Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives.
The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist
Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us
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message from God's word will be a blessing to you.
I hope you're in Judges chapter number 13, this evening.
And the title of the message is this and unsung hero.
You know, if we look at Judges chapter, 13 and Beyond when we
think of heroism, we may likely think of Samson and there's a
reason why the exploits of Sampson are something of Legend.
Of course we say that knowing that Samson's exploits were
true, they weren't a falsehood, they weren't a fable, but I'm
saying that of all of the exploits in the word of God,
perhaps, Sampson's are some of the most legendary Some of the
most talked about in all the Bible because of the manner of
which he did them because of the supernatural strength that he
had, these are things that are often discussed.
However, an unsung hero in our text here tonight is actually
not Sampson at all. It's someone that has not spoken
of very much in the Bible. It's someone who is outside of
really this chapter. The next not really spoken of at
all in the Bible, but someone who I believe speaks volumes
because of their faith in God. You know, I've been doing this
pastoring thing for a little bit now would be almost 10 years as
the pastor here at Liberty, Baptist Church in seven years
before that is a youth director in Florida.
And so I'm not an expert by any measure, but I have done this a
little bit of time. And I found this to be true.
Those who are the loudest about their faith in the sense of not
that they are bold in sharing their faith.
I mean, we're talking about getting forward in Soul, winning
next month. So that's not what I'm talking
about, but those who are quite bold In telling how great their
faith is to other. People are some of the people
who worried me the most. Let me explain what.
I mean by that. The Bible says in Proverbs
chapter 27, let another man, praise thee and not thine own
mouth, a stranger and not thine own lips.
Meaning this it would be better for someone else to see your
great faith and make a compliment on it, then for you
to tell other people How Great and Mighty your faith is.
And over the years, I have met people Have told me of the great
exploits that they have done for the Lord and how great their
faith is and how strong it is. And I'm not saying they be there
is an element of Truth to that but those are the ones that
sometimes concerned me because I found this to be true about
heroism in general Heroes. Don't need to tell other people
they're Heroes. Usually, you can tell a hero by
the heroic acts. They do if you have to advertise
the fact that you're a hero, you're probably not much of a
hero we've Fallen, where I'm going with this tonight.
And when it comes to Faith, I think sometimes it's easy for us
to celebrate certain people of the Bible who have great faith.
And I'm not going to downplay Samson here tonight because
Samson is actually found in Hebrews chapter 11, as a man of
great. Faith is a, but he did some
incredibly awful things and he did some things that just don't
make sense. Sense.
And I agree with that, but we also know this that Samson was a
judge for 20 years. 20 years is seven thousand and three hundred
days. Could you imagine if four seven
hundred and seven thousand three hundred days?
Your worst decisions were printed in a book?
I will tell you those worst decisions of mine would be a lot
longer probably than Samson's here, that we find in the word
of God. People are oftentimes a down on
Peter and understandably. So in fact, Petrova talked about
this just a few weeks ago, but can you imagine We found all of
the worst things of Peters life written in the gospels and if
someone took a three-year stretch of my life and wrote it
down in a book, I think Peters, life would come out a lot better
than mine. All things considered.
And so Samson was a man who did wonderful things and Samson was
a man of great faith. And even though it's sometimes
hard to reconcile, but we see in Hebrews chapter 11, that's the
case. But who I want to talk about
tonight, at what I want to encourage you with tonight is
this is that there is one who is an unsung hero in Judges chapter
number 3, Teen one. Whose faith in.
God was a quiet Faith, but was a strong faith.
So quiet, was it? That God does not even deem it
necessary to give us her name. I wish I could present you of
the name of this woman with great faith tonight, but I
cannot because God in his infinite, wisdom has not given
us This Woman's name this evening, but I think her faith
deserves our discussion this evening, and preaching, and I
believe there's a lesson. Ross to be learned about our own
faith here from Judges chapter number 13.
So if you would, please, would you stand, please for the
reading of the Book of Judges chapter number 13, will be part
of the text. And we will preach through the
chapter this evening, read part of it and will preach through
this evening. It says, and the children of
Israel did Evil again in the sight of the Lord and the Lord
delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
And there was a certain man of zorah of the family of the
danites whose name was manoah and his wife was barren.
