Sermon Notes
Practical Lessons for Understanding the Word of God
Suffering a Faith Failure
KEY PASSAGE: Numbers 1314 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: Joshua 1:5-9 | Psalm 27:1-2 | Proverbs 3:5-6
1 Thessalonians 5:24 | 2 Timothy 1:7
SUMMARY
Often, Gods answer to our prayers about
challenging circumstances is Trust Me.
This is because the first step in overcoming our
difficulties is to focus on the Father and have
faith in His direction. We express our absolute
confidence that even though the solution may be
far beyond us, He knows what to do. And we can be
assured that the Lord will lead us in the best way
possible because He loves us unconditionally.
When we have faith in God, it glorifies Him.
Unfortunately, when we fail to trust the Father, it
dishonors Him. He shows us how to proceedhow
to have victory in our circumstancesbut we refuse
to obey Him. It may be because we believe we know
better than the Lord does about our situations. Or
maybe we are simply fearful of what may happen if
we submit to His commands. Either way, we allow our
unbelief to rule us and miss His best for our lives.
SERMON POINTS
A Historic Faith Failure
One of the most devastating examples of unbelief
occurred when the people of Israel gathered at the edge
of Canaanthe Promised Land (Num. 1314). Although
God had faithfully delivered them from Egypt and led
them successfully through the wilderness, they were
still unwilling to trust Him.
It began when God commanded the Israelites to
send 12 spies into Canaan to inspect the fruit of the
region. Sadly, only two returned with positive reports
of the land, which flowed with milk and honey. The
other 10 spies were more focused on their inability to
overthrow the inhabitants than they were on Gods
great provision for them. They said, We are not able
to go up against the people, for they are too strong for
us (Num. 13:31).
The people of Israel experienced a faith failure. Even
though God had promised to give them the land, they
refused to believe Him. They considered the obstacles
simply too immense to overcome. Regrettably, this
faith failure resulted in 40 years of wandering in the
wilderness, and an entire generation of Israelites
missed the blessings of the Promised Land.
The Causes of Failing Faith
Likewise, we experience faith failures when we refuse
to trust God in our own challenges, temptations,
and difficulties. What causes these breakdowns in
our trust?
n Fear of failure. When we consider our trials from
our own ability to handle them, it is normal for us to
become afraid. However, it is not up to us to solve
our problemsthis is Gods responsibility when
were living in obedience to His commands. David
understood this and wrote, The Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear?(Ps. 27:1). We
have nothing to dread because God is with us, and
He is greater than anything we will ever face. We
cannot allow fear to cheat us out of His blessings
(2 Tim. 1:7).
n Listening to false information. We must always be
careful about whom we ask for advice. Others may
not understand what the Lord is accomplishing in
our lives or what Hes promised us. Therefore, they
may counsel us in a way that works contrary to His
will. This is why Gods direction must always take
precedence in our livesonly He knows what is
possible and how we can reach our full potential.
SERMON NOTES | SN110918
 We must obey Him regardless of what others say.
n Failing to recall the power of God in past
situations. The Lord is intimately involved in
our livesblessing us and working through our
circumstances to reveal His goodness to us.
However, it is easy to forget this when were focused
on our problems. This is why it is always necessary
for us to actively recount the ways the Father has
worked in our lives. It gives us confidence He will
help us again.
n Failing to consider Gods perspective. The Lord
desires that we learn to depend upon Him. This
means He must put us in situations that are far
beyond our ability to control, so well turn to Him.
First Thessalonians 5:24 tells us, Faithful is He
who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.We
must trust that the Father will accomplish all Hes
promised.
n Focusing on the obstacles rather than God. We
will always be tempted to fear the challenges before
us. We catalog our weaknesses and dwell on what
we lackimagining our trials to be much larger than
they actually are. This shows our focus is misplaced.
Instead we must pray to God, who is omnipotent,
omniscient, and omnipresent. When we keep our
eyes on Him, we will see the difficulties in the proper
perspectiveas a way for Him to show us His glory.
The Consequences of Faith Failures
When we refuse to believe that God will do as
Hes promised, we often experience devastating
consequences. We are in danger of:
n Suffering disappointment.
n Developing a distorted view of our trials.
n Causing others to suffer.
n Blaming others for our failings.
n Missing life at its best.
n Experiencing Gods correction.
Overcoming Failing Faith
So how do we keep our faith from failing?
n First, we must turn to Gods Word. Reading
Scripture not only gives us courage to move
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SERMON NOTES | SN110918
forward with Gods commands, but it also keeps us
connected to His unfailing love and presence.
n Second, we must plant the right seeds in our
minds and hearts. We must examine what we tell
ourselves. Do we think about how God has helped
us in the past and the promises of His Word, or
do we rehearse our failings?Sowing the truth of
Scripture and knowledge of His unfailing character
in our minds and hearts will always yield great
courage, joy, and peace.
n Third, we must keep our focus on God. We have
no reason to fail as long as our focus is on our all-
knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present Lord. He
delights in helping those who seek His face and are
obedient to Him.
RESPONSE
Is your faith floundering?Are you facing an
overwhelming challenge that seems much greater
than you can handle? Have you become doubtful that
there can be a good outcome to the problem youre
encountering? It may very well be that your focus
is distorted and youre in danger of failing to trust
the Father.
This is a critical time for you. However, if you
choose to believe Gods promises to you, it will be a
season that strengthens your relationship with Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 affirms, Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make
your paths straight. So do not allow your faith to
fail. Instead, place your trust in Gods provision with
complete confidence that He will never let you down.
n Do you keep a journal of the times God has been
faithful in your life? How could this journal be
beneficial in times of uncertainty?
n In what aspect(s) of your life are you still not fully
trusting God? What can you do this week to begin
to change this?
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