INTRODUCTION
SLIDE 1
Walking by faith. That sounds so good doesn’t it.
I think all Christians want to walk by faith. We want to walk the path God wants us to walk, we want to trust in Him to provide for and protect us. HOW MANY OF US HERE TODAY WANT TO WALK BY FAITH?
Great, then starting NOW we will all walk by faith! LOL
Walking by faith is an issue of trust. Walking by faith means that we will do what God wants us to do, knowing and trusting it is best for us.
We have a tendency to want to know all things before we take the step of faith. That is not walking by faith that is walking by sight!
Many times God’s way does not make sense to us at the time, but our trust in Him will allow us to follow Him even when we are not sure where the path is leading us.
Sometimes God’s way makes as much sense as a guy in is very late 30’s who had multiply shoulder and arm surgeries when he was young, trying out for a major league baseball team as a pitcher no less!
In the movie “The Rookie”, which is a true story, Coach Jim Morris has accepted a challenge from his rural Texas high school baseball team: if they win the district championship, he will go for a tryout with a professional baseball team. The Owls have faith in their coach, but being faithless, he seeks a sign. He is looking for confirmation, but his faithlessness leads to impatience, and he misses the very sign he seeks. (www.movieministry.com)
DVD Chapter: 5 Start Time: 00:35:13 End Time: 00:38:11
As a church we will have many opportunities to either walk by faith or walk by sight. Walking by faith will require us to do things we cannot do on our own, that the only explanation for being able to accomplish the task is God!
Walking by faith is something that we will bring great joy to our lives if we will endeavor to do it. When the church walks by faith, God will take it to heights unknown to any of us! When God builds a Church, it will be a church who walks by faith
It is easy to talk about walking by faith, it is quite another to actually do it. Today we are going to look at Matthew 14:22-33. This is the account of Jesus and Peter walking on water.
As we look at this we need to remember that Peter and the others in the boat had seen Jesus just feed over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. They had seen many signs of His divinity.
As we look at our text today, let us see what it takes for us to be able to walk by faith and let us see why walking by faith can bring a lot of joy into our lives!
READ MATTHEW 14:22-33
SLIDE 2
SERMON
I. WALKING BY FAITH REQUIRES VISION. V28
If we are going to endeavor to walk by faith, we must have vision.
Vision is all about seeing things for the way they can be, not as they are.
Hockey great Wayne Gretzky was once asked why he was so successful on the ice. He answered, “I skate to where the puck is going to be.” (When God Builds a Church, p 131. Bob Russell author)
A person with vision can see things for what they can be instead of the way they are. (HOUSE ILLUSTRATION)
When we look at our text, the disciples have been fighting the wind and the waves; it is about 3-6 a.m. then they saw someone or as they put it a ghost on the water walking on the water towards them. They were all afraid. Then Jesus reassures them it is He.
During this time of fear, during this time of what must have been an exhausting evening out on the lake, one of the disciples on board the boat has some vision.
In verse 28 Peter asks Jesus if he too can walk on the water.
Now think about this for a moment. Peter is a fisherman. Peter knows people cannot walk on water. Peter knows if you are out in the middle of the lake without a boat holding you up, you are going to get a view of the bottom of the lake at some point.
Walking on the water made NO sense at all, but Peter had the vision to know that with Jesus, all things are possible!
The only way Peter was going to be able to walk on water is if Jesus made it possible for him to do it.
People who want to walk by faith cannot have limited vision; they must realize all things are possible with God!
What is your vision for FCC? What do you see when you look at FCC? I believe the possibilities are limitless with God!
As a church if we are willing to have the vision to walk by faith, God will lead us to places we could never dream of!
D.L. Moody once said, “The world is yet to see what God can do through a few people who are totally sold out to Him!” (When God Builds a Church, p 133. Bob Russell author)
What is the vision you have for your life? Do you really believe God can do great things through you? People who have reached the top of their professions are people who have great vision.
People who walk by faith have great vision!
People of great vision are do not limit themselves to what they can see right now. They are people who dream big things because they know they serve a big God!
SLIDE 3
James 4:2 tells us that we have not because we ask not!
SLIDE 4
JOHN 14:13-14 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
SLIDE 5
II. WALKING BY FAITH REQUIRES COURAGE. V29
It was early in the morning; the disciples had been fighting the wind and the waves for a long time. They just had the life scared out of them when they saw what they thought was a ghost coming at them.
Here they are, all in the boat together.
Many times people pick on Peter for being so bold, but let me ask you, who was the only one who first asked to get out of the boat, and then actually got out of the boat? It was Peter!
SLIDE 6
Look at verse 29
Matthew 14:29 (NASB) 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Peter asked to get out of the boat and Jesus told him to come, guess what crazy Peter did? He actually got out of the boat and started walking on the water! This verse tells us that Peter did indeed walk on the water and was coming towards Jesus!
