The Perhaps of Faith

Please turn to 1 Samuel chapter 14

Intro:

As we begin: AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION/RAISE HANDS…

(Q) How many of you are glass half full people?

(Q) How many of you are glass half empty people?

(Q) How many people are like me and want to ask which direction the glass is going?

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PERSONAL STRUGGLE: “REALIST”… W/ HALF EMPTY TENDENCIES.

EASY to SEE THINGS NATURALLY

REAP WHAT YOU SOW—BELIEVING WARNING LABELS

PROBLEM: VERY EASY to BELIEVE NEGATIVE THINGS…PUTTING FAITH in WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES.

ANY OTHER WORRIERS HERE TODAY? PLACING FAITH in BAD OUTCOMES?

WORRY & FAITH are REALLY on SPECTRUM of BELIEF!

IF in THIS CAMP: I PRAY THIS MESSAGE HELPS YOU! IT’S BEEN WORKING on ME...

CONSIDER THESE THINGS as WE DIVE INTO TEXT...

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Recap:

Last week:

LEFT OFF—SOMBER NOTE.

ORIGINALLY GOOD NEWS—STANDING ARMY & JONATHAN WINS BATTLE AGAINST PHILISTINE GARRISON...

PHILISTINES RETALIATE, LEAVING SAUL & ARMY DESPERATE.

ARMY SCATTERING/MEN HIDING

KING SAUL WAITING, SAMUEL NOT COMING

PHILISTINES HAD LARGE FORCE

SAUL OFFERED UNLAWFUL SACRIFICE

NO REPENTANCE/REMORSE

LOTS of BLAME & EXCUSES

DESPERATE TIMES DON’T ALWAYS CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES…NO TIME SO DESPERATE IT MERITS DISOBEDIENCE to GOD!!

SAUL = NOT AFTER GOD’S HEART.

DISOBEDIENCE + LACK of REPENTANCE.

STORY BEGINS: BLEAK NOTE…

SAUL = REJECTED KING.

SAMUEL LEFT W.O. BLESSING ARMY

ARMY of 3,000 DWINDLED....600 LEFT...

EVERYONE SCARED.

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Text:

Setting Inciting Incident (V1-5)

1 Samuel 14:1–23 (ESV)

1 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

BLEAK SITUATION…NO ONE DOING ANYTHING!

FINALLY—JONATHAN = TIRED of WAITING.

JONATHAN GOES on OFFENSIVE W/ ARMOR-BEARER

JONATHAN DOESN’T TELL SAUL.

SAUL = HANGING OUT @ POMEGRANATE CAVE...

PRIEST (1ST INTRODUCTION) from REJECTED LINE.

REJECTED KING

W/ REJECTED PRIEST

W/ MEASLY REMNANT of ARMY...

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JONATHAN DECIDES to GO to FIGHT...

FURTHER PROBLEM: ROUGH PATH to FIGHT...

***SEE PICTURE

CLIMBING UP STEEP/ROCKY BANK…

PHILISTINES on ONE MOUNTAINTOP & ISRAEL on OTHER...

ONE NAME MEANT SLIPPERY…OTHER MEANT THORNY....

TERRIBLE SITUATION

JONATHAN HAS (SEEMINGLY) TERRIBLE PLAN

(T) So, the QUESTION IS....IS JONATHAN COMPLETELY CRAZY?? What in the world is this guy thinking? Well, he goes on further in conversation to his armor bearer and says in verse 6,

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Rising Tension (V6-7)

6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”

JONATHAN POINTS OUT: PHILISTINES = UNCIRCUMCISED

OUTSIDE of COVENANT...

PAGANS W.O. GOD on THEIR SIDE...

***NOTE JONATHAN’S DEMEANOR.

GOD MIGHT WORK for THEM.... “PERHAPS” GOD WILL DO THIS FOR US...

JONATHAN ISN’T PRESUMING on GOD.

FOR SOME: WALKING BY FAITH = PRESUMING on GOD...

JESUS on TEMPLE MOUNT—DON’T TEST GOD.

GOD = FAITHFUL...

GOD HAS MADE COUNTLESS PROMISES...

BUT DON’T EFFECTIVELY PUT PROMISES/WORDS in GOD’S MOUTH

DALE DAVIS DESCRIBES FAITH:

“Faith does not dictate to God, as if the Lord of hosts is its errand boy. Faith recognizes its degree of ignorance and knows it has not read a transcript of the divine decrees for most situations” (p. 144).

