The new year just handed each of us a new piece of paper waiting to be filled with faith experiences that will go down in history. A new year means new gone with the old, in with the new. It means excellent opportunities to come our way and significant challenges we must prepare to brace. There are bold risks to take, risks that would require more than just good luck but faith into action. Today and in the next couple of Sundays is Vision Sunday in CLG. My goal is to share with you the route I believe God is leading and directing us to trek moving forward. This year, God gave us more than instruction. He gave us more than a promise. This year, God gave us a challenge, a challenge to “put your Faith in Action!” And, that, my CLG family is our theme for 2022. We’re done talking about it. Now, it’s practice time, action time. This theme is inspired by the story of Jonathan, King Saul's son, who became King David's best friend – brother from another mother and father. I am so encouraged to be reading a story of a man in the Bible who had every reason to be anxious but chose to do the opposite. I am glad that just in these 3 verses, God will fill our spirit with faith, fire, and freedom to rise mighty company of the Living God.
1 Samuel 14:1-14. For the sake of time, let’s read verses 6-7:
6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
” “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends” (George Muller)(PPT). And, so, God honored these two men who put their faith in action. He gave them tremendous victory.
To see the hand of God in this story, we need to understand the situation that Jonathan and the whole nation of Israel were in. Chapter 13:19-22 gives us the context. Israel was in no position to conquer the Philistines because:
1) Israel was outnumbered – In context, "the Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with 3000 chariots, 6000 charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. In contrast, Saul and Jonathan's were only about 600 (v15).
2. Israel had no weapons - It says not a blacksmith could be found in the whole of Israel (v19). The Philistines had a carefully guarded monopoly on iron weapons and blacksmithing. If an Israelite wanted to sharpen his tools, he had to pay a Philistine blacksmith to do it, and they charged high prices for sharpening weapons; not many could afford it. So, “on the day of the battle, not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and Jonathan had them because all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their swords sharpened.
3. The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. When the Israelites saw that they had no match against the vast army of the Philistines, they hid in caves and thick bushes, among the rocks, and pits and cisterns. They hid for their lives in fear. THEY FELT POWERLESS, except Jonathan and his armor-bearer.
In a nutshell, Jonathan and his armor-bearer went to the enemy’s camp while everyone else was afraid. I am glad that Jonathan did not focus on what he could and did not have. They went ahead in faith that the size of their enemy’s army would not restrict God’s ability to help them, that “nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, either by many or by few. Under these circumstances and next to nil resources, Saul’s son Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side. (14:1). And no one was aware that Jonathan and his armor-bearer left to the enemy’s camp. (14:3). They didn't want anyone to get in the way of what they believed could be achieved with God.
Hebrews 11:6 FAITH IS THE WAY TO PLEASE GOD!
Heb 11:1-2 – “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
Genuine faith is from God. It is given and is received from God. Once received, we should develop it by putting it to constant use. Romans 12:3:
3 For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to believe, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
The NIV says, “in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
Genuine Faith is: expectant, unshakeable, and sacrificial.
a) Expectant – faithful followers of God fully expect God to “show up.” They are careful not to forget His benefits (Psalm 103:2). Faith-filled disciples declare what CAN happen, what God can do, rather than focusing on all the reasons why things will not work out. His focus is not on self, circumstances, or what he does not have. His focus is on the Father and what the Father has given him and promised him.
b) Unshakeable/Immovable – Upon what foundation does unshakeable faith rest? Upon the simple truth that the heavenly Father knows what we need (Matt. 6:32), Since He knows, and we know that He cares, we can be at peace, believing in faith that He will guide and protect us. Unshakeable faith eliminates anxiety about the circumstance one finds himself in, no fears concerning the future, and no worries about what others might do.
c) Sacrificial – while the first Adam put His hearts and eyes on what he could take selfishly to benefit himself, the last Adam in the person of Jesus Christ had his heart and eyes on laying his life down for others, believing by faith that the Father would bring eternal grace through His sacrifice.
Genuine faith is brave. It is courageous unwavering trust in God.The present story shows, “The LORD rescued Israel that day” (14:23; cf. Exod 14:30) as the direct result of a single individual’s courageous and unwavering faith in God. Clearly, from a human standpoint, Israel's situation was hopeless. No situation is hopeless for Israel because Yahweh is Israel's God, and "nothing can hinder the LORD from saving” (v. 6).
God’s power is released through faith.
Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) — 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
Luke 17:6 (NKJV) — 6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
This year, I believe God challenges CLG to put our faith in action, to actualize what we have constantly been declaring about our God. Our God saves, heals, and baptizes in the Spirit. He is our King! I also believe that He wants CLG to find the poor, the blind, the disabled, the hurting, the lonely, the beggars, the outcasts, even the homeless and bring them consciously and intentionally into our Father's banquet. We must enlist the whole church is doing so because it is for this very purpose that Christ’s church exists: Salvation, Healing, Transformation, Holy Spirit Baptism in the Name of our King Jesus!
