Peter’s Incredible Zeal
Matt. 14:22 – 33

Introduction
Just about every kid has a period in their lives where they love superheroes. The kids idolize the superheroes ability to do the impossible, to fly, their incredible strength or their x-ray vision. When I was growing up, I loved superman. I wanted to be just like superman. I remember running around my house with my homemade cape, whenever I saw a phone booth I wanted to go in and change into a superman costume. Superheroes are again becoming popular. New movies are coming out all the time about the superheroes. They are so amazing because they can do such amazing things. A sad time for me came when I realized I could not be one of those superheroes, because it was impossible.
Sometimes I think that we read the Bible like we would read a comic book, or watch our favorite superheroes. We look at the amazing things that some of the folks did in the Bible and are amazed by them, we even idolize their lives and their passion for God, but sometimes we see the people in the Bible as superheroes, whose super powers are impossible to match.
We read of some amazing things and some amazing people in the Bible. Sometimes it’s hard to grasp that these were real people who really lived, and not just made up stories. These people had real struggles and real problems in life. They didn’t have superpowers, they were not superheroes, they were just people like you and me putting their faith into practice. They were super people with super character, but they didn’t have special powers to live better lives or do fantastic things. They are examples for us for how to live our lives. When I read of people like Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, and Paul I envy some things about them. I envy the closeness they had with God. They had a special relationship with God; they had a constant communication with Him. I envy what they could accomplish for God. It was amazing how God can take these weak and imperfect individuals and do such amazing things through them that they could so greatly impact people. I envy their unswerving faith. As you read of the key people in the Bible we can see that many of them differ in personality and specific roles that they were raised up for, but one thing is always the same, they had a strong faith. They trusted God when it didn’t make sense, when it wasn’t popular and when things were not going their way. They are legends that we are talking about thousands of years later because of the kind of faith that they had.
I hope today that many of us read through the Bible and sometimes think, “That’s the type of person that I want to be” or “that is the type of faith that I would like to have.”
The bottom line is that we can have that type of faith. Jesus promised that we would be able to have a faith that could move mountains. We can have that type of relationship with God today. Sometimes we are way too easily satisfied with mediocrity in our faith. We are satisfied with being a casual Christian in name only. We are content with our lack of commitment, excitement, or zeal. We are sometimes content to be uninvolved or lukewarm. I hope today that you want more. Today I hope that you are not content where you are in your faith, I hope you want to be like some of the incredible people in the Bible and have a faith that can do amazing things.
One of my favorite characters in the Bible is the Apostle Peter. Peter was a man who was full of zeal for the Lord. When Jesus was on the mountain and was transfigured with Moses and Elijah it was Peter who wanted to stay and build shelters for all three of them. When Jesus told Peter he was going to be killed it was Peter who said he would die with him. It was Peter who assured Jesus that even if everyone else denied him he wouldn’t. It was Peter who drew his sword and cut off Malchus’ ear as the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. It was Peter who ran to see the empty tomb. It was Peter who left the boat and came to the resurrected Lord. People can fault Peter for some of his over zealous actions, but over all Peter had a heart for Jesus and is an example to us all of the excitement we should have in following Jesus.
The text for this morning’s lesson is Matthew 14:22-33
Peter’s greatest desire was to be with Jesus in any way possible. In this account of Jesus walking on water, we see that the disciples are out to sea and there is a great storm that is around them. These disciples were experienced fishermen, so most likely they knew some things about boating, but it says that they were afraid. Then we learn that Jesus walks out on the water towards them. Peter then speaks up and says, “Lord, if it is you tell me to come to you on the water.” Peter wanted to get to Jesus. He wanted to get to Jesus so badly that the waves did not deter him from getting out of the boat; He knew he would be safe with Jesus near. Did you notice, that Peter didn’t say, “let me walk on the water like you, that’d be cool.”? He wanted to get to Jesus.
Peter wanted to get to Jesus because...
