Living By Trust Alone

Introduction:

Art Van's ads. The characteristic Art Van bill of sale tells you without blushing that this is the best sale with the lowest prices ever. No interest for a year or two. Isn't that incredible. And these ads come to us at least twice a month. The idea is that they have something better than ever before so now is the time to save on interest and good prices.

In a sense that is what the book of Hebrews is about...encouraging early Christians who lived in a wild and difficult world with rising tension, Jews who had become Chrsitians. These who choosen to follow the rabbi, Jesus, were being tempted to go the easier way...to return to their old faith with sacrifices and other Jewish practices. This would be the easier route to go. That would eleiminate some of the most difficult opposition they faced, from those who were family and fellow Jesws. And they could settle back into a comfortable non-challenging faith. Hebrews says "Don't quit on Jesus!" It says it with an exclamation point!

That really isn't to far from the challenges we face today. It was not that long ago The DaVinci Code, first a novel and then a Movie, called into question the truthfulness of Jesus Divinity and posits for us to consider that Jesus marriage to Mary Magadelene was covered up by a Catholic Group, Opus Dei. If there is any truth to what the Movie tells us wouldn't it be easier to just ditch the Chrisitian Faith and go with a spirituality that comforts us individually.

Wouldn't that be better than sticking with the Christian church, with all its struggles, disagreements, and fights? Hebrews tells us "Absolutely not!"

Faith is confidence in God and his ways that is acted upon. The confidence leads to action:

Faith is not a spectator sport...

Spectators are not in the game but watch it from the stands.

Spectators don't train.
Spectators don't

score runs in baseball
score goals in soccer
score baskets in basketball
touchdowns in football

Spectators watch the game....they may shout or behave a bit crazy but they cannot influence the outcome of the game.

Eric Weihenmayer calls himself an "unrealistic optimist," and that is a good description since he was the first blind climber ever to reach the top of Mount Everest. Now he does business consulting and charity work, helping people see the world in new ways.

Asked by Fast Company magazine what he looks for in teammates, his response sums up what faith is all about. He said, "I look for people who have an unrealistic optimism about life. I hear people say, 'seeing is believing.' I want people who believe the opposite, 'Believing is seeing.' You've got to believe first in what you're doing and be sure you have a reason to believe it. You can tell who those people are. You say, "Hey, want to climb Everest with a blind guy?" Pretty quickly you'll figure out who's a believer.

Faith is confidence in God and his ways that is acted upon.
Examples of faith:

By Faith: Abel offered a sacrifice to God " His action was woship! Worshiped"
By Faith:Noah built an Ark Right out in the middle of no where. No water close by...how do I know. why do you suppose his neighbors gave him such a bad time. He did it for one reason. God told him to.
By Faith:Enoch was taken by God without having to die. Why? Because he was one who lived a life pleasing to God. God commends him! "God job Enoch!"
By Faith:Abraham followed the instruction to move from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan. Why? Because God said so. And he lived in the land that would become his inheritance. He believed!

Each one of these persons followed the directions that God laid before them.

Here's the key: They became involved in God's work.
Faith's object is not our own agenda...but God's. We are part of his plan.

We are people who bring wisdom, God's wisdom.
We are people who bring grace, God's grace.
We are people who tell the truth, God's truth.
We are people who represent God in the marketplace, where you work! By what you say, and what you do, you are one who attracts others by your genuineness, and compassion.

One More example of faith:

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

It is confidence that is rooted in what God has done in creation. It is visible around us. But we were not present when he spoke the Words.

Conclusion:

In Our Greatest Gift, Henri Nouwen tells a parable of faith and hope. He imagines twins–a brother and a sister–talking to each other in their mother's womb:

The sister said to the brother, "I believe there is life after birth."

Her brother protested vehemently, "No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and we have nothing else to do but to cling to the cord that feeds us."

The little girl insisted, "There must be something more than this dark place. There must be something else, a place with light where there is freedom to move." Still, she could not convince her twin brother.

After some silence, the sister said hesitantly, "I have something else to say, and I'm afraid you won't believe that, either, but I think there is a mother."

Her brother became furious. "A mother!" he shouted. "What are you talking about? I have never seen a mother, and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have. Why do you always want more? This is not such a bad place, after all. We have all we need, so let's be content."

The sister was quite overwhelmed by her brother's response and for a while didn't dare say anything more. But she couldn't let go of her thoughts, and since she had only her twin brother to speak to, she finally said, "Don't you feel these squeezes every once in a while? They're quite unpleasant and sometimes even painful."

"Yes," he answered. "What's special about that?""

"Well," the sister said, "I think that these squeezes are there to get us ready for another place, much more beautiful than this, where we will see our mother face-to-face. Don't you think that's exciting?"

The brother didn't answer. He was fed up with the foolish talk of his sister and felt that the best thing would be simply to ignore her and hope that she would leave him alone.

Henri Nouwen, Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring (HarperSanFrancisco, 1994), pp. 19-20; submitted by Brent Kipfer, Brussels, Ontario

So who do you think was right?

Step out boldly...know that God is reliable to care for you.

Do what is right without a second thought.

Worship God with all your heart every day...

Gather with his people with confidence that you will not only see your friends there, but that you will be able to worship God with them. That as he met with his people in the tabernacle and in the temple, so he will meet with us when we gather.

Don't be tempted by the easy road. It may look easy, but its pay off is dreadful. It's the difference of acting on the truth: It is more blessed to give than to receive. The world says "Take what you can get 'cause there is not much time left." God says "Give of yoruselves and you shall receive."

Step out boldly!