The cost of following Jesus, "Step out of your comfort zone."

Matthew 14:22-33

Intro...Crazy rides at Knotts or Six Flags...girl from our church...Silver Bullet...nervous the whole way there...

·       Full throttle at Magic Mtn., world's tallest, fastest, looping coaster, 3 different launches, (backwards) 160 ft. loop,

·       That is definitely stepping out of your comfort zone, into the unknown..

·       That's a lot like life, except that as Christians, we aren't stepping out into the unknown alone.

·       God will always be there.  We just need to learn to trust him.

Big Picture: When Jesus asks us to step out of our comfort zone and trust him, the key will always be to stay focused on him, not our own self-doubt.

Text: Matthew 14:22-33

I'm sure most of us are familiar with this story, it's very well known.  Let's take some time and look at the details.

The Set Up v. 22-24

·       Jesus sends the disciples in a boat to the other side of the lake so he can have some down time to pray.

·       He needed to prepare for his mission to the Gentile regions.

·        If Jesus needed alone time with the Father, so do we.

·       He notices the boat with the disciples in it had drifted a long way from shore and was in a storm.  

The Miracle v. 25 

·       Somewhere between 3-6am Jesus decides to walk out on the lake to them...3 miles!

·       (Although he may have gotten there quick, being Jesus and all...)  

·       The disciples had been battling the storm for over nine hours.

·       Such a great story, most everyone has heard of it.  "Next time you think you're perfect, try walking on water."

The reaction v. 26 

·       The response of the disciples?  Terrified! 

·       And who can blame them?  It's the middle of the night, they are already afraid of the storm and then they see something they've never seen before.

·       The disciples may have thought an evil spirit was trying to deceive them.  Can't blame them, this is crazy.

·       Jewish superstition held that the appearance of a spirit at night spelled disaster.

·       I think sometimes we are terrified or surprised because Jesus does actually show up to help.

·       We shouldn't be.  God is always there to help us and loves to.

·       However, it may be in a different way than we expected.  He's still helping us though.

Jesus' response v. 27

·        "Take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid."

·       Jesus' words alluded to God's voice from the burning bush (Ex. 3:14) and to the voice of assurance to Israel of his identity and presence as Savior (Isaiah 43:10-13).

·       By walking on the water, Jesus demonstrates total control over all creation. He is indeed God!

·       Actually, this is always Jesus' response when we are afraid, "Don't be afraid..."

·       It's nice to know Someone is calm when we aren't.

The one brave disciple. v. 28-29 

·       Peter was the only one in the boat brave enough to step out in faith.

·       But it probably started like this...

·       Message title, "Step out of your comfort zone."

·       Because it's going to happen. It's not if something strange, different or bad is going to happen, it's when.

·       And when it does, are you going to fall or apart or look to God for guidance?

·       "Trust in God and keep your powder dry."  Oliver Cromwell

·       There will always be some action needed on our part.

·       For Peter is was actually stepping out of the boat.

·       Peter is a great example of how if we're going to follow Jesus, then we have to take that first big step.

·       However, you have to get out of your comfort zone, leave behind what is secure.

·       Often when people talk about skydiving, they say, "Why would I jump out of a perfectly fine airplane?"

·         Skydiving at Lake Perris....last girl getting "helped" out...

·       Following Jesus is a big step, worth the risk.

One potentially fatal mistake v. 30

·       Losing focus of what is really important.

·       It's not about me or us.  

·       It's always about Jesus and keeping our eyes on him.

·       Hebrews 12:1-2  "...run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."

·       We need to be careful not to focus on the "waves" around us and instead look to Jesus.

·       Stop worrying about your own inadequacies and draw strength from Jesus.

·       "Beware of despairing about yourself: you are commanded to put your trust in God, and not in yourself."  Augustine

 Jesus offers immediate hope. v. 31

·       As we stumble through life, we start out with the best of intentions.

·       The storms, waves and troubles hit and our faith falters.

·       However, that doesn't need to set us up for failure!

·       Peter could've tried to save himself.

·       Instead he reached out for the hand of Jesus.  Even though afraid, he still looked to Jesus.

·       What a great example.

·       Job 13:15, Psalm 46:1-2,  56:11,  62:8,  118:5-7

·       "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen."                      Ralph Waldo Emerson

A proper response.  v. 32-33

·       When we realize God has just saved us, the proper response is thankfulness and worship.

·       Recognizing who God is and what he has done.

·       That should be our attitude every time we gather to worship.

·       What a might God we serve!

·        "Trust God when you cannot trace Him. Do not try to penetrate the cloud He brings over you; rather look to the bow that is on it. They mystery is God's, the promise yours." John Madcuff

Closing thoughts

·       So here we are in our lives, trying to get through the storms, losing focus, taking our eyes of Jesus...we are Peter.

·       Jesus is calling us to come to him, step out in faith, no matter the severity of the storm.

·       You are not alone in your struggles, guarantee, someone else has been through this too.

·       We have to remember who Jesus is, the power he has in our lives to save us and stay focused on him.

·        And if we do start going down, reach out!

·       "Oh but Evan, you don't understand, I'm drowning in my circumstances!"

·       I may not fully understand, or be exactly in your situation, but I do know who the lifeguard is...Jesus.

·       Or maybe you are not drowning.  Maybe at this phase of your life, you are doing ok.

·       Maybe you can be the strong arm of Jesus, pulling people up out of their despair and misery.

Florence Chadwick, noted for swimming the English Channel in both directions, decided to swim the 21 mile stretch of cold water between Catalina Island and the coast of California.

It had never been done by a woman, and at age 34, she was determined to be the first. The chosen date was 4th July, 1952, a holiday, and much of the country was watching on television.

At several points during the swim, rifles had to be blasted over the waves to fend off the sharks.

After nearly 16 hours in the water, she complained of numbness. She squinted to see the shore, but the fog reduced her visibility to almost zero.

She called out to her mother and her trainer in the rescue boat that she couldn't go on. They encouraged her to continue, but when she looked to where she thought the shore should be, she could see nothing.

She gave up and was pulled out from the water. Imagine how she felt when she discovered that she was only half a mile from shore.

She knew she physically could have done it. Later, she told reporters that she wasn't making excuses for her failure, but "if only I could have seen land, I know I could have made it."

She was right. Just a few weeks later she attempted the same swim, under the same foggy conditions, and finished the swim in record time.

Not only did she become the first woman to complete the swim, but she beat the men's record by two hours.

Let's stay focused on Jesus, that one bit of hope we have to get us out of a desperate situation.