Faith and Risk

faithPublic Reading: Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

•    Jesus was headed to Jerusalem when ten men with leprosy stopped him

o    Jesus told them to go shows themselves to the priest
o    In accordance to Lev 13:2-14:32

•    The men left

o    They could have went home and continue along as normal
o    They could have walked away laughing at Jesus
o    But they didn’t – instead they started toward the priests just as Jesus said
o    As the went they were healed

•    We know all of them were healed because one of them returned

o    A Samaritan, who took a huge risk going towards the priests
o    He thanked Jesus and let him know what had happened

•    Jesus replied,

o    “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” – Luke 17:19

•    Faith

o    We use this word a lot but do we really understand what it means?

o    Dictionary (Merriam-Webster)

1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty, b (1) : fidelity to one’s promises (2) : sincerity of intentions

2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion, b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust

3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs <the Protestant faith>

o    Bible

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1, KJV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1, ESV

•    I would defined it like this

o    Faith = Risk and Action
o    Faith – (Risk and Action) = Unbelief

•    Examples

o    Sitting on a chair

*    You never know if it’s going to break or not
*    You take a risk and sit down

o    Abraham – Genesis 12

*    God told him to leave his family and home
*    To go into a strange land

o    Naaman – 2 Kings 5

*    Elisha told him to wash in the Jordan river
*    He didn’t want to as the water was muddy
*    His servant told him that if Elisha would have told him to do a great big thing he would have done it

John_G._Lake
John G. Lake

o    John G Lake (God’s Generals: Why They Succeeded And Why Some Fail” by Roberts Liardon)

*    Was a millionaire who gave away everything to follow God
*    Prayed for money to go to South Africa in 1908

•    God told them they would have $2000 in four days
•    It showed up

*    Left for Africa with his wife, 7 kids and 4 friends

•    Had $1.50 in his pocket

*    Couldn’t get off the boat unless he paid $125 entry fee

•    Got in line anyway
•    Someone gave him $200

*    Had no place to live

•    A lady came up searching for a family of nine
•    God told her to go to the docks and bring them home

Jackie Pullinger
Jackie Pullinger

o    Jackie Pullinger (“Chasing the Dragon” by Jackie Pullinger and Andrew Quicke)

*    1966 at 20 years of age
*    God told her to go to Hong Kong

•    No missionary agenda would take her
•    Too young, not enough training
•    She bought a one way ticket

*    Transformed Hong Kong’s Walled City

o    The church building / future of this church

*    Calling to reach young families
*    Calling to reach young adults
*    Folks saying that we can’t do that
*    It’s a risk

•    Conclusion

o    What is it that God is telling you to do?
o    Are you taking a risk and acting upon God’s Word?

*    He has already told us to preach the gospel, heal the sick, love the unlovable, cloth the naked, feed the hungry…

o    Are we obeying Him?

*    Or are we sitting still just ‘believing?
*    Remember, faith with risk and action is unbelief….

o    Let take a risk and follow the example of the Samaritan with leprosy and obey the words given to us by our Lord Jesus

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