Help From Heaven
Notes
Transcript
Intro: Israel has already had their share of ups and downs in their early conquest of the Promised Land, all due to their feeble faith. We have often done the same when we were young in our faith. So what does it take for a person/people to have faith to move mountains? “Help From Heaven”
Matthew 17:20–21 (NKJV)
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
The disciples could not cure a epileptic boy who was being controlled by a demon. Jesus challenged their weak faith, if they would have the faith of a mustard seed they could have cured this boy.
What is mustard seed faith? Invasive faith [intrudes, spreads, gets into your thoughts and invades your privacy, depths of your soul]
There are two components to mustard seed faith and both need Help from Heaven to happen; Opportunity and Desire
There has to be an opportunity from God for you to desire to put your faith in action.
Text; Joshua 10:1-14
1 Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2 that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”
5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.”
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
10 So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.
1. Faith’s Opportunity; 1-6
1. Faith’s Opportunity; 1-6
Joshua and Israel might have been a little dejected for being duped by the Gibeonites, but at least they learned a lesson and were faithful to their word not to destroy them. They put them to work as water carriers and wood cutters for the congregation and the altar of the Lord.
Now God creates an opportunity to really check the depth/desire of Israels faith.
This map shows the battles already won by Israel and Jerusalem is soon to be surrounded and conquered especially after Gibeon surrendered and became part of Israel. Gibeon was a great city and a fortified place that Israel could launch attacks from.
So the king of Jerusalem calls on 5 other kings to help him stop Israel by taking over Gibeon.
Opportunity for mustard seed faith; Are you willing to defend the ones who deceived you? Why not just sit back and let the Canaanites fight among themselves? Why not let these kings get rid of their failure.
Mustard seed; Invasive faith [intrudes, spreads, gets into your thoughts and invades your privacy, depths of your soul]
Israel made a promise and faith keeps its word!!
Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)
37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
2. Faith’s Desire; 7-11
2. Faith’s Desire; 7-11
Desire- a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen:
Faith’s desire should be a strong wanting to do the will of God.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Joshua didn’t hesitate to help those he had promised. This time Joshua either consulted the Lord or listened when God spoke and sprang into action.
Joshua is outnumbered 5 to 1 but faith’s desire to honor God doesn’t look at the numbers but follows to the Lord.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
[10-11] The Lord routed these kings through the faith of Joshua and the children of Israel. Slaughter by the sword and the hailstones from heaven!
3. Help From Heaven; 12-14
3. Help From Heaven; 12-14
Because Joshua has now moved from a feeble faith to a mustard seed faith [intrusive, to the depths of your being] he inquired of heaven and got the help he needed.
Joshua asked God to stop time and let Israel finish the job that God started to bring Him glory!
Matthew 17:20–21 (NKJV)
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
The disciples couldn’t cure this man because they made faith something too common [plain-Jane, ordinary] in their life, instead of it being from God.
Look at faith from God;
Matthew 9:2 (NKJV)
2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
Matthew 9:22 (NKJV)
22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Matthew 9:29 (NKJV)
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
Matthew 15:28 (NKJV)
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
We need to never consider faith something common/ordinary, but it is a gift of God. God will move heaven and earth [or stop it] if need be, to bring glory to Himself and honor the faith of his children.
True faith needs Help from Heaven!