Does your Faith Move (Joshua 2.8-13)
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Does your Faith Move
Does your Faith Move
Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof
and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear 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 that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.
Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith
that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”
Intro:
If I were to ask you what was more important.......
Believing......
or
Doing.....
Most would say that Believing is more critical..........
But what good is believing, if we never do anything!
(pause)
And while I do believe that Faith is substantially needed....
I do not believe that a weak faith that does not move is what God intends for us.
(pause)
When Jairus’s daughter was sick and about to die.....
If his believing lacks the capacity to encourage him to go and find Jesus
.....his daughter would have died with him only believing she could have been restored
(slight pause)
And........
.......many of us are believers
.......but we are not doing any moving!
(pause)
And today I want to take a look at Rahab....
Rahab is a Caananite woman....
Rahab is a prostitute...
Rahab is from Caanan....
And....
....she is PIVOTAL to the succesful conquering of Jericho.
Only Faith Moves can bring victory!
a. Fear brings pause
When Peter is out walking on the water towards Jesus the bible says,
“when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and begin to sink”
(pause and expound)
b. Faith brings promise
When David is faced with a giant named Goliath the bible says,
“he walked up to him, and in faith said,
Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that defies the God of Israel”
(pause and expound)
Look at it.....
Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you.
According to the text......
Rahab has disguised her house in such a way that the kings men are unable to locate Joshua’s men......
And according to the text once the men who were at her door finished antagonizing her with the kings orders to hand over the two Israelite men
(slight pause)
She has the unmitigated gall to change her occupation from a prostitute......
...........to a promoter!
(pause)
And the first thing I want you to see in the text is that.......
Once Faith starts moving..........
......it will change how you think!
.....it is transformative at its core!
And so everything it touches........
.........it begans re-shaping it or rebuilding
........it starts restoring or reclaiming distinct value
(pause)
You can’t see it........
..........but it’s still happening!
(slight pause)
And when it’s real.........
...........it shows up with proven RESULTS!
(pause)
And when it catches a hold of Rahab...........
“she recognizes that she is no longer in control of her house for what she wants........
.........but she is now driven to accomplish something that is important to God!”
(pause and expound)
And so she........
climbs up the ladder to the top of her roof and begans a conversation with these Israelite spies that she is promoting.....
(pause)
The bible says in verse 4 that she is hiding them........
but when I looked up that word “Hid” in the Hebrew it means,
to be destined, or to store up, or save
And so in my spiritual imagination........
I see Rahab as a Promoter!
Because if she does not move.........
.........they will never get to their destiny
.......and the mission will not progress at the right time
(pause)
But because Rahab is a Promoter..............
She sends them to the roof!
(pause)
And this is where we find her talking to these spies about what she believes!
She says,
“I believe God has already given you the land!”
(pause)
And I need to pause right here long enough to tell someone that.....
......there are some folk that completely understand how powerful your God is..
.........they may be on the outside looking in
......but they have enough sense to know that
.......God has already given you what’s yours!
(pause and expound optional)
Look at it now.........
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 that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
Rahab says.....
This is why......
..........I believe what I believe!
(slight pause)
“I heard about how the Isarelites got out of Egypt!”
(pause)
Now Freedom I need you to know something.....
....because the Exodus experience of the Israelites has happened 40 years prior to when Rahab walks up this ladder to have this conversation with these two men.
(pause)
But because their story was so POWERFUL......
.....even though they CROSSED over 40 years earlier
She climbed up this ladder to tell these two men......
“.....Everybody in Jericho is still amazed at how your God is able!
.......Everybody is still talking about how God brought yall over a SEA to get you to the land HE wanted for you!”
(pause)
Somebody type on the screen........
“Your story is spreading!”
(pause and expound)
And it’s folk walking around talking about........
He serves a God that handles anything in FRONT of him......
She serves a God that makes a way out of no way.......
(pause)
And then Rahab tells these SPIES......
We also heard how you UTTERLY DESTROYED the two kings of the Amorites
(pause)
Watch this......
.....this word destroyed iin the Hebrew means
“To be dedicated”
Because.......
......anytime something was being sacrificed to God in an act of devotion it had to be completely destroyed.
And the reason this is important Freedom........
.....is because
.......if Faith is going to move in the form of devotion
......it can’t be a HALF WAY thing
.........But even if it’s small, it’s got to be WHOLE!
(pause)
That’s why Jesus told the disciples......
......If you had Faith the size of a mustard seed
......you could MOVE this MOUNTAIN
(pause)
It aint so much the size........
.......as it is the HEART
(pause)
Because......
......whenever we give God our ALL
........it builds MOMENTUM!
(pause)
And that’s why.....
........whenever we bring anything to God
.......we should always ask the question
What does the finished product look like?
And watch this......
......because the goal is not perfection
.....but COMPLETION!
And we should tell God,
Lord whatever needs to be DESTROYED…for DEVOTION.....
“I’m TEARING it UP!”
(pause)
Look at it now........
As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.
Rahab says......
The reason why the KING is shook up........
.........and the reason why se are so paralyzed with fear
...........is because we know who your God is!
(pause and optional expound)
Watch this now.....
Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”
Rahab says.....
“Since I have dealt kindly with you”
“Promise me that you will deal kindly with me”
(pause)
Now in all of this conversation leading up to this point.........
.....Rahab has been telling these two men what she believes
(pause)
But the reason these verses 12 and 13 are so significant is because she says,
Now.......
I told you what I believe..........
Now.......
......let’s talk about what I have done!
(pause)
Because Rahab wants to set the record straight........
.......that she did not STOP with just what she BELIEVES
But she..........
......understands what the bible means when it says in James 2.20 that,
“Faith without Works is DEAD!”
(longer pause)
And in my spiritual imagination I hear her saying......
“I don’t have the kind of FAITH that DON”T MOVE!”
She says.....
“I have PRODUCED an ACTION
.....because of what I BELIEVED!”
(pause)
And in my Spiritual imagination I hear her saying....
I took a stand because of my FAITH
I advanced the mission because of my FAITH
(pause)
And now I need to know.....
“Does your Faith MOVE?”
She says....
Give me a sign of GOOD FAITH!”
(pause)
And Freedom.........
Rahab is at the roof again..........
but this time she’s speaking to us.....
And she’s asking on behalf of God....
“Does your Faith Move?”
And the reason I hear her asking us this question......
.......is because
Real Faith does not only cause God to move.....
.......but Our FAITH should cause us to MOVE to!