Well… I just wanna welcome everyone here to Embrace…
at all of our campuses….
and wherever you’re joining us from…
we’re so thrilled that you’re with us today…
My name is Adam… I’m one of the pastors here…
and as always…we are just so excited… that you are here…
Especially… if this is one of your first few times…
we’re pumped that you are with us…
Now… Jumping into things for today….
I just wanna start… by asking…
the same question from last week…
Looking back at your life… can you ever remember a time…
that you were scared.
Again… looking back… maybe as a kid… or in middle school…
can you ever remember a time…
that you were scared… of something.
And last week… I shared my own story…
of being chased…
and almost being killed by a junk yard dog…
in 3rd grade.
And actually… the dog never touched me.
But this week… as I thought about times… I’ve been scared…
another time…
came to the surface… within me…
and this series…
has kinda been like free counseling for me.
But this week… the scary memory…
that came to the surface…
was swimming lessons.
And there wasn’t one particular day… that came to mind.
Instead… it was just swimming lessons in general.
And let’s just say… that growing up…
I hated swimming lessons.
but you see… as a kid… in the Weber household…
for some unknown reason…
swimming lessons were non-negotiable…
It’s like as soon as we could walk…
We were signed up for swimming lessons…
and we were pushed into a pool.
which I never understood.
I mean… I grew up in northeast South Dakota.
like you have to go looking for water.
And so each year… we were signed up for swimming lessons…
and the worst part of swimming lessons…
was… no question…
the diving boards…
Why? Because I was… scared…
and I was terrified… of the deep end… of the pool.
And in Milbank’s swimming pool…
it was 12 feet… of water
which is just scary…
And so each day… my mom would drop me off…
And I was okay… when my class stayed in the shallow end.
But anytime… we started walking towards
the deep end… I just started crying.
And yes… I was that kid…
And the whole time… my mom would watch from behind the fence…
And all I could think…
was… Mom… I thought you loved me!
Mom… I can see you…
And so we would walk… to the deep end…
and all the kids… would run to line up for the diving boards…
I mean… for some reason… they all wanted to die…
And so the kids would line up…
And each time… I would be the very last kid in line…
Until… finally it was my turn.
And so… I would slowly climb the stairs… and I walk out onto the board.
and when I got to the end of the board…
From there… I would start talking with my swim teacher…
Like… you’re gonna catch me right?
Like… you’re ready for me to jump right?
And just to make sure… you know how to swim right?
Because I’m still a tadpole…
and I don’t know how to swim.
And so we would talk… and they would negotiate with me…
until I finally… gave up my will to live…
and so… I would finally give in… and instead of just…
jumping into the pool…
most of the time… I would hold onto the board….
and lower myself in.
because… safety first right…
And once in the water…
I just remember… clinging to my teacher.
Like I would wrap my body around them.
and as I’m sharing this…
I’m beginning to understand… why kids picked on me.
No but seriously… jumping in was scary…
and I was afraid…
but that was just the first step…
You see… once I was in…
from there… it got worse…
because from there…
I had to swim… by myself…
to the edge of the pool…
And just to remind you… it was 12 feet of water.
And so again… the first step was hard…
but actually swimming… by myself…
in the deep end… was scarier…
And so the lifeguard would push me towards the edge…
and I would swim for my life… doing the doggy paddle…
praying… as I swam….
hoping a shark didn’t bite me…
until I finally reached the edge of the pool.
And in this moment… there was no question…
that I just was just scared…
in this moment… there was no question…
I was completely… terrified.
Now… at this time…
we’re gonna once again… look at a story…
found… in the book of Matthew… chapter 14…
And so if we have a Bible… I’d encourage us to open it up.
use the Bible on our phone…
download the youversion Bible app.
Again… it’s Matthew 14…
and don’t worry… if you don’t have a Bible.
And bringing us up to speed on what’s happening…
Jesus… has been healing people… and teaching people…
And he just finished feeding 5,000 people…
When Jesus tells his 12 disciples…
to get into a boat… and to cross over the Sea of Galilee…
while he stays behind….
And so the 12 disciples get into the boat…
and they start paddling across…
while Jesus stays back…
And starting in verse 24…. we’re told…
that… as they’re crossing over the the sea…
It says: meanwhile (yellow)
At this point…
These men… having been paddling for hours…
And these waves are big… and the wind is strong…
And they’re exhausted…
And they’re wet… and they’re cold.
And they’re beginning to fear… for their lives.
**When continuing on…. We’re told…
that very early in the morning… (yellow)
Basically… these men… are terrified…
And they’re screaming…
And they’re scared…
for their lives…
and now they think…
they’re seeing a ghost.
And yet listen to what Jesus says to them… verse 27… (blue)
Jesus… calls out… and says:
"Be encouraged! It's me. Don't be afraid."
Again… Jesus is like:
Hey guys… it’s me.
It’s Jesus!
Be encouraged.
Don’t be scared!
It’s not a ghost… it’s Jesus…
And these waves… and this wind…
I know it looks scary…
But it’s nothing to be afraid of…
And so Jesus says this…
And then listen to what Peter says in response… verse 28… (pink)
And Peter says… "Lord, if it's you….
