A Radical Faith

Plus I begin to look at my message this week actually decided to split it into two weeks. So we'll have part 1 of a radical Faith this week and part 2 will happen next week. But yeah so far we've talked about a dislocated heart and a broken spirit in this sermon series as we've looked at the book of Nehemiah in these matters the last couple weeks of ultimately boiled down to what God is doing on. The inside of our Lives is God's working in our own Hearts to change them and molding our willingness to participate in whatever God's doing. And you know what we've seen that in nehemiah's life, you know, God has been doing a lot of that preparation with Nehemiah. In his prayer life, it's been that enter work that he's been doing. And as we start to talk about a radical face for the next couple of weeks, you know, there's still a lot of internal work going on during that but we'll see that this is more of the external expression of that inner work that God's been doing in our life. Your radical faith is the public expression of that deeper work that God is doing in you and will see that. Cuz you know you and I know that we live in a pluralistic society and that can mean a lot of things. But what it means for what we're talking about here is that you know, officially we're supposed to speak boldly about everyone's right to believe whatever they choose to believe our society believes that But we're not supposed to talk about what they've actually chosen to believe or what we've actually chosen to believe we can believe whatever we want. But don't talk about it. It's kind of unspoken rule that's out there and apparently we're all for letting people choose to believe whatever they want to believe but we don't believe that people should be clearly informed about the implications of what that choice might be. You know people see much more concerned about having the right to choose then choosing what is right. I mean that is very much the society that we live in. But no biblically illiterate Society. How did they know what is right if they've never heard it and that's what we have to realize is where the new Mission field is as it says in Romans 10:14 how then can they call on the one they have not believed in and how can they believe the one whom they have not heard and how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And you know that keeps right with the verse that's been our key verse throughout this entire study so far of second chronicles 16:9 where it talks about how God is continually looking to and fro in the Earth for those who are completely his because those are the ones who are going to be proclaiming and preaching that word to others and teaching it to others simply by how we live around them. She knows I was looking about that and thinking about that this week. I also found a verse in Ezekiel chapter 22 verse 30. For the Lord said I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it. But I found no one.

You know during times of peril and moral decline God is always searching for a man for a woman for a student who's willing to be that person to build up the wall and to stand in the gap. That's a lot of what we've been talking about the story of Nehemiah is he returned to his home City to rebuild it? You know, he was that person who was willing to say another world might be crumbling around me, but despite all that. I'm going to stand up for what God once I'm going to step out. I'm going to make a difference. I'm going to live out my faith in a very practical way and that's what we're beginning to look at. Now, you know, we've looked at all the inner preparation that God has to do in our lives to get us into that place where we're willing to step out in faith. And so far, you know where example has been Nehemiah throughout all this but if you look throughout scripture, there are many other examples to Another example, I thought of this week was Queen Esther. Esther's another one of those books in the Bible that is a pretty good rate and it doesn't take you long to read through the story, but it's packed with so much. You know here in this story, we find a young Queen who has suddenly found herself in this position of power within the kingdom. But what happens, you know shortly after she comes to power her people are threatened. And she's in a place where she could do something about it, but just like me Amaya it's a risky thing for her to go before the king unannounced. Cuz if she does anything to displease him that could be the end of her being Queen. It could be the end of her life. but when Esther finds herself in this situation

her uncle Mordecai who raised her comes to her and ask her some very challenging questions. In Esther chapter 4 verses 13 and 14. He says do not think that because you are in the King's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time relief and deliverance for the Jews will rise from another place. But you and your father's family will perish and who knows but that you have come to your Royal position for such a time as this.

You know Esther was afraid because she didn't know what would happen. So she thought well, the best course of action is to do nothing to just stay silent and play it safe so that she knew that she would be safe and she thought maybe she could protect your family in that way. Good morning tide challenges her to see the opportunity that God has given her by putting her in this position to potentially do something big for God's people.

You're really it's kind of similar to what Nehemiah found, you know Nehemiah wasn't sure what God would do but he made it clear that he was all in no matter what the plan was. And really that's what we're talking about here with the radical faith that you know, as God makes these internal changes and it's what he's really doing is preparing us to get to that place. We're ready to step out in faith. We're ready to take action.

Nehemiah chapter 2 the last half of verse 1 and then 2 verse 2 says I took the wine and gave it to the king member. That was his job is kupfer. Had not been sad in his presence before so the king asked me. Why does your face look so sad when you're not L. This could be nothing but sadness apart. I was very much afraid. I love the statement. I was very much afraid. You know, as I've said throughout this whole thing part of what I like about the book of Nehemiah is just kind of his raw honesty that we see a lot in this book. Nehemiah wasn't afraid to stay there. I was very much afraid.

