Sermon Info
Summary
God does miracles in the lives of His people. God brought His people in the Bible out of slavery in Egypt, yet God was not finished with them. God had a beautiful land and life for them. And, God is not finished with us, as His people today. God brought us out of slavery to sin by His grace through Jesus Christ His Son. And, God is still at work in us. As long as there is breath in our lungs, God wants to use us for His glory. Two years ago, as a church, we embarked on a Campaign called, “For the Kingdom.” We have one year left, so let’s “Finish Strong.” Today, we start 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting until our Commitment, or Re-Commitment, Sunday on November 15. Our best days as a church are still ahead. Your best days, I believe, are still ahead. Let’s give our best for the glory of our great God! Let’s Finish Strong!
Content
Finish Strong – Content Marketing Piece
Why Obedience Matters
Imagine being Joshua and receiving a message from the Lord to take your people and your army and go march around the city of your enemies for seven days. Joshua may be thinking, You want me to do what? This isn’t a very orthodox means to defeating a city. However, Joshua took the people and went forth obediently, and, if you’ve heard the story before, then you know that God broke down the walls of the city, giving the Israelites the victory at Jericho.
Like God invited Joshua, God invites us in to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. He wants to work through our lives, our families, and our communities to do something special – something of eternal significance. However, it starts with our act of obedience. When we hear a call from God, we must be obedient. We must trust that, even if it may not make sense at the time, God is working and is teaching us to trust Him, in the middle of uncertainty, doubt, or fear.
Most times, God will call us to do things that are outside of our comfort zone. He will lead us to what looks like a job, a position, or a circumstance that we aren’t comfortable with or prepared for. But that’s when we make the active decision to trust Him and to go forward in faith and obedience.
And we wait to see what God will do.
What the Bible Says about Obedience & Faith in Joshua 5-6
In Joshua 6, God says to Joshua, See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its kind and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. (Joshua 6:2-3) He gives Joshua a straight-forward command. It was then Joshua’s duty to simply trust and obey that God knew what He was doing.
A few verses later, we then see that after that seventh time around the city, God broke the walls down and gave the people the city. Because of Joshua’s faith and obedience, God moved and gave them the victory. This story points to God’s faithfulness even when we can’t see what the outcome of a situation will be.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Over and over, we are reminded in Scripture of this truth – God’s ways are higher than ours. He knows all, He’s above all, and He’s in control.
Hebrews 12 is oftentimes called the “Faith Hall of Fame” because it tells the stories of many people in the Bible who had to trust in God’s plan in faith, not having any idea what God was going to do in their lives. Hebrews 11:30 even talks about the Battle of Jericho! By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
As evidenced repeatedly in Scripture, being a Christ-follower will require faith. We will not always know what God is doing or what He’s going to do, but we do know that He’s in control. He is sovereign over all, and His ways are and always will be higher than ours. It’s our job, like Joshua, to trust and obey.
Where do you need to trust God in your life?
We all are being called in one way or another. As Christians, God has a plan and a purpose for your life. If you are doubting that at all today, take heart, for our God is working all things for your good and His glory. So, first, we must be reminded of this today.
Second, we must examine our lives and look for the ways in which we are being called by God today. He may be calling us to something big or something small, but, regardless of to where or to what He’s calling us to, it’s something – so move your faith into action. Go forward in your faith journey in total trust that He’s going before you.
Lastly, we must live our lives fully for the glory of God. This means that our jobs, our families, the choices we make, where we live – everything in our lives – have the purpose of bringing God glory. That’s what can lead us to faith. We have faith because our life’s singular goal is to bring God all honor and glory. When we walk out in faith, move our faith into action, and obey His leading, we are living for His glory. So, let’s do just that. Let’s live lives filled with faith and obedience, and let’s see the walls that God tears down around us. He will move. He will act. He will be mighty to save.
Supporting Sermon(s):