1)He Knew that Jesus Alone Could Calm the Storms of Life
Today we live a life that is being buffeted by the wind and the storms of life. Sometimes life can be hectic and chaotic, but there is a solution to life’s problems. There is a person who can calm the storms howling around us and beating against us. That person is Jesus. He offers us the same hope of calming the storm that he offered the disciples two thousand of years ago.
Matthew 11:28-30
You know what is strange about us as people; we like to handle our problems on our own. We think that we can fix all of the things going wrong in our lives. I want to tell you this morning that there is one who wants to bear our burdens, struggles, frustrations, and griefs. There is one who wants to make our life easier. If only we would come to him he would take those burdens away. Sometimes to come to him we have to get out of the boat and step out on faith and know that Jesus alone can save.
2) He Knew that Jesus Was In Control of His Creation
Peter ate up the opportunities he had to be at the feet of Jesus. He loved things like when Jesus picked him to go up the mountain and see him transfigured with Moses and Elijah. He didn’t want those moments to end. Peter knew that Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. He knew that nothing came to be without Jesus allowing it. He knew that Jesus had control over his creation and that is why walking out on the water wasn’t such a big deal. He knew that Jesus could control the wind and the waves. By the time that Jesus ministry was over and he ascended to Heaven, it was plain to Peter that Jesus was Lord over the sea, Lord over the sick and diseased, Lord over the demons, Lord over life because he raised Lazarus up from the dead and death couldn’t hold Jesus in, he would have known that Jesus had control over His creation and he wanted to be with His creator as much as possible.
3) He Knew that Jesus Alone Could Save His Soul
Peter is often ridiculed for stepping out of the boat, but I believe Peter showed more faith the eleven that stayed in the boat. When Peter stepped out of the boat he became afraid because of the wind, he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink. He cried out what I believe are some of the most amazing words in all of Scripture. He cried, “Lord, save me”. Three simple words he cried out are so packed with meaning. You know, when people begin to sink and when people are put in a tough spot they often reveal what is really inside. Peter’s cry for his life was for Jesus to save him. He knew that Jesus had the power to bring him up out of the water and save him from sinking. He addressed him as Lord, or master. That word he used means supreme in authority or controller.
Did you also notice that his faith did not change just because he was sinking? Before he walked out on the water he addressed Jesus as Lord, and even as he was sinking he addressed him as Lord. Peter knew that Jesus alone at that point could save him. He knew he couldn’t save himself, he knew no one else could save him, the disciples in the boat couldn’t save him, only Jesus could save him.
At some time in our lives we need to realize ... like Peter, that we are drowning in a sea. We cannot save ourself, and no one else can save us, but only Jesus can save us.
Right after this miracle of Jesus and Peter on the water, Jesus taught the large crowds about the Bread of Life. The Bible tells us that the crowds had a hard time accepting Jesus’ message and were offended.
John 6:66-69
Amidst the crowds turning their backs on Jesus, he looks back to his disciples with a broken heart and asks them, are they going to leave him too? Peter is the one that pipes up and says an incredible thing that was no doubt shaped by the incident on the sea just a little while earlier, “to whom shall we go, you alone have the words of eternal life, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Peter is saying, I believe without any doubt that you alone can save.
We too should want to be near Jesus because he alone can save. We should have zeal and a passion about encountering Jesus today. We encounter Jesus today primarily through His Word and also through His people who possess His Spirit. We should have a zeal for opportunities to encounter him because Jesus alone saves. In fact, it is by his stripes that we are healed. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Jesus alone can save. You cannot bring eternal life to yourself; you cannot be saved without first coming through Jesus.
Today I hope that you want to encounter Jesus the way that Peter did. I hope that you have zeal to encounter him. If you don’t, I hope that you can get excited about Jesus, because he calms the storms of life, he is our creator and sustainer, and he alone can save. What better to have zeal and excitement about that our Savior.
