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When Jesus Calls, Faith Requires Us To Step Out · The Bible Bit Podcast

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  Welcome back. This is Kimmy Miller of Woman at the Well Ministries bringing
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  you another Bible bid for you to enjoy.
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  When Jesus calls, faith requires us to step out.
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  Today as we journey through the scriptures, seeking God's wisdom and understanding,
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  we're going to continue our study on Matthew 14, 22-33,
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  which reveals lessons we need to know from the account of Peter walking on the water.
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  Today, we are looking at our obligation to step out on faith when Jesus calls us to do so.
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  Today's account in Matthew 14, 25-29 reminds us of our fundamental call to deny
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  ourselves and to take up our cross and follow Jesus, Luke 9, 23.
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  In Matthew 14, 25-29, we see Peter overcome his fears, follow Jesus' word, and do the impossible.
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  He walked on water above his troubles.
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  Matthew 14, 25 through 29 says, And in the fourth watch of the night,
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  Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
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  And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit.
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  And they cried out for fear.
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  For straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid.
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  And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
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  And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship,
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  he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
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  In their darkest hour, Jesus came walking on the sea.
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  The disciples were afraid because they thought they were seeing a ghost.
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  Think about that for a moment. The disciples walked with Jesus daily,
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  but did not recognize him in their most difficult of moments.
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  Jesus was there in their midst, but they couldn't be comforted by that because
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  they didn't recognize him for who he was.
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  How often do we come into a difficult situation and find ourselves frightened
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  because we not only don't recognize God's presence in the situation.
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  But we are not looking for him.
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  Even in our darkest times, this should never be the case.
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  Because Hebrews 13, 5 says, Let your conversation be without covetousness,
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  and be content with such things as ye have.
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  For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
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  In other words, don't want for anything.
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  Because Jesus is with you always, and if you have him, you have everything.
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  He is in the midst of your crisis because He is always with you.
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  When you grasp the truth that Jesus loves you so much that he is never not with
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  you, then you will begin to understand that regardless of your situation,
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  you are more than all right.
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  You are covered, protected, and provided for by Jesus himself.
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  As we look a little more closely at this passage in Matthew 14,
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  we see that Jesus is so compassionate.
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  He didn't chastise them for not knowing who he was.
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  He didn't praise Peter above the others because Peter had a clue it could be Jesus.
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  No, Jesus immediately spoke to them, identifying who he was.
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  Jesus said, Be of good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid.
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  Matthew 14, 27.
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  Before Jesus took care of the situation and calmed their fears,
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  He reminded them of his presence.
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  He didn't begin his conversation by explaining the wind or the waves.
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  He began by revealing who he was.
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  My friend, when you understand who God is, then there is no room for fear.
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  There is no room for fear in the presence of God because there is no fear in love, 1 John 4, 18.
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  And God loves us perfectly.
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  God is love, 1 John 4, 8.
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  When you know who God is, then you know the peace of God.
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  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee,
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  because he trusteth in thee.
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  Isaiah 26.3 Too often we make things way more complicated than they need to be.
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  We think of God as too high for us to approach and too big for us to grasp.
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  But the truth is that he told us to call unto him and he would answer us and
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  show us great and mighty things.
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  In Jeremiah 33, 3, this is exactly what Peter did. And the results he received were phenomenal.
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  Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water. Matthew 14, 28.
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  Peter didn't justify anything or speak in eloquent language or extravagant ways.
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  He just made his request known unto God.
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  Peter was following what we are told in Philippians 4, 6, which says,
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  be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication,
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  with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
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  The result was amazingly awesome. Jesus gave Peter one simple command, come.
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  A simple request met with a simple command, followed by full obedience,
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  resulted in Peter walking on water.
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  Jesus gave Peter the command to come. Peter then immediately climbed out of
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  the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
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  Peter's obedience resulted in an incredible miracle.
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  Peter was experiencing what Philippians 4.7 teaches when it says,
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  that after making our request known from a grateful heart that is believing
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  fully for the answer, then we will experience the peace of God that is greater
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  than our understanding and that solidifies our faith in God.
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  Peter left the safety of the boat and stepped onto something that could not naturally support him.
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  Peter didn't have a bridge, a platform, or a plan that made any logical sense to his human mind.
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  Peter only had the word of Jesus and the faith to believe in Jesus.
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  This was all it took for Peter to do the miraculous.
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  Peter's faith wasn't in his own ability to walk on water. Peter's faith was
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  in the one who told him to come.
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  Sometimes God calls us to take steps that require us to trust him.
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  It may be stepping out to serve in ministry. It may be forgiving someone who has hurt you.
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  It may be obeying God when the future is uncertain. It may be trusting in God
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  when we cannot see how everything will work out.
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  Faith doesn't mean we understand everything. Faith means we trust in the one
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  who does. Because what is God asking you to trust him with today?
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  Don't allow fear to keep you in the boat when the Lord is calling you to obey him.
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  You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you can trust the one who holds tomorrow.
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  Peter did not walk on the water because he was stronger than the other disciples.
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  Peter walked on water because he responded to the word of Jesus.
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  Trust Him and respond to Him today. Remember you are loved. Jesus loves you.
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  Join us tomorrow as we continue our study on lessons learned from the account
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  of Peter walking on the water, as recorded in Matthew 14, 22-33.
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  Please visit Woman at the Well Ministries at www.watwm.org for more resources,
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  podcasts, and to connect with us.
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  If you would like to have Bible Bits delivered to your cell phone via text messages,
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  go to our website at watwm.org to subscribe.