Alright, I'm going to ask you
to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Matthew
chapter 14. Matthew chapter 14. I'm going
to actually look at a few verses here. is the verse that I would like
for us to look at in particular tonight. Matthew 14 verse 30. But when he saw the wind boisterous,
he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me. Let's pray together. Our Father, we ask you this evening
in the name of the Lord Jesus, would you be pleased to bless
the Word to our hearts in understanding tonight. We thank you for our
assembly. We thank you for being able to
come together as brethren and hear the Word of the Lord. We
thank you for the safety, the comfort, and the security in
being able to hear your word. Blessed, we pray. We pray for
our brethren that are sick. Have mercy. Forgive us for Christ's
sake. Amen. In this blessed book, the Lord,
the scripture reveals, had isolated himself. John the Baptist I'll
just kind of go from the first verse down to verse 22 and tell
you what happened. John the Baptist was beheaded
for his faithfulness to Christ. The Lord Jesus' hearing of John's
death went, the scripture says, by ship to a secluded place. But many people heard about his
departure and they followed Him. And the scripture says when the
Lord saw the people, He had compassion on them. He healed the sick.
It came time to eat. The disciples told Him that the
people needed to go into the town and get them something to
eat. The Lord said, you feed them. And they said, we don't
have but five loaves and two fish. and the Lord brought, or
had them bring that food to Him. Now, whenever we see in the Scriptures
the Lord performing a miracle, it always sets forth the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ in His mercy toward His people. There's
always a reason for it. Whenever He took the people and
He healed them, He set forth, He is the Great Physician of
the souls of men. Whenever He took the five loaves
and two fish, He set forth that He is the Bread of Heaven. By
His one sacrifice for sin, He completely satisfied God's demand
for justice and judgment, and righteousness by the shedding
of His blood. But then after He had healed
the people, fed the people, picked up all the fragments, 12 baskets,
the Scripture says that verse 21, they that had eaten were
about 5,000 men besides women and children. And 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, this is going to be the account of when
Peter asked the Lord, bid Him to come and walk on the water
coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a very familiar passage
of scripture. We've heard it. You've heard
it from a child. You know the story of Peter walking
on the water. The Lord walking and bidding
Peter. Now, that event right there sets
forth how God saves a sinner. That's what that whole story
is about. An actual story. This really
happened. So here's when we see how the Lord saves a sinner. Let's look at these few verses
of scripture and consider this glorious setting forth, this
glorious message of salvation. Straight away, Jesus constrained
his disciples to get into a ship. Now that word constrained right
there, it wasn't just a suggestion. He ordered them. That's a word
of force. Immediately, He commanded His
disciples to go to the other side of the ship. Almighty God
orders the steps of His people. It's not a suggestion. He has
all power given Him from the Father. Why? That He should give
eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him. Now, He
talks to His disciples and tells them forcefully. He constrained
them. The scripture says immediately
He constrained His disciples. You get into a ship and go before
Me to the other side. He was going to meet them in
just a little while. But look what He did for the
rest. He sent the multitudes away. While we behold the indescribable
mercy of Almighty God, here's what we know. God's salvation
is distinguishing salvation. He constrained His disciples,
you get in, He's going to send them out into the sea. You go
to the other side, and that's where they were going. But the
Lord has mercy on whom He will have mercy, In whom he will,
he has compassion, but whosoever he will, he hardeneth and leaves
or renders them to their stubbornness. He sent his disciples to the
place of his choosing and sent the others away." Here's the
second thing we know, the salvation of God's elect. We have a priest
before God Almighty. The scripture says in verse 23,
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. The Lord Jesus Christ is God's
priest. We need one who will advocate,
be an advocate, a mediator for us. He is the one, the priest,
whoever liveth to make intercession for God's people, praying His
own merit. All of His people have been chosen
in Him. He's pleased the Father. And
now interceding for His elect, He sent them, He constrained
them. You go there. He orders their steps. And then
He prays for them. The Scripture says that He went
up into a mountain apart to pray. When the evening was come, He
was there alone. Now, we're not told the exact words. Now, there
are some prayers of our Lord that are recorded, and I'm getting
ready to quote from one of them. This one, the Scriptures does
not set forth what the Lord actually prayed. But I can tell you based
on... Hold this place right here and
turn over to John 17. I can tell you based on Scripture,
I can tell you for whom he prayed. John 17, 6-9. It says he went
up into a place, secluded place, and there he was alone and he
prayed. Look at John 17, verse 6. I have manifested Thy name unto
the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world. Thine they
were, and Thou gavest them Me, and they have kept Thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given
Me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the
words which Thou gavest Me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from Thee. And they have
believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them. I pray not
for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine. So I can tell you this, I know
who he was praying for. I know that he was praying for
his disciples that he had sent out into the boat, that distinguishing
grace. He sent the multitudes away,
but he ordered the steps of his disciples, and now he's praying
for them. And I know who he prayed for, and I know what he prayed. Look at verse 11 of John 17.
