WHICH WAY IS UP?

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

As we make our way through this Hall of Faith I want to offer to you a faith-lift by illustrating how several ordinary people were able to live extraordinary lives. We saw the "work of faith" was in Abel-work that emerged from the heart! Next we saw the walk of faith illustrated by the only two men who were ever said to "walk with God"-Enoch and Noah!

Today we will examine the "way of faith". The "way of faith" answers the question, "Which way is up?" and is demonstrated by the life of Abraham. Abraham has the distinction of being called "the friend of God" three times. He is mentioned over 300 times in 20 books of the Bible. Abe experienced three major encounters with God-(1) when he was called (2) when he was out of options and (3) when he was tested.

FIRST-WHEN HE WAS CALLED. Let's look at it: By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Abe lived in a place called Ur-an ancient city of Mesopotamia along the Euphrates River. That would be in modern-day Iraq. God calls him to change his lifestyle. He was called into the desert! God promised him a country, generations of descendants, and a purpose-that he and his people would be a blessing to the world! No doubt he was comfortable there in the city. Any resistance that was there must have been the fear of being lost in the grand scheme of things! Are you serious, God, the desert??? But Abraham obeyed and went out of the comforts of the city into the stressors and difficulties of the desert. He said YES to a Higher Calling! This calling was God's eternal purpose for him. There's no better place to be on earth-nothing more satisfying, more fulfilling, or more safe-than to be following the call of God on your life! Note this is true, even if you are called out of the comfortable city to the desolated desert.

SECOND-WHEN HE WAS OUT OF OPTIONS. Think of the situation here. God has promised him that he will bless the world through him and through his descendants. Well, in order to have descendants, you must have a child and Abraham and Sarah did not. They were childless and were too old to have any children-probably in their 80's. But by faith Sarah and Abraham hung in there, still holding on to the promises of God. This was the primary reason why God called them out of the city of Ur to the desert. In Hebrews 11 it is recorded: And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

THIRD-WHEN HE WAS TESTED. Note what happens here: By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

For you today your calling and testing is the way of faith! It's the only way up! Your calling gives you purpose for going through your testing; your testing gives you proof for your calling! But note that between your calling and testing, it is necessary to practice your faith by waiting on God's next move and for Him to come through. Waiting!

Waiting is so tough! Do you know why? Waiting is actually trusting-believing and expecting God to come through. In waiting there are some things we are NOT waiting on Jesus to do? 1. To do His will. 2. To relate. 3. To be responsible. 4. To do what He would do.

So, what are we waiting on Jesus to do? 1. To show up in my life. 2. To give me an answer-impression, a peace, a desire, a thought. 3. To bring people into my life for restoration. 4. To bring people into my life for walking-fellowship & support.

One of my favorite passages is from the prophet Isaiah. It says: He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:1-31)

When you are called, walk toward Him! When you are tested, watch for Him to come through! When you are out of options, wait on Him!

In Psalm 40:1-3 it says something that kind of sums up the practice of waiting: "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD." Now, that's the way of faith!

LIFE IS NOT JUST A STROLL IN THE PARK

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

As we make our way through this Hall of Faith I want to offer to you a faith-lift by illustrating how several ordinary people were able to live extraordinary lives. We saw the work of faith was in Abel-work that emerged from the heart! Now we come to the walk of faith! "Walk" is a very common word in the Bible. We are urged to walk wisely, uprightly, with integrity, according to His commandments, humbly, worthy, in the light, in the truth, and in Him! To walk is a continuous journey with a destination in mind. Paul used the term "walk" and John used the term "abide" to describe the very same action.

There are only two characters who are said to have walked with God-Enoch and Noah. Enoch was transferred out of this earth to be with the Lord, because he was "pleasing to God." Noah was transported out of the flood, because he "found favor with God."

First check out Enoch: By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The story of Enoch is a brief one. In Genesis 6 it says: Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Even though the biographical sketch is brief, it is powerful. To be only one of two biblical characters that was ever recorded, as one who walked with God is quite remarkable. And then to have the result be to not face death at all, but to be supernaturally taken to be with God is amazing!

Then Noah is the other man that is noted to have walked with God: By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

In the historical record of Noah's life it says: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

There are two primary choices you have with respect to your walk. You can't serve God and the material world at the same time. It must be one or the other. It's either walk with God or walk out of step with God. Two choices!

There are two challenges as you reflect upon how to walk with God! 1. See Him-Consider Him. God is there! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is faithful. See Him through Jesus. It's in Jesus that you find all the fullness of God.

2. Seek Him out-Count on Him. Draw close to Him through personal faith in Him and practical fellowship with other followers.

Remember, there are only two kinds of pain-discipline or regret. Walking with God does require the pain of discipline, so do what you can do to start walking. Walking with God is simply watching what Jesus says and does and say and do the same.

You walk with God; He'll work with you in the midst of your troubles. Or, you don't walk with God; you're totally on your own and going nowhere. You choose!

