Faith in Action

0 (0s): I mean, it's good to be in the house of the Lord. Amen. Good to lift his name. It's going to take time to sing and to praise 2 (24s): The passion Oh, With that to fulfill the law to Virgin came To 3 (9m 13s): This next song we're going to sing comes from the Apostle's creed. And in the apostles, creed talks about the Trinity, the father, the 4 (9m 20s): Son, and the holy spirit. 3 (9m 22s): And this song is a declaration of our faith 4 (9m 26s): To get 6 (13m 39s): Oh God. We believe in you. We believe that you're present with us, Lord, that you care about us, that you love us, that you've got plan and purpose for us, Lord, God, and God, we, we thank you. We know that you are with us. Lord. You are with Gideon and Joshua, Moses you're with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. God, you were with Your early church and you're with us Lord here with us Lord, and we welcome you tonight to the today. We welcome you, Lord God, to be in our presence and to speak and to move. 6 (14m 19s): And God, as we exercise faith by listening and obeying Lord, we pray that above everything else above anything else, God, that you would be glorified in our lives. We would honor you. And in our lives, we would point people to you. So Lord, thank you for who you are and for the things that you are doing and the ways that you empower us to do your work here in the earth. We need you. We need your power. We need your presence. We thank you for it in Jesus name. Amen. Hey man, attorney grease somebody and we will get back here in just a moment. 6 (16m 49s): Well, good morning. Good morning to those on the patio, those in the lofts, those online good morning and welcome. Welcome to our 11 o'clock service at harvest church. It's it's been, it's been a good morning. It's been a fun morning. So excited about what God will do this service. Interestingly, first service we had. So we bought this property from a family about, I dunno, how many years ago it was a while ago. Anyway, we, we moved in here 17 years ago. And so clam and Amanda Lambert and their family will not claim because he's passed, but Amanda and her family were here on the second row this morning. 6 (17m 32s): And so we got a chance to honor them because because 17 years ago we were driving through, I was driving through the village and I saw a sign up on the front lawn that said the place was for lease. And so we had been praying because our church had been a meeting at a high school up on the Mesa Lopez high school. So we'd been praying that God would give us a space in the village. And so I'm driving through. And so I I've lived in this community since fifth grade, but I'd never noticed this building, this church kind of setback. And so that day I drove through and I noticed there's a church in the village were actually praying that God would give us a church building in the village. And so I stopped by and met Amanda for the first time against he was here. 6 (18m 12s): Second, first service. And I said, Hey, Amanda, we're, we're just a small church looking to move from the Mesa into town. You've got this amazing facility here. Would you be interested in leasing it to us? And just in that conversation on a handshake, a handshake, she said, yes. And so we started the process and we raised the money to renovate stuff. And, and then one by one, we just kind of took over all these buildings and were able to buy them. So we're talking about faith this morning and it was just such a great illustration of what God will do with people who are just saying, being willing to say, yes, Lord being obedient to do what God has called us to do. And they were obedient. They, they, you know, we were a church of 60 people. 6 (18m 51s): We didn't have a lot going on in any way financially at all, but it was just a total faith venture. And I told her all of that and she said, well, it needs to be a church and we want to work with you. And so a lot of you are here back in the day. And a lot of you are hearing this story for the first time, but it was God working through the Lamberts to give us favor. And then God working through our current geishas to provide resource and everything that's been needed over these last 17 years that we've been here. And so God has blessed us. And now we're getting ready to add to our space over at 1 0 2 west branch, the new worship center there. I was just in there this morning and the painters just about all wrapped up and it's going to really start looking like something pretty quick. 6 (19m 36s): I mean, it kind of does, but it's just kind of messy right now, but it's getting there. It's getting there. So we've been discovering what faith looks like as we've studied through Hebrews chapter 11, the heroes of faith. And recently we, we said faith is obedience to God. We said, faith is trusting. God's timing for me. That's probably the hardest thing. Obedience is not as hard as trusting as timing. They're both hard, but trusting his timing is always been hard for me. So faith is trusting. God's timing that he will unfold his plan when he's ready to unfold his plan. And we can trust that. We can believe that God is good and that he's unfolding something wonderful for our lives. 