Jesus experiences the power of God when He was ministering on earth. We see the manifestations of that power through the miracles He performed. Jesus had faith in the Father, and had the confidence that God will give Him the power to accomplish His purposes.
We can live our life with that kind of confidence. This month we’re looking at experiencing God’s power...
Jesus gave His disciples the power and authority to do the same - Luke 9:1-3 "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."
And then in the next chapter - 72 disciples were sent - Luke 10:17 The 72 returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
WALKING ON THE WATER
Not literally. Peter was put in a rare situation, and received a special call from Jesus.
We want to look at the principles behind how Peter eventually walked on water. When we understand these principles, we’ll be able to experience the power of God Peter himself experienced.
The HIGH POINT in this passage - and I believe in Peter’s life too - is found on one phrase:
v. 29 "Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water..."
There are many other parts to this story we can identify with - the storm, the fear, their struggle, and the failure to trust... But we are not so familiar with this remarkable feat: Peter walked on water. This is the WALK OF HIS LIFE!
The first thing we learn is Peter’s response - when he saw the manifested power of God in sustaining Jesus upon the water, his response was - I WANT TO DO THE SAME!
Verse 28: "Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water." Notice Peter puts his trust in Jesus, and in His words.
Are you staying in the boat? Are you standing on the sidelines?
Most of us love to see great things happening. We like to hear messages about how powerful God is. When we read the Scriptures, we’re fascinated by the miracles of Jesus, by the display of God’s power. We love the dramatic part...AS LONG AS WE ARE UNINVOLVED.
I’ll stay in the boat and watch. I’ll stay by the sideline and look. WHY?
Because of FEAR... you never know what the waves and winds can do to you.
Because of UNBELIEF... you never know if you can do the same.
Because of the RISKS involved; the COST involved.
Maybe the other disciples were quiet because they prefer to stay in their COMFORT ZONE.
The circumstance is daunting; the problem is big; the odds are against you. Let God do His thing, while I’ll just stay put and watch.
But here is the problem: The information that GOD IS POWERFUL is not enough. That power can only be manifested when you step out of the boat!
You have to take the first step! You have to be willing to get your feet wet!
(1) Principle of the FIRST STEP - Go and be willing to get your feet wet first.
Seeing a powerful God is one thing. Experiencing His power at work in our lives is another. To experience His power in our lives, we need to take the first step - and do what He says.
God promised the people of Israel that He will bring them across River Jordan. It’s one thing to know that God is powerful. It’s one thing to know that God has promised.
To experience the reality of what He has promised, to experience His power...
"And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD...set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." (Josh 3:13)
The people will experience God’s power - but they have to move out. They have to take the first step. Peter will experience God’s power, but he has to step out of the boat. This not only involves a mental acknowledgement of His power, but also requires us to take a step of action based on the fact that God is trustworthy and His Word is true. That’s why Peter has to said, "if it is you..." and "tell me to come..."
If you want to walk on the water, you have to be willing to get your feet wet first. Then you discover it is worth the risk.
It need not be a big step:
• A simple prayer for someone who is sick. And God’s healing takes place!
• Maybe it’s those 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and you see God performing a miracle!
• A few words with someone who is depressed, and God works through those words to bring comfort and restoration.
The thing is - you cannot remain in the boat; you cannot stand on the sidelines. When you take the step of faith, God uses that to accomplish His purposes and display His power!
Stuart Briscoe: "Human resources, however limited, willing offered, divinely empowered, are more than adequate to achieve divine objectives."
ASK: How can you get your feet wet today?
How can you get out of the boat in the area of your life?
(2) Principle of FAITH - faith grows in STEPS.
Your faith cannot grow without taking any action, without these FIRST STEPS.
This is how our faith in God grows. Although Peter experiences God’s power only for a short moment - subsequently the storm frightened him and he sank - but his faith in God took on a new dimension. Subsequently...
In Acts 3 when Peter saw this crippled man by the temple gates, he was able to say:
6 "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (Acts 3:6-7)
God challenges us to take these FIRST STEPS...
When Moses was asked to confront Pharaoh, he felt inadequate and small. Ex 4:1-5
2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.
3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground."
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
You have to take it by the tail - then you’ll see God’s miracle - and your faith is strengthened!
When we wrestle with doubt, sometimes we tell ourselves, "Have more faith! Try harder to have more faith!" But faith is not the sort of thing that can be acquired by trying harder.
Faith is not a passive waiting for God to do what he has told us to do, but it is getting actively involved in what we believe God wants us to do. We may not see every step ahead, but as we step out in faith and take the first step, God will reveal to us the next step.
When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant did all he knew to do - set out on a journey. As we commit our way to Him, and do what we know to do, God will lead us one step at a time - every step of the way.
How much faith is required? You need only enough faith to take a step!
When we take little steps each day and experiences His accompanying power... faith grows!
- Is God powerful? Yes. How do I know? Take the first step.
- Is God faithful? Yes. How do I know? Take the first step.
If we do not take that step, we will never know. We must take a step out - in trust. Then we’ll see God doing His part!
God manifests His power in response to the STEPS of faith.
Over and over again we see this pattern in the Scriptures:
• Naaman has to wash 7 times in the water BEFORE he is cured of leprosy.
• Gideon cuts down his army from 32,000 down to 300 BEFORE God delivers them from the Midianites
• The loaves and fishes must be given up first, BEFORE they can be multiplied
• The woman touched Jesus’ cloak BEFORE power was released from Him
If I am going to experience a greater measure of God’s power in my life, I must get involved; be engaged - and step out of the boat. Nothing will happen if I remain within. If I stand by the sideline and watch, I’m not going to experience God’s power and His work in my life.
I must trust God enough to take the first step - pray for someone, go visit someone in hospital, share with a person in grief, whatever the steps you can take - the step of obedience, and then we’ll be surprised that God uses that little step and transformed it into a miracle - in the lives of others, and in our own life.
God puts us through some experiences, to cause our faith can grow and be strengthened.
BUILDING A WALL
According to Will Smith, star of TV’s "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," everything his father did, he did for a reason. Smith recalls: Once Dad wanted my brother Harry and me to repair a 16-by-14-foot wall in front of his business. We had to dig a six-foot-long trench and rebuild the structure. It took six months.
Years later Dad explained why he’d given us that task. "When a kid’s growing up," he said, "he needs to see something that looks impossible to do, and then go out and do it. There are always going to be walls in life."
My father helped us get over one wall, so we would never be scared to take the first step and try to do the impossible.
Simply acknowledging information about His power is not enough. I have to get my feet wet.
Sometimes, at the moment of saying, "Yes, I’ll do it!" - you don’t know all the implications. Abraham did not know. Moses did not. Peter did not.
It is a good thing we don’t know, or we might never take that first step. Trust God, He will take care of the rest. But when I say yes, I set in motion an adventure that will leave me forever changed.
Conclusion
- GO GET YOUR FEET WET FIRST
- FAITH GROWS IN STEPS - THAT’S HOW GOD IS GOING TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH!
You need to get out of the boat a little every day.
WHERE IS GOD CALLING YOU TO WALK ON THE WATER?
Begin the day by asking God for wisdom about where you need to get your feet wet that day:
• Call someone whom you have been avoiding out of fear or unforgiveness
• Express your faith to a person who does not know about your beliefs
• Make a gesture of friendship toward someone when you’re tempted to hold back
• Risk speaking the truth to your parent or friend, when your normal course would be to hestitate.
Take these small steps. Give your faith a chance to grow. God uses every act of ours for accomplish His purposes.
You have to get out of the boat a little every day. As you do, your faith will deepen.
