Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome everyone.

My name is Charlie Kae and I’m the lead pastor here at Grace Empire, and if this is your first time here I want to personally welcome you for coming out and hanging with us today.

*Our vision is to restore, revitalize, and refresh the community of Tampa Bay through an intimate relationship with Jesus.*

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

So if you feel battered, bruised, beat up, or broken, or bedraggled, in anyway, Grace Empire was created for you to call home.

Follow Me

We are in week 5 and our final week of our sermon series titled Follow Me where we have been studying the life of Jesus and following after his examples of how to live and how we can apply that as followers of Christ.

So thats what we are going to do.

As a quick recap we covered 4 different topics so far:

In week 1, we talked about both the prodigal son and the son that stayed home and learned that whether you grew up away from the church or in the church, you need a relationship with God and how that relationship isn't based on proximity but based on active relationship with God.

In week 2, we covered social action and that learning to love the poor and in need is a difficult task without the love of God compelling us forward.

In week 3, we discussed prayer, and how prayer is the foundation of the dialogue process between you and God, so that you can build an active, living, intimate, relationship with God.

And last week, we learned the process of creating a legacy just as Jesus did, and we learned that It’s more important with leaving the world with God’s legacy, than our legacy.

Today we are going to be talking about faith, particularly what faith is and how we step out in it.

What is faith?

I was always told faith was just trusting God or faith was belief.

We have learned here at Grace Empire that faith isn’t just belief; but faith is action.

We have learned here at Grace Empire that faith isn’t just belief; but faith is action.

We have also learned that doubt is not the opposite of faith, but two sides of the same coin.

We cannot have faith without doubt.

Doubt is a necessary component of faith.

Doubt is an opportunity to exercise faith.

Matter of fact, without doubt, there can be no faith.

Big Idea for Today

So heres a good question:

what is the opposite of faith?

If doubt is not the opposite of faith, what is?

The opposite of faith is certainty.

So as people of faith, does it make sense for us to embrace uncertainty?

Yes it does.

But unfortunately, we are not taught that, especially those that have grown up in the church.

For some that have grown up in church, their faith became rigid, unyielding, and a place where questions are not welcome.

Christianity and the bible became indubitable.

“Its the infallible word of God.” “It’s right there in black and white.”

“To doubt God is to give in to the lies of Satan.”

And of course we dont want to do that.

And when you’re young these simple truths are okay.

We got to learn to walk before we run.

Faith and trust in God is a process.

So in regards to faith, we are told to just believe.

We are given half truths like, “If you have enough faith, you can move any mountain,” or “enough prayer can change any circumstance,” or just simply, “God has a plan,” or “God is in control.”

And when you’re young these simple, half truths are okay.

We got to learn to walk before we run.

Faith and trust in God is a process.

Im not going go to my 6 year old and say...”you can do anything you put your mind too…but lets be real, you're not that smart…so by anything, I really mean a limited number of things that is within your comprehension level.”

I mean…what am I Dwight Schrewt from the Office?!

Look, I’m not saying those statements are not true, but we cannot apply those statements to every situation without weighing each circumstance.

Its like the answer to every stomach problem I had as a child was solved with pepto bismo.

Oh your tummy hurts from over eating?

Pepto Bismo.

You fell of your bike and got winded?

Pepto Bismo.

Oh your nervous about speaking in front of your class today?

Pepto Bismo.

Cause lets be real, there are plenty of times that we can think of that we, or someone you know, has stepped out in faith and either nothing happened or you failed.

For some of you, you got the exact OPPOSITE of what you thought was going to happen.

So what does it mean to live by faith then?

How do we navigate the faith as an adult?

Share story of going to pray to raise the dead.

Big Idea for Today

Faith is embracing uncertainty and trusting Jesus with that fact.

Matthew

1. Stepping out in faith doesn’t mean you won’t be afraid.

I think the obvious statement here is that the disciples are afraid.

Whens the last time you were afraid?

I think this is a valid question cause as adults, we are not gripped by this type of fear on a daily basis.

There isnt much life or death danger within our daily living.

They are afraid, they think Jesus is something he is not.

They have to identify Jesus as Jesus.

They need to identify their Creator amidst the chaos of creation.

Yes the situation is crazy…the situation seems out of control, but Jesus can take control of any situation.

We need to know its Jesus and not a ghost.

How to spot a phony?

Do you know how they train Federal agents to spot counterfeit money?

I read they are put in a room for days and have them count real money.

Then after several days of counting real money, they slip a phony bill in.

More often than not, the agent will catch the fake dollar.

Why?

Not because they know so much about counterfeit money, but because they are so familiar with the original.

Jesus commands us to take courage!

The first thing Jesus does as he approaches them is he engages their emotions and minds…he doesnt ask them to step our of the boat, or to “just” have faith.

He knows the first battle we must fight is in our hearts.

They discipled were scared.

2. Stepping out in faith doesn’t mean your circumstance will change.

I think its important to see that the first thing that Jesus does, IS NOT stop the storm.

Sometimes we realize that Jesus is with us

And sometimes we think, if Jesus is with us, if God is with us, why doesn’t my circumstance change?

Why would he allow this storm to continue?

Why is life so hard?

Illustration about “if I help you, you’ll never learn.”

Before we are able to step out in faith amidst the struggle that surrounds us, we need to listen to the voice of the one who is calling us forward, and what does he say?

Take courage!

Jesus commands us to take courage!

The first thing Jesus does as he approaches them is he engages their emotions and minds…he doesnt ask them to step our of the boat, or to “just” have faith.

He knows the first battle we must fight is in our hearts.

1 ch 28

3. Stepping out in faith doesn’t mean you wont get wet.

When Peter stepped out onto that water, you think he wasnt wet?

You dont think his Nikes got soaked?

Of course they did.