6 (20m 17s): And so faith is trusting that timing. And then faith, faith is following your God-given destiny. So we believe that God creates people with purpose, giving gifts and talents. Every believer has a gift, a talent that God has given. Every person is created for purpose, that we might know God and walk in those eternal purposes that he has for us. So, so as we look at the rest of Hebrews 11, we'll get through the rest of Hebrews 11 today. We'll discover more trues about the faith. As we look at more examples, people that have gone before us real life, historical people who have gone before us, you've demonstrated faith, exercised faith. The title of the message today is faith in action. 6 (21m 0s): And really it could be faith equals action because faith without action is not faith at all. It's just a, it's just a word. But faith inaction is what God implied in mince and spoke and demonstrated through his people throughout the scriptures of the old and the new Testament early church. And up to this point in our lives today, faith is action. Faith inaction is what God wants to say. Faith equals action. So if we say we have faith, we must follow that faith with some actions, some things that God has called us to and has invited us into. 6 (21m 41s): So where does faith come from? Again? Romans 10, 7, 17 says, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So as we study the word, it's not just an academic exercise, but it's a spiritual exercise as well. So it's academic, but it's also spiritual. And it's meant to encourage us and form us, compel us to do what God has asked us to do. And following the examples of those who have gone before us do what they've done, because we've seen God be faithful in their lives and in their circumstances. So we believe that God will be faithful in our lives and in our circumstances because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. 6 (22m 23s): So as his attributes, haven't changed, she is a faithful God who calls his people to be faithful in response. So we're going to look at a lot of scripture today. Hebrews 1130 through 34 will kick us off here. It says it was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days and the walls came crashing down. We've a lot of us have read the story. You've heard the story in Sunday school or in sermons. And if we take a serious look at this, it seems crazy. The whole story. It seems like, God, this really, this is your plan, but by faith, number one in your notes by faith, Joshua believed God's promise. 6 (23m 7s): God made a promise to Joshua, to the people of Israel. What was that promise? We see that in Joshua six one and two, it says now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. They had witnessed what God had done for the people of Israel. And so they were afraid no one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, I have given you Jericho its king and all its strong warriors. So by faith, Joshua will believe God's promise the first generation of Israelites that left Egypt failed to believe the promise. 6 (23m 47s): And so they failed to receive the promise. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until that whole generation of unbelievers died off. And after Moses died, Joshua became the leader of Israel and he was the leading. He was, he was the one charged with leading the people with fresh faith in God. I think we need that from time to time in our lives like Lord, I need fresh faith. I'm feeling tired or worn down, or I'm not exercising. The faith that I think that you've asked me to exercise. And so Lord, would you refresh my faith? And then God will begin to refresh our faith. Just supernaturally. Well, all of a sudden have courage for the stuff that we didn't have courage for in the past. 6 (24m 33s): We'll have energy for the stuff that God has called us to we'll have fresh faith for the things that God calls us into. So after Moses died, Joshua became the leader of Israel and he was leading the people with fresh faith in God, the first-generation again, failed to believe. And so they failed to receive the blessings of the promise land. The second generation shows that, and this is the decision that all of us need to make in every season and situation of our lives. We need to choose to believe God, we need to choose faith. The second generation chose to believe so they receive the blessing of the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey. 6 (25m 13s): This place of rest that God had promised his people. Interestingly, for 40 years, the people of Israel ate manna and this manna sustained them. They would get up six days a week and the man that would be there on the sixth day, they would grab enough for the next day. And they would gather enough to eat. And for 40 years, the Lord provided manna for them to sustain them. Manoj was used by God to bless the people, to sustain the people. But the fat of the land