Unlocking The Power Of God
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series II, Cycle C
What can faith do? It can part a raging sea and allow a nation to walk through. What can faith do? It can knock down the walls of a fortified city so that God can prove a point. What can faith do? It can single out a woman who follows God's lead and protect her from certain death. Today many people are into "reality" television shows where individuals are put to extreme tests. We watch them because we like to see others battle against great odds and come out victorious. When an underdog comes out on top, we garner a sense of hope that we, too, can defy the odds and win out in the challenges that come our way. The more improbable the success, the more excited we become as we watch someone triumph over all the odds.
The author of the book of Hebrews understands human nature. That is why he goes to such extremes to point out how many have succeeded and done amazing things when they relied on their faith in God. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews beginning with verse 29, we read of the victories of the people of faith. The first few show the overwhelming power of God to do the impossible. Then the list continues with men and women who managed to carry on despite great trials and tribulations. His point is simply this: Nothing is impossible when you have faith.
Do you remember how this chapter begins? There is a definition of faith. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the convictions of things not seen." In other words, faith is believing in something even if you cannot see it.
A man named Marvin Pipken believed that you really could frost a light bulb with some kind of solution that would reduce the glare. Everyone else laughed at the idea. For years it was the running gag pulled on new engineers who joined General Electric. When Marvin came along, they all stopped laughing because he believed he could do it. As a result, he managed to create a process to use an etching acid on the inside of the glass and today we are indebted to him.
You see, faith is a powerful thing in its own right. When faith is connected to the plans of God it is unstoppable. That is what the author of Hebrews is trying to tell us.
You may be sitting here today thinking that these verses do not apply to you. You may be thinking that the things we read in the Bible are more of a historical record than a statement of things we can expect today. Then look again.
There are a couple of things we need to take note of right off the bat. Each of the miracles described here leave no doubt as to who was responsible. We read about the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14. The people were caught in the middle. The Red Sea was on one side and a charging Egyptian army on the other. There was nowhere to go until Moses calls on God to part the waters. Moses, who is listed as one of the great heroes of faith, shows us why he is on the list. He did as God commands him without hesitation. He lifts his staff in the air and the incredible happens. Immediately, the Red Sea parts and the exodus continues as the great caravan marches through. As Pharaoh's soldiers approach in hot pursuit, we see the waters roll back and crush them underneath. The enemies are vanquished. The scriptures say, "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians ... So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses" (Exodus 14:30-31). What made this possible? It took the faith of one man for a miracle to happen.
What about the story of Jericho? The great walled city was an impregnable fortress. It stood in the way of God's plan to hand over the promised land to his people. We read in Joshua 6 that God commands the people to march around the city seven times and to have the priests blow their horns. On the seventh day, God tells the people to shout. When they do, the walls immediately fall down and the city is taken. What made it possible? Joshua never hesitated to follow God's lead. He simply believed and did what he was told. Today he is lifted up as an example of faith.
The scriptures are filled with stories that point to the role of faith in turning impossible situations around. A boy named David stood up to a giant with only a slingshot and a few small stones. He did what the army was afraid to do. He came away victorious. A prophet named Elijah risked embarrassment and certain death. He stood up to fifty false prophets and challenged them. He came away justified. A man named Daniel would not deny his God and he faced being torn apart by lions. He entered the lion's den and escaped without a scratch.
No one would choose these trials, but each time the person put their faith in God, they came out reflecting the almighty power of God and his faithfulness to those who trust him.
Wonderful things happen when we have faith and pray, trusting God to answer. There is a story about a U.S. Marine that was separated from his unit on a Pacific island during World War II. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire, he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly, he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.
As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. "Hah," he thought, "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that, in you, a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."
Time after time, we have been in similar situations and God has acted to protect, shield, and strengthen us. You do not go very far in life without facing some type of trouble. We need to remember that God can work miracles. He's the one who delivered manna from heaven to a hungry people. He's the one who helped Gideon and 300 men overcome an army of Midianites. He was the one who stilled the storm and calmed the sea as the disciples looked on.
The author of Hebrews reminds those who will listen that faith is the key to unlocking the power of God. In the closing verses of our scripture reading, he points to the great cloud of witnesses who can testify to what God has done in their lives. He then encourages us to boldly move forward in faith and confidence.
What is holding you back today? Is job uncertainty paralyzing you and robbing you from making plans for the future? Are you being tempted to do something you know is wrong and finding justification in the fact that you feel trapped in your marriage or your relationship to certain friends? Are financial pressures forcing you to sacrifice your principles and pushing you to entertain unethical practices? Then you need to turn to God and have faith that he can help you overcome these circumstances. Our text tells us that God can do anything. We are reminded in Romans 8:28 "... that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Call on him and wait to see what he will do.
