August 16, 2007

Stepping out

 Swimming – When I was a kid, I didn’t learn to swim until I was around thirteen years old.  I didn’t like water all that much.  I wasn’t too thrilled about swimming with my friends when they wanted to go.

When I got the courage to swim, I didn’t go anywhere near the deep end and didn’t stay in the water for long.  The ocean was out of the question because it was too cold for me.  Quite frankly, water sucked to me. 

Maybe I felt this way because I almost drowned in my friend Salvador’s pool when I was in junior high.  I tried to work my way from the swallow end to the deep end because I didn’t want to let my friend know I didn’t know how to swim.  Salvador saved me and I will be forever grateful to him.

I was a chicken when it came to water but my brother Henry was fearless.  I remember onetime my aunt Margie took my brother and I swimming.  She told us to not go anywhere near the water without an adult.  I followed her advice extremely well because I didn’t even like water.  My brother seemed to follow the advice as well until he just took off running toward the water and jumped in. 

My aunt’s boyfriend Jaime jumped in a saved my brother because he didn’t know how to swim but my brother wasn’t one bit scarred.  I think he would have done it again if he got the chance.  Henry was a pro at stepping out or jumping out into the water.  I on the other hand, was nowhere near as daring and stepping out or jumping in the water was the last thing I would do. 

When it comes to stepping out, I have never been one to just jump in.  I am a thinker and I look at every angle before I take that leap.  When I finally do take that leap, is it a leap after all, probably not. 

I like sure things but when it comes to following Jesus you have to learn to step out.  They only thing that is for sure in following Christ is our salvation.  Our life is a life of crazy faith.  We could die for Jesus someday or live a life of trials and tribulations.  Meaning lots of struggles but in the end, God has our back.  I want to know exactly what Jesus is going to have me go through but what He tells me over and over is to trust Him and He loves me. 

As I was thinking about trusting Jesus and stepping out in faith, I read Matthew 14:22-33(NKJV). 

Matthew 14:22-33 (New King James Version)

Jesus Walks on the Sea
  
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,[a] tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[b] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those who were in the boat came and[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

This is the story where Jesus comes walking on the water and Peter gets the courage to ask Jesus if it’s really you and not a ghost have me step out of the boat and walk on water as well. 

In verses 22 through 24, Jesus has the disciples get into a boat to sail to the other side.  He sends the multitudes away because He had just fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.  Jesus had to be tired but instead of sleeping, He goes and prays.  How is Jesus going to get to the boat where the disciples are?  The boat is in the middle of the sea now and it was super windy.

Jesus will wait for the next boat right.  That’s what I would think being someone who is a thinker and not one to just step out.  In verse 25 Jesus steps out in faith or do we call it faith because He is God and in God like fashion, He goes to the disciples by walking on the water. 

In verses 26 and 27, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water and think it is a ghost.  They are terrified by the sight.  Jesus says to be of good cheer because it’s Him and to not fear. 

They all calm down and in verse 28, Peter gets bold and takes one of the biggest steps of faith in all of scripture and says okay Jesus if that is You, have me come to You by walking on the water.  Peter probably thinks there’s no way He will have me come to Him let alone walking on water but to his surprise, Jesus says come Peter. 

So in verses 29 and 30 Peter takes that step of faith and walks on the water to where Jesus is.  Peter is doing it and Jesus is giving him high fives, not really but Peter is really walking on water then he saw that the wind was acting up so he began to sink and said Jesus save me.

Peter was doing so great until the wind got the best of him.  Life is like that at times, we are doing great and walking in faith then the wind of fear comes our way and all we can do is say Jesus save me.  Thank God for Jesus because when the winds from the storms of life come our way Jesus grabs us and gets in our boat and the wind dies down. 

This is exactly what happens in verses 31 through 33.  Jesus catches Peter, says why did you doubt Peter because you were doing so well.  Then Jesus calms the wind because He controls it and those all around realize who is this Jesus that even the winds and the waves obey Him.  All the people who were in the boat could say truly You are the Son of God and worship Jesus.

Looking at this passage, I see three things we have to do to step out in Crazy faith

1.  We have to step out and into the presence of God.  Peter was unsure if Jesus was really walking on the water.  He thought it was a ghost but it look like Jesus and if it were really Jesus he could step out and into the presence of Jesus who truly is God in flesh.

2. We have to step out of our comfort zone.  Peter was in the middle of a storm and the most comfortable place or safest place to be was in the boat.  As long as Peter and the disciples were in the boat they would be able to ride the storm and make it out okay but we know better than that to expect God to keep us in our comfort zones.  Just as Jesus commanded Peter to step out of his comfort zone, He will command us as well because that is where we will live by faith the most which is the only way to please God.  Read Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV).

3. We have to step out of the natural and into the supernatural.  If Peter never would have step out of the boat and onto the water, he would not have seen God’s supernatural power.  Walking on water is as supernatural as it comes.  When we decide to take the step out of the natural and into the supernatural, God will use us to do the impossible with His power Just as He did with Peter walking on the water.  Have you walked on water lately?

The Challenge – As yourself, how much do you live by faith?  If it’s often, ask God to take you to another level in your faith and to take you from the natural to the supernatural more often because God lives at that address.

If you haven’t been living by faith all that often, ask God to show you how and believe Him for the impossible because with the Power of Christ all things are possible.

PS:   If you need prayer, write you requests in the comments section of the blog and we will pray for those needs.  Let us know when God answers your prayers by sending your praise reports. 

If you haven't received Jesus Christ yet and you want to, pray this prayer.  Dear God I admit I am a sinner in need of a Savior and I believe that Savior is Jesus Christ.  I confess Jesus today as my Lord and Savior and commit my life to Him.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Amen.  Let us know if you received Christ so we can rejoice with you because it’s the greatest thing you will ever do in this life.