Pastor Elwin Ahu
October 20, 2002 - W0242

Ever make a decision you were unsure of? Many times we face choicesóin our careers, in our relationships, or in our financesóthat require taking risks. What kind of risk-taker are you: faithful or foolish?

The early Church had many risk-takers: Paul and the disciples faced life-threatening risks but still risked it all for Jesus. The Bible described them as ìmen who risked their lives for Jesus Christ.î In our modern society, Mother Theresa was one who risked her life for the dying in India. Martin Luther King, Jr. was another who risked and gave his life for the cause of Christ. Our own pastor, Wayne Cordeiro, risks everything for Jesus. Still, the world canít understand why these people would give up so much for Jesus Christ. In the worldís view, the rewards are little. But when you examine these risk-takersí lives, they are so rich.

That same fulfillment and joy is available to every one of us. But how do we take risks that the Heavenly Father would approve of? Itís not just a matter of jumping off a cliff and declaring, ìItís all for God!î That kind of risk is foolish and doesnít please the Lord. But what was it about these men and women who risked it all for the Lord and gained His approval? It boils down to faith. It was the kind of faith they exercised that distinguished between faith and foolishness.

ìFaith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.î (Heb. 11:1-2)

Q1: What kind of risk-taker are you? Have you been faithful or foolish in your risk-taking?

So how do we develop faith that wins Godís approval? Here are three steps that will help you to develop faith and take risks that are truly pleasing to the Lord. The first step is:

1.     TRUST IN GODíS WORD.

The first step is to steep yourself in the Word of God and then take Him at His Word. When youíve immersed yourself in His Word, you become accustomed to His voice. And when you begin to recognize His voice, youíll start to discern when He gives you specific instructions regarding what risks you are to take.

Take, for instance, the story of Noah and the great risk he took to build the ark: ìBy faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his householdÖ.î (Heb. 11:7)

ìAnd without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.î (Heb. 11:6)

Historians estimate the ark had three decks, was 450 feel long (imagine one and a half football fields), 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. It was about the size of an ocean cruise liner. Thatís quite an undertaking for someone of any age. But when God gave Noah this assignment he was about 500 years old, and he simply obeyed God, no questions asked.

Noah had no guarantees, yet the Bible says ìNoah did according to all that God had commanded him.î Noah had a relationship with God and knew what was required of him. Therefore, he trusted and obeyed God completely.

When I first joined this church, I had no idea Iíd be standing here teaching you about faith because (at that time) I had none. But God began to do something in my life. He began molding me in such a way that made me wonder just what He was calling me to do. Was I supposed to be a judge the rest of my life or be in ministry? I sought the Pastor Wayneís counsel. He simply said, ìYouíll know.î That was it! And that drove me nuts! There I was a judge who was used to lengthy arguments and logical persuasion, and that was the best answer he could give me at a crossroads in my life: ìYouíll know.î What was that supposed to mean?!

There was no formulas or strategiesóIíd just know. So I continued to read my Bible, do my devotions and listen to God. Eventually, God knocked on my heart and called me out of the marketplace. Pastor Wayne was rightóI knew. How? By building a relationship with the Lord in spending time with Him daily. The greater our relationship, the more I began to understand exactly what He was asking me to do. Having a relationship with the Lord helps you to know Him; and when that happens youíll begin to also know what He wants and expects of you.

Thatís why we encourage doing daily devotions so much. We want you to get to know God. And spending time in devotions is essential to building your relationship with Him. When you read your devotions, let it open your heart. Let it correct and recalibrate things in your life that need adjusting. And as you do so you become more like Him.

I rely on my wife, Joy, to pray for meóespecially when I prepare for messages. This week as I prepared for the message, I found myself actually mad at her for not being here. (Sheís in Japan right now with her family.) I became distracted from what God was trying to speak to me for this message and I had to stop myself. Satan loves to throw out distractions so we wonít hear from the Lord. And when we donít hear from Him, we cannot build a relationship with Him.

Joy knew that I would struggle so she left post-it notes all over the house for me. I have four rows of post-it notes on my mirror of every single day that she gave me a little word and reassured me about her love for me. God does the same thing with us. We can read His Word, receive His message, and save it so that we develop our relationship with Him.

Q2: How is your relationship with the Lord? In what ways are you building your relationship with Him?

Q3: How is reading or not reading His Word daily impacting your life?

