Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith
July 14, 2014
Matthew 12:39  "He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'"

Believing that Jesus is Lord requires our human logic to take a leap of faith.  The voice inside of you, the still small voice of the Lord whispering to your heart, it takes a leap of faith to follow it.  Believing what is written in the Bible to be true requires our rationale to take a faith walk.  Maybe if Jesus appeared to you in person, it would be easier to believe?  Maybe if Jesus painted a sign, a visible sign in the sky, it would be easier to step out and do what you think the Lord might be asking you to do?

Sadly, Jesus did appear in human form and there were many who did not believe in Him.  Sadly, Jesus performed amazing miracles and painted various signs but still people did not believe in Him or follow His leading.  Jesus said that His generation was wicked because they wanted a sign, too many signs before they were willing to believe in Him or step out in faith to follow His leading.  Sadly, there are many today attending our churches who never fully take that leap of faith into believing in Him.  Sadly, there are many Christians today who never step out and follow the still small voice into taking a unique road the Lord would like to lead them down.  We ignore the voice or the leading and ask for a sign instead.  We want a megaphone in the room and aren't willing to take a leap of faith because it requires a leap of faith.  We want to KNOW!  We want to be SURE!

The older I get (and I'm not that old yet), the harder it is to take new paths, trusting that the leading is from the Lord.  Taking a leap of faith is risky.  Moving to a different city, changing jobs, adopting a child--all things that require a leap of faith, especially if there is no human rationale for doing it.  When Peter stepped out of the boat as he saw Jesus walking on the water, it required a leap of faith to believe it was actually the Lord calling to him.  Would you and I have stepped out of the boat with Peter?  I'd like to think I might have stepped out, but the reality is I might have wanted a brighter sign or secondary reassurance.  I would have wanted to see the water turn to hard ground before I was willing to take a leap of faith to step out of the boat.  There is just too much at risk, too many things could go wrong.

Jesus has so much more for you and me in life but it takes a leap of faith to acquire it.  Jesus has so much more for you and me to do for Him but it takes a leap of faith to accomplish it.  Jesus has so much more life for you to experience but it takes a leap of faith to begin the adventure.  Living a Christian life requires more faith the longer you live it.  Living a Christian life means living with a degree of whimsy as you must be willing to go where ever the still small voice would like to lead you.  Since I have been alive, I've never once seen a sign painted in the sky or heard a voice from Heaven speak like a megaphone but I have stepped out in faith, even leapt.

The Lord is speaking to many of you even now, and has been for a while but you've been waiting for a sign painted in the sky or that megaphone voice.  Those things aren't coming.  It's time to take a leap of faith.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  1 Kings 19:12, Matt 14:22-33, Heb 11:6