Pursuing God-Given Dreams

(Read Mat 14:28-31)

This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”.  We have been studying the life of the Apostle Peter.  Our study has brought us to Matthew 14.  For the past couple of weeks we have been looking at Peter’s famous walking on water incident.  Let’s go back to it today.

Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Notice, once again, that Jesus was NOT offended by the request.  Jesus was not upset that Peter wanted to do what He was doing.  Actually, Jesus was happy that at least one of His disciples was at the point where they could see themselves doing what He was doing.  When Peter mustered up the courage to ask Jesus for the authorization to flow in the humanly impossible, at that point Jesus knew Peter had finally opened his heart to God.  Once your heart is open to God, then there is NO LIMIT to what God can do in, with or through your life.

Yesterday’s message was about opening your heart to dream God-sized dreams.  This message will flow in the same vein.  

So what does this mean to you today?  Two things.

1.  Muster up the courage to take your dream public.  

a)  Faith speaks.  Faith has a language and it is a language that is not restricted to the limits of this world.

b)  It was one thing for Peter to see himself walking on water, like Jesus was, in his mind, but it was something else for Peter to muster up the courage to SAY it.  When Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, tell me to come to you on the water”, he was crossing the faith-line.  This is the point of no return.  Maybe one of the other disciples had the the courage to dream it, but Peter was the only one who had the courage to SAY it.  

c)  When you open your heart you free yourself to SEE what God wants to do in your life.  It then takes a renewed mind to SAY what you SEE.  The renewed mind is not afraid of taking God public.

d)  It takes courage to live by faith.  It takes courage to SAY what you SEE in your heart.  Do you have the courage to take God public?

2.  Rely on the originator of the dream to bring the dream to pass.

a)  True human faith is rooted in God’s grace.  Therefore, faith is not reliant on, or restricted to, human ability.

b)  Stop counting on your power alone.  Peter knew walking on water required God.  There is no way Peter could walk on water without God.  Likewise, there is no way your God-given dream will come to pass.

c)  Don’t take on unnecessary pressure to perform things you can humanly do.  Do what you can and you believe God for the rest.

d)  Faith takes on no human pressure to perform the divine.  Faith relies on the divine for the divine.

e)  When you begin to truly live by faith you will find yourself in situations where you say, “Father, okay, here I am, if You don’t it, it can’t get done.”  God loves it when you have the faith to get to that point and rest assured that He won’t let you down.

f)  Once you go public with God and your dream, your mouth just wrote a check that only God can cash!  But don’t worry, His account is unlimited!

Closing Confession:   Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith.  You give me dreams that exceed my ability, education, bank account, and relationships.  You put dreams in my heart that line up with the plans You made for me before the world began.  Those dreams have everything to do with grace.  They are unmerited, unearned and most of the time even undeserved.  You then expect me to have the faith that will access Your grace.  I declare that I do.  I get in Your Word daily.  Your Word helps me build my faith.  My faith says “YES” to Your dreams for my life.  I am now at the point where I have the courage to take You public.  You put dreams in my heart and I SAY what I SEE.  Once I do, I know my mouth just wrote a check that only You can cash.  But that’s okay, because Your account is UNLIMITED.  NO LIMIT LIVING is my new normal!  I declare this by faith.   In Jesus’ name.  Amen.
This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.