2-26-25 S.U.M. It Up!

    

2-23-25 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FAITH EXPLORED: If you want to see God’s power, you have to be willing to step out. 2-23-25

FAITH EXPLORED: If you want to see God’s power, you have to be willing to step out. 2-23-25

INTRODUCTION

 

Welcome this morning Church. We are so excited you have joined us for worship today. We are in the final week of our sermon series called Faith Explored. We have been discovering passages throughout the Bible of individuals who exercised extraordinary faith. The first week we discovered that we often have to take the first step of faith in order to see God do amazing things within our lives. Two weeks ago, we were challenged to keep our eyes on Jesus when our faith wanes because of the wind and waves of life. Last week, we explored what it means to faithfully follow God where he leads—even when the path is unclear. 

 

This week we will look at how our faith can stay strong even when it might cost us something. If we want to see God’s power in our lives, we must hold strong to our trust in him no matter what. When we believe strongly in something, we are willing to pay the cost to remain committed to it. 

 

It is similar to making the decision to invest in a vacation timeshare. We knew that the decision we made in 2004 would have an impact on our finances going forward. We made the decision to buy knowing that we would have to say “no” to other wants.  We would drive 17 year old cars so we could enjoy family vacations.  We would remain in our current house and improve it rather than finding a new home. Our strong belief in our need to vacation with our family impacted our entire life.  And we were committed to it.  We still are. 

 

The Old Testament gives us a story of three young men who faced immense challenges to their faith in God. It all began with a traumatic experience for the Hebrew people. 

 

Somewhere between 600-585 BC, the Jewish people were attacked by the nation of Babylon. During that time, the Babylonians took the best and the brightest people and indoctrinated them into Babylonian culture. Archeological evidence suggests that 25 percent of Judah was displaced from Israel. Everything about their way of life was interrupted—from their diet to their worship. Everything was changed to fit their new context. 

 

The Old Testament book of Daniel clearly describes how hard it was to be in exile. The king of Babylon was a man named Nebuchadnezzar. We read in Daniel chapter three how he was exerting his power over the Jewish exiles in captivity.

 

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.””

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Nebuchadnezzar raised a golden idol that is 60 cubits (90 feet) high and 6 cubits (9 feet) wide. The statue was massive. It was a spectacle, and the King made sure everyone attended the dedication. There was a clear command: when you hear the sound of the instruments, the flute, the lyre, the pipe, everyone must bow down and worship the golden idol. It was not just about religion; it was about allegiance to the king. It was about worship and dedication to someone other than the one true God: Yahweh. And if you did not obey, you would be thrown into a fiery furnace.   

 

This story points to a very important fact. 

 

I.  We All Worship Something.

 

A.  Humans worship.

The difficulty was that living in Babylon at the time there were many Jewish people who worshiped Yahweh and trusted him alone. They put their faith, hope, and trust in him exclusively. But they were being forced to worship someone else. Not only that, if they did not listen to the commands given, their lives would be at stake. It would cost them everything to remain faithful to God. 

 

Though we in the church are not necessarily being forced to bow down and worship a massive golden idol, we are being tempted to bow down to other gods. We all have areas of our lives that receive our time, energy, attention, and affection. Wherever the majority of our lives are focused is a good indication of what we worship. 

 

B.  Culture pressures us to worship what it worships.

Within our culture there is pressure to bow down to the god of travel baseball, the god of the bank account, the god of social status, the god of relationships, the god of career, the god of Instagram and Facebook, and so much more. The expectation is the same. When these gods demand you bow, you bow. No questions asked. And you know what? We do!  Because if we don’t, it will cost us our reputation, our positions, our friendships, and our comfort. In the end, one of the greatest idols we serve that keeps us from true faith is the god of certainty and control. 

C.  We must give God everything.

 

A young man was eager to grow in His Christian life. He found a piece of paper and made a list of all the things he would do for God. He wrote down the things he would give up, the places he would go to minister, and the areas of ministry he would enter. He was excited! He took his list to the church and put it on the altar. He thought he would feel joy, but instead he felt empty. So he went home and started adding to his list. He wrote down more things he would and wouldn’t do. He took the longer list and put it on the altar, but still he felt nothing. He went to a wise, old pastor, and told him the situation. The pastor said, “Take a blank sheet of paper. Sign your name at the bottom. Put that on the altar.” The young man did, and then peace came to his heart. 

https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/give-yourself-to-god

One of the greatest ways we commit to an unshakable faith is by giving God a blank sheet of paper and signing our name as a way of telling him we will follow him no matter what. As we learned last week, that is what Abraham did when he left his home and decided to follow God without knowing the destination. 

