Sermon Tone Analysis

SEEING YOUR FUTURE WITH FAITH, NOT FEAR

Sunday February 13, 2022

Scripture Reference: Numbers 13: 17-23, 25,25 (NLT)

Intro.

A. Good Morning everyone.

1.

When we ended 2020, I think a lot of us had a sigh of relief because we had just endured the year of COVID in 2020 and we had hoped that things would be much more normal for us in 2021, and while things did change a little, 2021 didn't bring the changes many of us had hoped for and if we were honest, we would say that we had some reservations about 2022.

We entered this year with more restrictions because of fears over the Omicron variant of the virus and honestly who knows when or if this will end.

2. It is very easy to move through this year with fear instead of faith.

So, my purpose and desire today is to help each of us to not do that.

I want to show you how we can in fact live through 2022 with faith and not fear.

B. In the book of Acts the Apostle Paul is standing trial for his faith and in chapter 26 he is standing before a Roman ruler named King Herod Agrippa.

Paul is telling this king about the transformation that had taken place in his life.

How he had literally turned from being a murder of Christians to a Christian missionary.

In his testimony before this king Paul talks about a vision for his life that God had given him.

Now I want you to hear what he said towards the end of his testimony.

In Acts 26:19 Paul said this, 19 "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven."

Acts 26:19 (NIV) I like the way the Message bible paraphrases this verse, here is what it says.

"What could I do, King Agrippa?

I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that!

I became an obedient believer on the spot."

Acts 26:19 (MS)

1.

In 2021 we have talked about lot about vision at Cornerstone Church.

But here is the question I want you to consider as I go through this message.

"What is God's vision for YOUR life?"

I believe that God has a vision for YOUR life.

God has a specific and particular way that He wants to use you to help us fulfill that vision.

He has a vision for me as your pastor and he has a vision for you and you getting this vision is critical.

The bible says, "If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed."

Proverbs 29:18 (MS) I think three things will happen if we do not have God's vision for our lives.

Let's quickly talk about them.

a) Not haven't a vision or an unclear vision leads to Indecision.

In the book of James, it talks about the person who is double-minded and here it what is says about that person, "Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."

James 1:8 (NLT) Without a vision you are just drifting along with no real purpose or direction.

As we enter 2022 with all its unknowns, I do not want you to waste the time God has given you.

I want you to be able to make the most of this year and if you are going to do that you need God's vision for your life.

b) The second thing that will happen to you without vision is Division.

We just read where James said the double minded man is unstable.

Because that person doesn't have a vision, they have no clear direction and that will always lead to division.

One thing I shared with you this year as we talked about vision is that it helps people decide if they want to be a part of what you are doing.

The reality is that some people will not want to be a part of this vision God has given us.

That is OK.

Our vision gives us clarity of purpose.

c) Thirdly without a vision there will be Collision.

Without a vision for our church or ourselves a crash is inevitable.

If you do not have clear direction for your life you are headed for a crash.

I have seen this over and over again in the 36 years that have been a pastor.

I have seen relational collisions.

People continue to crash in their relationships because they do not have God's vision.

The bible warns us against being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

I have seen financial crisis because people would not get God's vision for their finances.

Then there has been personal crisis of many kinds.

We are headed for danger and destruction if we do not heed God's vision for our lives.

Here is what the Bible says, "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.

For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT)

C. I do not want you or us as a church, moving through 2022 with indecision, division and headed for a collision.

We need to see with eyes of faith and not fear.

We need to open our eyes to what Jesus wants of us.

The bible talks a lot about blindness and usually it is not about physical blindness but spiritual blindness.

An unwillingness to see what God is showing us.

Here is what James said, "But don't just listen to God's word.

"You must do what it says.

Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

James 1:22-25 (NLT) Look at these words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.

"Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body.

When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.

23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness.

And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! Matthew 6:22-23 (NLT)

Trans.

So how do we move through 2022 with faith and not fear?

Well, I want to take you back to one of my favorite bible stories.

I have preached from this passage a number of times.

In fact, I have a message, the first one I ever shared from this passage called "Never Say Egypt" and it was my daughter Sherry's favorite message.

It comes from Number 13.

This is where God has made this promise to the children of Israel that He had a Promise land for them.

After they had exited Egypt, they had gotten to the boarder of this Promise land in just a few months.

Moses sends out a group of twelve, one from each of the twelve tribes on a fact-finding mission.

He wanted them to find out all they could about this land God had promised them.

Let's look at what Moses told them.

17 Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: "Go north through the Negev into the hill country.

18 See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many.

19 See what kind of land they live in.

Is it good or bad?

Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps?

20 Is the soil fertile or poor?

Are there many trees?

Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see." Numbers 13;17-20 (NLT)

1.

Now why did Moses do this?

Afterall this was the Promise land so why not just enter it and take it?

Well, I think the reason was because as a good leader Moses knew he needed to give the people a vision of what the future held for them.

The task before them would have seemed impossible for this band of people, but we can only accomplish the impossible when we first see it in our minds.

Every great thing or invention down through history has begun first in someone's mind.

Someone saw what was possible and then was able to communicate that vision to others so that it could be accomplished.

You can't accomplish something if you can't see it in your mind, or in this case through the eyes of faith.

2. Now let's further at what happened on this fact-finding trip.

"So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath... 23 When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them!

They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs."

Number 13:21, 23 (NLT) Now notice that the grapes were so large they had to be carried back on a pole.