VISION: A Church of growth and impact. CLG is a growing community of Christ-like and Spirit-led believers impacting generations with the gospel of Christ around the globe. (PPT)
MISSION: To transform and empower. CLG is committed to actively working with the Holy Spirit to transform and empower lives with the gospel of Christ.
• Who cares if there are only 2 of us, as long as the Lord is with us.
• Who cares if we're a small church, we can do it.
“Put Your FAITH INto ACTION” Our BattleField/Mining Field
BLACKTOWN LGA BASICALLY, WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED
WHAT’S GOING TO TAKE TO REACH THESE PEOPLE? Faith is not only a commitment to the promises of Christ; faith is also a commitment to the demands of Christ,
James 2: 16-18 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
GOD GAVE US ALL WE NEED
1. Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
2. Great Anointing for service (Acts 1:8)
3. Open heaven in God's House to exercise God's call upon your life
PRACTICAL INSIGHT: THIS IS AN INTIMIDATING POSITION TO BE IN. OUTNUMBERED, THINKING WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH WEAPONS TO WIN OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE HANDS OF OUR ENEMY (poker machine, antisocial behavior, homelessness, mental health cases); make this place a better place for people ). That’s what Jesus did. He does not leave a place the same way He found it.
1. Put your faith into action in your circumstances. SHAKE IT OFF THAT SPIRIT OF INTIMIDATION! When we forget who is on our side and see only our resources (which, in most times, are scarce and limited to the size of the work or assignment), we tend to panic at the sight of the opposition. The Israelites became terrified and hid when they saw the mighty Philistine army. THEY FORGOT THAT GOD WAS ON THEIR SIDE AND THAT HE COULD NOT BE DEFEATED. AS YOU FACE PROBLEMS AND TEMPTATIONS, forget not who is on your side; focus your attention on God and his resources, trust Him to help (Romans 8:37-39) (PPT); expect, stand firm with your faith conviction. Make sacrifices!
Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us be more than conquerors,[a] and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything![b] 38 So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles,[c] fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. Nothing in our present or future circumstances can weaken his love. 39 There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!
2. It is difficult to trust God when you feel that resources are slipping away when you don't seem to have what you need to pull it off. When you don't seem to have enough weapons, enough numbers.
3. GOD WANTED TO GIVE ISRAEL VICTORY WITHOUT SWORDS; SO THEY WOULD REALIZE THEIR TRUE SOURCE OF STRENGTH
4. Too often, God would use delays to test our obedience and patience. But let’s not allow impatience to drive you to disobey God. When you know what God wants, follow His plan regardless of the consequences.
The narrator in 1 Sam 13:5-7 draws our attention to a very sharp contrast between Jonathan and his father, Saul. Saul and his troops were described as quaking with fear in their military campsite in Gilgal. Saul also dishonored the Lord in public when he illegally stepped out of his calling because of fear. After waiting for Samuel for seven days, as Samuel said. And, so Saul’s men began to scatter. Saul started to feel the pressure from all sides. He could not wait for Samuel any longer. He stepped into the priesthood office and conducted a burnt and fellowship offering ceremony. As soon as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived. “What have you done?” asked Samuel. (11) Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, (12) I thought, "Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor. So, I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering. We will tarry!!!
V12) Jonathan did not have the authority to lead all the troops into the battle, but he could start a small skirmish in one corner of the enemy camp. When he did, panic broke out among the Philistines. WHEN YOU ARE FACING A DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT IS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL, ask yourself: ‘WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE NOW TOWARD A SOLUTION?” A few small steps may be just what is needed to begin the chain of events leading to eventual victory.
• Verse 7 – emphasizes the importance of partnership. Do you have faith like Jonathan? DO YOU HAVE AN ARMOR-BEARER?
• Are you willing to be an armor-bearer for someone?
• Are you sold out for this?
• Are you willing to put your faith in this? Strategies may be illogical/won’t work!
8 Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.” YOU WILL SEE
BACKBONE/NON-NEGOTIABLE OF CLG
• WORSHIP/PRAISE/PRAYER/FASTING
? First-morning intercession
? Daniel Fast 2022 – April
? Quarterly Dawn Prayer
? Monthly Prayer & Worship Nights
This year, you and I commit to putting our faith into action! And with the Holy Spirit leading us, the pages of the CLG 2022 yearbook will be filled with FAITH IN ACTION that will prayerfully contribute to improving our neighborhood's family and social climate. I believe that He wants you to find the poor, the blind, the disabled, the hurting, the lonely, the beggars, the outcasts, even the homeless and bring them consciously and intentionally into our Father’s banquet. The LORD will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” Luke 1:37, "with God all things are possible!
IN 2022, may the Holy Spirit sweep your homes with love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, long-suffering.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CHALLENGE?
