“Faith comes by hearing the Word”
SCRIPTURE
Joshua 2:11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord, your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
OBSERVATION
Summary
Rahab’s faith came by hearing what the Lord had done for the Israelites.
Who is God
• God is the almighty God who can open the Red Sea for the people who believe in Him.
• God gives victory to the people who believe in Him, no matter how weak they may be.
• The Lord is the only God in heaven and earth.
APPLICATION
Faith to save man begins by listening to God’s Word. How did Rahab’s faith begin? It started with hearing what God had done for Israel. Rahab confesses after knowing what God did. “As soon as we heard it, our hearts were melted, and people lost their minds because of what your God Jehovah did. He is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.” It is the great proclamation of who God is.
Thus, Rahab’s faith began with listening. “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (Rom 10:17) So we must keep listening to the Word. When God’s Word is spoken by the power of the Holy Spirit, dry bones are revived. Many people in Jericho heard about what God did for Israel. Their hearts were melted, and they lost their minds. They were overwhelmed by God’s power. But they did not believe in God. If they did, they would have sought reconciliation before fighting Israel, and they could have avoided such disaster.
But Rahab responded with faith to the Word of God, and she asked the Israeli spies to save her. Faith is the response to God’s Word by intellect, emotion, and will. (Dr. Elmer Town) Many people hear the gospel and are touched by them. But they don’t believe in God. Only those who respond with faith will be saved. We always listen to God’s Word. How do we react to what we hear? There was a CWMI executive meeting last night, where I preached on the importance of faith to act by obedience, sharing my QT yesterday. Afterward, we made some crucial decisions to take some practical actions to bless Israel. I had peace since the decision was made by the Word we heard.
Meanwhile, Rahab heard about God through spreading stories about what God did for Israel. We must continue to spread and testify about what God has done for us. Our testimony glorifies God. Mal. 3:16, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.” Ps. 9:1, “I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.”
In this age of countless sounds, let’s hear only God’s Word. If the Lord says, trust him as he says. Trust and obey. Trust and don’t worry. Speak with faith. See with faith.
- Sin to avoid, I repent of my failure to trust God sometimes, although He spoke.
- Promise to hold: God rules the heavens, the earth, and the earth.
- Action to take place: If I have heard God’s Word, believe in them and trust and obey.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I will believe as you say. I will trust and obey as you say. I won’t worry and trust you. I will speak with faith. I will see with faith. I will live a life of faith.
Pastor Sharon Lee's QT 