was to bless the people in the new promised land that God provided. So when the people of Israel moved into the promised land, the man is stopped and the people were able to eat from the fat of the land. 6 (25m 58s): So Manoj was to sustain the people. The fat of the land was to bless the people. Sometimes we're in a man, a season, sometimes we're in a man, a season where we get sustained by the Lord. But there's not a lot beyond that. We were kind of in this season of just kind of waiting, trusting, believing, obeying, believing that God's going to provide for us. And he does. So sometimes we're in that man, a season, other times, we're in the fat of the land season. Like everything is going our way. Financially things are flowing our way. We've got our health and our relationships and things are just amazing. 6 (26m 38s): So there's, there's a test to our faith in both situations in the manna season, it's a test. Will we continue to trust the Lord? He's met my needs today. I'm going to trust him to meet my needs tomorrow. And so it's a test of our faith. Where were we? Where are we putting our faith for our provision in the fat of the land season of our lives. It's also a test of our faith because often when we've got the fat of the land and everything's going well, we've got ample resource. We can get our eyes on those things and not on the Lord. And so it's a test of our faith is God, really our source in our resource, no matter what, no matter whether we have plenty or little, our focus is on God is our focus on God. 6 (27m 23s): And that's the, the tests. And that's probably been the test through most of our lives, different seasons. We've had plenty different seasons we've been lacking or just had enough. And it's been a test of our faith. What we continue to trust the Lord, no matter what's both seasons are a test of our faith. Number one by faith, Josh you'll believe God's promise. Number two by faith, Israel followed God's plan. So Joshua, their leader was hearing from the Lord and he was leaning them. But would the people of Israel would they rebel like they did against Moses or would they believe and follow their new leader? Joshua by faith, Israel followed God's plan. 6 (28m 5s): They decided to believe Joshua six, three says you and your fighting men should March around the town Jericho. That is once a day for six days, seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark. Each carrying a Ram's horn. On the seventh day, you are to March around the town, seven times with the priests blowing the horns. And when you hear the priest, give one last blast on the Ram's horn, have all the people shout as loud as they can. So this is God's war strategy, March around Ram's horn, and then shout. Alright, really Lord. 6 (28m 47s): Then the walls of the town will collapse and the people can charge straight into the town. What we see in scripture and what we probably would have noticed in our own lives is that God's plan. Doesn't always make human sense. Often his plan is counter intuitive. His plan is always a test of our faith. If his plan is not testing our faith, I would question whether it's his plan. His plan is normally counter-intuitive, it's not what we would come up with, but it always grows us in our faith. So God's plan for his people, needed it to be followed by faith. 6 (29m 27s): They did not want another wilderness experience. And maybe you're here today and you're thinking the same thing, man, I've been in a wilderness experience where I've had a wilderness experience and I do not want to see that repeated God by God's grace. As we yield to him, as we obey him, as we listen and believe and follow and trust, he will lead us into amazing things. Wonderful. Not that there won't be challenges along the way, because it's in the challenges that we have our faith tested and built up and challenged, and it's like a muscle, you know, you got to work it or else it gets weak. And so we work that faith muscle, God works that faith muscle to build us up, to strengthen us so that we can do what he's called us to do. 6 (30m 16s): So they didn't want another wilderness experience. So by faith, Israel followed God's plan. No faith is the only way someone can follow God's plan kind of alluded to that. But faith is the only way someone can follow God's plan that interesting without faith, it's impossible to please, God, right? So he's called us into this life of faith and it's by faith as the only way that we can follow God's plan back to Hebrews 1131, it says it was by faith that rehab, the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refuse to obey God for she had given a friendly welcome to the spice. You never think you'd see a prostitute in the hall of faith. 