When The Lord Call You To Step Out (Matt.14:26-33) | Dr. LaSonya Clay

take courage it is I don't be afraid Jesus our source of comfort and reassurance spoke these very words to his disciples during a turbulent experience on the Sea of Galilee jesus' words are relevant and deeply personal for believers today when I return we will draw inspiration from a familiar story reminding us that the impossible can become possible even in the most challenging [Music] times greetings my dear friends I am Dr lasagna clay and it is an honor to have you join me today to be encouraged and strengthened by the word of God today we will explore a story that we all know the one where Peter defies the laws of nature and walks on water this is not just a tale but a profound interaction between Peter and Jesus a moment that holds significant lessons for us all our Focus passage is Matthew 14 chapter the 26 through the 33rd verse but before I begin reading I want to provide some context so we see Jesus has ordered the disciples to go before him across the Sea of Galilee to the other side the disciples are somewhere in the middle of the sea about 3 to four miles away from the shore they have been battling a storm um strong winds for most of the night it is the fourth watch and this is the time between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. we could only imagine the physical exhaustion the disciples are experiencing at this hour for the winds and the waves were violently agitated and they were Fierce against the boat that they were handling I focus passage Matthew 14 26-33 picks up where Jesus is walking upon the sea and it reads but when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea they were terrified and said it is a ghost and they cried out in fear but immediately Jesus spoke to them saying take heart it is I do not be afraid and Peter answered him Lord if it is you command me to come to you on the water he said come so Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus but when he saw the wind he was terrified and beginning to sink he cried out Lord Save Me Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him saying to him oh you of little faith why did you die and when they got into the boat the wind ceased and those in the boat worshiped him saying truly you are the Son of God the Sea of Galilee is known for its sudden storms having been commanded by Jesus to go across the sea to the other side the disciples encountered an unrelenting storm is this a coincidence the disciples were seasoned and experienced fishermen however on this particular occasion they were not just battling a storm but was overwhelmed by Terror and fear as Jesus draws near to the boat the disciples in their fear and confusion mistaken Jesus for a ghost they are unable to recognize their beloved teacher despite their long companionship fear and confusion hardship anxiety and even grief can prevent us from recognizing our Lord in the midst of our circumstances for instance Mary Magdalene a disciple of Jesus whom Jesus had cleansed of seven demons was overwhelmed with grief and did not recognize Jesus after he had rose from the dead it is most important to understand brothers and sisters that there are times when the conditions from challenges and difficulties surround us leaving us emotionally physically and spiritually exhausted often in the midst of the most daunting trials we fail to recognize the Lord when he draws near yet when we finally do recognize it's a profound sense of relief and comfort that washes over us just as it did the disciples in their storm when Jesus reveals himself as the capable and willing savior he immediately dispels fear and provides Comfort to his disciples he tells them take courage it is I don't be afraid what comfort and Assurance to hear the words from the Lord especially when we are going through rough storms in our life the scripture also goes and tells us that Jesus responded immediately it brought courage to the disciples the word courage in the Greek translate to Have Courage be of good cheer and bold God strengthens the believer he empowers us with a bold inner attitude to be of good courage it's the spirit of God the power of God working in us that give us that courage that ability to be of good cheer in the midst of our circumstances one writer states that faith in God's promises FS our courage taking hold of the word of of God in times of struggles and uncertainty um the word of God is living and active it's the power of God that that strengthen us and help us build courage to continue and move forward and not shrink back and give up that's what the enemy wants us to do to shrink and draw up but the power of God give us that courage and strength to move forward so as we see Jesus approaching the disciples he identifies himself saying it is I a more literal translation is I am this self-revelation is a way for Jesus to show his disciples his source of power and divine name I am is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency self-existence and immediate presence no matter when or where or what you're going through God is there Jesus goes on to tell his disciples in verse 27 Don't Be Afraid Jesus is present in the midst of the storm calling on us to have courage and not to be afraid because he is I am Psalms 46:1 tells God is our refuge and strength always ready to help in times of trouble amidst the confusion and fear we find ourself in we can find confidence and strength in the unwavering Presence Power and faithfulness of Jesus it is the divine presence that embolden us to confront our fears praise the Lord Jesus did not come to the disciples to make them afraid instead he provides comfort and reassurance cheer up he says Don't Be Afraid can you hear the Lord echoing that in your spirit cheer up Don't Be Afraid and you know when Peter heard these word he