Again… Jesus, if it’s you…
Order me to step out… on the water…
Jesus says come…
And in return Peter stepped out of the boat…
And he began to walk out on the water…
towards Jesus.
And so last week… we just talked about
some of the things that we’re scared of… our selves…
and we said that… maybe it’s taking a step of faith…
and being used by God…
that we’re scared of.
Or maybe it’s getting out of bed each day… that’s scary…
because each day… we’re paralyzed by fear and anxiety…
each day… we’re just controlled by worry… about our kids…
about bills….
or we’re controlled… by our addiction…
or our past…
Or maybe it’s the unknown in our lives… that is scary…
what might happen… and what might take place…
Or maybe it’s our health… or the health of someone that we love…
that is scary…
Maybe it’s making a change in our lives…
We want to change…
and we no longer wanna be the same person anyone more…
but making a change… is scary….
Or maybe… we’re just scared when it comes to Jesus….
And we want a relationship with Him….
And we want to follow Him…
And we want to be all in for the Lord.
but we’re just scared.
And so again… we talked about… some of the things that we’re scared of…
And then looking at Peter stepping out of the boat…
Our simple challenge was….
what one step… is God asking us to take… right now?
what one step… do we need to take ourselves today?
And so… maybe it’s taking a step of faith…
and using a gift that we’ve been given…
or it’s checking out a small group…
Or in the morning… instead of being overcome by worry…
the one step… is starting each day by thanking God.
Or when it comes to the unknown…
Instead of being overwhelmed by fear…
It’s handing the unknown in our lives over to Jesus.
Or when it comes to making a change in our lives…
It’s reaching out for help…
Or it’s having a hard conversation…
Or it’s making a change…
in one specific change area…
Or when it comes to following Jesus…
The one step… is maybe deciding to follow Him for the first time…
Or it’s surrendering… every part of our life… over to Him.
And so that’s what we looked at last week…
But now continuing on with our story…
Again… Jesus… invites Peter… to step out on the water… He says “come”
And then it tells us…
that Peter got out of the boat…
and he was walking on the water toward Jesus.
and just to be clear…
Peter has now… actually taken the step out…
and he’s… physically… walking on water…
Like he’s doing it….
He is walking on this sea…
Which is amazing right?
He is doing the impossible.
It’s not just an idea… or a cute thought…
Instead he has taken the step out…
and He’s walking on water…
which is incredible…
But now listen to verse 30…
It says… But when Peter saw the strong wind…
he became frightened.
Again… he’s walking on water…
He’s doing the impossible… as we speak…
but when Peter saw the strong wind…
when he saw the wind… and the waves…
he became frightened.
And once again… he was scared…
and he was terrified…
and he began to sink…
And now it’s easy to criticize Peter right…
Like… he was walking on water…
How could he… get scared of the waves… after that.
But I know for myself… it’s one thing to take a step out…
but you see… sometimes…
the hardest part… and the scariest part…
is continuing… to step out…
I mean… sometimes… the scariest part… is the 2nd… and 3rd step…
And that’s when the waves…
seem to come the most… don’t they?
The waves of doubt…
The waves of insecurities…
of temptation…
of lies… we believe.
and trials come our way.
I mean… it’s like Jesus…
I’m going to take this step out…
and I’m gonna invite my friend to church this week…
And then we see our friend… and we start thinking…
well… I just don’t know if this is a good idea.
And Jesus… I’m gonna change… and after this church service…
I’m never gonna be the same….
and I’m going to reach out for help…
And so we call up a counselor…
but then the day of our appointment comes…
and it’s just like… do I really need to go to a counselor?
I mean… what will people think?
I’m not crazy.
And Jesus… I’m going to pursue… this dream I have…
But then the actual work of pursuing it… comes…
And we start to question…
well… maybe I’m not cut out for this…
And Jesus… I’m gonna have boundaries in my dating relationships...
Jesus… I’m gonna trust you with my family member… and their health.
Jesus… I’m gonna forgive this person…
And Jesus… today… I’m gonna start following you…
And we’re all excited… and we take one step out…
And then the waves come….
doubt… and fear… or someone criticizes us…
and all we can think…
is it too late to get back into the boat?
Again… we take a step out… the waves come…
and… we get scared.
Once more… sometimes… the hardiest… and the scariest part…
is the 2nd… and 3rd step…
And you see what happens… is instead of focusing on Jesus…
at some point… we start focusing… on the waves.
Instead of focusing on Jesus…
Instead of trusting Him… and who He is…
the One who invited us to step out… in the first place…
We get consumed… by looking the waves all around us.
our shortcomings…
and the obstacles…
and our fears…
Again… instead of focusing on Jesus…
We start focusing on the waves…
And for myself personally… I’m always blown away…
by how… I can be focused on Jesus one moment…
and I can clearly see Him providing for me… one moment…
And then the very next moment…
I question Him…
I mean… I see Him come through for me…
and I clearly see Him at work… one second…
and then I doubt Him the next.