And bear. Not now this is the woman of we
we discussed and we will not find her name here in Judges 13
or anywhere else in the Bible. Just think about that her name
will not be found here or anywhere else in the Bible and
the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman and said unto her
behold. Now Thou Art Barren and bearest.
Not but Thou shalt conceive and bear a son.
Now therefore beware I pray thee and drink, not wine, nor strong
drink and eat, not any unclean thing for Lo Thou shalt conceive
and bear a son and no Sure. She'll come on his head.
In the child shall be at Nazarite unto God from the womb
and he shall begin to deliver Israel.
Out of the hand of the Philistines, then the woman came
and told her husband saying, I'm a man of God came unto me and
his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God.
Very terrible. But I asked him not whence.
He was neither told me his name, but he said unto me, behold,
Thou shalt conceive, and bear a son and now drink no wine or
strong. Drink either eat any unclean
thing for the child shall be a Nazarite to God.
From the womb to the day of his death and will continue on in
the chapter through preaching but you can remain or you can be
seated now, don't remain standing.
That would be very uncomfortable for the rest of the message.
You may be seated and we'll get into the preaching of the word
of God this evening. An unsung hero to me, one of the
most compelling parts of Hebrews chapter 11.
And I just mentioned a few moments ago and we've made
reference of it many times here through preaching that Great
Hall of Fame of faith. In fact, we talked about it at
the end of the message at Sunday morning last week.
But one of the most compelling parts of that text is the final
verses near the end of that chapter verses 33 through 36.
Listen to this. And what more shall I say for
the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of bear.
I kind of say Epsom and of jeptha of David also and Samuel
and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought
righteousness, has obtained promises stopped the mouths of
lions. Quenched, the violence of fire
escaped, the edge of the sword out of weakness were made.
Strong waxed Valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of
the aliens. Women received their dead raised
to life again and others were tortured.
Not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better
Resurrection. Correction and as I read these
exploits, as I read these great acts of faith here in Hebrews 11
33 36. While some of these people are
named about 20, some our names throughout Hebrews chapter 11.
There's a lot of things that are mentioned there at the end of
the chapter and we have to ask ourselves who are these people,
who are these people, the ones who subdued kingdoms and wrought
righteousness and take promises some, we can get some idea.
Stopped the mouths of lions. Lions.
We would assume that that would be Daniel, but others out of
weakness were made, strong waxed Valiant in fight and on and on
and on it just makes me wonder who are these unnamed Heroes?
These people who God, chose not to give us their names, but
instead told us of these great things that they did not through
themselves, but that we're all done through faith because faith
is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of Things Not
Seen, who were these people? Well, we can surmise some of
these people. Like, I just mentioned, like,
Dan Niall and Isaiah, I believe is another many were unnamed
Heroes of their faith of the faith, their life and faith were
approved by God. But for reasons, only known to
him, their names are not recorded in the word of God.
You might even ask tonight. Well, why is it Samson's
mother's name in the Bible? Why isn't some of those people
you just read in Hebrews chapter 11, in the Bible.
And the answer is this. I don't know there are times of
the pastor. I'd like to tell you, I know the
answer but there are times I just had to be honest.
Say this, I don't know in any Pastor who tells you they know
is sound you a bill of goods that they don't know either?
Because the fact of the matter is we don't know the mind of God
and why he does certain things and says certain things and has
recorded some things for us in the Bible and others.
He is not I for one would love to know what Jesus is life was
as a child and all the way up till his 30th birthday.
When he started his public Ministry but God In His
Infinite, Wisdom is only let us know of his birth and early life
and when he was 12 years old when he went to the Temple and
confounded, the Pharisees, I want to know more, but I know
this that God in his knowledge has given us what we need to
know. We have to rest upon that.
And so there's a part of me that would love to know who is this
woman, who is Samson's mother, who we just start to have
introduced to us in Judges chapter 13 and quickly passes
off the scene and Judges chapter 14.
But here is a woman of exemplary Faith, who far outpaced her
Future Fame. She has almost no, Notoriety.
There's almost no preaching on her.
There's almost no teaching on her.
