Rahab: Faith in Action and Transformation
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound story of Rahab, a woman whose life was transformed by her faith in God. Rahab, a prostitute living in the city of Jericho, made a courageous decision to hide Israelite spies, risking her life in the process. Her story is a testament to the power of faith and the transformative grace of God. Rahab's actions were not just about hiding the spies; they were a declaration of her newfound belief in the God of Israel, whom she recognized as the supreme God of heaven and earth. This faith was not just a passive belief but was demonstrated through her courageous actions, showing us that true faith is always accompanied by action.
Rahab's story is a reminder that God sees beyond our past and our labels. He sees the potential within us and offers us a new identity and a new life. Rahab was not only spared from the destruction of Jericho but was also integrated into the community of God's people, eventually becoming an ancestor of Jesus Christ. This transformation illustrates that our real life, the life we were created for, is found in Christ. It is a life that is hidden with Christ in God, a life that is discovered as we live with Him, for Him, from Him, and like Him.
As we reflect on Rahab's story, we are challenged to examine our own faith. Is it merely a set of beliefs, or is it a living, active trust in God that is evident in our actions? We are invited to find our real life in Christ, a life that is full of purpose, joy, and peace. This Christmas, may we embrace the gift of our real life that is hidden in Christ, living each day with Him and for Him.
Key Takeaways:
- Faith in Action: Rahab's story teaches us that genuine faith is demonstrated through action. Her decision to hide the spies was a bold act of faith, showing her trust in the God of Israel. True faith is not just about believing in God but acting on that belief, even when it involves risk. [58:01]
- Transformation through Faith: Rahab's life was transformed because she put her trust in God. Her past did not define her future; instead, her faith opened the door to a new identity and a new life. This reminds us that our real life is found in Christ, who offers us a fresh start and a new purpose. [01:04:17]
- Living with and for Christ: Our real life is discovered as we live with Christ and for Christ. This involves a daily relationship with Him, where we seek His will and follow His ways. It's about living a life that reflects His love and grace to those around us. [01:12:41]
- The Power Source of Our Life: Just as a crock pot needs to be plugged in to cook, we need to be connected to Christ, our power source, to live our real life. Without His strength and guidance, we cannot fully become who we are meant to be. [01:15:44]
- Community with God's People: Rahab found her real life not just in her relationship with God but also in community with His people. Our faith journey is not meant to be solitary; it is enriched and supported by being part of the body of Christ. [01:20:49]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[46:15] - A Surprising Discovery
[48:54] - Jesus' Family Tree
[49:52] - Rahab's Story
[51:44] - The Canaanite Culture
[53:21] - Rahab's Courageous Act
[54:45] - Rahab's Faith Declaration
[56:08] - The Risk Rahab Took
[57:06] - Faith in Action
[58:01] - James' Reflection on Rahab
[01:00:12] - The Evidence of Faith
[01:01:56] - Rahab's New Life
[01:04:17] - Finding Our Real Life
[01:07:27] - Living with Christ
[01:10:33] - Living for Christ
[01:12:41] - True Worship
[01:13:38] - Living from Christ
[01:15:44] - The Power Source
[01:16:38] - Living Like Christ
[01:19:37] - Community with God's People
[01:21:58] - Jesus and Sinners
[01:23:42] - Sin Equals Sickness
[01:25:03] - The Gift of Real Life
[01:26:35] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Rahab's Transformative Faith
Bible Reading:
- Joshua 2:1-14
- James 2:25-26
- Colossians 3:3
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Observation Questions:
1. What actions did Rahab take to demonstrate her faith in the God of Israel? How did these actions put her at risk? [54:45]
2. According to the sermon, what was the cultural and religious environment of Jericho, and how did it contrast with Rahab's newfound faith? [53:21]
3. How does James in the New Testament remember and celebrate Rahab's faith? What does this tell us about the nature of faith? [58:01]
4. What transformation did Rahab experience as a result of her faith and actions? How was her life changed after the fall of Jericho? [01:02:50]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Rahab's story illustrate the concept of "faith in action"? Why is it important that faith is accompanied by action? [58:01]
2. In what ways does Rahab's transformation reflect the idea that our real life is hidden with Christ in God? How does this relate to the concept of a new identity in Christ? [01:05:27]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the role of community in Rahab's transformation and in our own faith journeys? How does being part of God's people contribute to finding our real life? [01:20:49]
