Faith Risks (FaithWorks 2)

Prayer,
Psalm 56

Children, Joshua 2 (Rahab)
Message, Hebrews 11.8-22
 
Review, on Hebrews:
            a
sermon/message
            written to
remind people facing a time of trial that
                        we
are people of faith … and faith endures
            faith is
substantial, it has objective content because it ties us to God
                        and
all God’s promises
            “The
righteous will live by faith” (quoting Habakkuk)
 
Today:
            Abraham’s
story, 3 specific episodes of faith, how it took on substance
            all 3
involve risk
 
1. Departure
            Dad: Do not
let your past/present keep you from your future
            Abraham’s
more difficult calling: to leave what was GOOD
                        Our
move here … but we got to arrive, Abe did not!
                        He
remained a stranger, an outsider for life
            Do not
romanticize: urban dweller to tent dweller, nomad
                        looking
for a “CITY with foundations”
                        life
of RISK
 
            Future
driven
                        city
and country were well beyond his life time & he knew it
                        Looking
forward, with our children
                                                      I
just want to be around to see my son graduate. 
                                    I
just want to be here for my granddaughter’s wedding.
                        Jacques
Ellul: Christian calling
                                    “understand
and dominate the present from pov future …”

 
2. Descendants
            Abraham’s
great failure … those who risk often fail often
            Attempted
the path of polygamy – safe, conventional
                        but
got back on course with faith, risk, wait
            Future
driven
                        through
one son, and one only, “as many as the stars of heaven”
 
3. [Death]
            Rudyard
Kipling, “If”:
                        If
you could make one heap of all your winnings …
            Departure
and Descendants
                        has
given up so much
                        has
received the beginning of the promise
                        now
asked to give up even that
 
                        gave
up the past, now to give up the future
 
            Jesus
invites us to follow him in giving all,
                        to
follow him to the cross,
                        to
follow him to death.
            “If any
want to become my followers,
                        let
them deny themselves
                        and
take up their cross daily
                        and
follow me” (Luke 9.23)
 
Covenant service
Christ will be the Savior of his servants.
Christ will have no servants except by consent;
Christ will not accept anything except full consent
            to all he
requires.
Christ will be all in all, or he will be nothing.
 
 
Resources:
Jacques Ellul, The Presence of the Kingdom
Rudyard Kipling, “If”
The United Methodist Book of Worship and The
United Methodist Hymnal
, Covenant prayer service resources