Risk More

Mark Broadbent

24th July 2011

*The Story of Jesus walking on water
*The different between disciples and Peter is that he is willing to step out
*The reason why we do not see miracles is because we do not step out
*Reading and knowledge of God is good but we cannot see God's mighty hand at work

3. Actions we can do in responding to God-sized visions

1. Ignore and wander aimlessly.

we do not want to do that anymore.

2. We limit our opportunities (time, money, effort)
Thus, we try and compromise in doing what we can do

3. Embrace that God has God-sized visions for us.

We should do what only God can do

*The reason why we do not shift from what I can do  to what God can do  is because we FEAR OF FAILURE

1. Even if we do not succeed, we will still achieve a lot
Exodus 3:7-9: The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁹ And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The story of Moses bringing the Israelites out of Egypt to the promise land

Numbers 20:12: But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

*Moses did not get that
*The reason we must step up even if we fail is so that we will see the kingdom of God at work

2. You will improve
Mark 9:17-29: A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
   ¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
 ²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
 ²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
   “From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
   ²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
 ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
 ²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
 ²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
 ²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
 ²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.

*Jesus does not always expect success, he picks us up when we fail
*If we want to succeed, we got to experience failure first

3. If we keep persevering, we will eventually have success
Matthew 13:57-58: And they took offense at him.
   But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
 ⁵⁸ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

*God loves you and will open other doors when we face failures

4. You will see God come through for you like never before
Joshua 3:11-13: See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. ¹² Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

*It is not enough to just pray big prayers but to act upon it

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field

 Start by praying for people inside (the church)
John 4:35: Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

Matthew 9:37-38: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**