By Rev. Keith Howard
Kairos Moment – For Such A Time As This
Key Scripture — Matthew 14:28–29
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.”
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. The disciples were in trouble. The wind was strong. The waves were pounding the boat. It was dark, and Jesus was not physically with them. Then, sometime during the night, they saw Someone walking toward them on the water.
They were terrified.
But Jesus spoke:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” — Matthew 14:27
Then Peter said something remarkable:
“Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
Jesus answered with one word:
“Come.”
That word became Peter’s Kairos moment. He now had a decision to make. Would he remain where it was familiar and relatively comfortable? Or would he trust Jesus’ voice and step out?
The Boat Can Become Too Comfortable
The boat wasn’t necessarily a bad place. In fact, during a storm, staying in the boat probably seemed the reasonable choice. But once Jesus said “Come,” staying in the boat was no longer Peter’s assignment. Sometimes our greatest obstacle to obedience isn’t rebellion.
It is comfort.
We can attend church, listen to sermons, study Scripture, sing worship songs, and participate in programs. But we must also remain spiritually seated. There is a difference between being around Jesus and actively following Jesus. Genuine discipleship requires movement. At some point, what we know must become what we live.
James reminds us:
“Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says.” — James 1:22
At some point, faith must leave the boat.
Peter Asked to Come to Jesus
Notice carefully what Peter requested.
He did not say:
“Lord, let me walk on water.”
He said:
“Tell me to come to You.”
That distinction is important.
Peter’s destination was not the water.
Peter’s destination was Jesus.
The miracle was simply the pathway. Sometimes we become so fascinated by what God can do for us that we lose sight of the One who calls us. We seek the blessing, the breakthrough, the opportunity, the ministry, the platform, the answer.
But genuine discipleship says:
“Lord, I want You.”
John 5:39 reminds us that even Scripture testifies about Christ.
Biblical proficiency is essential, but biblical knowledge is not the final destination.
Scripture should lead us to Jesus.
You Cannot Walk on Water While Holding the Boat
Peter had to let go of one thing to move toward another. He could not remain securely in the boat and still walk toward Jesus.
Neither can we.
Sometimes following Christ requires letting go of what has made us comfortable: fear, approval, control, familiarity, old habits, our own plans, and the world’s narrative.
Jesus said:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” — Matthew 16:24
Genuine discipleship involves surrender.
The question is not merely:
“What do I believe?”
It is also:
“What am I willing to surrender to obey Jesus?”
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Peter stepped out. For a moment, the impossible became possible. He walked on water. But then something changed.
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” — Matthew 14:30
The wind had already been blowing. The waves had already been moving.
The storm wasn’t new.
Peter’s focus changed.
He began to look more at what was around him than at the One who had called him. That happens to us. We begin in faith, but then circumstances, fear, culture, people, our past, and the news start talking. Suddenly, those voices seem louder than Jesus. That is why genuine disciples must remain grounded in God’s Word. The world will always have a narrative.
Disciples must know the voice of their Shepherd.
Jesus said:
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27
When You Begin to Sink, Cry Out
Peter began sinking. But his failure was not the end of his story.
He cried:
“Lord, save me!”
And Scripture says:
“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” — Matthew 14:31
Immediately.
What a picture of grace.
Some believers have stepped out before and failed. Perhaps you tried. Perhaps you became discouraged. Perhaps fear overwhelmed you. Perhaps disappointment led you to return to the safety of the pew.
Peter reminds us:
Failure doesn’t have to be final.
There comes a time when we must cry out to Jesus. Take His hand, get back up, and keep following. Our confidence is not in our ability to walk perfectly.
Our confidence is in the Christ who holds us when we begin to sink.
Genuine Disciples Get Out of the Boat
The Great Commission was never given only to pastors, missionaries, evangelists, or ministry leaders.