Walking by faith takes a lot of courage. Do you think it took some courage to get out of that boat on to a raging lake?
I believe each one of us has been asked by Jesus to get out of the boat and walk on the water, but fear keeps us from doing it. It does not make sense to us that God would ask such a thing.
I struggled with getting out of the boat when I was called into ministry. My thinking was that other people would do the job, that God would not want me to leave the security of the job I had to do something I was not born and bred to do.
In what area of your life is God asking you to get out of the boat?
Notice what Jesus said to the disciples as they shook in fear in verse 27.
SLIDE 7
Matthew 14:27 (NASB) 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
I am confident this is a church who is not afraid to get out of the boat! I hope that you are not a Christian who is always afraid to get out of the boat.
It takes a lot of courage to walk by faith! It takes a lot of courage because getting out of the boat means we have to totally rely on God to get us through! Peter at first trusted in Jesus.
Do not let fear keep you from experiencing the joy of walking by faith!
SLIDE 8
III. WALKING BY FAITH REQUIRES FOCUS. V30-31
What happened to Peter when he got out of the boat? He walked on the water!
How far did he get? We really do not know, I would imagine he got a few feet away from the boat at least.
SLIDE 9
Matthew 14:29 (NASB) 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
In verse 29 we find Peter walking toward Jesus. What happened in verse 30? Peter starts to sink! What happened, did Jesus fail Him? Was Jesus going to let him drown?
Peter starts looking around him. What does he see? The wind was blowing hard and Peter started to see what the wind was doing around him.
Peter lost his focus! Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started to look at what was happening around him. All the sudden, walking on water did not look like such a good idea.
Peter was frightened and cried out to the Lord to save him.
When we have the vision and the courage to get out of the boat, we must then keep our focus squarely on Jesus.
Once we get out of the boat, the real work begins, that is when it is important we realize how much we need Jesus to be with us.
There are times when we get out of the boat and lose our focus. We start to sink as Peter did. What did Peter do? He got his focus back on Jesus. What did Jesus do? He helped him out of the water. He did not sit back and watch him drown.
Jesus did rebuke Peter a bit for the lack of faith, but never the less, Jesus saved Peter.
If we are going to walk by faith, we must keep our focus on Jesus!
SLIDE10
IV. WALKING BY FAITH PRODUCES JOYFUL RESULTS 33
Here are a few results of walking by faith!
SLIDE 11
1. Walking by faith stimulates prayer.
• When you have gotten out of the boat, it causes us to understand how much we need prayer. Peter in a sense cried out a prayer for help.
• As we make the decision to walk by faith, we will spend a lot of time in prayer asking God which direction He wants us to go. We get out of the autopilot mode of life.
SLIDE 12
2. Walking by faith motivates sacrifice.
When we walk by faith, many times we will be motivated to sacrifice. When we see God doing big things we want to be a part of it. I know when the church stepped out of the boat to build this building; people were moved to give sacrificially so it could happen.
When the church takes bold steps, many times people will be motivated to sacrifice because they want to be a part of what God is doing.
Many families have made sacrifices as far as employment when they have children. Mothers and fathers change or give up good jobs believing God wants them to spend more time with their families. That takes sacrifice.
For some, the desire to get out of debt will lead to making sacrifices, others will make sacrifices to go into Christian service.
SLIDE 13
3. Walking by faith produces harmony.
When we step out in faith, a sense of harmony is produced.
It has been said that soldiers on the barracks will have a tendency to fight and bicker whereas soldiers in the field of battle stand united because their lives depend on each other.
When we are walking by faith together, we realize we need each other.
A church who has stepped out on faith will also come together as they strive to carry out God’s call!
SLIDE 14
4. Walking by faith produces praise to Jesus!
Look at verse 33.
SLIDE #15
Matthew 14:33 (NASB) 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
What did the disciples do when Jesus got into the boat after Peters attempt to walk on water? They worshipped God.
When we walk by faith, God will be praised. As this church steps out in faith, God will be praised!
SLIDE 16
5. Walking by faith strengthens your faith!
When you see what God can do when you walk by faith, your faith will be stronger as a result. When we see what God can do when we walk by faith as a church, our faith will be strengthened!
SLIDE 17
6. Walking by faith produces excitement!
I do not know about you, but I enjoy being a part of FCC. Do you?
Walking by faith provides excitement. DO you think Peter’s excitement level was lifted a couple of notches as he stepped out of the boat?
It is exciting to be in the center of God’s will.
It is exciting to be a part of a church where God is doing great things. Why do you think building programs generate more people attending? People get excited. Walking by faith is exciting! It is never boring!
CONCLUSION
How are you doing? Are you still in the boat, afraid to step out?
I challenge you today to get out of the boat and let Jesus be your guide!
