Series: Anchored in Hope
Preacher: Bishop Joab Othatcher
Main Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
Supporting Scriptures: Psalm 107:28-30, Isaiah 43:2
(Opening)
Good morning, City of Hope! Let me ask you a question: Are you feeling overwhelmed? Maybe it’s a financial pressure that just won’t let up. Maybe it’s a health diagnosis that has shaken your world. Maybe it’s a relationship that feels like it’s sinking. We all face storms in life. But today, I have a word from the Lord for you: Your hope is not found in the absence of the storm, but in the presence of your Savior within it. Turn with me to Matthew 14, verse 22.
(Scripture Reading)
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.””
(Point 1: The Storm is Inevitable)
The first thing we see is that the storm was expected by Jesus, but unexpected by the disciples. Verse 22 says Jesus made them get into the boat. He knew the storm was coming. He sent them right into it. Sometimes, church, we have this misconception that following Jesus means smooth sailing. But that’s not the biblical picture. Jesus doesn’t always prevent the storm, but He always presents Himself in the middle of it. The purpose of the storm is not to drown you, but to develop your faith. God allows what He allows to show you that He is greater than what you fear.
(Point 2: The Invitation is to Come)
Now, look at the interaction between Peter and Jesus. Peter, in a moment of bold, mixed-with-fear faith, says, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come.” And Jesus gives one of the most powerful invitations in all of Scripture: “Come.” In the midst of the howling wind and the crashing waves, the voice of Jesus cuts through it all with a single word of invitation. He doesn’t first calm the storm; He first calls His servant. He invites Peter to do the impossible—to walk on water—not to show off Peter’s faith, but to reveal His own power. God is still in the business of inviting us out of our places of safety and into a faith that relies entirely on Him.
(Point 3: Focus Determines Sinking or Swimming)
Peter gets out of the boat! He’s doing it! He’s walking on the water! But verse 30 hits us with a reality check: “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink…” What happened? He took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm. His focus determined his fate. When he looked at Jesus, he walked on water. When he looked at the waves, he began to sink. This is so practical for us! You will sink in life when you focus on the problem more than you focus on the Problem-Solver. Your anxiety, your fear, your depression—they all grow when you stare at them. But when you fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, you will find a supernatural ability to stand.
(Conclusion and Altar Call)
The story ends with Jesus catching Peter and climbing into the boat with them. The storm didn’t cease until Jesus was in the boat. The ultimate answer to your storm is not just a command to be quiet, but the presence of Christ in your vessel.
Maybe you’re here today and you feel like you’re drowning. You’ve been looking at the waves of your bank account, the waves of a broken relationship, the waves of depression. I’m inviting you today to look up. The Lord is saying to you, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
As the worship team comes forward, I want to pray for those in the midst of a storm. Come and stand. Let us pray together and fix our eyes on Jesus.