One more thing here: A faith-walk doesn't require that you have it all together. In fact, you may be experiencing great pain and brokenness right now and wonder how a life of faith might make a difference. Faith is taking all that you know that you are (including your brokenness) and placing it into all that you know that Jesus is. And as you do this, you must leave the results to Him.

TWO CHOICES--AND THE FIRST ONE DOESN'T COUNT

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

We began this series with this sentence: When your life is out of control and your back's against the wall, you need a faith-lift. Well as we continue working on giving you a personal faith-lift, we come to what many have called the Hall of Faith. It's found in one of the earliest writings in the New Testament in the book of Hebrews. In the eleventh chapter the writer of this book illustrates extraordinary faith exercised by simple, ordinary people with unusual results. Each of these illustrations is helpful in lifting your faith. It's ordinary people living extraordinary lives!

Hebrews 11 begins with a definition of faith: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

So, what is faith? Faith is the promise of God! Faith gives confidence of "things hoped for." Faith gives "conviction of things not seen." It makes things concrete and gives substance to the invisible! Faith gives us a connection with God, because by it we gain approval from God and by it we understand the miracle of creation-"that the universe was formed at God's command." Faith makes the promises of God a reality!

I like how The Message expresses it: The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see.

In essence you can say that faith is taking God at His word!

Faith is not only the promise of God; faith is personal! The writer of the Hebrews goes on to speak about Adam and Eve's two sons, Cain and Abel: By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

Again, The Message renders it this way: By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.

These two brothers lived their lives before God differently. Cain was a gardener and Abel was a herdsman. Cain offered sacrifice to God as a ritual-something he was supposed to do. Abel offered sacrifice to God by faith with his first-fruits-something he wanted to do. So, Cain did what he did to get by while Abel's heart priority was for God. Therefore, Cain's offering to God was disapproved and Cain became mad at God and the world, ending in being silenced. Abel's offering was approved and still speaks today. Cain, because of his anger, killed his brother, Abel. And, even though Abel was put to death, he continues to speak today with this principle of heart-generated faith.

There is something else about faith. Faith is powerful! What makes ordinary people live extraordinary lives? I have found three basic ingredients: FIRST-People of faith keep changing their perspective; they see the God who is there! This is a decision of the will-your choice!

SECOND-They keep committing to personal programming-to hear what God says. This is a discipline of the mind.

THIRD-They keep centering the priority of their hearts on God-to know what God wants! This is a desire of the heart! With this decision of your will, the discipline of your mind, and the desire of your heart, your ordinary faith becomes powerful!

You've got two choices and the first one doesn't count! Either, like Cain, you lose God as priority of your heart and leave the presence of God. Then you've got a real problem!

Or, like Abel, you center on God as the priority of your heart and gain God's approval. Then you've got the real power to go through anything. Abel is a supreme illustration of the work of faith. No matter what you offer to God, you must bring it to Him with all of your heart.

So, it's not a ritualistic, religious act of the mind and body, but totally and wholly a relational matter of the heart. Remember, God looks on the heart and man looks on the outward appearance. So, how's your heart?

WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF OPTIONS

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

Most of my adult life I have been practicing therapy-counseling people caught in every problem imaginable. When I first began speaking, it was on the university campus. I was the main speaker for many weekend retreats over a period of 6 or 7 years. The routine was always the same. I usually spoke 5 times during that retreat. On Friday night I always gave the same introductory message that set up the weekend for the other four messages I was slotted to present. Before delivering this message I asked the students and staff to take a 3x5 card and write out the three most important problems they wanted solved this weekend. They wrote them on the card, folded it and turned them in. I then read through the cards that night and prepared the next four messages to meet the needs they had expressed on the cards.

This introductory evening set up a constant stream of students and staff coming up to me to find counsel for whatever issues they were struggling with. Many retreats I was able to get only 4-5 hours sleep each night, because the need seemed so great. I realized through this early experience how people were desperately in need of help. What they were craving was to be able to talk with someone who was safe and who cared.

What I learned was that my counsel primarily consisted of listening to their problems and bringing a different perspective to the predicament. I was basically helping them discover more options to deal with what they thought was an impossible situation.

To be healthy, psychologically and spiritually, it's so important to have options. Those who are unhealthy find themselves running out of options. And, those who choose the route of suicide have run out of options altogether-ending it all seems like the only logical thing to do. Depression lingers in your life, when you feel you are out of hope and out of options-no light at the end of the tunnel!

When you're out of options, you will find yourself scrambling for security and inner satisfaction. When you run out of options, there is one option that is always available and that's what I want to share with you. Just thinking through a few people who ran out of options in biblical history, there are some interesting insights available to us.

In the Old Testament, Daniel certainly found himself out of options, when he was thrown into the lion's den. Jonah was a man faced with two distinct options-obey God's call to fulfill a mission or to disobey-to run alongside God or to run away from God. Well, as you know he made the wrong choice and ran away from God. Then he found himself in the belly of a great fish, marinating in its digestive juices. Now, that was a situation where Jonah was clearly out of options. Both Daniel and Jonah had one option open to them-turn to God. Daniel was persuaded to do this by the lions and Jonah was dramatically motivated into running back to God after running away by his experience in the fish.

