't understand it, but we believe it. that he is present in the elements of this communion.

And so, Father, prepare our hearts. Forgive us of all sins. Forgive us of all doubts and fears and unbelieve. Of distractions, whatever it is that takes us away from your presence. And, Father, go ahead and just set up more circumstances in life that brings us into your presence. Lord we love your presence and we hunger for more presence in Jesus name amen oh hallelujah lord we love your presence Lord we love your presence Lord and we seek your presence hallelujah thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord hallelujah oh you are the son of God hallelujah glory to God

hallelujah praise god well we're about to enter into the fellowship of communion here today and if you have bread and either red wine or grape juice you're a confessing believer in jesus christ and you've been baptized in water according to scriptures in the name of the father son the holy spirit and we invite you to participate in the lord's table today and we always ask for blessing over the elements of lord's table before we enter in into it over the past two faith Fridays the Lord has taught us about his presence and he just drove that point home again this week and every time we do go through and participate in the Lord's table we're recognizing his presence in the elements of communion yes we're recognizing his presence

and I want to be as close as I can, Rick. I want to be as close as I can. I don't want to look at the waves. I don't want to rest in the security of the boat. I want to be with him. And he invites us to be with him in the Lord's table. So by faith today, we walk out onto the water. and believe in his presence

in the elements of the Lord's table. And if you're in agreement with me on that, say amen. So, Almighty God, in your tender mercy, you gave your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. He offered himself and made once for all time a perfect and sufficient sacrifice

for the sins of the whole world. He instituted this remembrance of his passion and death, which he commanded us to continue until he comes, again. So, Father, we ask you to bless and sanctify with your word and Holy Spirit these gifts of bread and wine that we may partake of his most blessed body and blood. Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed once for all upon the cross. Therefore, let us keep the feast. Hallelujah. On the night that he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, take eat. This is a

my body, which is given for you. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Praise God, hallelujah, your presence, Lord, your presence, Lord. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given for you, preserve your body and soul everlasting life. This is the bread of heaven, take and eat in remembrance that Christ died for you. After supper, Jesus took the cup, and when he'd given thanks, he gave it to them saying, drink this all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me. Praise God, your presence, Lord. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul to everlasting life. drink the cup of salvation and remembers that Christ's blood was shed for you and be thankful. Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are invited to the Married Supper of the Lamb. This sacrament is the gift of God for the people of God. Feed on Him by faith. Amen. With Thanksgiving that Christ died for you.

Glory. I don't know why, Rick, but this communion is so special today. I just sense his presence in such a real way today. Yes. Praise God. Hallelujah. Doc, I believe that our country and perhaps the whole world is going into a storm. He's preparing his people.

He's preparing his people. When your neighbors and your relatives and your friends and your co-workers are fearful, you need to show them the presence of Christ. You won't sink. He won't sink. He won't let you. No. Now when you're operating in faith, he will not let you.

He won't allow it because it's his glory that he's seeking. His glory that he's seeking. He won't let you sink. He wants you to. walk on water he wants it and even when others are still back in the boat he wants you to walk on water amen it was he desires not only that you walk to him on water but he he desires to then turn and walk with you back to your boat back to your boat your boat your house your business your family he desires to walk back with you and get in it with you you know it just occurred to me rick

that was probably peter's boat he got left his boat he left his entire life to get that boat yes he left it all behind to get to jesus didn't mean anything to him doctor's a message here from nathaniel to you doc would you uh believe that this special day is the 24th birthday for my daughter she just arrived after 9-11 wow we were in the storm then as my wife was in labor pains that but that we were frightened to have a memorial of that dreadful date and ask god to assist she delivered early morning on september 12th she just arrived home from another city today for grateful celebration we overcome the storm and pray for many that lost loved ones during 9-11.

So, yeah, happy birthday to your daughter. Yes. Nathaniel. Everybody, go about your day, calm and confident. And like, you know what? Storms don't scare me anymore. Storms are an opportunity to be in the presence of my Savior. Right.

Jesus knew that there was a storm coming. He sent his disciples ahead anyway. Yes. He knew it. And folks, there's a storm coming here in the near future, but we don't need to be fearful of it. We don't need to be afraid. We know that there's a storm coming.

We can see it on the horizon. Maybe we see the lightning flash. Maybe we can hear a little bit of thunder. We might even see some of the waves appearing on the water right now. There's a storm coming. we've got to be willing to be obedient to the Lord and do what he's told us to do even if there is a storm and you know what took place

what took place in Utah this week with the murder of Charlie Kirk that was the turning point his organization was turning point and that was a turning point in this crisis yes so see what you're holding in your hands doc any hour today, we're going to release the book online. Today's the day. Today's the day.

Yep. Okay. If you're on our newsletter list, we'll make sure that you get the announcements. We'll be watching your email. But I'll also post, as soon as we get the green light on everything, I'll post it on faith and values, the link and everything. We got to check a couple things yet, just to make super, super sure. everything's working right, but Rick's book will be available today.

And it's on its own separate website. All that will be released here today. And no matter where you are, you'll be able to order this. And so today is the day. And when we were talking about a storm on the horizon, out on the sea, folks, this is the storm that's coming. Yes. This is a storm. But you don't need to be fearful.

You don't need to be fearful. why because you're seeking his presence you're not looking at the at the storm you're looking at jesus you're seeking his presence not you're not seeking oh how do i how do i avoid the storm what's going to happen to my boat no get with him get in his presence today's the day folks make a fire today isn't a few people have asked whether i'm going to autograph yes i'll be Marcy, yes, we'll be autographing them if that's something you desire. All right, I've got to

go. And you'll be able to have a place on our website that we have that you'll be able to select your, you know, either a regular copy or assigned a copy. Okay, so you know, don't have to do anything special other than make a choice.

So, praise God. Okay. Hallelujah. God bless, enjoy the weekend. We'll see you. See you on Monday. Yeah, I'll float. over all the weekend while float in on Monday. God bless you. We'll see you then.