Wednesday, October 24, 2007

By Faith... the Judges, Part 9 of 62

TEXT: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

IDEA: People who act in faith do not necessarily act in unbridled courage.

PURPOSE: To help listeners see that faith is often mixed with reluctance to act.

Do you ever wonder whether you are a person who lives by faith?

What makes you question that?

I often read brief biographies of the heroes of the Christian faith, and they seem to possess a courage that I simply do not have. I feel that I am a devout coward and I practice my religion.

I. God’s notable people who were people of faith often were quite reluctant to do what God has called them to do.

Barak, having heard from Deborah what he was to do in opposing the Canaanites, is reluctant to take on that task unless Deborah goes with him. We read that account now and he seems to be a coward. But if you think about what he faced, he did display courage in spite of his fear.

Moses had an encounter with God at the bush that burned and was not consumed (Ex 4:13). And God told him that he was to go back and challenge Pharaoh. Moses had remarkably little enthusiasm to accept the divine call.

Gideon argued with God that he was the worst possible choice to carry out the mission to fight the Midianites (Judges 6).

Jeremiah protested that he could not serve God because he was too young (Jeremiah 1:6).

II. When we are reluctant to take on some great task for God, we need to know that God’s call is accompanied by God’s provision.

In fact, if we do not recognize our own weakness and inadequacy, we are less likely to appropriate God’s power and strength.