Untitled Sermon (2)

House Rules

“Our House will take RISK”

Gen/ Exodus/ Lev/ NumbersNew to FBA I believe it is God’s perfect timing for you to be here to find out what makes us tick. What makes us FBA. What are our Essentials. So we are super glad that you chose to worship with us and hope you come back over the next 5 weeks. Last week we began our sermon series that we entitled HOUSE RULES. (we are family and today this place these people are our HOUSE) We said OUR HOUSE WILL PRIORITIZE UNITY. We will do that through PATIENCE/ HUMILITY/ AND GENTLENESS. Our take away which we will have each week was:Someone sitting alone is a 911Friends can waitIntroduce someone new to someone else. Today house rule #2 is OUR HOUSE WILL TAKE RISK. I believe that a church that God is using in incredible ways is a church that will take RISK. It is a RISK TAKING church. You ask the question have FBA taken Risk. Absolutely!! Mission Trips and trusted God to provide. – Now 1 full time missionary in GuatemalaLIFE ACTION. 15 day revival. House was packed. Stepping out to buy the 14 acres behind us. Someone paid it off and we voted from buying it to accepting it as a gift.Coming to the school. RISK. Decline we have grown. We run about 100 people more today than we did a year ago. Building a new building. RISK Why? To reach Arlington tn for the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Do we have the money? God is faithfully providing through His people and that has been YOU!!!HOW will we continue to be a RISK-TAKING church and is that IMPORTANT? Glad you asked we are going to push into that today as we exegetically walk through the text and look and see what risk God has called us to take as a CHURCH and as INDIVIDUALS. Numbers chapter 13. This is our focal passage for today. Just for a little context, setting the stage for the text we are diving into this morning. The children of Israel were held captive due to their sin in the country of Egypt and God had released them in a supernatural way. Under Moses leadership under these incredible plagues that got the attention of Pharaoh. The Nile was turned to blood, there were plagues with locust and gnats that came upon the people and ultimately the final plague was that of the first born in all of Egypt that was killed. The children of Israel had the blood of the lamb that God had told them to put on the lintel or the door post of the door and God had promised to Passover the house and not harm their firstborn. Then the children of Israel were released headed to the promise land (which is going to be the main context of our story today) and they were going to take over the land of Canaan. On the way God supernaturally opens up the RED SEA. That’s a pretty big deal isn’t it. The Children of Israel are headed to the promise land. The Red Sea in front of them, the Egyptian army behind them ready to kill them, God parts the RED SEA and the Children of Israel walk across on dry land is what the bible says. The Egyptian army is destroyed as the sea closes up when they try to walk across. So when we pick up the story in Numbers chapter 13 the children of Israel are making their way to the Promise land. Moses is calling them to go into the land and take a look to spy out the land. So we have each tribe of Israel will have a spy to go in with this task at hand. This is where we pick up the text this morning. Before we dive into the scripture as we think about risk today PLEASE UNDERSTAND LIFE IS FULL OF RISK. There is no life without risk. In every arena of life ultimately there is risk. The key is risking your life for something that really matters/ for something that counts. The best way to WASTE YOU LIFE is not risking anything for something that really matters. We are going to discuss this today because we don’t want to be church that waste our time here. We want to be a church that embraces risk for the glory of God. As we pick up our text this morning we are going to see in a long section of scripture how the children of Israel missed this opportunity out of fear. What does it look like to be a CHURCH THAT WILL TAKE RISK? Glad you asked. Stand read Pray.Let move down to verse 26. They did go in they spied out the land and it was exactly as the word of God and Moses had told them it would be. READ 26. You can just imagine everybody gathering around asking how was it? There was no internet, there were no brochures. We need to hear about this! We are about to go in. There was excitement. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account. We went into the land which you sent us and it does flow with milk and honey here some of its fruit. BUT…HOWEVER. Here we go, now we are going to hear the other side of the story. READ V28. The people….i am imposing my belief which may not be the best thing to do..I think they began to WINE as they gave their report. READ 28 until LARGE. Now keep in mind they just came out of the most powerful country in the world Egypt. God had liberated them but now they are shrinking back into fear. They are big and fortified and large READ v28 and BESIDES. Read all of the way to V30. READ v30. But Caleb we are going to see Caleb and Joshua step up and be great examples of men of courage. Men who take risk for the glory of God. Read verse 30/31. In other words the spies were looking at this situation through their own weakness instead of through the power of their God who had brought them out of captivity. Joshua and Caleb are looking at the situation differently. READ v32 -33. Nephilim descendant from Goliath. Really. Cowardness is contagious that they are embellishing because of their lack of faith. Read chapter 14:1. READ v1. They should have been celebrating about to go in and take their inheritance and now they are weeping and mourning and all of the Israelites grumbling against Moses and Aaron. READ v2 -3 Boy this is an exciting group to be around. Wining and crying. Just should have killed us in Egypt. Do you remember how God provided for the Children of Israel in the wilderness? Every day the woke up they had DONUTS. Mana from heaven that came down. Then they grumbled against that we want some meat so God sent quail CHICK A FILET do you remember that from Sunday School years ago. Then they got THIRSTY so Moses struck a rock and what happen? Spring of water came out. The Children of Israel just kept forgetting the promises and power and provision of God. “Why is the Lord bring us into this land only to let us fall/ die by the sword.” Our wives and children will be taken as plunder wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt/ slavery. Yea yea yea I think that would be great. ILL Listen this morning everyone of us have an Egypt a default position by the way. When life gets tough we want to head back to Egypt. It is a place that we think is safe, however it is a place of captivity. It is at least a known captivity. Egypt has its appeal to all of us and as we close today I will be asking you to try to identify what is your Egypt, because unless you identify what your Egypt is and you understand the consequences of going back there you will go back there. You will spend your life in captivity. READ v4 -5 Moses bless his heart he is just done. READ v6-9 Bread for us. Ever heard anyone said that person ate my lunch. Guys use this language meaning we will wear them out. This is MAN FRIENDLY scripture. We can do this Joshua and Caleb said because of the strength that their God had. The Lord is with us. You think. When the red sea opened up for you and said come on down and you cross on dry land then the Egyptian army tries and is swallowed up. When you are fed in the desert with mana from heaven, then quail, then water from a rock. You think God is with you?? YEAH. I would say so. READ v10. This is what happens when you want to take a stand and risk something for the Glory of God. The average person will not go with you. They will defame you; TALK ABOUT YOU; they will speak negatively about you, they will criticize you. The congregation said kill these guys. Speaking of Caleb and Joshua. God speaks to Moses in the next few verses and God is ready to bring about judgment swiftly on the Nation of Israel but Moses pleads God to forgive the Nation of Israel now don’t miss this this is so important this morning theologically. God forgives the Nation of Israel but they still have to experience the consequences of their sin. Do you understand the difference. The Bible says that the blood of Christ Jesus cleanses from all unrighteousness You can have the forgiveness of God for any sin in your life but we still experience the consequences of our sin. What we are going to see now is that the Children of Israel because of their unbelief/ because of their fear/ because they would not risk something for the Glory of God they had to experience the consequences. Verse 28 of chapter 14 tells us this: READ What did God hear them say. We will die in the land. They will kill us and kill our wives and our children. We don’t have a chance. READ V29. In other words all of you cowards who were not willing to risk what I called you to do you are going to die in this wilderness. In other words your GREATES FEAR IS NOW GOING TO BECOME A REALITY. That was the consequence of their sin. READ v30 -31. But the children of these cowards had to spend 40 years wandering in the dessert until a whole generation was dead before they were able to go in. What was this? This is the consequence of cowardess. The greatest risk that you will ever face in life BOTTOM LINE TODAY watch this you ready…. Is falling to take one. Did you hear that? The greatest risk that you will ever take in your life is FAILING TO TAKE A RISK FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. We take risk all through life. We take risk relationally/ we take risk professionally/ ( I have been working there 20 years and I just left to start another business) we take a risk with our house. We got this house it is really more than we can afford but we risked it all. We take risk in sporting events we like extreme sports. We will do things