II.  Faith In Its Simplest Form Is Trust.

A.  We must trust God - alone.

The King made a decree that all would bow down when the music played and worship his massive idol. There were three men—Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego—who refused to bow down and worship the King’s idol. You know why? They knew the God they worshiped is greater than any man-made idol. The God they worshiped could not and would not be superseded by a mere gold statue. Their allegiance lay with God and God alone.

 

“But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.””

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Our faith may cost us dearly.

King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He demanded the three young men be thrown into the fiery furnace as a punishment for their refusal to bow down in worship. In reading this passage, you get a picture into the incredible faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their response to the king was that they trusted that God was able to deliver them from the fire. The key to their statements was: even if God doesn’t save us, we will still never bow down to a false god!

 

C.  We must pay the price.

We have made the statement throughout this entire series that if we want to see God’s power in our lives, we have to be willing to step out, lay it all on the line, display a radical faith, and be willing to count the cost of following God no matter what. Jesus actually spoke to this concept in the New Testament as well when he was expounding on what it means to be a true disciple. 

 

“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Jesus began by showing that he himself was willing to pay the cost of remaining faithful to the will and ways of God. He was rejected and ultimately killed for his commitment to the Kingdom of God. Because of this, we can expect to experience a similar cost in our lives. There are Christians all around the world who are in danger of losing their lives for their faith, and many do each day. In fact, right now there are more martyrs each year than during the early Church’s persecution. To Jesus, true faith means being willing to take up our cross daily to follow him. In fact, it is in losing our lives for his sake that we actually save our lives. 

 

Author Joseph Stowell wrote in his book Through The Fire about missionary David Livingstone. “I think of David Livingstone, the pioneer missionary to Africa, who walked over 29,000 miles. His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethren. He ministered half-blind. His kind of perseverance spurs me on. As I run, I remember the words in his diary: Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart.” 

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood this New Testament concept in their Old Testament context and held the same heartbeat as Livingstone. The fiery furnace was heated seven times its normal level because of the king’s rage. They were thrown in. Their faith came at a cost. 

D.  When we step out in faith, Jesus is there with us.

 

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.””

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Three men went in, but there was a fourth in the fire. Most scholars agree this is what is called a theophany. It is a physical manifestation of God in the flesh. Some scholars believe the fourth person in the fire was a preincarnate Christ. God did not keep the three of them out of the fire because of their faith, but he did not let them go through it alone. 

 

I have had the heartbreaking privilege of walking through trying times with church members. Sometimes it is the struggle to remain faithful when they want to give up. Sometimes it is when they have questions without answers. Sometimes it is through the loss of a loved one. Recently, a church held a funeral for a young mother. It was incredibly emotional and caused many in the family to question God. In the final moments of the graveside, the pastor walked over to put his hand on her elementary-aged son’s shoulder. When he did, the boy looked up at him and said, “I know. God already put his hand on my shoulder and told me everything was going to be OK.” 

 

When we find the courage to lean on our faith during hard times, it is only because we can see that Jesus is there with us. I have had moments in my life when things were hard, and although I can’t explain it I have had the sense I was in the presence of God.

 

III.  In Our Greatest Time Of Need, We Find We Are Not Alone.

A.  You are not alone.

Demonstrated for us throughout the Scriptures is a God who is willing to go to great lengths to rescue His people. In fact, the name given to Jesus at his birth was Immanuel—God with us. There may be someone here this morning that needs to hear this: “You are not alone.” God is in the fire with you. He is not somewhere far off and removed. He is as close as your next breath. 

 

What if our courage to hold onto our faith in this manner could have the same impact as those three Jewish boys? The end of the story tells us this…

 

“Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Your faith may help others find their own faith.

 

The word Nebuchadnezzar used here is a specific word for God; he has not used it before. He said, “the most High God,” which is El Elyon. A king who spent an untold amount of wealth, power, and influence to demand everyone worship him and his golden statue declared that the God of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego is the God Most High.

Do you want to see the power of God in your life? The kind of power that can make a Babylonian king believe in God? Then you must step out in faith and stay true to God no matter what it costs. 

