Taking That First Step
By Pastor JC Browning
04/29/07
Hebrews 11
I really like the Indiana Jones movie series – I particularly liked the first and the third movie. You see in the First they where looking for the Ark of the Covenant. In the Third they were looking for the Holy Grail. Through all the science and archeology the story came down to what do you believe and what step are you willing to take?
Illustration: Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade – The scene is toward the end where Indy and His father have found the cave. The bad guys have shot his father and he is making his way through the booby traps to reach the Holy Grail. He passes the first two challenges:
• The Will of God
o Penitent Man
o He realizes that he must kneel before God (Honor Him) in order to pass
• The Word of God
o He realizes he must for the word of God (Scripture)
• The Way of God
o He realizes that ultimately he must take a step of faith
He comes to a great chasm and there is no way he can jump it on his own, he can see salvation on the other side but in order to reach it he must cross the chasm. From his vantage point there is only depth and certain failure. But he, after a prayer, takes that step and finds there was a bridge across all along but from his point of view he could not see it.
Our Christian walk is like that we have to admit that we must humble ourselves before God. We must admit that through the following of scripture we will find our way. But finally every step we make must ultimately start with a step of faith.
We will find many chasms in life that we can see where we need to be and there is nothing on this earth that will get us across that great expanse and we begin to fall back on world beliefs that we must settle for less because we can’t achieve it. But our Heavenly Father wants more for us but sometimes he wants us to trust him and take a leap of faith.
Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Let’s Pray:
I. The Will of God:
a. We must realize that we must humble ourselves and follow Gods will.
i. Philippians 2:12 – 13
1. 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
b. God’s Will and Purpose
i. For us to hear we must be
1. Willing to listen
2. Ready to listen
3. Prepared to listen
II. The Word of God:
a. We must realize that we must read, understand, and follow God Word.
i. John 1: 1-5
1. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.
ii. II Timothy 3:16 – 17
1. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
b. God’s Word
i. We must be prepared to receive the word of the Lord
1. Through establishment of the relationship
2. Through study and prayer
ii. We must spend time reading and studying His Word
iii. We must learn to understand His Word and it’s meaning in our lives.
1. The ayah! Factor – That time when you’ve read scripture over and over and suddenly the light goes on, and you understand the scriptures meaning in your live.
iv. Once we understand the scriptures, they do us NO good what so ever if we don’t follow them.
And Finally the:
III. The Way of God:
a. Illustration: A police exam read: You are on patrol in outer London when an explosion occurs in a gas main in a nearby street. On investigation you find that a large hole has been blown in the footpath and there is an overturned van lying nearby. Inside the van there is a strong smell of alcohol. Both occupants—a man and a woman—are injured. You recognize the woman as the wife of your Divisional Inspector, who is at present away in the USA. A passing motorist stops to offer you assistance and you realize that he is a man who is wanted for armed robbery. Suddenly a man runs out of a nearby house, shouting that his wife is expecting a baby and that the shock of the explosion has made the birth imminent. Another man is crying for help, having been blown into an adjacent canal by the explosion, and he cannot swim.
Bearing in mind the provisions of the Mental Health Act, describe in a few words what actions you would take. The officer thought for a moment, picked up his pen, and wrote: ’I would take off my uniform and mingle with the crowd.’
What would you do in the circumstances? The remainder of today’s message is about what we do when we face the impossible.
b. Joshua 3 : 14 – 17
i. 14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea [a] ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
c. Ephesians 6 : 16
i. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
d. In my opening Illustration Indiana Jones had to take that step of faith, we must be prepared to take that step when the time comes. If we have not prepared ourselves we will not have the knowledge, strength, or courage to make the move.
e. Hebrews 11: 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
f. Hebrews:
i. 8 – 19 Abraham
1. When told to go he went
2. Had a son in old age
3. Offered his only son as a sacrifice
ii. 23 – 28 Moses
1. By Faith his mother saved him
2. He was offered the greatest treasures in the land but instead chose to the life of the saves because he knew there was more
3. Lead God’s people
iii. 29 Red Sea
1. Lead into the desert
2. Walked out of a hopeless situation into a parted Red Sea
3. Stumbled but kept going, Forgiveness
g. It is in the face of the seemingly impossible that our relationships and strengthened.
i. Tithing & Finances
ii. Teaching and Leadership
iii. Witnessing
iv. Facing of temptations & trials
v.
Conclusion:
The Will of God –
We must establish that relationship and thereby begin to understand God’s will for our lives
The Word of God –
We must Read, Understand, and Follow the word of our Lord.
The Way of God –
It is in the face of the seemingly impossible that our relationship with Our Lord is truly tempered and tested.
Let’s Pray:
