How to have uncompromised Faith in a compromised world
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
India | Cast System - Over 500 diff Gods - I said: Must be so hard | Harder for you, comfot, money, distraction,
What tends to happen - We compromise. A little Jesus | a little world.
All through scripture - Warned about Compromise:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Instead - Encouraged to Stand Firm in our Faith | Be renewed in Chirst - Why?
Jesus is way, truth, life and the only foundation that will not be washed away when storms come.
Title: How to have uncompromised Faith in a compromised World.
Sermon Series: Made for More - For His Glory.
Last week | Moses on Mountain | Pointing to Promise land - not our story.
Today - Speak to someone who has been compromising | Because its difficult to put Jesus first | Or you don’t deserve His Promises etc.
Today - Define Compromise | Story | 6 Things we need to know, so we can be uncompromising in our Faith.
*pray*
Definition of Compromise: The convinient acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable.
This enemis Plan:
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Opposite is true. Definition of Uncompromised: Not able to be compromised; incapable of being changed through compromise or negotiation.
Knowing what you believe | Acting in accordance with what you believe.
Aerplane ticket - I believe in plane + Destination, so I buy ticket.
Our hall of Faither knew what She believed - Acted on that |
Find her at end of our Chapter:
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
Rahab = Unique = Only Gentile
Look at her story, see what we can learn.
Where are we? Joshua 2 - Joshua in charge | 2 spies to spy out Jericho - 2 for there to be a witness.
They go to land - Go into Rahab’s House | King finds out - Sends Military to her house - Demanding to hand over spies.
Rahab says:
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”
Let me frame it a bit; Rahab = Mythical sea dragon of canaanite religion - Anti-Creation god.
By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
Named after false god | Prostitute (Templte) | Chooes to lie to guards, risk her life = and I ask why? Rahab Knew something
and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.
I know the LORD = YAHWEH. not “Your god” | heard = 40yrs earlier.
And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
Remember moses sent Spies.
Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”
Kindly = Hesed = Covenantal Kindness | Men agree - She tells them where to go and says:
Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.”
She agrees | Incredible | Prostittue, lowest of Lows - Who heard OF God, Waited for God, Gentile, bought into God’s kingdom.
Mate, cyber security, waited 6 years, He knew what he wanted, did not compromise.
Rahab - Lives in world of compromise - Didn’t compromise | Knew Lord | Had opportunity - Took it.
What do we need to know:
God leads with Mercy, Faith is the response
Joshua thought = Sending spies on reconnesence mission = God = Salvation Mission.
Why Jericho? First city- but Souls that needed saving | God’s MO | Lot
and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
remember = Act on.
They knew before the attack | Mercy comes before Human response.
2. Our works don’t earn, but our Faith works
And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
This messes people up | Throwing scarlett cord = did not EARN salvation | Sign of TRUST in PROMISE |
I know, even if everything comes down, I am COVERED by BLOOD OF JESUS.
3. A Compromised world does not have to mean a compromised Faith
Jericho - No Torah, Priests, Sacrifices, Isreal - Only Rumous | Heard - in Romans, faith comes by Hearing, hearing by Word of God - Have you heard?
Rahab reguses hand men over | She could have been killed | Fear of God over Fear of Man.
Achan - Compromised later, and they lost battle of AI.
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
4. Standing firm is done together
Rahabs family trusted enough to stand firm.
Silly | Family inside | Men come - Start marching. “Umm, what’s going on Rahab” |
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
You’re invited into God’s ways, but you’re not required to understand them
This why Growth group, Coming together = Important!!!
5. God is the God of Transformation
All through NT = Rahab called “Rahab the Prostitute” = I think = Rough! Why?
Reason = God ever wants us to forget HIS transformative power.
James - Prostitute - Hebrews - Prostittue - but not in Matthew:
and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,
Rahab married an isrealite | In royal Lineage of Jesus Christ | What a transformation | Redeems!
There is no mess you have that God can’t turn into a Miracle.
6. Everything that has not found refuge under the blood of the Lamb will come down.
All walls came down - Except Rahabs house:
But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.
Still standing - Why? Because it was covered by Scarlett Cord - Blood | Foreshadowing of what’s to come | There is settled, Swelling judgement coming - But we serve Kingdom that WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Grab umbrella - Oh yes, but if you shelter, under Jesus.
Rahab made for more than past | So are we.
More than to survive until Heaven - Serve the King of Kings. More than Shame = Sonship | More than to stay in walls of Jericho,
Made by and for Jesus
“The scarlet thread in Rahab’s window foreshadows the scarlet stream from Christ’s cross - God’s mercy made visible, accessible, and sufficient for all who come under it.”