CONCLUSION

We all worship something.  Faith in its simplest form is trust. In our greatest time of need, we are not alone.

Sailors in the northern oceans have frequently observed icebergs traveling in one direction in spite of strong winds blowing in the opposite direction. The icebergs were moving against the winds, but how?

The explanation is that the icebergs, with eight-ninths of their bulk under the water surface, were caught in the grip of strong currents that moved them in a certain direction, no matter which way the winds raged.

In the Christian life, no matter how strongly the winds of passing opinion blow in opposition, the believer who has a depth of living in the currents of God’s grace should move toward righteousness.

Mark Schaeufele, A Messiah Who Deals With Opposition, 6/10/2010.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 2-19-25

    

02-16-25 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FAITH EXPLORED: If you want to see God’s power, you have to be willing to step out. 2-16-25

FAITH EXPLORED: If you want to see God’s power, you have to be willing to step out. 2-16-25

INTRODUCTION

Pic – GLCC snacks

We are in the middle of a sermon series called Faith Explored. We have been looking at different stories of faith in the Scriptures and asking what we can learn from them about placing our trust in God. The first week we discovered that we often have to take the first step in faith in order to see God do amazing things within our lives. Last week we were challenged to keep our eyes on Jesus when our faith wanes because of the wind and waves of life. This week we want to explore what it means to faithfully follow God when he leads us, even when the path is unclear.

 

A dad told this story about a backpacking trip with his sons. 

“A few years ago, I took my boys backpacking in the mountains of North Carolina. It was one of their first backpacking trips, and I wanted to make sure they had a great experience. I went to great lengths to fit them with the right gear and chose a hike and campsite that would leave them wanting more. We traveled a few hours to the trailhead and set out for our destination. I had been to that location many times, so I kept the map in our bags, and we were on our way. Within minutes of hitting the trail, a dense fog rolled in and enveloped us. It was so thick that we could only see a few yards in front of us. I became nervous because, suddenly, I was unsure about the route we were supposed to take. My normal landmarks weren’t visible. I was uneasy about navigating the path on my own. We pulled out the map and compass and decided to let them guide us. It was difficult to trust those tools even though they are meant for that very application. I kept wanting to second guess them, but, sure enough, we eventually arrived safely at our campsite. Sometimes you have to put your faith in something more reliable than yourself in order to get where you want to go.”

 

Isn’t that just like life? Many of us have found ourselves in situations and circumstances outside of our control and were unsure of what to do next. It is in those times that we must rely on God as our map and compass to make it to the place he longs to take us. To do this requires faith. When we place our faith in him, we will see him do amazing things in and through us.

 

I.  God Has A Plan For Your Life.

 

A.  You have a purpose.

There is story after story within the Scriptures of God leading and guiding his people to new places and new tasks. It is always because God has an intention for those individual’s lives. God made them on purpose and for a purpose. The truth is that God has done the same with you. You were not created by accident. God made you with a plan in mind.

 

The beginning of the Bible tells the story of a world that was created good and perfect but was eventually marred by sin. All of creation spiraled out of control, and the author of the book, by chapter 11, wants the reader to ask the question: Will God do anything to make things right once again and restore his beloved creation? The answer to this question comes in chapter 12 through a man named Abram (later named Abraham).

 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

God spoke to Abram about the plan he had for His life. God intended to use Abram and his family to bless the entire earth if Abram was willing to follow God’s lead. God was going to make Abram a great nation. He was going to make Abram’s name great. He was going to bless him. Why? For Abram’s sake alone? No. For the sake of a broken creation. So, no pressure, but he was being invited into a grand story that would change everything.

 

Should he choose to accept it.

B.  Have you accepted your purpose?

 

Notice that the stakes are high. Abram would have to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household. It was going to cost him something. It wouldn't be easy. And on top of that, there was no expressed destination. Abram did not know where he was going. Here is why. It was because following God is an act of faith.

 

We don’t need to exercise trust if we know how the story ends. We don't need  to have faith if we can do it on our own. For everyone who is here today: God has a plan for your life, but that plan may not be clear to you. Maybe you sense God wants you to accept a call into full-time ministry. Maybe God is leading you to serve your community in an amazing way. Maybe God is inviting you to make a literal move—a change of location. Maybe God wants you to take some kind of risk for him. Either way, it is highly likely that if you were to be obedient to God’s leading, you may be a blessing to someone or some place that you cannot see right now. One of my favorite missionaries who saw the value of obedience was named Adoniram Judson.

