WALKING ON WATERBy Pastor George Lehman

 Man is not made for defeat – Ernest Hemingway(God wants us to walk in Victory, He wants us to be water walkers)

By Pastor George Lehman

Matthew 14:28-29 - 28“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.

*We need to move from a place of comfort and security

Matthew 14:31 – Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?  We need to walk on the word of God “Come” not on our fears or doubts.

From Genesis to Revelation –

Not a single person that actively got out of their lifeboat and dared to walk on the water: WAS EVER THE SAME AGAIN

To mention but a few: -

Noah – For 120 years he builds a boat – everyday he was

mocked, ridiculed, insulted.

2)  Abraham – Called by God to become the father of the    Covenant. His greatest water-walking test was to sacrifice his only son.

3)    Joseph – A man with a promise to be a great ruler.

For 21 years he walked on water in and out of prisons, being a slave.Eventually the promise was fulfilled.

4)  Moses – I think he was on the water more than in the boat (He got out the boat at the burning bush).

5)  David – The man after God’s own heart. His 1st great water-walking test when he faced and killed Goliath.

You just have to read the Psalms to know and to be encouraged that water-walking is possible.

6)  Paul (Saul) – A man who wrote 21/3 of the New Testament – Reading all his letters – He highly encourages water-walking.Philippians 3:12-14 12“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Let’s talk about us here right now.

Your 1st water-walking experience happened when you said yes to Jesus.

From that very day –

Never again will you be the same.

Never again can you be the same.

Philippians 1:6 (Amp) And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

You will be faced with many water-walking opportunities.

When you and I were placed on this earth – It was for a divine purpose.

God has a perfect plan for your life.

You are a special piece of work, a masterpiece, because you were created in His image.

(Putting those model cars, bikes together – even stripping an appliance – It’s amazing how many spare parts were never necessary.)

This is not how God works –

He does not make spare parts –

You are not a spare part.  The only part He needs to put into your life is the ones that look like Jesus.

You are very special to God.

Acts 10: 34-35 - 34Then Peter began to speak: I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism.

35But accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.

So when you have stepped out the boat = keep going

2 Chronicles 15:7 - Be strong, therefore and let not your hands be weak and slack for your work shall be rewarded(Do things that are reward worthy.)

Keep looking in the right direction – focused on Jesus.

Jude 24 – Now to Him who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling and present you unblemished (blameless and faultless) before His glory in triumphant joy and exultation (with unspeakable ecstatic delight).

Peter could have walked with Jesus to the other side.

God will never ask you to do something you “can’t do”.

(When He said to Peter “come” He knew the impossible was possible.)

Job 42:2 – I know that you can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of yours can be restrained or thwarted.

*To prevent from accomplishing.

Proverbs 20:24 - “Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord”.

Step there where God orders your steps.

You may not be a Moses or Paul or Peter

You may never achieve recognition like Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonke

Just as God had a plan and a purpose for each of them. Calling them to walk on the water.

So too: - He has a plan and purpose for you to fulfil.

It’s an exciting and wonderful plan –

Its my experience that if the task is very easy, there’s no real challenge. You can’t sit in the boat of laziness, compromise, disobedience, and procrastination.

The kind of tasks God gives in the Bible are always God sized.

It’s always beyond what people can do, it means anything is possible.

It’s out the comfort zone on the water kinda stuff.

To reveal, His power, His provision, His strength – drawing a lost world to Him

It’s not about our abilities but our availability.

2 Timothy 1:12B - I am positively persuaded that He is able to guard and keep that which has been entrusted to me and which I have committed (to Him) until that day.

Jesus is calling you to get out of your boat –

It may be that you haven’t been out the boat for a long time.

Yes, it will cost you.

Yes, it will involve crises and change.

Often failure, generally fear.

Sometimes suffering

But yes it will also bring great opportunity.

The calling to a task is most times too big for us –

The truth is – my dear brothers and sisters –

There is no other way to grow your faith and be a partner with God;

In this great VISION WORK

We’re not called just to work for God – we are called to work with God.