Stepping out of our comfort zones is essential for spiritual growth. The early church exemplified this by facing discomfort and challenges in their mission to spread the Gospel. Today, we are called to actively pursue God, people, and purpose, which requires moving beyond passive faith. Embracing discomfort means being open to change and the challenges that come with it, trusting that God will guide us through the process. This active pursuit is a testament to our faith and devotion, mirroring the relentless spirit of the early church. [06:01]
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:2-3, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel too comfortable in your faith? How can you step out of that comfort zone this week to pursue God more actively?
Day 2: Belief Transforms the Impossible
The story of Peter walking on water illustrates the power of belief in making the impossible possible. When Peter stepped out of the boat, he did so because he believed in Jesus. This story teaches us that our faith should be in Jesus, the miracle worker, rather than the miracles themselves. By placing our trust in Him, we can overcome challenges and obstacles that seem insurmountable. Our belief in Jesus empowers us to face life's difficulties with courage and hope. [30:15]
"And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’" (Mark 9:23-24, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a situation in your life that seems impossible. How can you shift your focus from the problem to trusting in Jesus, the miracle worker?
Day 3: Life's Winds and God's Presence
Life is full of challenges, but Jesus is with us through the storms. The winds of life may push against us, but they do not blow away God's presence. He walks with us, offering guidance and support if we choose to let Him. This assurance of His presence provides comfort and strength, enabling us to navigate life's difficulties with faith and resilience. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we can find peace amidst the chaos and trust in His unwavering presence. [27:29]
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)
Reflection: When faced with life's challenges, how can you remind yourself of God's presence and seek His guidance and support?
Day 4: Focus on the Miracle Worker
Our faith should be centered on Jesus, not just the miracles we seek. When we focus on the provider rather than the provision, our faith remains strong even when miracles don't happen as expected. This focus helps us maintain a steady faith amidst life's ups and downs, trusting in Jesus' wisdom and timing. By prioritizing our relationship with Him, we can experience a deeper, more resilient faith that is not dependent on circumstances. [35:08]
"Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.’" (John 6:26, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you been focusing more on the miracles you seek rather than on Jesus Himself? How can you shift your focus to deepen your relationship with Him?
Day 5: Pursue God, People, and Purpose
We are called to actively pursue God by seeking His kingdom, to love others as Jesus loved us, and to live out our purpose by fulfilling the Great Commission. This pursuit requires action and stepping out in faith, trusting that God will guide us. By prioritizing our relationship with God and our mission to love and serve others, we can live a life of purpose and impact. This active pursuit is a reflection of our commitment to God's calling on our lives. [06:43]
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively pursue God, people, and purpose in your daily life? What specific actions can you take this week to live out the Great Commission?
Sermon Summary
In today's gathering, I felt a profound conviction as we worshiped, a stirring in my heart that I believe was the Holy Spirit urging us to reflect on our comfort zones. Our church, Bethany Missionary Church, has a rich history of devotion and mission, yet I feel we have become too comfortable in our faith. As we embark on a journey through the book of Acts this summer, we will explore the early church's lack of comfort and their relentless pursuit of spreading the Gospel. This pursuit is something we must embrace today.
The word "pursue" has been resonating with me since December 2023, and I believe it is a call for us to actively pursue God, people, and purpose. Pursuit requires action, not passive sitting. We must step out of our comfort zones to fulfill the calling God has for us. This means embracing the discomfort of change and the challenges that come with it. We are called to pursue God by seeking His kingdom first, to pursue people by loving others as Jesus loved us, and to pursue purpose by living out the Great Commission.
As we reflect on the story of Peter walking on water, we see that belief can make the impossible possible. Peter, a fisherman familiar with the sea, stepped out of the boat and walked on water because he believed in Jesus. This story teaches us that life has its winds and challenges, but Jesus is with us through them. Our faith should not be in the miracles themselves but in the miracle worker, Jesus. When we focus on Him, the impossible becomes possible.
We are called to believe the impossible, to trust in the one who performs miracles, and to step out in faith even when the winds of life push against us. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and pursue the calling He has placed on our lives.