You know it honestly if we accept the challenge that's put before us to live out our faith. You're going to be afraid. There's going to be times when God asked you to do something that you haven't done before something that might be totally out of character for you. And you'll be afraid. You know, whenever you choose to live a radical faith in to step out in faith. There's going to be times that it stretches you there's going to be times that it pulls you in ways that you've never been told. It's going to expose all of your insecurities. But this kind of fear is a good thing. Because of the fear that comes from stepping out and radical faith is a fear that you know makes it clear in our minds who is really in charge. All too often we like to think that we're totally in charge and that we control everything but when we step out radical faith God reminds us that he is the one in charge. In a radical Faith doesn't mean that you've never afraid. It just means that you're willing to act despite your fears. And that's what the entire difference is moving on and Nehemiah chapter 2 verse for the king said to me. What is it you want then? I prayed to the god of Heaven. You know when Nehemiah did that I think it was clearly one of those quick, please God help me prayers that we've all throwing up before we've all found ourselves in times when we don't know what's going to happen. So we quickly pleaded with God to help us those things only happen when you have that dislocated heart and that broken spirit that we've been talking about.

And you know all too often. We said the only thing that keeps us from getting to a point of action is because we've come too wrapped up in our world in our agenda and we've forgotten make God's agenda a priority. And as we've talked about, you know, none of this happens instantly, it's all a process and even this process of stepping out. Isn't something that using happy instantly, you know, the reason nehemiah's quickie prayer of Lord, please help me was answered immediately when the king responded favorably we have to realize that you know, that was part of an ongoing conversation between Nehemiah and God this wasn't the first time me and my head ever spoken to God he'd been praying all along and that's what we've seen in this whole process up to this point of the story with Nehemiah that you know, that's what gave him the dislocated heart. That's what gave him a broken Spirit was his continual interaction with God.

Why don't we have a broken spirit in that dislocated heart and it brings us to a point that we want to practice. Our faith will see that you know, God will become the central reason for our actions. Will be doing these things because God motivates has to do it and we simply do it because our heart is completely his that's the difference and we've seen these flesh-and-blood examples in the story of Nehemiah in the story of Esther. Your radical faith is in the faith that you simply possessed. It's a faith that you put into practice and that's the difference of it. Because what happens when Faithful men and women in scripture in throughout history have taken those great steps that might be filled with personal sacrifice and risk. Every time we see the God shows up. And that's why it's so important for us to read those stories and to know him that those people made a difference and all they simply did was be obedient to God and to step up when he asked him to in the situations that he placed them in. u-god meets Radical Face with Supernatural action every time You know God is going to use someone somewhere to some house fulfill his will and when he does it, it's just going to be ordinary people like you and me that he uses. So why not allow ourselves to be the ones that he uses? You know Esther and Nehemiah, I feel sure that they wouldn't claim that there was anything special about them other than the place that God put them in. But he put them there for a reason they were ordinary people that he chose to use. So we have to realize in our own situations in the places that God's placed each of us. Why couldn't he use us to do something big? You know what? I think about that. I realize I have no idea to what extent God will choose to use my life. But I do know that I don't want to get to the end of my life and realize that I missed opportunities simply because I was afraid to take a step of faith and go forward for those things. I think for most of you that you never want to get to that place in your life where you realize that you had a clear opportunity that God put in front of you and you simply didn't do it because you were afraid or he simply didn't do it because it's not something you ever done before it's something that just doesn't fit with your personality.

You know, one of the most frequent commands that we here in the Old and New Testament is God telling his people to not be afraid to fear not. He's just telling them to trust me I'm with you. And you know if we could truly realize that the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. Wouldn't that change everything that what it takes to get that power out of us is Faith and that's what we have to realize. You know, we think it takes working harder. We think it takes trying harder, but it doesn't it takes believing it takes trusting Miss Christians. That's what we call face.

And over the next two weeks, we're going to look at for critical ways from scripture that you develop that the first one's pretty simple. Remember what faith is and what faith is not look at Hebrews chapter 11 often known as the faith chapter it explains it to your pretty Clearly Now faith is confidence in what we hoped for and Assurance about what we do not see

biblical faith is Faith in a very specific God who makes very specific promises. Biblical faith is believing to the point of action. You know, it's much more than just an intellectual pursuit of more knowledge about God. It's learning about God to the point that it pushes us to action. Well staffed remember how deeply God values our faith. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 says and without faith. It is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

You know when you have faith in God, it means you're going to believe he is who he says he is. It's going to mean that you believe that what you reading. Your Bible is indeed true that you're going to believe that all the promises that you find in the scripture are true.