It’s like… Jesus, I know that you provided for me yesterday…
but I question if you will today.
and I know that you came through for me last time…
and the time before that… and the time…
but I’m unsure if you will… this time.
It’s like… God I know that I’m walking on water… right now…
but have you seen these waves…
Again… instead of focusing on Jesus…
We start focusing on the waves…
All the while… Jesus is just saying… look at me…
Focus on me.
Again… hey guys it’s me…Jesus…
Don’t be scared…
Be consumed with me….
Keep your eyes on me… not the waves.
Yes… I see that… there’s waves…
and waves will come…
but just… keep your eyes on me…
keep looking at me…
And don’t just take one step…
Instead… I want you to follow me.
And don’t just trust me one time…
trust me daily.
And okay…so now maybe we’re… just wondering…
Well… what does this mean…
Like… what does it mean to look at Jesus?
I mean… I haven’t physically seen Jesus… lately…
just out walking the streets…
and so how can we look at Him and trust Him?
And here’s a couple of simple ways…
basically… instead of looking at…
and thinking about…
and being consumed…
with our worries and our doubts… and whatever else
Instead of being consumed with the waves…
It’s looking at…
and thinking about…
and being consumed with Jesus…
who He is…
and what He’s said to be true…
And this happens... daily…
just by praying… and talking with God… throughout the day.
Just saying… God I need you…
And I love you…
And would you please fill me with your strength…
And your self-control.
For myself… most days…
One of the very first things I do…
when I get to my office…
is get down on my knees and pray.
Just thanking God for who He is…
Listing off my worries to Him…
And asking for His guidance…
And then throughout my day…
I continue to talk with Him.
And so there’s that…
and then another thing… that helps us keep our eyes on Jesus…
is spending time in the Bible… each day…
just filling our head and our heart…
with His truth.
I mean… instead looking at the waves…
and believing the lie… that it’s impossible for us to change…
We read in 2 Corinthians…
that when we start following Jesus…
we’re a new creation…
And the old person is gone…
The person that we used to be is no longer…
and the new… has come.
And instead of believing the lie…
that God isn’t with us…
and that we’re on our own…
and that He doesn’t care about us…
We hold onto the verses…
like the ones we looked at last month…
And we’re reminded…
that God is present everywhere…
and that wherever we are…
and wherever we go to…
that God… is with us…
and that He’s crazy about us…
I mean… He never stops thinking about us.
And now once again… as we’ve been saying today…
it’s one thing to take a step out…
but… sometimes…
the hardest part…
is continuing… to step out…
Sometimes… the scariest part… is the 2nd… and 3rd step…
And how are we able to do so…
How are we able to make a change in our lives…
How are we able to step out of our comfort zone…
How are we able to get out of bed each morning…
instead of being consumed with worry.
How are we able to be used by God…
in ways we’d never imagine…
How are we able to trust God…
when we’re scared…
By keeping our eyes on Jesus…
by looking at Him…
Instead… of looking at… the waves.
And so today… I just wanna ask… all of us….
who and what are we looking at?
And during the day… what are we thinking about…
And what consumes us?
And are we looking at the waves…
or are we looking at Jesus?
Are we focused… on all that could go wrong…
on all that we’re unsure of…
on our struggle…. and on our self
and only on what we can do on our own.
Or are we focused on Him?
Today… for all of us…
I pray… that instead of looking at the waves…
that we would fully… and only… look at Jesus.
that we’d keep our eyes on Him.
And if we’re here… and we’ve never done so before…
If we’re here… and we’ve never truly…placed our eyes at Jesus…
we’ve never had a relationship with Him…
I can’t think of a better day to start…. than today….
just praying… and saying to God… right now:
Jesus, I wanna follow you…
and starting today… I wanna spend the rest of my life…
looking at you.
Jesus I want a relationship with you…
And so Lord… I surrender to you today.
I give you control of my life.
And starting today…
please help me to keep my eyes on you.
Now closing things up today…
Reading some more of the story…
Again… starting in verse 30… it says…
And then listen on… (read in purple).
Again… Jesus… immediately reached out… and grabbed him.
Now I just wanna say it…
I just wanna say… that there will be times…
that we will… get consumed by the waves…
I mean… we’re human…
There will be times that we take our eyes off Jesus…
And we’ll get distracted.
and I know for myself…
I feel like… I do so daily.
But what matters though… isn’t whether or not…
we take our eyes off God…
Instead… what matters… is what happens when we do.
I mean… do we stay there… and drowned in the waves…
And that’s maybe where we’re at right now…
And we just feel like…
we’re drowning in life…
Or do we swim back to the boat… and play it safe…
And never change…
And just stay in our comfort zone…
Or instead… do we call out to Jesus…
and ask for His help.
When we begin to sink… do we cry out…
Jesus, rescue me.
Because when we do… we’re told… that Jesus…
That He immediately… reaches out…
and He pulls us out of the water.
One last time…
instead of focusing on the waves…. focus on Jesus.
Let’s pray.
