Live Your Purpose: Take Bold Steps of Faith | Neil Smith | Run Through

0:23 You know, I want to stir you today. Unfortunately, I have one style, and that is to challenge you to become all that we are purposed to be. We live in the church world, and if we're not careful, we can take the box of attending church; but remember, we're more than just Christians. We are believers. And in this month of mission, it's important, whether you're watching on a satellite locally, or your satellite church internationally, or today watching online, every person needs to understand that we have to be people that live with purpose. We got to go beyond where we've ever been before. And today, I want to talk to you about the thought of taking bold steps.

1:10 For each and every one of us, in every part of our lives, we live with the option of fear or faith, but the training tool of us as believers is actually faith. Faith is being sure of what we do not see, but we're believing for and we know God's going to come through. Cities like Manila need Jesus. We need to understand that as we lift Him up and we lift up the name of Jesus, all men will know and come into a knowledge of who Jesus is. You read a scripture a few moments ago from 2 Kings 7, and I want to use that as the formation of what I want to talk to you about today. It's important to understand that the context

1:55 of this passage of Scripture, it was in Samaria at the time, and Samaria was a walled city, that meant that it was protected, fortified; but if you had something like a disease, like leprosy, you couldn't live in the city or otherwise you would infect everybody else. So, because of something that you had no control over, you were actually thrown out of the city and you lived on the outside of the city walls. Of course, at this season in Samaria that we're about to read about, it was a time of famine. And remember today, as we read this Scripture, we're looking at a spiritual metaphor. and the spiritual metaphor, yes, it's a story, but it's also a metaphor for us to live our lives by. The principles that we can extract from this

2:42 help us to be people that are purposed for greatness. And so here are these four lepers that suddenly were living off the food scraps coming over the walls; but now it's the famine they've gotten nothing for them. And so you need to understand the context as we read this, these men are in desperate times. Church, we need to remember that we live in a famine. I'm not talking about a famine of the physical. I'm talking about a spiritual famine. We got a world like never before that needs Jesus, and we need to be the church that understands our mission is to present Him to all who don't know Him. And so it's important that as we read this Scripture, we pick up on the desperation.

3:29 We must also remember that in times of famine in the Bible, it's where we see God move so powerful. You know, Abraham and Isaac, you know, He did that miracle, it was in a time of famine. Famine in the land was when Gideon rose up; it was when Ruth rose up. There was a famine. When Joseph rose up, there was a famine. When Elijah rose up, there was a famine. So we've got history in the Bible that shows us that this is a significant moment for God to rise up. So now let's look at what seems so insignificant but four lepers. "Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die?

4:15 If we say, 'We'll (go into) the city,' (Of course that's where they are outcast from.) then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here (on the walls of the city), we die also (And if we act now) Now therefore come, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans-" Which, by the way, the Armenians were their enemy. So it's not like they're just going to a nice, friendly camp. They've got leprosy and they're going to their enemies camp. They're probably going to be rejected again. "-If they spare us, we live; and if they kill us, we will but die." (2 King 7:3-4) So here are the options that these guys had: Go back to the city that has rejected us, we die; stay where we are, there's no food scraps coming anymore,

5:02 we die; step into the desert, which is a deserted, isolated, lonely place, head towards not anywhere but the enemies camp, and if they spare us, we live; so it's die, die, maybe live, and if they kill us, we die. Die. So today I'm here to bring an encouraging word to you. I know it doesn't sound encouraging, but this is the life that we as believers live. We believe that God is using us to take steps of faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. So church, we don't just show up. We've got to understand

5:48 in this month of mission, you know, for those people watching on satellite right where you are, it's an opportunity for you to take a step of faith, maybe live, maybe die. But the truth is, if we're not living by faith, we're not truly living for the purpose that God has for us. You've got a purpose that God has given you. This whole month has been about purpose. Your purpose. You're not born by chance, coincidence. You're not born into the right or the wrong family. You're born with a God-given purpose, and God wants to use you to do significant things. You know, here are these four lepers - go back, they die; they stand at the wall and maybe they got shade, but they're going to die

6:33 because there's no food; so they've got to take a step into the desert. But understand the principle, they didn't focus their faith anywhere, they focused their faith on the enemy's camp. We have to do the same today. There are people that are being taken by, you know, the enemy himself and they're on his side. But I want to tell you, we've got the name of Jesus. And as we present the gospel, we take people back from what the enemy is trying to do. It's the same principle today. So they took a step into the desert. They stepped out from where they were, but they didn't do it alone. You know satellites, you're not alone. You might be small in comparison to the main center here. You might be in a country that is very difficult to present the gospel. You might be watching online,

