Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Looking back (v30-32)
• What do you remember as you look back over 2015?
• Personal life
• Tabor/Church Life
• The society in which we live?
• Personal Life
• Trials and victories that allow us to boast in the Lord
• All has come from the good hand of the Lord (including the trials and difficulties that we might trust/prove Him and grow)
• How have we dealt with trials?
• Triumph in the trial
• Church Life
• God has been at work
• All heaven rejoices at one sinner who repents
• Confession of faith in baptism
• God has provided for His people
• Every penny for the refurbishment project
• God has added people to us
• Various Trials - how did we respond?
• The presence of trials is not a determining factor of whether we have trials but how we have responded to those trials
• Heb 11 is full of people who knew extraordinary trials
• We see people going forward and overcoming
• Is encouraging - look back and see people who overcame at very difficult times
• The Red Sea
• The walls of Jericho
• David and Goliath (what giants do we face in our life)
• Persecutions
• Hudson Taylor: impossible -> difficult -> done
• If we have faith - we will overcome
• We must live by faith

Faith which Overcomes Obstacles (v30)

The Walls of Jericho

• "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down"
• The previous generation who had known great military victories - but they had died
• God called the current generation to new methods
• Trust in God alone
• Walk around the walls - once for 6 days and seven times on the 7th day; walk in silence but shout on the very last time
• A supernatural work of God
• Their forefathers had been unbelieving - the new generation had been humbled and obeyed God
• Maybe you have a Jericho
• Family - many walls in your family
• Church - we may face great obstacles
• Person - if there personal difficulty
• We have spiritual weapons - 2 Cor 10:4-5
• We are to face our opponents trusting in God alone
• We are to face our obstacles in prayer

Faith of Gideon

• Four judges - come out of the time of the patriarchs and now into the times of the judges and the kings
• The judges faced tough times
• Gideon
• Lived at a time when the people worshiped Baal
• The Midianites raided the land (in judgement)
• Chosen by God
• Initially argued with God
• His fleece
• Initially has 32'000 to fight the Midianites but whittled down to 300 men (by God)
• A huge obstacle
• He obeys the word of the Lord
• We should look back to see what God has done through minorities
• Are we tempted to think 'if we only had more numbers'?
• Sometimes God uses small numbers so He has the victory
• 12 apostles
• We must not trust in 'means'

Faith of Barak

• A timid man who needed the support of Deborah
• Remember Moses
• Remember Timothy
• Timid people can overcome and know great victories
• Consider Barak and the victory that was won
• People that feel unworthy - think of these people and God's grace towards them
• Example of Robert Mofat

Faith of David

• The shepherd boy who faced Goliath, persecuted by Saul
• Was it harder for David to face Goliath or Saul?
• Was the greater act slaying Goliath or sparing Saul (slaying a giant or sparing a king)?
• The merciful act was the greater
• Love is the greatest gift of all
• May it be that each of us in 2016 is characterised by love
• Faith working through love

Faith of Unlikely Characters

Rahab (v31)

• Two remarkable features
• Lived in a pagan world destined for destruction
• A prostitute who lived on the city walls
• A most unlikely person to receive the grace of God
• Of all the people in Jericho came to have faith in the living God
• By faith she did not perish (v31)
• Anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ will perish and go to hell
• May there be many 'Rahab's' being saved today

Jephthah (v32)

• The son of a prostitute who was rejected by his family
• He went out raiding people
• Yet was called by God
• Not to think primarily about his rash vow
• The primary thing to remember is his faith
• Although from a difficult background he came to faith in God
• Whatever our background - God can take hold of us and use us for His glory

Samson (v32)

• Married a philistine girl, burn the philistine fields visits a prostitute, falls in love with Deliah
• Kills the philistines (more at his death than in his life) - in faith
• Concerned for the glory of God
• God must prevail

• In church history you will find things to shudder at
• Sin is never excused
• Faith is that which triuphs

Faith in Difficult Times

Samuel (v32)

• The last of the judges and the first of the prophets
• Lived at a time when the word of God was very rare
• Lived in difficult times
• Had to confront Eli and Saul
• Stood for righteousness
• Trusted in the living God
• We live in dark days
• We may not see little happen
• We may see churches closed and the word of God becoming more rare
• Will we be faithful and hold to the truth?
• When things get dark the light only shines brighter
• May we be people of integrity
• May we be true to God and to the word of God

Recap and closing remarks

• Faith which Overcomes Obstacles
• Faith of Unlikely Characters
• Faith in Difficult Times
• May we face our obstacles in faith
• May we live in faith