Faith Meets Feet: Series Introduction

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Introduction:

How many of you noticed message on the church sign this week? Did anyone think the message on the sign was a little bit weird? What does our sign say? (“Faith meets Feet Sunday”). I thought about how to make the most accurate title I could this week , but it was really hard! In order to make it clear, it would have to be a wordy sign. As it reads, some passing by might interpret it to mean that faith only meets feet on Sunday. And for some of us, that might very accurate. Hopefully people passing by this week were challenged to think about the ways that sign could be interpreted.

The lyrics from one of my current favorite songs goes like this:

We want our coffee in the lobby We watch our worship on a screen We got a Rockstar preacher Who won't wake us from our dreams We want out blessings in our pocket We keep our missions overseas But for the hurting in our cities Would we even cross the street?

but we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel The walls fall down and our land be healed But church if we want to see a change in the world out there

It's got to start right here It's got to start right now Lord, I'm starting right here Lord, I'm starting right now

For the sign, I could have used the words, “Faith meets feet beginning Sunday” but that would not have been accurate either because some people among us have already been walking by faith for a long time. My hope is that our feet will not be faithful only leading us to church on Sunday morning. My hope is that beginning today and throughout this series the Spirit will cause us all to walk more faithfully, more obediently, every day of the week, and we will start that process right here, right now, by answering three questions. First,

Why faith?

We are going to answer that question beginning at Hebrews 11. Faith is where our relationship with God began. Faith is the essential ingredient. We know Paul and Christians in Acts proclaimed. “Believe in Jesus. Have faith that Jesus is the Christ.” Hebrews is a book all about faith. Faith has always been the only way to receive forgiveness of sins. Why faith? Anything less than full God-focused, mountain-moving, sea-stopping, fire-from-Heaven-altar-consuming, sea-parting, faith, anything less than that kind of faith does not please God! Will you please look at Heb 6:11 with me?

(Slide) Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists...”

Why faith? because...

It is impossible to please God without faith. (Heb 11:6; Mt 25:32-46)

So for this series, when I talk about faith I am talking about two things. First, is that initial faith that is believing Jesus totally and utterly defeated the eternal consequences of our sin and defied the grave, and is the way, the truth and the life. It is impossible to please God and enter into Heaven without the Spirit produced act of faith in our hearts. Faith is the only way to know God and it is the only way to walk in obedience to all He commands us.

Faith determines if a person is a sheep or goat in the coming judgement. At the end of Mt 25, we read about the coming judgement. To the sheep, Jesus will say, “Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To the goats, he will say, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire.”

Only those who have faith can please God and enter into his joy.

Faith isn’t only a one-time belief. Faith must be a way of life. As we grow in Christ, faith responses to every life situation should be as natural to us as locating our car keys and wallet before leaving the house. Faith should be as natural to us as every other very important part of our daily routine, but faith is hard.

Why faith? Why is it faith that pleases God and not something else? It is because...

Faith is not natural to us. (Josh 7:1)

It is not natural. Throughout the whole Bible, we see God and God’s representatives such as angels, priests, kings, etc, reminding people to have faith, to keep faith in God.

Faith is not natural. Faith is given by the Spirit so that our lives prove that God exist. Faith is given to us as proof that we are God’s children. It is tangible evidence that the Spirit is in us, keeping us, confirming us, shaping us to live according to how God originally designed us.

Many times in the Old Testament we can read that so and so “broke faith” they did what was carnally natural instead of what was supernaturally possible. If you want to search out this thought, run a Bible search for “broke faith” or “breach faith”. I’ll use one familiar example to prove this point, from Joshua 7:1

(Slide) Joshua 7:1 (ESV) “But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan... took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.”

Achan did what was carnally natural. to put it simply according to Heb 6:11 God was not pleased! In fact, God was livid and delivered a massive consequence to Achan and his household. Why does faith please God? Because faith is only possible when we wholeheartedly rely on God’s massive resources to get us though each and every situation. Our natural ways are not God’s ways. His ways are higher, better, far more wonderful than what we could ever devise. We must have continued faith that God and God alone knows what is best for us.

So every part of Scripture reminds us to rely on God’s supernatural power and not our own. God’s supernatural power is the only way path through the messed up world we live in. Why faith?

SLIDE!!!! IMPORTANT TRANSITION!!!

Faith causes us to step forward when we don’t see the path. (Heb 11:1; 12:2; Php 1:6)

I was reminded of this scene from the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” It is a great illustration of what God meant when he said, “The Just shall live by faith.”