7:19 and it's even dangerous to watch online. But I want to tell you today you don't stand alone whether you're in this building or you're somewhere else. The great benefit of a church like CCF is that we are connected all over the world, and we stand together not only in large settings, but also in small settings. Just four men, there's a principle here, they walked together. They didn't know what they were doing; they didn't know whether they'd live or die; but they kept walking, just like you do in your Dgroup. If you're not in a Dgroup get in one because it's us standing together. But we learned from this passage that there is power in agreement. The second passage we read is Matthew 18:18, "I tell you the truth-" Sorry, I should read your version. "Truly I say to you,

8:05 whatever you bind on earth shall been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree-" Just turn to person next to you and give them a little nudge, say you're the two, you're the other on the other side. Now, "-if two of you agree on earth about anything and they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst." (Matthew 18:18-20) The "I am there in the midst" is Jesus. And I think as a church at times, we've wrongly interpreted that Jesus is there to make us feel comforted, Jesus there to give us some warmth

8:50 and a sense that He's for us; but actually we need to understand the context. The context was at this time in history, Romans had a unusual delegated authority. You see, in their regions, if two or three got together and decided that something was required, there was a benefit to the individuals and the city, they could agree together to go to the government of the day, and the government of the day couldn't say no to their request. They were just responsible for when they would implement their request. All they had to do is justify that they were a Roman citizen. So now this story is to us is the church. It's not just a nice, warm story about two or three coming together.

9:35 It's actually about the power of agreeing together. These four men didn't just coincidentally leave the wall. They had power as they were wondering where the God was going to come through. They could encourage each other. Iron sharpens iron. And here they are. But you see, this story is a story of us understanding that we have an unusual delegated authority. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Notice it says here that, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name-" And what it's saying is what? That my Father in heaven, "-it shall be done to them by My Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:20) In fact, in the Message Bible it actually says, "My Father goes into action."

10:21 I love that because really what we're doing is when two come together and we agree in Jesus' name, it's actually a spiritual principle. Jesus is there and what is He there as? He's like the representative for taking the contract, taking the agreement to the governing body. What's the governing body? The governing body is in heaven - Father, Son, Holy Spirit. So actually, when we come together and we say, "We're going to win this throne in Jesus' name. We're going to see that person come to Christ. We're going to see people get healed." And two or three agree together, we have an unusual delegated authority that stirs the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus comes into the midst and He's waiting to take those agreements back to His Father

11:06 so that they can be done as in heaven on earth. Church, we need to know - Oh, we've got a great power in who Jesus is. We're not just serving a God that's just protecting us. We've got a God who's actually going before us, and He's going to implement things that He's purposed for our lives. You have great purpose. It's time to go beyond and recognize that bold steps are required. But God always requires that we give something. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, not yet seen. Have you given God something lately? Have you taken a bold step? Have you in this month of

11:51 mission, in this time of fasting, actually thought to yourself: I've got to do something; I've got to talk to somebody; I've got to pray for somebody; I've got to position myself because we are the church of Jesus Christ. You see, when you step out, God always makes a way. He is attracted by our faith. He's attracted by our bold steps. We all want the story, but so many of us stay held back and not taking a step; but we've got to be people whether it's 13 teddy bears or it's a nation to be one. Neither is any more insignificant; but both of them, when we stand with others attracts the attention of heaven. God makes a way on our behalf. Look at this. Yeah. Come on, give it a great hand to the Lord today.

12:38 2 Kings 7:5 "At dusk they got up and they went-" Oops. I'm reading my version again. "They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there. For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another-" I just want stop there. Pause. Did you notice there wasn't a great army? It was the sound of a great army. Do you understand that God cared so much for rejected people, for insignificant lepers, that He actually created a sound so loud that it sounded like an army?

13:26 Now understand that the Arameans could have been as many as 100,000 people, so to have a big army that scared them, it must have been a very loud noise. God did that because they stepped out of their comfort zone, they got out of what you know, was awkward, and they walked into the desert, they're focusing on the enemy's camp, and He automated Jesus coming into the presence. "'Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.' Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and they left their tents, and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life. When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent

14:11 and ate and drank, and carried away from from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent, and carried from there also, and went and hid them (also)." (2 Kings 7:5-8) So two things have taken place here. God is making a way. They're still walking. You got to remember, they're still walking when the sound of the army is coming, they're still- they would have been talking to each other. Have you ever been in a situation where you're starting to doubt? And they're talking, "Is God going to come through for us? or maybe we shouldn't have taken this step. Why did we do this? God, can you help? And here's problems in the way we've set things up." But we got to remember that God is making a way where there is no way. So often in your situation, maybe there's a challenge in your marriage right now,

14:58 I want to tell you, if you bring it before God and you start to pray and believe, I tell you, God is making a way where there is no way. Maybe your son, your daughter away from the Lord, I want to remind you today that His promises are yes and Amen. And as you believe and you put it before Him, He's making a way over your situation. Maybe there's a financial challenge in your business today. Well, don't do it alone. Come together with your Dgroup. Come together with your satellite. Make a decision that you're going to bring it before God because I tell you, He can make a way where there is no way out of your circumstance. But you see, that's the first principle that we learn. He's doing something that they didn't necessarily deserve, but He chose to give them. God always will make a way.

