As Pastor Elwyn continues in our series “Starting Point,” we are reminded of the choices we make in the special song we heard. “It’s your life, what are you going to do?” as the song goes. Then, it continues with the words, “Everyday the choices you make say what you are and who your heart beats for. It’s an open door. It’s your life.” The choices we make determine our life. In the life of Rahab, we will see the choices that she made to determine her future. Would you do what she did?

It is your life isn’t it? And you have to make choices.  Many times, the choices you make determine the starting point for your life. It is a new beginning for you. Life is all about choices – all about opportunities. We are going to continue our series on “Starting Points.” Let us look at how God will use opportunities as a starting point in life. There were many examples of men and women in the Bible that have something to say about starting points. We talked about Abraham and how he had to have understanding and discernment early in his call by God. Next we looked at Saul and how he had many interruptions in his life and how he dealt with them.  Then we learned about King David and how miracles are sometimes cultivated in the mundane.  And how God uses those situations as starting points of our faith.

Today we are going to talk about a prostitute named Rahab. We are going to look into her life and see how God used her.  Now let me ask you have you ever been hooked up with a prostitute? Well, early on my career I was working for Legal Aide and I was sent to Seattle, Washington with a friend for some training. We arrived into town quite late that evening and didn’t realize that the hotel we were staying in was a hot spot for prostitutes (not just any kind of prostitute but the high end type). We were in an elevator going down to get a bite to eat. On about the seventh floor, a lady of the evening stepped into the elevator. She was dressed to kill. She looked at us. The elevator closed. Then she looked at me and asked me, “Are you guys looking for fun? How much do you have?” I was in shock. I didn’t know what to say. All I said was, “ All I have is food stamps. Sorry!” She rolled her eyes. Then she said, “See yah!” After that my friends start hitting me on the head and said “Is that all you could say?” Yeah…

Rahab was a prostitute.  Many would say that is a very risky business. But we are not going to look into her profession so much as the choices she made to follow God. God gives us opportunities all the time. Sometimes the greatest risks are the choices we make on how we respond to Him – the risk to follow God or not. So who is Rahab?  She is a prostitute who lives in the city of Jericho yet James considered her as righteous as Abraham!

Let us read the top of our notes:

"In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?" (James 2:25)

Then James mentioned not only her faith, but her works, which measured unto her righteousness. Wasn’t she righteous by giving lodging to the spies and sending them off? Even though she was on the other side of the fence, we now see her in the same line as Abraham – even mentioned in the Book of Hebrews Hall of Faith. Yes, she was a pagan woman who was a prostitute but she took the risk for God and earned her way in line with the great followers of God in the Old Testament.

Rahab was a righteous prostitute. That seems oxymoronic (like rush hour traffic, jumbo shrimp or a generous pake).  Not only was she a prostitute but she was also a Canaanite – the enemies of the Israelites who practiced evil rituals and sexual immorality. Rahab came from this tribe. She was on the other side of the fence…but God used her.  Why did God see her as special? I believe it’s because Rahab was willing to take the opportunity to change and respond to God. She grabbed onto the helm of the garment of God. He recognized her and made her as a great-great-grandmother of King David. In the Book of Matthews, she was also included in the lineage of Jesus Christ. How did this happen? Afterall, she was on the other side of the fence. The choices she had to make made her risk taker for God. God honored her righteousness. God gives us an opportunities and options to make these choices. Maybe we can also be in the Hall of Faith one day. There are three points in how to be a risk taker…

First point, risk takers, who were righteous...

·     Recognize and RESPOND to godly opportunities.

In the Book of Joshua, Chapter 2, the context of Rahab’s stories was first discussed. In the Book Exodus, the Israelites left Egypt in the Exodus with Moses. He led them in the desert for forty years. Then he died. Now they need to enter the Promise land. The leadership was transferred over to Joshua. The walls of Jericho came in the way of their way to the Promise land. It was quite high. Joshua was a military strategist so, he sent spies to checkout the walls and see what was going on. In the Book of Joshua, He must have trusted these two spies he sent. They came upon the house of Rahab, the prostitute. What happened? Did Rahab attract them? Did they get propositioned by her? Commentators said her house was near the wall, so the spies could come in and out? No, the spies were sent by God to the brothel. God led them to her house. God saw something special about Rahab that caught God’s attention. In the next verses let us read…and see what happened.

"I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us ... We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea ... and what you did to ... the two kings of the Amorites ... whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted ... for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." (Josh. 2:9-11 NIV)

She is saying this to the spies as she allowed them to her roof. As the soldiers came to her house and told her to surrender the spies based on the orders of the king. The soldiers believed her that she said that they were not there.  She hid them in thatch of the roof. There was something stirring in her heart. She has heard of their God. There was a stirring in her heart. She knew about the God of Joshua. This was an opportunity for her to change. She probably thought that this was the best opportunity for her to do something. Her status was the wrong position. Her heart was so open. When the opportunity came it was not an opportunity for her to be blessed by God but for her to bless God.

