Transforming My Faith (Cowardice to Courage)
Written by Rusty Coram
Sunday, 17 January 2010 09:00
Sermon Notes
Hebrews 11:32-38
(32) And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, (33) who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, (34) quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. (35) Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. (36) Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. (37) They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated– (38) the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
Growing in my faith is simply a matter of...
- Believe
- + Behave (behave consistently with what you believe)
- + Belong (be part of a group of others walking in the same direction)
Romans 12:1-2
(1) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. (2) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For Your Personal Study
Read the story of Gideon’s transformation in Judges 6 and 7.
Imagine you were the one God called to lead His people to resist the enemy. What kind of excuses would you be tempted to use to get God to ask someone else to lead? Have you ever stood up for a Christ honoring belief or value, when you were the only one in your family who would? What happened?
When have you been in a situation that called for real courage that you wimped out? How did that affect your sense of being close to God?
God guides Gideon to make decisions that are counter-intuitive. Instead of building the largest fighting force possible, God instructs Gideon to reduce the force to a very small group. The reason is that God wants us to rely on Him and to experience His power and resources coming through.
What is a situation where you could deliberately choose to rely courageously on God to provide and show you His ability to meet your needs? For instance:
- A relationship where a problem needs to be addressed honestly.
- Living your faith in Christ openly, knowing that you may be ridiculed or marginalized.
- Giving a full tithe.
- Standing up for what you know honors Jesus when others around you aren’t.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It is choosing to trust and obey God and letting our desire to please Him have more sway than what we fear.
“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on your.”
Isaiah 41:10