Passing Life’s Tests
Hebrews 11:8-19
PART 1 “Traveling Without a Map”
The ‘Where’ Test (Hebrews 11:8)
Central thought: A real believer follows God’s leading without knowing where.
Co-ordinated reading: James 1:2-3 and 12
INTRODUCTION
When airlines train their pilots they first test them in a simulator. The simulator is designed to present the pilot with a variety of potential problems so that they will be able to handle any emergency in the future. First the pilot is tested with simple challenges, which eventually build up to catastrophic situations. The pilots are given more difficult problems only when they have mastered the previous ones. The result is that when the pilots have completed their courses, they are prepared to handle any problem that comes their way.
This is similar to God’s method of working with us. God teaches us how to handle the problems of life, but never gives us more than we can handle. He teaches us through each situation, so that we can be fully prepared and mature people, ready to handle any challenge in life that might come our way.
One of the tests God puts our way from time to time is the “Where” test. All of us here are familiar with this test. “Where should I live, work, worship, invest? Where should I take my business? Where should our church be heading? Where should I send the kids to school? Where should I go today?”
It’s a test that is designed to deepen our faith and trust and show us new and wonderful things about our God.
In Hebrews 11 we read about the time that Abraham went through the where test. His respoinses teach us many things about how God operates in our world. There’s a lot of help here for us so let’s take a look at it.
I. A Relationship
I recently had a real life experience of this “where” test when our family was away on holidays.
Going down the caves and even through the crawl tunnel in the Yallingup caves with Sarah (6) and Caitlyn (2).
Those girls courageously moved into the crawl tunnel, into blind darkness and yet they were ok with it because they trusted me when I said they would be ok. They moved, even though they didn’t know where it would lead, because of the strength of trust in our relationship.
That kind of faith can only come through a deep and trusting relationship built up over time spent with each other and proving to be reliable. That’s the kind of relationship Abraham had with God.
Abraham had a relationship of trust and faith in God
11:8 By faith Abraham, when called … obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
It was a relationship characterized by faith. Listen to the extent of God’s command to Abraham:
GE 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
That was it! God simply said ‘get up and go.’ Abraham had no specific details, yet as simple as it was Abraham still obeyed God and stepped out as he was commanded.
However, in stepping out he moved to a whole new place in his relationship with God. In stepping out Abraham drew nearer to God. His relationship grew deeper.
It was the same with Sarah and Caitlyn down the Yallingup caves. Their trust in me as a reliable father was only deepened because of that experience. I had promised they would be ok and I kept my word. In fact, once they had followed me through the first time and experienced the truth of my promise for themselves, they wanted to go back and do it again without me! Not once, but twice!
If he had relied purely upon his own human reasoning to discern his direction, Abraham would have severed his ties with God. In effect he would have been saying to God, “I don’t need you I can do this on my own.” Or he may have said, “There’s no way I’m going there - I’ll stay here and I’ll never experience all the wonders you have for me.”
But he didn’t do that. When Abraham went, he went by faith, and in doing so he said to God, “I want a real, vital, living relationship with you; I want to rely on you.” From his past experience of God’s activity in his life Abraham reasoned that God was trustworthy. So when God said “Move” Abraham said. “I’m on my way.”
Some parents have discovered the benefits of developing a relationship of trust with their children. Jodie and I are working at it with our daughters. That’s one reason I took the risk of going down a cave with them and taking them through the crawl tunnel even though they were fearful. You see, I figure that with a relationship of trust our children are more likely to heed our advice later in life – when things really get tough – especially through the teen years. And this kind of relationship takes time and patience – and we’re just beginning. But we want them to grow into their fullest potential, safely and for their own benefit. The point is all this happens within relationship.
Now the same is true with God. We can stay where we are, effectively saying to God, “There’s no way I’m going there - I’ll stay where I am thanks. I’m happy with business as usual.” But if we do that we will never experience all that the Lord has for us. And our relationship with him will be shallow and unfulfilled.
Maybe today he’s challenging us to make a shift in our thinking, our beliefs, our view of the world. Or maybe it’s a physical move (like the one my family has just made). Or maybe it’s an emotional and spiritual move- he’s asking you to forgive someone (maybe even to forgive yourself). Whatever the move, as you take it you will deepen your relationship with Him as you trust Him and He proves his love for you.
A Request
A deep, loving relationship of trust and faith with God is one of the many benefits in the “where” test. But there are also costs. For example, we can’t sit and pass this test successfully and remain the same people we once were. Part of the where test is to hear and accept the request from God to make major changes in our lives. (Fill in the blank).
Take the first settlers in this area for example. They came to Australind to fulfill a request to breed horses for sale in India. And they had to make major adjustments in their lives to fulfill that request and carve out an existence here. Though their plan never really took off, their story is a great example of the cost of following a vision. And the same applies for God’s people. We cannot stay where we are and go with God – it’s one or the other.
Part of God’s purpose in the “where” test is that he wants to move us out of our lives the way we have lived them up to this point so far – and to take us to a whole new way of living. He wants us to know new horizons. In the “where” test God invites us to discover new things about him every day – to revitalize our walk with him and start fresh with him each day.
You see, when we respond to God’s request for us to move, we gain a new perspective from a new vantagepoint (i.e. when we move our point of view is changed).
It says in Heb 11:8-9:
HEB 11:8 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.
HEB 11:9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country;
When God requested, Abraham moved to the promised land and from their gained a new perspective. As he obeyed God he began to view life as God viewed it.
