When You Start Sinking, Cry Out to Jesus

Jesus says in John 16:33 that tribulation will come, but trouble does not get the final word because He has overcome the world. Matthew 14 puts the disciples in the middle of the sea, not because they rebelled, but because they obeyed Jesus and went where He told them to go. The contrary wind proves that resistance is not always disobedience. Obedience can be hard, and a person can be right where God told them to be while the waves are still crashing.

The disciples carry the evidence of Jesus feeding thousands into that boat, yet the next storm gets loud enough to make them forget what He has already done. Fear does not change the Savior, but fear can change how a person sees Him. Mark 4 shows the deeper question beneath their fear: “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” The storm can make somebody doubt not only God’s power, but His heart.

Jesus comes walking on the water in the fourth watch of the night and says, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” The wind has not stopped when He says it. The circumstances have not changed, but Jesus has made Himself known. God calls fearful hearts to look behind them and remember how far He has brought them. The God who saved an old sinner, brought somebody out of the miry clay, and set their feet on a solid rock still holds tomorrow in His hand.

Peter hears Jesus say one word, “Come,” and gets out of the boat. Peter deserves more credit than he often gets, because many people would rather stay in a sinking boat than step into the unknown at Christ’s invitation. Peter walks while his eyes are on Jesus, but he begins to sink when he looks at the boisterous wind. The storm was already there, and Jesus was already there too. Peter’s attention changed.

Peter’s cry, “Lord, save me,” belongs not only to the lost sinner but also to the disciple who has walked with Christ and suddenly finds himself sinking. Jesus immediately stretches out His hand before He corrects Peter’s little faith. Grace catches a drowning man before correction speaks to him. The way home is still Jesus, whether somebody is lost, drifting, broken by grief, or convinced they have gone too far. His mercy still finds the one who has run, and His hand is still close enough to hear, “Lord, save me.”

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Resistance does not always mean disobedience. The disciples entered the storm because Jesus sent them into the ship. Hard winds and rough waters do not automatically mean that God has abandoned a person or that they missed His will. Obedience sometimes leads straight into places where faith has to stand without easy answers. [33:58]
• 2. Fear can distort the Savior’s face. The disciples saw Jesus coming toward them and thought He was a ghost. Fear can make mercy look like judgment and can make the open way home look closed. Jesus answers that lie with His own voice: “It is I; be not afraid.” [39:56]
• 3. Keep eyes fixed on Jesus. Peter did not sink because the wind suddenly appeared, since the storm was there before he stepped out. Peter began sinking when his attention moved from the Savior to the waves. Faith does not deny the storm, but it refuses to make the storm the main thing. [51:34]
• 4. “Lord, save me” remains a real prayer. Peter had followed Jesus, obeyed Jesus, and even walked on water toward Jesus, yet he still needed rescue. Christ’s people never outgrow their need for grace, correction, forgiveness, and strength. Jesus catches Peter immediately, then speaks to his doubt. [55:48]
• 5. Jesus still brings wanderers home. The shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine does not give up on the one who has drifted. Shame says a person has gone too far, but mercy says Christ still comes looking. His grace can find somebody in the darkest place and call them back to life.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:25] - Prayer and Scripture Reading
• [29:57] - Tribulation and Christ’s Peace
• [31:03] - The Disciples Sent Into the Storm
• [33:32] - Obedience in Contrary Winds
• [34:55] - Does Jesus Care in the Storm?
• [39:11] - Jesus Walks on the Water
• [41:30] - Remember What God Has Done
• [45:35] - Peter Steps Out of the Boat
• [47:27] - Peter Looks at the Wind
• [52:38] - Lord, Save Me
• [57:12] - Grace for the Wandering Heart
• [60:26] - Who Will You Cry Out To?
• [61:52] - Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Bible Reading

Matthew 14:22-33
“And 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.” [31:01]

John 16:33
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [29:57]

Mark 4:35-41
“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” [35:05]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 14, what had the disciples just seen Jesus do before He sent them into the boat, and what was happening to the boat once they were out at sea? [33:01]
2. What details show that the disciples were in the storm because they obeyed Jesus rather than because they had rebelled against Him? [33:39]
3. In Mark 4, what question did the disciples ask Jesus while the storm was filling the boat, and what does that question reveal about their fear? [37:01]
4. When Peter began to sink in Matthew 14, what did he cry out, and what did Jesus do before speaking about Peter’s doubt? [53:12]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus promised both tribulation in the world and peace in Himself. How can both of those promises be true for a believer at the same time? [30:19]
2. The disciples mistook Jesus for a spirit when He came toward them in the storm. What are some ways fear can cause a person to misread God’s care, mercy, or direction? [40:28]
3. Peter began to sink after noticing the wind, even though the wind had been present from the beginning. What does this show about the difference between facing a problem and becoming controlled by it? [51:25]
4. Jesus caught Peter immediately and then corrected him. What does that order teach about Christ’s grace toward believers who fail, doubt, or drift? [56:21]

Application questions

1. Is there a hard situation in your life that has made you wonder whether you missed God’s will? How does the disciples’ storm challenge the idea that every difficulty means disobedience? [34:01]
2. What “wind” has been getting most of your attention lately—fear about tomorrow, grief, finances, family trouble, health, or something else? What would it look like this week to turn your attention back toward Jesus? [51:46]
3. Think of a time God answered a prayer, carried you through a hard season, or showed His faithfulness. How can remembering that moment help you face what is in front of you now? [42:42]
4. Is there a step of obedience or service that feels like getting out of the boat? What fears make it tempting to stay in what feels familiar, even if it is no longer a place of faith? [48:41]
5. When you begin to feel like you are sinking spiritually, emotionally, or relationally, who do you usually turn to first? What would an honest “Lord, save me” prayer sound like in your present situation? [54:57]
6. Have shame, failure, or a season of drifting ever made you feel too far from God to return? What truth about Jesus’ mercy do you need to believe and act on today? [59:29]