THE OTHER FAITH
- Introduction
1. Faith has different levels
1. I believe – simply saying that one has faith
without any deep conviction – born again and baptized, so I am called a
believer
2. I believe because you believe – declare faith
in God and his wonderful ways with every one who believes – no personal
conviction – pastor believes, so I believe
3. I firmly believe – have personal conviction –
applied to personal or family life only
4. Challenging faith – Elijah’s faith on Mt. Carmel
– challenging to prove that our God is the only true God – my faith is true
faith
2. People with Moses and those with Joshua showed
different levels of Faith
- Red Sea and Later Incidents
I. Moses Generation - Exodus 15
1. Israelites left Egypt in Joy
2. But soon Pharaoh and his army followed them to
the bank of Red sea.
Exodus 14; 10 - 12
10 “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the
Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried
out unto the LORD.
11 “And they said unto Moses, Because there were
no graves in Egypt,
hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt
thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
12 “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying,
Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to
serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
3. People rejoiced and praised God for the miracle
of dividing the Red Sea. – Exodus 15: 1-21
Exodus 15:1 – “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this
song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath
triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Exodus 15: 20, 21
20 “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of
Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with
timbrels and with dances.
21 “And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD,
for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into
the sea.”
4. In the same chapter we see the same people
complaining against God for the water available was bitter and they could not
drink it.
Exodus 15:22-25
22 “So
Moses brought Israel from
the Red sea, and they went out into the
wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no
water.
23 And
when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they
were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. {Marah: that is
Bitterness}
24 And
the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he
cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast
into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute
and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
II.Joshua Generation – Joshua 3
1. What did Joshua Generation in such situations?
2. Joshua and his people had to cross Jordan river.
3. They did not murmur against God
4. They put their feet into the waters of Jordan and Jordan parted.
Joshua 3: 13-17
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the
soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all
the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall
be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon
an heap.
14 And it came to pass, when the people
removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the Ark
of the Covenant before the people;
15 And as they that bare the ark were come
unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the
brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of
harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above
stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside
Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt
sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against
Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the
covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on
dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”
5.
They had faith
enough to move forward.
6.
Standing on the
banks of Red Sea and asking Moses to do
something so that the people can go forward is not a high faith
7.
Walking on the
dry ground in the Red Sea need not great faith
8.
But stepping
into the overflowing waters need faith
9.
Again when the
met defeat with Ai town, they did not murmur.
10.
Instead they
fell before God
Joshua 7: 5, 6
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty
and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and
smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and
became as water. {in...: or, in Morad}
6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the
earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the
elders of Israel,
and put dust upon their heads.”
- Joshua Generation need no outward sign of anointing and authority
I. Moses Generation was concerned with outside
looks
1. Twelve chiefs were send to the land of Canaan to spy over the land
2. Ten came with evil reports
3. They looked at the physical strength of the
enemies and became afraid
4. Two, Joshua and Caleb never gave a fig to what
they looked like
5. Two looked at the promise they had, not at the
outward looks of the enemies
Numbers 13; 26 – 33
26 And they went and came to Moses, and to
Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto
the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto
all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came
unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and
honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28 Nevertheless the people be strong that
dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we
saw the children of Anak there.
29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the
south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the
mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before
Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to
overcome it.
31 But the men that went up with him said,
We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of
the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying,
The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the
inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great
stature. {men...: Heb. men of statures}
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons
of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as
grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Number 14: 1 - 4
1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice,
and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron:
and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this
wilderness!
3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto
this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a
prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
4 And they said one to another, Let us make a
captain, and let us return into Egypt.”
Numbers 14 : 6 - 10
6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and
Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent
their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the
company of the children of Israel,
saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good
land.
8 If the LORD delight in us, then
he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk
and honey.
9 Only rebel not ye against the
LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their
defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
{defence: Heb. shadow}
10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory
of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the
children of Israel.
6. God’s response came immediately
Numbers 14: 27 – 31
27 How long shall I bear with this evil
congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the
children of Israel,
which they murmur against me.
28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith
the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29 Your carcasses shall fall in this
wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number,
from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land,
concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of
Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. {sware: Heb. lifted up my hand}
31 But your little ones, which ye said should
be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have
despised.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4(4)
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not
that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and
all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses
in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same
spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and
that Rock was Christ. {followed...: or, went with them}
5 But with many of them God was
not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
- Joshua Generation acts differently
1. Another situation
2. Joshua sends two spies to spy over Jericho
3. The two men returned and gave a different
report
Joshua 2: 23, 24
23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed
over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell
them:
24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our
hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint
because of us
- Why Joshua Generation need no outward sign of anointing or autority
1 Peter 2: 9 – “But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light:” {peculiar: or, purchased} {praises: or,
virtues}
- Jesus Disapproves Sign Seekers
Matthew 16: 1 - 4
1 The
Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would
shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He
answered and said unto them, when it is evening, ye say, It will be fair
weather: for the sky is red.
3 And
in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring.
O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the
signs of the times?
4 A
wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign
be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and
departed.
- New Testament Faith is greater
1. New Testament faith is not just stepping into
the water expecting a miracle
2. New Testament faith is walking over the
roaring storms
Matthew 14: 23 –
32
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was
there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the
sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus
went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on
the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for
fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them,
saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if
it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come
down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was
afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. {boisterous:
or, strong}
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his
hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore
didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the
wind ceased.
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