The Perfect Place to Fall

Yesterday, I was listening to a sermon from my fave big brother, Steven Furtick.

(He does not know I exist, but in my head - Steven and Holly are my people) ☺️

Anyhoo...

Steven was talking about the story of Peter and Jesus. About halfway through the message, I had a huge download on my spirit. I'm excited to share it with you.

(Note to Self: I also need to go back and finish watching the message, lol)

The sermon was about when the disciples were on the boat in a storm, after Jesus sent them to continue across the sea while He took some time to go pray.

This was after the "Feeding of the Multitude," which was after the beheading of John the Baptist.

Jesus definitely needed some time to pray.

Scripture tells us this story in Matthew 14: 22.

While Jesus was praying on top of a mountain, the disciples continued across the sea.

There, they found themselves in the middle of a storm.

Their boat was "in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary."

Basically, they were rocked back and forth like crazy!

A few chapters before this account, there was a previous storm The Twelve were in.

Jesus was in the boat with them. Sleeping. (Matthew 8:23-27)

They were stressed when Jesus was in the boat.

I can only guess how much more stressed they were when he was not in the boat.

Not only were they in the middle of a storm, with Jesus not in the boat.

Then, they see (what they think is) a ghost walking on water.

C'mon... Like the storm wasn't enough? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Now there's a mysterious figure, WALKING ON WATER.

And Jesus is not with them.

Or so they thought. 😉

We all know how the rest plays out. Jesus tells the disciples not to fear.

And Peter.... Good ol' Peter... Asks Jesus to let him come to him.

On the water, of course. lol

Peter walks out. Then stumbles when he gets distracted by the storm.

As he begins to sink, Jesus reached out to save him.

Many then focus this story on the next line spoken from Jesus to Peter.

"Oh ye of little faith" (Matthew 14:31)

Then it often turns into a story of having "more faith."

Or becomes the "Dont' be like Peter, be better" sermon.

But for me, I got a different revelation.

(Remember, I paused the sermon to get this download.

I'm not sure where Paster Steve went from that point of the narrative)

I began to think, "What a great place to fall, but right in front of Jesus."

Steve mentioned the importance of how far Peter had to have come in order for him to fall close enough that Jesus "stretched out his hand" to catch the Apostle.

Remember, Jesus was so far from the disciples, they thought he was a ghost.

Let's give Peter some kudos really quick.

Jesus never outright said, "It's me. Jesus."

He simply told them, "Be of good cheer! It is I. Don't be afraid."

For that sentence in the middle to click, that means Peter knew the voice of Jesus.

John 10:27 records Jesus saying, "my sheep know my voice."

Peter knew His voice, and followed it.

You know what else Peter knew from being inside the boat.

That he was in a storm.

He was in a storm before he stepped foot on the water.

But he heard Jesus' voice and stepped out of the boat anyway.

What's interesting is (and I give credit to Pastor Steven for pointing this out), the same storm that didn't stop Peter from walking towards Jesus from a distance, is the same storm that distracted him when he was close to Him.

Let's pause right there.

Yes, Kevin.. Yes, it is. lol

I think so often we seek God during a storm, because He is the light in the tunnel.

After we seek Him, we realize something very sobering.

Following Jesus does not immediately change our circumstances.

I don't know what went through Peter's mind.

If it were me, I'd think about so many things.

"Walking on water is cool."

Until I also realize, "Oh, it's still storming."

I'd wonder why walking towards the Man who spoke peace to a storm He was just in with me, would not also calm the storm as I was walking towards Him.

Let's all remember two things about Jesus (of the many, many things we should know):

• Jesus was careful to perform miracles for necessity, not for show

  • He even talked back to Mary (His own mother) when she wanted Him to resolve the issue of running out of wine at the wedding they attended. (John 2:1-11)

  • His first miracle came from the heart of honoring His mother.

• Jesus is not a magicion. He is a Savior.

  • If Jesus had calmed the storm as Peter got closer to Him, what expectation would that create for us? I mean let's be honest, we know following Jesus is hard and we still pretend like it should be easy.

  • Jesus saving Peter as He was sinking is such a powerful reality we can all always relate to.

Let's adapt this to our lives.

To my understanding and recollection, Peter is the only person (who was not Jesus) who walked on water. Unless any of y'all have done it recently... (Have you?)

But we have all experienced a journey we were excited to begin.

Then, along the way, we were saddened and maybe even distracted by the journey not being an easy one.

Now - let's turn this journey into your walk and pursuit of God.

