Active Faith: Trusting God While Taking Action
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor emphasizing the importance of both prayer and action in the life of a believer. Drawing from the book of Exodus, he reminds the congregation that while God fights for us, it does not mean we should simply stand still and do nothing. Instead, we are called to become active participants in God's work in the world. The pastor encourages the congregation to have hope and share it with others, knowing that God is the one who fights for and rescues them. He also emphasizes the importance of taking action and sharing the message of Jesus with others, reminding the listeners that they are called to go into the world and make disciples.
The pastor then reflects on the Israelites' mindset while they were in the wilderness. He marvels at the fact that the Israelites believed they were better off as slaves in Egypt rather than being free in the hands of God. However, Moses reassures the people not to be afraid but to stand still and watch the Lord rescue them. The pastor emphasizes that the Lord Himself will fight for them, and they should remain calm. He also highlights the importance of standing still and having faith in God's rescue, reminding them that when faced with tough situations, it is not about finding their own way out or relying on their own strength, but rather looking to God for help.
The pastor then emphasizes the importance of two postures in the life of a believer. The first posture is kneeling in prayer before God, seeking His guidance and asking Him to fight their battles. The second posture is standing up and getting moving, even without knowing the exact direction. The pastor encourages the congregation to have a willingness to be sent by God, just as Isaiah said, "Here I am, send me." This posture of obedience and willingness to go wherever God leads is seen as a way to overcome the circumstances of life.
The pastor also reflects on the importance of having hope in God and trusting that He can diminish and demolish our current circumstances. He compares this hope to the anticipation he and his father have at the beginning of each year, hoping for a good year. Similarly, in our relationship with God, we pray and hope that He will answer our prayers. The pastor reminds the congregation that God is in the business of answering prayers and restoring hope to us.
The sermon concludes with the pastor reflecting on the story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. He emphasizes that even though Moses did not know how God would intervene, he had hope in the future and knew that God would show up for them. The pastor encourages the congregation to turn to scripture to be reminded of God's mighty power and the ways in which He delivers His people from their circumstances.
Key Takeaways:
- God fights for us, but it does not mean we should simply stand still and do nothing. We are called to become active participants in God's work in the world. We are called to go into the world and make disciples. [12:45]
- The Israelites believed they were better off as slaves in Egypt rather than being free in the hands of God. However, Moses reassures the people not to be afraid but to stand still and watch the Lord rescue them. The Lord Himself will fight for them, and they should remain calm. [24:30]
- The first posture in the life of a believer is kneeling in prayer before God, seeking His guidance and asking Him to fight their battles. The second posture is standing up and getting moving, even without knowing the exact direction. This posture of obedience and willingness to go wherever God leads is seen as a way to overcome the circumstances of life. [36:15]
- We should have hope in God and trust that He can diminish and demolish our current circumstances. In our relationship with God, we pray and hope that He will answer our prayers. God is in the business of answering prayers and restoring hope to us. [48:00]
- Even though Moses did not know how God would intervene, he had hope in the future and knew that God would show up for them. We should turn to scripture to be reminded of God's mighty power and the ways in which He delivers His people from their circumstances. [59:30]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Exodus 14:10-15: "As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!' Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.'"
2. Isaiah 6:8: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"
3. Matthew 6:25: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"
Observation Questions:
1. What were the Israelites' initial reactions and fears when they saw the Egyptians approaching in Exodus 14:10-15?
2. In Isaiah 6:8, what is the response to the Lord's question, and what does this suggest about the speaker's willingness?
3. What does Matthew 6:25 tell us about the priorities we should have in life?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Moses' response to the Israelites' fear in Exodus 14:10-15 reflect the theme of trusting in God's deliverance?
2. What does the response in Isaiah 6:8 suggest about our role in God's mission?
3. How does Matthew 6:25 challenge our common worries and fears, and what does it suggest about our reliance on God?
Application Questions:
1. Can you recall a situation where you felt trapped or overwhelmed like the Israelites in Exodus 14:10-15? How can you apply Moses' advice to 'stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring' in similar situations in the future?
