Understanding what it takes to make a difference for God is really not all that hard. You can read about it or hear a sermon series about it and gain an understanding in just a few minutes.
There is a great difference between learning and actually making a difference. You can sprint to the knowing part but doing is more like a marathon. It is work and it takes a lot of training. You don’t just wake up one day and decide you are a marathoner. You may wake up and decide to become one but it will take you days, weeks and months of training and practice.
Developing holy passion is not for the faint at heart. It is not an emotional experience that comes and goes. Developing holy passion boils down to God wanting to work through your life and your willingness to participate in His agenda.
Did you know that right here in this room today in Newark Ohio God is searching? He is right now looking for a man or a woman who will step out to make a difference for Him. I know this because the scripture declares:
30 "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30
Israel was in sin. They had turned away from God as a nation. God was looking for just one person that would stand up and stand out for Him. The implication is clearly that if He could have found one it would have stopped His punishment.
For three weeks we have been reminding you that,
“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB
If you have any spiritual sensitivity it is not hard to look at the world in which we live and become very discouraged. Families are fractured, children are neglected, abuse and addiction has affected the rich and the poor and those in between. Talk to those in law enforcement and the criminal justice system and they will tell you how hard it is to be encouraged about humanity. Watch television and see the perversion that is rampant.
You might be tempted to think that we are living in the worst of times. That somehow it has never been this bad. Well, all through history there have been times that were full of sinfulness and blatant evil but God usually is able to find someone to stand in the gap. Moses, Esther, Martin Luther, John Wesley and others come to mind.
Even in the worst of times God is looking for someone who will step up and step out.
God has much power. He is not inept. He is willing and waiting for one man or woman to step up and make a difference. It takes a person who has holy passion and ambition and who will live like they believe God is real and that His agenda is important.
God is not looking for the smartest or the most educated or even people who know the Bible the best. He is looking for people that:
1. Have a Dislocated Heart. Do you care?
2. Have a Broken Spirit. Are you dependent?
3rd Prerequisite: A Radical Faith.
11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king. Nehemiah 1:11
For months before this he had received word that things were in distress in his home country. God’s agenda was failing because the people were failing. He was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. He was a Jew living in the summer capital and for four months he has been praying and seeking God. God is now saying it is time to get up and do something about it. God is saying to him it is time for you to step up. He comes up with a radical plan. He will go in before the King with a sad face and he knows the king will inquire about it. He also knows that could cost him his life. He knows he will get a hearing or a hanging.
1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king,
But: Most people that God uses are very afraid. They are usually convinced that they cannot do it alone. Courage is not the absence of fear but it is doing what God wants when you are shaking and your knees are knocking together. People that God has used are no different than you and I. Sometimes we think that they have a big S on their chest for superman or superwoman. I submit that on most of their chests is little s for scaredy cat! They were no different than you and me except that they stepped out when God called But they still do it.
"May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" 4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." 6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
He cared: He had a dislocated heart.
He humbled himself: He had prayer for four months and he got a high view of God and he had a broken spirit.
He stepped out. God often works through reluctant people.
How many of you know that Moses never volunteered?
How many of you know the story of Esther?
God wants to empower you to do things beyond what you could ever imagine. The world is not wanting for a great testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ because God is not willing, the world is wanting because God’s people have not made themselves available.
How do you develop a radical faith?
1. By remembering what faith is and what faith is not.
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Faith is not wishful thinking. It is not emotion. It is believing God and His character, His promises and His word to the point of acting. Faith is not a feeling. There are people who won’t do anything unless they have some emotional experience. They won’t step out for God unless something over the top emotionally happens. Faith is much deeper than feelings. Faith is taking a step of action. It is believing to the point of acting.
In the Old Testament, God instituted the Sabbath. He asked that His people refrain from working on the Sabbath. Everyone else in the world would work for seven days, God’s people were to work for six. This is in a day when you didn’t run to the store for every little thing. In fact, you didn’t run to the store for anything. God said, trust me with this day, honor me with this day, rest on this day. That was a step of faith.
2. By remembering how deeply God values our faith.
6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Faith is trusting to the point of action. It is not emotion. What God wants from your life is faith. We have sometimes reduced our Christian lives to the exterior. We have taught that if we just clean up our act and look good that somehow God will be pleased and everything will be nice. Does God want us to be holy? Absolutely. We think that somehow morality is what God is after. There are cults out there that are full of morality. They are very strict in what they wear, and eat and drink. They are careful with their actions and behaviors but that is not enough. With those guys who ride bicycles around and knock on your door, they believe that Jesus is the half brother of Satan and that someday there all going to have their own planet to live on. That’s bizarre stuff. God is not looking just for morality, God is looking for faith. Faith will lead to a clean life. “Without faith it is impossible. . .”