15:46 But the challenge for many of us is soon as we see a problem, we start operating in fear; but actually we must remember that our training tool is not fear, but it's faith. And so it's so important that we recognize that the enemy uses the counterfeit, which is fear; but we must not react; but we must respond by faith. Problems are more often than not in the kingdom, just possibilities. Challenges are just opportunities for God to do something in

16:32 and through you. So rather than see it as a problem, see it as a possibility. See what God can do in and through you. See how He can position and how He can prepare you for what He has planned for your life. In your workplace, when was the last time you had a conversation with someone about Jesus? In your satellite, in that region you're in, when was the last time you actually stepped out and felt the Holy Spirit saying, "Pray for somebody"? When was the last time you were generous just to represent who Jesus is in your situation? We got to take bold steps. We got to be people that understand God is making a way; but the second part of this scripture is so important because it actually says,

17:17 when I arrived, there was nobody there. That's a miracle in itself. The whole army ran away because they heard a noise, because the lepers had lived in trial their whole life, lived in poverty, had lived on the outside of the walls, had nothing, when they saw silver and gold and food, they were grabbing it, and going and hiding it, the Bible says. Why is it that so often in the Bible do we see persecuted people that Jesus uses? Why? Because He wants to use broken people. Stop looking at people on a stage and saying, well, He wants to use them. Now, He wants to use all men, but He wants to use people who recognize that in their weakness, He is made strong. So we need to be people that step out with bold steps.

18:07 What is it that God is asking you to do? Because you see, He always rewards faith. We live in a very hedonistic environment where people are self-consumed. They caught up on what label, what brand, what car they drive, what job they have, how much money, which holiday they go on. And I'm not against wealth; I'm not against money; but I want you to understand that if you step out in faith, God will always reward you. These four lepers had nothing, now they have the treasures of an army stored up for them. If you just take a step, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) He'll give them into your life. We don't need to chase stuff.

18:53 We need to chase Him and He takes care of the rest. When Leonie and I started our first church, I was 27 years of age; and the truth is that I was a pastor, and if I'm honest, I had no idea what I was doing. So at the start, I made this big statement on the very first Sunday - "I'm not going to draw any form of wage or salary or costs for the first 12 months." I didn't have a job because I'd been itinerating, and I just wanted to focus for the first year on building the church. The church rapidly grew. There was money in the account, and after three months, I'm thinking that was not the right thing to say because now because of my integrity, I can't say I'll take some money, but how am I going to live?

19:41 I was the leader of a youth movement in our nation and and I was speaking at a camp. There was a family in our church that owned a holiday house, and they said to us, why don't you take it for a few days? But the truth is, between you and me, we only had $50 left in our account. And I remember saying, "Leonie, well, we're going to have a little break three days; but we're not going to have a lot of money. We'll have to cook it in this house; but it'll be good to get away." So she goes to the holiday house. I go to speak at the camp. Here I am as a young leader, leading young people, and they take up an offering for the event. And then, I'm sitting there and they're

20:26 singing a worship song, and I feel the Holy Spirit say to me, "Teach the young people how to give. Take your $50 note and make it into two 20s and a ten and give the three principles of giving." And I remember sitting in my chair as worship is happening, I know sometimes you look at pastors and you think we're very spiritual, but we can sometimes have other thoughts. And I thought to myself, that can't be God, that must be you. Get out of my mind, oh, enemy, get away from me! You don't want my last $50. I sat there and then I felt God say it again. I'm like God, but I have a healthy fear of the Lord, You God. But I also have a healthy fear of my wife. What would I tell her

21:12 if I gave away the $50? Oh my love, I feel like Lord is calling us to a fasting holiday. I didn't know what I was going to say, so I'm conflicted. Isn't it true in our lives that sometimes the natural is more pulling than God Himself? The circumstance of our life. But as I always do, I ended up saying, okay, I got the two 20s and a ten. I woke up to this first young man. The Bible says that we should give in to good soil. So I give it to this young man, and this young man I knew and he is a good young guy, and he's smiling as he takes the money. I'll be honest, I was holding on to that note very tight. And he takes the money and he's sort of "Wow! That's so good!", and I'm thinking, yeah, good for you. But I'm going to tell my wife I gave that away.

