Sermon on July 22 by Hansie Breedt, OM Belgium

What about being a ‘yes-man’?

2 Strange stories – Jonathan and Benaiah

Jonathan 1 Samuel 14:1-14
• Trouble with Philistines – Saul waiting in Gibeah with 600 men
• Jonathan (with his armour-bearer) crawling up a cliff to confront the Philistines
• They defeat this group and panic struck the camp of the Philistines – in the confusion, fighting each other!

Benaiah 2 Samuel 23:20 &23

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
23 …. and David put him in charge of his bodyguard

Our choices become opportunities ….

Sometimes our choices are very conditional – “…as long as!” “… now is not a very good time!”

Just DO SOMETHING! Jonathan and Benaiah – examples of doers.

• What about uncertainty and risk?

6 Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving whether by many or by few”

Faith = trusting God enough to step out of your comfort zone.
(The goal of faith is not the elimination of risk. In fact – the greatest risk is taking no risks)

• We need:
  Inspiration –

7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armour-bearer said.
“Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

• Courage
  – it is easier to choose to be invisible / passive / average / ‘neither cold nor hot’
  – Your greatest opportunities are often disguised as God sized challenges
• Your greatest fear to conquer is the fear of failure

There are only two kinds of people in the world: creators and criticizers.

There are people who get out of the boat and walk on water.

And then there are people who sit in the boat and criticize water walkers.

‘In a pit with a lion on a snowy day – how to survive and thrive when opportunity roars.’
Mark Batterson

(if your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s too small!)

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Photo credit FreeImages.com/Paul Orvin