And, but yet, here's a woman that I look at throughout this
chapter has Rock Solid Faith. So what do we do with it?
Well, I would submit to you tonight.
We look at her character tonight.
Draw some conclusions about her character as best we can, and
we'll be looking at Samson for several weeks after this, so we
can take some time to do that here.
But at the same time realize that there's some lessons from
her life that can also be helpful to us in our stand.
So we see at the beginning of the chapter, that the
Philistines have taken over the land of Israel as they
oppressed. The Israelites, as this cycle of
Disobedience continues. Remember we've looked at this
over and over, or now that the Israelites will disobey God will
bring in oppressors. They'll cry out to God for
deliverance and forgiveness and then God delivers them.
And then after a while they forget what they've done before
New Generation comes and the cycle begins all over again.
Well, it's now been 40 years at the Philistines have oppressed
the people of Israel and God Does something very incredible
here in Judges chapter 13. Something that we don't see with
any of the other judges is that he literally has Samson created
prepared as a judge of Israel from birth.
Because his mother has an understanding that her son has a
special job prepared for him. While she surely, does not know,
all of the details of Samson's life, she has been told by the
angel of God will mention. What?
And who that is in just a minute that he has a A special task
that is ahead for him. So as we look at this woman,
there's a few things I want to point out to you, just very
quickly about her, which gives us some more understanding about
her faith. First of all, we see in verse
number two, she was Barren, she was Barren.
Look again in verse number 2 and there was a certain man of zorah
and the family of the danites whose name was manoah and his
wife was Barren and bare not. Well, that's kind of cut and dry
right there. Simple for us to understand, but
we also know, from reading the word of God, that when a woman
was, Aaron when a family was not able to have a child, that was a
cause for great difficulty that, that was a cause for great
sadness. We also know that there were
some within their communities. That might even think that
family was cursed that God would not see fit to give them a
child. And so because of that, there
must be something spiritually wrong with them.
So, they carried the burden of not only having no child, but
they also further carried. The burden of the fact that
socially they might be pariahs, that there will be many, who
would not even consider them to be Godly people, because God had
not shown And upon them to give them a child.
But what we see about this woman, that is so special.
Compared to many others, is that despite the fact that she had no
child, we see that, she still had a trust and a faith in God
one commentator. Put it this way here.
No. Background is offered whether
like Sarah the woman was old or like, Rachel.
She complained to her husband about childness childlessness,
or like Sarah and Rachel. She tried other means of
obtaining a child, she does not pray for a As does Hannah nor
does her husband pray for her as Isaac.
Praise for Rebecca even her name is not reported though.
Her role in the story is as important as that of her husband
Manoa. What we do see is this here's a
woman who has not complained about her lot in life.
Here is a woman that does not seem.
I don't want to say he's not bothered but has come to some
level of terms with the life that she has in front of her.
And so just that fact, alone compared to many others in the
word of God women and their husbands as well that this was a
Cause here is a woman who has, I believe some level of faith in
God and understanding that God has a plan.
So we see not only that she was Barren.
But consider this the angel of the Lord comes and speaks to
her. And says, even though you're
Barren, you're going to have a child but that child is going to
have to keep the Nazarite vow. Now I'm not going to, I Really
wrestle with how much to get into the Nazarite vow this
evening. I'd encourage you.
If you want to read more about the Nazarite vow and what it is,
you can go to Numbers Chapter 6 and see Samson.
Obviously is the most notable example of someone who took the
Nazarite vow, it required things as we see in our text of, not
partaking in great products of not having your hair cut of not
touching a person or an animal that was dead, which would You
ceremonially unclean the idea of the Nazarite vow, very simply
was, this is that you were to be separated by God for specific
purpose for God. The Nazarite was to be separated
by God for a specific purpose for God.
That was the job. That was the task of the
Nazarite. And so, what's interesting about
this is that the angel of the Lord, again, I'll explain what
that is in just a second or who that is in just a second.
The angel of the Lord says, not only is Samson going to partay
Take of this Nazarite vow but she will have to take part of
the Nazarite vow as well while she carries her child did you
notice that look again in verse number 4 now.
Therefore beware, I pray thee and drink.