The storm is all the things in life keeping us from peace.

It's our habits.

The people we surround ourselves with.

Our thoughts.

For some it's family.

-Isms of any and every sort.

The list can go on and on.

Just.... life.

It's hard.

And there are times we feel so overwhelmed with all the things.

It can feel like we are drowning.

Sinking.

Steven Furtick mentioned, Peter came so far away from where the boat was.

He was close enough to Jesus when Peter began to sink, Jesus reached out and caught Him.

Excuse me while I sing slightly offkey...

"WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO SINK....

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO FALL....

IN FRONT OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR KING."

Not only did Jesus catch Peter. He brought him back to the boat.

Sure, he also got a mini lecture from the Almighty.

And I think we read that passage in the wrong tone.

I don't think "Oh ye of little faith." was a scornful remark or a chastising sentence.

I used to hear it like a mad father, disappointed in his son.

As I grew, and became a mother, I began to hear that sentence differently.

I feel it was tender.

It was the voice of an understanding parent who was making an observation.

Like a "silly goose" tone of voice.

Peter saw Jesus, and had "little faith."

We have never seen the face of God or the personification of who He is as Christ.

That understanding Jesus had for Peter, is the same compassion He has for us.

Why do I think it was more endearing than anger?

Because Jesus brought Peter back to the boat.

He could have easily told Peter, get up and walk.

That was what He did with the man who was disable for decades.

• John 5:8 - "Get up. Take your bed. Start walking"

• That guy also wasn't sinking in water, either.

I love how Peter had enough faith to get off the boat.

He had enough faith for the first few steps.

Even though Peter had "little faith," he had enough to get started.

Sometimes we need just enough faith to step towards Jesus in the first place.

But what if Peter didn't?

We noted earlier, there was a storm in action when Peter stepped foot on the water from the boat.

That storm could have caused Peter to sink immediately.

Had that happened, Peter most likely would have swam back to the boat on his own.

After all, he was a fisherman and most fisherman know how to swim.

But what would that say about Jesus had that been the way the story turned out?

Picture the headlines of the local Capernaum newspaper.

The story would have looked like Peter was saved by his friends and fooled by Jesus.

This is obviously not a real news clipping. I made this one up.

That's not the story here.

It's not your story either.

We have to give Peter some more credit here.

He had enough faith to get him close enough to God to be saved when he stumbled.

He kept pushing towards Jesus.

What do you do in your storms?

What distracts you?

Where do you find yourself falling?

Regardless of where we fall, we must take some personal inventory:

• Did Jesus call you to where you were going before you fell?

  • If Peter jumped out the boat without being told to by Jesus, his sinking would not be from a lack of faith. It would be a lack of common sense.

    • A pastor of mine (at my actual church) said, "We cannot confuse faith with stupidity."

    • Don't blame Jesus when you fail at doing something He didn't ask you to do.

• Were you working your way towards God or towards pride?

  • If Peter was walking on water to look cool and only to look cool, I'd understand why he would drown on the journey.

    • This is where we should all be happy I'm not Jesus. The pettiness would be real.

  • Proverbs 16:18 tells us "Pride comes before the fall."

    • That would be literal in this case, if that were the situation.

• What is your boat?

  • What is the thing keeping you "safe" right now, that would make you feel unstable if you stepped away from it?

    • The boat isnt necessarily a bad thing. It isnt always an addiction, or even a sin.

    • The boat could be where you feel comfortable, even if you are in a scary situation. It can be your friends. Peter stepped away from the other disciples to walk towards Jesus. The boat can be the thing you know better than anyone else. In Peter's case, as a fisherman, I'm sure he's been in his fair share of storms in a boat on the sea.

• What is the thing you are willing to let humble you, so you can gain something bigger/greater from God?

There's so much to unpack here. In consideration to time and the Spirit, I'll save it for another message. (You're welcome)

Take that inventory though.

Cause I can guarantee you one thing: if you aren't in a storm now, you will be later.

It's not about the fall, it's about the location of the fall.

It's about the trust in a God who will lead you to Him.

It's also about the trust in a God who will catch you when you are sinking.

The God who will carry you back to safety, while keeping you safe.

Y'all, dont let the fall make you question the One who called you out of the boat.

Let the fall be what secures your trust in the One who didn't let you drown when you started to sink.

Let His correction be a gentle voice to your heart,

and not a judgy tone of shame to your spirit.

Most importantly, please remember.

We don't follow Jesus to have an easier life.

We follow Him for a better afterlife.