Reality #5

Matthew 14:22-33

Reality #5

. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.

I. Introduction

II. Peace is found in the presence of Jesus

A. Explanation

1. They are out on the sea without Jesus, and they have drifted way off into the sea far from the land

a. Then the storm comes – beaten by the waves with the wind against them

b. They are in trouble!

2. He comes to them in the fourth watch of the night – between 3-6 am

3. They are terrified thinking it is a ghost until He speaks – Take Heart; it is I. Do not be afraid

4. This voice brings a different understanding of the scenario

5. Peter’s, and presumably the others, attention is taken away from the storm and is now fully on Jesus

B. Illustration – My friend would go through periods in his life where he his own sign would find him in the midst of trouble. After a difficult fight with his girlfriend that led him to a breakup, He ended up losing his job, his girlfriend and left him starting over rather late in life. At the time he wondered why God let this happen to Him. I talked with him again the other day and found that he had once again reclaimed his relationship with the Lord and there was a new peace

C. Application

1. There is no peace in the storm. What brings peace is the presence of Jesus

2. This is why we ought to always want to be near Him and in the center of His will, even if that nearness is in the presence of the storm.

3. There will always be storms in our lives, but peace is found in Christ and our nearness to Him

III. Seeing God-sized accomplishments requires faith

A. Explanation

1. Imagine the moment you see Jesus in the storm, and He is walking on water

2. Peter boldly asks for Jesus to call Him out onto the water

3. Peter knows that this will have to be an act of Jesus, nothing he can do on his own

4. Peter gets out of the boat, and He is walking on the water

B. Application

1. What made Peter think that he could even do such a thing? – Faith!!!

2. He knew what Jesus could do – He had seen it in so many miracles

3. Peter is unafraid to ask the impossible – He sees Jesus doing it and wants to join in what Jesus is doing

4. What we can do on our own

a. BE friendly

b. Set up great relationships in the church

c. Conduct a great service

5. What would be the things that only God can do?

a. Could we find ourselves with our own place to worship in this economy

b. Could we see lives transformed?

c. Could we see the city of Georgetown having a great revival?

d. Could we see the whole culture changed and turning to God instead of sin?

6. Do we believe that He can/will do them?

IV. Faith requires action

A. Explanation

1. Faith is worthless without action

2. Peter can believe that Jesus can cause him to walk on water, but until he steps out of the boat it is not true faith

3. Illustration – I can say that I believe in the power of a parachute, but until I jump out of a plane believing it will save me, I don’t have real faith

4. Peter steps out and sees the results of his faith in action – Jesus does the impossible through him

5. It wasn’t until Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to concentrate on the storm that he begins to sink

6. As Jesus sticks out his hand to save Peter he says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” – This is Jesus recognizing the real problem

B. Application

1. What are the miracles that God wants to do in our lives if we would simply place our faith in Him and not in ourselves?

2. The greatest problem in Churches today is that the people want to do everything in their own power. We are fearful of the things that we would have to ask God for

3. This is where the CRISIS OF BELIEF is found. When God leads us to do amazing things in His name, we must choose whether we will believe and step out of the boat or if we will choose to trust only in our finite abilities and choose not to go

V. You grow close to Jesus as you experience His power

A. Explanation

1. When they got in the boats the winds cease – evidence, again, of the power of Jesus over EVERYTHING

2. At that point, what else can you do but worship Him

a. They know Him to be divine

b. They know that He loves them

c. They know that He is their hope

3. This will be one of the things that Peter will always look back to and know exactly who Jesus is

a. When they are healing people

b. When called upon to preach

c. Even when persecution is imminent

4. Surely, you are the Son of God

B. Application

1. When we step out on faith and see God do through us things we could not do on our own, we also will know Him in a more amazing way

2. Watching Him do the miraculous through us truly reveals Him to us rather than seeing just ourselves at work

3. This kind of encounter should leave us with a sense of awe and wonder and drive us to worship Him with devotion

VI. Conclusion

A. When God invites us to work with Him it will be something greater than we can do ourselves

B. We will come upon a Crisis of belief that will leave us with a decision

C. The greatest thing he is calling us to is faith in Christ – It also leads us to a Crisis of belief – Do I truly believe that Jesus can save me and will I trust Him and follow?