Ask to Get Out of the Boat

Ask To Get Out of The Boat

My Pastor loves to say that everything we experience with God starts with God’s invitation. Personally, I have always liked that quote. I’ve used that quote with other people and his logic made perfect sense. Recently, I’ve been looking at reciprocity and how God waits to be invited into our situations and circumstances. Jesus waited until Peter asked to command him out of the boat. Only by asking to be called out of the boat was Peter able to do far more than withstand the storm.

God’s Invitations

Our experiences with God definitely start with an invitation. God invites us to accept him. He invites us to love him. Jesus invites us to believe in the power of his life, death and resurrection. There is an old picture that has been around since I was a kid that shows Jesus knocking on a door with no handle. Just like the door, which can only be opened for the inside, Jesus waits for us to open ourselves and let Him into our lives.

In order to become a Christian, we absolutely need to accept the invitation of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice. Afterward, God invites us to partner with him in seeing his will be done and heaven brought to Earth. And God continues to invite us regularly. He asks us to do all sorts of things, big and small, if we are willing to listen.

But should we always wait on God’s invitation?

Reciprocity in Relationships

In any good, healthy relationship, there must be reciprocity. We expect our friends, significant others, etc., to reciprocate our attention and investment. When we invite them out to do something, at some point, in order for the relationship to continue, they must invest and invite us back. Right?

I grow tired of a relationship if it is always at my request and I’m sure you do too. Its exhausting and makes the relationship feel fake when you feel like you are the only one who cares. God may never give up on us the way we sometimes give up on others and yet God wants our invitation just as much as we need his.

The Importance of Acceptance

God loves us so much, He sent his only son to take our place. This was done to restore our relationship with Him. And yet, we have to accept that invitation. We have to accept Him. A huge part of the salvation story is that God respects our free will. He gives us choice. And part of that choice is whether or not we continue in relationship with Him. He would rather we be hot or cold, all in or all out, than lukewarm.

We are disgusting to him when we profess to believe but aren’t fully committed. When we say we love him but don’t walk with him daily he threatens to spit us out.

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Rev 3:16 ESV

God expects an intimate relationship with us. He expects us to spend time with Him, talk to Him and invest in Him the same way he loves, talks to and invests in us. What if he is also waiting for us to invite Him back?

Walking on Water

In Matthew, we see the story of Jesus walking on water. It’s a common story that I’m sure most of you are familiar with it. I’ve heard many sermons over the years on the power of Jesus to calm the storm, why he called Peter out of the boat, etc. But Jesus isn’t my focus in this passage today. Today, I want to look at Peter.

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 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. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14: 22-33 (ESV).

The 10 Year Storm

When I lived in California, my house was technically located in a flood zone. We never had water in our yard but this flood zone wasn’t for a normal desert monsoon. This flood zone was for the 10, 15 and 20 year storms. This area flooded only during the massive storms that hit so infrequently they are named by the average length of time between them. While we did have several storms that filled the wash behind our house, we never experienced anything that came close to flooding our yard. The size of storm needed to do that was extraordinary, and uncommon.

Likewise, the storm the disciples were facing wasn’t a normal summer squall but rather something out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was a 10 year storm. I don’t know exactly how bad it was but I do know it wasn’t a common storm.

Getting Out of the Boat

Several of the disciples were fisherman. Going on a boat wasn’t new to them. This was their life and their livelihood. They were as comfortable on their boat as we would be at our desks. And yet this storm was enough that the other fisherman had probably headed into shore, tied their boats up and went home, praying their boats would survive the night. It wasn’t the kind of storm you wanted to be caught out in open water for.

Are you comfortable in your house? Your car? Your office? Even if you hate driving, being in your own car is probably less stressful than being in a rental or having to take a bus. These men were comfortable on a boat. They wouldn’t have been afraid of large waves or big winds. The waves that ‘tossed’ the boat about could more aptly be described as crushing, devastating waves.

We can get too comfortable in our comfort zones. We can reach a place of complacency where we don’t want to leave it.

Experiencing the Extraordinary

Can you imagine being out on the water in a storm big enough to disturb those with you who worked on the water for a living? While you’re watching the fisherman starting to get upset and panic, you suddenly see a man walking towards you through the wind and waves? Would you believe your eyes or would you think something really strange and probably bad was happening?

When Jesus approached his disciples, walking on water, they disbelieved. They called him a ghost. I think it’s safe to say that it was such an abnormal event that you and I would have probably looked twice and second guessed too.

Peter stands out from the rest though. Peter didn’t say “come closer so we can make sure its you.” Peter said “if it’s you, command me to get out of the boat.”

Inviting a Command

Think about this for moment.

Peter could have gotten out of the boat on his own. But what would have happened? Peter didn’t have the power to walk on water the way Jesus was. Peter couldn’t have swam through the storm to Jesus either; the storm was too great. Peter knew that Jesus being the Son of God and having command of the storm and him was the only way in which he would reach Jesus.

