Not Knowing Where I'm Going - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

Living By Faith In a Faithless World

Part Two: Not Knowing Where I’m Going Heb. 11:8

By Louie Marsh, 11-21-2021

 

Intro – Cartoons

 

…If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Isaiah 7:9 (NIV)

 

“17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”” (Romans 1:17, ESV)

 

Living by faith is accepting as FACT the truth that we cannot touch, feel or see, and then ACTING on it!

1) God is calling me to FOLLOW & SERVE Him.

 

“4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” (1 Corinthians 12:4–6, ESV)

 

2) Like Abraham I don’t know for sure WHERE I’ll end up.

 

By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 (MSG)

 

3) The question is: Will I or won’t I OBEY GOD.

 

“26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matthew 7:26, ESV)

 

Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." Acts 10:13-15 (NIV)

 

A guy named Frank finds himself in dire straits. His business has gone bust and he's in serious financial trouble. He's so desperate that he decides to ask God for help. He begins to pray: "God, please help me. I've lost my business and if I don't get some money, I'm going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lottery." Lottery night comes, and somebody else wins it. Frank again prays: "God, please let me win the lotto! I've lost my business, my house and I'm going to lose my car as well." Lotto night comes, and Frank still has no luck.

 

Once again, he prays: "My God, why have you forsaken me? I've lost my business, my house, and my car. My wife and children are starving. I don't often ask you for help, and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEASE just let me win the lottery this one time so I can get my life back in order." Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open and Frank is confronted by the voice of God Himself:

 

"Frank, meet me halfway on this: Go buy a ticket."

 

ONCE I’M WILLING TO OBEY I FIND THAT…

 

Chapter 11 has some great examples of how Faith empowers us – here they are…

 

1) Faith empowers me to get RIGHT WITH GOD through Jesus!

 

“4By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4, ESV)

 

2) Faith empowers me to PLEASE GOD by consistently following Jesus.

 

“5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5, ESV)

 

3) Faith empowers me to stand against the crowd – BE DIFFERENT!

 

“7By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7, ESV)

 

4) Faith empowers me to TAKE RISKS for God!

 

“8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8, ESV)

 

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