FFIUC #1

Northside Church

Jun 18, 2023 FATHERS day

FFIUC #1

Good morning… My name is Jamey Mills. I’m the lead pastor here at Northside. So good to be with you guys today.

Happy fathers day…

Today… as I was considering fathers day… I thought a good question might be…

What makes me happy?

Selfishly… motorcycle rides in the mountains

Seeing young people succeed in good things

Seeing people come to know Jesus

But the #1 thing by a mile… is watching my kids choose godly things for themselves.

From my kids… I don't want gifts… I want to see them doing well in Jesus… and in life.

That mindset is actually part of what drove me into ministry…

Do something that I thought my mom and dad would be proud of…

I still feel that way… I want my parents to worry less about me… and to be proud of me.

And that got me thinking about this…

How concerned am I when it comes to living a life that pleases God?

Do I think about it? Do I desire that? Do or or would I allow it to impact my choices? My habits My schedule? My bank account? My investments? My heart and mind?

1 Thes 4 start like this… We urge you to live lives that please the Lord.

And I started to think about what that might mean.

Would you say that life has turned out exactly the way you thought it would?

I’d guess most of us would say… yea… no!

Matt wears a shirt that says… everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

I used to say this to the groups we’d take on mission trips… our schedule is good until we leave the parking lot. I’ve never had a mission trip go exactly as we planned it.

One of the only things that is certain in life is uncertainty…

Today we are starting a new series called foundational faith in unfortunate circumstances…

We are going to look at biblical examples of those who lived out great faith in really tough and uncertain times.

People like Daniel, Jeremiah, Job, Esther, Mary, Joseph…

Looking at their life and situations… and learning what we can.

And so Here is a question…

How would you define faith?

About a year ago I did a sermon where I asked this question…

What role, if any is faith really playing in my life?

If you were to look at the last week or two of your life…

What role did faith play in decision making?

In relationships?

In the way we talk?

In our worrying?

I believe this… as Christians… our lives are a journey… not just a destination.

This process of walking with God… where we learn more and more how to trust and lean into Him as He is at work in and around our lives… refining us… orchestrating opportunities for us to learn and lean even more.

To learn what it means to respond in and by faith to all of life’s circumstances.

There is an aspect of our faith… that I believe is only developed there. In the furnace… in the flood… among a people that want to do away with you… in desperation… in the loneliness, in the fear, in the sin and shame…

It is the choice… to look for, believe in, rest in and respond to God… even there.

I think that's what foundational faith is…

And it reminds me of this passage in…

Matthew 7:24–29 (NLT) (SLIDE)

Matthew 7:24–29 NLT

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Jesus describes two scenarios… where 90% of the elements are the same…

Jesus does say IF… the storms come… but THOUGH the storms still come… the wind rages and beats against the house… and floodwaters rise to threaten it…

Even though the circumstances aren’t always comfortable or favorable…

The difference between standing and collapsing in the face of it is what our lives are built on.

The only difference in this story is what our lives are built on. A faith that is truly the foundation of our lives… keeping our eyes on Him, Listening to , believing in, responding to and being anchored in His truth.

The differentiating factor is believing in Him and choosing Him despite the circumstances…

Have you experienced that…

Something happened that was not what you expected… unfortunate circumstances… that hurt and was hard, but even in the face of us… this inexplicable peace… this confidence that God is in control.

100% I am a worrier… always have been… but there have been two major times in my life where things did not go the way I thought they would or should… where my heart sank… was broken… in ways that I knew would change my life… but instead of despair… I found the unexplainable peace Philippians 4 talks about…

I remember driving in my old boat of a buick… and feeling closer to God than I ever had up to that point. Lost… hurt… unsure what was next… BUT… at peace.

Jesus is saying that

Whatever it is that we chose to build our lives on will have a bigger impact on the way things go than we might realize.

And it's something we probably need to back up and evaluate often…

It might not always change the circumstances we face… but it has the power to change the way we face them.

His truth is certain in the face of all that is uncertain in the world that we live in.

Are you building your life on what is certain?

It is easy… to put hope in things that will not last… in moments of clarity… we can literally look around and see… they are temporary things… some of them aren’t necessarily bad… but they were never intended to play a foundational role in our lives that Christ and His truth and obeying His truth are intended to play.

Things that could never provide the lasting strength, stability, direction and confidence that He does…

Far too many don’t know how to answer this question… do you?

What is it that you’re building your life on?

I hope we can agree… it doesn't seem wise to not know or to not move forward with tons of intentionality…

Jesus Himself promised us that in this life… we’d have trouble… the storms will come…

But the one foundational thing… that holds us… and that holds it all together is this rock solid, unwavering faith in Him.

Through the highs and lows… the thick and thin… the success and failures…

This is what Hebrews 11 says about faith…

Hebrews 11:1–3 (ESV)

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

That word for faith is Pistis…

Is used over 250 times in the NT, which tells us something about how important it is.

