Faith Filled Risks

Today is last in our series on the core values of the Christian Missionary Alliance. And so it's the last Sunday that I'm teaching Sunday school there, for the adults and Al will take those duties back over next week.

But, you know, I really like his last core value, and it puts a ribbon on everything that we've been talking about, with all the others and kind of wraps it all up. And the one neat little package where you see how it all fits together. It's talking about faith-filled risk.

Did you know true? Faith is trusting completely in God's, were you notes? The unconditional confidence in What God Says? Strictly off the basis of God said it. I believe it is true because I know that God said it. Did you know the fact is that we either trust God and what he says and we believe and do our best to follow all of his word or we don't. Any alternative that we're left with is if we choose that, we're not going to follow God's word. We're not going to follow what he says that means were left to trust our own intellect. Our own instincts, our own attitudes and fee.

Which we all know from life experience can be flawed at times. We have to realize that those are only two options you either do or you don't.

And the truth, is that our way. Is the way of unbelief. God's way is the way of Faith. It's the way of Truth. You know, the faith Illustrated in Hebrews chapter 11, which is commonly known as the faith chapter is really pretty amazing. And if you read through there, all the different names that get throwing out, throughout that passage. She know that I listed on there. Yeah. Hebrews 11:30 through 40. There's a lot of different names. And the unique thing about it is the common names, you would think of, you kind of have to dig a little bit into scripture to figure out, who some of them are and what they did and those sorts of things.

But what you'll see is that. You know, it does a beautiful job of illustrating that these people took the word of God.

Risking everything.

And the truth was they did. So without having as much knowledge as we do about what God was going to do in the future. But you know, Faith does not ask questions or require signs or miraculous things if they really had Faith, they shouldn't need those cuz he know looking for signs and wonders and explanations things that we can understand. That has nothing to do with faith. Anything that requires more than God's word is doubt. And that is not what faith is All About. You Jesus said to Thomas and John chapter 20, verse 29 say who did not see yet believed. Cuz Faith often requires accepting from God, that for which we can see no logic or Reason. And that's what makes it hard for us sometimes.

But you know, I think perhaps the Supreme Mark of true faith is courage. You know, it's not so hard to believe and follow God, when things are going well, right? When everything and everything to follow God, that everyone around you is a Christian Life.

Your face is proved when it faces disaster when it faces trial, when it faces persecution, and it's still unwavering. When those things don't change it, when we don't compromise, what we believe simply too.

And faith is the source of Courage.

You know, we don't have faith by having great courage. We have great Courage by having great faith. and some of the stories we heard in the video that we watch for Sunday school today, do a great job of explaining that

you're saying that I've heard before. From a missionary was. If everything's going smoothly in your life. You might want to double-check if you're doing what God wants you to be doing at this time. Because if everything is great smooth sailing, no opposition. Anything you're doing most likely, you're not totally walking weird.

Cuz the harsh reality is that life is always a struggle for the believer.

Your God's way is not the world's way. So that means, as long as we're walking around on this Earth. If we're trying to live, we're going to meet there. Going to oppose what we're doing because we're trying to live in a way that Is in conflict with the way that they want to live.

And you know, the only effective weapon that we have to use in that struggle. Is faith.

And you know, the irony that comes out of all this is that often most of our struggles are caused because of that face. So, we have to exercise our faith to be able to meet the struggle, but the struggle is caused by the faith. It seems that were caught in this thing of. How are we going to get through it? But that's when we have to have faith, that God is going to help us face any of those struggles? Hebrews chapter 11 verse, 30 says, by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after the Israelites, had marched around them for 7 days.

They had to have some Faith to March around the walls for 7 Days. Blowing their trumpets, didn't they?

You know 40 years have passed since they had crossed the Red Sea. And you're really that was the last people act that we saw out of the nation of Israel as a collective.

Yeah, God had deemed their unbelief.