In the New Testament, I think of the nobleman who came to Jesus to seek healing for his son. John records the story of the royal official, the nobleman, who had run out of options and believed Jesus possessed the only way for his son to live. Matthew and Mark share the story of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, living in a ceremonially unclean state for all that time. She had run out of options and fought the crowd, where she was not allowed to be due to her uncleanness, and was determined to get to Jesus, believing He was her only option to be healed.

The story of Jesus apprehending Paul with the bright light on his way to Damascus is an interesting scene. In this case, it isn't that Paul had run out of options. He thought he was on God's mission, persecuting the followers of Jesus. But Jesus in a spectacular encounter put Paul in a position that he had no other option than to respond in humility.

Here's the principle: When you're out of options, there is always one last option available to you. It's not a belief system. It's not the counsel of a good therapist. It's not some secret you need to know. It's a person-Jesus. Jesus is always available as your last option and would like to be your first option. I've noticed over the years that most people come to Jesus by the process of elimination-nothing else works!

When you're out of options, remember to turn to Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life available to you.

There's one more thing here. When you're out of options, it's too easy for you to be overcome with worry, hopelessness and depression. Remember this: WHEN YOU'RE DOWN TO NOTHING, IT MEANS THAT GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING. SEEK HIM WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT! WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF OPTIONS, MAKE JESUS YOUR NEXT BEST OPTION!

THE 2-2-2 PRINCIPLE

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

Yesterday we discussed the cost of following Jesus. When Jesus called people to follow Him, He called them into community-to be in relationship others who want to follow Jesus.

Paul gave a dynamic principle to Timothy that is key to empowering the Jesus movement. He says, And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (II Timothy 2:2) Paul picks up on what Jesus taught and what he himself practiced. The way for the Jesus movement to move most effectively is for a few to pass along their experience, strength and hope in Jesus to a few others. Since this is found in II Timothy 2:2, I like to call it the 2-2-2 principle!

The basic theme of the movement is all about spiritual growth. Paul nailed this theme in Hebrews 5:11-14-We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

For the most part, the movement that purports to be rallying around Jesus is an inch deep and a mile wide. There just isn't much growth movement occurring. This non-growth is filled with several signs of monotony. There is spotty growth throughout, lots of sitting, soaking and souring in the seats of the Churches, doubt, confusion, relational discord. Too many are self-directed and self-absorbed-directionless and purposeless.

Instead of living in spiritual monotony, you can enter a spiritual growth cycle. Spiritual maturity seems to occur in four primary stages. FIRST-There is the seeker who is genuinely interested. I've come to understand that when Jesus repeats that He is looking for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, He is requiring that people become seekers-that they are interested.

SECOND-Once a person follows his interest by being a seeker, the next natural stage is to become a believer. To believe in Jesus you need to know more about Him. The more you know about Jesus the more agreement will follow. Being a believer leads to personal trust.

THIRD-The next stage naturally follows being a believer. It's believing enough to be a follower of Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus is to entrust your life to Jesus. This is why it's good to ask the common questions of WWJD?-What Would Jesus Do? And WDJD?-What Did Jesus Do? What's interesting is the more you learn about Jesus the more you understand the answer to these questions just by asking them.

FOURTH-Seeking, believing and following Jesus naturally lead to being a discipler. One who is into discipling others requires that you continue to be a seeker, believer and follower of Jesus, yourself.

What does it take to move from being a seeker to a discipler? There are basically two ingredients that are necessary. One is time and during that time the second is to bathe yourself in the teachings and principles of Jesus.

Let me suggest what I call "scaffolding" materials for you to build upon your life with the result of moving through the four stages of maturity-seeker, believer, follower and discipler. Here's how I would list out the scaffolding materials. There are five in all and we'll move through them over the next few days:

1. All is not as it seems! 2. We are in a great war between good and evil! 3. We have a significant role to play in this war! 4. We must seek to set the prisoners free who have been captured! 5. Jesus is the only one who can help us see the invisible nature of life, the reality of the war, our roles in the war and give us the power to set the prisoners free!

Therefore, we must pray for Jesus to lead out and we will follow.

Here are four observations that come up for me regarding applying the 2-2-2 principle: #1-Jesus is calling you today! a) You who are interested-Believe in Me!-whosoever will! b) You who are believers-Follow Me! c) You who are followers-Make Disciples of Me! #2-Jesus believes those He calls are good enough-you can do it! #3-Jesus believes you can be like Him-to perpetuate His yoke or lifestyle. #4-Jesus empowers you by His presence as 2-3 gather together in Him!

Jesus sends out a revolutionary call-FOLLOW ME. FOLLOW ME is the great transformational invitation to seek, believe, follow and disciple others in Jesus. Jesus says, "This is a special invitation to all of you who don't have all the answers. Who struggle with life. Who are tired. Who are burned out. Who are bruised. Who struggle with grief. Come to me I will teach you how to trust. I will teach you how to learn. Walk with me, work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to trust and live with joy and freedom."