WE CAN & SHOULD BELIEVE GOD WILL WORK THINGS OUT:

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

DON’T PRESUME/ ACKNOWLEDGE OUR DEFINITION of GOOD MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM GOD’S!

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JONATHAN ISN’T PRESUMPTUOUS…YET HE WALKS BY GREAT, RADICAL FAITH!!

THERE’S a CHANCE THIS IS GOD’S PLAN...

THERE’S A CHANCE THIS WILL END GOOD...

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OPENED THIS MORNING, TALKING ABOUT GLASS HALF FULL/EMPTY...

(Q) HOW MANY of US STRUGGLE to BELIEVE FOR POSITIVE OUTCOMES?

“PERHAPS” OFTEN LEADS to NEGATIVE POSSIBILITIES…??

BAD STORM— OUTSIDE = PERHAPS, STRUCK by LIGHTNING…PERHAPS, TORNADO??

SHARING GOOD NEWS?? PERHAPS, LOOK like IDIOT.

WORRIED W/ PLANNING —PERHAPS, IT’LL RAIN

SOMEONE HAS HEART ATTACK—PERHAPS, I’LL HAVE HEART ATTACK & DIE TOO...

CHILD GOES to COLLEGE…PERHAPS, THEY’LL ABANDON CHURCH...

****OR.....

NOTHING HAPPENS W/ STORM

YOU LEAD SOMEONE to CHRIST.

IT DOESN’T RAIN…PLANS GO GREAT.

YOU DIE of OLD AGE, NOT HEART ATTACK

YOUR CHILD LEADS a CAMPUS MINISTRY & REACHES the LOST...

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CAN’T PROMISE IT’LL ALWAYS BE GOOD: BUT TRY & RESPOND W/ “THE PERHAPS of FAITH”

TRUST THAT GOD WORKS in YOUR LIFE for GOOD...

PERHAPS GOD WILL GRANT MY PRAYER REQUEST

PERHAPS GOD WILL END MY TRIAL

PERHAPS GOD IS USING THIS in A WAY I CAN’T SEE...

PERHAPS....

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NOTICE JONATHAN’S RADICAL FAITH

FAITH in GOD OVER & ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCES...

JOHN KNOX, “One man with God is always in the majority.”

JONATHAN’S SITUATION:

2 GUYS

TRAVERSING DIFFICULT LAND

WEAK VANTAGE POINT

AGAINST GARRISON

HE CONCLUDES THIS = DOABLE!!

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WHAT AN EXAMPLE!!

NO MATTER HOW BLEAK CIRCUMSTANCES ARE…PLACE FAITH in GOD...

STATE of WORLD = LOOKS BLEAK

STATE of CHURCH in AMERICA = LOOKS BLEAK

HOW DO WE PULL THROUGH?..... WITH GOD WE’RE NEVER OUTNUMBERED!!

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JONATHAN POINTS OUT: NOTHING CAN HINDER THE LORD FROM SAVING BY MANY or BY FEW...

CONTRAST W/ SAUL:

W/ SAUL...600 GUYS ISN’T ENOUGH....

JONATHAN SAYS, 2 GUYS + GOD = MORE THAN ENOUGH...

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ARMOR BEARER GOES W/ JONATHAN

TELLS HIM: DO ALL THAT’S in YOUR HEART

SAUL’S PROBLEM = HEART WASN’T AFTER GOD.

JONATHAN HAD a HEART of FAITH.

(T) And so now that we’ve seen this resolve that Jonathan has, IS HE GOING to FOLLOW THROUGH and act on his faith? The text goes on to say in verse eight,

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Rising Action (V8-10)

8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them.

10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”

JONATHAN PUTS OUT CONDITION

“IF THIS HAPPENS” THEN I’LL BELIEVE THIS IS YOUR PLAN… (FIGHTING PRESUMPTION)..

**IF PHILISTINES INVITE US UP INSTEAD of COMING DOWN.

JONATHAN PUTS OUT WORST of 2 OPTIONS to BELIEVE...

HUMAN NATURE PUTS FORTH IDEAL & PREFERABLE OPTION as GOD’S OPTION!

AGAIN JONATHAN HAS CRAZY FAITH...

