Put Your Faith Into Action

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: