"SINKING"

Scripture Text: "And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." Mat 14:29-30 (KJV)

Did you ever stop and wonder what the difference is between "doubt" and "unbelief". If ever there was a passage of scripture that could help us do that, I'd have to say this one is one of the best.

Is there anyone that doesn't think Peter "doubted" that he could walk on the waters to Jesus. The very word doubt asks the question, "I wonder if it could be." I think as Peter stood on the side of the boat he was asking that very question. "Could it be that I could walk on the water like Jesus if I just stepped out - especially since he bid me to come?" It was Peter's idea, but Jesus said, "COME". (ref., Matthew 14:28,29)

Oh how I would like to stop right there and preach a sermon about all of those naysayers that would say that it apparently wasn't Jesus bidding him come, or Peter would have never sank.

My answer to that is that Jesus can "deal with doubt", but He can't do anything about unbelief. We spoke of that in one of our devotional lessons not too long ago. Remember that verse... "And Jesus did NOT many mighty works because of their unbelief"? (ref., Matt. 13:58)

What did we say at the beginning of this devotional today? "Doubt" asks the question, "I wonder if it could be" and "unbelief" on the other hand, declares, "I know that it cannot be: or is not". Both are obstacles to living and walking the abundant life that God intended - but unbelief literally ties God's hands from doing anything to help you. When you say, I cannot, or I can't, you are in that moment, tying the hands of God. You are in effect, walking out from beneath the covering of God and trying to make it on your own.

Let me ask you something. Do you think that everyone that heard that  awesome WORD from Peter on the day of Pentecost accepted every word he spoke? When they heard Peter say, "This is That"..., Oh I got to say that again because this was a fulfillment of Prophecy. When Peter said, "This is that spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon  all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and
your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:" (Act 2:16) he was speaking of a prophecy that Joel had written some 800 years before and I need to stop reading there in the Book of Joel  because Joel's Prophecy was two fold. This first part speaks of the dispensation of the church age and the next 3 verses (19-21) speak of a time yet to come during the Tribulation period.

But Peter goes on then and he is now speaking to those who were there in Jerusalem for the Jewish Feasts and he says,

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by  wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (Acts 2:22-24)

What? God hath raised Jesus from the dead? I am sure that there were those who "doubted" Peter's claim, and yet the Bible said, three thousand souls. Read it there in the 37th thru the 41st chapter of the book of Acts chapter 2.

OH Glory! I can't help but read it... I hope you will forgive me on the time but I've got to get it out:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said  unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Act 2:36-41 (KJV)

Let me say it again... I'm sure that there were those who "doubted" Peter's claim, and yet the Bible tells that they "...gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (verse 41)

Listen my friend... doubting God gives him the opportunity to prove Himself to you, and He will. Do you remember how He sent Elijah into an idolatrous land to challenge the priests of Baal to a contest. God was more than willing to prove Himself to the doubters, and when the fire fell from heaven, my, my, my... there was no doubt that remained (ref., 1 Kings 18).

Yes, old Peter "doubted" when he took his eyes off Jesus. Did you get that? Peter "doubted" when he took his eyes off Jesus and he saw those huge cutting waves, and felt the wind of disaster beating against the boat, and he began to sink! but listen my friend... take this with you today. When Peter  began to sink - he cried out to Jesus... and what does the Bible say? "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matthew 14:31 (KJV)

Oh beloved today, wherefore doest thou doubt the Almighty hand of the Lord to save you... to restore you... to lift you up? Just as He caught Peter, and set his feet on sure ground, He will do the same for you.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ today: "...be not faithless, but believing." John 20:27 (KJV)

Oh Father God, I ask you today to Anchor me in the Rock Christ Jesus and to set my feet on solid ground. Father, I do believe, and I pray that in my doubting that You will show forth Thy mighty hand that it will not just benefit my situation, but that others might see Thy Mighty Power and believe. In Jesus' Name, I Pray, Amen.