Not wine, nor strong drink and eat, not any unclean thing for
Thou shalt conceive and bear a son and no razor shall.
Come on his head for the child, shall be a Nazarite unto God
from the womb and he shall begin to deliver Israel.
Out of the hand of the Philistines now.
At this for just a second one. I want to take a little bit of
an aside and then we'll talk about her faith in just a
second. It's amazing to me.
How many times people talk about how backwards the Bible is in
the face of modern society today.
How irrelevant the Bible is in the face of modern society?
Today, I see a Biblical principle being given to us
here. That is as relevant and as fresh
and as real as it ever has, been up until just a few years ago,
it was common for women. Women, who are carrying a child
to smoke to drink to think that there will be no consequences in
utero for a child. But do you know what?
I see God saying here. What you do mom is going to
affect your child and I want to make sure the angel of the Lord
says, I want to make sure that you keep that vow because I want
that child separated even before his birth.
So it seems like that's a very Why?
Why is thing compared to what quote unquote modern science up
to a few years ago was just talking about.
But here's another thing. It seems to me to be one of the
greatest verses to prove the sanctity of life.
Even in the womb, how important life is to God in the womb.
The fact that this child is not just a fetus or a clump of cells
who then becomes alive, once the baby is born and that's even
questionable to Today, with some of the laws and ideas that are
out there today even after the first few hours after birth.
But yet know this child is not just a child when the child is
born. But from conception, you are to
treat this child as having life because this child is alive.
I think this is one of the greatest proof text that you can
actually give to someone to help them to understand why abortion
is so wrong. Why?
Abortion is literally snuffing out a human life.
I was just reading a few two weeks ago in the New York Times
because I'm a glutton for punishment.
I was reading in the times about how there's this conversation
about when does Life Begin? Of course, we understand that
New York Times would be a very left-leaning publication.
I think that's a very modest and Mild way of putting it but I was
reading in this and scientists all had to agree.
The ones I was reading all had to agree.
Well life begins at conception. but I read several of the
scientist who said, well, the real question is not when the
baby has life, but when the baby is alive, You say, what are they
trying to say? Well, because they understand
scientifically. The baby is alive at conception.
They have to turn into a philosophical question.
When is the baby alive? When did the baby have value?
And they feel like that's the only way, with the changing
morals of society that you can make that type of case.
And here's what happens. When we take God out of society,
you might be able to twist that to the point where people say,
oh, you know, maybe it's not a big deal but even science says
the baby is alive. Live.
When the spark of life is given, I believe, this is a wonderful
example for us, here of that very same thing.
But getting back to the mother of Samson, the wife of manoah,
we see that she had to have some level of Faith because she is
willing to keep the Nazarite vow herself.
She accepts that not only is there something that's going to
affect her, but there's something that's going to affect
her future child as well. And so, because of that, she is
willing to keep this value. This constricting, vow this
vowel, that would not An easy necessarily for one to keep, but
she realized that this is something that she will have to
do as well on behalf of her son and in essence showing that life
in the womb matters to God. I think that's an amazing thing.
So, she was Barren. But yet, I believe she had faith
in God. She kept the Nazarite vow
herself. She listened to this Angelic
messenger. You want a proof of her faith.
She listened. There were those who argued with
Angelic Messengers. Could we talk about Gideon?
There were those who argued with the Lord.
Could we talk about Moses and the burning bush.
But here is a woman who the angel of the Lord came to.
By the way, the angel of the Lord, I believe is a Old
Testament appearance of Jesus Christ.
And the reason why is will see little bit later in the chapter.
If we read the verses that this Angel of the Lord was recognized
by them as being God himself was worship.
Only God can be worshipped and so when you often see that term,
the angel of the Lord, for instance, with Abraham or with
Joshua before Jericho and you see that worship is offered or
even with Abraham and Melchizedek tithes being given.
These are things that can only be done to God which tells us
this is a appearance of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.
But here is the Angel of the Lord here is Jesus Christ who
comes and says, you're going to have a son.
This is what you need to do and she listened You say well I mean
what big deal was that well she didn't doubt like Abraham doubt
it. When he was told that he would
have a son. She didn't laugh like Sarah
laughed when she was told that she would have a son.
