Facing Facts &
Speaking Truth
Gtcotr/ss082204
My aim this morning, as always, is to take you from the wherever you are right now to a place of prayer.
Many of the challenges of life can be handled by simply facing the facts and telling the truth.
I hope to expose you to the
Information - Inspiration & Motivation
you need to get spiritually connected this morning.
Connecting with God is the right thing to do and this morning is the right time to do it.
I know that you will reach out to God if you believe He exists and believe He rewards every one who seeks Him.
Believing God, like believing me this morning, is a choice which each one of us have to make for ourselves.
You see, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6
Unfortunately however, “Not all people have faith.” 2 Thessalonians 3:2
This morning I am going to take two simple stories from the bible, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.
These are biblical accounts of real people, facing real life situations.
We will attempt to see them through God’s eyes and hopefully, increase your faith. As we proceed, be alert - the Holy Spirit will reveal how these biblical truths can apply to your life.
Let’s begin with the story from the New Testament in Luke Chapter 8
I. Where Is Your Faith?
Luke 8 (NKJV)
22 ¶ Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out.
23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.
24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"
A. We all expect Jesus to have faith, but do you know:
1. Jesus expects you to have faith.
2. Even in the midst of your toils & troubles
3. Even in the your darkest hours
4. When others are panicking and all seems lost
5. When you wonder if anyone else even cares
B. The question rings loud
* Where is your faith?
C. Mark’s Account phrases it this way:
Mark 4
38 He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?” “How is it that you have no faith?"
1. Tell me, Jesus said, after all you have seen & heard
2. Why are you so fearful?
* “How is it that you have no faith?”
Hold that thought while we go now to Exodus 14 and look at the Old Testament story for today.
II. Lift Up Your Rod!
Exodus 14 (NKJV)
13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
14 "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
15 ¶ And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16 "But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
A. Their backs against the Red Sea
B. Enemies biting at their heals
C. Trapped between a Rock and a hard place
D. Moses gives his advice:
1. Do not be afraid;
2. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord;
3. The Lord will fight for you;
4. You shall hold your peace.
E. God Corrects Moses’ Doctrine & Expectation
When trapped between a Rock and a hard place, go with the Rock.
1. Why are you crying to me?
2. Don’t tell them to stand still - tell them to go forward
3. You lift up your rod
* You are on a mission for Me!
* You command the sea by the authority I gave you
F. In this instance - Lift up your rod!
G. In the earlier NT story - Exercise your faith! The Name of Jesus which God gave to every believer. The Believer’s Rod!
* Mark 16 (NKJV)
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
John 14:14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Many of the challenges of life can be handled by simply facing the facts and telling the truth.
The facts may be ugly, threatening or painful.
For example, you may be tormented, sick, addicted, depressed or afflicted, and it may even be that you are partly to blame.
Nonetheless, Face the Facts and Tell the Truth -
What is the truth?
Jesus speaking to His Father God about you said, “Sanctify them, (clean them up and make them holy), by the Truth - Thy Word is Truth!” John 17:17
So speak the Truth - Speak the Word of God.
You are being afflicted & some of it may even be your fault?
Speak the Truth
Psalms 34:19 is the Truth
Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
You may think, “God would surely deliver David“, but not me. David was a man after God’s own heart … David was righteous.
Do you know where this Psalm came from, when it was written and what the circumstances were that inspired David to pen this Psalm?
Briefly, David was running for his life from King Saul who had tried to impale him with a spear. David had first gone to Nod and lied to the priest there, who believing David’s lie, they unwittingly aided him in his escape. They gave him holy bread for provision and the sword of Goliath which had been stored there. This angered King Saul who had 80 of those priest of Nod brutally executed. David then proceeded to Gath, the seat of Abimelech, King of the Philistines. Being recognized there and placed in custody as a captain of Israel who had killed tens of thousands of their soldiers, David was brought before the King to be sentenced to death. David, scared for his life, acted as if he were a lunatic. He fell in the sand, ate dirt, drooled with spittle over his beard and made the mad man. His acting was such that the King felt him legitimately crazy. Since it was bad luck to harm a crazy person, the king let David go free. David ran away and wrote this alphabetical Psalm about his encounter with King Abimelech. Each alphabetical Psalm has 22 verses, 1 for each succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Hebrew alphabet is a picture alphabet. (Insert & Refer To 1st Page of Chart) Each letter represents something tangible. When we look at verse 4 for example we find that the letter there is ‘Dalet’ - it is the picture of a door. David declares that he sought the Lord, was heard and delivered from all of his fears. The truth pictured here is that God is a door of deliverance to all who call upon His name. God will deliver you but shut the door on your fears. Your fears can’t come to pass - cannot pass through the door. (Go To Page Two) You can pass through but your enemies can’t. When you seek God instead of sitting silent with your fears haunting you, you literally pass through a spiritual door to God through which your enemies cannot gain entrance. So …
Face the Facts --- but for goodness sakes ---
Tell the Truth
Speak God’s Word no matter what the facts are.
I challenge you today to Find out the truth about the facts of life.