As a sin, so this trip that they took through the Wilderness of Sinai. You know, really the reality is it should have taken much less than 40 weeks, but it ended up taking them for two years because the way in which their unbelief they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. So, they wandered around till 4:40 years until the generation that didn't believe had died off. And then, He led them there. It's only as Israel approaches Jericho that we begin to see them show Faith again.

You know, if you sent me think about it, the whole idea of marching around the city seven times for seven days blowing your horn.

Military from a military perspective that doesn't really make much sense. And it really isn't going to accomplish anything. You really have anything. It starts to give the advantage to you can look at it.

But think about the amount of Courage. That it took for them to do that. Walk around the city. Of your enemy for 7 days in a row. Make it all these laps. When psychologically, as you're walking, I mean it had to be embarrassing. It had to be humiliating. Why are we doing this? They had the wonder they had to think we look like fools mean. This just isn't the way that you conquer cities, right? I mean, you don't just walk around them. You do all these other things to conquer a city. And here we are arguing against one of the greatest fortified cities and we're just walking around at blowing trumpets. You know, what, what is up with this?

Did you know I'm sure the thing running through a lot of their minds had to be well, if we fight, even if we lose at least, we put up a fight right to help ourselves. So we save face and that way, but if all we do is March around the city, a bunch of times and then they beat us. We look like fools.

But, you know, the truth was. that they had to realize that this Was a milestone in the faith of Israel?

you know what they do, what God commanded even when it made no sense or

given to the way of the world and try to do things their way. Just so they look better. You know, we have to remember that often. God's wisdom looks foolish to the world. So what the world doesn't understand and why we would be doing it.

All too often works out to be the way that God plan for it to happen. You know, I think that's because if we read a lot of the stories in the Bible will realize that God Delights and slaying men's Pride. He loves to do, whatever he can do to destroy their pride. And, you know, if you think about the way this all happened. He destroyed the pride of the city of Jericho cuz their pride was in their big thick walls. These walls had defended them from a lot of different attacks. They were proud of these walls that they had built. so, if the interior lights of a typical way that you

Yeah, they're walls, might have failed. They might have been beaten. But boy, they could have said how they resisted, how they did this because of their walls.

Buy them, simply marching around them and then the walls just crumble and fall, that kind of takes any way that they can brag about their walls, out of the equation. So he took the pride of those who lived in Jericho away. but then, as far as for the Israelites, he slew their pride to, because When they're talking about the Battle to Future generations, and they said it will. How did you defeat the Great Walls of the city of Jericho? All I can say is oh, we walked around it for 7 days and then blew some trumpets and shouted and they fell down.

So really no effort on their part either. The only explanation for it was that got it done it and that's what God was making sure of with the way he commanded them to go about doing this. Was that the only way Credit could be given was for credit be given to God for what he had done.

And you know, whether the obstacle we face is direct opposition.

Ridicule or whatever, you know every Christian runs into their Jericho at one time or another in their life that time when they're going to be asked to do something out of faith. That will make no sense to us. No sense to the world, but they're going to do it.

If we trust the Lord and demonstrate our trust by courageously continuing to do what the Lord has called us to do. That obstacle will fall in God's time.

Hebrews chapter 11 verses 35 through, 38 says the women received back their dead by the resurrection in others were tortured. Not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better. Resurrection. And others experience, mocking and flogging. Weather chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sewn into, they were tempted. They were put to death with a sword. They went about and sheep skins and goats being destitute Afflicted tormented people of whom the world was not worthy wondering and deserts and mountains and Sheltering in caves and holes in the ground. You know, that passage is a description of a lot of the heroes of the faith that have been listed and described earlier in this chapter. And I encourage you to read the entire 11th, chapter of Hebrews to hear some of those names in those people and what they did.

but, you know, I think what we need to take from that is In all those different story, something that we can learn is that sometimes Affliction is inescapable if we're going to fulfill the word of God, sometimes it's not. Which of the person of faith. It is not worth escaping any Affliction. If it requires denial or compromise of gods were

It's just not worth it to us. Because what could easily be Escape for the worldly person? Should not be the same for a person of faith.

