Sermon Central
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Your Faith Provision—part Ii Series
Contributed by Byron Sherman on Apr 19, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: This is part 2 of 3. The 1st installment in a 5-sermon series describing God’s Provision for the people of Israel as it applies to His Church today. This installment deals with a Faith that warrants God’s attention & provision or A Faith that moves God
Your Faith Provision-II—Josh. 14:6-15
God provides for men & women of faith.
But what kind of faith moves God’s hand?
Caleb’s faith was granted God’s special provision.
Personal faith is granted God’s special provision.
When does personal faith warrant God’s provision?
We discovered in Part I that Faith that warrants/holds God’s attention & provision is...
1. A Bold Faith
2. An Alluring Faith
3. A Feasting Faith
4. A Patient Faith
5—Faith that warrants/holds God’s attention & provision is
DEFIANT FAITH(:8)
Explanation:(:8)Contrasting//Rival/Oppose/Resist/Contend
“Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully.”
“My brethren”—His Kinsmen/Peers
“Who went up with me”—Accompanied Caleb—Saw the same things he saw but did not experience them as he.
“Made the heart of the people melt”—
“Heart”—Resolution/Determination of the will.
Seat of Appetites/Emotions/Passions & Courage
“Melt”—Dissolve/Liquify/Consume
“Made...the people”—Trust in & Live by sight rather than by God(His Word—Character—Attributes—Integrity) who is unseen.
Hab. 2:2-4—“Then the LORD answered me & said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal, & it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”
“But”—Contrast to/Defiance of/ Caleb’s brethren
“I followed”—Come after—To allow another to direct/lead/clear the path.
Faith that defies/opposes the world.
Argumentation:
Eph. 6:11—“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
Rom. 13:14—“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, & make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
Lk. 2:34—“And Simeon blessed them, & said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child[Jesus] is appointed for the fall & rise of many in Israel, & for a sign to be opposed--”
1Pet. 5:5—“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; & all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
Mat. 5:39—““But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”——Grace is not the vindication of self nor the punishment of a wrong, but the endurance of evil & the triumph of good over it. ——When a Christian has suffered wrong he is to eliminate altogether from his motives the natural desire to retaliate or accuse——but patiently bear the affront, or seek for satisfaction in another way.——be ready to suffer patiently a repetition of the same injury. But these exhortations belong to those principally who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.——Professional pacifism may be mere cowardice.——Do not repel one outrage by another." He that does so makes himself precisely what the other is, a wicked person.
Not Caleb’s place to force his opinion on the movers & shakers, but to influence them.
Illustration:
Salinity gradients/Turbinata & Labidocera/Never cross boundary/If they do they are dead/Allow the others to remain but they remain steadfast/Defiant
Temperature gradients/Cold Gulf Stream water intrudes onshore/Provides nutirents & food unknown until it arrives/Makeup Contrasts that outside its boundaries
Spiritual Degree of difference obvious/marked when comparing: 1)Lost to Saved
2)Committed to Crowd
3)Consecrated to Committed
Application:
?You have a Defiant/Contrasted Faith?...
...One that Defies worldly faith?
?Does your Faith warrant/hold God’s Attention & Provision?
6—Faith that warrants/holds God’s attention & provision is
COMPLETE FAITH(:8)
Explanation:(:8)Satisfy/Full
“Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully.”
“Fully/Wholly”—Full/Complete/Satisfy
Num. 14:24—“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit & has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, & his descendants shall take possession of it.”
In the matter of this one event Caleb followed unswervingly.
Argumentation:
1Jn. 4:16-18—“And we have come to know & have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, & the one who abides in love abides in God, & God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.” There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, & the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
Gal. 2:20—“I have been crucified with Christ; & it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; & the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, & delivered Himself up for me.”
