Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
4 sermons cite this verse
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for having a seat. So Joshua Slocum was 51 years old when he left Boston Harbor in 1895. At 51 years old, he got on a 27, 37 foot oyster boat. And he began to sail around the world completely by himself. took him three years three years and two months 1895 left boston and traveled over the pacific ocean the the the indian ocean the the atlantic ocean and he did all of this first the first person ever to do this alone to sail around the world solo joshua slocum came back to boston in massachusetts in 1898 and he had so many incredible teachings things to say insights of of what it takes to sail around the world by yourself. He has a lot of insights when it comes to fear. We can imagine. You can imagine that on like a really nice day out on the ocean, just amazing, blue skies, just enough wind to keep you going, but not too much wind to make it scary. …
… So I'm excited about Jesus. I want to preach about Jesus today from Matthew chapter 14, verses 22 through 35. First Bible story that I ever preached for our last sermon in the series, That's What I Thought. Tell your neighbor, that's what I thought. I say this is the last one. I think it's the last one. If the Lord wants me to keep going, I will. but my plan is today to take some of the things we've been preaching about and minister them to your heart. Welcome to all of our locations. Put it in the comment on YouTube. That's what I thought. This is our final installment. Yeah, this is the first Bible story I ever preached, so I always try to preach it at least once a year just to check in and see how dumb I was the last time I preached it or what new thing God will show me. Glad you're here today. Welcome. Welcome to the presence of God. Welcome to a new beginning. Welcome to a space where grace reigns supreme and where Jesus is Lord and King. Welcome to a place where you can hear his word. …
"O you oflittle faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31. OUR Savior did not ask Peter that question for His own information. He could have told Peter much more about his unbelieving heart than Peter knew! The Savior was well acquainted with those springs from which the unbelief of Peter arose. He asked it, therefore, rather that Peter might make the enquiry of himself—that he might look into the matter and see how groundless his unbelief was—so that on the next occasion he might not fall into the same error. I believe it is sometimes a very great cure for unbelief to look it in the face even while we are under it—and after we have escaped from it, it is still a preventive for the future if we look back upon it and reason concerning it. Remember how David, in the 42nd Psalm, twice asked himself, "Why are you cast down, O my Soul? And why are you disquieted within me?" He was persuaded that the questioning of his unbelief would convict him of its folly. It only needs to be looked at closely to lose all its terror, to be robbed of its seeming foundation and to be overcome! …
"And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, bid me come unto You on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:28-31. A FEW reflections will be sure to cross the mind of any thoughtful reader of this narrative. I. THE MIXED CHARACTER OF THE BELIEVER'S EXPERIENCE is here very palpably suggested to us. Peter was undoubtedly a bold believer in Jesus Christ. He addresses his Master devoutly, calling Him, "Lord"—a name of reverence, the use of which evidences the change that had been worked in his character, and the obedient spirit it had produced. But the misgivings implied in that, "if—"if it is You"—savors rather of unbelief! And yet we find this hesitancy immediately followed by an expression of such strong confidence that we marvel at the request he uttered, "Bidme come to You on the water."Then cheered by the Lord's prompt answer, "Come," we find him showing his courage by descending from the vessel, setting foot on the sea and actually walking on the water! Thus did he participate in the wonder which Christ worked and share in the miracle of subduing the elements. His valor, however, soon evaporates. For, "when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid." The faith that buoyed him up gave place to a fear that bowed him down. He who was walking on the liquid wave, one instant, is sinking beneath the surge the next! The gallant cry, "Bid me come to You on the water," is quickly exchanged for the grievous wail, "Lord, save me!" So great his pluck, so dire his panic! And is this a common experience? Are all God's people thus subject to changes—alternating between calm trust and cowardly fear? Can they be neither one thing or the other—neither altogether believing or totally unbelieving? We think it is even so. We will not say how much frailty of the creature is mixed up with fealty to Christ in the best of men, nor how far the Grace of God may protect us from the guilt of double-dealing in the conduct of our lives. But we do mournfully confess that in our own experience, the good and the evil contend for the mastery and, sometimes, it seems but the turning of a hair which shall vanquish! Fully assured, though, we are that the new life which has been implanted in us will ultimately gain the victory, but not less fully conscious are we that disasters and defeats are constantly occurring on our path to triumph. …