You know the year like 20 20. That's a bigger challenge than most years the year where it seems everything's different. Everything's changed. Everything's not like it used to be it can make us question who's in charge. What's really going on?

But you know, I want to tell you that despite what you might hear on the local news or read on the social media. The world is not as out of control as they like to make it appear sometimes. God is still in charge God still has a plan and he has a plan for each of us to be a part of that. None of that's changed covid-19 changed any of that. And that's what we have to remember during a time like this. Because you know not only is it important that is Believers that we believe God exists. But like I said, we have to trust that he is in control that he does have a plan and that he is still gonna reward those who earnestly seek him.

Cuz you know when the world seems most out of control what is most important for us to do. To continue to seek God that's what we have to be doing. As we try to make all these plans for how to handle this with covet how to handle that was covid-19. Let our desire for God get lost in the middle of that. We have to continue to seek Him and seek his face and understand that's where our priority still has to be.

And you know when we trust God we have to realize that it's going to shape everything else in our life. yo, cuz Be serious unconsciously. We think that the thing that God values most is our morality.

You know, we think the best evidence of Christian maturity is when we let someone get ahead of us and traffic. What are the best evidence of our Christian maturity is how kind we are the others at work that we give to this charity or that charity. Unconsciously, we think our morality is what God is most interested in. But what really pleases God is when we actually exercise our faith. When we actually show that we trust God that we have faith in him. That's what God wants to see.

And when we do that, you know, the funny thing is when we actually trust God our morality our Behavior our relationships all those other things fall into place. They all work out when we actually exercise our faith and trust God by the way, we live Trusting God believing is the number one priority on God's agenda for our lives. I believe that's why he's so often gave that command to fear not he's just wanting us to trust him. Cuz you know an important thing for us to remember is that we are products of the radical faith of those who have gone before us. Have you ever thought about that?

I've probably thought about that more in the last couple years than I ever have in my life. How much we are a product of others who went to this church at one time or another?

You know sweet thought about what to do with all the stuff going on within our denomination. I often found myself setting thinking what would this pastor of thought? Or what would this person have thought who I knew it served many years as a board member or many years in this past year that capacity within the church. I guess that's one benefit. I have of being someone who grew up in this church, cuz I knew those people and I knew what a lot of them would think I knew the direction they would go on a lot of those things. and that you know is what helped me to be able to continue to push towards some of those things within our church knowing that we were staying faithful to the faith that many generations within this church and showing before and you know, that's all God's asking when he's asking us to trust him. The trust that he's still the same that he doesn't change that he is still walking with us like he did with those before. Cuz you know if you really think about it, it's not just those who we can recall from recent memory that have been members of this church or pastor this church in the bath. The really it's an unbroken string of Believers over thousands of years over centuries from the time of the first Believers in the first church that if they had stepped out in faith and done some things that I'm sure had to seem radical had to seem crazy during their day and age we wouldn't be here today. We wouldn't have the faith we had if others had been willing to trust God and to step out in faith. And we have to have that same trust we have to be willing to step out and to continue that long unbroken string of believers who are going to Faithfully continue to proclaim the message of Jesus until he returns and to realize that we all play a part in that story that we all play a part in that plan. That's helping to proclaim the gospel until Jesus returns.

And you know living by faith is exciting, but it's also quite honestly scary at times. But we have to know that when we have that radical faith in God when we put that sort of trust in him. God always comes through. God is always going to bless it and he's always going to accomplish his will one way or another.