 

When Adoniram Judson graduated from seminary, he received a call from a fashionable church in Boston to become its assistant pastor. Everyone congratulated him. His mother and sister rejoiced that he could live at home with them and do his life work, but Judson shook his head. “My work is not here,” he said. “God is calling me beyond the seas. To stay here, even to serve God in his ministry, I feel would be only partial obedience, and I could not be happy in that.”

Although it cost him and was a great struggle, he left his mother and sister to follow the heavenly call. The churches that Judson started in Burma, now the country of Myanmar, have had 50,000 converts to Christianity. The influence of Judson’s consecrated life is felt around the world. 

William J. McRae, The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts.

Is God calling you to something new? Something scary? Something big? Something hard? Are you willing to answer the call, even if you are unsure of where it might lead?

 

II. God Is Always Speaking. Are You Listening?

 

A.  God is always speaking.

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background.

A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area.

After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you for coming, but the job has just been filled."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!"

The employer said, "I’m sorry, but the last several minutes while you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code. ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his."

Autoillustrator.com, LISTEN.

B.  Are you listening?

In order to live a life of faith like Abram did, we have to train ourselves to hear the voice of God. But what does he sound like? How do I know if he is speaking to me?

 

Throughout the Bible, God uses any means necessary to communicate to his people. He used a burning bush to speak to Moses about his plan to rescue his people. He used a donkey to speak to Absalom. One story of God speaking that I think gives us a way of hearing God’s voice is about a man named Elijah.

 

Elijah was an Old Testament prophet of God. He was used by God to do amazing things. At one point in his life, he had a showdown with a group of prophets of a false god named Baal. Elijah called down fire in a dramatic show of God’s power and the prophets were consumed by the blaze. Though he was a hero, he fled to the wilderness to escape the retribution of an evil queen named Jezebel. It is there, in the wilderness, that Elijah heard from God in a way that teaches us how to receive revelation from God and live with inspired faith.

 

 “The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

It is interesting that it is not until after all the loud, grandiose, and flashy things have passed that God finally speaks and comforts Elijah with his words. But rather than them coming in the wind, earthquake, or fire, the words of God come in a still, quiet voice.

Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions throughout the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, 'Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin' and I'll tell you really fast.' Suddenly, realizing her frustration, I answered, 'Honey, you can tell me—and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.’ I'll never forget her answer: 'Then listen slowly.’” 

Charles Swindoll, Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp. 13-14)

 

Like Charles Swindoll, we live in a world that is always listening to the loudest and most demonstrative voice. We are consumed by it through television, internet, and social media. But what if we are so busy and overstimulated that we are missing the still small voice of God all around us? I believe that in order to have faith to follow we must retreat to places of silence and solitude and listen slowly in order to hear God’s leading. This may mean you have to clear your schedule. You may have to say “no” to things, even good things. You may have to make intentional space for prayer and contemplation. These ways of living are contrary to the American way of life. But to live the life of faith is to live with our ears attuned to the voice of God.

 

III. Be Willing To Go.

A.  Willingness

Back to Abram. After God gave Abram instructions to leave and follow, even though the destination was undefined, it is worth noting that Abram did. He was obedient to God’s lead, and he became the father of the nation of Israel!

 

“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Action

It is one thing to hear God’s plan, but it is another thing altogether to step out in faith and go where he leads. There are countless families who have been transformed because someone was willing to listen to and follow God. There are stories of whole communities that have been impacted by a single person who took God seriously when he called.  The question is will you be willing to go where God leads? 

I am reminded of the great missionary Hudson Taylor. He was a great man of faith who founded China Inland Mission. He was dedicated to integrating faith and risk. He said this: "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith."

Deliberation is the work of many men. Action, of one alone.

Charles de Gaulle

Action should not be confused with haste.

Lee Iacocca

He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.

J. F. Clarke

Don't find fault. Find a remedy.

Henry Ford

The Complete Book of Wise Words and Quotes.

May we accept the invitation from God to risk for the sake of the Gospel. This morning we are going to listen intently to the still small voice of the Father and muster the courage and obedience to go wherever he leads. I invite you to pray this prayer with me.