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. And
I come to Thee, Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those
whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one as We are. So here's the Lord Jesus Christ
alone praying, sending His disciples out into this sea, sending them
out, going to the other side. And here's the Lord of Glory
sending His beloved people into a storm that He's created. He's placed them in a situation
for this purpose, to expose to them their helplessness and His
power, His omniscience. And though they're out thinking
that they're by themselves, The scripture says, the Lord has
promised, I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you. Look
at Psalm 139, verse 6, verse 1 to 6. Psalm 139. Verse 1, O Lord, thou hast searched
me and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting,
my up-rising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path, and
my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there's
not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and
before, and laid thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
to me. It is high. I cannot attain unto
it." Oh, the comfort of knowing that before his people knew him,
He knew them and interceded for them. And interceded for them,
the scripture says back in chapter 14, verse 23, when He had gone
up in that mountain to pray, when the evening was come, He
was there alone. He is the one that Almighty God
hears. But while His disciples were
out in the boat, thinking that they were by themselves. The
Lord, Scripture says, in Mark's account, Mark chapter 6, an amazing
passage of Scripture, revealing the Lord's promise, I'll never
leave you, I'll never forsake you. Look at Mark chapter 6 and
verse 47 and 48. The Scripture says, And when
evening was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and
he alone owned the land, and he saw them. hoiling in rowing
for the wind was contrary unto them. And about the fourth watch
of the night, he cometh unto them walking upon the sea, and
would have passed them by. Here is the one who saves his
people from their sins, powerfully ordering all things that he should
give eternal life to them. Verse 24, 25, back in Matthew
14. But the ship was now in the midst
of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. And
in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking
on the water. He's promised, I'm not going
to leave you. I'm not going to forsake you.
Our problem is unbelief. Unbelief. Here's the disciples
going through exactly what we all go through. These trials
and tribulations and afflictions, but are they not providentially
sent for His glory and our good? Mark's count in that fourth watch
we just read, he says he was watching them and then coming
out onto the sea, the scripture says, we just read Mark 6, 48,
and he would have passed them by, made as though that he would. He did just exactly to them what
he did to the two on the road to Emmaus. He appeared as though
to excite their calling unto Him, Lord, don't leave us, don't
forsake us. Look at verse 26, 27. When the
disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It's a spirit. And they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer. Now you see where it says, It
is I? This is the literal. I am. Be of good cheer. I am. Be not afraid. Here is the trial providentially
sent to be the means of Him, the Master, speaking a word of
comfort to His people. Don't be afraid. What comfort to see Him walking
on the very thing that was their greatest fear. The greatest fear
that a believer has is to be left alone in his sin. That the
Lord would pass him by. Mark said he appeared as though
that he would. They said it's a ghost, it's
a spirit. And they cried out and he gave
them that word of comfort. Don't be afraid, I am. Next, when God's pleased to save
a sinner, they are made willing. in the day of God's power to
come to him. Now, we're going to come right
down to the heart of our message right now. The scripture says,
and Peter answered, when the Lord said, be of good cheer,
it is I. Be not afraid. Peter answered
him and said, Lord, if it be, or since it be, Peter recognized
his voice. He said, my sheep hear my voice.