WILL AUTO PLAY ---> Movie clip from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (lasting 45 sec)

In his quest to locate the supposed goblet Christ drank from, Indy had to cross a chasm that appeared impossible to cross. That chasm had undoubtedly deterred many treasure hunters, but not Indy. Indy knew Christ taught about faith, so he had faith that there was a path forward, so he placed one foot in front of the other and eventually crossed that invisible bridge.

Anyone can move ahead when the path can be seen and when it seems to be safe. Easy choices do not please God. Hebrews 10:38 says, “but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” Stop doing what is easy. Anyone can do that. How does “easy” set you and I apart from our neighbor? God calls us to hard things. God calls us to trust Him every single foot we set down on our way across that bridge.

(Slide) Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

My favorite part of that movie scene is the end is Indy’s face, that ultra relieved silly grin. Faith causes us to feel that way. It causes us to shout out, “GOD DID IT!” God’s power upheld me! God’s spirit powerfully convinced me to something supernatural! I am a Christian because God gave me His faith!

He doesn’t give faith one time, all things, even brushing your teeth and grabbing your keys and wallet should take faith (some of you need deep faith when hunting for your car keys or wallet!) Faith, deep faith should strongly and certainly effect every single thing we do every single day. Listen to these verses....

Hebrews 12:2 states, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” and...

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

These two verses teach us that, “God who placed faith in you that first time will continue causing you and I to step out in faith more and more frequently until our faith is perfected, until we can do nothing but constantly, consistently, and habitually place foot after foot down in faith.

In other words, while that first step and the others Indiana Jones placed were good, he was still teetering on the bridge and slowly working his way across. God strongly desires to perfect our faith. Our faith should be so strong and so habitual that we should run across that invisible bridge trusting God every second of the way. If you don’t believe that, or if you need further encouragement to have deep faith in your current situation, please read Heb 11 this week. That is a chapter that clearly helps us see that deep faith in God alone led people like you and I through otherwise impossible situations!

We can only navigate this messed up world by relying on God to powerfully lead us through, and we can only cause God to smile when we rely on His power for every single decision.

Why feet?

(WILL AUTO PLAY) Jesus said, “Go.” (Mt 28:18-20; Lk 24:48-49; Mt 8:19)

In Mt 28:18-20 Jesus gave what we call the “Great Commission” when he said, “go into all the world and make disciples.” In Lk 24:48-49 Jesus told his disciples that after the Holy Spirit came they were to go forth.

Jesus himself modeled going and everyone knew it, including a scribe that came to him in Mt 8:19 “and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.””

Feet connect our hearts to the ground. (Mk 10:17-22; 1 Jn 3:16; Jn 13:35)

Feet prove what is in our hearts! If you would, please flip to Mark 10.

Mark 10:17–22 (ESV) 17 And as (Jesus) was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The man claimed to love God, but his feet undeniably, and unmistakenly, proved where his heart was. Look at verses 21 and 22 again. Jesus said “if you love me your feet will follow me!” But the man’s feet connected his heart to the ground. His heart was far from Jesus, so verse 22 informs us that his feet walked away from Jesus instead of toward Jesus.

The Bible contains many other examples where someone’s feet revealed what they tried to hide. Jonah tried to run. He hated the Ninevites and his feet connected his heart to the ground. He tried running as far from Nineveh as he could. In Nehemiah, when people heard God’s word for the first time in a long time, they stood on their feet for hours upon end in awe and reverence and their feet carried them to obey all things that were revealed to them.

Feet are the part of our bodies that propel us in the direction that we intend to go. Throughout this series though, when I talk about feet, I will also mean other things that also prove what lies inside my heart. “Feet” can also include our attitude, our voice reflections, our hands, our minds, our eyes. Every part of our body that can take action must take action.

1 John 3:16 ESV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

What we do proves what is in our hearts. Why feet? because...

Faith without “feet” is dead. (James 2:14-26)

James 2:14–26 (ESV) 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

God alone determines what faith is. God alone determines this one is covered by Jesus’ blood and that one is not. Stating, “I am a Christian” and showing “I am a Christian are two very different things. Our works prove what is in our hearts. If a supernatural change has taken place in our hearts, our feet will do supernatural things, because by faith we know God has placed an invisible bridge under our feet.