It has to do with something believed because it’s found to be certain, trustworthy and dependable.

The author of Hebrews says faith is two things…

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for…

Faith is evidence based confidence

(SLIDE)…

Because of who God is and His faithfulness… I’m confident in Him and in His promises.

It's not wishful thinking or even reckless optimism… but it's grounded in deep belief and trust that what God says… even if it’s yet to be realized… will come to be. It’s confidence

Conviction of things we can’t see.

Conviction means we don’t just believe it, we stand on it.

Carries the same idea… but this is saying we don’t just believe it… we stand on it… we put our weight on it.

This life altering conviction that that we stand on… that impacts the way we think and live our lives… it leads to action.

This deep trust in who God is and in what He says that is growing and foundational in the life of a believer.

It's really hard in my opinion… but I think it's really important and incredibly healthy to back up and ask that question… In what ways is my faith in Jesus impacting my life? Or… even… where should it be impacting it more?

Sometimes I wonder if this is true…

A boat is not built in the storm… It's tested and improved there…

It does make me think of Noah…

God told Noah that the flood was coming and what to do before the rain even started.

Noah had both assurance and conviction—true faith. His outward building of the ark bore out his inward belief that the rain was coming and that God’s plan was correct.

And I think faith is like that too…

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God.

God has already shown us what He wants and desires in and for us…

To do what's right…

To love what’s good…

And to walk with Him…

To walk has to do with our lifestyle… to live with and for Him.

Foundational faith is developed in our everyday lives.

And one of the ways that faith tested and strengthened is learning how to respond to the circumstances we face in life in and by faith.

And because our life and our faith is a journey… we know that we won’t always get it right. But even then… we know that God is present… leading… molding… and providing opportunities that bring texture and depth to our faith as we walk with Him.

And at least for me, there is a peace in that.

And so it's important to look for Him there… lean in and learn what it means to respond by faith… even with circumstances stink.

A year ago we talked about the author of Heb. goes on to list 22 different people that were known by… held out as examples because of their faith…

There were some who seemed to have it all together.

There were some who were serving in favorable times.

There were some that we would have disqualified…

I think I said it this way… Unless her last name was “the prostitute” Rahab would likely not have made our foundational faith list… but God radically changed her life.

And there were many… who faced incredibly hard, unfortunate, and uncomfortable circumstances… that fought hard to choose faith in the face of it. The feeling you get is… God was pleased.

I am thankful… that God included broken men and women… and people that were facing really hard things in this list of people recognized for eternity for having foundational faith.

It helps me realize I’m not a freak.

It helps me know that this is a journey that God is at work within.

That even guys like me… can seek Jesus and learn what it means to live with foundational faith.

Foundational faith does not mean I get it right all the time.

That His grace is sufficient… even for people like me.

Which I think points out a foundationally important choice that they had to make… and that we do too… that plays a huge role in our faith journey…

Will I see myself and the world through the lens of what others think and say… without realizing they are every bit as flawed as I am.

Will I see myself through the lens of what I’m tempted to think and believe about myself which is often heavily influenced by my failure, mistakes, or lies that might be laced with small parts of truth and absent of grace.

Will I see myself and my life through the lens of God and the Gospel regardless of the circumstances around me.

Will I… despite my struggle, hardship and failure… despite the storms of life… some of which are by my own doing… keep my eyes fixed on Him.

Will I… seek Him even then…

Will I accept his correction… and discipline in ways that lead to growth

Will I humble myself under His leadership

Will I allow Him to mold and develop me through my highs and lows?

Keeping in mind that their “stuff” was not ignored by God.

In some big, hard, and painful ways… they were confronted by it.

They weren’t disqualified from God’s love, His grace, or His Kingdom. But they were required to acknowledge their stuff in a way that led to real sorrow… real repentance… and that allowed Him to change and direct them moving forward..

I think the point here is this…

Their faith in God anchored them through the darkest and most difficult parts of their lives in ways that propelled them into even greater and foundational faith.

They didn't allow failure or mistakes to be the thing that defined or destroyed them… but instead To see Him… His truth… His grace… and their need more clearly.

Heb 12 goes on to say… that since we are surrounded by all of these broken yet amazing stories of great faith… let's strip away everything… even good things… that slow us down and the sin that trips us up…

And run with endurance and intentionality… don't give up within the difficulty… this race that God has for us. WE do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith…

Foundational faith… Faith that keeps our eyes on Him…

Through the highs and lows… the successes and failures.. The ups and downs of it all… is what God calls you to… and it will involve choosing it… daily… in the ups and downs of it all.

What role is faith playing in your life? What are you truly building your life on?

What role does your faith tend to play in life's unfortunate and uncomfortable circumstances?

How can you begin to look For Him there… and learn even more how to respond in great faith…

Communion: Daniel