like this, BUT when it comes to taking a risk for the Glory of God we shrink back in fear. Now I want to say this to lay some ground rules for us this morning. Some folks take a risk outside of the will of God. They are taking a risk because they want to be the HERO. They want to step in and save the day and God never called them to do that. How do you know that is outside the will of God? Because they want the Glory not God. Other people do things that just don’t make any sense and they call GOD CALLED risk and confuse it with just stupidity. You leave here today and say you Pastor Brian fired me up today about taking risk so tomorrow I am going to jump out of a plane with an airsoft can and lighter and spray in the sky Jesus saves all over Arlington tn and God will save and revival will break out….no that is stupidity. Right. That is not risk. Listen God will call you as a follower to take a stand for Him to risk something for the Glory of God and I think the greatest risk you and I will ever face is NOT TAKING ONE. God will call you to forgive some people in your life who have hurt you deeply. Have to take a risk. God will call you to take a stand and share the Gospel, God will call you sometimes in your business to take a stand for truth when you don’t know how the results will turn out or how your boss will respond to that. God will call you to take some risk financially that are scary. God calls us to risk for His Glory and the greatest risk is failing to do that. I really believe that in my generation that we have stepped back in fear and haven’t taken risk for the Glory of God. Even in just defending our faith in taking a stand for Christ in the market place. When all that is really at stake at this point in America is a loss of reputation, maybe some criticism but we have shrunk back because of that criticism or worry of reputation. Because we haven’t taken our stand when the next generation, taking a stand for Christ Jesus may cost them much more. Listen church this is happening on my watch, this is happening on your watch. We need some courageous men like Joshua and Caleb to stand up and risk something for the Glory of God. Listen our beliefs are being tested, our faith is being stripped away, decisions are being made against our beliefs and against our voice, time to take a risk church. That is what God is calling us too. OUR HOUSE WILL TAKE RISK BECAUSE ….#1 God has CALLED us to Now this is a God Called risk. When you know that God is calling you to something, when you fail to take that risk you always loose something. What did the children of Israel loose? We are getting this directly from the text we are studying this morning. They did not get to go in and experience the abundance of the promise land that God had given them. If you are here today and you say I don’t feel like my faith is growing I feel stuck. I talk to believers a lot who say I don’t think I am experiencing the fullness of my faith. One of the reason may be you are probably not taking a risk in a certain area. Taking a risk will bring Glory to God and it will grow your faith. The children of Israel did not take the risk they missed the promise land and the abundance with God, they lost their lives the very thing that they feared the most they lost. Their children were enslaved for a whole generation just wandering in the wilderness before they were able to go in. The trouble is when we don’t risk something for the Glory of God I think we find ourselves in jeopardy of risking everything. I don’t want this in my life.OUR HOUSE WILL TAKE RISK BECAUSE…..#1God has CALLED us to… #2 We STAND on the PROMISES in the WORD of GOD. Why did Joshua and Caleb take such a bold stand and take a risk for the Glory of God? Because they knew the promises of God. They knew. Over and over in the book of Genesis God promises to the Children of Israel they will inhabit the land of Canaan and even drive out the inhabitant of the land. They knew that God kept His promises so they were able to take a stand for truth. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” They took a courageous stand because they were standing on the promises of Gods word.I want to share a couple promises with you that I think will help you take a stand a risk. this was another promise of Gods presence for Joshua and Caleb to go into the land. Be strong and courageous do not be afraid/ terrified because of them/ because of who? Because of the people that are in the land. Midianites. For the Lord your God goes with you He will never leave you or forsake you. How can I take a stand how can I risk it all for the Glory of God because Gods word says “whenever God calls me into something He promises to be there with me. His Presence guiding me. That is encouraging. As we think about the risk of forgiving. God calls us to forgive others who have wounded us. Jesus says this in For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive men their sins your father will not forgive your sins. What is Jesus saying you have to forgive others to be born