The theme verse for this series is Isaiah 52:7 (ESV) which says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” So the question we need to answer this morning is this one…

How does this make my feet beautiful? (Is 52:7)

As I prepared this message, I was reminded of a time when I was repulsed by a man’s hands. When I was little my dad pastored a small church in a little farming community. I could not have been older than four, and one Sunday morning, as I shook the hand of one of the oldest farmers in the church, I was shocked! His hand shake was very strong and his thickly calloused hand scratched my tender hand. I did not enjoy that handshake, in fact it was so uncomfortable, that the experience became imprinted in my memory. But my dad loved that old farmer’s hands! To him those grizzled, hard, stained, scarred hands were beautiful. Those hands told their own story about that man’s life, work ethic, passion, his drive.

In the time of Isaiah and Jesus, footwear was not as advanced as it is today. People walked everywhere with poor foot protection, so feet grew many hard, thick, ugly callouses. Feet would often become scarred from impacts and scratches from thorns and rocks. Feet then and now also get incredibly dirty and smelly! Some today might feet like that are repulsive, but God thinks feet like that are beautiful.

God designed feet to work, not to be pampered! Feet are useless unless they became worn, grizzled, and dirty because Jesus said go. Go, walk through the sexually immoral dirt of Corinth. Walk through the idolatrous dirt in Ephesus. Go, walk through the mocking dirt in Jerusalem and Thessalonica. What might Jesus’ feet have looked like? What might Paul’s feet have looked like? Their feet surely carried the marks proving they obeyed God with their feet.

Grizzled feet are beautiful feet!

Feet, our works actions, our whole drive should boldly and passionately proclaim the good news of Christ who loves us. Should proclaim Jesus’ peace, happiness, and salvation. Feet declare, “My God Reigns!” and lets that shout echo loudly through the valleys.

Jesus determines beauty and beauty is faith that makes feet dirty.

Grizzled feet will be celebrated!

They will be set on top of the highest mountains for all to see while Christ proclaims to all looking on, these are what faithful feet look like. These are feet like I am talking about! “Well done thou good and faithful servant!” Dirty, grizzled feet will be celebrated by God himself!

(pause)

You might want to flip to Matthew 25. We have already spent a little time here this morning, but I want you to see from this passage one more thing...

Grizzled feet will be welcomed into Heaven! (Mt 25:41-46)

Here is what Matthew 25:41-46 says about this:

41 “Then he will say to (the goats) on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous (sic… those who have obeyed me with their feet, those who have grizzled, dirty, faithful feet, will be welcomed…) into eternal life.”

God is immensely pleased by calloused, mud caked, grizzled feet. So we must get our feet dirty!

I will end with this story from my own life. I love wilderness trips and I have taken many wilderness trips on my own, so as I prepared for one particular trip in the Algonquin, I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong.

I think the only thing in life I hate more than potato salad is soaking wet socks! So, as our group was on the beach, preparing to get our canoes into the water, I stooped to take my socks and shoes off, but the group leader caught me and loudly said, “Oh no you don’t, put those back on. The only way to do this trip is with your socks and shoes on. Your feet will be constantly wet this trip. You shoes will get caked with mud, but you must put your socks and shoes back on and keep them on if you are going with us!”

I was devastated! I mean, I really thought I just might shed drops of blood then and there! I mean, that moment was really intense! BUT there was no other way forward. So, I slowly put my socks and shoes back on, gritted my teeth, tightened my stomach and determined to press ahead.

Do you know what I learned? I learned that living with soaked feet for a week really wasn’t that bad! If I had turned back, I would have missed incredible experiences! I would have missed the time when two youth repented of evil in their lives! I would have missed those two youth solo carry a 65lb aluminum canoe with 70lb packs 1.5 miles uphill. I would have missed coming within 10 feet of a moose. I would have missed seeing teens jumping off a 15-20ft cliff into the water below for the very first time! I would have missed men learning what it was like to have real conversation with other men.

So you know what I did after that trip? I became an ambassador for taking another trip! That next trip I was was the one telling others, “Put your shoes back on! Gird up, prepare your feet, you do not want to miss what God has in store out there because you are afraid to get your feet soggy and muddy!”

I hope God shows all of us over the next many weeks that getting our feet soggy and dirty is exciting. The path ahead is loaded with blessing, after blessing, after blessing, so put your socks and shoes on. Tighten up the laces because we are moving forward!

(end)

Reflection questions:

If I were to meet God right now, would he be deeply pleased by my moment to moment faith?

What recent situation should I have taken by faith? (repent)

What situation am I facing right now? Am I relying on God to get me through it?

What mundane tasks do I get through on my own? How can I do those tasks by faith?

Slide notes:

1. Opening image should be the faith/feet slide.

2. Sub topic headers should have images pertaining to that sub topic.

3. Find consistent verse slid layout?

4. All closing slides should use the feet image for all headers, text, etc/

Verse for Bulletin?

James???

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