Walking Out in faith

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Have you ever had to do something that made you have to step out and trust, it could be trusting in God, it could be trusting a person, or it could be trusting a physical item.

Everyday we trust things

lug nuts on Cars

the lumber over our heads

the chair as we are sitting down

We trust these things because they have not let us down

But what if there is something that is unknown

The auto belay systems

spiritually speaking God will some times ask you to do something that does not make sense to you

ask you to do something out of your comfort zone

ask you to do something scary

At times it can seem like you can’t do it, and some times that is the reason. so we have to rely on God

Today we are going to look at a person that had to step out in faith and had radical obedience with no signs other then God calling him.

So it starts with mankind becoming so corrupt

Genesis 6:12–13 NIV

God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

So mankind has just become the worst and God needed to hit the reset button

God called Noah to save humanity

God did not call it down from the mountain tops for all to hear, just Noah

People saw Noah building this ark and it most likely did not make sense,

I bet Noah on long days wondered if he was hearing God right

But Noah stepped out in faith and followed what God told Him to do.

God gave Noah a list of how and what to build when he built the ark,

God told Noah to take 2 every animals and Noah listened

Genesis 6:22 NIV

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

So the Key here is that Noah did what God commanded him. This is not a small thing, this is an act of faith that Noah followed.

So many times in our lives we “say” that we what to follow God, we say that until there is sacrifice involved

once there is sacrifice involved so many people just shrug it off, and we make excuses

If Noah were to shrug it off, we would not be here

If we only serve God when it aligns will our will, we are not truly following God, me are just pretending, and we are not really following God

If you truly want to follow God, we have to follow Him, EVEN when it means to make a sacrifice.

We have to sometimes give up things as small as a TV show, or some of our time

Sometimes it means giving up things that are much bigger like moving, changing jobs, or even giving up on relationships

some times it is easy and some times it is hard

Some will not understand, and some will celebrate God’s work.

But we must follow the path that God has laid out for us

Luke 9:23 NIV

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

This verse is so impactful, it tells us that we must follow Christ and the Will of God, and deny ourselves

If I say that I want to follow God Will, God’s calling on my life, but when He calls I make an excuse or flat out say no, I am giving lip service to God, and in a way lying.

In Luke it says

Luke 6:46 NIV

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

we must make the decision daily to listen to Him and follow him, not just say I want to follow God.

I think of so many people that came before us and followed the leading that God has put on their hearts.

the farm hand that followed the leading of the Spirit to share the Gospel to Billy Graham.

Mother Teresa that followed the calling on her life to the people of  Kolkata (Calcutta), India, where she dedicated most of her life to helping the poorest of the poor.

Missionaries that go into the most dangerous places just to tell them about Jesus

St. Pat. and how he went back to the place he was a slave to follow the calling God put on his life.

We look at these people and are inspired, and look at them with think that it would be awesome to have that faith.

But I can tell you that you can have that faith, you too can step out like they did, maybe not to the same extremes, but you too can have the same heart and faith.

it is not easy though, it means actually stepping out when God calls, even when it makes no sense, or its a difficult decision.

Like with Noah, there had to have been days when he wondered if God really spoke to him.

there had to be days that he just did not feel like working on a boat

There had to have been days where Noah wondered if it was worth it

But He went to work and followed God’s calling day after day

Matthew 19:29 NIV

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

We are even given a promise if we do follow God

He tells us that “Hey I know it might get rough, but there is something waiting for you”

Sometimes God calls us to build something we don’t fully understand. He calls us to trust, to obey, and to let go—even when it hurts.

Noah couldn’t possibly see the full picture when he picked up that first piece of gopher wood. But he obeyed anyway.”

If you feel God telling you to do something, to go somewhere, or anything like that I am going to encourage you to seek God in prayer, to seek Him in His word, to find good council that will help you full see what He might be leading you to do.

Lord’s Table

One way we follow God is to take part in the Lord’s Table, we remember His sacrifice on the Cross

We do this in remembrance of Him until He comes back

Matthew 26:26–29 NIV

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Following God’s calling or direction is not always easy and sometimes it is very hard.

“And that brings me to something deeply personal I want to share with you today

For the past year I have been pulled to let go of the reigns here and follow God in another capacity,

“God has been working on my heart for some time now, and I believe He is calling me to take a step of faith—

one that is just as confusing and difficult as it is clear and convicting. Like Noah, I don’t have all the answers. I only know that when God says, ‘Go,’ obedience is the only faithful response.”

“And so, after much prayer, godly counsel, and wrestling with the Lord, I am stepping down from my role as pastor—not because of anger, failure, or burnout—but because I want to be obedient to God's voice. I don’t fully know what’s next. But I know I can trust the One who does.”

For the past while I have been grasping to the Church here when God has been telling me to let go, it has been a battle, but I finally heard God say, Stop fighting and let go.

I am not leaving tomorrow, I still be here for a bit, I do not know the next steps yet for the Church, but I am going to ask you to pray for the leadership and myself as the next bit that we will be following God in these moments and not ourselves.

If you have questions, come and talk to me