And as we've talked about, you know last week, I mentioned the quote from aw Tozer when aw Tozer says, you know, the most important thing about me is what I believe about God. Will you know every time you trust God and take a step out in faith? What happens? Your view of God grows. And as your view of God grows in his God gets bigger and bigger in your life. It becomes that much easier to trust him and to trust where he's leading you. And as we prepare to come for communion this morning, I think it's important for us to remember that unbroken chain of Believers that I've talked about. Yeah, one thing you can commonly say when you come almost every communion table. You're ever find says do this in remembrance of me on it in one form or another it's worded slightly differently sometimes or But it always says do this in remembrance of me. You know, we have to not only remember the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. I think when we come for communion, but remember the Bold Steps of Faith that every believer who's come before it was taken. And realize that when we celebrate communion, we're remembering the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and what he accomplished on that cross, but we're also remembering and honoring every believer who's taking steps of faith that made it possible for each and every one of us to believe two. We have to remember how important it is and how significant it is. Because if they hadn't taken those steps steps to remain faithful, we may have never heard the gospel. And if we don't take the steps that God puts in front of us to step out in faith. Generations to come may never hear the gospel. But praise God that some of them did that right? There would be be if they had and praise God that they've stayed faithful next. We can't take it for granted. No, we live in a country where we enjoy great religious freedoms. We were free to believe whatever we want. And you can be guaranteed that as we step out in faith. There's going to be a lot of scary moments where we don't know what'll happen. Just like me and Maya didn't know when he asked the king just like Esther didn't know when she went before the king. Didn't know what was going to happen. But they knew that they could trust God they knew that they had to trust God and we have to do the same thing. So the next few moments when I pray for communion dolls pause during the prayer and tell us all that. We need to take a moment to search our hearts and deed. That's true, you know scripture tells us that we shouldn't take communion if we're not right with God sets. The first thing we need to do. We need to search our hearts and ask God if there any areas of sin or darkness in our life that we need to put before him and confess so that we are right with him before we take communion. But I also want us to take that time to just ask God if there's an area in our life that he's asking us to take a step of faith that maybe we've been avoiding. Maybe we know that God wants us to do something. We know he wants us to step out in a certain way. But we just haven't been willing to do it. Let's ask God to give us the faith to give us the courage to take that step no matter what.

As you all know when we have communion Harry no communion is open here at our church. And for us, all you have to have is a relationship with Jesus Christ and you are free to participate in communion dresses. As far as for kids wheel all that up to parents if they're ready to take communion or not. If you haven't had a chance, please let me know. I think Rogers back there. Does everyone have their little communion packets? If you don't raise your hand Rodger will come around with the basket and you can grab some.

Thanks Rodger.

Navigate to hear the crinkle of everyone feeling they're plastic right off of their communion things. Will it be nice when I get to go back to doing communion the way were used to?

So please bear with me as I pray this morning for a communion.

Most gracious Heavenly Father we come before you today and Lord. We thank you for this opportunity to come before you and Remembrance.

Floor 2 take the bread and to take the juice learn to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for all of us.

And Lord as a part of that remembrance. I want to take this time to confess any sin that we might have in our life Lord any area of Darkness that's interrupting the relationship that we have with you. And Lord in these next few moments of Silence. I pray that you will help all of us just to approach you with that Lord and to ask for your help in that area of our life. Lord I pray also that you will be with us and help us all to ask you if there are places and ways that you're asking is to step out in faith and Lord that we will have the courage to do so. So Lord, I pray in these next moments that you will search our hearts and search our minds.

Lord we confess that we have all fallen short of Your will and your perfection in your Holiness and Lord. I pray that as we take these elements this morning. Are the we will remember that Christ body was broken for our sins on the cross and Lord that we all remember that we are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. And Lord that you will use these things Lord to set us on that right path in our relationship with you so that we may be used boldly for your key Play the song your most. Holy name. Amen. You're the one thing I do like about communion this way as we all get to take the elements together. So often when we do it other times everyone's at different times. So that is kind of a nice family feel to it right served family-style. I guess we can Proclaim our communion is but as you take the bread here this verse in John chapter 6 verses 48 through 51 where it says, I am the bread of life your forefathers ate the Manna in the desert yet. They died. The hair is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of Take this bread of life and know that the body of Christ was broken for you. And for many for the punishment for our sins.

You're on the same night after he broke the bread Christ took the cup and haven't taken the cup. He took it and blessed it and hear from John chapter 6 verses 53 through 58 where Jesus said to them. I tell you the truth. Unless you eat the Flesh of the son of man and drink his blood. You have no life and you never eats my flesh and drinks. My blood has eternal life and I will raise him up in that last day for my flesh is real food. And my blood is real drink beverage eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him just as the living father sent me and I live because of the father set the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers eight men and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever. Drink this remembrance of what Christ did on the cross and know that you have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.

Let's pray. Heavenly father. I thank you for the many blessings that you give us. But I thank you for this opportunity to Gathering to Worship in your house. And Lord, I pray that you will just continue to lead us forward. And Lord that you will help us all. know that we have been washed clean by the blood of the lamb and Lord that as long as we trust in you or that you will give us whatever we need to step out and radical faith and to be used boldly by you to Proclaim your gospel. We pray this all in your most. Holy name. Amen.