Peter was the type of guy that always longed for an opportunity to be used by God. Sometimes it was that same zeal to serve God that got him into trouble. Peter had an unmatched zeal and passion to serve.
He was excited about what he believed, now sometimes he didn’t always think things through and spoke before he really had tome to consider what he was saying, but his heart was usually in the right place. Sure Peter had faults like the rest of us, but his zeal serves as an example for many. Peter wanted to be an instrument to be used by God and he was. God used him on the Day pf Pentecost to lead 3,000 people to Christ.
A lot of times zeal is nothing more than an idle talk of what people want to hear. We as people are good at talking the talk, and not always so good at walking the walk. We should want to be used by God and want to put our zeal and excitement into practice by serving in whatever capacity necessary. A lot of time, however, people want to have zeal and excitement, but it is nothing more than just words. Zeal for the Lord should lead to serving the Lord. An excitement and a passion for God should lead to a willingness to work for God.
James 1:22-25
We as Christians, who possess the truth should be the most excited people in the world, we should be the most eager to be committed to what we believe and we should be the most hungry for more. It seems that sometimes people that have the truth are the least committed to the truth and people of other religions zeal and commitment even if it is based on a lie and wrongly directed in far greater than ours.
We need to put that zeal for God like Peter had into practice like Peter did. If Peter would have just always been the foot in mouth disciple like he was on many occasions we would never speak of his faith, but though he messed up sometimes, and though sometimes he spoke before he could think sometimes no one questions his desire to serve and to be used by God.
The question you need to answer today is will you turn your words into actions. Perhaps today you have zeal and a love for God; the Scriptures tell us that if you love me you will obey my commandments. Will you turn that head knowledge and love for God into commitment to serve? Will you go beyond talking the talk and start walking the walk? We are not saved by how good we can talk, we are not saved by what we say we want to do, and what we say about God, but putting those words into practice will save us. Today if you claim to love God and have zeal that people be saved, or if you are excited about what God has done for us will you begin to get involved in more than just word. One of the biggest obstacles facing the church and us is our own people.
The obstacle that we face is people who talk a good talk, who think that they are saved because of the feeling they have in their heart about God, but in reality that feeling is nothing more than a deception they have brought upon themselves, because the Scriptures teach that faith without works is dead. There are many here who faith, they believe in God, they say God should be number one priority, but they don’t show it. The question I want to ask is just a blunt, straightforward, heart-examing question. When are you going to change? When are you going to go from talking to doing, when are you going to move from being a Christian in name to follower of Christ in your actions? When are you going to become involved in the mission of the Church? The answer for most people is they will wait for another day, but today is the day of salvation.
People jump all over Peter because sometimes he was a little over zealous. Remember in the upper room, Peter really showed his zeal. He told Jesus that if everyone else falls away he would not. He also told him that he would never disown him even if he had to die. Jesus also got up to wash Peter’s feet, and Peter said, “Lord, you will never wash my feet.” Jesus then said, “you will have no part with me if I don’t wash your feet.” Peter then replied, “the wash my hands and my head as well.” Sometimes Peter missed the point. Sometimes Peter messed up. Sometimes Peter was overzealous, but when push came to shove that zeal lead to service and effectiveness in the Kingdom. He wasn’t just a hearer or a talker of the Word he was a doer.
Sir Edmund Hillary made several unsuccessful attempts at climbing Mount Everest before he finally was successful. After one attempt he stood at the base of the mountain and shook his fist at it, and shouted, “I’ll defeat you yet, because you are as big as you are going to get, but I’m still growing.” Every time Hillary climbed that mountain and failed he learned something new and one time he did not fail.
Peter went through some times of adversity and some difficult times that we read about. He had times of ups and downs.
He promised Jesus that he would never turn his back on him, but Jesus told him that he would deny him three times in fact. After Jesus was handed over Peter stayed around the area, and three times he was recognized as one of Jesus’ disciples and asked about it, and three times Peter denied it, even cursing the name of Jesus. Peter failed big time in a time where he could have stood up for his friend and Savior.
