Introduction:   When you are in a storm the best thing in the world to do is get to Jesus! Jesus said one word, “Come." And on that one word, Peter stepped out on faith & walked on water! How did he do it? It's very, very simple. Just get permission from Jesus. Jesus said, “Come." If Jesus doesn't give you permission, you better not try it! Simon Peter is not so much stepping out on the water; he's stepping out on the Word of Jesus! Man can walk on the moon, and walk in space-- but he can’t walk on water without the Lord! Walking on FOOT is good for physical health & walking by FAITH is good for spiritual health….

I.          THE CROWD THAT SURROUNDED HIM (VV. 22; 26)  

A.        The Crowd Was Dwindling (v.26a)

In vs. 1-13 there are the enemies of Christ. In vs. 14-21 there is a multitude in need of Christ minus the rabble rousers In vs. 22-27 it’s trickled down to the 12. In v. 29 only one stepping out where only faith could sustain him. The closer a person walks with Jesus, the smaller the crowd will get! 11 were in the boat. Only 1 went. Peter didn’t say, “I’ll go if you go!” He didn’t even ask   any others. He wasn’t worried about anybody else but the Lord! The majority of people prefer living in a “comfort zone.” If any place was Peters comfort zone—it was a boat! He was fisherman!  

B.        The Crowd Was Distraught (v.26a)

Troubled = "to be greatly disturbed, or agitated" Remember the lesson of the loaves and fishes? They looked everywhere else for the answer to the problem before turning to Jesus. Here’s the same song and the 2nd verse. Before the issue was food, instead of faith. Now they focused on fear instead of faith!

C.        The Crowd Was Doubting (v.26b)

Do you know why Peter was the only one who walked on water?  (This is DEEP) -He was the only one who WANTED to! He had a deeper desire to do something above and beyond! Most don’t want to! The problem isn’t the winds or waves; the problem is our WANT TO! Like Enoch who was out of step with his generation, his desire to walk with God is what separated him! (Illus: I can imagine a Baptist business meeting on board the boat! Andrew "You’re gonna hurt yourself and break Mamas heart” Thomas "Peter, I doubt you’ll make it." Phillip “Who does he think he is?" Thaddeus "We didn’t vote on this and since ain’t nobody ever done it that way before I’m agin it!’ Judas "Let me hold your wallet hate to see money gone").

·         The mediocre majority always answers: “Don’t rock the boat” “Come on stay in here with us-get under these here wet blankets with us. Don’t let the lack of others listening, allow you an excuse not to excel! Don’t stay on the sideline - get in the game! Be a devoted disciple!

·         Like Peter, we must be willing to step out in faith when Christ calls us.

II.        THE CALL THAT SUSTAINED HIM (VV.28-29)

Though Peter was surrounded by a discouraging crowd, he was sustained by a divine call!

A.        Call Of Confirmation (vv.27-29a)

Peter stepped out of the boat on just ONE WORD because he believed THE WORD. We can always stand on the Word of God. Because whatever God said will hold us up.

·         STEP UP & STEP OUT!       

Peter didn’t just think outside the BOX Peter thought outside the BOAT! (2 Cor.5:7) “For we walk by faith, not by sight” 

B.        Call Of Consolation (v.29b) "Come"

Out of 19,000 invitations in Bible not one is impossible. V.29 not advice but an admonishment, not counsel but command, not option but an order! Jesus says to the unconverted, "Come!" To those uncommitted, "Come!" (Illus: William Carey said, "Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.") If He could turn the water into wine for drinking, he could turn water into a highway for walking! "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me;"

III.       THE CARE THAT WAS SHOWN HIM (VV. 30,31a)

Jesus didn’t say “You waste of grace! You low down yellow belly backslider! You good for nothing! Chicken! You deserve to drown! After all I’ve done for you.” Jesus will not let one of His children fall away into the flames of Hell - that’s not the Saviour we see in Scripture! People will let you down- but JESUS will NEVER let you down!  He will always PICK you UP!

A.        His Desire (v.28)

Don’t be quick to condemn Peter! Peter was in the perfect will of God! Had Peter REFUSED the call he would have been OUT of Gods will! He had right motives- he didn’t say “He didn’t do it for fame or to make a name! He wanted to get closer to Jesus! (Do you want to get closer to Jesus? Get out of the boat and into the blessing).

B.        His Defeat (v.30)

(Illus: on a fog-shrouded morning, in 1952 a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She stopped 1 mile short of the goal. “I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it.” It wasn’t the cold or fear of exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog. Many times we too fail, not because of fear or frustration, but because we lose sight of the goal. Two months after her failure, she swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land.) We cannot afford to allow the storms of life to distract us from the One who is calling us to himself. Peter made a major mistake. His FAITH in the WORD turned to FEAR of the WIND. His DELIGHT in the word turned to DISTRACTION by the WAVES! His THRILL was replaced with TERROR. The waves were dashing before he ever got out of the boat! Nothing changed—except him! The wind & the rain is still gonna rage around you when you walk! It wasn’t the wind or waves of the sea—it was Peter who wavered and took his eyes off Jesus. Nothing changed except Peters FOCUS! Turn your eyes upon Jesus! Make your life a mission – not an intermission! If your life is a MESS- make it a MESSAGE of what God can do- you’re not through!

C.        His Deliverance (vv.30c & 31)

First Peter said: "Lord bid me" and then he said: "Lord save me." Even though Peter took his eyes off Jesus, Jesus never took his eyes off Peter! Perhaps Peter remembered this incident when he wrote 1 Peter 3:12-- "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers."

Conclusion:     Take that step of faith! Hear His voice and "Come"! Go OVER the EDGE! Meet me at the altar……stand and start walking…..1st step always hardest.