Walk On Water

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. God is calling you to something you've never even considered for yourself because you spend your whole day now trying to get out of your storm. Welcome to a call to the nation with Carter, Jesus is calling you he's calling you in the midst of yours. He's calling you from addiction from depression and disappointment in fear and weakness. He's calling you just as you will get ready to walk on water. That's also the title of today's message from Matthew chapter 14 in verse 22.

Let's join Carter method chapter 14 beginning at verse 22 now Jesus Christ is just done a miracle. He's just taken five loaves and two Pharisees looked up to heaven and God has supernaturally blasted, and he has multiplied up and is given that there is disciples. They've given it to the multitude, and there were about 5000 men, besides women and children that were fed from this this little reliance that came into the hands of God. I could stop there and give an altar) that this finds that God Almighty.

We did take my little lunch of a life which you multiplied would you begin to feed the multitudes with it and that's who God is and that's what God does. It takes us in our nothingness. It takes us when we feel like the ability we have is is so small compared to the need.

It's all around us, but that's who God is.

That's what he delights doing. I've often said that he can use us as long as we think were something because he doesn't need something to do something and needs nothing to do something that's a God as he made everything out of nothing. He just speaks the word and and things come into existence that are not there. So now after you done this. It says in verse 22 immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before them to the other side while he sent the multitudes away, and we had sent the multitudes away, went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Now when evening came, he was alone there, but the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves and the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them walking on the sea and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying it is a ghost and they cried out for fear that there was and still is this this superstition among mariners and I put it that way that if if you're going to drown that that the dispirited death in the sense comes walking towards you and that's that's most likely released part of what they were thinking when they saw this but immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, be of good cheer is I do not be afraid. And Peter answered and said, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water and so he said, and when Peter come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, oh you of little faith, why did you doubt. And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Now there's other accounts in the Bible describe this or a similar storm to it is a storm that was life-threatening. Remember when it counts as the water was coming into the boat and the. The disciples thought that there were going to Paris, it was beyond human ability to navigate their faith was beginning to fail and they were wondering why they had been left Paris. You can just imagine the disciples in this particular boat say where is Jesus why is he not.

Why did he send this out into this.

Why is he not with us, why has he not come to help us. Did he not know that he was going to be sending us into the storm. Does he not care about us. You know we we can allow those thoughts sometimes to get into our hearts when we find ourselves in a storm, especially when the storms beyond our ability to do anything about it. We can't navigated anymore. We don't know the way out.

It was a time when possibility had become more was becoming impossible. Though these were seasoned fishermen.

They were seasoned navigators. They knew how to get across this particular body of water. They knew how to roll in the storms.

They'd obviously been in storms before but this storm was bigger than anything they'd ever faced in their lifetime. It was no longer possible to do anything about it and am thinking about people. When you started drinking you online when you started drinking it was possible to stop at some point, wasn't it, but now it's impossible now that the substance is gotten a hold of you and your in the storm of your life and you feel like you're going down and use it simply out of your control. You can't control it anymore. Somebody else who thought that that that little flirtation in the office was just a passing fancy and you could use. Certainly, of all people could handle this thing, but now it's gotten a hold of your heart. Now it's eating at the very fabric of your relationship with your wife or your husband.

Now it's destroying your family and your children now threatens to ruin your entire life and you seem to be unable to see to do anything about it.

What was once possible, is now impossible to control. That's what sin does.

It comes in is is as a smooth journey in the in the beginning but suddenly we find ourselves when sin gets a hold of the human heart. Unable to control a situation that now controls us. It was formerly possible maybe to deal with it.

But now it can't be dealt with now. It was at this time that the Lord Jesus appears and calls Peter to do something now that is totally impossible.

Note I want you to catch the irony of the situation. What was once possible that Peter is now impossible to get there rolling the wind is contrary, it is a disease storm that they can navigate. It is a place of fear there crying out there crying when it says they cried out for fear they cried out for fear they were. These guys were shopping.

They thought they were going to go down. They thought that father time it finally caught up with them late. They thought that they were getting the first glimpse into perhaps that the judge even the judgment of God. Perhaps I don't know what their situation was or what every man was thinking, but it certainly was not faith coming out of their mouths. They were crying out for fear when they saw Jesus approaching them and in this impossible storm where the waves are still beating against the boat where everything is still contrary where everything is out of control. Where there fearing for the future. It's at this time the Jesus Christ says to Peter, and he calls them to do something that is completely impossible. I love this about the Lord God and whiskers is the question why doesn't Jesus wait for a calm, sunny day to take Peter to the seashore and explain what is about to do.

That's why we would do it as a Peter will take your side when you get down to the sea. Is this a lovely morning and the sun is shivering on the water and is nonreligious so you my power is so I'm gonna to know how I would've set it on. I'm gonna go maybe coagulate the molecules in the water number to give them the strength they don't have to hold you up. Or maybe I'm just gonna make you lighter than you are, so that you're able to walk on the water.