2. Reflecting on Isaiah 6:8, is there a situation in your life where you feel God is asking, 'Whom shall I send?' How can you respond with 'Here am I. Send me!' in that situation?
3. Considering Matthew 6:25, what is one worry about your life (food, drink, clothing) that you can surrender to God this week? How can you remind yourself that life is more than these material concerns?
Devotional
Day 1: Active Participation in God's Work
God fights for us, but this divine intervention does not absolve us from our responsibilities. We are called to be active participants in God's work in the world, to have hope, and to share this hope with others, knowing that God is the one who rescues us [12:45].
Bible Passage: James 2:14-17 - "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
Reflection: How can you actively participate in God's work today? Can you identify one specific way to share your hope in God with someone else?
Day 2: The Responsibility of Discipleship
We are called to go into the world and make disciples. This responsibility cannot be neglected. God can transform communities and cities, but it is up to us to take that hope into the world [24:30].
Bible Passage: Matthew 28:19-20 - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Reflection: How can you fulfill your responsibility of discipleship today? Can you think of one person you could share the gospel with this week?
Day 3: Trusting in God's Deliverance
The Israelites believed they were better off as slaves in Egypt rather than being free in the hands of God. However, we are reminded not to be afraid but to stand still and watch as the Lord rescues us. We should remain calm and trust in God's deliverance [36:15].
Bible Passage: Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust in God's deliverance today? Can you identify one fear you need to surrender to God?
Day 4: Relying on God's Strength
When faced with tough situations, it is common for people to try to find their own way out or rely on their own strength, but this often leads to deeper struggles. We should trust in God's deliverance and have faith in His rescue [48:00].
Bible Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Reflection: What tough situation are you facing today? How can you rely on God's strength instead of your own in this situation?
Day 5: Standing Firm in Hope
We should have hope in God and trust that He can diminish and demolish our current circumstances. We should act like God is going to fight for us and share the hope of eternal life with Jesus with others. It is time to stand firm in who God is and have a hope that He will use the church to instill hope in people once again [59:30].
Bible Passage: Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Reflection: How can you stand firm in your hope in God today? Can you think of one specific way to share this hope with someone else?
Quotes
1. "It's time to get moving and not just act out the gospel but start telling people about what Jesus has done in our lives." [01:05:22]
2. "God wants us to spend time on our knees in prayer, but He also wants us to stand up and get headed in the direction He wants us to go." [01:08:51]
3. "As we move forward, let us still have hope in knowing that God is the one who fights for us and rescues us." [01:10:07]
4. "Moses commands the Israelites to stand still, stop moving, stop trying to find your own way out, stop trying to do things all on your own. Because most of the time, there's not a way out for us, we just dig a deeper hole when we begin to lose hope." [51:19]
5. "They're really stuck between a rock and a hard place. Moses just tells them, 'We're not going to go through the water, we certainly aren't going to defeat the people that are behind us, there's no time to get across the mountain ranges on either side of us. So we just need to be still, just stand firm in the expectations that God's got this, God's telling us I'm going to rescue you today.'" [52:04]
6. "God gives us hope that he will do what he says he will do, he will rescue us." [53:28]
7. "When we panic and try to get ourselves out of a situation, we almost always get ourselves deeper into a problem than actually working ourselves out of it." [54:07]
8. "After we've prayed and we've spent time on our knees with God, we've got to get up on our feet and get moving. The Israelites had stood firm, they've stayed still, they've done what God's wanted them to do there, and now he's saying, 'Alright, now's the time, now you need to get moving ahead.' So in the second posture, we stand up and we say what Isaiah said in chapter six, he says, 'Here I am, send me, God.'"
9. "It's about time that we begin acting like God is going to fight for us again. He's never stopped, but it's time that we have this hope in us that we stand firm in who God is and say I've got a hope like nobody else."
10. "Fear blinds us to a healthy perspective...we turn to scripture to be reminded of what God has done, to be reminded of the mighty power of God...when God does something, he does it to the fullest extent...he leaves us in the realms of not having to fear what's going on because he delivers us from what's happening."
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