Jesus told His followers:
“Go and make disciples of all nations.” — Matthew 28:19
The Church cannot fulfill that mission while everyone remains in the boat. Someone must go. Someone must share the Gospel. Someone must disciple the new believer. Someone must encourage the weary. Someone must teach the Word. Someone must serve the forgotten. Someone must cross the street. Someone must make the call.
Someone must say:
“Lord, if You are calling me, tell me to come.”
And when Jesus says “Come,” we must be willing to move.
We Step Out From Victory
Peter stepped out of the boat, and it became turbulent.
David walked toward Goliath.
Moses returned to Egypt.
Esther approached the king.
Abraham left what was familiar.
Joseph remained faithful through the prison.
None of them knew every detail of what would happen next, yet they moved in faith. As followers of Jesus, we move with even greater assurance:
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57
We are not stepping out trying to earn Christ’s victory.
We step out because Christ is victorious.
The battle belongs to the Lord.
The victory is through Christ.
The obedience is ours.
The glory belongs to God.
The Destination Is Jesus
Perhaps Jesus is calling you beyond something comfortable. Maybe He is calling you to share your faith.
Serve.
Forgive.
Lead.
Disciple someone.
Return to His Word.
Rededicate your life.
Step into an assignment you have been avoiding.
Don’t focus on the water first.
Don’t focus first on the wind.
Don’t focus first on whether you believe you can do it.
Look at Jesus.
Then listen for His Word.
If He says:
“Come.”
Step out.
Not because the water is safe.
Not because the storm has disappeared.
Not because you have confidence in yourself.
But because the One calling you is trustworthy.
And remember:
The boat is not the destination.
The water is not the destination.
The miracle is not the destination.
Even the Kairos moment is not the destination.
Jesus is.
This is Our Signature
Kairos is the moment.
Scripture reveals the truth.
Discipleship is the response.
Jesus is the destination.
God’s glory is the goal.
Reflection
- What “boat” has become comfortable enough to keep you from obeying Jesus?
- Is there something Christ has already told you through His Word that now requires action?
- What competing voice has been drawing your attention away from Jesus?
- Have past failures caused you to become spiritually disengaged?
- Who might be reached, encouraged, or discipled if you faithfully step out?
Genuine disciples do not step out merely to experience something extraordinary; they step out because Jesus has called them to Himself. Faith leaves the boat when Christ says, “Come,” keeps its eyes on Him through the storm, and trusts His hand when it begins to sink.
Personal Response
Today I will ask:
Lord Jesus, where are You calling me to come closer to You?
I will search His Word.
I will listen for His voice through Scripture.
I will identify what fear or comfort has kept me from obeying.
And when Christ’s direction is clear:
I will get out of the boat.
Not to prove something about myself.
Not to impress others.
But to move toward Jesus.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, King of the universe,
Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, who calls us out of fear, complacency, and passive Christianity into genuine discipleship. Forgive me for the times I have become comfortable in the boat when Jesus was calling me to come. Give me a hunger for Your Word. Make me biblically proficient so that I can recognize truth, discern Your voice, reject the world’s competing narratives, and courageously obey what You have spoken. Lord Jesus, keep my eyes fixed on You. When the wind becomes strong, help me remain focused on You. When fear whispers that I cannot continue, remind me that my confidence is not in myself but in You.
When I begin to sink, teach me to cry:
“Lord, save me!”
Thank You that Your grace is greater than my failures and Your hand is strong enough to lift me again. Call Your Church off the pew and into Your mission. Raise up genuine disciples who know Your Word, abide in You, obey Your commands, share the Gospel, make disciples, and teach others to do the same. And Lord, never allow us to become more fascinated with the miracle than with the Savior.
For the boat is not our destination.
The water is not our destination.
The opportunity is not our destination.
You are.
May everything we do point people toward Jesus Christ.
The battle is Yours.
The victory is through Christ.
The obedience is ours.
And the glory belongs to You alone.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
The Destination Is Jesus.
To God Alone Be The Glory!
