Embracing Maybe Faith: Trusting God in Uncertainty
Summary
In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves in situations where we wish for clear guidance, much like the ancient practice of using the Urim and Thummim to discern God's will. These stones, representing light and perfection, provided a direct answer from God, illuminating the path forward. However, in our modern lives, we don't have such tangible signs. Instead, we rely on our relationship with God and the wisdom of those around us to navigate life's uncertainties. This is where the concept of "maybe faith" comes into play—a faith that moves forward even when certainty is elusive.
David's story at Ziklag illustrates the importance of seeking God's guidance before making decisions. He understood that if God was with him, no obstacle could stand in his way. Similarly, we must seek divine direction, but also recognize that sometimes God’s answer is not immediate or clear. In those moments, we must lean on our community and the people God places in our lives. Jonathan's relationship with his armor-bearer exemplifies this partnership. It's not just about hearing from God but also about sharing and discerning with others who can provide support and wisdom.
Faith is a 50-50 partnership between divine guidance and human action. While God provides the foundation and direction, we are called to act, even when the outcome is uncertain. This is the essence of "maybe faith"—the courage to step forward on a "maybe," trusting in God's character and promises. It’s about moving in faith, knowing that God is always working, even if the path isn't clear. This kind of faith acknowledges that while we may not always have certainty, we can have confidence in God's faithfulness.
Key Takeaways:
- Divine Guidance and Human Action: Faith is a partnership between God's guidance and our actions. While God provides direction, we must be willing to move forward, even when the outcome is uncertain. This partnership requires us to trust in God's character and act on the "maybes" in our lives. [10:28]
- The Role of Community: Our faith journey is not meant to be solitary. The people God places in our lives can provide wisdom and support, helping us discern His will. Sharing what God is saying to us with trusted individuals can lead to clarity and encouragement. [04:55]
- The Power of "Maybe Faith": "Maybe faith" is the courage to act even when certainty is lacking. It’s about trusting God enough to move forward on a "maybe," knowing that He is always working, even if the path isn't clear. This faith allows us to step out in confidence, despite uncertainty. [14:11]
- Experience and Faith: Experience can be both a friend and an enemy to faith. While it provides wisdom, it can also lead to complacency. We must be willing to step out in faith, even when experience tells us to stay put, trusting that God will meet us in our action. [11:18]
- Living in the "Maybe": Many of us find ourselves in "maybe moments," where the outcome is uncertain. These moments are where God often works the most, calling us to trust Him and move forward in faith. Embracing the "maybe" allows us to experience God's power and presence in new ways. [16:23]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:52] - Decision-Making in God's Presence
[02:47] - The Challenge of Faith and Fear
[04:55] - The Importance of Community
[05:45] - Relationships and God's Voice
[06:23] - Personal Testimonies of Faith
[07:48] - Divine Partnership in Faith
[10:28] - The Gift of Foundational Faith
[11:18] - Experience vs. Faith
[12:29] - The Message Translation Story
[13:20] - Moving on a Maybe
[14:11] - Trusting God's Character
[16:23] - Embracing the Maybe Moment
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1 Samuel 14:6 - "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.'"
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the significance of the Urim and Thummim in decision-making for the Israelites, and how did David use them at Ziklag? [01:52]
2. How did Jonathan's relationship with his armor-bearer illustrate the importance of community in discerning God's will? [05:45]
3. What does the phrase "50-50 faith" mean in the context of the sermon, and how does it relate to Jonathan's actions? [10:28]
4. How did the pastor describe the role of experience in relation to faith, and what potential pitfalls did he mention? [11:18]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Jonathan's statement in 1 Samuel 14:6 reflect the concept of "maybe faith" as described in the sermon? [13:20]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that community plays a role in understanding and acting on God's guidance? [04:55]
3. How does the sermon explain the balance between divine guidance and human action in the life of a believer? [07:48]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between faith and experience, and how can experience both help and hinder faith? [11:18]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a "maybe moment" in your life. How did you respond, and what role did your faith play in that situation? [16:23]
2. How can you cultivate a "maybe faith" in your daily life, especially when facing uncertainty or difficult decisions? [14:11]
3. Identify a decision you are currently facing. How can you seek God's guidance and involve your community in discerning the right path? [05:45]
4. Think about a relationship in your life that could benefit from more open communication about what God is saying to you. How can you initiate that conversation? [06:23]
5. How can you ensure that your past experiences inform your faith without leading to complacency or fear? [11:18]
6. Consider a situation where you need to take action despite uncertainty. What steps can you take to move forward in faith, trusting in God's character and promises? [13:20]
7. How can you be a supportive community member for someone else who is navigating a "maybe moment"? What practical steps can you take to offer encouragement and wisdom? [04:55]
Devotional
Day 1: Divine Guidance and Human Action
Faith is a partnership between divine guidance and human action. While God provides the foundation and direction, we are called to act, even when the outcome is uncertain. This partnership requires us to trust in God's character and act on the "maybes" in our lives. [10:28]
"And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." (Isaiah 58:11, ESV)
Reflection: What is one decision you are facing where you need to trust God and take action, even if the outcome is uncertain? How can you take a step forward today?
Day 2: The Role of Community
Our faith journey is not meant to be solitary. The people God places in our lives can provide wisdom and support, helping us discern His will. Sharing what God is saying to us with trusted individuals can lead to clarity and encouragement. [04:55]
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life can you turn to for spiritual support and guidance? How can you intentionally seek their wisdom and encouragement this week?
Day 3: The Power of "Maybe Faith"
"Maybe faith" is the courage to act even when certainty is lacking. It’s about trusting God enough to move forward on a "maybe," knowing that He is always working, even if the path isn't clear. This faith allows us to step out in confidence, despite uncertainty. [14:11]
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)
Reflection: What is a "maybe" situation in your life where you need to trust God and move forward? How can you embrace this uncertainty with faith today?