 

CONCLUSION

Many years before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, he was a store-keeper in Salem, Illinois. Abe had a rifle displayed in his store that was one of the most beautiful rifles ever made. The barrel was made from the finest steel, the stock from the best walnut wood; and a world-famous gunsmith had assembled the gun. The price was extremely reasonable. Displayed next to this attractive gun was a rack of ordinary Kentucky squirrel rifles. These long-barrel rifles were made from ordinary gun steel, and plain wooden stocks. Yet, the price was higher.

A customer entered the store looking for a new rifle. He was impressed by the fine-looking gun, but was confused as to why it was priced much lower than the less attractive rifles. Abe explained that the good-looking rifle was for show, while the others were for shooting. The pioneer bought the Kentucky squirrel rifle.

A little while later, a rich farmer was decorating a room in his country mansion. He wanted to place a gun over the fireplace mantle with his big game trophies. Abe’s fancy gun was exactly what he needed. The fact that it would not shoot was irrelevant. The purpose of the gun had changed.

God has given each of us a purpose, too. We can choose to work for God’s glory and make disciples for Christ, or we can choose to be decorations in the church. What purpose are you serving in your relationship with Christ?

Don Holliday, The Scocaster - 10,000 Sermon Illustrations, September 27, 1998.

God has a plan for your life.  God Is Always Speaking. Are You Listening? You must be willing to go.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 2-14-25

    

02-09-2025 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FAITH EXPLORED: If you want to see God’s power, get out of the boat 2-9-25

FAITH EXPLORED: If you want to see God’s power, get out of the boat 2-9-25

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to worship Church. We are in the middle of a sermon series called Faith Explored. We have been taking a look at the ways individuals in the Bible displayed incredible faith in God. They saw God do amazing things because they were willing to step out in trust and obedience.

 

Last week we looked at the Israelite people crossing the River Jordan into the Promised Land. In Joshua Chapter three, we saw that their unique faith was displayed by being willing to step into the water before it was parted, not after. Sometimes we have to take the first step to see God’s faithfulness at work.

 

This week we will look at another angle of faith that is present in the Scriptures. It is the interplay between faith and fear. Over the past few years, the Church has become well acquainted with navigating these two extremes. The global pandemic, increased gun violence, and a global financial crisis are just a few of the challenges we all face today.  Some of us may have been tempted to abandon our faith and embrace fear. But fear paralyzes us and keeps us from being the hands and feet of Christ in a broken world. As we explore faith today, we will learn the key to holding onto our faith in the face of fear.

If we let it, life can overwhelm us with fear. Anyone can become afraid of anything. They are called phobias. I certainly have a few, and maybe you do too. See if you can guess the fear that these different phobias are describing. Peladophobia: fear of baldness and bald people. Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple. Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people. Auroraphobia: fear of the northern lights. Calyprophobia: fear of obscure meanings. Odontophobia: fear of teeth. Graphophobia: fear of writing in public. Phobophobia: fear of being afraid. And the number one fear in the United States as of a few years ago is Glossophobia: fear of public speaking, which affects 25 percent of Americans.

 

There are many people within the Church today who are not living up to their full potential in Christ. They don’t live generous lives; they don’t serve others; they don’t make worship a priority; and they don’t take risks for the sake of Christ. Why? There might be lots of reasons but one of the biggest, I believe, is because of fear. A fear of what others might think. A fear of what following Jesus might cost them. But if we want to see the power of God in our lives, we have to be willing to step out.

 

A disciple named Peter learned this lesson in a classic story from the Gospels. In Matthew chapter fourteen, John the Baptist died in prison and Jesus fed the 5,000. After all that, Jesus sent his disciples out on a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee while he went up a mountainside to pray.

 

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭22‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The disciples were alone in the boat on the water, and the author set the stage for what was about to happen. There was a storm, and the boat the disciples were in was being tossed by the wind and waves. The Greek word used here is the word basanizo. It literally means to examine, to torture, or to buffet. The disciples found themselves in a difficult and scary situation. A circumstance that was outside of their control.

 

I. Life Is Often Outside Of Our Control.

 

A.  The waves and winds of life are always there.

Every one of us in the room today can point to a time in recent memory where we felt tossed by the waves and winds of life. A diagnosis. A tragedy. A crisis. A disappointment. These are the very things that are often outside of our control but cause our faith to waver. It can leave us feeling vulnerable and exposed, and we can wonder where Jesus is in the middle of it all. The storms of life are unavoidable. The question is: who do we trust in in the middle of it?

