God is Attracted to Our Action

Leave.  Expect.  Act.  We have arrived at the “A” in the L.E.A.P. series that my pastor is preaching for the month of February.  Each sermon has been timely and falling into place with the changes that God is performing in my life.  Each sermon is challenging me to take God at His word.  Sunday’s sermon was no different.  Are you ready for the sermon recap?  Lace up your tennis shoes and get ready to act on all that God shares with you.

The sermon was drawn from Joshua 10:7-14.  Joshua, and the children of Israel, encounter a problem.  You see, five armies were planning to attack Israel.  They had formed a coalition and were intent on attacking God’s chosen people.  Unlike me, Joshua was not intimidated by this situation.  God told Joshua to not fear the armies.  He decreed that not one of Joshua’s enemies would be left standing.

Joshua believes God and takes action.  He marches uphill for 20 miles with the army of Israel to confront his enemies.  He doesn’t wait for his enemies to attack.  He takes the battle to his enemies.  Wouldn’t you know it?  Joshua and the army of Israel are successful in this fight.  Just like God promised.  They are slicing and dicing their way through the enemies.  By all accounts, this is a victorious moment.

However, the action is taken up another notch.  God decides to participate in the annihilation of Israel’s enemies.  He throws down large hailstones that smash the enemies and seal their doom.  Even though God has joined the fight, Joshua doesn’t stop fighting.  As a matter of fact, he’s so charged up that He asks God to make the sun and moon stand still.  Why?  Because he wants to fight until not a single one of his enemies stands before him.  He wants all of God’s word to come to pass.  He’s not looking for the hailstones to finish the work.  Joshua wants to be an active participant in this fight.

Joshua’s request unleashes ANOTHER miracle.  The Lord stops time to allow Joshua and the army of Israel to have daylight.  The Lord allows them to continue to fight the battle.  The Bible declares that there has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice.  God was moved by Joshua’s commitment to stay in the fight.

Sunday’s sermon blessed me because it was a call to action.  Our actions must mirror our beliefs.  We say we believe God, but then we sit around and twiddle our thumbs waiting on the miracle that we’ve been praying for.  Can you see that God was moved to action when he saw Joshua’s commitment?

Joshua put in the work.  He did not sit down and allow the enemy to attack him.  He went on the offensive.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t relish the thought of walking twenty miles uphill BEFORE the fight.  But Joshua didn’t allow that to dissuade him.  He put in the work, and his work redefined what victory really looks like.

Is God moved to action because He sees you putting in the work?  Are you actively working in the area that you’re praying for God to bless?  It’s time out for Christians to be praying for summer bodies while sitting in front of the tv eating pizza and watching “The Biggest Loser.”  Where is your action?

You are believing God for a profitable business but haven’t created a product.  It’s just a good thought.  Thinking is not going to get you twenty miles uphill.  You are believing God for children who love the Lord, but you don’t spend time to teach them about Jesus at home.  That’s the church’s job.  Listen, that is not going to help them be prepared for battle.

We can believe God for any and everything.  But if we’re not moved to act on our beliefs, God is not moved to act on our behalves.  #wepreach