Practice a Radical Faith, Part 1

“And I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land. But I found no one.”

Listen to that again. Ezekiel 22: Israel, far from God, sin and wickedness thriving. And God beams down from heaven a searchlight, through his servant Ezekiel, and says, “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it.”

Well, if you’ll pull out your teaching notes, I want to walk with you through, I think, one of the most important aspects of developing a holy ambition.

And we’ve learned, as you open your notes, that there are three conditions we’ve looked at so far. The first one is: do you have a dislocated heart? And it really answers the question – do you care? Can you get beyond your own world, and your own needs, to really care?

The second, was a broken spirit. And I got a lot of texts, and a lot of emails, from people who said, “That hit me right between the eyes.”

And now, our model, Nehemiah – this businessman who’s in Persia, whom God has placed in this city, at this time, with this platform, with this intelligence, with this influence, and this affluence. And he’s going to take a radical step of faith.

We pick up the story in Nehemiah 1, and I put it in your notes so you can follow along. It’s at the end, where he ends his prayer, and he says, “O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this, Your servant, and to the prayers of Your servants who delight in revering Your name.”

And here’s his request – after four months of praying, God has revealed to Nehemiah, It’s not an accident that I gave you this prestige, and this position, and this intelligence, and this leadership in this city, at this time in history. I want you to be My man, and go over there to Jerusalem, and rebuild the wall.

And God has given him a plan, as he’s prayed, and as he’s talked. And you find, his prayer starts out as he asks God, personally, and as you read this prayer carefully, he says, “The prayer of Your servants.” So, he got a small group together, and he’s not in it alone.

And we’re going to learn, in just a minute, he’s going to walk into the king’s presence, and do something that, if the king’s in a bad mood, it will cost him his life. He will take a radical step of faith. He’ll put his life on the line to come out of his comfort zone, and align with God’s agenda.

And so, he asks God, “Give us success. Give me favor in the presence of this man. I was the cupbearer to the king. It was the month of Nisan” – that’s about April – “in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes of Persia, when wine was brought before him. And I took the wine and I gave it to the king and I had not been sad in his presence before so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you’re not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’ I was very much afraid but…”

Do you understand what he did? In the culture of this time, if you’re sad before the king, if he’s having a bad day, it’s your last day: “Get him out of here. Get me someone new.” Everyone’s life revolved around making the king happy.

But Nehemiah realized, I will get his attention. I’ve built a relationship. This is what God led me to do. And he’s going to ask me a question, and I hope he’s having a really good day, God.

And I want you to just notice: In your notes, will you circle the word but? “I was very much afraid, but…” I want to suggest that the greatest things that have ever been done on the face of the earth, by God’s people, are by people who are absolutely terrified, and afraid of what they’re about to do.

But they don’t let the fear stop them. They don’t let the fear of finances, they don’t let the fear of rejection, they don’t let the fear of their physical life – and they do what God shows them, even though they’re afraid. So, as we go through this message, if it brings up things in your heart that make you feel afraid, you’re in very good company.

“But I said to the king, ‘May the king live forever!’” – a little PR never hurts. “Why should not my face look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

And the king respects him, and he gets his attention. And the king says, “Well, what is it that you want?” “And then I prayed to the God of heaven.” I think this was one of those real quick ones, in his heart. “And I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’ Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him asked me, ‘Well, how long will your journey take, and when will you get back?’ And it pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.”

He had a dislocated heart. He cared. He didn’t have a knee-jerk reaction of just launching into something. For four months, he prays individually. He gets a small group. He has a broken spirit.

And now, he takes a radical step of faith. And here’s my definition of “a radical step of faith.” This is the kind that God supports. A radical step of faith is choosing to step out to fulfill God’s clearly defined will, at great personal risk, and sacrifice.

See, when we talk about a radical step of faith, if you’re not careful, we can start thinking it’s like, Oh, I’m taking a big step with my 401(k), or, If I do this, my business or relationships might be changed a little bit, or, I might not be as near to some of my family, or friends, or my grandkids, or, Boy, if I take this radical step of faith, I might have to change vocations. And we start making those things a radical step of faith – which they are, in our culture.

But when you rub up against people who are willing to give their lives for the gospel of Christ, I will tell you, it recalibrates what it means to follow Jesus. That’s what Nehemiah did.

Here’s the question: How do you get that kind of faith? This isn’t mustering it up. This isn’t getting on some emotional high, and stepping out, and doing something really stupid. You’d better do what God tells you to do, when He tells you to do it, how He tells you to do it, as He leads you. That’s a radical step of faith.

And I’m going to ask you, will you please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 9?

We’re going to look at some verses where, as you look at them, Jesus is going to describe, and teach, specifically, how you, an ordinary person, and me – ordinary person – can actually develop a radical faith.