She didn't question like Zacharias at the beginning of
the New Testament, remember when he was told that he and his
wife, Elizabeth, we're going to have John the Baptist and email,
the angel came and said, your prayers have been answered.
You've been praying for this. You're going to have a son
immediately, he doubted. And so many times in this very
same situation when someone was Bare.
Aaron a woman was Barren and without child and the Angelic
messenger or God himself comes and gives us great news that a
child will come. There were many who doubted that
news, here's a woman who doesn't doubt she goes and tells her
husband, this is what's going to happen, and the husband kind of
questions it a little bit. In fact, if you look in verse
number 8, it says then Manoa entreated the Lord and said O My
Lord, let the man of God, which thou didst send come again unto
us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that she I'll be
born in my response to, that would be well Manoa.
She just told you what you're supposed to do.
You're supposed to have the child.
He supposed to grow up as a nazirite, this is what's
supposed to be done, but he's seeking a confirmation and I
don't know that that's necessarily wrong thing, but for
her, she heard it, she believed it, and it was.
So, that's an amazing thing. And I would say this, she even
had a teachable spirit. What her husband said.
Let's hear from the Lord and teach us.
O Lord, he was saying Lord, she wants to be taught.
I want to be taught. I think that's a marvelous
thing. She was willing to listen to the
messenger, you know what, she was, Also spiritually mature, it
ended up, being that they prayed.
They asked the Lord to reveal certain things to them again.
Well, the angel of the Lord reappears and reappears to the
woman. So, the woman says, wait right
here, and she goes and gets her husband.
But Noah, I'm Noah comes back and look at what it says in
verse number, 15 manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I
pray thee. Let us detain me until we have
made ready a kid for the by the way, just make sure on the same
page, that's a goat. All right, so, that's not like a
kid kid, all right, so but a kid goat and 16 and Angel of the
Lord said in a Manoa though, they detain me, I will not eat
of thy bread. If thou will offer a burnt
offering now, must offer it unto the Lord, for Manoa, knew not
that. He was an angel of the Lord and
manoah said unto the angel of the Lord.
What is thy name that when I say things come to pass we may do
the honor and the angel of the Lord said unto him.
Why ask us thou? Thus after my name seeing it is
secret. So Manoa took a kid with a meat
offering and offered it upon a rock under the Lord.
And the angel did wondrously and manoah and his wife.
Wife looked on. Well, what did he do?
It says this and it came to pass when the flame went up toward
Heaven, from off the altar at the ends of the Lord descended
in the flame on the Altar and manoah and his wife looked on it
and fell on their faces, to the ground.
But Angel of the Lord didn't know more appear to manoah and
his wife at Manoa, knew that he was the angel of the Lord and
Manoa again, if you're not sure who this Angel of the Lord is
manoah said unto his wife. We shall surely die because we
have seen God. So here's what happens.
They detained. This angel will you please stay
with us for a meal. He's I will not stay for a meal
but if you want to make a sacrifice you go ahead and do
so. Again sacrificed it really could
only be offered to God and so they yet a kid they get this
goat and prepare it and offer it and as they lay this before him,
the offering is consumed in a flame a flame reaches up to
heaven and the angel of the Lord ascends into the flame into
heaven, right? Before him.
Now, we just read this like a couple of verses like it's no
big deal. This is a big deal.
I mean, we just read it and go on to the next chapter.
Like we're just, you know, reading the Bible like this is
just things that happen every day.
But these are people who have seen something and they haven't
read Judges chapter 13 yet. They don't know what's going on
and they haven't seen all this. They're experiencing this.
These are real people with real feelings and real thoughts.
And this happens and Manoa goes though.
We're gonna die. Now, there's some level of
understanding to that. I mean, we can maybe understand
why he would feel that way. I mean, if you saw sacrifice
consumed, a flame that reached up to heaven and the angel of
the Lord, just Ascend into heaven in the flame, you might
have some thoughts yourself but we're Manoa had confusion.
His wife had Faith, she had spiritual maturity, because look
at her answer. This is just such a wonderful
spiritually, grounded, answer that she gives.
We shall surely die verse 22 because we have seen God.
