Moving Out By Faith

Let us pray

Welcome....

Each Sunday we are re-minded of our theme for this year, which is, With God All Things

Are Possible or With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible.........

Today we will be using as our topic, Moving Out By Faith. Please turn with me in your bi-bles to Matthew 14: 22-36. Let’s all stand and read

together. Please tell someone, Faith Can Move Mountains.

What is faith? The bi-ble says that, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the

evidence of things not seen, or faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of

what we do not see or faith is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us,

even though we cannot see it up ahead.

Let’s think for awhile. What is faith? Faith is believing that you are cured from that

sickness, even though there is no evidence of you being cured; the pain is still there; the

symptoms are still there............

Faith is believing that you have received that job that you applied for, even though you

are still in the un-employment line. Faith is believing that your son or daughter who is out

there on drugs will be alright, even though there is no evidence of a change taking place;

your son and daughter is still acting crazy.................

Faith is believing that your ungodly husband or wife will one day be a child of God, even

though right now you see no change in their ungodly living. Faith is believing that God is

going to add to the church those that are being saved, even though all you can see right

now are just empty pews............

How many of you believe that faith can remove mountains or any difficulties you might

face in your life? How many of you believe that the Word of God is true? Well, it is time

for us to start believing God’s Word and move out by faith. I don’t care what man might

say; I don’t care what the statistics are showing; because there is a God who can change

things around. The God whom I serve can take nothing and make something; He can turn

darkness into light. God wants us today to start moving out by faith, and start trusting him

completely............

The basketball finals between the San Antonio Spurs, and the New York Nets is currently

taking place. I was told that in basketball there are two approaches. One is "man-on-man;"

the other is "zone defense." When you’re playing man-on-man, you stay with the player

from the opposing team who’s been assigned to you ......wherever that person goes, you

go. But when you’re playing zone defense, you position yourself within a designated geo-

gra-phi-cal area of the court and you play against any player that comes into that zone or

that area.

The coach will give clear instructions as to which kind of defense will be played - man-on-

man or zone. Both have advantages, depending on what the other team is doing

offensively. Some players find it naturally easier to play the zone. And they have to work a

little harder to play man-on-man.

"It’s that way for most of us in life, isn’t it?" It’s just easier to stay "in the zone," to stay

where it is comfortable, to stay where it’s easy to get by with a minimal amount of effort,

and where very little faith if any is required. It is time for us to take a good look at

ourselves, and start to move out by faith..........elaborate....start thinking big, start trusting

God completely.....

It has been said that, "We all want to progress, but how many of us really want change? Most times we are set

in our ways, and just don’t want to change; don’t want to move out by faith. Some pastors

who are in a new pastorate hear the con-gre-gation say, "We want you to lead us and help

us grow." But what they don’t hear said is......but don’t change anything sub-stantial in the

church, because we like it just the way it is." Please note very carefully, "healthy churches

are always changing and growing, and facing new challenges." That’s real living, and it is

time for us to start moving out by faith.

So often we hear it being said, we have tried that before, and it did not work, maybe it did

not work then, but it might work now, and so we have to move out by faith. When Mary,

the mother of our Lord was told she would have a son, and she was not married, she

asked the angel, how shall this be, since I am not a married woman? She heard the

response, "Nothing is impossible with God," to which she replied, I am the Lord’s servant.