(Vs. 30) --- "But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, ' LORD, SAVE ME!"

   "Beginning to sink"--- (Now that's an interesting, yet tragic phrase).   Why, only a few moments earlier Peter was daring to do that which to our minds would be the impossible.  Wouldn't it?  --- WALK ON WATER!   WOW!
    With the light of FAITH in his eyes;--- Peter firmly planted his feet on that one word, "COME!"  He just bounced out of that boat, right in the middle of a storm and began to walk on water toward Jesus just as surely had they been on dry ground.  However old Peter's success proved short lived. 
Peter's FAITH turned to FEAR; --- His VICTORY to DEFEAT!!

    I'm persuaded, that one of the most heart-rending sights in all humanity is to stand by helplessly and watch a living breathing man, woman, boy or girl being drown. Just a few moments before they were happy and full of life; --- Everything to live for and to hope for.  But now their GONE, LOST,  their lives snuffed out; --- JUST LIKE THAT! HOW SAD!!
    But dear friends and brethren;  Even many more times sorrowful; -- is to watch helplessly, as some member of your family-in-Christ begins to SINK SPIRITUALLY!!

PETER WAS A SINKING MAN!!

   And isn't this the picture of many disciples of Christ today?  They haven't YET given up the fight, but they just don't seem to be getting anywhere;--- they're just TREADING WATER, --- IDLING ALONG!
   It represents those who may not be living a victorious, spiritually enriched life they once enjoyed. Their service to God has become more of a "weighty" thing than a JOY! 
They have lost their ZEAL and PASSION to be involved in the work of the Lord's vineyard. And before they know what hit them, their worship has become a "drudgery" and a source of CRITICISM more than a JOY and EDIFICATION to the glory of Almighty God.

    But then again;--- It might even represent those who have QUIT TRYING ALTOGETHER!! And according to their own lives;  --- They are not simply SINKING, but the dark waters of  UTTER DEFEAT are rolling over them!    They are DROWNING SPIRITUALLY!!

   Brethren, we've all witnessed such sad, sad tragedies; --- Problem is, some of us never seem to profit by the past mistakes of others!!
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QUESTION:  How did Peter get that way?  How did he come to be SINKING??

   Well, first of all; it was NOT from his LACK OF INTEREST or EFFORT.  However, I'm afraid that in too many cases, God's people have simply LOST INTEREST. 
They often bewail the fact that they are receiving very little out of the services and religion in general!!
    OH! How easy it is to forget; The Lord Jesus Himself said;  "It is more blessed to GIVE than to RECEIVE."  Acts 20:35

And the great apostle Paul said;  "---he who SOWS SPARINGLY shall also REAP SPARINGLY; and he who SOWS BOUNTIFULLY shall also REAR BOUNTIFULLY !"   2 Cor. 9:6

   In other words, the Bible teaches that;--- GENERALLY, we can expect to RECEIVE in proportion to what we PUT IN to anything.  It works that way in the world and most certainly it works that way in the Lord's kingdom!
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   Nor was Peter's failure a result of , or because of the DIFFICULTY of the task!  Oh! Yes; --- The task was difficult, even to the point of IMPOSSIBLE!  Peter said; 
(Mt. 14:24)  "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water!" Jesus answered; "COME!"  "COME!"  And Peter just hopped out of that boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus!!

   Don't you know that when Jesus invited Peter to come; --- He would also supply that which was needed??      So what was Peter's problem??
He became WIND CONSCIOUS rather than CHRIST CONSCIOUS!!!

   Peter saw the raging wind and this so filled his horizon, that he saw nothing that was helpful!  And I'm afraid that this precisely is what happens to some of us;  ---- We become "WIND CONSCIOUS"!  We see the WIND and become "blinded" to CHRIST!  The need of the hour is NOT BLINDNESS; --- We need to face the facts!!

   Perhaps you are experiencing the winds of "UN-POPULARITY"; --- or the winds of "OLD HABITS", DOUBTS", "FEAR", "WORRY", or even "LAZINESS"!! 
You had better believe the EVIL ONE will hurl these things at you EVERY TIME you give him a chance! 

   Peter himself was to say later; --- "Be SOBER in spirit, be on the ALERT, your adversary, the DEVIL, prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. --- BUT YOU RESIST HIM!!"  (I Pet. 5:8-9)

   And dear friend, when you take your eyes off JESUS CHRIST; --- You are going to begin seeing and hearing the "WINDS OF DESPAIR";  and you are going to find yourself  beginning to SINK!

   OH! CARELESS SOUL, why do you WONDER? ---  Why do you play with SIN and INDIFFERENCE? ---Why do you TEST GOD?  Why do you GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT??
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   This lesson dear ones, would not be complete unless we "spotlight" the WONDER of how Peter turned DEFEAT and CERTAIN DESTRUCTION into a JOYOUS VICTORY!! 
HOW???
   By NOT DENYING or IGNORING he had a SERIOUS PROBLEM!  He had some MAJOR DIFFICULTIES!!   He faced the fact that; --- "I'm beginning to SINK!!" --- He realized his TRUE SITUATION and DID NOT TRY TO IGNORE IT!!

    Some people NEVER realize their TRUE SITUATION; --- their PRESENT DANGER!!  They fail to take stock of their SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP with GOD!! They are simply BLINDED to the fact that they are SINKING, DROWNING and DYING LOST!!

    One of the definite PREREQUISITES of  becoming a Christian / of being saved; --- Is that one must BE AWARE of a NEED of a SAVIOR!!    But you know what?  So many today are SELF-SATISFIED, so much so that they do not recognize their "SINKING SITUATION"; --- At least not enough to DO anything about it!!    SO TRAGIC!!!
   As I heard it so well put one time; --- They need to become "PRO-ACTIVE!!"

    I thank God for Peter's example; --- He turned his eyes from the WIND and fixed them on CHRIST, BEFORE it was TOO LATE!!  He recognized his Lord's POWER TO SAVE!! --- He cried out; "LORD, SAVE ME!!!
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   TONIGHT;--- This same Jesus stretches out His NAIL-PIERCED HANDS to SAVE YOU!!!  And He is more than willing to do so through the very DYNAMITE of the blessed gospel;

      "For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL;  for IT is the POWER (DYNAMITE) of God for 
SALVATION to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 
         For in IT the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God is revealed from faith to faith;  As it is written;
'But the RIGHTEOUS man shall live by FAITH!"   (Rom. 1:16-17)

   Brethren and friends, we need to be less WIND CONSCIOUS and more CHRIST CONSCIOUS!! 

     We must fasten our eyes upon JESUS CHRIST where VICTORY IS SURE; --- 
And NOT on those RAGING WINDS that will lead only to a SURE and DISASTROUS DEFEAT!!

"And IMMEDIATELY Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him,
and said to him. 'O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH, WHY DID YOU DOUBT?"

There's a hymn that says in part;
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,  Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim --- In the light of His glory and grace."