 

B.  Life can be scary.

It is like the little boy whose mother was tucking him into bed during a summer night storm. She was about to turn off the light when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "That big sissy!"

C.  Fear can make you miss Jesus.

It was a dark and stormy night, and the disciples were being tossed around in their tiny boat. Now, many of Jesus’s followers were fishermen, so they would have encountered a storm or two; but their immediate response was fear. That would indicate that the storm was particularly dangerous.

Continuing in Matthew 14:24, the Bible says that just before dawn, Jesus came out to them walking on the water. Jesus was demonstrating his power and control over the elements of the storm. But when the disciples saw him, they were gripped with fear because they thought he was a ghost or spirit. Because of fear, the disciples miss that Jesus was right there with them in the middle of the wind and waves.

II. Faith Is Not The Absence Of Fear; it Is the Result Of The Presence Of Jesus.

A.  We must be strong and courageous.

Immediately, Jesus spoke to them. The words he said are echoes of the most repeated command in the Bible. Two hundred times in the Scriptures, God told His people to not be afraid and to take courage. It is the command given to Joshua before they cross the River Jordan, as we discussed last week.

 

 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Facing uncertainty in a new land and the crossing of a flooded body of water, God told his people to have courage. Not because all the obstacles would be eliminated but because God was going to be with them as they went.

B.  The presence of Jesus makes the storm seem less ______.

 

The same is true in this passage as well. Jesus told the disciples to take courage in the middle of the storm because he was with them.

 

 “But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Jesus’s' most comforting words to the disciples are: “It is I.” They didn’t have to be afraid because they were not alone. Maybe someone needs to hear that this morning. You can have faith in the middle of what you are going through because you are not alone. Jesus is with you. That is the beauty of faith. You can do hard things and make a difference for the Kingdom even though you may be fearful. It does not disqualify you from trusting and obeying. You were created to live with faith.

 

Dr. E. Stanley Jones was a missionary and author. He once said, “I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely—these are my native air.” A John Hopkins University doctor said, ‘We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.” But I, who am simple of mind, think I know. We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

 

C.  With Jesus, anything seems possible.

The Apostle Peter lived in the reality of faith. Look at Peter. Peter’s response to Jesus’s presence was to ask him to invite him out of the boat and onto the water. I think Peter had seen Jesus do such amazing things throughout their ministry together that he longed to face his fear and get out of the safety of the boat to do what Jesus did. I would argue that many of us feel the same way deep down. Deep down we long to be invited out of the boat of a comfortable life to see God do amazing things. But to see those things we have to be willing to get out of the boat. Jesus’s response to Peter’s invitation? “Come.” Do it then Peter. Come out onto the water and see your faith overcome your fear.

 

III. Keep Your Eyes On Jesus.

 

Peter obediently got out of the boat at Jesus’s invitation. Right before the disciples’ eyes, a miracle took place. Peter was walking on water. That is the goal of the Christian life: to respond to God’s call to trust him and have the faith to take risks for God, blessing others with our actions.

 

But just as quickly as Peter was above the water he began to sink.

 

A.  Even with faith, we can falter.

 “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭30‬-‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus.

Peter’s flaw was that he let his eyes focus on the swirling waters around him and not remain fixed on Jesus. If we are honest, we have the tendency to do the same thing. Though we may have started by developing a deep faith with eyes on Jesus, if we are not careful, the worries of the world will creep in. The struggle with faith is that it does not have a long shelf life. Many of us try to live off of recycled faith. We don’t take the time to nurture a vibrant trust in God that is renewed each and every day. The danger in this way of living is that our eyes can drift from the Savior to our circumstances, and we may begin to sink.

 

My wife and I have always been confident in our faith in Jesus. It has guided us throughout our lives individually and in our marriage. In some ways, it has always felt unshakable. However, last year we felt the winds and waves like never before. My wife’s father had a neurological event and did not recover.  My dad passed while in hospice care just about 6 weeks later. In both cases, we felt like God was going to provide health instead of death. We prayed and felt God was with us and that He would see us through. It was devastating. Many within our family found themselves wondering where God was in the middle of all the pain. Admittedly, my wife and I felt our eyes shift from Jesus to the waves of grief. So much pain and so little relief.

C.  We must reach out to Jesus.

 

Maybe you have felt your eyes move from Jesus to the painful situations you find yourself in. We are wise to respond the way Peter did. He cried out, “Save me!” This is the proper response to a fragile faith. There is no shame in reaching out for Jesus’s rescue. He is our ever-present help in time of need.