I don't know how he or I was going to explain this is the way we would like him to do it and would like you to do it when we feel good about ourselves. Wouldn't we feel like we got faith when Peter standing there on the on the shoreline thing I can do this got. I can do this between you and II can walk out to the end of this peer on the water and I can walk back and I'll be the first man that does this and how awesome this is going to be, but it's it's at a season of it of impossibility etc. etc. season, in a sense, when talking to you who are addicted are despairing or depressed or angry you can't see a way forward into the future. Your storm is overwhelming you. You're just looking to get out of the storm and suddenly Jesus Christ comes to you and ask you to do something that is way beyond even where you are in the ask you to do something that is completely impossible to walk in a place you can humanly walked in to walk into a place that you know it's not possible for you to do this you don't have the ability you don't have the strength you don't have the courage you don't have the faith but yet still the voice of Jesus Christ is calling you to walk into this place. He calls Peter in his storms and if you can hear the voice of Christ is calling you in your storm your storm of of discouragement is storm of depression. Your storm of your marriage breaking up your storm of addiction your storm of thoughts in your mind that you can't control the longer your use is storm of feeling hopeless about the future and feeling like everything is out of control.

Suddenly it's not about your storm. Now it's about you. God is calling you to something you've never even considered for yourself because you spend your whole day now trying to get out of your storm. But when he came to the men in the boat and he spoke to Peter. It wasn't about the storm that was about something bigger than the storm.

Peter was going to have to walk in the future in places that he wasn't humanly capable of doing and only the power of God could sustain him and so he calls a Mrs. Peter common walk with me where I am. I am above the storm I am.

I walk above the elements. There's nothing of this world that can take me down. Come and walk with me now where I am.

When he called Peter out of the boat he was showing you and I that is not is not limited by our lack of ability on a lot of people's you know you you you and I would stand and say but Lord you know I can't walk on the water, and God would say to you, as he said to Peter, is not about you it's about what I've called you to do and if I've called you to do something, it will be done.

Whatever door I said before you. No one can close it in whatever I call you to do will be done and it will be done in the strength and in the power of God. It was showing us her Peter. In this scenario that he is not offended by our fears when they first saw them approaching.

They thought it was a ghostly.

They screamed out for fear they thought the death had come to them is not offended by the fears that you and I go through when the voice of God. When God himself is approaching us and calling us to do something in our lives that we've never considered that we could be.

And lastly of all is showing as to the life of Peter that he will withdraw from us when we fail it will Peter got out of the boat and started to walk towards Jesus and the Bible says when he saw the wind and he saw the waves. He was afraid suddenly and he started to sink and he said, Lord save me and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said the more your little faith, why did you doubt. You see, he's not is not offended and he doesn't withdraw from us when we fail in other words, his people hundred single I'm willing to give this a try. But what happens if I fail, if you falter in your first steps of faith, Jesus will reach out and grab your hand, and he will lift you up. He won't abandon you in your moment of of trial and difficulty from anywhere online is calling you and your storm is calling you to himself in your storm of addiction that you can't beat affliction that you can't overcome depression that you can't escape disappointment that you can't get over fear that you can overpower and weakness that you can't subdue is not waiting for you to get it all together is coming to you just as you are in the sink. Step out and walked towards me and you will you will begin to understand my keeping power, you will begin to see what I can do that when I call you I will sustain you when I saved you.

I will cover you all not be ashamed of. You will not be ashamed of your trials will not withdraw from you when you falter. I will be there as a friend that sticks closer to you than a brother and you can say click Peter 170 God, if it's you that speaking debate in my home, my living room wherever you happen to be if you're speaking to me through this word and through this preacher that's online bit me to come in. The Lord says to you, and that get off your cow to move towards me get up off your face and move towards me get out of your bed and move towards me, get off your apartments and move towards me get out of your car and move towards me, to where I am going to where I'm calling you to and you'll start to understand the supernatural power of God. Why don't shows the strong hi don't choose the wise I don't choose the influential I don't choose the wealthy. I don't choose those rabbit altogether. I called the nothings in the nobodies of this world and things that are not to bring did not things that are extending their own strength like all the fullness of this world and things that are despised and things that are nothing to bring to nothing things that stand in themselves that no flesh can glory in the presence of God. You know, just as they did. You might feel the spirit of hopelessness is about to swallow you in the middle of your storm.

Though the voice of God says it is. I give good cheer. Do not be afraid. I love that Ami comes walking on the water and the whole thing is starting to sink in. The waves are rocking it there crying out for fear and justice, it's me. Be of good cheer and don't be afraid, walk with me, that where I am.

You can be with me and I'll take you just as you are. Let me show you what I can do for those who say yes.

