Sermon Info
Summary
There comes various points in our life where God calls us to step out in faith. It is so much easier to stay where we are, but God invites us to follow Him. We should never settle for being comfortable or complacent. What is your Next Step of faith? Maybe it is following Jesus in believer’s baptism. Maybe it is joining the church or serving in some capacity on Sunday mornings. Maybe it is inviting someone to church, praying with a family member, or initiating a spiritual conversation with a co-worker. Your step of faith will always impact more than just you. Don’t settle for what is known, but always be willing to follow God in faith. Prepare your heart because God is doing something amazing in your life and in His church! Be ready to follow Him!
Content
Finish Strong – Content Marketing Piece
Walking in Faith and Obedience
Have you had to take a step that was completely in faith? To simply forge ahead and take a step in obedience without knowing what would come of it?
Oftentimes, this is just what God calls us to. The book of Joshua tells the story of God using Joshua and the people of Israel as a part of His bigger plan. God led them to the Jordan River, then called them to take a step into the river – a rushing river, flowing fast and wide. But that’s when He showed up.
Regardless of your past, regardless of your vocation, regardless of how you feel that God is moving in your life, He is calling you to step up and step out for Him. He’s calling you to consecrate yourself, to pray and prepare your heart, and to wait for Him to do something great in and through your life.
God is inviting us into a life of faith over fear. Fear tells us to stay in our comfort zone and to not walk ahead in faith. Fear tells us to not trust God to make a way ahead of us. Fear tells us that God can’t do what He says He can do. Faith tells us the opposite. Faith leads us to the water and tells us to take that step because we know who our God is, and we know that He will be faithful today as He always is.
You must take that step into the water to see the miracle, though. Like the priests of Israel who were standing on the water’s edge waiting to lead the Israelites towards the Promised Land, we, too, must take the Next Step in our lives. That Next Step will look different for each person, but it’s likely that there is a Next Step or spiritual discipline that God is calling you to begin implementing in your life.
What the Bible Says about Walking in Faith in Joshua 3
Joshua 3:5 says, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” These words were spoken by Joshua to the people of Israel right before they were about to cross the Jordan River. Joshua did not speak these words because he trusted himself, or the priests, or the people of Israel. No, Joshua could forge ahead in faith because He trusted that God would show up, like He has in the past.
And God did. Just a few verses later, Joshua 3 tells us that as soon as the priests’ feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing (Joshua 3:15). They trusted God, touched the edge of the water, and God did the rest. They then stood in the middle of the Jordan River on completely dry ground. Dry ground in the middle of a river! That’s our God. He parted the river for His people, and the whole nation passed by.
When we have faith and step out in obedience, our God does immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21). His power is beyond our comprehension, His wisdom is more than our understanding, His ways are higher than any of our ways. And, like He did with the Israelites, He will make a way ahead for us. This story tells of not only His power and wisdom, but it also tells of His love and compassion for His children. He never leaves us to walk into the uncertain and unknown future alone. He is there, leading the way. Always.
What is the Next Step in your life?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith comes from confidence – a still, assured confidence that our God will do what He promises. This faith that we have in God impacts more than just ourselves. When we step out in faith, we are impacting those around us, too. Think of the people in your faith journey who had an impact in your life. Think of those who you witnessed taking Next Steps in their lives and how that influenced you. Those were people who God placed in your life to strengthen your faith and, ultimately, impact your eternity.
Now, it’s your time. Like Joshua, be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). It’s our time to walk in obedience towards whatever God is calling us to, so that we can, consequently, make an impact for the Kingdom of Christ. Our courageous, obedient step will not only change our life’s trajectory, but it will also potentially change and deeply impact the people in our lives.
Faith is not just about us. It was never meant to be. It’s about Christ, and it’s about who Christ is going to impact through our lives.
Supporting Sermon(s):