You know most of the time we want to be blessed by God. We lose the opportunity of being blessed by God by our choice. We need to bless God instead and others.  I had an opportunity came to me that I had to make a choice. I just made the transition to be on staff on the church. A woman came to me and said that her husband died. I handled his case in the past. She wanted me to have the money he left. She said he left 11 million dollars for me. All I heard was “ca-ching, ca-ching” …now you would respond this way also…I could go around the world…twice…I discussed with my accountant. Wow…then, she came to my office so I could find out if she was legitimate. She brought the envelopes. Then I find out that it was the Publishers Clearing House that said she won 11 Millions dollars. I told her she didn’t win. She need to apply first. My dreams became “ ca-clang..ca-clang…” Oh, wow…God speaks to my heart…Did you minister to her…God ask me did I console her that her husband just died, did I take care of a widow…I was so concerned about me…God bless me …bless me. God gave me an opportunity…I hate that. I didn’t take time to bless her. Sometimes…we ask God to bless our marriage…instead we should say, “How could I bless God with my marriage?” We also ask God to bless our finances, instead we should be asking, “ How could I bless God with my finances?” It is amazing how we selfishly think about our various opportunities in our daily lives. Instead we should bless God. We are not consistence with God in our responses to him when the opportunity comes. We should commit our steps to God. We instead take the steps of not the opportunities of God. We go into this stutter step mentioned in James…let us read…

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6-8 NIV)

When we have this “go-no-go mentality, God calls it foolish in the Book of James. Have you ever been in a car that is on a go-stop driving? I was in Santa Barbara when I caught a cab to the airport.  The driver was Latino. He had aloud blaring music. He was pressing on his pedal in a stop and go motion at the same as his blaring music was going on. This was around 5 am in the morning.  He had his foot on the accelerator and break, on and off. I was tired of it. As I got to the airport, I got off the cab. I was like walking forward and breaking back and forth. I was in a stutter step. When we get an opportunity, we get wishy-washy. I join this ministry or not I shouldn’t. I should do this or not. I should Rahab was not this way. She saw in heart that she saw it all or nothing. She was sold out. It didn’t matter to her…

The third point for risk takers is that…

·     See opportunities as ALL or NOTHING propositions.

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm ... I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16 NKJV)

Pretty strong words. It was graphic to see in our minds. When you are not willing to commit, you become lukewarm. I don’t know about you, I dislike lukewarm water or soup. If we don’t go for all or nothing, we are not risking in our decision. On the other hand, Rahab took the risk. She didn’t mind what people would think about her. She was not wishy washy. She trusted in God’s promise. The spies just gave their word. That was all she needed. If she was caught, lots of things could happen to her. Different scenarios could happen to her. She could be given the key to the city if she surrenders the spies. Or she could be tried for treason. There are so many opportunities. But she didn’t think of those things. She just heard about this God. She trusts God. She had opportunities to make that risk. She relied on the men’s words. She risk everything for that. Now let us read the next verse…

"Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family ... that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." (Josh. 2:12-13 NIV)

She didn’t need proof. She just relied on their words. She trusted God’s promise. How many opportunities do we miss when things become risks. I really want to follow Him fully. I really want to do things right. As a teenager, what would my friends say when they see me reading the Bible? Or do I really want to do this as a Christian? I want God to bless my marriage but I still want to do my old ways. What you where you are today, God is not going to use it to where you are going to be. You have to lose your faith for God to use you. We want to use the old ways. When I married Joy, I am so use the old way. I was trained as a litigator. When we get into an argument, I act as a lawyer. I push her. She tells me I should know when I push her. I discovered the more I push her she closes. Like a flower, the more I push her, the petals get broken. I discovered that I need to change the environment for her. I need to humble myself. I had to learn to get rid of the old things. I have to say I am sorry. Sometimes, saying nothing is better. God doesn’t use what we are comfortable with to move us forward but the risk we take. Rahab knew that she had to change and rely on God’s promises. She knew she had to leave her past in order to trust God with her future. She knew she wasn’t perfect but she was willing to take the risk. That was what caught God’s eyes, t he last point…

·     Are WILLING, not perfect.

Risk takers are willing. She was not of royalty. She was on the other side of the fence of the Israelites. She was on the other side of God’s people. The Israelites wanted to destroy her people. She was willing. God used her. Hear what she says…

"She said, 'According to your words, so be it.' So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window." (Josh. 2:21)

She trusted what they said. How much do we trust in our lives, our families to God? Hear what the centurion said…As Jesus was coming His way…he send a message to Him…let us read…

"'Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof ... but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.' ... Now when Jesus heard this, He ... said to the crowd ... 'I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.'" (Luke 7:6-9)

The centurion trust God about the status of his servant. He trusted him with no proof. Rahab just needed a word from God and the centurion did the same. It is sometimes such a sad thing that more people trust gambling in Las Vegas than God. They trust more what they hear with what the gambling establishment says than God. They are not rich. When are Christians going to step up towards a risk for God than a risk for gambling in Las Vegas. I took a risk to come to this church. I didn’t come because of Pastor Wayne but what God had to say to me through Pastor Wayne. There was an opportunity to take my son to a Promise Keeper Conference. I really don’t do this stuff but I did it anyway. My son was 16 years old then. I really didn’t know what was going on then. We enjoyed the conference. God ask me to kneel down and pray for my son. I did. I was able to pray for my son and my son in turn for me. When I brought him home, he gave me tight hug and squeeze me, and then he said, “I enjoyed that. Let us start all over again. I forgive you.” If I didn’t take the step, my son wouldn’t be a youth pastor in our church today.. Joy reminded me about our adopting Jerrod. If we didn’t take a risk, we wouldn’t have him today. It is about time to take a risk and God would take care of the rest. Wouldn’t you want to do that today…

DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS:

1.  Have you had any “God opportunities” for risk taking lately? Discuss it with your group.

2.  Would you do what Rahab did if an opportunity comes to respond to a risky situation that will be an obedience to God? If yes, share with the group what you would do. If not,  share with your group why not.

3.  Share an experience of blessing God. Have you had one lately?

4.  What steps could you take to be a risk taker for God?