Taking Risk in Faith

Introduction

Life is full of risk. Every decision you make involves some level of uncertainty. The job you take, the investments you make, the people you trust, the ministry you step into—all of it has a cost.

Some of us are risk-takers by nature. Others want to avoid risk at all costs. But here in Ecclesiastes 11, the Preacher reminds us that to live wisely, and especially to live by faith, means stepping out—even when we don’t know the outcome.

Faith is risk.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” You can’t see the outcome, but you trust the One who holds the outcome.

Today instead of reading the passage all at once we are going to switch it up and read a bit at a time.

Ecclesiastes 11: 1–2

Ecclesiastes 11:1–2 NIV

1 Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. 2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

In the ancient world, sending out your grain on ships was risky. Those ships could be caught in storms, overtaken by pirates, or never return. The sea was seen as such a risk that other places in the Bible the Sea is equated with Chaos.

Yet if you never sent anything out, you never gained anything back.

Verse 2 adds: “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on the earth.” That’s diversification—don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Think about farmers today. If a farmer planted only one crop, one drought, one pest infestation could wipe him out. That’s why many farmers plant several things. They diversify.

For us, this isn’t just about money. It’s about our obedience. Don’t only invest your life in the “safe” places. Be generous with your time, your talents, your resources, your relationships.

Teach a class.

Serve in outreach.

Support missions.

Mentor someone younger.

Volunteer

You don’t know which one will bear fruit—but God does.

Ecclesiastes 11:3–5

Ecclesiastes 11:3 NIV

3 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

In other words: pay attention to how life works. Clouds bring rain. Trees stay where they fall. Creation has rhythms you can learn from.

But verse 4 warns:

Ecclesiastes 11:4 NIV

4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

This is the picture of the person who is always waiting for perfect conditions. If you wait until the wind is exactly right, you’ll never plant. If you wait until the weather feels certain, you’ll never harvest.

Many Christians wait for the perfect moment to share their faith, the perfect time to volunteer, the perfect financial situation to give. The perfect moment never comes—and so nothing happens.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIV

5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

You cannot know everything. There will always be mystery.

If you wait until you feel 100% certain, you’ll never step out in faith. Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is to move forward when you don’t know all the answers, trusting the God who does.

Ecclesiastes 11:6

Ecclesiastes 11:6 NIV

6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

“Morning and evening” = all day long. The Teacher says: don’t stop sowing. Don’t quit. Keep at it, because you don’t know which seed will grow.

Missionaries often embody this. William Carey, the father of modern missions, spent seven years in India before seeing his first convert. Seven years of sowing seeds, with no visible fruit. But he kept sowing. Today, his work is still bearing fruit through Bible translations and churches across India.

We are called to the same diligence. Keep praying. Keep serving. Keep loving. Keep sowing. God determines the harvest, but we are called to be faithful.

Faith Risks Beyond Finances

Let’s make this practical. Risk in faith isn’t just about money.

We risk our time when we serve God instead of staying comfortable.

We risk our resources when we give sacrificially.

We risk our relationships when we share the gospel with a friend.

We risk our comfort and security when we obey God’s call into the unknown.

But here’s the truth: if we refuse to risk, we refuse to trust. And if we refuse to trust, we refuse to walk by faith.

Think of Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on water. It was a risk—he could have drowned! But if he had never stepped out, he never would have experienced the miracle of walking with Jesus on the waves.

Faith without risk is not faith—it’s control.

Next Steps

The Preacher reminds us: life is uncertain, but God is sovereign.

Don’t let fear of risk paralyze you. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Don’t hoard what God has given you.

Instead, be bold to diversify, wise to observe, diligent to sow.

Step out in faith. Trust God with the harvest.

Jim Elliot, the missionary to Ecuador, wrote in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” He risked everything, even his life, to follow Christ. And though his story ended in martyrdom, the seeds he sowed bore fruit in generations of believers.

So let me ask you: what risk is God calling you to take in faith this week?