4. How does the analogy of the crock pot relate to our need for a connection with Christ? What does this tell us about the source of our strength and guidance in living a life of faith? [01:15:44]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you had to take a risk to act on your faith. What was the outcome, and how did it impact your relationship with God? [54:45]
2. Rahab's past did not define her future. Are there labels or past experiences in your life that you feel are holding you back? How can you embrace the new identity that Christ offers? [01:04:17]
3. Consider your daily connection with Christ. Are there specific practices or habits you can adopt to ensure you are "plugged in" to your power source? [01:15:44]
4. How can you actively participate in your faith community to support your spiritual growth? What steps can you take to deepen your involvement with God's people? [01:20:49]
5. Rahab's story challenges us to live with and for Christ. What are some practical ways you can reflect Christ's love and grace in your daily interactions? [01:12:41]
6. Identify an area in your life where you feel God is calling you to demonstrate your faith through action. What is one step you can take this week to respond to that call? [58:01]
7. How can you cultivate a mindset of transformation, allowing God to renew your mind and change the way you think about your life and purpose? [01:17:57]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith in Action: Courageous Steps Toward God
Rahab's story is a powerful illustration of how genuine faith is demonstrated through action. Living in Jericho, Rahab made a bold decision to hide the Israelite spies, risking her life in the process. This act was not just about protecting the spies; it was a declaration of her trust in the God of Israel. Her faith was not passive; it was active and courageous, showing that true faith often involves taking risks and stepping out of our comfort zones. Rahab's actions remind us that faith is not just about what we believe but also about what we do with those beliefs. [58:01]
Hebrews 11:31 (ESV): "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies."
Reflection: Think of a situation where you feel God is calling you to take a step of faith. What action can you take today to demonstrate your trust in Him, even if it involves risk?
Day 2: Transformation through Faith: Embracing a New Identity
Rahab's life was transformed because she put her trust in God. Despite her past as a prostitute, her faith opened the door to a new identity and a new life. She was not only spared from the destruction of Jericho but was also integrated into the community of God's people, eventually becoming an ancestor of Jesus Christ. This transformation illustrates that our past does not define our future; instead, our faith in God offers us a fresh start and a new purpose. Our real life is found in Christ, who sees beyond our past and offers us a new identity. [01:04:17]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you feel defined by your past. How can you embrace the new identity that Christ offers you today?
Day 3: Living with and for Christ: A Daily Relationship
Our real life is discovered as we live with Christ and for Christ. This involves a daily relationship with Him, where we seek His will and follow His ways. It's about living a life that reflects His love and grace to those around us. As we live with Christ, we find purpose, joy, and peace, and our lives become a testament to His transformative power. This Christmas, we are invited to embrace the gift of our real life that is hidden in Christ, living each day with Him and for Him. [01:12:41]
Colossians 3:3-4 (ESV): "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Reflection: Consider your daily routine. What is one practical way you can intentionally live with and for Christ today?
Day 4: The Power Source of Our Life: Staying Connected to Christ
Just as a crock pot needs to be plugged in to cook, we need to be connected to Christ, our power source, to live our real life. Without His strength and guidance, we cannot fully become who we are meant to be. Staying connected to Christ involves regular prayer, reading His Word, and seeking His presence in our lives. It is through this connection that we find the strength and guidance to navigate life's challenges and fulfill our God-given purpose. [01:15:44]
John 15:5 (ESV): "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you feel disconnected from Christ. What steps can you take to reconnect with Him and draw strength from His presence?
Day 5: Community with God's People: Enriching Our Faith Journey
Rahab found her real life not just in her relationship with God but also in community with His people. Our faith journey is not meant to be solitary; it is enriched and supported by being part of the body of Christ. Being in community allows us to grow, learn, and be encouraged by others who share our faith. It is in this community that we find support, accountability, and opportunities to serve and love others. Rahab's integration into the community of God's people reminds us of the importance of being connected to a faith community. [01:20:49]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: Think about your involvement in your faith community. How can you actively contribute to and benefit from being part of the body of Christ this week?
