Dealing With Faith Failure

Dealing with Faith Failure

Griffith Baptist Church – 1/18/09

A.M. Service

Text: Hebrews 11:27-29

Key verse: Exodus 14:12-13 - 12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. 13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Premise: Sometimes our faith is weak and fails, and God teaches us three wonderful truths from Moses life that will help us get back on the faith track.

The Introduction

It is said that Thomas Edison performed 50,000 experiments before he succeeded in producing a storage battery. We might assume the famous inventor would have had some serious doubts along the way. But when asked if he ever became discouraged working so long without results, Edison replied, “Results? Why, I know 50,000 things that won’t work.” Today in the Word, August, 1990

It is not easy to deal with failure, especially in regards to our faith.

Well. we have talked a lot about the success of faith but what about when your faith failure?

What about when it wanes or experiences shaky moments?

These can come for a lot of reasons:

o Not walking close to God like you once were

o Sin has entered your life

o Preoccupation with other areas of life that distract from the spiritual

o Problems that seem insurmountable

The truth is that all of these can lead to or even come from a faith failure. James 1:5-8 says - 5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

No one likes to be known as unstable, but that is exactly what happens when we don’t believe God 100%. Maybe that is why we are sometimes so powerless in our Christian life.

There are three wonderful truths from Moses life that will help us get back on the faith track.

Body

1. Remember God’s Presence – 27

A. Moses didn’t tremble at the power of Pharaoh, even though it was great

i. Pharaoh was the most powerful ruler at that time

ii. Moses caused quite a stir with Pharaoh but went in the confidence of God

iii. This was boldness and courage in the face of human power and danger

B. 24 year old Danny Simpson was sentenced to 6 years in jail for robbing a bank. Danny got 6 years in the clink for stealing $6,000. But the gun he used in the robbery ended up in a museum. The .45 caliber Colt semi-automatic turned out to be an antique made in 1918 by the Ross Rifle Company. His pistol was worth up to $100,000 on the collectors market. If Danny Simpson had known what he had in his hands, he would not have ended up in jail. Many Christians live like this. They spend their lives searching for God’s power and presence, not realizing it’s already in their hands.

C. God is here.

i. He is limitless in His presence (omnipresence)

a. Psalms 139:7 - 7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (and verses 8-12)

b. He may be invisible, but He just as real.

ii. He is limitless in His power (omnipotence)

a. Psalms 135:6 - Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

b. Man can try to destroy the thought of God, but He will never succeed in destroying God.

c. God creates and sustains.

iii. He is limitless in His knowledge (omniscient)

a. Psalms 139:1 - 1O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. (and verses 2-3)

b. He knows every square inch of His universe, past, present, future.

c. He is intimately knowledgeable, right down to the last detail

d. The very hairs of your head are numbered (Matt. 10:30)

2. Rely on God’s Protection – 28

A. God commanded the Israelites to obey His command if they wanted their firstborn to live – (Ex. 11-12)

i. The last plague was the worst of all

ii. God said He would kill all the first born of Egypt from Pharaoh on down (Ex. 11:5)