 

As Jesus pulled Peter from the water, he asked him why he had such little faith and why he doubted. I wonder who Peter was doubting though. It could not have been Jesus because Jesus was still atop the water. Peter must have been doubting his own ability to do what Jesus was doing. He was questioning his own ability to trust. The key is keeping our eyes on Jesus because he is the one who provides the power to live the full life of God. Once Jesus and Peter were back in the boat, the waters calmed and the disciples worshiped him because they knew he is the Son of God.

 

Today, I believe Jesus is giving each of us the same invitation he gave to Peter: to leave the comfort and security of the boat and step out onto the waters of audacious faith to see the power of God work in you and through you in amazing ways. There will always be waves, winds, and distractions from Christ, but if we can keep our eyes on him, there is no telling what we can do.

CONCLUSION

Life is often outside of our control. Faith is not the absence of fear; it is the result of the presence of Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 2-5-25

    

2-2-25 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FAITH EXPLORED: Ankle Deep 2-2-25

FAITH EXPLORED: Ankle Deep 2-2-25

Today we begin a new sermon series that deals with the very core of what it means to be a Christian. The Bible is full of individuals and groups of people who did incredible things, not because of the strength they had in and of themselves, but because of their great faith in God. A God-sized faith is displayed when we step out in trust before the miracle takes place. It means we keep our eyes on Jesus when storms rage around us. It means we are willing to follow God without fully knowing where it will take us. And it means living for God, even if it costs us something. For the next few weeks, we are going to explore the lessons we can learn from the extraordinary faith of some of the greatest stories in Scripture. In order to begin this series on faith and trust, it would be helpful to define what we mean by faith. There are many different ways to talk about this aspect of our relationship with God, but there is a passage of Scripture that captures it in a simple and concise way. We find it in the book of Hebrews.

 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The author of Hebrews says faith is an assurance and a conviction about what or who is trustworthy. But this trust is based on things that are hoped for but unseen. When people have faith in Jesus, they are placing their belief, hope, and trust in someone they cannot touch or feel. Yet, they hold deep conviction that the Spirit of God is worthy of their confidence. Maybe it is better to demonstrate this truth for you.

 

Trust Fall story about SITS and Louie Weber.

 

The stories of faith in the Scriptures have been given to us as an example to follow. God desires for his people to live out extraordinary faith. The first story we will look at today shows us that sometimes we have to take a first step to see that God is trustworthy.

 

I.  We Become Witnesses of God’s Power When We Are Full Of Faith.

 

The Bible tells us that when Moses rescues the people of Israel after 400 years of slavery in Egypt, they begin a long journey, or Exodus, to a place that had been promised to God’s people in the book of Genesis and the book of Numbers. This location was called the Promised Land. It was said to be a place “flowing with milk and honey.” It was a symbol of God’s blessing rest.

 

A.  Uncertainty

A problem arises as God’s people realize that the land of Canaan is inhabited by giants. This causes fear in their hearts. In order to take the land of Canaan they would have to exercise extraordinary faith. The book of Joshua begins with a new leader (named Joshua) readying his people to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The future is uncertain. The way is dangerous. However, God gives the people clear instruction for their next steps of faith.

 

“Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.” Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Obedience

Camped on one side of the Jordan River, the people are told that when they see the priests move the Ark of the Covenant, they are to follow. The Ark was very significant to the Jewish people; they believed it housed the physical presence of God. So God gives this instruction because God wanted the Israelite people to stay in step with Him. Not to go before Him or too far behind Him. Instead, he wanted them to follow the presence of God as he led them. If they did, Joshua promised that they would see the Lord do amazing things. God desires obedience from his people, and their faithfulness will result in Him showing his power and might in their presence.

 

Arabian horses go through rigorous training in the deserts of the Middle East. The trainers require absolute obedience from the horses and test them to see if they are completely trained. The final test is almost beyond the endurance of any living creature. The trainers force the horses to go without water for many days. Then they turn them loose, and they start running toward the water. However, just as they get to the edge, ready to plunge in and drink, the trainer blows his whistle. The horses who have been completely trained and who have learned perfect obedience stop. They turn around and walk back to the trainer. They stand there quivering, wanting water, but they wait in perfect obedience. When the trainer is sure that he has their full obedience, he gives them a signal to go back to drink.

