The Walk of Faith — E.A. Johnston

Biographies of Faithful Christian Witnesses

Years ago, when I had a weekly discipleship group in my home, I always kept a stack of books on a coffee table for the men to read, and they loved the old paperback Man of Faith series which are now out of print, but I had those men read those biographies on men whom God had used in a remarkable way because of their faith, men like little Sammy Morris, the African student who transformed an entire campus by his life of faith, or Jim Elliott, the missionary martyr who was killed while giving the gospel to the heathens of the Amazon who said, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

The Biblical Account of Peter Walking on Water

And today, friends, I want us to hear a message on the walk of faith as seen in my Bible, in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 14. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. We'll be beginning in verse 22.

Let me read this striking passage of scripture at this time, and it is my prayer that the Holy Spirit of God will be pleased to attend the reading of his holy word. And straightway, Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and they went before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitude away.

And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. And when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit, and they cried out for fear.

But straightway, Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

I will stop here friends at verse 29, because this is the heart of our story. Most preachers use this passage to point out Peter's lack of faith by taking his eyes off of Jesus, and their main point is that's why he sunk.

But the true import of this passage is not Peter sinking, but Peter sailing as he skipped across the stormy sea on his way to his master. And he accomplished what only one other person in the history of the world had ever done, and that is to walk on the water.

Did you know friends that Peter walked on the water too? Our text says that Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus. The text does not reveal how long or how far Peter walked on the water, but the main point is Peter walked on that water by faith in his master.

Peter's Faith and the Safety of the Boat

Yes, the text goes on to relate that Peter became startled by Jesus, and he became startled by the boisterous wind and the rising waves, and he became afraid because his faith was shaken, and he began to sink, but he did not fear when Jesus was within arm's length.

Jesus sweetly tells Peter in verse 31, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? But you see friends, Peter at this juncture possessed more faith than his fellow disciples who chose to remain in the safety of the boat.

And I think that is a dividing line in the walk of faith, friends. For those who choose to stay forever in the safety of the boat, if I may so speak, in the Christian life, then the best they can expect is a life of mediocrity.

Eventually, every disciple of Christ ventured out for him in a life of faith, except one, Judas the betrayer. Judas, instead of becoming an apostle, was an apostate who took his own life. The other disciples each eventually laid down their lives, down in a martyr's death, except for John, who had to stick around to write the book of Revelation.

Peter's Taste of the Supernatural

Peter, by faith, stepped out onto the water, and when he did, he experienced the taste of something so incredible, of something so wonderful. Peter experienced the taste of the supernatural, and from that point on, he never wanted to get back into the boat.

Though he displays human frailties, as he trembles before a maid at the courtyard of denial, he is soon standing with a holy boldness at the day of Pentecost, and piercing his hearer's hearts with his mighty and fearless preaching, calling every one of them out as murderers of the Prince of Glory.

My point in all of this, friends, is to say the following. I personally used to live very comfortably in the safety of the boat, in my own Christian walk, but one day I hungered for more. I hungered for more of Jesus.

Hunger for a Deeper Life of Faith

I hungered for more of eternity. I hungered for more usefulness to my Savior and King, and in my seeking God earnestly in prayer and desperately, I asked him to give me a life of faith like I'd never known before, that I told God I was willing to get out of the boat, so to speak, and walk with him totally by faith and not by sight, that I was challenged and convicted by the men and women of faith found in Hebrews chapter 11, and I personally wanted to taste that kind of life, and have my hunger appeased, and my faith proved, and tested, and developed to where truly I had a life of faith.

Well, friends, God answered that prayer years ago, but if I could have at the time peered into the future, I would have shrunken back to the safety of the boat because what I had to pass through for God to develop a life of faith in me was too terrible to behold.

I don't know a man who's willing to walk in my shoes these last few years. No one would want my life. God develops faith in his children by various means and through different ways, for each student needs a separate curriculum in the school of Christ.

Faith Developed Through Suffering and Sacrifice

Peter's initial walk out on the water paved the way for him to say to the cruel Roman guards as they prepared his crucifixion, turn me upside down for I don't deserve to die like my master. And the fragrant aroma of Peter's walk of faith still anchors in the pages of my Bible and challenges me to be completely sold out to Christ and his gospel in a life of faith no matter the cost, for what counts costs and what costs counts.

My sins cost Christ his very blood. Why should I dare to hold anything back from him? I have a little plaque I keep which reads, Faith is not knowing what the future holds, but knowing who holds the future.

A Call to Leave the Boat and Trust God

Perhaps you, friend. Hunger for a deeper reality of Christ and further usefulness to God. It is my prayer for you that you will be bold enough not to settle for a life inside the safety of the boat, but you too will hunger and long for a supernatural walk with God by faith.

Let us go now to the most high God who dwells among the cherubim and beseech him to grant us the necessary grace to experience him in an extraordinary way. Let us pray.