6 (30m 56s): So these are the powerful men and women in the scripture, in the history of God's people who have demonstrated faith. So Hebrews 11 kind of points out incredible people who have been people of faith. And so in our natural understanding, we would never think that God would point out a prostitute, but this is exactly who he points out in this, in this chapter. Number three, in your notes by faith, Rahab, trusted God's protection. Let's figure out what the story saying here in Joshua, two 18 to eight to 13, it says before the spies went to sleep that night rehab went up to the roof to talk with them. 6 (31m 37s): I know the Lord has given you this land. She told them we are all afraid of you. Every one of the land is living in terror. Why? Because they had seen what the God of Israel did to protect and deliver the people into the promised land. For, we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the red sea when you left Egypt. And we know that you, what you did to see on an awe that you Amorite Kings east of the Jordan river, whose people you completely destroyed now. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear. No one has the courage to fight. After hearing such things for the Lord, your God is the Supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. Now, swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family. 6 (32m 22s): Since I have helped you give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all of their families. So Joshua was six 17. Joshua told the people, Jericho and everything, and it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord only rehab the prostitutes and the others in her house will be spared for. She protected the spies. I love that God is no respecter of persons. One of the 12 that he called was a tax collector, despised tax collector, a scoundrel, and a guy who would steal from his own people and was used to gather money for the enemy. 6 (33m 13s): And yet God chose Matthew Joe's fishermen who really didn't have a lot of understanding. A lot of education, a lot of political or religious clouds. He's no respecter of persons. Rehab. A prostitute is an example of faith to all people. Maybe you think your past precludes you from believing God and your past the things. If I went around the room, we'd see that every one of us have a past, right? All of us have a past that we wish we could go back and change things that we regrets are embarrassed by things that we wish we could get a do over with. 6 (33m 58s): But we, we, we don't get the do overs. In fact, I believe that God uses and we see it throughout our lives that God uses our past mistakes and failures to prepare us to minister, to others who might be going through the same thing. Maybe you think your past precludes you from believing God, don't let your past prevent you from living a faith filled blessed life. God is a God whose mercies are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness. If we confess our sins, he is faithful. And just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So if we're on a new path as followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and we've got a past, let it go repent. 6 (34m 40s): If you haven't let it go, forgive yourself. If you haven't let it go and watch what God will do as you let that go so that you can hold on to God, move forward in those supernatural plans that God has for you. Believe that God's grace is sufficient back to Hebrews, Hebrews 1132. How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of faith, of the faith of Gideon Barak, Samson, Jephthah David, Samuel, and all the profits by faith. These people overthrew kingdoms rural with justice and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched, the flames of fire and escape death. 6 (35m 24s): By the edge of the sword, their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put a whole army the flight. And so we're going to kind of unpack these last verses here and talk about the faith of some of these people that did what the writer is about here. So number four, in your notes by faith, Daniel shut the mouths of the lions. My faith, Daniel shut the mouths of the lion. So king Derrius was tricked. King Derrius was a friend of Daniel, but he was tricked into signing a law that prohibited anyone for 30 days, from praying to anyone human or divine. If the law was broken, you would go into the lion's den. So typically people will be thrown into the lion's den. 6 (36m 5s): The lions would grab hold of them and consume them immediately. This is just the way it was. They were ravenous animals and they would destroy their victims quickly, killing them and eating them quickly. So if the law was broken off to the lion, Dan's you, lion's Dan, you go, Daniel, Daniel refused. He refused to submit to the law. That would hinder him from praying as was his custom. So the King's men tried to kill him. They wanted, they threw him into the lion's den. The king loved Daniel and was grieved by the law he had signed. And so he was up all night. He was tricked and his friend was now in the den of lions and the Daniel six, 19 through 22, very early, the next morning, the king got up, been hurried out to the lion's den. 6 (36m 59s): When he got there, he called out in anguish, Daniel servant of the living, God, where's your God whom you serve. So faithfully able to rescue you from the lions. Daniel answered he's