They know me. I know them. They follow me.
Lord, since it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down
out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Peter asked the Lord to do that
which only the Lord could allow him to do. To walk. on water. Here's one of the Lord's
own. Asking the Lord. Lord, you give the word of authority. Whenever he says, Lord, if it
be thou bid me, that word bid there is command me. Lord, you
say the word of authority. It wasn't just a word, just say
okay, well if you want to, It was a word of command, Lord,
you command. And at your word, Lord, if you
command, if you bid, I will. Here was Peter, one of God's
own, asking, Lord, bid me come. I think about when he asked,
Lord, would you command me to come? Commanded in power for
me to come. Do you think that Peter had already
come to the Lord? Come in heart? Not come physically. I mean, a lot of them came physically. But I'm talking about in heart.
Had he ever come to the Lord? Yeah. Yeah. This was a believer. The Lord bid me come to you. The Scripture reveals that God's
people are ever coming to the Lord. Lord, I cannot come unless
you grant it. No man can come unto me except
it were given unto him of my father. Lord, if you give me
the word of authority to come to you, then I can come, and
Lord, you'll receive me. Him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out, and at the Lord's word Peter beheld the
power of Almighty God to allow men to do what men cannot do
of themselves. He got out of that boat and began,
by faith, to walk on the waves. Not by his own power, but by
the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter did that which was no more
of a miracle then to walk on water than it is right now for
God to call a sinner out of darkness right now and for them to come
in their heart right now to Him sitting in this congregation
and not uttering a word. It took the same power then to
allow Peter to walk as it does for God to call a sinner out
of darkness right now. His power. All power. And when Almighty God bids them
come, Lord, you command me to come. And I'll come. When God's pleased to save a
sinner, He creates within that sinner a desire and a willingness
for Him. I want you to notice what it
said. Look at the wording in verse
29. And He said, Come. And that water could no more
have taken Him under at that point when the Lord said, Come.
Peter came. And when Peter was come down
out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. He wasn't there to amaze himself,
cause the others to look, see what I'm doing. He walked on
the water to go to the Lord. Lord, you bid me come, and I'll
come. And the scripture says in verse
30, And when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and
beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. Here was Peter, one of the Lord's
own, who had providentially been sent into the midst of that sea,
that the Lord might providentially cross his path because His disciples,
to see their need and His power, gave Peter a heart to call upon
Him. Lord, if it's You, since it's
You, since it's You on that water, bid me come. And the Lord said,
come. And Peter walked on that water,
sustained by the power of Almighty God, but we're always going to
be reminded of what we are by nature. When he saw the wind
boisterous, he doubted. I can't do this. This is impossible. Men can't walk on water. Nobody
born in Adam can walk on water. That's impossible. With man,
it is impossible. But all things are possible with
God. But the Lord knowing his unbelief
for a moment, left him to himself while he was there to show him
his need of Christ. The scripture says he saw the
wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink. There
was a moment he was on the water, walking by faith, having his
eyes upon the Lord Jesus, but the moment he considered the
water, and the impossibility, humanly speaking, to do what
he was doing, he started going under, just like we do. The moment
we start looking at the circumstance, we start looking at the disease,
we start looking at the financial trouble, we start looking at
this problem, the moment we start looking at that, have you ever
noticed I was thinking about the It was fourth watch between
three and six o'clock in the morning when this happened. How
many times, I've said this before, how many times have you woken
up in the wee hours of the morning thinking about something? It's
always worse then. That was the worst time of the
night, humanly speaking, to be having this trouble. Three o'clock
in the morning and they're still awake. They're still in the storm,
and that's when the Lord came. The scripture says, he doubted,
he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, beginning to sink,
and when he began to sink, immediately, he prayed this prayer. Lord,
I only can imagine, can you imagine how fast, if you were standing
on water, and all of a sudden, the water won't sustain you anymore.
How quickly, you're standing up, how quickly will you go down?