(T) And so the question now is, how will the Philistines respond once they see him? The text says in verse 11,

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More Tension (V11-12)

11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

MEETING JONATHAN’S CONDITION…PHILISTINES MOCK & INVITE JONATHAN UP.....“WE’LL TEACH YOU A LESSON.”

JONATHAN’S FAITH = ACTIVATED.

GOD HAD ALREADY DONE IT!!....“the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

HEBREW = PLAIN—JONATHAN BELIEVED it WAS ALREADY DONE…

BEFORE a SWORD WAS SWUNG…JONATHAN CLAIMS VICTORY is ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED...

(T) And then the text says,

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Climax (V13-15)

13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.

15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.

JONATHAN & ARMOR BEARER CLIMB UP to FIGHT on HANDS & FEET!

GOD GRANTS GREAT VICTORY

INITIALLY KILL 20 MEN.

PHILISTINES PANIC

RAIDERS TREMBLE

EARTH QUAKES.

(T) And now that the TABLES HAVE TURNED and THINGS are SPIRALING OUT of CONTROL FOR the PHILISTINES, WHERE DO THINGS GO FROM HERE?? The text says in verse 16,

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Setting 2 (V16-17)

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

SO FAR…SAUL & ARMY = CLUELESS.

DIDN’T KNOW JONATHAN LEFT

DIDN’T KNOW JONATHAN’S PLAN/CONDITION B4 LORD...

KNOW NOTHING!

NOW, SEE a GREAT COMMOTION

CONCLUDE BY SEARCHING FORCES & NOTICE JONATHAN & ARMOR BEARER = MISSING.

(T) And so HOW DOES DAD RESPOND when he finds out his SON is WREAKING HAVOC in the ENEMY CAMP? The Scripture says,

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Rising Tension (v18-19)

18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. 19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

SAUL CONTINUES USING RELIGIOUS THINGS AS BACKUP.

BRING ARK/EPHOD HERE.

“NEVERMIND” WE’RE WINNING.

JONATHAN PREFACED ATTACK W/ PRAYER & GREAT FAITH...

SAUL FOLLOWED EVERYTHING W/ PRAYER & ACTUALLY CHANGED MIND!!

SAUL ALWAYS SOUGHT to USE GOD…RATHER THAN GOD USE HIM...

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(Q) IS GOD YOUR BACKUP PLAN?

(Q) IS PRAYER YOUR E-BRAKE or YOUR STEERING WHEEL?

MOWING in COUDY, PULLING WRONG LEVER, FLYING BACKWARDS in REVERSE...

FOR SAUL…PRAYER/FAITH = LAST RESORT...

FOR JONATHAN…PRAYER/FAITH = FIRST LINE of ATTACK...

FOR US as INDIVIDUALS & as A CHURCH…WHERE DO WE PLACE PRIORITY?? ARE WE USING GOD, or IS GOD USING US??

SAUL CONCLUDES:....VICTORY = CERTAIN…WE DON’T NEED GOD.

(T) And now our text is going to close in verses 20 through 23 this morning,

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Climax & Resolution (V20-23)

20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.

JONATHAN & ARMOR BEARER = VICTORIOUS

PHILISTINES = PANICKING & FALLING APART...

ALL of ISRAEL GETS INVOLVED.

SAUL & ARMY

GUYS COME from HIDING

THOSE WHO BETRAYED ISRAEL TURN AGAIN.

JONATHAN’S FAITH STIRRED the PEOPLE…JONATHAN’S FAITH GOT the BALL ROLLING...

ALL GOD’S WORK, BUT JONATHAN’S FAITH WAS THE SPARK THAT BEGAN IT ALL!

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Homiletical Idea:

God’s people should always live by great faith in God’s ability, despite their own insufficiency or inability.

YOU DON’T HAVE to BE ENOUGH...

ONE MAN + GOD = MAJORITY...

W/ GOD YOU’RE ALWAYS ENOUGH.

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Gospel:

GOD SAVED ISRAEL THROUGH ONE MAN & HIS FAITH...

BECAUSE of JONATHAN’S FAITH & OBEDIENCE…ALL ISRAEL RECEIVED BENEFIT.

THANKFUL GOD CAN SAVE W/ FEW NOT JUST W/ MANY....

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MOST THANKFUL....WHEN OUR SITUATION WAS BLEAK…ENEMY LOOKED VICTORIOUS....GOD BROUGHT SALVATION THROUGH ONE MAN.