Now here's the interesting thing after lifting Peter out of the water. The Scripture says to go back into the boat and the wind ceased and a lot of folks that are listening online. You see God deal with my storm and I'll serve you and the Lord says, do you know serve me and I'll deal with your storm hallelujah is you can't use your addiction as an excuse to sit on your doubts and a longer you can use your struggle. You can use a depression you can't use anything that's in your life it's causing you to feel like you're losing control of everything. You can't use that is not a bargaining chip that you can use with God. The sale God. You do this for me and then I'll do that for you thoughts is know you step out of where you are right now just the way you are and you come to me you come to be just as you are and you come to be. As you are I will come back in your situation with you and I'll look after your storm. Praise be to God, but you get up and you start coming towards me fathers that are losing your children, your families, you get up and start walking towards God mothers you get up and start walking towards God. Don't make bargains with God is not about God. You do this for me and then I'll serve you.

No no no no you get up you walk towards his his voice now and then he'll come in O'Connor storm in the storm that's in your life today will lose all of its power on your part simply acknowledge that you you can't help. You can't do it just just get to the point of sin. Gotta give up.

I can't do this I can save myself I can't guide myself to this life I can. I can't roll my way out of the storm.

I allowed something into my life.

I got into a situation that is overpowering me. The disappointment, the fear, the weakness the depression the addiction the affliction the things that are in my life.

It's it's as we heard about the prodigal son. It's as we heard about that.

The daughter who died. It says we heard about families into believing God for their children and fathers who need to rise up and take hold of God again. So the covering of heaven can come on their families in their homes one more time if you will get up and move towards God and simply admit you can save yourself and believe that God loves you.

God loves you so much that he sent his son. That's what happened in the storm he sent his son, but God loves you so much. He sent his son to a cross to be nailed or to be beaten or to be bruised there to be whipped there to pay the price for all the wrong things that you have done and I have done all the messes that we've gotten ourselves into. Over the years. All the things we can't get out of the went to the cross and suffered the punishment and the penalty for all of these things and brought us back in the right relationship with God so that we can step out of what it is that's that's become this all-encompassing circumstance that threatens to destroy us and we can start to move towards the voice of God and as soon as you do that you're going to find that you're going to be given the ability to walk in places you could walk before to walk in ways you could walk to do things that you were not able to do. The Bible says it when he rose from the dead he took your captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Gifting's of God. Words of wisdom.

Words of knowledge, the ability to pray and believe a voice to speak things you've never spoke in your entire life, a heart to love like you've never loved, courage and faith like you know is not your own.

It's it's it's got to be another life is being lived out inside of you. The things it would've made you sink the things it would've drowned you the places that you would have perished now are under your feet and you are walking in places that ordinary men and women can't walk only people empowered by the spirit of God can walk there doing things that only people gripped by the spirit of God can do that is the kingdom of God. That is how we glorify God on the earth by just simply getting up no matter where we are and moving towards the voice of God. Lazarus was dead, and ironically, he's the only man you can hear the voice of God is not whole cemetery.

Everyone who claim to be alive in religious and full of prayers and's and tears and everything else that they all the accolades that they were perhaps trying to share with one another to them could hear the voice of God except the dead man could hear the voice of God when you get to the point where you can't get out when you get to the point when the addiction is too strong. The affliction is to think the depression is to dark the disappointment is to grant the fears to all-encompassing and the weakness leaves you in a place of powerlessness that you can start to hear the voice of God. Then he says simply get up. My son get up my daughter and start to walk towards the sound of my voice and you will find yourself doing things that nobody nobody apart from those are called by God are able to, I'll give you abilities that can only come from God, I'll take you in the places that only God can take you. I'll give you gifting city could only come from the hand of the one who gave his life to bring you back into right relationship and simply confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord is a God, if it be thou good may come. In other words, if it is you call me and Jesus said it is me, Peter.

When he stepped out of the boat.

It was a confession to everybody around him. I'm going with Don going with the voice of God, I'm going with Christ and I don't care what you guys do. Now they may have marked them later on say how how you only got like 30 yards and you sank, but he did get 30 yards walking on water. Nobody else ever did that is no record of anybody else ever doing that, apart from Peter. Thank God I God and when he faltered, as we do when we step out an and when we we lose our confidence he could have anyone of us, we lose our confidence isn't cast us away in our time of difficulty. So don't don't be afraid that if you make this step that somehow all the midtempo blog negative going to make them go to be sober for a week and I'm gonna blow it or maybe imported his escape my weakness for week is going to come back and try to overpower me again. No you get up and you start walking towards the voice of God. And when you falter and if you falter he will be there to pick you up again and you go back with you into your place of storm into that deadbolt where you thought you were going to drown what you thought you were going to die and immediately the Scripture said the wind ceased. The live fee all my there is no share of her with now say no, no goal is to a great day soon as gray will no all in and close