You know, when it's suffered because of God's word and because of standing firm on God's word and standing firm in what we believe.

You know, we have to trust in those situations and the reason a lot of these things are recalled that in that passage that I just read scripture that you know. People are willing to face whatever they have to. And if we are to call arpi ourselves, people of faith, we should be willing to do the same. Cuz really know this is the high point of faith, that willingness to accept the worst the world has to offer, which is death. because, We trust in the best that God has to offer, which is our resurrection and salvation.

Like I said, there's many types of suffering mention these verses and you know, there's many different Conquest in courageous things that the heroes of the faith did that we read about those verses before that.

And like I said, the summary of all that is, is that they went through lots of different things. But God used him to accomplish lots of different things and they all courageously and uncompromisingly suffered. Because they knew it was what God was calling them to do. He was challenging them in their faith.

You know, one of my favorite stories of trusting in God comes from the story of Shadrach Meshach in a Bendigo. Where is VeggieTales would call them Rack Shack. And Benny, you know, I was trying to think of a way to work that video clip in but just couldn't. From that great VeggieTales story. That I have no idea how many times we watched that one at our house when our kids were younger, if you remember their story? Yo, Shadrach Meshach, in a Bendigo. They were all advisors to the king. But the problem was they refused to bow to this large, golden idol. That he had erected. In the Bible story. It's a large statue of himself as the king. I thinking. VeggieTales. It's a giant golden bunny. If I remember correctly. I don't remember. But they refused about it because the law that he enacted was every time the horn blew and you heard it you had to Bow Down and Worship this thing. Well, everytime it flew. They refused. Well, the penalty for this was that if you didn't do it, you were supposed to be thrown into the fiery furnace.

So here, when this happens. they're being told that they're going to be thrown into the fiery furnace, but they are perfectly confident that God is going to take care of them that God is going to from this furnace. Daniel chapter 3 verse 17. Says, if it be so our God, whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire and he will rescue us from your hand. Okay?

That takes a lot of courage to stand before a king and say that it's okay. If you throw me in the fiery furnace, I trust that God's going to save me, but you know really wasn't the greatest.

If you think about it, the next verse isn't even bigger active faith. Daniel chapter 3 verse 18 says, even if he does not. Let it be known to you okaying that we are not going to serve your Gods nor worship the golden statue, that you have set up.

Wow. That takes a lot of faith. Tonight just say that you trust that God's going to deliver you, but you for you to say that even if God doesn't, that's okay. I'm fine with that. If that is what brings the most glory to God, you know, that our primary concern was not for their safety. Of their actual physical bodies. Their primary concern was that they would be able to keep the Did David stand, strong? You know, physical deliverance from the fire or not. They said that they would not forsake their God. Simply to save their own lives. Now that takes faith. It takes even more to say like they did that. Even if God does not. You're okay with it.

Cuz you know all too often. We're okay saying that we have faith in something as long as God does it? The way that we would like it to be done and in the timing that we would like it to be done and all. But that's so often not how God works.

We have to have enough Faith to trust and to be able to say Lord, but even if you don't,

Hebrews chapter 11 verses 39 and 40. Continuing to talk about these Heroes of the faith that says, and all of all these having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised. Because God has provided something better for us. So that apart from us. They would not be made perfect.

These faithful Saints had to live in Hope. They had to have a hope and what was going to happen either. They had this abiding confidence that one day. God would do the necessary thing to redeem them. The God would send that Messiah that had been promised. In the scriptures that they had during their time.

And they knew and they had such a strong confidence that what happened to them. Didn't really matter. Because they trusted God that much that he was going to come through on the promises that he made.

