Get Out Of The Boat
Matthew 14
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before
him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” 1
In 1998 I took my first flight overseas. I was a young student pastor here and parents trusted me to oversee their teenagers as we loaded planes here in Jacksonville, made two connecting flights and eventually landed in Tel Aviv, Israel. We were helping lead a youth camp and then would spend a week touring some of the sites.
I’m not sure if I told those parents that I had never flown overseas before, but regardless, they trusted me with their teenagers. It was a pretty amazing trip and began our focus and emphasis on missions with teenagers here at First Baptist being more than a day trip downtown or a choir tour through neighboring states. Certainly students were on mission trips prior to this one here at FBCOP, but this one truly changed and solidified a focus that teenagers are not the church of tomorrow, but but the church of today. And if we simply wait until a student graduatesfrom high school to serve...most never will. It was clear God was opening the doors to missions and ministry in a way that would change many people’s lives forever...not to mention mine.
Suddenly, the lostness of the world had faces and names and was more than simply numbers on a chart or poster that came when we collected money for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Over the years, we have seen our students serve in Israel, Wales, Haiti, Cuba, Mozambique, Toronto, and in numerous locations throughout the United States.
Our students are serving in South Carolina next month and it has been far too long since we have commissioned a group of teenagers on mission. Let’s begin praying and saving now so that in 2023, we can send teams globally as we have in the past.
Last week at the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim, Tracy and I joined almost 10,000 other people in the main hall as Dr. Paul Chitwood, President of the International Mission Board took the stage. He gave his report to the messengers and stated the following:
Spiritual lostness is the world’s greatest problem for it is the one
problem with eternal consequence,” he said. “Lostness is the world’s greatest problem, but God has given us a solution. That solution is the gospel.”
In the 177-year history of the IMB, churches have sent 25,000 missionaries through the IMB to the nations to share the gospel.
More than 92% of IMB missionary teams are dedicated to work among the world’s unreached.
Chitwood encouraged messengers with further statistics about the impact of missionary presence in 2021:
• More than half a million people overseas heard the gospel.
Of those half a million people who heard the gospel, 176,000 indicated they believed the gospel and were trusting Christ.
107,000 people were baptized, and 22,000 new churches were started.
After a decade of decline in missionary sending from 2008- 2018, IMB now has 1,000 candidates in the missionary pipeline preparing for service overseas.
“Our two primary revenue streams, the Lottie Moon offering and the Cooperative Program, combined are currently running more
than 14% ahead of last year’s giving year-to-date,” Chitwood reported.
“Based upon global population growth, the global death rate and religious affiliation, our global research team reports the number of people dying each day apart from Christ. That number, for this year, is estimated to be 157,690,” he said.
“More people will die lost today than on any other day upon which the sun has risen in human history.”
Chitwood concluded IMB’s report by saying that churches still
have work to do – “the most important work in the universe.” “Together, we get to share the good news of Jesus with people and places where that news has never been heard. Together, we
send, sustain and support missionaries to be steadfastly present around the globe to share that message and plant healthy churches. We must reach the nations, together.”
As Dr. Chitwood completed his opening remarks, he shifted to introduce those who would be commissioned as IMB missionaries. On that day, last Tuesday, 52 missionaries were commissioned. Here is a short clip of just a few, those hidden are hidden due to security concerns related to where they are going. Yes, they’re using fake names as well.
SHOW VIDEO OF IMB MISSIONARIES
Every year this moment in our annual meeting is the highlight for me. Why? Because infighting and Twitter wars and curmudgeonly Baptists fade to the background when what really matters is emphasized.
I told Tracy that I long for the day when an individual, couple, or family with children stand before our churches to announce they have forsaken what others call the “American Dream,” sell their home and car, and step out of the boat to serve the Lord among the least of these.
It has happened before. It needs to happen again.
And some say “Well...not everyone is called to be a missionary overseas” and while that may be true, it is also true that we all too quickly excuse not being on mission and our children not being on mission by leaning quickly into the “not everyone is called” theme.
It may not be overseas, but it is somewhere. An unsent Christian is an oxymoron. A Christian not on mission is a Christian intentionally sinning and settling for status qo...in disobedience.
The Great Commission is not just for the missionaries on the stage or the pastors behind the pulpit, but for every blood-bought, redeemed child of God.
We know this.
We teach our kids this during Vacation Bible School.
We take offerings to support this mission.
We know this.
But...sometimes, we are just too comfortable sitting in our boat, when the call is to step out.
THE WALK
Jesus comes out in the midst of a storm toward his disciples. They are in a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. The storm is severe and they are even concerned they will not make it to the shore. Jesus sent them ahead knowing a storm was coming. He went to the mountain to pray, in fellowship with the Father and the Spirit as the one triune God. Then, he comes walking...on the water...toward the boat.
And at this point the disciples are likely more frightened than just a few minutes more.
But then...they recognize him. There’s so much here. The storm – the difficulty – the challenges of life come and just when it seems that all is lost, we are reminded that God never leaves nor forsakes us.
And one disciple does something so out of the ordinary that either something great or terrible will occur.
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the
boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Little Faith
I remember sitting in that boat on the Sea of Galilee with a student back in 1998. It was clear that God was working on this young man. I simply asked him “What does that look like there?” He said, “Water.” And Jesus walked on that. When he calls us to himself, he is calling us to trust him fully. And our response is to get out of the boat.
Peter steps out, then looks around and begins to sink. “Oh you of little faith” Christ says.
Little faith. If we’re not careful we will read Jesus here and miss the point. It is not that we need to muster up more faith like it is some commodity that can be purchased or generated on our own.
So many get this wrong – and so many churches teach this wrongly.
What matters most is not the amount of your faith. What matters most is the object of your faith. Where is your faith? In whom is your faith.
Christ is calling. He is reaching out and asking if you would step out of the boat and keep your eyes on him.
Footnotes
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 14:22–33). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 1
