Step Out – Faith In Action

Last week we began a brand new series “Step Out”. We saw that in 2014, God is calling us to step out to fearlessly influence the various zones of influence He has called us to. These include our families, our workplace and society. We also learnt that stepping out will require courage, obedience and initiative on our part.

Last week we left off the story in Joshua chapter one where Joshua, in obedience to God’s word, began to prepare the people of Israel to invade their Promised Land. And today in chapter 2, we want to continue with the story with its many surprising twists & turns where we get to hear about some interesting characters in some unlikely spaces.

Joshua 2:1-7 

We saw last week that after God told Joshua it was time to step out, he came up with a strategy. One of the things he did was to summon two secret agents; their mission so classified that their names are not even whispered in the bible. He meets OO1 & OO2 and tells them their mission. To cross the flooded river Jordan, infiltrate the city of Jericho and bring back a status report on their target.

So our two agents cross the flooded river Jordan. Do they use a raft? Do they swim across? That, only they know. That’s why they are secret agents! They make it across the Jordan plain undetected to Jericho City; a city of power and wealth, guarded by a great fortified wall. Disguised in the local garb, speaking the local dialect, they shuffle through the city gates, expertly blending in with the traders and other artisans.

And then just next to the city wall, along the famous J street, they see the sign with blinking lights, ‘Rahab’s Boarding & Lodging’ and in smaller letters underneath, ‘Cocktail Bar & Massage Parlor’. Even above the noise of the street you can hear loud music and drunken laughter. 001 gives an imperceptible smile to 002; this is exactly the kind of shady establishment that you want to hide out in if you’re trying to stay under the radar. And so they saunter in, looking to all the world like two innocent traders, just wanting to have a good time with the girls at Rahab’s. After booking a room, they spend the afternoon at the bar, getting as much information as they can from the other patrons.

But unknown to our spies, their cover is about to be blown! JSIS – Jericho’s Security Intelligence Service – has been on the highest level of national security alert, ever since Israelite forces were detected around the eastern border. They have informers scattered all over town, briefed to report on all suspicious strangers. One of the men at the bar laughing and cracking jokes with our spies at the bar is actually a security agent. Late in the afternoon, he says goodbye and drunkenly staggers to the door but once outside, he straightens out, gets on his horse and rides straight to the JSIS HQ looking extremely sober!

In less than an 40 minutes, there’s a sound of sirens everywhere! Everybody’s looking scared. Then comes a loud knocking at the door. ‘We have your place surrounded. We know you are harboring fugitives. Now come out with your hands up!’

There’s a shocked silence as someone turns off the music. The police commissioner puts his megaphone to his mouth to shout again, but then the door swings open and he ducks behind the door of his chariot. To his amazement, out comes Rahab with a confident smile, winks at the chief and said, ‘Hey Johnny, it’s been a long time! How are you doing these days?’ Before the chief can reply, she continues, ‘Those guys you’re looking for were here all afternoon but they left about 15 minutes ago. Now the longer your boys keep pointing those spears at me, the further they’re getting away from you!’ The police commissioner and his men have a hurried consultation. Then the commissioner says, ‘Okay men! Let’s go!’ And off they go – not knowing they’ve just been sent on a wild goose chase!

So what’s going on here? Why does a common prostitute risk her life and commit treason by harboring spies? Read the rest of the story… Joshua 2:8-21

You see Rahab just like everyone else in Jericho, had heard stories about what God had done for Israel. He had dried the Red Sea for them to cross. He had helped them destroy two powerful kings, Sihon and Og, along their armies. Like everyone else in Jericho, she had experienced the great fear as a result of hearing these stories. And somewhere along the process, she had come to the conclusion that if this God was that powerful, she needed to align with Him.

In choosing to help the spies, Rahab was putting her life in danger. Had she been caught harboring these spies she would certainly have been sentenced to death for treason. She was risking all that she had – her business, her family and her own life, when she took this risk to side with the agenda of the God of Israel.

It’s easy to think that perhaps she was just scared and playing it safe. But what Rahab did was truly radical. The reality was that despite the reputation the Israelites had, there was always the possibility that they would not win the war against Jericho. They may have won a few wars, but all their victories so far had been largely fought against desert tribes. Jericho was different – a walled city with abundant supplies and good defenses. What if she was helping the losing side?

Worse still, Rahab only had the promise of the spies to go on. ‘Our lives for your lives,’ they assured her. What if the spies did not keep their promise? Or what if they could not? What if despite their good intentions, they were overruled by their army commander?

And then think of how it sounded when she finally told her family. ‘This is top secret. I’ve just hidden some enemy spies. I made a deal that if we all hide in my house, they won’t kill us’. They must have asked her, “What, are you crazy? What were thinking, risking all our lives in this way!’ Maybe someone reminded her, ‘Rahab, you’re a prostitute. Don’t you know that men always tell prostitutes, they’ll be back, but never return?’ This was quite a risk to take! What if her family decided to turn her in to the authorities?

This is what makes her action so radical. Though Rahab had only heard about this God, she quickly realized that aligning with Him would mean letting His agenda take over Her agenda. You see stepping out begins with surrender. If you truly want to step out in 2014, to enter your Promised Land, then it cannot be done on your own terms. God’s work can only be done God’s way. You need to let God’s agenda take over your agenda.

