Count Your Blessings

Thankful For Faith

Sunday November 29th, 2020 - Pastor Sun Kim

Deuteronomy 1:30-33

THE MESSAGE

God wants us to live a life of Faith. Fear is only a precursor to faith, because in the end God wins, and we win with him. His purpose for our lives can only be realized when we live by faith.

THE BIBLICAL CONTEXT

The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt and in the wilderness, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place." However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 33 who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day to show you the way you ought to go.

The sermon will meditate on the fact that God the father AND Jesus commanded us to not worry. To worry is to question the power of the creator who met with us at the moment of our salvation. Where have we placed our trust?

Key Word: Fight

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Transliteration: lacham
• Phonetic Spelling: (law-kham')
• Definition: to fight, do battle

1. Fighting is an expression of God's love.

What is God fighting for? He's fighting for your life.God fights for the children of Israel so that they may live and not die.

...The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt and in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 1:30)

• 1. God does the fighting to bring Israel out of Egypt, to free them from slavery and bondage.
• 2. God promises to continue fighting for them through the desert and beyond.

God fighting for us is not a one time thing, and we should trust him to do what he has done for us before.

2. Live without fear because you are highly Valued

God wishes a life for you that is free of guilt, shame, and also fear.

...you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. (Deuteronomy 1:31)

• 1. Do not make decisions out of fear. Make decisions out of Faith.
• 2. Live as if your prayers have already been answered, and allow God's joy to reign in your life. How much easier would it have been for Moses if he knew what a great nation Israel becomes?

Life is too precious to be living in fear, choose to live by faith instead.

3. Fear will come, especially before Faith is formed.

When is our faith tested? When fear comes.

However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, (Deuteronomy 1:32)

• 1. They lost confidence in themselves and in turn lost confidence in God.
• 2. God reminds them of his steadfast love and points out their fault.

Look for areas of your life where you have fear, so that you can apply your faith.

4. Fear destroys us, faith heals us.

Faith is the best medicine.

...who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day (Deuteronomy 1:33)

• 1. Our body and mind cannot heal if we do not have faith. We must be near the warmth of the fire of life.
• 2. Angels begin their discourse with "do not fear" because God's work cannot be done where there is fear.
• 3. We can heal our lives, family, and the world, but we have to have faith first.

God expects us to depend on him for miracles. Because he is already working miracles in your life even now in this very moment.

5. You are not on your last legs. Ever.

God gave you eternal life for a very good reason.

...show you the way you ought to go. (Deuteronomy 1:34)

• 1. Have you ever felt like this before? Well, there's your proof that you were not on your last legs after all.
• 2. Ask God to show you where you must go. Turning back to Egypt is not an option. Leave the past behind and look to the future God designed for you.
• 3. Have faith that nothing can take God's love for you away. Not even death. Only the father knows the time in which our souls will return to him in this life. So put your faith in him.

Jesus has shown us the way in which we should go. Keep running the good race.

6. Claim victory today

Don't let fear disable you, start planting today while hoping for tomorrow.

• 1. My faith is small, not even as big as a mustard seed, I obviously cannot move mountains. But, I have a little faith. We can have a little faith.
• 2. Be the Joshua that believed despite the doubt of the people, and lead others to have faith in God.
• 3. Watch and see God work in your life, and don't forget to testify to the Almighty Power of God!

Nothing can compare to the Awesome Power of God, the creator you have met in person at the moment of your salvation. Nothing can compare to the one who showed himself to you in the Holy Spirit. You know this already, so I'm just simply here to remind you.

APPLICATION

• 1. Shut out fear: Find the fear in your life, and apply your faith.
• 2. Live a highly valued life: Don't let fear steal your joy of life that comes from God.
• 3. Action: Let your life plant for the future, because the harvest will surely come.