The Scripture says in Romans 5 that, “the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many” (5:15) and that, “by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (5:19).

JESUS CHRIST = ONE MAN....BROUGHT SALVATION for ALL HUMANITY FOR ALL TIME!!

HE PERFECTLY OBEYED GOD…HE LIVED LIFE WE SHOULD HAVE....

WE’RE BENEFICIARIES of HIS VICTORY!!

BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH = SALVATION...

B4 WE CAN WALK BY GREAT FAITH & FOLLOW JONATHAN’S EXAMPLE…WE MUST ENTER RELATIONSHIP W/ GOD THROUGH FAITH in HIS SON....

OUR SINS HAD US OUTNUMBERED....

SITUATION WAS HOPELESS...

BUT SINLESS SON of GOD MADE a WAY FOR US...

PLACE YOUR FAITH in SON of GOD...

BELIEVE HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS & WAS RAISED 3RD DAY

PROFESS HIM AS LORD & TURN FROM SIN...

YOU CAN BE SAVED! & RECEIVE BENEFITS of THIS MAN’S VICTORY OVER DEATH!!

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THOSE WHO BELIEVE = HOPE of DEFINITE SALVATION/ NOT PERHAPS.

NOT “PERHAPS GOD WILL SAVE...”

NOT “PERHAPS GOD WILL WORK...”

YOU CAN HAVE ASSURANCE!!

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, AREN’T SURE of YOUR SALVATION…TALK to US AFTER SERVICE...

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Takeaways:

LEARN ABOUT GOD?

GOD HONORS RADICAL FAITH…HE RESPONDS to GREAT FAITH.

GOD ISN’T LIMITED BY US… BY OUR INABILITIES…INSUFFICIENCIES…ANYTHING...

LEARN ABOUT US?

GOD HAS CALLED US to BE PEOPLE of FAITH...

W.O. FAITH = IMPOSSIBLE to PLEASE GOD...

ENTER RELATIONSHIP W/ GOD THROUGH FAITH… & WALK BY FAITH.

GOD WILL WORK THROUGH YOUR OWN INSUFFICIENCIES...

GOD GETS MORE GLORY THIS WAY!

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App.

(Q) HOW DOES the WORD… “PERHAPS” TYPICALLY FUNCTION in YOUR LIFE?

“PERHAPS” THIS WILL GO BADLY?

“PERHAPS” GOD WILL WORK THIS ALL OUT.”??

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN??

CAN’T PROMISE IT’LL ALWAYS WORK OUT ACCORDING to YOUR PLAN.

CAN PROMISE: GOD WORKS FOR GOOD & ACCORDING to HIS WILL...

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CHALLENGE: TAKE the ROUTE of “THE PERHAPS of FAITH.”

BELIEVE GOD

BELIEVE GOD for BIG THINGS

NOT PRESUMPTUOUS,, BUT RADICAL FAITH.

PERHAPS GOD is ASKING YOU FOR A STEP of FAITH TODAY??

PERHAPS GOD is CALLING YOU to BIG JOB CHANGE

YOU’RE NERVOUS

UNSURE ABOUT MONEY/LOGISTICS, ETC.

“PERHAPS” IT’LL ALL GO GREAT & IT’S GOD’S PLAN.

PERHAPS GOD is CALLING YOU to GET MORE INVOLVED @ CHURCH

PERHAPS GOD WILL USE YOU GREATLY & IT WILL GO GREAT!

PERHAPS SOMETHING ELSE, I DON’T KNOW YOUR SITUATION...

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CLOSING THOUGHT:

RICHARD PHILIPS: 2 SWORDS in ISRAEL (SAUL & JONATHAN)…SAUL’S WAS in SHEATH WHILE JONATHAN WAS AT BATTLE...

(Q) If God is calling you to something this morning, are you going to be the one who keeps your sword in its sheath, or will you step out?

ARE YOU GOING to STAY @ POMEGRANATE CAVE & WAIT…OR WILL YOU DRAW SWORD & GO KILL SOMETHING?

PERHAPS GOD is GOING to WORK in this thing FOR YOUR GOOD and HIS GLORY in a WAY that ONLY HE KNOWS...that YOU CAN’T FORESEE!

OUR JOB is to TRUST HIM WITH the RESULTS. Amen?

Close in prayer