Following by Faith (Hebrews 11)
"For we walk by faith, not by sight:" (2 Cor 5:7)
REFLECTION: If the LORD is our shepherd then He desires us to follow him. (John 10:27)
In fact Jesus specifically called his people to “Follow me” 17 times in the Gospels. In this world of distractions God is still at work directing his people. God tells us we are to walk by Faith. Faith involves both Discerning and then Doing God’s will. God uses His Precepts (the Bible), Prayer (Time with Him), People (the church), and Providence (circumstances) to reveal His will to us. We use our wills to determine if we will obey.
DIRECTION: When God does reveal his will in any given matter, it will usually produce some kind of crisis that requires faith. Genuine faith is active, not passive and requires us to make some adjustments to our lives and sometimes to our thinking.
1. THE CRISIS OF FAITH We must determine…
A. IS THIS REALLY YOU GOD?
1) Many times we miss God’s direction for our lives because He doesn’t “Fit” our preconceived ideas of what He is like.
2) This was the major stumbling block to Israel, and particularly to the Pharasees.
B. ARE YOU REALLY MY GOD?
1) Lordship is the bottom line issue when God asks us to do what we don’t want to do. (John 7:17) "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
2. THE COST OF FAITH
A. YOU CANNOT WALK WITH GOD WITHOUT MOVING. (Making Adjustments)
1) You may need to make major adjustments in your Circumstances, Relationships, Thinking, Commitments, and Actions in order to follow God.
> What types of adjustments did the following people have to make?
a) Noah. Vs 7
b) Abraham. Vs 8-10
c) Moses chose the dessert over the palace. Vs 24-28
d) Rahab changed her loyalties. Vs 31
e) Jesus Heb. 12:1,2 (2 Cor. 8:9)
f) Paul (Acts 9)
2) How we respond to God reveals what we really believe about God.
a) There can be no obedience without adjustments.
b) Adjustments prepare us for God’s will. (Example: Debt and the sale of my house.)
B. OBEDIENCE IS COSTLY. Luke 14:28,33
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?…So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
> Genuine obedience will involve at least the following:
1) Personal costs: Your obedience (or disobedience) may cost you:
a) Prosperity: Financial Adjustments (From Owner to Manager)
CT Studd (Missionary to China, India, and Africa)
b) Popularity: People may misunderstand you and your motives.
William Carry (Missionary to Africa and India)
c) Problems: Anything that moves causes friction. 2 Cor 11:26
Paul: "For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." (Acts 9:16)
d) Principalities: (Spiritual Warfare) Those in front make the easiest targets.
2) The Cost to others. Your obedience (Or disobedience) will cost others.
a) Since no one is completely independent, our response to God will affect others. (1 Cor 12)
b) Examples:
1) Noah’s obedience affected his family.
2) Abraham’s obedience cost Sarah.
3) Moses obedience cost:
a) His family’s relocation and wandering in the dessert.
b) The Israelites increased work load. (Ex. 5)
4) Jesus’ obedience cost Mary much grief. (Lk 2:35)
5) Paul’s obedience cost Jason. (Acts 17:1-9)
3. THE CROWN OF FAITH. 2 Tim 4:1-8
A. NOTHING DONE IN OBEDIENCE WILL GO UNREWARDED. (Mt. 10:41,42)
GOD IS KEEPING ALL THE RECORDS. (Luke 12:2)
1) Hudson Taylor did go to China and in spite of the cost of his reputation and relationships he obeyed the Lord. By the time he died (in 1905) he was used of God to found the China Inland Mission with 205 missions, 849 Missionaries and 125,000 Chinese Christians. He wrote in his diary the same day he recorded his departure from England:
“Praise God, the number is increasing who are finding out the exceeding joys, the wondrous revelations of His mercies, vouchsafed to those who ‘follow him’ and emptying themselves, leave all in obedience to His great commission.”