Radical faith is for all of us. It is not some super belief for just a few super spiritual Christ followers.
3. By remembering what Jesus taught His followers about a radical faith.
The context is Jesus having a private conversation with the disciples and he asked them who do men say that I am? Some of them said, “they say you John the Baptist come back from the dead.” Peter responds and says you are the Christ. He totally got it for that moment. It is then that Jesus leaves the private conversation and turns to the crowd and speaks. Radical faith is not for a few it is for everyone. He calls every single believer to radical faith.
a. Jesus called them to radical faith.
23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." Luke 9:23-27
What is the kingdom of God? It is where we see Jesus rules in authority and we know Him for who He is. He takes three of these guys onto a mountain and they experience the power of God.
Jesus called them to a radical faith. He called them to follow Him.
He will use you in ways that will cause you to say it is not me. I am doing this ministry because it is Christ in me. You will find this to be scary.
b. Jesus clarified the object of their faith.
Jesus clarifies this privately and then publicly. Eight days after giving out the call for radical faith He takes the three guys who are going to lead the church after He goes back to heaven and He lets them understand the fundamental point about faith.
It’s not how much faith you have it’s the object of your faith.
Illustration: use the metaphor of an unsafe bridge. alligators /piranha; This is in reality a perverted view of faith. Let me paint you a better picture. Imagine concrete pylons, steel girders, and guardrails about five foot high. There are still alligators and piranha but Jesus is asking you to trust Him. Would you have trouble going across?
They could always look back on their experience and remember the glory of God they saw on this mountain. Moses/ Elijah/ God’s voice. God has these two men there because they both were men who stood in the gap during there days. They stood alone. They faced incredible odds alone. As long as they focused on the object of their faith they were empowered to do incredible things.
He was going to ask them to follow Him out into the world and trust Him. When you understand who Jesus is you are willing to trust Him.
28About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
34While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
They come down the mountain and the disciples are trying to cast out a demon. They are failing.
37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not."
41"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."
42Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil[b] spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44"Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. Luke 9:28-45
Publicly: Don’t you understand who I am. I have power to break evils reign in your home and in your addictions and in your private stuff. I have power to break evils reign even in the most evil parts of this city. Be careful because there are dangers that accompany radical faith.
c. Jesus cautioned of the dangers of having a radical faith.
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest." 49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." 50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[c]?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and[d] they went to another village. Luke 9:46-56
Three great and dangerous temptations:
d. Jesus outlined the cost of having a radical faith.
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family." 62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 9:57-62
The world is not lacking seeing God because God is not willing to show Himself but the world is lacking seeing Christ because too often the church has been about safety, people on the inside, and holding onto the past. While the world is going to hell the church is doing the same old things that haven’t worked in years and getting the same old results that they have for years.
4. By remembering you can’t walk on water if you don’t get out of the boat.
Luke 10:1-27: Jesus is teaching them again to go. . .
Jesus heart was full. Ordinary people were doing God’s work.
God is always looking for a man or a woman to stand in the gap. He is always looking for a church to stand up for injustice and respond to the needs of those around them. Before we examine what your radical step of faith might look like let me tell you what it is starting to look like for us as a church.
Reclaiming this neighborhood.
Purchasing a building for expanding ministries.
$700,000 price tag to do everything. This week a gentleman in this community gave 4 million dollars to a local museum. Ohio State announced that its next building phase will cost 780 million dollars. It takes money to move forward and progress.
The goal today is to take the first step.
Your first step might look like a man in this room who will say, I’m going to start leading my family spiritually. It will feel awkward
It might be that you will go public at work. In a winsome way you let people know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ and that you are not ashamed of Him. No more hints or innuendo.
Some of you are sensing a call to make a difference in our community. I don’t know what that is going to look like but we are taking steps to make it possible for us to be engaged in this neighborhood beyond our imaginations.
Some of you might need to start observing the Sabbath. Some of you might need to start tithing like God has asked you to. There may be some of you that will say okay, I’m going to get into a small group and start sharing my life with others. Someone might need to come clean and let a secret out. An addiction or something from your past that is holding you back, and you need to find one really trustworthy Christian friend that you can trust who will never share your stuff and you are going to take a step and come clean. Your praying to God that the bridge is sturdy, maybe even concrete and steel. When you walk in the light as He is in the light, the God who is calling you will be revealed and you will trust Him and develop radical faith.
For some of you today will be a day that you need to trust Jesus as your Savior. Your tired of running. Your tired of trying to do life on your own and you just want to come to Him and allow Him to change your life completely. Your going to bow your heads and tell Him you believe that He came to save you and your going to ask Him to come into your life and He will.
It’s one of the saddest verses in the Bible.
30 "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."
It doesn’t have to be that way. You can stand in the gap. We can stand in the gap as a church and God will do things that right now we can hardly see or imagine.
Prayer.