06-29-2025 -COURAGEOUS LIVING - STEPPING OUT IN FAITH -1 Samuel 14:6-7

MESSAGE BY  PASTORS -DANIEL PARK & JORDAN POWELL

 FROM BETHANY BAPTIST IN RICHMOND, BC.

I invite you to pray together: O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servants for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon them with the eyes of thy mercy (Gaby P+, Vicky O, Nancy R, Tere G, Liz N, Stevie A, Socrates D, Sara's mom H, Margarita G, Fega G,  Rosy Ch, Patricia L. Lina J. Manuel D. C, Yuya N. Mercedes L, Magda- Laci M. )   Comfort them with a sense of thy goodness; preserve them from the temptations of the enemy; and give them patience under his affliction. In thy good time, restore them to health, and enable them to lead the residue of their life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally they may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

You can add names from family and friends who need prayer

Have you heard the catchphrase, “God helps those who help themselves”?

• A lot of you may also know that this is not from the bible at all

• It is based on something Hercules says in Aesop’s Fables, popularized into its current form by Benjamin Franklin in his publication of Poor Richard's Almanac

The saying sounds like it could be based on something Jesus said on the Sermon of the Mount or something

• Or even the short passage I just read of Jonathan

• I admit there is some truth in the saying…

• But if you think about it, the emphasis and priority of the saying is messed up

God’s role is not to react or respond to our actions; it should be the other way around

• Courageous living is WE stepping out in faith

• That is, our actions are in response to God’s Word and voice 

• Our actions are grounded on our FAITH, not ourselves 

• Faith which puts us under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who we believe is the Son of God, who died for our sins so we can have a relationship with God, our Creator 

To give you a rapid context of today’s passage:

• During a time when Israel was being invaded and ruled by foreign nations, at this time by the Philistines.

• The people cried to God for salvation and asked (against God’s wishes) for a King to lead and protect them

• Saul becomes Israel’s first king, with great success initially

  • But in chapter 13, in the midst of ongoing war against the Philistines, Saul disobeys God and God says that the kingship will be taken away from him 

• And not too long after this, we come to chapter 14 and Jonathan’s heroic leadership and victory over the Philistines 

While Saul and the main army is camped some distance away from the enemy, Jonathan takes his armour bearer and decides to go have a look.

• And it wasn’t like they just walked an hour across a field

• They had to scale down a cliff to get to the enemy camp.

So the first thing we see with Jonathan is him saying, “Let’s go.”

While his own father, the king was content waiting and encamped in safety

• Not receiving advice from Samuel the prophet God spoke through, but from an unsanctioned self-proclaimed priest.

Jonathan WENT

• Like Abraham who went, after God told him to simply, “Go.” 

  • He left his parents, home and country to follow a God he did not really know or understand yet

  • Like many of you here, and some no longer here today, who left Germany before, during and after WW2

    • Who left Vietnam on a boat, left Korea, the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, the Ukraine, Spain, Nigeria, Kenya, even the USA - your home and family

  • Like the disciples after Jesus told them to GO, to Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth with the Good News of salvation.

In Canada there are provinces and territories right? 

• We have a similar situation in Australia, with states and a few territories 

• The Northern Territory in Australia has a population of around 255,000 (Compared to BC’s around 6 mill.) in a land area 2 times the size of of Texas or 1.4 times the size of BC

• In the 90s they ran a advertising campaign in Sydney to promote tourism to the Northern Territory with the slogan, “You’ll never never know, if you never never go.” 

Likewise, the bible has a lot of examples of faith that involves “going”

• And it’s not always with a definite destination in mind 

• It’s like the journey is more important than the destination 

• Biblically, the journey is where our faith is refined, tested and strengthened 

• You’ll never get to know and grow unless you go 

If you are serious about your faith, you’re gonna need to “get going”

Jonathan had a kind of  destination, although not exactly an immediate end

• And Jonathan went, ACROSS TO 

Jonathan and his companion went, and they had to cross from the comfort and relative safety of their camp, army, father, king - towards the enemy - to the Philistine garrison, full of their soldiers 

• Counterintuitively, even closer to the enemy and danger 

• To use another catchphrase, “into the unknown” 

Courageous living means stepping out in faith - and that involves crossing a kind of of line or border or zone

• By definition, from one side to another

• From where we are - to the unknown/scarier/hostile/uncomfortable 

And I don’t mean with a thrill-seeking purpose 

• Comfort and familiarity can sometimes enslave us - like the Israelites in Egypt

• I believe that when God said through Moses, “Let my people GO, that they may worship…”

• Encompassed more than their physical slavery and captivity 

• The Israelites were trapped in more ways than one 

  • Why even after they left, at the first sign of danger they wanted to go BACK to slavery.