But his wife said unto him, if the Lord were pleased to kill
us, he would not have received a burnt offering in the meat
offering at our hands either. What he showed us all these
things Norwood. At this time, have told us such
things as these Do what she says.
We're not gonna die. If he wanted to kill us, he
could have already killed us. And if he wanted to kill us,
then why would he tell us of these future events that we're
going to be a part of? No, we don't need to be afraid
whether we're going to die. We can be thankful for what God
has done. But Manoa, let's just take this
for what it is and let's understand that God has a
purpose for us. God is going to use us.
So let's trust and have faith in what God is going to do.
And let's have faith in the plan.
That he has just given us that stays that's marvelous and I
love being able to read this. And here's this woman that has
had a husband that I'm not down on Manoa.
I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with him and I
don't think that he was spiritually dull but at the same
time in that moment of panic and that moment of fear his wife say
the said this let's just think about this for a second and
let's just consider what God has revealed to us.
That is what we would call spiritual.
Maturity and that is what she had.
She was a spiritually mature woman, you know, the final time
we see manoah's wife Sampson's mother is in chapter 14.
Because in chapter 14, he wants a wife and guess where he wants
his wife from Samson. From the same people that are
repressing, their people, the Philistines.
And it's interesting that at the beginning of the text, that
Samson's mother and father, both say, please Sam Listen, do not
do this. This is not a wise thing.
You should not take a wife of the Philistines but I also see
this that in verse number 10 of chapter 14, it says this.
So his father went down unto the woman and Samson made their
feast for so used the young men for.
So use them young men to do, it may very well be, and I think
it's supported by this text that when Samson got married to this
woman, that his mother said this, I won't attend.
I won't be a part. I won't be a witness to
something that I know is wrong in your life and which God has
commanded, not to be done. And so, we see that the father
for whatever reason, went down to the wedding.
But she did not. What do I see from her?
In, every time she has mentioned, I see spiritual
maturity so you say, well, Pastor.
Okay, that's great. You've talked about this for a
few minutes. Sure.
We don't know the woman's name, she had great faith.
What does this have to do with us tonight?
And that's a Question. But all this bodes, this
question for us, tonight does a person have to be a priest, a
prophet or a preacher to be meaningful in.
God's eyes, can a nobody be a somebody in God's economy.
Can a nobody be a somebody in God's economy, in many ways in
this world today, you've got to be a somebody to get things
done. If you want to walk down to City
Hall and you want to get something done, most likely, you
can't even get an appointment. But if you're a somebody, you
can get in the right office at the right time and get the
appointed outcome, if you want to be able to get a loan at a
bank, it used to be. So now I don't know exactly how
it works because of computers and different things they do.
Do now. But it could be that if you knew
the right person at the bank and you could go into the office,
you could shake their hand and because you were somebody, you
get a loan. But sometimes I'm afraid that we
in God's economy, not in the world's economy, not in the
world of Finance or any of these places.
But in God's economy, I think that, we believe that there are
only a certain type of people who are really valuable and are
really useful in God's service. And the answer is this it can't
nobody be a somebody in God's economy and the answer is yes,
because in our eyes and nobody is different than God's eyes.
And in God's eyes, I somebody is different than a man's eyes.
Let me ask you question this way.
Because God doesn't reckon faithfulness.
The way that we do who is what was the title, the message and
unsung hero? So who's a more of a hero?
A preacher. Or stay-at-home mom.
Who's more of a hero? Let me ask you this question.
Who's more the hero a teenager? Or an elder in the church.
Who is more of the hero and well-known person at the church
or a person who often Blends into the background.
Who's more the hero, the preacher that no one knows or
the preacher that has television spots and books and websites?
Who's more the hero? And here's the answer.
We don't know. We don't know. because that's
not the way that we Rank and rate faithfulness, we don't know
the problem is this, we think we know, The problem is oftentimes,
we think we know who are the ones who are with great faith.
We think the ones who are the most well-known, or we think the
ones who get the most attention, or we think the ones with the
biggest personalities are the ones, who are the ones who God
is smiling upon the most. And the fact of the matter is,
that's not necessarily the case. I'm not saying that there's any
value more in a pastor's Faith or an estate homes, mom, faith,
I'm saying this, we don't know who it is and here's what we do.