2) David Livingstone: “God forbid that we should ever consider the holding of a commission from the King of Kings a sacrifice, so long as other men exteem the service of an earthly government as an honor. I am a missionary, heart and soul. God himself had only one Son, and He was a missionary and a Physician. A poor, poor imitation I am, or wish to be, but in this service I hope to live. In it I wish to die. I still prefer poverty and missions service to riches and ease. This is my choice.”
3) Moses: “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Heb. 11:24-26
4) Jesus: Heb. 12:1-3 “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…”
God uses people
The necessity of the new birth is vividly portrayed in the life of George Whitefield. At 16 he became deeply convicted of his sin. He tried everything to become acceptable to God. He wrote, "I fasted for 36 hours twice a week. I prayed formal prayers several time a day and almost starved myself to death during Lent, but only felt more miserable. Then by God's grace I met Charles Wesley, who put a book in my hand that showed me from the Scriptures that I must be 'born again' or be eternally lost." Finally, Whitefield understood that he had to trust in Jesus Christ. He believed and was both forgiven and changed. After he became a preacher, he spoke at least a thousand times on the subject, "You must be born again."
Hudson Taylor’s Goodbye
J Hudson Taylor: Felt lead of the Lord to become a missionary to China in the last century. His Father had died shortly before he was to leave. He and his widowed mother went to the ship together. He wrote in his journal:
“Never shall I forget that day, nor how she went with me into the little cabin that was to be my home for nearly six months. She joined me in the last hymn that we should sing together…We knelt down and she prayed – the last mother’s prayer I was to hear before starting for China. Then notice was given that we must separate, and we had to say good-bye, never expecting to meet on earth again.
“For my sake she restrained her feelings as much as possible. We parted; and she went on shore, giving me her blessing! I stood alone on the deck, and she followed the ship as we moved toward the dock gates As we passed through the gates and the separation really commenced, I shall never forget the cry of anguish wrung from that mother’s heart. It went through me like a knife. I never knew so fully, until then, what “God so loved the world” meant. And I am quite sure that my precious mother learned more of the love of God to the perishing in that hour than in all her life before”.
God honors Faith:
Faith honors God, and God honors faith! If we abide in His will and trust Him implicitly, the Lord will reward our confidence. An incident from the lives of Robert and Mary Moffat underscores this truth in an interesting way. For 10 years these two missionaries faithfully pursued their endeavors in Bechuanaland without one ray of encouragement brightening their way. Not a single person was converted to Christ. Finally the directors of their mission board began to question the wisdom of continuing the work. The very thought of leaving their post, however, brought grief to the devoted couple who felt sure that eventually they would see the fruits of their labors. They stayed on, and for two more years the forces of darkness reigned. Then a friend in England wrote to Mrs. Moffat that she wanted to send her a gift, and asked for a suggestion. In her reply she requested nothing for herself, although she could have used many things. Rather she pleaded, "Send us a communion set; I'm sure we will need one soon." God honored her faith, for the Holy Spirit began to work in hearts, and a short time later six people accepted the Savior. Soon a small group had united to form a church for fellowship and to study the Bible. The communion set from England was delayed en route; but on the very day before the Lord's Supper was to be observed, the gift arrived. Truly, faith had been rewarded!
Feel God tugging
A twelve-year-old boy became a Christian during a revival. The next week at school his friends questioned him about the experience. "Did you see a vision?" asked one friend. "Did you hear God speak?" asked another. The youngster answered no to all these questions. "Well, how did you know you were saved?" they asked. The boy searched for an answer and finally he said, "It's like when you catch a fish, you can't see the fish or hear the fish; you just feel him tugging on your line. I just felt God tugging on my heart."
Mount Everest
Sir Edmund Hillary, who attempted to scale Mount Everest, lost one of the members of his team in the failed effort. He returned to a hero's welcome in London, England, where a banquet held in his honor was attended by the lords and ladies and powerful people of the British Empire. Behind the speakers' platform were huge blown-up photographs of Mount Everest. When Hillary arose to receive the acclaim of the distinguished audience, he turned around and faced the mountain and said, "Mount Everest, you have defeated me. But I will return. And I will defeat you. Because you can't get any bigger and I can."