If you want to Step Out in 2014, you need to know that it will only happen if it’s done on God’s terms, not yours. To Step Out will entail risk. It will require you to trust God when it’s easier to trust yourself. It may take you in an inconvenient direction when you’d rather be going somewhere else. It may be unpopular when all you want is for people to like you. It may be tiresome when you’d rather be conserving your energy and resources. Stepping out will cost you something! But God is challenging you this year to act boldly on account of what you believe. Let God’s agenda take over your agenda.

Rahab her radical action – becomes an exemplar of faith. In James 2, she’s even quoted alongside Abraham as an example! 14 ‘What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?…(25) In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? (26) As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.’ Rahab didn’t just have faith, but put action to her faith. THE PROOF OF YOUR FAITH IS IN THE ACTIONS THAT YOU TAKE!

I heard this story about a man who was the greatest tight rope artist who ever lived. A huge crowd gathered to cheer him as he walked across the Niagara Falls on a tightrope. For his second act, he not only walked across but pushed a large wheelbarrow full of stones. This time the crowed was thunderous in applause! ‘You are the greatest!’ they cheered. When they gave him a microphone, he asked the crowd, ‘do you believe I’m the greatest?’ They cheered back, ‘yeees!’ Then he said, for my final act, I would like a volunteer to sit on the wheelbarrow as I push it across the falls’. There was a deadly silence. No one was willing to take the risk! Yes they said they believed. They even felt they believed. But their actions showed they really didn’t!

Some of us like to be in God’s cheering squad. ‘My God is awesome – He can move mountains!’ However, the proof of our faith is not in the songs we sing. The proof of our faith is in the actions that we take! Despite knowing God so little, Rahab knew enough to know that aligning to Him meant not just feeling belief in God, but acting boldly on account of what she believed. Real faith is not faith unless it is backed up by actions. James 2:19 tells us demons also believe! Let God’s agenda take over your agenda.

Who are the people God uses to get things done? I suspect that there were many men and women in Jericho who were upstanding citizens. Men and women who were hard working, honest, came from good families with solid reputations. But God chose to use a scared prostitute – the one person in the city who was willing to surrender her agenda to God’s agenda. She CHOSE A DIFFERENT ENDING to her story by aligning the little that she had to God’s agenda. It may have been a tough decision but it was the best decision she could’ve made! As a result, the bible tells us she turned out to be the ancestor of mighty kings like David, Solomon and ultimately of Jesus. In Hebrews 11, when the writer of Hebrews is writing out the list of people who are exemplars of faith through the generation, it is Rahab, not even Joshua, who represents her generation!

Rahab would have remained an ordinary Jericho prostitute but for the fact that she chose to put her faith in the stories that she had heard about the God of the Israelites and surrender everything she had to His cause. Let God’s agenda take over your agenda!

It’s clear then that GOD DOESN’T USE PERFECT PEOPLE TO GET HIS WORK DONE! It doesn’t matter who or what we were before we came to Christ. God was not interested in your qualifications or your skills or your age or your knowledge. When you trusted in Him to save you, He lifted you up from disgrace to a position of honor and responsibility. GOD DOESN’T NEED YOUR QUALIFICATION, HE JUST NEEDS YOUR SUBMISSION…

So do you want to know the kind of people God is using today? Do you know the people here who are bringing the most transformation to their families, workplaces and even society? They may not seem like the most obvious candidates for God to use! They’re not necessarily the ones who have titles like pastor or church elder. They’re not necessarily the ones who have known God the longest. But by choosing to submit to God’s agenda, these are the world changers and history makers. Even here at Mavuno, God is using those who are saying, ‘Lord, I may not have much; I may not be much; but here I am; use me!’ Let God’s agenda take over your agenda!

What actions is God asking you to take this year that are inconvenient? What will it cost you to stand up for your convictions? What is it He is asking you to give up, in order to serve Him?

Perhaps you’ve been hearing the call at Mavuno to impact your society and saying ‘that’s an exciting vision but I’m such a young Christian! Or I don’t have any money! Or I’m still trying to get a job! Or I don’t have a car! Or I’m still single! Or my family has issues! Let someone else do it! But do you know that God can use whatever situation you are in, your family background, your past failures and mistakes, to bless others. Like Rahab, our lives stories too can be changed regardless of what we have working against us. Let God’s agenda take over your agenda!

God will definitely change your family. He leaves them too much to leave them as they are. He will certainly change your workplace. He loves the people there too much not to. He will surely change our society. The question is, ‘will you chose to be part of it?’ Rahab saw her opportunity and she grabbed it – there are many who will find opportunities that will come this year to do God’s will and they will miss it because of fear or because they cling to their own agenda.

Maybe you’ve been waiting for God to give you something more before you’re convinced to step out in faith. God isn’t looking for perfect Christians to carry out his will. He called you as you were. And like the new believer Rahab who knew practically nothing about her faith, He will use you, if you set out to be faithful with the little that you already have. Let God’s agenda take over your agenda!

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