Take The Step

A message about Faith

Wow it is so cool to be up here tonight hanging out with all of you. When I was thinking about what I was going to talk about tonight I kept thinking about the name Next Steps…Next Steps…Next Steps. What does that say to me what is it about Next Steps that resonate with me. Now for those of you that don’t know me I am the Student Pastor at Southside and count Chris and Dodie as family. I mean I really love those guys. So also even for some of you that know me may not know that I was an addict. And yes I know the whole common culture of recovery says that once an addict always an addict just in recovery. And I get that to a point right. But I’m going to tell you that I was an addict. I was lost, I was alone, i was the 1 that He left the 99 for. So I was an addict now I’m a child of God. I was lost now I’m found. I was alone now I have the Holy Spirit of God living inside me.

So you ever hear the phrase well let’s just sit back and wait on the Lord. You ever hear that. I’ve heard it and said it. And sometimes yes that is exactly what we need to do. But I want to show you tonight that sometimes God wants us to take the NEXT STEPS. Sometimes God wants us to step in faith to see him act and move in our lives.

The first thing I want to look at is an account in the book of Joshua where the Israelites were about to cross over into the promised land. They were scared the water was deep and flowing quickly. They had to go across somehow but how. I’ll give you a clue. They didn’t just sit and wait on the Lord. He told Joshua what to do but then left it up to the people to actually take the NEXT STEP.

Joshua chapter 3 verse 7-17

English Standard Version Chapter 3

7 The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’ ” 9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. 13 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Notice it says when the feet of the priests were dipped in the Jordan river then God moved. Then God acted. Here’s what God didn’t say. You guys hang out, relax, don’t do anything and i’ll take care of everything. Now I’m not saying there aren’t times when that’s exactly what He does. But sometimes God wants you to take the First Step so He can take the Next Step. What this is showing is God is saying to us Do you trust me? Will you put your faith in me. Will you take a step when it’s scary..when it’s new…when it doesn’t make sense or when it’s uncomfortable. Will you step and then watch me work.

Now let’s take a look at when the NEXT STEP doesn’t make sense or doesn’t look like what you expected.

This is the story of a guy named Naaman a commander of the army of Syria. He was a great man highly regarded by the King and all his soldiers. He was also a leper. Leprosy didn’t have a cure or a treatment. Those who had it became ostracized. Sound familiar. Some of us in this room battling with addiction feel like a leper. No treatment, no cure, no hope, outcast, ignored. And we see people who have healed and delivered. And we look for that hope and have a certain expectation of what it is supposed to look like. So we wait. We wait for God to miraculously fix us. Sometimes He does. And sometimes He tells us to take a step that doesn’t make sense.

Check this out from 2 kings chapter 5

English Standard Version Chapter 5

8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Wave his hand come out and stand here and call on his God to heal me. I thought he would come down and lay hands on me anoint my head with oil and pray for God to heal me. Sound familiar. Sometimes God just wants us to trust Him. The next step doesn’t have to be fancy it doesn’t have to be loud, it doesn’t have to have an audience. It simply requires you God and a desire to trust Him and put your faith in Him.

And sometimes you have to continuously place your faith and trust and belief in Jesus. Sometimes it’s not easy or comfortable and sometimes we have doubts about how that next step is going to go. Check this out from the Gospel of Mark Chapter 9

Now the background of this is there was a boy who was possessed and the disciples tried to cast of the spirit but were unable to. So they bring the boy and boy’s dad to Jesus. And here is what happened.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Sometimes your next step is simply acknowledging that even in belief we have doubts. Even in the midst of miracles we wonder. Even in the presence of Jesus we sometimes need Him to help us with our unbelief while we believe on Him for help.

Now some of you are looking at me like I’m absolutely nuts right now and some of you may be right. And maybe yall are way better at this walk of faith than I am but does this sound familiar.

God I know you say you love me and I believe you but I doubt how you could love someone like me....

Jesus I know you say that when you came into my life that my sins are separated as far as the east is from the west but how could you forget the things I’ve done.

I know that those that the Son sets free are free indeed but sometimes I question if I’m really free from all of that stuff.

I BELIEVE BUT HELP MY UNBELIEF!!! Help me take the first step and then the next step to follow you…