 

In order to see God move powerfully in our lives, we must follow his lead.  There have been times in my life when I have operated full of faith. I have sensed God’s leading when I pray, read his word, and spend time with other believers. These times have been a reality only because I have been trained to listen to Him and respond to his leading. I don’t do it perfectly; however, the times that I do I have produced amazing results that increase my faith in Him even more. I have found that the power of God at work in my life is directly correlated to my proximity to Him. Maybe the reason your faith in God has waned is that you have failed to follow closely as he leads.

C.  Trust

 

In this story of faith, God is trying to instill trust in Him in his people, as well as trust in their leader, Joshua. God wants the people to see Joshua in the same light they saw Moses. The first thing that happened was God to split the Jordan River for Joshua just as he did the Red Sea for Moses. However, there is a crucial verse in this story that offers an important key to living with God-sized faith.

 

“And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’ ” Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 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, 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 (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Speaking through Joshua, God gives the priests their instructions for what they must do in order for God’s people to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. They are to take the Ark of the Covenant and enter into the river. This instruction is already a test of their faith because the passage tells us the Jordan River was at flood stage. However, Joshua knew that if the people were willing to trust God to make a way through the Jordan, he would also make a way through the new land where he was leading them. Two major obstacles: the river and the enemies. It would require faith to remain obedient to God.

 

II.  Faith Requires A First Step.

 

A.  Moving from unfaith to faith

What I find most interesting about this story is that God did not split the water and provide dry ground to walk across until the priests, carrying the Ark, put their feet into the water. Their demonstration of faith, by putting themselves ankle deep in the Jordan, was the catalyst to the amazing things God would do for them. Faith requires a first step.

 

What are you asking God to do in your life right now? For the Israelites, they were believing God for a Promised Land of blessing where they would be set apart for Him. What about you? Maybe you sense God is asking you to follow Him into ministry. Maybe you sense God is wanting you to make the first steps in being reconciled to someone. Maybe God is wanting you to move past some kind of sin that has held you captive. Or maybe God is wanting you to serve someone in need in your community. You may feel scared because it is a hard thing to do. You may see a list of obstacles in your way. But what if God is just asking you to take one initial step? You don’t have to have it all figured out. The path may be murky, but the water won’t part until you get ankle deep.

 

B.  Wet feet lead to dry ground

My wife and I took a step of faith many years ago when we decided to leave the comfort of my first ministry.  We loved our life at Northside.  We had many friends.  We had 35 babies born the same year as Caleb.  Our life was blessed by God. BUT . . . We believed that God had more for us, but that more would mean leaving the comfort and safety of Northside.  We moved to Cleveland, TN, so I could attend seminary.  Those years were lean.  Times were tough.  Don’t get me wrong, we were blessed along the way. BUT . . . The action of leaving Northside did not provide dry ground for over 5 years.  We went to TN so we could come to MI.

 

There were many reasons to not take that step. But there was one big reason pushing us to do it:  we did not want to miss out on the things God would do. We would never have had the blessing of watching God work without taking the first steps and getting ankle deep.

 

Having faith in God is simple in concept. Follow closely where he leads and be willing to take steps to see Him work in your life. This kind of faith does not affect just you because it has an effect on those around you.

C.  Dry ground is found in the middle of the stream

 

“The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

These priests were obedient to God’s instructions, and as long as they stood in the middle of the dry riverbed, the whole nation of Israel was able to pass through without getting wet.

 

III.  Your Step Of Faith Could Be A Blessing To Others.

 

A.  Your act of faith may be a step toward someone else’s blessing.

Faith is rarely a decision with only personal consequences. A way was made for God’s people to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. When we step out with trust in God, there are often others around us who benefit. A father who is full of faith will have a positive impact on his children. A wife full of faith can transform her spouse. A single family that is full of faith can affect a whole neighborhood.

 

God may be inviting you to step out in faith not only for your benefit. Your trust in God may be a catalyst for blessing people all around you. I love the way the late preacher William Booth spoke about this kind of faith and blessing. “Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again—until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other.”

 

B.  Your step of faith requires action.

Your step of faith ought to lead to a step of action. I want to invite you to spend a moment asking God to speak to you about what step of faith you need to make today. When God speaks, it is time to take the first step.

 

CONCLUSION

We Become Witnesses of God’s Power When We Are Full Of Faith.  Faith Requires A First Step. Your Step Of Faith Could Be A Blessing To Others.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.