FAITH in the FACE of FAILURE
READING: 1 Sam 14:6-14
1Sam 14:6 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 in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few
FAITH in the FACE of FAILURE
How do you respond to experienced failure??
When you EXPERIENCED a
- BUSINESS FAILURE
- MARRIAGE / RELATIONSHIP FAILURE
- HEALTH FAILURE
- CHURCH FAILURE
HOW DO YOU RESPOND!
BACKGROUND TO JOHNATHON’s ACT of FAITH WAS FAILURE
1 Sam 13:1-5 the king of Israel, had rallied 3,000 fighting men, 2,000 of his own and 1,000 of Jonathon’s.
Jonathon and his 1,000 men were sent to attack a Philistine Outpost at Geba. WOW all hell breaks loose and the Philistines mount a counter attack, 3,000 Chariots, 6,000 charioteers and foot soldiers as numerous as the sand on the sea.
The bible records that when the Israelites saw
- Their situation was CRITICAL
- Their army was HARD PRESSED …… They
- Hid in Caves, Thickets, among Rocks and in Pits
- Were Quacking with FEAR and began to SCATTER
THE ENEMY
- Raided the Israelites and confiscated their swords and weapons of warfare. Vs 22 Only Saul and his son Jonathon had a sword. An army with 2 swords!
- They weren’t just a little defeated they were decimated.
- Vs 15 – Only 600 of Saul’s and Jonathon’s men were still together. That is only 20% that hadn’t scattered.
So with this backdrop of failure how did Jonathon act in FAITH?
KEYS to faith in the Face of Failure
- He didn’t adapt his theology of God
14:6 – Key verse “Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf, Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or few”
Israel’s army was defeated, depressed, and discouraged
What do you do when you find yourself in those circumstances ??
Jonathon, although having experiencing defeat, CHOSE to trust God.
Martin Luther King Jnr “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope”
2 Cor 4:8-10 We are hard-pressed on all sides, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but are never deserted; we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!
How often do we allow the hurts, the failures, the foolish decisions of yesterday affect our decisions and beliefs about TODAY
Jer 29:11 reminds us “I know the thoughts I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”
- He didn’t draw back and hide away to protect himself, he maintained an active faith.
It may be the Lord will work for us, work with us, work a sign or miracle for us. He encouraged himself with hope that God may appear for us
FAITH declared – Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf
WESLEY – he felt himself stirred up by God to this exploit, and was assured that God would deliver his people; yet he was not certain that he would do it at this time, and in this way.
Sometimes, all we have is a sense, a feeling, and nothing concrete and sure. Most of the time, in every area of life, we like guarantees. We like the sure thing.
But the “sure thing” doesn’t require any faith. In Hebrews 11:6, faith is identified as a prerequisite for pleasing God.
Look at what these men were missing. They were at a place of insufficiency
- insufficient personnel,
- insufficient weaponry or equipment, and
- insufficient plans.
But they also had something else: THEY HAD “MAYBE FAITH.” And God intervened on their behalf, and wrought a wonderful victory
- He didn’t personalise the failure or the mistake.
Jonathon was assisting his leader, his father. He had a professional and personal reason to personalise this failure. 13:13 Samuel addressing Saul said “You acted foolishly”
Failure can make up the sturdiest stepping stones on our journey through life.
View your failures – even the really big ones – in a different light. Don’t get caught up in The Failure Syndrome ….. Everyone fails, even the most successful people in the world, BUT they don’t let them define them.
THE ENEMY PERSONALISED IT
14:11”Look the Hebrews are crawling out of their holes they were hiding in … come up here and we will teach you a lesson”
We may lose a battle but we can still win the war!! HALLELUJAH
Don’t get so consumed and focused on the battle or battles of the past they intimidate us. You have to keep your eye on the prize
Jonathon was the only one checking out the enemy’s position and what opportunities there were. Everyone one else was licking their wounds and feeling sorry for themselves. I’d rather be at the victory party than the pity party.
Heb 11 is a list of saints who fixed their eyes on Jesus, who endured opposition and did not lose heart or grow weary THEY KEPT THEIR EYE ON THE PRIZE! They may have lost some BATTLES but they won the WAR.
- He didn’t do it alone. TEAM TEAM TEAM … He chose company / a trusted friend to SUPPORT HIM! He chose someone with the same heart
14:7 Armour Bearer “Do all that you have in your mind, Go Ahead, I am with you HEART & SOUL”
Searching for God can be difficult at times, but you don’t have to do it alone. Woven in the fabric of this story is the importance of selecting or choosing friends wisely
Jonathan found one man who shared a kindred spirit. One man in the camp recognized true courage, godly leadership, and triumphant faith. I love the words spoken by Jonathan’s armor bearer, “I am with you heart and soul.” (14:7).
Jonathan’s armour-bearer had learned to carry, not only his armour, but his heart, promised to stand by him and to follow him wherever he went. The armour bearer proves that he’s just as “crazy” as Jonathan, because he says, “I’m with you. Do what’s in your heart!”
How do you maintain Faith in the FACE of FAILURE
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