And the same applies to God’s people today. Each day as we respond to God’s request to move into a deeper relationship with him, we gain his perspective on life and start to live in the fullness of his promises.
You know, Abraham was nearly 100 when God requested that he move. At 100 he was ready to retire, not aspire! He was ready for social security, not social insecurity! God’s request called for major changes to what Abraham may have been expecting out of his twilight years.
And we need to be ready for God to ask us to do something we may never have planned we would do – no matter what our age and experience.
A Response
So the first element of the “Where” test is a relationship of faith and trust with God, the second is a request from God for us to change or move and the third involves our response to that request (Fill in the blank).
We read that Abraham simply “…obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.” Some other translations of this verse say that Abraham went without any understanding. That is the sense in which this is meant. Abraham went out without having all the details. He went even though all of his questions about how and why had not been answered.
You see, because Abraham had an intimate relationship with God, he recognized that the Lord was doing something new. So he responded to God’s request without knowing all the details.
Sometimes God will want to do something new and we might ask why? Or how? We might even find ourselves saying things like, “We can’t do that, it’s never been done like that before.” We’ll we may not have all the details, but God wants us to be flexible as we respond to his work among us.
Abraham didn’t have all the details, but regardless of this, his response to God’s request was immediate. It was as if Abraham began his journey even while the Lord was still speaking. That’s how willing he was to respond to the new thing God was doing.
It reminds me of a TV series that used to be on a few years ago called “Emergency.” It was a show about life in a fire-station. You know, what caught my attention is the procedure that took place when an emergency call came in. When that call came through the firemen responded immediately, as they should. The call would first come through the PA system in the Firemen’s Rec room and without hesitation they would respond. Sliding down the pole and donning their fire suits while the call continued. What surprised me was that more often than not they were already geared up and on the road before they knew the precise destination and nature of the emergency, the final details they would get over the truck radio while they were already moving.
This is the kind of immediate response God expects from us. “Just get moving,” he says, “and he’ll give you the details on the way.” It’s like trying to steer a car that doesn’t have power steering. While it’s parked it’s impossible - but you have probably found as I have that it is easier to steer a moving vehicle.
Maybe only God knows where it is he wants to steer us - maybe it’s in our way of thinking about him - a mental move, maybe it’s a physical move, or maybe it’s a spiritual move; he may want us to change the way we’ve been doing some things. Whatever our situation is, God is simply requesting that we respond to him by moving now, and he’ll give us the details on the way.
And today we have come together to begin a new chapter in the ministry of Australind Baptist Church – a new year, a new pastor, new friendships and many new and as yet unrealized opportunities to serve the Lord in our community.
We can say with confidence that we know what he wants us to do – Jesus told his followers to:
“go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28).
This is what we are to do, but where this task will take us only God knows. That’s the test we are to respond to. To do his will without knowing where it will take us. The path may be pleasant or it may seem unbearable – it may be clear to us or it may puzzle and frustrate us. But as we do respond as a church and move to places where God will have us go, we can expect God to accomplish wonderful and marvelous things in people’s lives.
CONCLUSION
Of course behind God’s call to move is his ultimate purpose which he wants us to be a part of. He doesn’t call us to move in faith for no reason. He calls us to move in faith because he loves us and he wants us to grow, mature and live productive lives in His kingdom.
So where are you this morning?
Maybe today God is calling you to leave some place. It may be a physical place he wants you to move from. It may be an opinion or belief you’ve held for years that he wants you to move from. It may be an emotional hurt that he wants you to leave behind. Whatever it is you know that God wants you to make this move and leave it behind to go a place where he will show you. Jesus had this to say to you: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” And that’s a promise to the people who follow Him no matter where they are.
And do we know where we are headed ultimately? Regardless of whether or not we consider ourselves to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ - the day will come for each one of us to leave this world behind. Ultimately we all face death, but where to from there? Are you certain of where you will be in the next life?
Maybe today you’re living in a very dry place – either spiritually, or in a relationship, or in your business or finances, or in you health or in some other way. You figure this can’t be the place that God intended for you. You’re tempted to take back a little bit of that control that you handed over to God. After all, God doesn’t put people in places like this, does He? Especially not obedient people. You’re asking, “How did I get here? And where do I go from here?” Sometimes the dry place is exactly where God wants you to be right now? But he doesn’t want you to stay there. Maybe He’s put you in a dry place so that you will look to Him alone to meet your needs and to satisfy your longings. That’s where he wants you to be. In an authentic, deep and lively relationship of faith and trust.
So how are you going to go with the where test? Are we willing to follow God without knowing where? Tests are important and for the Christian Believer - they are an unavoidable yet loving part of our relationship to God. Yet we shouldn’t fear them. God’s tests are filled with the promise of new wonderful things. Listen to the voice of God as he reassures us of this:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (Isa 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9)
Do remember the airline pilots that I told you about earlier? Did you know that after these pilots have been trained, tested and have graduated many airlines will require them to undergo compulsory retesting for two weeks of every year. Can you imagine having to re-sit your trade or Uni exams every year just to keep your job!? It seems excessive doesn’t it? But the reason for re-testing airline pilots is simple. It’s because people’s lives depend on how skilled they are. You know, it strikes me that God tests his people for exactly the same reason. People’s eternal life depends upon how skilled his messengers are.
Next week we’re going to continue looking at how God tests his people, I hope to see you then.