Pretty fast. It's gonna be pretty instantaneous. And he cried this prayer while
he was sinking. Lord, master of all, you who
ordered all things, you that do all things for your glory
and my good, Lord, save me. Lord, deliver me, protect me,
preserve me. I'm sinking. And without you,
I'm going to perish. How mercifully the Lord sends
these trials to His people to show them again and again and
again. Without me, you can do nothing. The scripture says, Verse 31,
and immediately the Lord knew he was going under. And before
the problem even manifested itself, the Lord was there. Immediately,
Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him, laid hold on him. In the very
midst of the surety in Peter's mind, I'm gone. I'm gone. I'm in the midst of a storm,
and I'm sinking. Lord, save me. And the Lord stretched
forth His hand. It doesn't say that Peter caught
the Lord. The Lord caught Peter. If He doesn't deliver us, we're
gone. And not only did the Lord immediately catch him and save
him in the very moment of his need, he ever reminds us of our
continual need. He said to Peter, in a loving
rebuke, and how many of us will hear this same loving rebuke,
O thou of little faith, I'm so glad that the word little
is there and not the word no. O thou of little faith. Peter believed it, but it was
little. I think about that scripture,
Neil, that says, despise not the day of small things. I'm
so thankful that Almighty God would give me faith. that it
would be little faith, I admit it. O thou of little faith, wherefore
didst thou doubt? Do you think the Lord asked him
that for the Lord's information? That question wasn't asked because
of the Lord's lack of knowledge. It was asked to show Peter his
continual need of depending on the Lord. Without you, Lord,
I'm going to sink. We're ever found in that state
of believing and then doubting. Peter believed the Lord, but
sin is ever present with God's people and we're ever reminded
of that state of warring with that body of sin. And when he,
like ourselves, when he looked elsewhere, he looked at the water,
And how quickly, how quickly do we do that? I can tell you
for a fact, we'll do it before we ever think about it. We think
about it and we'll think, why did I think that? How could I
have thought that when the Lord is here? And He said, I'll never
leave you, but we'll still. How merciful the Lord is to His
children. But thankfully the Lord didn't
leave Peter and He doesn't leave us to reap the fruit of our unbelief. A gentle word of reproof was
enough to bring Peter to a heartfelt need of forgiveness. Doesn't it do the same for us?
And then lastly, the Lord's chastening hand of correction, thankfully,
doesn't endure any longer. than His hand requires. And the trial always brings about
its divine purpose. I want you to notice here in
the last couple of verses, 32-33 for this evening. When they were
come into the ship, the wind ceased. Why? Because the trial was over. The Lord had put them in that
boat and commanded them to go to the other side. The Lord sent
the storm. The Lord waited until the fourth
watch of the night, between three and six o'clock in the morning,
for the trial of their faith. He came walking upon the water,
the scripture says, and marked as if He would have passed them
by. They cried out for fear, and He comforted them. And He
says, don't be afraid. I am. It's me. Peter, made willing
in the day, in that moment of God's power, said, Lord, since
it's You, bid me to come to You. And the Lord commanded. And Peter
walked on the water. But the Lord allowed him not
only to see by faith that the Lord would sustain him on the
water, He allowed him also to see what happens when you look
at the water and realize that there's no power in you. He caused
Peter to cry out to him, Lord save me. And the Lord grabbed
him and held him. Oh you of little faith, why did
you doubt? I'll tell you why we doubt. Because
sin is ever with us. Sin is mixed with all that we
do. And he brought Peter back to the boat. And as soon as they
got back to the boat, the storm was over. It had accomplished
the purpose for which it was sent. When ceased, then they
that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying of the
truth, Thou art the Son of God." They worshipped. The Spirit of
God had confirmed afresh to those who saw His glory. worshiped and cried unto the
Lord of a truth, you're the Messiah, you're the promised one, the
Savior of sinners. They offered that sacrifice of
praise with their lips. Almighty God saves His people
the same way. He brings them to an end of themselves
and reveals His glory to them and then keeps them as they go. I pray God bless this word to
our hearts tonight for Christ's sake. All right, let's have men.