Key Takeaways
1. W21j0&t=361s'>[06:01] 2. Belief Transforms the Impossible: The story of Peter walking on water illustrates that belief can make the impossible possible. When we place our trust in Jesus, we can overcome the challenges and obstacles that seem insurmountable. Our faith should be in the miracle worker, not just the miracles.
3. Life's Winds and God's Presence: Life is full of challenges, but Jesus is with us through the storms. The winds of life may push against us, but they do not blow away God's presence. He walks with us, offering guidance and support if we choose to let Him.
4. Focus on the Miracle Worker: Our faith should be centered on Jesus, not just the miracles we seek. When we focus on the provider rather than the provision, our faith remains strong even when miracles don't happen as expected. This focus helps us maintain a steady faith amidst life's ups and downs.
5. Pursue God, People, and Purpose: We are called to actively pursue God by seeking His kingdom, to love others as Jesus loved us, and to live out our purpose by fulfilling the Great Commission. This pursuit requires action and stepping out in faith, trusting that God will guide us.
"Here at Bethany Missionary Church, there is a rich history of I think 75, 76 years. This building was built actually before the missionary church denomination was one denomination. It used to be two denominations that came together about 10 years after this building was built. It's a rich tradition of history here at Bethany Missionary Church." [00:00:56]
"I felt this moment of conviction which is just this moment where you feel like, 'Hey, I might be in the wrong, might be doing something wrong. I might be prioritizing my life a little not as lined up as God might want me to be.' Again, I'm stumbling over my words, my heart rate's high." [00:01:49]
"The vision that I think that God has given this church and the mission, the reason that we exist, I think in today's day and age, and that it's not discounting the past 75, 76 years. There has been incredible purpose for the past 75, 76 years of this church." [00:03:53]
"Pursuit is not something that you can do sitting in a chair. Pursuit is not something you can do sitting in your comfort. Pursuit is something that you're going and doing. When you are in pursuit, you are moving, you are going. And I'll be the first to tell you that I have not been doing a great job of that." [00:05:54]
"We are going to be pursuing God. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all else will be added. We are going to be pursuing people. Jesus says, 'A new commandment I give to you, love others as I have loved you.' And we are going to pursue purpose." [00:06:28]
"Life has winds. Life has winds. I'm trying to emphasize the D. If I was a really good and smart preacher, I would say, and if you want to get the wind, you got to go up against the wind, but I'm not that smart of a preacher. Life has winds." [00:24:13]
"Belief can make the impossible possible. Belief can make the impossible possible. I want to take a quick look at the words that describe belief in impossible. The word that describes belief throughout the Greek, throughout the New Testament that can be translated to our translation of to believe is this pistuo." [00:28:51]
"When we look at Peter, when he was walking on the water, when he stepped out of the boat, his trust wasn't in what he was stepping onto. His trust wasn't in the miracle itself. His trust was in the miracle worker. His faith was in the one who performs the miracles." [00:33:39]
"So often in our lives, if you've been in the church world, if you've been following Jesus for a while, we can find ourselves so easily worshiping, hoping for, praying to miracles instead of recognizing first and foremost the miracle worker, instead of recognizing first and foremost the one who does the miracles." [00:34:11]
"When we focus our faith and when we build our foundation of belief and we build our life on the miracles that God has done, is doing, or will do, we will find ourselves having a faith that is not the faith that God is wanting for us. When we put our faith in the miracles instead of the miracle worker, we will find ourselves having a roller coaster life, a roller coaster faith." [00:35:50]
"Belief makes the impossible possible. We need to find a way to put our faith in the miracle worker. And listen, friends, I'm not saying you can't pray for miracles, not saying you can't ask the miracle worker for him to work miracles. You can't ask the provider for him to provide. You can't ask the healer for him to heal you." [00:36:24]
"I pray that this time will not just be another Sunday where we're sitting and listening, that this will not just be another time where we are sitting in comfort, but this will be a time where we are empowered and equipped to go and make disciples, to go into our world and shine your light." [00:37:40]