• Back to the known and  familiar - to their detriment 

• Instead of going ahead and closer to God and intimate worship 

And that is the real purpose and meaning of life

• In theological language, the chief end of man/humanity is to glorify God and enjoy Him

• That is, to know God and be known by God

• To have an intimate relationship with God 

I used to agonise over knowing the will of God for my life 

• As I prayed about which university to go to, what major I should study, who I should date, should I do this or that or not 

• Until my sister gave me a very wise and calming word one day, “Daniel, it’s all good” 

  • Meaning in God, they can all be good options and God can and will guide you through all of them

  • Even through wrongs and mistakes, God works all things for the good of those who love Him 

    • See the condition is not the choice of options, but the relationship.

And since then, I have taken things up a notch, saying that when faced with options - choose the harder one - The option that will force us to go across to…

• because that will cause us to pray, seek God and learn dependence on Him 

• And that is never a bad thing

• That will ALWAYS grow our faith 

And we see the foundation of why and how Jonathan did everything - his faith and trust in God, 

• When he says, “Perhaps the Lord will…

What may have seemed like Jonathan’s ideas and will, turns out to be his declaration of dependence on God 

• Every step Jonathan and his companion took, was actually them praying and putting their faith in God in action

• They weren’t just hoping or hedging - they were actually trusting for God to work and making themselves available to be used by God, 

  • Putting themselves in a position to hear from God and see God work 

• Sometimes, we have faith in God HIMSELF, but not enough faith that He could or would use us 

• We can learn from Jonathan in how he expresses his faith - “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord”

  • Not even we, ourselves can hinder God! 

I think it’s also important to note that Jonathan was not alone

• We read of the nameless armour-bearer who was with him every step of the way 

• And by all accounts, as faithful and pious as Jonathan

• The one thing that is recorded of what this companion says might be more profound than we realize

To Jonathan’s daring plan, the armour-bearer says, “Do what you think is best, I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

• In the ESV, the last bit reads, “Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”

And I could be reading too much into this, but in what I trust is my sanctified imagination, it almost sounds like God speaking and replying to Jonathan’s prayer 

• The armour-bearer was living courageously and stepping faithfully as much as Jonathan was 

  • And in doing so, he was like the Spirit of God, walking with Jonathan.

To those who step out in faith, live in faith - God is Emmanuel - always WITH US

• As we are in Christ and empowered through the Spirit of Christ in us

Being courageous is not a self-contained thing

• Courage can be given - which is why we EN-courage each other

  • We GIVE courage to each other 

• And in Joshua 1, after Moses passed away and Joshua was chosen to lead the huge multitude of the Israelites into an unknown land and territory, God said to Joshua in verse 9,

• “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

  • God says, Be strengthened by ME and receive courage from ME, because I will go with you

• Joshua receives this 3 times from God, to be strong and courageous

  • And once from the people of Israel as well - all in 1 chapter.

And I could be reading too much into this, but in what I trust is my sanctified imagination, it almost sounds like God speaking and replying to Jonathan’s prayer 

• The armour-bearer was living courageously and stepping faithfully as much as Jonathan was 

  • And in doing so, he was like the Spirit of God, walking with Jonathan

To those who step out in faith, live in faith - God is Emmanuel - always WITH US

• As we are in Christ and empowered through the Spirit of Christ in us

Being courageous is not a self-contained thing

• Courage can be given - which is why we EN-courage each other

  • We GIVE courage to each other 

• And in Joshua 1, after Moses passed away and Joshua was chosen to lead the huge multitude of the Israelites into an unknown land and territory, God said to Joshua in verse 9,

• “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

  • God says, Be strengthened by ME and receive courage from ME, because I will go with you

• Joshua receives this 3 times from God, to be strong and courageous

  • And once from the people of Israel as well - all in 1 chapter.

So no matter how old or young you may be, when we know we are a child of God through Jesus Christ, living courageously becomes more the norm 

• And the Spirit of God empowers us to GO, crossing boundaries as we grow in our faith 

God helps those who seek His help 

• God strengthens those who depend on Him 

• God is with those to are willing to trust Him and dares to take risks into unfamiliar territories 

You’ll never never know, if you never never go

Do something that is against your nature or preference 

• Choose the harder option 

• Attempt that which you are scared to do

  • Because then you will learn dependence on God.

Sure it’s risky and you could suffer, you could get embarrassed, fail

• But it’s not a gamble

• Because it would be based on faith

• Belief on a promise from God - that HE will do what HE said 

Develop and seek out relationships like Jonathan and his armour-bearer

• We need an armour bearer beside us in our battles - who can be the voice of God in our ears 

  • Later Jonathan becomes such a companion for David as well

• Keep yourself close to God-fearing mentors and teachers 

• We all need a Samuel in our lives - to actually listen to.