Receive His Word, believe and trust in it, and as you do so you will begin to build a faith that pleases the Lord. Building faith isnít just about knowing His Word, but also about seeking Him out. First we develop an ear for His voice by reading His Word, next we get toÖ

2.     MOVE TO WHERE GOD IS AT WORK.

God is at work in our lives. By trusting in His Word, we take steps towards Him even if we donít know the final destination. Abraham had no idea where he was going, but he picked up his life and moved to where God commanded him to go. He moved to where God was working:

ìBy faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritanceÖnot knowing where he was going. Öfor he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.î (Heb. 11:8,10)

Too many times we donít trust where God is taking us. Take a look at this interesting Scripture, youíll see a clue about when God speaks to us: ìWhether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ëThis is the way; walk in itíî (Is. 30:21 NIV). This verse tells us that God speaks to us when we are moving, and He is ìbehind you.î You must first move, take a step and ìwalk in itî! Only then will God be able to tell us where to go.

ìGod knows the plans He has for us,î but we have to begin to walk, to move towards those plans. And unless we move in His direction, we wonít arrive. Itís up to us to take the first step.

Please donít misunderstand me; Iím not saying that just because you may be struggling in your workplace or in a relationship that you should leave. Remember God is at work in your life. Therefore, He may be placing you in His refinerís fire because He needs to develop something in you. Donít be so quick to jump out of these situations. You must first ask yourself, ìHave I done everything possible to step towards Godís desired goals?î

So often we get frustrated in our jobs and pray for God to give us a better career. Parents pray for better children or changed ones. We pray for help with our finances or to get out of the mess we find ourselves in. But have we done all that God has asked us to do in order to change our situation to what He desires? When all we do is complain then our prayers lack conviction about our faith. Remember, ìfaith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen.î When we initiate the first steps towards Godís desired goals for our life, that is the kind of convicting faith God is looking for. That is the kind of faith He will honor.

Many times we purposely shut ourselves out from knowing what God is up to in our lives. We think itís too much trouble to explain to our friends why we live differently. So we donít. We persuade ourselves that if we say we believe in God, itís good enough. But God doesnít honor that kind of faith. He is looking for those who not only believe but also live and take risks according to their convictions. Go for it!

Thereís a story of a pastor in a rural church where the community was suffering through a severe drought. The congregation decided to come together and pray for rain. Sunday evening came and before any of the prayers were offered, the pastor looked over them and asked, ìI thought we decided to pray for rain?î They replied, ìYes, pastor, thatís why weíre here.î The pastor said, ìDo you really believe that if we pray it will rain?î They said, ìYes, we believe!î So he looked around and said, ìThen where are all of your umbrellas?î

Sometimes we can be like thatówe pray and seek Godís direction but leave our umbrellas at home. We pray without any conviction. We say we do everything possible, but where are our umbrellas? We must pray with umbrellas in hand, confident in His Word.

Q4: Have you ever wanted to bail out of a difficult situation? Were you quick to bail out or did you realize God was working to develop something in you? What was the result of your choice? Would you choose to do differently if faced with the same situation today?

In order to develop the kind of faith God honors, we must first trust in Godís Word, then move with conviction to where He is at work. Finally, the third step is to:

3.     KEEP AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.

ìAll these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better countryóa heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.î (Heb. 11:13-16 NIV)

Donít allow your present circumstances to defeat you. Look beyond what you are currently experiencing like those who had great faith in Hebrews 11. Those faith hall-of-famers never received all God promised them, but their faith never failed. They looked beyond the temporal and were focused and convicted about what was eternal.

We sometimes get thrown into circumstances or situations we never asked for and sure itís not easy. But ìGod is not ashamed to be called [our] God, for He has prepared a city for [us].î So, whatís the option? The Bible tells us to focus on what is eternal, trust in Godís Word, and move to where Heís at work. Then when God asks you to take a risk, it wonít be a risk at all.

ìAnd the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.î (Philip. 4:7)

Q5: Is there a risk God is asking you to take right now? Are you willing to give it all no matter what the outcome? Or are you still unsure?

Activity: Pray as a group, asking God how you might take a risk together to make a difference in making our community better.

Last Q: What most impacted you about todayís lesson? How will you apply what you learned today in your life this week?

Thanks RHONDA PANG, your spiritual gift shines brighter & brighter! (Mt. 5:14-16)