enthusiastically replied to the Lord and it says in Matthew 14:28 and Peter answered him Lord if it is you command me to come to you on the Water Peter boldly showed his willingness to put everything on the line at the command of Jesus come Jesus said then Peter got down out of the boat walked on the water and came toward Jesus Peter's Faith was not just remarkable it was courageous he took that initial St step out of the boat placing his trust in Jesus as long as his Focus remained it on Jesus he was able to achieve the seemingly impossible think back to a time when you ask God tell me to to come I'll do it whatever you say I'll go remember the thrill the excitement of moving in faith no matter what the odds I know I did that's why I'm here these are the moments that can fill us with hope and motivation Peter moved out in the power of God and so did we we may never F fully understand what prompted Peter to make such a bold reply but once he began walking by physical sight you got it Peter saw the winds and the wav surrounded him and fear gripped him and he began to sink Matthew 14 and3 States but when he saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink Cried Out Lord save me Peter was overwhelmed by what surrounded him instead of the one who had called him the one whom he had put his faith in Peter fear took over his faith fear was the point of weakening that kept him from trusting Jesus to give him that power to do the impossible fear grips us when we experience chaos trials intense troubles and that fear can weaken our faith however we can cry out for for help Peter was terrified by his situation and he cried out Lord save me that word save in the Greek translate to save heal preserve rescue this is the idea of Deliverance God's protection for his people the psalmist David writes that we can call out to God in all our troubles Psalms 34 and6 tells us this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles brothers and sisters when we cry out humbly to the Lord it leads to Deliverance God is as willing and ready to hear all who are troubled who are suffering who are burdened and who direct their cries to him just like Peter he will answer and even though Peter failed by looking at what surrounded him he cried out to Jesus for help Matthew 14:31 tells us Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him saying to him oh you of little faith why did you doubt Jesus responded immediately to Peter's cry for help and rescued him Jesus also lovingly rebuked Peter about his little faith asking him why did you doubt despite the overwhelming evidence that seemed to contradict Peter's action Peter trusted God he trusted Jesus to when he called him out however the challenges Peter fa with everything surrounding him indicated that he could not do what he was attempting to do and for this reason he became distracted and doubted there is no doubt all of us have experienced something like this how we were torn between going forward in faith and being hindered by the reality of our circumstances these circumstances could be Financial Str struggles health issues relationship challenges among others this tension comes when Upon Us whenever we try to translate our faith into action actions that will glorify God we want to do what God has asked us to do knowing that it is the will of God and yet at the same time we see all around us all kinds of evidence that we cannot possibly succeed when this happened we too begin to doubt it happens even among the strongest Christians the Battle of Doubt is not unique but be of good courage there is power to meet the challenge that power is Jesus Christ himself Matthew 14:32 tells us and when they got into the boat the wind ceased one Theologian stated the storm stopped when Jesus and Peter got into the boat indicating God's providential design for the storm to teach the disciples you know this journey that the disciples went on provided a revelation and it's only it was only possible in the midst of the chaos in the midst of the storm in the midst of challenges we receive Revelation if Jesus had not forced the disciples to embark on this uncertain Journey they would have missed the opportunity to see God revealed in the midst of this turbulent storm Matthew 14 and33 tells us and those in the boat worshiped him saying truly you are the Son of God you know the appropriate response to God's intervention and our problems is worship when we worship it shows that we recognize the Sovereign lord of the universe who he is and his power at work in our lives you know brothers and sisters When We Worship the Lord the tension gets off of our circumstances our problems and our gaze go toward our God and when we do that we can truly say truly you are the Son of God brothers and sisters I want to thank you for joining me on today and I want to pray for you let me pray father in the name of Jesus I just give you honor and I give you glory I thank you Lord God that you show your love and that your love reaches out to us in times of Doubt restoring us and calming all of our fears with your mercy wisdom and power Lord help us to keep our eyes fixed on you and to trust you in all things these prayers we ask in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen I pray that you have been encouraged and strengthened by this teaching please like comment and share these videos to more people so that they can see them especially if you know they need these videos if you are new to my channel Channel please consider subscribing remember turn on those notification buttons so you will know when I upload new videos until next time May the peace of God rain in your hearts richly [Music]

Channel: Dr. LaSonya Clay

Views: 16

Keywords: Encouragement, Growing as a Christian, Faith

Id: lIKbxxfk_es

Length: 16min 48sec (1008 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 25 2024