Mt. 14:22-33 Mk. 6:45-51 Jn 6:16-21
- Where we focus our life shapes our life
- Focus on the negative we become negative
- Focus on Love, Joy Peace, Hope – Shaping life
+Beauty & the Beast
- Belle was able to accept him despite his appearance
- Ro. 8:31-37 WHO CAN? – Against , Accuse. Condemned, Separate
- v. 37 – We are more than conquerors
- Ro 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind
1. Recognize God’s Presence
- Disciples were in a mess - 3½ miles out – between 3:00-600
- There At Jesus request - Mt. 14:22
- Constrained – “Insisted”
- Obedience does not mean being spared from problems
- Why was Jesus on the water?
- Passed by - Mk. 6:48
- Moses & God’s glory –
Exodus 33:22 (AV)
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
- Reveal himself - God’s presence
2. Discern Between Faith & Foolishness
- v. 24 – Ship was tossed - Beaten, Tortured
- v. 26 – Troubled “terrified” “filled with dread”
- ”Trouble” -Same word in John 14:1 (AV)
John 14:1 (AV)
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
- Adding to their trouble what they thought was a Spirit
- They knew not it was Jesus
- Jacob running in fear from Esau
- Falling exhausted on a stone for a pillow
Genesis 28:16 (AV)
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
3. Get Out of the Boat
- Put yourself in the story wind - waves - darkness - safe boat
- To walk on water does not make sense - you got to risk
- Leave your security
- Example -Farmers
- Peter not into extreme sports
- Peter is using extreme obedience
- Extreme action requires a command Mt. 14:28
4. Expect Problems
- v.30 - … When he saw … he began to sink
- Danger of failing
- Peter’s prayer – “Lord Save Me!”
- Hudson Taylor said, "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith."
5. Accept Fear as the Price of Growth
- Fearful of the storm
- Mt. 14:27 Jesus says “Be of good cheer it is I fear not”
- “Take courage”
- FEAR - Ran in fear in Gethsemane
- Locked doors eve after resurrection
- Acts fear now gone
6. Master Failure
- Failure is the way we think about ourselves
- v. 30 - Short prayer “Lord Save Me”
- Churchill was asked what prepared him to lead Great Britain against Nazi Germany. He said it was the time he had to repeat a grade in elementary school. “You mean you failed a year in grade school?” Churchill replied, “I never failed anything in my life I was given a second opportunity to get it right?”
- Did Peter fail?
- In a way - Took his eyes off Jesus
- Biggest failure 11 other disciples who stayed in
- Our biggest failure - never getting out of the boat
7 Learn to Wait on the Lord
- Storm going for awhile
- Jesus does not always answer in our time
- Fourth watch – Was it still daylight & calm when they left
- Their strength was getting them nowhere
- After Peter got into the boat
8. Find A Deeper Connection With God
- Daring to Risk brings about growth
- Our faith becomes stronger - less fear
- Begin Risking to what God has called you to
Application:
- We cannot work up faith by emotion or formula.
- Faith develops through pressure and trial.
- Trust grows from believing God’s promises, not by belief without evidence.
- Faith believes the evidence revealed by God.
SHAPE SHIFT – Your Eyes, Mind, Heart