Day 4: Experience and Faith
Experience can be both a friend and an enemy to faith. While it provides wisdom, it can also lead to complacency. We must be willing to step out in faith, even when experience tells us to stay put, trusting that God will meet us in our action. [11:18]
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life has past experience held you back from stepping out in faith? How can you challenge yourself to trust God beyond your past experiences?
Day 5: Living in the "Maybe"
Many of us find ourselves in "maybe moments," where the outcome is uncertain. These moments are where God often works the most, calling us to trust Him and move forward in faith. Embracing the "maybe" allows us to experience God's power and presence in new ways. [16:23]
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)
Reflection: How can you embrace the "maybe moments" in your life as opportunities to experience God's presence and power? What step of faith can you take today to live in the "maybe"?
Quotes
"Everyone has a way that they try to figure out, where is this going? Can I trust this person? I like this method a lot, because all the priests had to do was take out the stones, the thummim. It stands for perfection or decision. Then he would take Urim, which represents light, which always represents revelation, which always represents knowledge. When God would speak through these stones, you would inquire of him. If the answer was affirmative, Urim would light up, and you would know God wants us to do it." [00:00:08]
"But if he says yes, no power in hell can stand against me. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. So David said, Bring me the ephod, because if God gives me light on this situation, I can fight this battle. If God gives me light on this situation, I can stand the trial. I can stand the test. I can pass it. I can do it if God says yes. But sometimes God would say no, and then sometimes the stone would do nothing. What that meant was God doesn't want to answer this right now." [00:01:00]
"You know, the truth is that even sometimes when you know what to do, even sometimes when you know this is God, and they had these stones. It was behind the breastplate, and the breastplate was under the pomegranate tree, and the priest was doing nothing with it. They had the means of making decisions to know the will of God, but their fear had put them in a place, and their complacency had put them in a place, because when you have the instruments but you don't use them, how can God speak to you when you can't find this between Sundays? How can God give you his wisdom?" [00:03:38]
"The right people will give you the go-ahead. The right people will say, I'm going to help you as you do this. I know the addiction has got you about three different cycles now, and it looks like this one won't be any different, but whether or not you make it, I'm going to be here with you on it, so let's go ahead and do this dumb thing, this impossible thing, this crazy thing." [00:04:55]
"If you hear me saying on this message, you know, God's calling you to go… You know how many people I've seen go start coffee shops because they like coffee, and they hear a message like this and abuse it, and they think the whole point of the message is just go do the dumbest thing you can think of that you have a halfway interest in and then blame the devil when it doesn't work out because it was spiritual warfare and attack and nobody believed in my dream and I'm nothing but Jesus on the cross and God and Gethsemane squeezed like the olives and the oil is coming out." [00:07:16]
"And now I get to return the favor. I mean, the other day she turned to me and was like, hey, I'm about to tell you something that I think God is speaking to me because it's always a 50-50 thing. Always. Always. So I'm confident, but I'm not certain. She was like, Don't laugh at me. I'm like, Why would I laugh at you? Tell me." [00:07:48]
"and I got people. Now, this is so key. It's a 50-50 faith. It's a 50-50. That means it is a divine partnership where Jonathan says, you know, there is something that God can do, and then there is something that God will not do that only we can do. Faith is 50-50. 50-50. James proves it clearly. Not only does Jonathan exemplify it, James explains it when he says, faith without works is? It takes two. This is a 50-50 proposition. Why would God do for you what he gave you the strength to do for you?" [00:08:59]
"Come on, because if it was, I would be in hell before Monday at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, but because he is my great high priest… Y'all, I'm about to get happy on this sermon. And because he took the breastplate of his own righteousness into the most holy place and shed his blood on the mercy seat, I don't ever have to doubt if he wants to see me or hear me or love me or throw his arms around me. He is my righteousness, and I am his child, and he is my great high priest." [00:09:53]
"Experience is the friend of wisdom, but it can be the enemy of faith. You need me to run that back? Experience is the friend of wisdom, but if you get like Saul in a hijack and keep… ephod under the pomegranate tree. Jonathan said, We're going to have to be our own ephod. We're going to have to put ourselves out there and see if God will. When Eugene Peterson had this idea… He's in heaven now, but he was trying to preach the Bible to his church. He realized they weren't really getting it, so he sat down to write a translation of the Bible in a way they could understand." [00:11:18]
"Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come on now. Let's do it now. Not when the priest gets his act together, not when the government gets his act together, but now. We have to do this now. Come on now. Let's go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Then he said the title of my series, Maybe God Will Work for Us. Maybe. Maybe. Faith is being able to move on a maybe." [00:13:12]
"in the first. It takes the kind of faith, church, to say, maybe if I do this… Maybe it won't. Maybe God will use this thing I think I'm supposed to do to lead to something I was really supposed to do so that even if the first thing fails, at least I'm not sitting still in fear, but it takes faith to move on a maybe. When your ream has gone dark and Saul is under a tree and you don't know what to do but to move toward it, God says, move toward it. It may work, and even if it doesn't, I will. It is the power to move on a maybe, to know that God is mystery." [00:14:11]
"but he has revealed his character is trustworthy. I can move on a maybe. Father, I don't want to do this, but nevertheless, not my will but yours be done, so I'm going to go see about this. Maybe. Somebody shout, maybe. Maybe. I have a maybe faith, enough faith to do it and not know the conclusion, but trust God in the process. It's a maybe faith. Maybe. I'm confident. I'm not certain, but I'm confident." [00:15:04]
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