  
  

SECOND PART

When I was young, I had a prayer. I remember sitting in my upstairs bedroom in Vancouver, looking out onto a broken world with sound of people arguing in my ears, and praying so desperately, so earnestly to God, for a racoon in the yard to drink the potion I made by putting dirt into a peanut butter jar, and turn into a dragon. Now I don’t remember why I wanted that so badly, but I remember how desperately I wanted not just a dragon, but for a raccoon to drink the potion in my yard and turn into a dragon. God did not give me what I asked for. I was disappointed, and the city of Vancouver was spared a fiery liability.

I also remember, Looking at the body of my older brother, who was also my closest friend. That same face I had seen smile and cry, make lots of small expressions that only he usually made, just sitting there so still and empty seeming. I prayed a prayer in my heart, but my brother did not get up and embrace me.

Times Like these seem to clash with passages like the one I’m preaching on, all full of jubilance and victory. Let me read it again: Isaiah 41: 10-13:

“So,  do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be, dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.

Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 

For I, am the Lord

your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

How victorious

is that! You might think I’m going to use this moment to pivot to prosperity gospel, just go ahead and tell you that what it’s saying is that everything is going to be nice and good for you forever and nobody bad will ever hurt you.

But you know

who would be extremely surprised to hear that’s what this is saying? Isaiah. The prophet who God gave this message through. Also the people this message was first directed to. Because this is not a jubilant passage for jubilant times. The people this was first directed to didn’t actually exist when Isaiah prophesied it, because it was prophesied for the people of Israel held captive in Babylon, before Babylon was even an independent nation. Before Judah and Israel were both crushed and scattered to the wind. This is not a jubilant passage for jubilant times, this is a hopeful passage for depressing and wretched times. And the whole reason we are given to hope, is this. “I am with you.”

There’s actually,

nothing else in the passage that I really need you to understand so much as that. "I am with you".

Maybe that doesn’t

mean that much to you right now, because you can only imagine a present and active God if he’s also an obedient God. You look at all the things you wish he would do for you and you ask him why he didn’t stop this from happening, why he doesn’t do that other thing, why he let your brother die and leave you in a colder world without the most important human friendship you would ever find? It’s hard because our pain hits so hard, and it hits at such a gut, in your face level. The question for some isn’t, “is God with us?” It’s, “What does “God being with us” actually mean?” Maybe the idea of God being out there isn’t as distant to you as the idea that God being here means that you should not fear.

For those people

this message was first directed to, the wretched ones who hadn’t seen a work of God in some time and had watched the holy city burn as they were taken off in chains, did it mean anything for them? We actually know the answer to that. Among the people this message was given to were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They are mostly known for refusing to bow down to a statue of the king even though that would mean their death. Politically, this was a terrible decision. They had a real chance to curry influence in the court and they were just throwing it all away, along with their lives, when it clashed with following God. They were called to be rooted in him. I am with you. When the king offered them mercy and another chance they said essentially, “you can try and kill us. It won’t work, and even if it does the Lord is still God. That’s not just a group of people mustering up the willpower to act differently, that’s a group of people who know to their core that the Lord is God. The idea of being burnt alive was not something that would shake their trust that anchoring themselves in him was the only thing that mattered. The idea of a painful and brutal death wasn’t a sign to them that this passage of hope that I just read no longer applied, because the only thing that mattered was, “I am with you.”

So what’s my problem?

I make worse compromises, with much lower stakes, often. I do it because I’m afraid. I’m afraid because on some level I just want to avoid as much pain as possible and seek as much enjoyment as possible, because that feels so automatic and so easy, and I’m terrified that that’s not what I’m supposed to do. I’m terrified of rooting myself in God because that feels so unknown. But then I spend time with him. When we encounter God, we encounter a reason for reality that’s different from just gut impulses. 

When I spend time listening to him, the panic of worrying I’ll experience something painful dims, because there’s more to life than raw pleasure and pain. And the fear of what other people could do to me becomes unimportant. When I anchor myself in Christ  I find I get a sense of scope that lets me be courageous enough to be kind. You know how much courage it takes to forgive someone who hurt you deeply?

Just absolutely let go of any need for them to apologize and make things right? Or to actually love your enemies, or do good to those who seek to do you harm? So when I read the story of these three men of God in the city of Babylon, I know their story isn’t a sudden burst of bravery. It’s the courage you can only have when you have deeply rooted yourself in him, and…..

anchored yourself onto the fact that he is with you.

www.bethanybaptist.bc.ca