alive, long lamb, the king, my God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouth. So they would not hurt me for, I had been found innocence in his sight and I have not wronged you, your majesty. So a real story, historical real God is able to protect his people. Do we believe that God is able to protect us? 6 (37m 43s): Not that we won't go through difficult seasons of life, but it's when it's in his purposes to deliver us and to protect us, he will deliver us and he will protect us. We have to believe this is true. God can, and he will protect his people. Is that was looking at this point and thinking about it. I, it reminded me of the spring of 1967 before I was born. By the way, most of you were around, but me, I was not born yet. And by the spring of 1967, following close to a decade of relative calm, Israel found itself poise for war against four Arab neighbors. 6 (38m 25s): So four Arab neighbors were getting ready to invade Israel, but God had a different plan. And it didn't matter if the whole world, which it seemed like the whole world against them, but it wouldn't matter if the whole world was against them. There were miracles in that six day war, eye witness accounts that demonstrate that God was with his people, protecting his people. So I'm going to read a few of those accounts to us today, just to remind us of God's faithfulness. This first one, this first eye witness account is titled 18 Egyptians against two IDF soldiers, yest rail, the cab driver, who was drafted to fight in the six day war as part of the paratroop unit assigned with conquering. 6 (39m 11s): The straits of Tiran told the following upon his return. So you got a cab driver, the Israeli soldiers didn't have to parachute out of the Nord airplanes, which took them into the Taran straights. They landed like spoiled tourists in the airport because the Egyptian regiment, which was on guard there fled before the Israel, Israeli troops were visible on the horizon. After landing, I was sent with another reserve, soldier and electricians. So you've got a cab driver and electrician there to fight the war, to patrol the area. When we had distance ourselves, two kilometers in Egyptian, half track appeared before us filled with soldiers. 6 (39m 54s): And now two with machine guns. On every side, we had only light weapons with a few bullets that could couldn't stop the half track of for a second. So we couldn't turn back. They said, he said, so we stood there in despair, waited for the first shot. And for lack of a better idea, aimed our guns at them two against 18 heavily, heavily outnumbered, and, and not able to defend themselves in the natural, but the shots they didn't come. The half track came to a halt and we decided to cautiously approach it. We found 18 armed inside sitting with guns in hand with a petrified look on their faces. 6 (40m 39s): They looked at us with great fears though, begging for mercy. I shouted hands up. Can you imagine this new found courage hands up as we are marked sitting am I had returned to a state of calm. I asked the Egyptian Sergeant next to me, tell me why didn't you shoot at us? He answered, I don't know. My arms froze. They became paralyzed. My whole body was paralyzed. I don't know why it turned out that these soldiers didn't know that the straights of Turan were already in Israeli hands. Why didn't they eliminate us? I don't have an answer. 6 (41m 21s): How can one say that? God didn't help us. Another story titled the finger of God idea of director of operations. Major general ESER Wiseman was asked by Mr. Lebanon, the father of a fallen pilot, how he explains the fact that for three straight hours, Israel air force planes flew from the one Egypt airstrip to another destroying the enemy planes. Yet the Egyptians did not radio ahead to inform their own forces of the oncoming Israeli attack. Easier Wiseman later, who, who later served as president of the state of Israel was silent. Then he lifted his head and exclaimed the finger of God, a secular newspaper, the Haaretz newspaper titled bottom line, following his blow by blow analysis. 6 (42m 14s): The military correspondent for the secular Haaretz newspaper summed up the six day war with the admission. Even a non-religious person must admit this war was fought with the help from heaven, the German viewpoints, the German journalists summarize nothing like this has happened in history of force, including a thousand tanks, hundreds of artillery, cannons, many rockets and fighter jets, and a hundred thousand soldiers armed from head to toe was destroyed in two days in an area covering a hundred hundreds of kilometers filled with reinforced outposts and installations. And this victory was carried out by a force that lost many soldiers and much equipment positions in vehicles. 