And so, there are four things you need to remember, in order to develop a radical faith. And the first one is: by remembering what faith is, and faith is not.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.”

In other words, faith has to do with what you can’t see. Faith isn’t just all logic; it’s based on facts. But it’s not emotion. So often, we think faith is, Okay, oh God, I’m going to try, try, try to have this. No. Faith may have emotions, or no emotions.

Faith is being – what? Assured, certain of what you can’t see. Faith is nothing more, or nothing less than trusting in the character and the promises of God, to the point that you act, whether you feel like it, or not. That’s what faith is.

Old Testament example: God takes His people out of bondage, right? Egypt – they go into the wilderness. Moses is their leader. They have a lot to learn. They get the Ten Commandments. But now, they need to learn to trust Him.

What is the very, first thing that God does? What’s the very first test? It’s, “Will You provide for me?” They’re out in this wilderness. There’s desert; there are two, three million people, and they’re thinking, What are we going to eat?

And so, manna comes in the morning, right? And God tells them, very specifically, “Now, only take enough for today.” Translation: “Have faith; trust Me that I’ll bring some tomorrow.”

So, the first few days, what do people do? He says, “Take one jar; one omer.” And so, what do they do? Some of the people, they’re not looking. Some people put three or four jars aside. And they wake up the next day, and there are maggots in it.

And God’s saying, “No, no, you don’t understand. You don’t get faith for next day, next month. You don’t have to fear, if you do this, what will happen thirty days from now. You don’t have to fear what’s going to happen in a year. You don’t have to take a…” He says, “There is no grace in hypothetical futures. I will give you whatever you need today. Trust Me.”

And then, when it got to be the Sabbath, what was it? It was illogical.

Again, He wanted to show them: “Take two, because, tomorrow, you’re going to rest. I’m going to show you that I am so powerful, so faithful, so good, so sovereign, that you can get more done in six days than most people can in seven.” And the whole point of the Sabbath, and the whole point of collecting manna was, Can I trust God to provide for me? Am I dependent? Do I look to Him as my source?

The New Testament equivalent is Jesus talking about money. Jesus talked about money more than heaven and hell combined. And Jesus didn’t need our money then, nor now. So, why? Why does He talk about money, money, money? Because Jesus says there are really only two gods. The two gods are not God, and Satan. The two gods are God, and money.

You will worship either money, or God. You will either be self-dependent, and believe that with enough money it will create security, with enough money, you can look a certain way, with enough money, you can have certain things that will make you a someone. But all your significance, security, power, issues. We think the right job, the right money…

Now, Satan will be a part of trying to get you to buy that lie. And so, the whole point of New Testament giving is to recognize, every time we come together, I give the first portion of all that God has given me, so I realize, This is Yours – manna. And then, as I grow, I start giving proportionately more percentages as God blesses, because I understand that life is about eternity.

So, Jesus taught that to free our hearts from greed, and so that’s why, especially in America, a lot of people go to church regularly, a lot of people wish God would intervene, and answer their prayers, and they’re disobedient in the most basic things. If God doesn’t have your money, He doesn’t have your heart. That’s Jesus. Period.

And what it reveals is, you don’t trust Him. I can sing songs, but, and I’m with you, here. I didn’t grow up in the Church. When I went to church it was like, normal days – a dollar. Feeling kind of good – five. Ooey-gooey, spiritual experience – I just thought, I’m really going to bless the God of heaven. Here’s a twenty. I’m serious. I didn’t know.

And then, I remember beginning to read the Scriptures about, “This is His money, not yours. He gave you the brains; He gave you the job.” You want what percent? I just thought, the first time I heard that, it was like, “Are You on drugs? I’m not making it now, and You want me to give the…”

Chip, here’s the issue: I want you to trust Me. And so, Theresa and I learned to do that. And of course the rest is history. But, boy, for many, that’s a radical step of faith. And then, what you see is, you see God supply, and you see the supernatural starting to work.

So, the first thing you have to remember about a radical step of faith is what faith is, and what it’s not. The second thing you need to remember is how deeply God values our faith. Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it’s impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe” – notice the two things – “that He exists, and that He’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

God is not impressed with your morality, He’s not impressed with your knowledge, and He’s not impressed with ministry success. The number one agenda that God has for you, and for me, is that you trust Him. Without faith, it’s impossible to please Him. And by the way – now, jot this under those notes – where there is no risk, there is no faith. Period.

In fact, we now get to the exciting part, where Jesus teaches us, very specifically, about how to have faith. Are you in Luke 9? Let’s go. This is the good part. How in the world, then, I need to remember what faith is, and isn’t. It’s not emotional. It’s trusting His character, and His promises. God deeply values it. It always involves risk.

Jesus taught His disciples about a radical faith. And then, notice, He’s going to call them to this. This isn’t just to the private disciples. This is to all of His followers: “Then He said to them, ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it. What good is it for man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God.’”

