Another Chance for Faith

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Another Chance for Faith</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Foundation for Accomplishing Gods Work"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Things to Remember About God"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Joshua 2.1-24, “Another Chance for Faith” November 12, 2000pm, Berean Bible Church</B></div> <bR> <div>      We can talk about faith in God, but there comes a point when we must take the step of faith. Israel has that opportunity once again, though they had failed previously. God has commissioned Joshua to lead the people into the land he had promised them. But they first had to pass this test of faith, a test which the previous generation had failed.</div> <div>      In this true story, two spies sent to evaluate Jericho (spying was part of their strategy, not a lack of confidence); they hid in a prostitute’s house; in fact, she willingly harbored them, even when the king sent men looking for the spies (she lied, but this is not condoned in the Bible). God protected the spies, and they returned to Joshua and the Israelites, brimming with confidence.</div> <bR> <div> 2 characteristics of true faith in God.</div> <div> <B>I.  Faith first fears God (Rahab), vss. 9-13</B></div> <div> She<U> feared </U>God (both great <I>respect</I> and <I>genuine fear and terror</I>), vss. 9-11</div> <div> A.  She believed in the God of Israel, vs. 11.</div> <div> B.  She acted on her faith, vss. 12-13, she “showed kindness.” Others knew and feared, but she asked for kindness/grace. In Matthew 1.5, Rahab shows up in the genealogy of Christ; in Hebrews 11.31, it says “by faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” The mercy and grace of God is for undeserving people like Rahab the prostitute, like us.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II.  Faith then forges ahead (spies/Israel), vss. 14, 24</B></div> <div> A.  They believed in the promise of the land, vs. 14, “<I>when</I> the Lord gives us the land”; they were brimming with confidence ("when we come back and destroy this place"), though they wee unaware of how God would do it. </div> <div>      Contrast them to the twelve spies in Numbers (does this say anything about committees?). In verses 9-10, Rahab said the people of the land were in fear of the Israelites, even when the Israelites were in fear of them and failed to trust God. See Numbers 13.26-33. Those twelve spies had only been asked to evaluate the land, not their chances of victory. But they failed to forge ahead, because they failed to fear God. They experienced needless difficulty and pain because of their delay.</div> <div> B.  They encouraged Joshua, vs. 24. This was the report Joshua was waiting to hear, a report like he and Caleb gave in Numbers 13. It is this kind of confidence in God that allows his people to forge ahead in his will.</div> <bR> <div>      God can give <I>faith to a harlot</I>, and <I>to a previously faithless, faltering nation</I>.  He can give faith to you, whatever your challenge.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>