! Rahab Initiated Change

Transcription

1 ! Rahab Initiated Change A. I was moving furniture and cleaning my office this past week: 1. I found a letter that Wayne Smith sent me 20 years ago. 2. It was from Jack Ballard, Wayne s best friend. 3. For 40 years, Jack pastored the Mt. Carmel CC. B. Listen to the advice he shared w/his best friend who was struggling w/change: Dear Wayne: The wave of change comes as relentlessly as the ocean s tide. You and I have seen and been a part of it for the past 50+ years. Now, we re both old and adjusting to change is extremely difficult. Do you really believe that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Lord s church in the face of all these changes? It survived you and me! Like you, I don t like the music, the earrings, applause, dramas, darkened auditoriums, words on a screen, backup singers, ballcaps in church, men serving communion w/o a tie, or any Bible other than the KJV. You may have noticed that everything I have cited comes under the realm of opinion. I m just one man hoping that the entire world will adjust to my likes and dislikes. 2

2 The big question is simple: Is Christ being preached? Is the Lord s Supper being observed? Are be- lievers being baptized? Is Christ exalted? Is the Bible still the only authoritative word? Are elders being selected as men of integrity? Are people being won to Christ? The answer, my friend, is yes. Wayne, our friends miss us and they miss the way we conducted worship. We need, however, to give the new guys on the block a chance. I don t think they ll mess it up too much. Apparently, we didn t. C. We re in a series from Hebrews 11 on Habits of the Faithful: 1. Abel (loved God first)... Noah (prepared for the end) Abraham (embraced testing)... Jacob (passed the baton of faith) and the Israelites (took risks). D. Today s heroine is Rahab the first woman in the series: 1. Most of us learned more from mom than dad. 2. In fact, most moms can teach complex issues in one sentence. E. For example, Mom taught me about The weather: It looks like a tornado swept thru your room! 2. Contortionism: Look at the dirt on the back of your neck! 3. Foresight: Make sure your underwear is clean just in case! 4. Physics: Close your mouth and eat your food! F. Rahab is female, and when it comes to faith, the church has a tradition of excluding women: 3

3 1. That was true of the ancient world and the first century. 2. But JC liberated women from their primeval bonds. 3. Gal. 3:28, There is neither Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female for we are all one in Christ. G. Our study of Hebrews 11 wouldn t be complete w/o a woman: 1. Guess what? Hebrews 11 only commends one woman, and she was a prostitute! 2. But what this woman of faith has to teach is so important, it can t be ignored! H. Hebrews 11:31 mentions her contribution: 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she wel- comed the spies, did not perish with those who were dis- obedient. I. The setting for this story is a pivotal moment for Israel: 1. Israel had been slaves in Egypt for 430 years when God called Moses from a burning bush to lead. 2. Spies were sent to ck out Canaan, but 10 were fearful. 3. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness (40 yrs). J. This unbelieving generation eventually died off: 1. Then, Joshua became Israel s recognized leader. 2. God told this new generation that it was time to claim what was rightfully theirs. 4

4 3. The first city in their path was Jericho. K. Jericho was a strong, fortified city! 1. Joshua sent spies to search for a weak point in the wall. 2. But during their stay, their I.D. was discovered! 3. Rahab hid them in her home and helped them escape. L. 100's of yrs later, when God called men to write the Bible God included Rahab in His Hall of Fame. Why? 2. Ultimately, there was a change of character which led to a change in her faith. M. If you walk w/god, your character will change (gradual): 1. God wants your image to conform to His Son s. 2. And you demonstrate your character by changing your level of faith. N. My grandson used a slang word last week: 1. We don t use those words in our house. 2. Marshall, But my Dad is a Marine. 3. You re not in your Dad s house; in Papaw s. 4. Marshall, But you say, Dad-gum-it! 5

5 O. Rahab s past reputation was the oldest profession; but her character was changing! 1. Rahab was a Gentile prostitute who protected two Jewish spies in her home. 2. We can follow her example by asking three questions. " I. What Needs Changed? A. One of my friends made a major mistake: 1. He made a suggestion to his wife. 2. He had a better idea about how she could do a particular household chore. B. Just mentioning the idea, he said, wasn t the brightest thing I ve ever done. 1. What made it worse was the timing. 2. She works outside the home... helped neighbor... kids got sick... got to bed late. 3. Then, he unloaded his time-management theories! C. He knew instantly that his idea of a romantic evening was toast! 1. So, he dug his own grave a little deeper. 2. Baby, he said, You gotta work on being teachable. 3. He still believes the premise he has repented! 6 D. 40 years B4 Joshua 2, Moses sent spies into Canaan:

6 1. Joshua/Caleb were two of those twelve spies. 2. They saw the goodness/plenty of the land... but the others focused on the obstacles. 3. And their unteachable spirit sealed everybody s doom! E. Numbers Caleb said, We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. 31 But the men who had gone up w/him said, We can t attack those people; they re stronger than us! 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said 32b The land devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the giants... and we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. F. If you want to be a hero of the faith, you have to be teachable: 1. Who/what are you focusing on? 2. When it comes to this 1 st question, the answer is obvious. 3. What needs to be changed is our attitude! 7 G. Israel was exposed to the solution to their slavery hesitated! 1. So, God let them wander around...

