{"id":16173,"date":"2017-07-30T13:06:57","date_gmt":"2017-07-30T17:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=16173"},"modified":"2017-09-26T16:04:38","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T20:04:38","slug":"time-to-get-our-feet-wet-73017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=16173","title":{"rendered":"Time to Get Our Feet Wet! (7\/30\/17)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was confirmation Sunday.\u00a0 A Group of wide-eyed teens stood at the front of the church to declare the faith that their parents had promised to nurture in them when when they stood at the same altar years earlier.\u00a0 These youth had “survived Pastor Jim’s Boot camp” in order to reach this special Sunday.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

But what’s next?\u00a0 Completing Middle School, entering High School, College, jobs, marriage, even having kids themselves?\u00a0 So much awaits.\u00a0 So much potential to fear and to become overwhelmed.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Time to step out in faith…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

And so, Pastor Jim’s sermon was about the time Peter stepped out in faith- to walk on the water. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

To listen to the recording, press the below “Play” button, then scroll down to follow along.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Our scripture was Matthew 14:22-33:<\/p>\n

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Matthew 14:22-33<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.<\/p>\n

23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.<\/p>\n

24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.<\/p>\n

25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.<\/p>\n

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”<\/p>\n

27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”<\/p>\n

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”<\/p>\n

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.<\/p>\n

30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.<\/p>\n

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”<\/p>\n

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.<\/p>\n

33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.<\/p>\n

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\n Holy Bible, New Living Translation \u00ae, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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Impossible!<\/span><\/h3>\n

Making it through Pastor Jim’s Boot Camp?\u00a0 Maybe that’s something that can be done… at least these confirmands did it.\u00a0 But walk on water?!?\u00a0 That IS Impossible!<\/p>\n

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Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee<\/p><\/div>\n

The disciples had just completed a long day, and they were rowing across the lake to get home.\u00a0 It was dark.\u00a0 And then, out of the darkness, a storm suddenly hit them.\u00a0 These were hardened fishermen.\u00a0 They had been out on this lake many times.\u00a0 But this particular storm came up so suddenly and was so fierce, that even they were afraid.\u00a0 Worry overwhelmed them and they couldn’t focus on what they were doing.\u00a0 Jesus wasn’t there (or so it seemed).\u00a0 The harder they rowed the more they realized that they weren’t going anywhere.\u00a0 The weather was rough and the disciples were beginning to think that this was going to be the end.<\/p>\n

THEY were unable to get the boat under control.\u00a0 Impossible!<\/p>\n

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How are WE going to fix this Problem?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Have any of you been out on a boat when a storm suddenly comes upon you?\u00a0 Yes- it can be an unnerving experience.\u00a0 Sometimes we go through life and all is good.\u00a0 Then suddenly out of nowhere, we find ourselves in the midst of a storm.\u00a0 We often try frantically to continue to deal with the storm under our own power.\u00a0 And often, like the disciples, we exert a great deal of emotional and physical energy, and we find that we are getting nowhere.<\/p>\n

This was what was happening with the disciples.\u00a0 And yet, this “storm” came up right on the heals of a miracle.\u00a0 Jesus had just finished feeding 5,000 people with an empty fridge- only two loves of bread and five little fish.<\/p>\n

They were so busy trying to save themselves that they had forgotten about Jesus.\u00a0 Don’t we do the same thing?\u00a0 We are so focused on our circumstances that we forget to cry out to God.\u00a0 God should be our first response; not our last resort!<\/p>\n

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Watch How Jesus Fixes the Impossible!<\/span><\/h3>\n

When Jesus shows up, walking on the water, the disciples don’t express relief that Jesus is with them.\u00a0 They don’t express faith or even remorse that they forgot about Him.\u00a0 No, they express fear!\u00a0 They’re surprised that Jesus is there.\u00a0 They weren’t expecting Jesus to show up.<\/p>\n

And they sure weren’t expecting Jesus to say what He said when he approached them:\u00a0 “Be of Good Cheer!”<\/p>\n

Then He adds,”… I AM!”\u00a0 He is announcing Himself as God (“I Am that I Am”).\u00a0 God is here!\u00a0 Don’t be afraid.<\/p>\n

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Peter Gives it a Try…<\/span><\/h4>\n

Peter speaks before he things.\u00a0 “O Lord if it is you, let me come out and walk on the water.”\u00a0 Jesus says, “Fine- come on out!”\u00a0 He gets out and starts to do what is humanely impossible.\u00a0 He steps out, and he walks on the water.\u00a0 Peter is doing the impossible because he focused on Jesus.<\/p>\n

But the voices start to say “Yo!\u00a0 YOU can’t do that!”\u00a0 Peter started looking at the wind and waves instead of looking at Jesus, and then he began to sink.\u00a0 To Peter, the waves got bigger and Jesus got smaller.\u00a0 Until Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” Then Jesus lifted him up.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Oh you of little faith, Why did you doubt?\u00a0\u00a0 This isn’t an insult to Peter.\u00a0 In fact, Jesus is complementing Peter because he had enough faith to step out on to the water in the first place.\u00a0 What about the disciples who stayed in the boat?<\/span><\/p>\n

God is pleased with you AT THIS MOMENT.\u00a0 That little faith is what God used later on to build His faith.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

Peter’s “Little Faith” got him to cry out to Jesus, and Jesus immediately saved him.<\/p>\n

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When Will You Give it a Try?<\/span><\/h4>\n

That same Jesus who was out on the water with Peter, who invited Peter to “take a walk”… is the same Jesus who is calling you today.\u00a0 He’s that same Jesus who wants to walk with you.\u00a0 He wants you to reach out your hand to Him so He can walk with you every day.<\/p>\n

You don’t have to wait.\u00a0 He’s calling out to you today!\u00a0 Show Him that little faith that you have, and Jesus will show you the great things in His world.\u00a0 Jesus is calling all of us to take a risk, to step out of our comfort zones.\u00a0 Do WE have the little faith to grow?\u00a0 Are WE willing to get out of the boat and jump in with Him?<\/p>\n

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Everything is Possible with God!<\/span><\/h4>\n

If someone asked you to step out of a boat and walk on to the water, you’d say he’s nuts!\u00a0 You wouldn’t do something that somebody was telling you to do… unless he was already doing it himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

God is the One who made the world.\u00a0 If it’s been done, He’s been there.\u00a0 “Been there, done that.”\u00a0 He’s the One who calls you, and He promises to be with you every step of the way.\u00a0 Nothing is impossible for God… \n\t\t\t

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