Bibliography

Hubbard, David A., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. Vol. 16 of The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1991. Moore, David G., and Daniel L. Akin. Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Edited by Max Anders. Vol. 14. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2003. Lohfink, Norbert. A Continental Commentary: Qoheleth. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003. Cone, Christopher. Life Beyond the Sun: An Introduction to Worldview & Philosophy through the Lens of Ecclesiastes. Ft. Worth, TX: Tyndale Seminary Press, 2009.

YouTube

Hook: Are you waiting for the “perfect moment” to follow God’s call? What if that moment never comes?

Description: Life is full of risks—jobs, relationships, investments, ministry. In Ecclesiastes 11:1–6, the Preacher reminds us that wisdom and faith both require stepping out—even when we don’t know the outcome.

In this message, “Taking Risks in Faith,” we’ll discover three principles for living boldly and faithfully in uncertain times: Diversity, Observation, and Diligence.

📖 Text: Ecclesiastes 11:1–6 🙌 Theme: Life involves risk, but God calls us to act in faith. ✅ Application: Trust God as you step out in obedience.

Don’t let fear of risk paralyze you. Step out in faith and trust God with the harvest.

Listener Notes

Taking Risks in Faith Ecclesiastes 11:1–6

Theme: Life involves risk, but God calls us to act in faith.

I. Diversity (vv. 1–2)

“Cast your bread upon the waters…” = ____________.

Diversify your ____________, your resources, your obedience.

Don’t just invest in the “safe” places.

Application: Be generous with your time, talents, resources, and relationships.

II. Observation (vv. 3–5)

Learn from creation: clouds bring __________, trees stay where they fall.

But don’t wait for ____________ conditions—otherwise, you’ll never act.

Some things will always remain a ____________.

Application: Don’t let uncertainty keep you from stepping out in faith.

III. Diligence (v. 6)

“Morning and evening” = be faithful ____________.

Keep sowing—you don’t know which seed will __________.

God determines the ____________, but we are called to be faithful.

Faith Risks Beyond Finances

We risk our time when we serve.

We risk our resources when we give.

We risk our relationships when we share the gospel.

We risk our comfort and security when we obey God’s call.

Truth: Faith without risk is not faith—it’s ____________.

Next Steps

Don’t let fear of risk paralyze you.

Don’t wait for perfect conditions.

Don’t hoard what God has given you.

Be bold to diversify, wise to observe, diligent to sow.

Reflection Question: What risk is God calling you to take in faith this week?

Bible Study (3 Days)

Day 1 – The Call to Risk (Ecclesiastes 11:1–2)

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:1–2; Luke 19:11–27 (Parable of the Talents)

Why do you think the Preacher uses imagery of ships and grain?

What risks do we see in the Parable of the Talents?

In what “safe places” do you tend to keep your faith and obedience?

Key Word Study: ḥēleq (Hebrew for “portion/lot”) – points to spreading out or diversifying. Application: Identify one area this week where you can “diversify” your obedience (serve, give, share, encourage).

Day 2 – Faith and Uncertainty (Ecclesiastes 11:3–5)

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:3–5; John 3:8

How do verses 3–4 warn us about waiting for “perfect conditions”?

What do we learn about God’s mystery in verse 5?

How does Jesus’ teaching in John 3:8 deepen our understanding of the Spirit’s work?

Key Word Study: rûaḥ (Hebrew: wind, breath, spirit) – reminds us of both wind’s unpredictability and the Spirit’s mystery. Application: Where in your life are you waiting for “perfect conditions” before stepping out in faith?

Day 3 – Faithful Diligence (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:6; Galatians 6:9

What does it mean to “sow in the morning and in the evening”?

How do these verses encourage us when results are slow to appear?

Why do you think diligence and faith are so closely tied together?

Key Word Study: kāshēr (Hebrew: to prosper, succeed, be right) – outcome is in God’s hands, not ours. Application: Commit to one act of faithful sowing today—prayer, service, giving, or sharing the gospel—without worrying about immediate results.