Quotes
Rahab had come to realize just with absolute certainty that this God that the Israelites worshiped, man, that's the one true God. that's the one true God so we could say that the great thing she did was that she hid God's people but far greater than what she did is why she did it you see Rahab didn't protect the Israelites because of who they were she protected them because of whose they were they belonged to what she now knew to be the one true living God and I love how like 1 ,400 years later after this event Rahab's faith is remembered and celebrated by James one of Jesus's half brothers not his cousin brother but but his half brother and then some people say when Jesus had half brothers he had half siblings because Mary and Joseph went on to have more children after Jesus and so James who did not believe that Christ was the Messiah before his crucifixion after his resurrection he became a believer himself and he wrote one of the books of the Bible called James and James says this he says so you see how God accepts someone is right with himself that person must not only believe in God but must also do good things to show that he has faith [00:58:01] (89 seconds)
Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by hiding the spies and aiding in their escape. Removing action from faith is like removing breath from a body. All you have left is a corpse. Many of us know that verse as faith without works is dead. But I just love the way that version reads, that translation. [00:59:30] (24 seconds)
And to be made right with God, that might be kind of like, what does that mean? It simply means that we come back into the relationship with our creator that we were made for. It's a relationship that is based on his amazing love for us and then our full and complete trust in him. [01:00:12] (19 seconds)
And James, he reminds us that authentic faith, real trust, it isn't about just believing some things about God, some facts about God. Real faith demonstrates itself in action. So of all the people he could have used as an example, James points back to Rahab the prostitute and how it is that her faith in the living God was shown to be genuine when she courageously hid those spies. [01:00:52] (31 seconds)
But now let's not get things mixed up here, okay? Let's make sure that we're clear. Ephesians and Paul to the people living in Ephesus, he says, for it is by grace you have been saved through what? Through faith, through your faith, through your trust. That's how we're saved. Not by works so that no one can boast. So it's just made so clear for us, good works cannot save us. Good works cannot save us. Only trust. Trust and God can save us. But our trust will always produce good works because trust, it's a dynamic thing. It produces action. It's not static. [01:01:56] (36 seconds)
The great thing that Rahab did was she put her trust in the living God and the evidence of her genuine, authentic faith in the living God was demonstrated in hiding God's trust. In hiding God's people to save their lives. But that's not the end of the story here. I mean, let's look at this one again too. What great thing happened to Rahab. [01:02:16] (23 seconds)
You see, as Rahab escaped a city that was being destroyed, she also escaped a life that was destroying her. And in their kindness, God's people did far more than spare her life. They took her in and they gave her a new home and they gave her a new life. And they saw her not for what she had been, but for what God had created her to be, that person. [01:03:29] (25 seconds)
And this man named Salmon, he chose Rahab, Rahab to be his wife and he cared for her and he protected her and he loved her the way a man is supposed to love a woman. What great thing did Rahab do? She hid God's people. What great thing happened to her? She found herself. She hid God's people and in the process, she found herself. She found her real self, the person that she was always created to be. [01:04:17] (34 seconds)
In his letter to the Colossian believers, the Apostle Paul, he tells us where it is that we can find our real life, just like Rahab did. He said, for you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ and God. Your real life is hidden. Rahab died in the city of Jericho that day when it was destroyed. She died to her old life, and it was no longer her livelihood, it was no longer her label, it was no longer her identity. [01:04:56] (36 seconds)
If you want to discover your real life, you will find it in Christ and only in Christ because he is your creator. He's the one who made you in his own image. In Genesis, the beginning of humanity, it says God made humans in his own image. So finding our real life, it begins the moment when like Rahab, first we make that decision to put our trust in Christ. I don't care what the people around me believe. I don't care how the people around me are living or how they think I should be living. I see the beauty and the absolute trustworthiness of Christ Jesus, the one who gave me life, my creator, and the one who died on a cross to save me, my savior. Nothing else matters. That's it. I'm placing my faith. My trust in you, Lord Jesus. That's where it all begins. [01:05:43] (58 seconds)
Because you see, it's as we now live out faith day by day, trusting and following Jesus day by day that we progressively discover our real life. It's a progress. It's progressive. So let's talk about what that might look like, okay? You see, we find our real life. As we live with Christ. Living with Christ. You know, for we who are Christians here, all of us, we come to church and Christ followers, Christmas means something so different, doesn't it? We kind of really celebrate the power and the message that our God is with us. [01:06:41] (41 seconds)
Jesus explains this vital connection in the gospel of John, when he said, I'm the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in me stays connected in union with me. And I in him, he bears much fruit for otherwise apart from me, that is cut off from vital union with me. You can do nothing. Folks, without a day to day vital union with Christ, we will never ever be able to find our real self and live our real life. Because our real life is with Christ, like a vine to a branch, a vital union. [01:09:37] (43 seconds)
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