Courage to Get Out of the Boat

Peter obviously didn’t doubt that it was Jesus walking towards them. He knew that only the Son of God could have walked through the storm. Only the Son of God could have walked on water. Knowing it was Jesus is what made Peter fearless. He had no doubt, that if Jesus commanded him, if Jesus conferred the power upon him, that Peter could walk on the water as well.

But Peter knows that getting out of the boat, alone in his own power, isn’t enough. So Peter asks his Lord to command him out of the boat.

Peter invited Jesus to command him out of the boat. He asked. He didn’t wait for Jesus to have the idea himself. And Peter didn’t sit in the boat waiting for Jesus to come to him. Peter knew that with the Lord all things are possible and that he could join Jesus where Jesus was. He knew he didn’t have to wait! Peter’s faith was greater than the storm and even greater than what we know to be possible.

And how was Peter rewarded?

In asking Christ to call him out of the boat, Peter did the extraordinary. He went beyond staying safe in the boat, holding on to his comfort zone, to doing something no one else in history can claim to have done – he walked on water with Jesus Christ.

Jesus said come and Peter did. He got out of the boat and began to walk on the water towards Jesus.

But just like us, Peter looked around. He took his eyes off his Lord. Peter saw his circumstances, the wind and waves, and he realized the full extend of the situation he was in. He was walking on water, in the middle of the sea, no where near shore and increasingly farther from his boat.

Peter had no life vest. No safety net. But Peter had everything he needed. He had Jesus.

Isn’t that enough?

Distracted by the Storm

I don’t know about you, but I tend to get distracted by the chaos. The storm around me steals my attention and I get overwhelmed by the wind and the waves. I take my eyes of Jesus and I start to sink.

How many times do you feel like you are drowning and going under? I can think of at least a dozen songs with references to drowning and going under because it is a universal feeling.

But sinking, and drowning, is not our inheritance. That is not our fate or destiny. We are promised life and life abundantly.

Peter didn’t succumb to sinking. When Peter grew frightened, he called out to Christ. He asked for help. He begged Jesus to save him. Again, he asked!

Jesus knew Peter was sinking. He knew Peter couldn’t walk on the water on his own. He certainly knew Peter’s faith would be tested when he was fully out of the boat without a safety net. But Jesus didn’t hurry to Peter’s side. Jesus waited. Much like Jesus waited when Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited to help Peter until Peter realized the full extend of his need.

Peter had to call out to his Lord. He had to swallow his pride, admit he couldn’t do it on his own and fully rely on Christ. Peter had to ask Jesus to do something. He had to invite Jesus fully into the situation and fully rely on him to act on Peter’s behalf.

And Jesus did. He immediately reached out his hand to grab ahold of Peter. He pulled him back up and asked why he doubted.

Chastized for Doubting

But I doubt. Don’t you?

What is your comfort zone? What are you holding on to? How are you doubting that Jesus is enough? Do you fully trust him to let go of your safety net and step out in extreme faith?

Is there something you are being called to do that you can’t muster the courage for? Is there a dream or passion that you are waiting for God to give you the green light on?

This blog is out of the boat for me. I regularly feel like I won’t be able to keep up with it, will run out of things to say, ramble incoherently or that it won’t be a help to anyone. And yet I know that these are lies. Already, in a few short weeks, I have been encouraged to keep going because my words have meant something to people. But this is out of my comfort zone! And there are other areas of my life where I could ask to be called out of my boat.

Back in the Boat

When Peter and Jesus got back in the boat, those in it acknowledged the strength and power of the Lord. The others saw what Peter had done and praised Christ.

Likewise, our testimony bolsters those around us. They see what God is doing in our lives and it encourages them. Our testimony is enough to sway unbelievers, and encourage other believers. But even while they can praise God with us for what Jesus has done in our lives, it doesn’t affect them the same way it does me. To us, it is personal. It is something impossible to forget. And its something personal between us and God.

Where Can You Invite God?

Peter was proactive. He reciprocated Jesus relationship easily because he walked with Christ in the flesh. But we have something Peter didn’t have. We have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us so we have no excuses. He is with us all of the time. And while the Holy Spirit does invite us to do things on a regular basis, he also respects our choice and free will and will wait for us to invite him back. Just like Peter didn’t wait for Jesus to call him out of the boat and he didn’t wait for Jesus to save Him, we need to not wait on the Lord to step in but rather actively invite Him.

Where can you invite Jesus more fully into your life today? I would challenge you to examine your comfort zones. Is there a storm you could be stepping into instead of staying safe from? When we take a step of faith, the Lord will never let us drown. Like Peter, we can walk on water with Christ.

If Jesus was walking on water toward you, would you ask him to call you out of the boat? What would that look like in your life? How can you share your past experiences with others? How can you invite God to use you more?

Prayer

Father,

Often times I feel like I am drowning. I look at the circumstances instead of you and I feel myself sinking beneath the waves. This is not my spiritual inheritance. This is not the feeling you have gifted me with.

I ask you for your peace that passes understanding. Calm my fears and worries that I can rise above these circumstances and walk with you, fearlessly.

While there is nothing wrong with staying in the boat like most of the disciples, safe and secure, I want to be like Peter. I want the courage and audacity to ask to be called out, to do something extraordinary.

in Jesus’ name,

BreA