After Jesus rose from the grace he reinstated him and forgave him for denying him, but that event actually served to shape the man that Peter was to become.
Peter went on to become the Apostle that would preach the first gospel sermon and have 3,000 converts. He went on to baptize the first Gentile convert, and also to be a contributor to the Word of God.. He went on to be a Christian martyr, who would not deny Jesus ever again. The adversity, difficulties, and failures in Peter’s life served to change and transform him into a better person.
The reality of life is that we all have difficult times. We all face adversity from time to time, and we all have times when we miss the mark and fail at what we were supposed to do. The option that we have is what are we going to learn from those experiences and how can that adversity shape our character.
For two years, scientists sequestered themselves in an artificial environment called Biosphere 2. Inside their self-sustaining community, the Biospherians
created a number of mini-environments, including a
desert, rain forest, even an ocean. Nearly every weather condition could be simulated except one, wind. Over time, the effects of their windless environment became apparent. A number of acacia trees bent over and even snapped. Without the stress of wind to strengthen the wood, the trunks grew weak and could not hold up their own weight.
We live in an environment where we will all face the storms of life, but we can see that every great person has been shaped by difficult times and struggles and come out stronger. We must choose how we are going to react to those times of adversity. Some people react by rejecting God, because they cannot believe that a God would give them a bad lot in life. They see it is God’s job just to throw blessing after blessing upon them and the second they do not get what they wanted they blame Him. Some people, however, through difficult times and adversity learn some things. They learn something about trusting God to carry them through. They learn something about being dependent upon God.
The adversities in life that Peter faced served to shape him into a man that would make a everlasting impact in the Kingdom of God and in eternity. It was through mistakes he made, times of failure, and times of hardship that he did some learning and growing. We like Peter have our times on the mountain tops when everything seems to be going great, we feel near to God and life is going along smoothly, but we also have times where we are sinking in the waves, we have times of denial and rejection, and we learn through those times.
During the story in Matthew 14 Peter had two requests of Jesus
1. Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water
Peter wanted to get out of the boat; he wanted to be with Jesus. I am telling you this morning that sometimes in order to get to Jesus we need to get out of the boat. Jesus told Peter to come on out of the boat to him. Today, he is calling us out of the boat, he is calling us to step out on faith and come to him. The road isn’t always easy, but we are invited to come. Some people are more content staying in their boat though for whatever reason possible. Perhaps it is where you are in life that you feel content. Your boat is whatever represents safety and security in your life apart from God. Your boat is whatever you are tempted to put trust in. Perhaps that boat is worldliness and things that you have. Perhaps you don’t want to give that up. Perhaps you boat is yourself, or someone else. Perhaps your boat is success. Whatever your boat is Jesus invites you to come out of the boat and come to him, because he alone can save.
When Peter was called out of the boat the storm was howling greatly and the wind was crashing. I’ve learned how powerful of a thing water is. You could see during the floods that water can destroy anything in its path, you could see in the tsunamis that water is powerful and when waves are crashing hard it can be a scary thing. The water that Peter and the disciples were in wasn’t calm water and still he stepped into the water to be with Jesus. We need faith to step out of out boat because Jesus is calling us to himself.
John 21:1-8
Peter was ready to get out of a boat a second time; he still was willing to step out of the boat. Perhaps this time he walked on the water without taking his eyes off of Jesus.
Will you get out of the boat this morning and come to Jesus? Will you get out of the boat and give up whatever it is holding you back from coming totally to Him? Will you get out of the boat and serve him whole-heartedly?
2. Jesus, save me
When Peter stepped out of the water and began to sink he cried out for a second request of the Lord and this time he was pleading for Jesus to save him. This morning perhaps you need to cry out for the Lord to save you. He is faithful and he extends his hand for you to come to him.

Based on a Sermon
By Jason Cole