again? No He is saying if you are truly born again you will forgive others because you have been forgiven by me the father. That is a great Promise of Gods word. Forgiving people forgive others. I can risk forgiving somebody who has wounded me, I can take that risk because of the promises of the word of God.Ill Some of you today need to as soon as you get home from this service need to make that phone call to that person you haven’t spoken to for years because they have wounded you and hurt you. You have animosity and anger you need to take a risk/ you need to go 1st and make that call and tell them that you have made a decision to forgive them you are not going to hold the past against you I am going to forgive you because Christ Jesus has forgiven me. That is taking a risk on the promises of God’s word. The promises God gave his church/ our HOUSEMatthew 29:18-20 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”What does this mean. Jesus says all authority has been given to me. Think about this for a minute. He has all authority on Heaven and on earth and under the earth. Nothing happens without Jesus ok. NOTHING. So God has called us to reach the world for the Gospel. He promises to be with us.. the one who has all the authority in heaven and on earth.Maybe some risk we have to take as a HOUSE is … Maybe 2 servicesIf we don’t have all of the educational space we need maybe having to do “Small groups in homes” We will be a house that takes risk and leaves it all on the field to love people and see them come to faith in Christ Jesus/ and grow in their spiritual journey. Some of you need to have the courage to share truth with a friend / neighbor/ co worker/ family member. You can take a risk and share the truth because you know the power and promise of the word of God. Oh for a generation that would take this seriously as responsibility. Take a risk financially. It always comes back to this. No it doesn’t. Mel. give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Some of you have never taken a risk financially. You risk losing. You risk losing the presence the power and the purpose of God and being involved in something that will last forever. A wasted life is a life that you really didn’t risk anything for the Glory of God. Your nest egg is way more important than people coming into the Kingdom. Take a risk financially.OUR HOUSE WILL TAKE RISK BECAUSE…..#1God has CALLED us to… #2 We STAND on the PROMISES in the WORD of GOD.#3 the BATTLE is already WONGolf teeing off. SCRAMBLE. Tee off with 3 wood. When someone already has one in the fairway you can risk it. You can pull the driver out and take a swing. Let it rip right. Can I tell you something as a follower of Jesus Christ we have already won. The battle is over. It is just a matter of how high we are going to run up the score. With men women boys and girls coming into the kingdom take a risk. Listen what the word of God says: Paul says 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written for your sake we face all day long. We are considered sheep for the slaughter. No one shares this passage when you first get saved. Come to Jesus now you are like a sheep for the slaughter. Face death all day long for the Glory of God come on. It is going to cost you something to be a follower of Jesus Christ. You can’t live your live your life without risk. You can do all these things and get struck by lighting when you leave. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. There is risk in every aspect of life. We need to take a risk for something that matters. Knowing all these things we are more than conquers through Him who loves us. What does it mean to be more than a conquer. If we are a CONQUER we ought to know what it means. A conquer is someone who defeats his foes. What does it mean if I am more that a conquer. What is the worst thing that can happen to you if you take a risk for Jesus Christ? YOU COULD DIE. Guess what that is the best thing that can happen to me. The next moment I am in the presence of the Father. My greatest foe has now become my servant. Death passes me into the kingdom of God. The enemy death has been defeated and you are more than a conquer. For I am convinced that death not life nor angels nor demons either presence or the future nor any powers neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. TAKE A RISK FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. This is what Paul is screaming. What about it in your life today. What is worth fighting for. What is worth risking it all for in your life? Let me ask you these three questions and we are done. #1 What is your Egypt. Every time God calls you to risk you retreat to this place. Comfortable and safe. #2 What are you risking for the cause of Christ. The easiest way to waste a life is to risk nothing for the Glory of God. . #3 What are you risking by playing it safe? Some of you this morning are risking it safe by your salvation. I am playing it safe don’t want anyone to know. Pride/ truth /financial/ ministry/ Mission Field.