Their faith was not in the immediate fulfillment of some need that they had, you know, it wasn't in how comfortable their life was right here. And right now their faith was in the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises. They trusted that they risk their life on that. And this is where Believers are tested. The most. Do we truly trust and believe in what are ultimate reward will be? Do we really trust? What we read in scripture? Do we really trust? What we say? We believe is a Christian.

You know of all these stories we read about, sometimes their faith save them from Death. Sometimes it didn't.

But that didn't matter to them. They knew that God would provide something better. And we have the benefit of living on this side of the Cross. So we know that God did provide something better for us.

Cuz you know something I never thought about till I Was preparing for this message and I have no idea why I didn't think about it. Was that do you realize that until Jesus is a toning work on? The cross was accomplished, really know, Salvation was complete. It hadn't been provided yet the way hadn't come through for them. So. The saints that we read about In this passage, they were all looking forward to a future, fulfillment of that happening. They didn't know when it was going to happen or how it was going to happen or how God was going to provide it. They just knew that scripture told them. God was going to provide a messiah to redeem and save his people. All they do.

In what God said he was going to do.

I need to know if you look at it, you know, their faith. Look forward to promise our faith. Can look back on. Historical fact. Because we can read the new testament, which hadn't even happened during these people's lifetimes yet, and we see what God did. We see what he provided in. Jesus Christ. We see what the apostles did in the power of His name, after that and we have all those things to encourage our Fame. They only had a hope and a future promise. So think how amazing their faith had to be. They simply believed all of God's word. and that was,

A lot less than what. We have is God's word, a lot less than knowledge of scripture than what we have, but that was enough for them.

Their faith was defined by God's word and they believe God's word to be true. Simply because they knew got it, set it.

And, you know, is I think about that it kind of humbles me and makes me think. Wow, how much less Faith do we have? Sometimes, when really, we have so much more to Bases off of It's a challenge, all of us. It brings you back to that verse in John chapter, 20 verse 29. In Jesus said to him. Blessed are they who did not see? and yet, believe,

you know, Jesus is talking about those Heroes of the faith didn't ever see him face to face. Just knew that he was a distant promise, you know, for some of them hundreds, if not thousands of years later.

But yet they believed that God was going to do what God said he would do.

He knows, I think about that. We know how God provided that salvation. It's something we celebrate and sing about every Sunday. My question is now, what are we going to do with it?

You know, we've talked about all these things, as we've went through, the core values of the Christian Missionary Alliance, you talking about the things like lost people matter to God. He wants them found that, you know, everything we have belongs to God. We're just his stewards of it.

This week, we talked about faith-filled risk, you know, we've talked about the Great Commission, you know, and how we each play a role in it and how it takes mobilizing every disciple.

As we know all these things. But are we going to actually have the faith to do something with it? That's our challenge. And you know, in class, we talked about what faith-filled risk is our church taken, you know.

As I thought about that and of the funny thing was, I was making up this study to do it last year. Before covid it. And so well, I didn't teach it obviously then because we weren't here for a lot of Sundays. But at that point time, when I made up to study sheets for all that, and I did all that we had.

Now here, we are a little over a year post that decision, August 4th was when we took that to vote last year. And here we are. Now we stand on the other side of that where God has let us out of the United Methodist Church. He's provided a way for that to happen. He's provided a way for us to be able to pay what we needed to pay for that and he continues to provide along the way as we move forward with this. But will we continue to stay faithful even though we don't know exactly what it's going to look like down the road? That's our Challenge and we have to continue working forward with that trusting knowing that God will stay true to his promises. Please pray with me.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the many blessings that you give us and Lord we pray. That is We continue to worship today. Lord, that you will just help us to know that you are walking with us and Lord. That you are guiding us every step of the way. Lord. I Thank you so much for the many, many blessings you give us and Lord. I pray that you will give us the courage to have the faith that these Heroes of the faith dead. Ignore that you will lead us forward to boldly, Proclaim your word, and to live out your gospel, truth in our community and wherever we go. In your name we pray. Amen.