7 2. To think about their faithlessness And He brought them back to the scene of their unbelief. H. He does the same thing today w/us! 1. God wants our minds to be open/receptive to His leading. 2. God wants our eyes focused on Him not giants. 3. To do that requires a deliberate change of attitude. I. So, what part of your life is inconsistent w/god s character? 1. Yelling at your kids is inconsistent w/god s patience. 2. Cheating on your taxes is inconsistent w/god s integrity. 3. Seeking revenge is inconsistent w/god s grace. 4. So, recognize your weaknesses; develop a teachable spirit " II. Why Does It Need Changed? 8 A. Several years ago we studied the 10 commandments: 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. vain. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 12 Honor thy father and thy mother.

8 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness. 17 Thou shalt not covet. B. Those commands seem strict to the world! 1. But, they are universally accepted as ideal standards! 2. Question: why we seek to obey them? 3. It s b/c we fear of the consequences! C. When Joshua sent spies to Jericho, they lodged in the home of Rahab her profession shielded their identity: 1. But only temporarily. 2. Eventually, word reached the king. 3. The king of Jericho told Rahab to release the spies. 9 D. But Rahab had a vested interest in the men (not sexual/ financial): 1. She took the spies to the roof of her house hid. 2. Then she sent the king s men on a wild-goose-chase.

9 E. Let s read the part of the story we know the least: 8 Rahab went up on the roof to speak to the spies. 9 I know the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live here are melting in fear! 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. 11 When we heard our hearts melted and everyone s courage failed, for the LORD is God of heaven and earth. F. You know what Rahab was telling the spies? 1. Things have gotta change around here! 2. The status quo is hopeless! 3. Rahab s concern was avoiding the consequences! G. Fear is an incentive that God uses throughout society to prevent people from disobedience: 1. Disobey your teacher... detention. 2. Sass your parents... privileges are taken away. 3. Exceed the speed limit... pay a fine! 4. Disrespect an official... DQ ed from the game. 10 H. Take that thought and apply it to the one thing in your life that is inconsistent w/god s character: 1. Why should I improve my vocabulary? 2. Why should I keep my thoughts pure? 3. There are lots of reasons why behavior ought to be changed!

10 I. But the fear of consequences is THE motivator! 1. Fear is what motivated Rahab. 2. But there is a higher motive and that s love. J. If you want to practice the habits of the faithful, begin by considering possible changes in behavior: 1. Then, consider why they ought to be changed. 2. Eventually, you change b/c it s the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences. " III. How Does It Get Changed? 11 A. Certain Bible passages teach one prominent truth: 1. Genesis 1... creation Corinthians love. 3. Revelation 21 heaven. 4. Hebrew faith. B. James 2 is a passage that also deals w/faith: 1. It was written to confront an assumption. 2. Some in the 1 st century thought faith was about believing all the right stuff.

11 C. James teaches that there s more to faith than believing: 1. This misunderstanding is rampant in the USA. 2. Some think they re in b/c they attend Xmas/Easter. 3. Others think they re in b/c the wife never misses. 4. Some think they re in b/c they golf in the church league! D. James 2 was penned to confront the assumption that be-lieving in God is enuf: 1. Listen to James 2: You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that; and they shudder. E. James says that Satan believes in God more than we do! 1. True faith starts w/correct doctrine... but it impacts the way we live. 2. Vs. 17, Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 12 F. James goes on to cite 2 examples of real faith in action: 1. 1 st is Abraham (welcomed testing) nd example? RAHAB! G. James In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies?

12 H. If we were writing a history of the Xian faith, our list probably wouldn t include Rahab: 1. If she walked into church she d be shunned. 2. Most wives/girlfriends would be intimidated. 3. (There might be a few guys who d scramble!). I. But Rahab changed her inconsistent behavior w/action: 1. Admitting you have a problem is a good beginning. 2. Feeling bad about your behavior leads to repentance. 3. But faithful people change their outcome by changing the one thing that doesn t conform to the image of JC. 13 J. If you can t control your viewing habits 1. Delete the programming use a filter let your spouse have the password. 2. I have a friend who can t control his tongue -- every time he swears, she adds $1 to the offering. K. Several years ago I golfed w/a complete stranger: 1. Turned out to be pretty good (parred 1 st 4 holes). 2. No. 5 is a test (corn... water sand). 3. Hooked 2 tee shots put 1 in the pond got a 9!

13 L. Tried to lend some encouragement: I ve done worse. 1. Have! Got a 12 on the same hole, twice! 2. But my encouraging words got no response. 3. He took a 6 on No took a 9 on No M. He walked off the course! That s what JC taught us to do: Matthew 5:30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. N. The more I thought about that guy, the more I admired him: 1. He could ve cut loose w/inappropriate words. 2. He could ve offered a laundry-list of excuses. 3. But he chose to change his behavior and he cut sin off at the pass by practicing self-control.