We cannot put Value on someone's being or in their faith.
In fact, we must get to the place where we recognize quiet
faith. That there are many who have a
quiet faith. And I'm not talking about being
quiet and not sharing their faith.
I meant that, the game, the message.
The Bible says, in Romans 1:16, for I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to
everyone who believes to the Jew first and also, the Greek,
that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about those who have a quiet, strong firm, faith.
The believe God and his promises, they're willing to do
what he says. They're not loud about it.
They're not out there necessarily holding up the flag
and waving it about how great their faith is, but they're just
willing to listen to God. Those people in God's.
Economy are far more valuable than we give credit for Let me
ask you this. When the Widow through her might
into the treasury. Was there anything?
Noticeable about her? No That we don't know her name,
the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
Who came to Believe In Christ and brought a whole city.
The city of sychar to come here. Jesus Christ.
Do we know her name? We don't what?
About the thief? Who was crucified on one hand of
Jesus, who Jesus said, today, Thou shalt be with me in
Paradise. Do we know his name?
We don't, we heard just this morning.
What about the Widow of Zarephath for Elijah or the
Widow and debt for Elijah? Both widows who had great
difficulties in their lives, but we see we don't know their
names. But they had great faith, whose
Pharaoh's daughter, the one who pulled Moses out of the water
and was willing to have a Hebrew boy grow up in her home.
A woman of faith of some nature. Who was the boy with the Five
Loaves? And the two fishes?
What was his name? We all know.
But I would say this, if God would allow and get to heaven,
they're the kind of people I want to talk to the kind of
people. I want to know their stories.
Oh sure. It's easy to talk of Samson and
Gideon and Bay rack, and those kinds of names.
And listen, there's nothing wrong with them.
They are in the faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews chapter 11, but
yet, at the same time, we need to remind ourselves that God
uses many who are unknown and unnamed to do his work.
And to do his will, God, uses the unknown and the unnamed most
often to do his work and to do, his will, our name doesn't have
to be in a marquis. Our name doesn't have to be well
known the things we do. Even in our own church doesn't
necessarily have to be known by everybody that we don't always
have to get patted on the back for what we do or what we give
or what we teach, or any of those things.
But the fact of the matter is God knows, God, sees God cares
and if no one ever thanked me for my service to God and no one
ever shook my hand and Wow, thank you for all that.
You've done for the Lord. Jesus Christ.
And by the way, I'm not looking for that, but if no one ever
did, it would be fine. You know why?
Because there's one in heaven, who knows?
And there's one in heaven Who records it?
And there's one in heaven who gives the Crown's after we pass
that finish line and he knows, he sees, he cares.
He reckons, meaning he accounts for what we do.
And so we may not be the ones out there saying everybody.
Hey, look at me, follow me, and maybe that's okay.
And maybe that's okay. But here's the question tonight.
Or here's the thought. Tonight is that in the end?
My faith isn't about what you or I say about it.
It's about what God says about it.
Well, that Pastor has great faith.
Well, maybe that's true. Oh, that woman.
You know, nobody really even knows her name.
She just comes to church. And oh, she's friendly enough,
but you know, don't really know a whole lot about her.
She doesn't really open up. It could be that woman who that
you put off to. The side is praying hours.
A day for missionaries all across the world.
Is praying for her town. Praying for family members to
come to Christ. Well, that Pastor could be doing
things for pride and arrogance. And the Bible says that if that
is the case, you have your reward Who is more honored?
Let's be careful about assessing other people's Faith apart from
And particular our own apart from the word of God because
really comes down to this, my faith.
Do I observe the word of God? Am I in it?
Am I reading it? Am I studying it?
I'm allowing the word of God to read me.
I'm not just reading it, but I'm allowing it to read me.
And do I obey the word of God? Because that's really The
Tell-Tale sign of thing. Do I observe the word and do I
obey the one? Thank you for listening to this
sermon from the pulpit of Liberty, Baptist Church.
If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we
can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at info,
at my Liberty Baptist dot org, or you can visit us this Sunday
at eight hundred Washington Street in Eastern.
Massachusetts, may the Lord bless you as you grow in his
word.