6 (42m 59s): No military logic or natural cause can explain this monumental occurrence. So the whole world can fight against God's people, but if God's not ready for Israel will be taken out, then they won't be taken out. And so that's what, when people battle against Israel, it's just a losing scenario. And that's why it's important that America stays connected to and stays allies with Israel. Number five, by faith, three men quench the flames of fire Jewish guys, three Jewish guys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They quenched the flames of fire. These three guys refused about out a Kings navigate as a statue. 6 (43m 42s): The statue is 90 feet tall, nine feet wide. So imagine this ceiling's about 30 feet tall. So imagine three times this that's who, who needs a 90 foot statue, by the way, what kind of a person requires a night? I don't know. Never can ask her apparently. So the statue is 90 feet, tall, nine feet wide, and it was gold, solid gold. Well, these three guys refused about down to the Kings statue in Daniel three 19 through 25 says Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. We're going to do some things as believers that make other people upset, uncomfortable, even angry, distorted with rage in our obedience to God, we're, we're going to be offensive to people, but our purpose in life is to be obedient to God and, and do what he's called us to do. 6 (44m 39s): And so that's what these guys did. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into a blazing furnace, throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbines, robes, and other garments. And because the king in his anger had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace. The flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego securely tied, fell into the roaring flames, but suddenly, suddenly Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors. 6 (45m 23s): Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace. Yes, your majesty. We certainly did. They replied look, Nebuchadnezzar shouted. I see four men Unbound and walking around in the fire unharmed. And the fourth looks like a, a God. My faith is three men quench the fires, the flames of fire. And we read later in the story that they came out and didn't even smell like smoke. So I know when I walked by a barbecue, I'm picking up the scent and got home. My wife's like, Hey, you smell like a barbecue. Right? Imagine being inside this furnace and coming out unharmed and a while inside walking around and having fellowship with the Lord, you know, the Lord is with us in our times of trial. 6 (46m 11s): And we forget that. We, we think sometimes that we're all alone, but when we can believe, and we can know that God is with us, he gives us a great deal of courage and confidence to do what he's asked us to do by faith. These three men quenched the flames of fire up against impossible scenarios. God is faithful. Number six, by faith Gideons, a weakness was turned to strength. Maybe you're here today. And you identify with Gideon. You just feel weak and insignificant and unimportant and the wrong guy for the job, the wrong person for the job. I think those are the best people. Those are the kinds of people that God wants to use. 6 (46m 53s): Because as we'll see in Gideon's case, when using people like that, broken and humble and contract people, God gets all the glory. And so we will see what happened with Gideon here. Judges six, 12 through 16, says the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, mighty hero. The Lord is with you is getting like, you're talking to me. Do you know who you're talking to? Mighty hero? The Lord is with you. So God sees in us what we don't see in ourselves, right? So we need to learn to see what God sees in us and walk in those things by faith, walk in that identity by faith, giving glory to God, sir, Gideon replied. 6 (47m 39s): If the Lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, the Lord brought us up out of Egypt, but now the Lord has abandoned us and the Midianites. And sometimes we have that same sense. Lord, where are you? Like, why have you not come through? This was Gideon's perspective. He was struggling with his faith in the Lord, turned to him and said, go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you. So I love it. That the strength that we have with the presence of God brings the victory. 6 (48m 24s): So we don't feel like we've got a lot of strength in us. Naturally. We're feel like Lord, these battles are too big for us. These circumstances, whether way over my head, I don't, I don't know how to walk in this. I don't know how to believe you through this. I don't know how to trust you and honor you in my life right now. God says, go in the strength that you have. And I will be with you when God through Christ, who gives us strength. He is faithful to meet us and to lead us and to guide us and to protect us and to provide for us, go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you, but the Lord, but Lord Gideon replied. 6 (49m 5s): How, how can I rescue Israel? We sometimes look at our own lives and think, Lord, how can I do what you're asking me to do? Well, you got to get your eyes off of yourself and onto the Lord, we will never have faith for the supernatural things that God is calling us to. If we are watch looking at ourselves, watching ourselves, but if we keep our eyes on the Lord, he will lead us and he will go with us and we will have the victory. Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh. And I am the least in my entire family. 6 (49m 45s): The Lord said to him, I will be with you and you will destroy the Midianites as if you are fighting against one man. Long story short Gideon defeated the Midianites with 300 soldiers because God caused a panic in immediate and camp and they kill each other. So if we read the whole story, we see that Gideon started with 32,000 warriors, 32,000 men who are ready to go to battle. But God knew that if Gideon went to war with 32,000 troops, and if he got the victory, then he would take the credit for the victory. He would say, look what our strong men have done. Look what we have accomplished. Look, we have conquered. 6 (50m 25s): So it got whittled down the army whittled down Gideon's troops down to 300 so that when they did get the victory, they would recognize that it was God who gave them the victory. God won't share his glory with anyone. He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. So when we, when we trust him and we're filled with his presence and his spirit, and we do the supernatural things that God calls us to do, it will be a mere, miraculous things happening, unfolding God's plan, unfolding God's plan happening. It's it's something that we just kind of get to go along with by his grace, trusting him, believing him and being part of that wonderful and supernatural plan that God has by faith. 6 (51m 15s): Joshua believed God's promise by faith. Israel followed God's plan by faith. Ray Hab trusted God's protection by faith. Daniel shut the mouths of the lions by faith. Three men quenched the flames of fire by faith. Gideon's weakness was turned to strength. Number seven, what will you do by faith? So we can read scripture and grow in our knowledge and our understanding of the word of God and the principles of God. But if we don't apply them, then it's been just an academic exercise and God's not interested in academic exercises. 6 (51m 56s): He's interested in life transformation. So what will we do by faith for God's kingdom? What is God calling us to do? Now? I think about that question corporately for harvest church. I think about that question individually for my life and for my family. And I, I challenge us to do the same thing. Each of you to do the same thing. What will you do by faith? If you can figure out and do ministry in your own strength, then you're not. You're probably not where God would have you to be. But if you're in over your head, that's probably a good indication that you're where God would have you to be. 6 (52m 42s): Because without faith, it's impossible to please God. And by faith, we follow God. And by faith, we believe God. And by faith, we trust God. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It's the assurance of things we can not see. So by definition, faith requires faith, trust confidence in not ourselves, but in the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We, we, we need to humble ourselves and recognize the greatness of God that wants to work through us. And as we humble ourselves and recognize the greatness of God who wants to work through us, then he will do wonderful and supernatural things in our lives will, they will never be the same. 6 (53m 27s): They will never be the same with that. I want to invite the worship team up and invite you to stand. We're going to pray. And then we're going to worship two more and then we'll be dismissed into our mission field, where we get to do by faith, the stuff that God has called us to do. So Lord, we love you. We thank you for your word. I've got nothing to say up here without your word. So thank you Lord, for your word and for how it speaks to us and how you minister to us. Lord, we're humbled by your presence. Every time we gather we're humbled by what you will do with us and innocent through us. As we humbly obey and submit and trusting your timing and trusting your plan and your purpose, Lord God fulfilling the destiny that you put within us to fulfill. 6 (54m 16s): So Lord, as we worship, God, continue to stir us and to speak to us and to direct us and point us in the direction that we're supposed to go. God, be glorified. We pray as we listen and obey in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Let's worship. 9 (54m 43s): Bless you. And keep you Make his face shine upon face to And 3 (1h 0m 25s): Thank you, Jesus, that we get to say amen, over and over again. Let it be God, have your way in our lives. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your salvation. That is, that is new. Every day. God, I pray that we would be a people who seek you each and every single day that we would know your word and we would know your truth. God, that we would hide it in our hearts. So here, ready to fight the good fight of faith. Thank you Jesus. For your presence. We thank you for this house. It's in your precious name. 3 (1h 1m 5s): We pray. Amen.