Step Out In Faith Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• I enjoy that movie!

• God comes to Evan and tells him to build an Ark. Evan had to step out in faith in the midst of so many obstacles in order to get it done.

• As we continue our trek through the Series Building A New You, today we will delve into one of those areas that can stop our progress in its tracks.

• Step out in faith can be one of the more challenging actions one can take as a Christian.

• There is so much fear of the unknown.

• Leaving our comfort zone can be an intimidating thought. Consider your personality for a moment. Are you a risk taker?

• I am not talking about someone who would foolishly gamble his or her possession and life away, but are you the type who would never venture into the unknown? Do you know someone who would never venture out into the unknown?

• Are you married to someone who would never venture into the unknown? ☺

• Are you a no guts no glory sort of person?

• Think about your own life for a moment. When faced with the opportunities to venture out of the comfort zone, did GO FOR IT? What were the results?

• Were the results bad? If so did that keep you in your comfort zone the next time an opportunity arose? Did it go well? I bet the next time opportunity knocked, you made the jump!

• What keeps one from being willing to slide out of our comfort zones? Why is this a vital area to examine?

• First of all, in order to answer the call to follow Jesus, we are required to step out in faith, not a blind leap of faith, but rather we are called to leave the old manner of life to follow a new one under Jesus! PRAISE GOD!

• The second reason this subject is vital to our growth is that in the course of following Jesus, He will take down paths that are not always comfortable to follow.

• The signs tells us NO, our friends tell us NO. Our family may tell us NO. The circumstances even appear to say NO.

• However, God says YES!

• FEAR detours us and FEAR can derail our faith.

• Today we will be turning to the book of Isaiah, chapter 43. In the previous chapters the prophet is coming down hard on the nation because of their lack of faith.

• In verse 18-25 of chapter 42 God appraises the sad state of the nation, then we come to chapter 43!

• God tells the people they will be restored! They do not have to walk in FEAR!

• Today from Isaiah 43:1-2 I want to share with you three reason as to why you do not have to fear stepping out in faith!

• Let us begin by looking at verse 1

• SLIDE #2

• Isaiah 43:1 (HCSB) — 1 Now this is what the LORD says— the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

We need not fear stepping out in faith because…

I. God knows you.

• What does it mean to step out in faith?

• Let’s break it down. Faith means to trust. Biblically faith is whole-souled trust in God’s Word based on the sufficiency of the evidence.

• To step out means to move in a direction.

• So Stepping out in faith means that one will move toward a new direction that God is leading them, and being willing to do so out of their trust in God.

• This is not always easy to do; we have many reasons that will keep us in the bull pen warming up instead of being in the game.

• When we are faced with the opportunity to step out in faith, I know in my own life, one of the hesitations is we are not sure we can do it, or we are not sure that if we step out in faith that we will be successful.

• Who wants to fail?

• When Moses was called to lead God’s people, he was hesitant because he did not feel equipped to carry out the task.

• Gideon was fearful of answering the call to step out in faith and trust God. He laid out excuse after excuse, he even put God to the test, TWICE; just to be sure he was making the correct decision.

• When you are faced with the opportunity to step out in faith for the Lord, you need to understand that the Lord knows YOU!