“Move Like You Believe It”

Series Title: Still Believe Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 09/13/26 (2nd Sunday Message)

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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}

New Series:

Still Believe

This series will discuss faith.

we will talk about what it really is, how to have it…

and how we can grow it.

Message Title:

"Move Like You Believe It!”

Belief eventually aﬀects behavior.

Question:

How Many Of You Trust Your GPS?

If it tells you to turn left, you turn left.

If it tells you to take the next exit, you take the exit. Most of the time, we don’t even question it.

But what happens when the road changes?

What if it takes you oﬀ the main street…on a detour. onto a narrow road.

then to a dead end

and a dirt road oﬀ to the right.

Then suddenly the GPS says: “Turn right.”

Its a dirt road.

and sitting at the turn are a couple scarecrows… And you’re told…

“continue for 2 miles”

At that point, we’re checking the directions again.

“Are we sure this is the route?”

We trust the GPS when the road looks familiar. The real test is whether we still follow when the road looks questionable.

But it’s not just how we treat the gps…

be on a call with a friend saying the same thing… same scenario…

you’ll likely question it.

It’s a test of faith for sure.

But how about when the Lord is leading you? This leads to a question:

Question:

Do we trust God only when His direction makes sense to us? Or do we keep going even when we’re uncertain?

We can SAY we trust the Lord…

but what does all that faith mean when we won’t go where he leads us?

James 2:17

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

This says that faith has to be followed by an action. faith HAS to be followed by something…

but that something has to be an action!

When I Truly Believe Something, That Belief Will Eventually Change How I Move!

If I think it’s going to rain, I bring a jacket or umbrella.

If I’m convinced my flight leaves at 7p.m., I need to get there before that time. You begin to act diﬀerent when you really begin to believe what you say you do.

…When we believe something…we act diﬀerent. Looking at it written the other way…

Your Behavior Will Eventually Expose Your Belief!

We can say we trust God…

but what do we DO because we trust him? How do we move like we trust him?

The movement is a response…so let’s talk about it.

Faith Should Create Action When The Lord Speaks!

Mathew 14 22-29

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buﬀeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 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 know from this that Peter was able to walk on the water toward Jesus. Step by step…he was able to do the impossible.

Before we get to why he failed…let’s talk about why he succeeded.

Peter was able to do the impossible. Why?

Because he had faith…well sure…

but it was more than faith…there was a miracle.

But here is the question:

When Did The Miracle Occur?

{can A,B and C fit on the same slide?}

When Peter told Jesus to ask him to come out?
When Jesus told him to do it?
When Peter’s feet swung over the boat?

Just like the ice story from last week…

Peter didn’t have his faith in his ability to walk Peter didn’t put the faith in the water…

Peter trusted the one who told him to “Come on out!”

Faith Moves Before It Can See The Result! If God Spoke It, It’s Time To Move!

MLK - “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Peter didn’t wait until they got back to dry ground… he never would have stepped out on his own… it was who asked him to.

Once he heard it…he didn’t need to feel comfortable anymore.

What Has The Lord Told You To Do That You’re Waiting To Feel Comfortable About?

Is it to forgive? - not comfortable yet

Based on last month is it to serve? - not comfortable yet? Is it to give? - not comfortable yet - not comfortable yet? Is it to apologize to someone? - not comfortable yet? how about to START something? - not comfortable yet?

Peter could have stayed in the boat saying “Lord I have faith in you…tell me to come out to you on the water.”

But when Jesus calls… Peter says “huh?”

and doesn’t move.

If he doesn’t move…there is no faith. faith is dead. There is no miracle.

Faith That Never Leaves The Boat Is Only A Conversation About Faith!

How many of us have only conversations about faith?

We can talk about it…

but some of us have faith…

that we left in the prayer closet.

that we left at the kitchen table or in the car… when we told the Lord to lead us…

and he did…and we immediately felt uncomfortable.

That faith isn’t wrapped in action…but safety.

That’s faith left in the boat.

Faith Will Take A Risk Because There Is Trust In The Source!

When we’re looking at Peter. He asked to come out. The Lord told him to.

that wasn’t a private word to Peter. the other disciples heard it also.

Yet only one of them moved.

Everyone In The Boat Had Access To The Same Jesus. Only One Of Them Acted Based On Their Action!

- last week the man on the ice…

trying to step out on faith while keeping their weight on their backup plan.

Peter was someone putting his full weight on the words of the Lord.

Peter allowed his faith to override common sense…just because of the words of Jesus. Peter was making SURE what it was though.

it wasn’t foolishness… it wasn’t recklessness…

it was literally because he knew what the Lord said and trusted him. and MOVED like it!

But one thing we know.

Peter asked the Lord. Peter heard the Lord. Peter moved.

Don’t Go Step Into The Water Unless You KNOW The Lord Told You To Do So!

Faith And Action Doesn’t Do HIS Part, It Does Yours!

We talked recently about the woman who had the issue of blood.

She was dealing with this for 12 years and spent all she had dealing with it. She couldn’t heal herself.

she couldn’t change her situation.

she couldn’t manufacture that miracle.

But she COULD move through the crowd.

Mark 5:27-28

27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

What do we see?

She Heard, She Believed, She Moved!

She pushed through that crowd because she believed Jesus could do what she couldn’t. She believed and that faith gave her the urgency to make SURE to get to her blessing.

Your Faith Is For You, Not For Him!

We said last week that your faith doesn’t MAKE the Lord a healer.

it doesn’t MAKE the Lord a provider.

it doesn’t MAKE the Lord a waymaker.

He’s already all those things.

Your faith allows you to fully TRUST him to be those things!

Imagine the woman seeing the crowd and saying… maybe today isn’t my day.

I’m just going to wait on the Lord.

Sometimes “Waiting On God” Is Really An Excuse For You To Stay Comfortable!

We can be in a position of saying we’re waiting on God to make the way plain.

But he told you what to do…

like the GPS…the route you see you don’t like. so you choose not to go that way…

so he can “reroute you."

you’re waiting on the comfortable thing. and he’s waiting on you.

Your Actions Reveal What You Actually Believe!

Question for this week:

What Would You Do Diﬀerently This Week If You Really Believed God?

Not

Not what miracle do you want?

What do you want God to do?

But what would YOU do diﬀerently? would you make that call?

would you step out on faith? would you forgive?

would you stop worrying over that same thing? would you stop delaying your purpose?

If You’re Really Believing The Lord, Your Life Should Move Like It!

“You Can’t Say You Trust God If You Can’t Trust What He’s Told You”