Do It on a Maybe

Introduction:  We have been in a series of talks concerning No Fear, which is our theme for the year.  We’ve talked about Power of Choices and the idea of doing something.  

Today I want to return and visit our story and see what else we can glean from this text.

1 Sam 14:1-6

14 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 

2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left. 

4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba. 

6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” 

NIV

Introduction: The last statement in verse 6 is such a great faith statement, but it is also the idea that causes me the most ainxt.  

  • We love the statement about God, because it encourages us, inspires us, builds up our Faith…
  • This statement gives the believer the Braveheart moment…

But that is not where I am going to turn our attention today.  I don’t want us to focus on the God portion…I want to focus on the portion right before it.  

“Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf” 

  • This is not a statement that instills confidence.
  • There is no inspiration in this statement

Let me emphasize it and make it crystal clear… I want to put this in South East Texas language so you completely understand it:  “Let’s go pick a fight that is 10,000 to 1 and ‘Maybe God will Help’” 

Transition:  IF you and I are going to live a life of faith you will have to understand oftentimes you Don’t Know…

Title:  Maybe

  1. Myth of Faith
    1. There is this superstition around faith that I am going to attempt to dispel a bit…
      1. Faith is not an iron-clad guarantee….
      2. Faith DO NOT MEAN you always know
      3. Matter of fact, faith doesn’t eliminate any knowing; it actually activates the not knowing at times
    2. A life of Faith moves us from Safety and certainty towards risk and uncertainty.  
      1. I think we often want faith to be this fail-safe and honestly it isn’t
      2. Faith relates more to the danger, the risk, the uncertainty than it relates to the safe…
      3. Just consider the men and women of the Bible who walked by Faith…
  2. I Don’t Know 
    1. The answer to many Faith questions, if we were honest is:  “I Don’t Know.” 
    2. We’ve confused Faith with All-Knowing…needing to have all the answers. 
    3. If faith is certainty and safety in life…it is boring. 
  3. Levels of Faith
    1. I want to talk to you about 3 levels of Faith…there are more than that, but for this discussion, I just want to talk to you about 3 of them. 
    2. Level 1 – Belief
      1. For some belief is a huge leap…it is the Leap of Faith
      2. The biggest part of this leap isn’t that God could or does exist…
        1. The largest leap is Unconditional Love
        2. If we are fully honest…we want conditional love…I want to meet a certain number of requirements, so therefore I know I have checked all the boxes…now I am loved by God. 
      3. Jonna will ask me “Why do you love me…if I answer no reason at all…she will get mad because that isn’t what she hears…she doesn’t hear Unconditional love.  
      4. Belief is hard because we’re trying to figure God Out
        1. Has anyone ever tried to figure Go out…
        2. I have found that to be an exercise in futility
        3. Now I can figure his nature out, His character…these things help me believe and trust…
      5. I think we should Believe so we can figure ourselves out….
    3. 2nd Level of Faith
      1. This is Faith in the Realm of Possibilities
      2. Internal, real-life, level of trust….
        1. Can I trust God with my life?
        2. We get this idea that Faith is defining advantage….
      3. This level of faith is more about who we are becoming versus what we are achieving.
        1. Who you and I are is more important than what you do or accumulate. 
      4. Too often we are struggling to trust God
        1. In relationships, we are trying to find the right person instead of becoming the right person
        2. Maybe you are attracting the wrong people because you haven’t become the Right person yet…
      5. This trusting God is entry-level faith…still elementary school
        1. I have found in the story of the turtle and the hare…Faith is the turtle.
        2. I have found Faith often times doesn’t give me the leg up…
          1. The guy cutting corners has never tithed in his life…advance before I do.
          2. So can you trust God more than the Advancement? 

Transition:  you have to decide and I mean decide…”Who I am becoming is more important than the next Contract or Job…”

    1. 3rd Level of Faith
      1. This is the realm of Uncertainty
      2. The realm of adventure and living at a Dangerous level….
      3. This is the “Maybe the Lord will help us” level
        1. Jonathon is the believer in Uncertainty
        2. See I think we should wake up in the Mornings of life doing something Bigger than ourselves.
        3. The idea of God if you don’t help me we are in trouble….
      4. I can recall casting vision in the Past and People would say, “Pastor just tell me God is going to do it and help us…just tell me God told you do this…”
        1. I want so desperately to lie to them because I know Christians need lies to give them courage to live their lives….
        2. But honestly, I don’t know.  

Transition:  I want to live my life for something that is so worth it…that if I fail, it was worth the try. 

  1. God Told Me
    1. Nowhere in the story does God tell Jonathan to do this act is endeavored to embark on…
    2. But there are signs everywhere that something needs to be done…
    3. When I lived in Freeport and I was considering to come to Mont Belvieu…now 14 years ago…” People called me, 5 drove to my house and said, Donald don’t do it…don’t go to Mont Belvieu…”  
      1. Then they proceeded to tell me all the reasons not to go…
      2. But something in me was saying…but someone needs to go make a difference in that region…
      3. Someone needs to advance the Kingdom of God in that area…
      4. God had told me I was leaving Freeport…but he didn’t say…”Yea I say unto thee, Mont Belvieu is where you shall nest as an eagle and spread your wings of influence…yada yada yada…” none of that…
      5. Matter of fact, I asked my boys…guys is God in this…Dad, we think God may be in it…
  2. Closing
    1. Nothing can stop us except us, but we will need to step out…
    2. Maybe, just maybe, God will show up…
    3. But you have to be willing to step out…
    4. We are all at a level of faith, needing to step into the next level of Faith…

  

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