Sermons on Matthew 14:28
The various sermons below offer a rich exploration of Matthew 14:28, each providing unique insights while sharing common themes. All three sermons emphasize the importance of faith and focus in the context of Peter's miraculous act of walking on water. They agree that Peter's faith was rooted in Jesus' command, highlighting the significance of acting on God's word. The sermons also underscore the necessity of maintaining focus on Jesus amidst life's distractions, using the analogy of Peter's initial success and subsequent failure as a lesson in spiritual focus. Additionally, they all touch on the theme of spiritual growth, suggesting that moments of desperation, like Peter's, can lead to deeper reliance on God and opportunities for growth.
Despite these commonalities, the sermons diverge in their interpretations and thematic emphases. One sermon highlights the concept of "rhema," or the current spoken word of God, suggesting that Peter's faith was an active response to Jesus' direct command. Another sermon focuses on the context of the storm, portraying Peter's request as a desperate act of faith and emphasizing the distinction between genuine prayer and superficial religiosity. Meanwhile, a third sermon uses the analogy of horses wearing blinders to stress the importance of spiritual focus, suggesting that distractions can destabilize faith. Each sermon offers a distinct perspective on how believers can navigate their spiritual journeys, whether through embracing God's current word, responding to life's storms with genuine faith, or maintaining focus amidst distractions.
Matthew 14:28 Interpretation:
Embracing Ridiculous Faith: Trusting God Boldly (Radiate Church) interprets Matthew 14:28 by suggesting that Peter was not walking on water but rather on a word from Jesus. The sermon emphasizes that Peter's faith was based on Jesus' command, "Come," and that this word was the foundation for his miraculous act. The pastor uses the Greek terms "logos" and "rhema" to differentiate between the written word of God and the spoken, current word of God, suggesting that Peter acted on a "rhema" word from Jesus.
Stepping Out in Faith: Embracing Spiritual Growth (Atlanta Berean Church) offers a unique perspective by highlighting Peter's desperation and the context of the storm. The sermon suggests that Peter's request to walk on water was a moment of desperation and faith, emphasizing the importance of prayer and the difference between praying and playing. The pastor uses the analogy of Peter walking on the word "come" as a demonstration of faith.
Focusing on Jesus Amidst Life's Distractions (Oak Grove Baptist Church) interprets the passage by focusing on the distractions that can take our eyes off Jesus. The sermon uses the analogy of horses wearing blinders to emphasize the need for spiritual focus. The pastor suggests that Peter's initial success in walking on water was due to his focus on Jesus, and his subsequent sinking was due to distraction by the storm.
Matthew 14:28 Theological Themes:
Embracing Ridiculous Faith: Trusting God Boldly (Radiate Church) presents the theme that faith requires action on God's word without guarantees. The sermon emphasizes that faith is about pioneering new paths and listening to God's current word (rhema) rather than waiting for guarantees.
Stepping Out in Faith: Embracing Spiritual Growth (Atlanta Berean Church) introduces the theme of faith as a response to desperation and the importance of distinguishing between genuine prayer and superficial religiosity. The sermon highlights the idea that storms in life can be opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper reliance on God.
Focusing on Jesus Amidst Life's Distractions (Oak Grove Baptist Church) discusses the theme of identifying and overcoming distractions to maintain focus on Jesus. The sermon emphasizes that distractions can destabilize faith and that focusing on Jesus is essential for spiritual growth and effectiveness.
Matthew 14:28 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Stepping Out in Faith: Embracing Spiritual Growth (Atlanta Berean Church) provides historical context by explaining the belief that spirits of those who drowned haunted the sea at night, which contributed to the disciples' fear when they saw Jesus walking on water. The sermon also references the cultural context of storms on the Sea of Galilee and the disciples' experience as fishermen.
Matthew 14:28 Cross-References in the Bible:
Embracing Ridiculous Faith: Trusting God Boldly (Radiate Church) references Hebrews 4:14-16 to explain why believers can trust Jesus, emphasizing that Jesus understands human weaknesses and has faced similar temptations.
Focusing on Jesus Amidst Life's Distractions (Oak Grove Baptist Church) references Hebrews 12:1-2 to encourage believers to lay aside distractions and focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.
Matthew 14:28 Christian References outside the Bible:
Stepping Out in Faith: Embracing Spiritual Growth (Atlanta Berean Church) references Ellen White, a prominent figure in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to support the idea that Satan uses the elements to create doubt and suspicion among believers.
Matthew 14:28 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Focusing on Jesus Amidst Life's Distractions (Oak Grove Baptist Church) uses a video of a moonwalking bear as an illustration of how distractions can cause us to miss important details. The video serves as a metaphor for how believers can become so focused on certain aspects of life that they miss what God is doing around them.