So, do you understand what Jesus is calling – this is the baseline for followers: “If anyone will come after Me” – the Word says that “he must.” This is normal Christianity. This is what it means to follow Him. This is what it means to be a Christian. This is the Romans 12:1 equivalent I must deny myself. That means my life’s not about me, my agenda, my future, or everything I can do. I need to take up my cross – it’s an instrument of death.

In other words, I’m going to say to God, I’m going to die to my agenda, and believe that whatever Yours is for me is best. And then, it’s going to play out day by day: I’m going to follow You today. I’m going to listen to You, talk to You, be in the community of God’s people, and I’m going to obey. I’m not going to learn about You. I’m not going to hear what other people say about You. I’m going to listen to You, and make this – faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.

I have never met a person with faith who doesn’t love this book. And they’re in it when they feel like it, and they’re in it when they don’t feel like it. And it’s not some religious, check off a box, but it’s, God, I want to get to know You. You’ll never trust His character, or know His promises, unless this book, His Word, is a part of your daily habit. And so, there’s the calling to radical faith.

Now, when you get there – some people think, You know what? I could never do that. That is too hard. That’s too big. I don’t have – I’ve heard people say, “I see these Christians God really uses, and now and then, I have this little flicker that I’d like to go there. I don’t have enough faith to be that kind of person.” It’s very interesting.

Jesus, now, will teach His disciples, “You don’t need much faith.” Isn’t that weird? You don’t need a whole lot of faith. Remember what He said? “If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to that mountain, ‘Be cast into the sea.’”

What He’s going to teach them is, you don’t need a lot of faith. What you need is to clarify the objective of your faith. If you could ever see Jesus for who He is – how good, how kind, how powerful, how trustworthy, how loving, how much He wants for you – if you could ever see God for who He really is, you don’t need hardly any faith. It would be easy to do whatever He says.

So, what we’re going to see is He is going to take the three disciples who will have the primary leadership roles in the Church after He leaves, and He’s going to give them a private moment with Him to clarify the object of their faith, who He really is.

And then, He’s going to have a public moment, where all the other disciples see, and those who have had this experience, and then, I have an illustration that will bring it home.

Pick it up with me in verse 28. Notice, it says, “About eight days after” – after what? After He said, “Some are going to” – do what? They’re “going to see the kingdom of God before they die.”

Well – guess what – it’s going to happen right now. “About eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John, and James with Him, and He went up onto a mountain to pray. And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

“Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Him, ‘Master, it’s good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ (He didn’t know what he was saying.)” I can identify with that.

“While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him!’” What happened? It’s near the end of His ministry. Why? Jesus knows they’re going to have to believe. And it’s not about how much faith. It’s the object of their faith.

So, Jesus, we learn from Philippians 2, He veils His glory. All that means is, He came in the form of a servant. And, by the way, when His clothes were bright in lightning, it wasn’t like light came from heaven. Literally, what He did in this moment is, is He pulled back His humanity, and, literally, the light – it’s metamorphosized. It’s from the inside out. Light came out of Jesus, and it was brighter than the sun. And then, after that, then here’s Elijah and Moses – what do they do? The two characters that brought revelation and truth: Moses the Ten Commandments, Elijah restoring Israel – the two most important witnesses.

If I’m a little Jewish boy, growing up in that day – Peter, John, and James – they’re the two heroes of our faith. So, now I see the light coming out of Jesus. Then, I get the testimonies that this isn’t just some experience – here’s Moses, and here’s Elijah. And then, a cloud envelopes them, and I’m scared to death. And you hear the very voice of God: “This is my Son; believe in Him.”

Do you understand what God’s doing? He’s letting these three guys see who Jesus is. And when you see who He really is, then what we’ll watch later is, doing what He says isn’t all that hard. He’s God. He’s all-powerful. He’s faithful. He’ll never let you down.

Well, after they have this experience, they’re going to go down the mountain. And as they go down the mountain, I want you to notice how specific and why the author is letting us know these are connected: “When the voice had spoken, they found Jesus alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at the time what they had seen.”

Then, notice the time marker again: “The next day” – the next day. All this goes together. “When they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. And a man in the crowd called out, ‘Teacher, I beg You, look at my son, for he is my only child. And a spirit seizes him and suddenly he screams; and it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and it’s destroying him. I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

Why? What’s Jesus say? What’s the text say? Look in your Bible: “‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son to Me.’ Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at” – what? – “the greatness of God. And while everyone was marveling at what Jesus did, He said to His disciples, ‘Listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you.’”

He’s setting them up: Look, there are going to be challenges. “And the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they didn’t understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so they didn’t grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.” He’s preparing them for His leaving, and He’s giving them promises. And how did He heal the boy? Did He touch him? What did He do? He spoke: “You can trust My word. There is power in My word.”