Our greatest joy is knowing that God believes in us. Before we rush out to do whatever we think has to be done right now, we need to pause and pray and be still before God, for he is able to work in the most difficult, the most impossible, circumstances of your life and bring about a miracle. Have faith in God and you will unlock his power in your life. Amen.
The author of the book of Hebrews understands human nature. That is why he goes to such extremes to point out how many have succeeded and done amazing things when they relied on their faith in God. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews beginning with verse 29, we read of the victories of the people of faith. The first few show the overwhelming power of God to do the impossible. Then the list continues with men and women who managed to carry on despite great trials and tribulations. His point is simply this: Nothing is impossible when you have faith.
Do you remember how this chapter begins? There is a definition of faith. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the convictions of things not seen." In other words, faith is believing in something even if you cannot see it.
A man named Marvin Pipken believed that you really could frost a light bulb with some kind of solution that would reduce the glare. Everyone else laughed at the idea. For years it was the running gag pulled on new engineers who joined General Electric. When Marvin came along, they all stopped laughing because he believed he could do it. As a result, he managed to create a process to use an etching acid on the inside of the glass and today we are indebted to him.
You see, faith is a powerful thing in its own right. When faith is connected to the plans of God it is unstoppable. That is what the author of Hebrews is trying to tell us.
You may be sitting here today thinking that these verses do not apply to you. You may be thinking that the things we read in the Bible are more of a historical record than a statement of things we can expect today. Then look again.
There are a couple of things we need to take note of right off the bat. Each of the miracles described here leave no doubt as to who was responsible. We read about the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14. The people were caught in the middle. The Red Sea was on one side and a charging Egyptian army on the other. There was nowhere to go until Moses calls on God to part the waters. Moses, who is listed as one of the great heroes of faith, shows us why he is on the list. He did as God commands him without hesitation. He lifts his staff in the air and the incredible happens. Immediately, the Red Sea parts and the exodus continues as the great caravan marches through. As Pharaoh's soldiers approach in hot pursuit, we see the waters roll back and crush them underneath. The enemies are vanquished. The scriptures say, "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians ... So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses" (Exodus 14:30-31). What made this possible? It took the faith of one man for a miracle to happen.
What about the story of Jericho? The great walled city was an impregnable fortress. It stood in the way of God's plan to hand over the promised land to his people. We read in Joshua 6 that God commands the people to march around the city seven times and to have the priests blow their horns. On the seventh day, God tells the people to shout. When they do, the walls immediately fall down and the city is taken. What made it possible? Joshua never hesitated to follow God's lead. He simply believed and did what he was told. Today he is lifted up as an example of faith.
The scriptures are filled with stories that point to the role of faith in turning impossible situations around. A boy named David stood up to a giant with only a slingshot and a few small stones. He did what the army was afraid to do. He came away victorious. A prophet named Elijah risked embarrassment and certain death. He stood up to fifty false prophets and challenged them. He came away justified. A man named Daniel would not deny his God and he faced being torn apart by lions. He entered the lion's den and escaped without a scratch.
No one would choose these trials, but each time the person put their faith in God, they came out reflecting the almighty power of God and his faithfulness to those who trust him.
Wonderful things happen when we have faith and pray, trusting God to answer. There is a story about a U.S. Marine that was separated from his unit on a Pacific island during World War II. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire, he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly, he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.
As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. "Hah," he thought, "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that, in you, a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."
Time after time, we have been in similar situations and God has acted to protect, shield, and strengthen us. You do not go very far in life without facing some type of trouble. We need to remember that God can work miracles. He's the one who delivered manna from heaven to a hungry people. He's the one who helped Gideon and 300 men overcome an army of Midianites. He was the one who stilled the storm and calmed the sea as the disciples looked on.
The author of Hebrews reminds those who will listen that faith is the key to unlocking the power of God. In the closing verses of our scripture reading, he points to the great cloud of witnesses who can testify to what God has done in their lives. He then encourages us to boldly move forward in faith and confidence.
What is holding you back today? Is job uncertainty paralyzing you and robbing you from making plans for the future? Are you being tempted to do something you know is wrong and finding justification in the fact that you feel trapped in your marriage or your relationship to certain friends? Are financial pressures forcing you to sacrifice your principles and pushing you to entertain unethical practices? Then you need to turn to God and have faith that he can help you overcome these circumstances. Our text tells us that God can do anything. We are reminded in Romans 8:28 "... that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Call on him and wait to see what he will do.
Our greatest joy is knowing that God believes in us. Before we rush out to do whatever we think has to be done right now, we need to pause and pray and be still before God, for he is able to work in the most difficult, the most impossible, circumstances of your life and bring about a miracle. Have faith in God and you will unlock his power in your life. Amen.