21:57 But I didn't say that. Just bless the Lord. The second one was sometimes we got a give, the Bible says, because the Lord tells us to. There's a sense that Holy Spirit is told. So I give it to this girl and she doesn't laugh. She starts to cry. Yeah, you might think, wow, it's incredible. She started to cry. I'm thinking she shouldn't be crying, I should be, I just gave you my $20. But she's crying because she brought four girls in a car to the camp, and she had no fuel left, and she had to get a two hour drive back with no fuel. And when I gave her the 20, it was going to fill her car, which is a great testimony, but it doesn't help me because I got no money. And then I take the $10

22:43 and the Bible says, give into being generous. Just be generous. So I give it to this young boy, and at that stage I've lost it. It's all gone. And I preached the message, I'm thinking I don't know what I'm going to tell Leonie, I have given all the money away. She knows I'm a man of faith. But we got no money and- We have a time where we commission all these young people. So we're praying for them. And I'm standing, praying for this young man. And as I'm praying for him, I feel a hand go in my pocket. Now, it wasn't my hand. And I don't know about you, when your eyes have closed and someone else's hand in your pocket, it's not a good feeling. And so I look down, and there's this young man pointing and I'm like, yes, get your hand out of my pocket. And he says, "No, pastor, have a look."

23:28 And I look down and he's put $50 in my pocket. And he said, "While you were doing that talk, I felt God told me I should give you $50." And I'm like, Yes! I knew God had come through. I couldn't wait to tell my wife, Wow, you're so lucky! You married a man of great faith. I go to my car, the committee comes up, "Pastor, we took such a good offering. We paid for everything. We felt we should bless you." I didn't say it, but I thought it. I think you should bless me as well. They gave me an envelope, and as they went away, I ripped the envelope open, there was 300. My 50 that I gave away to zero became 350,

24:13 and me and my wife had some money for our three days. The story I tell you is very simple because it's not about what you have or don't have. It's about obedience When it comes to bold steps, recognizing that He will always make a way, but He will always bless those who take steps. But the whole purpose of why we exist is really for my last point that is this - that He is the Good News. He is Good News. Look what it says in verse nine in this chapter here it says this, "Then they said to one another,

24:58 'We're not doing right." Remember, these guys had had nothing. For years they've been outcast. Why would they care about everybody else? "This day is a day of good news-" Interesting because we read of good news many times in the New Testament, but this is only one of two occasions it is mentioned in the Old Testament. This is the only time it's mentioned in the Old Testament that it means the same as the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's hope! This day is a day of hope, of good news. "-but we are keeping it silent." Church, we can't keep the good news of Jesus silent. "-if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come,

25:44 let us go and tell the king's household." (2 Kings 7:9) You got to understand, they would have had to walk back into the city, back through the walls, into the king's palace, they have still got leprosy. But the people that have been afflicted, the people that feel like they've been left out, the people that have been rejected, became the people that God used to save a whole city. I want to tell you, He wants to do the same through you. You might look and say, "I'm not like that person. I don't have those opportunities." You might look and say, "Well, I've gone through a very difficult season in my business. My family situation has been tough." But I want to remind you today that we are people that are purposed beyond ourselves. Your purpose is not about what you get, it's about how you're positioned

26:30 to take bold steps for what God has purposed for you. Mission is about us recognizing our life is not our own; it belongs to Him and therefore we should stand according to His purpose. Bold steps. If you're on a satellite, the greatest way that we can express mission is to take bold steps. If you're going to live your purpose, you're going to go beyond. It's not just a catchy theme for the church; but it's action in the heart and soul of what CCF is all about. Whether it's here, whether it's in another country, whether it's in a satellite, or you're just watching in isolation online today, you need to understand

27:16 that God is looking for those who take bold steps. Would you do me a favor? Whether you're in this room or you're watching on satellite, or even you're at home watching in your lounge room, would you all just stand to your feet before I pray? Would everybody just stand to your feet in this room? For the last 28 years, I've been a part of the leadership of a church in Australia called Planetshakers. Most of you know us because of our music. In fact, these three nights in your country, in your city, we've actually had concerts that have been played. We sang a song today called "Here I Am". That's a Planetshaker song.

28:02 You might not know it, but it's one that we have sung over and over, and it was great to sing it with you today. But at the end of last year, I felt God saying to me, "You've been on staff for 18 years of this church." I'm like, Pastor Jim. Well, one of the senior team members in the church that really plays a critical right hand man role of our senior leader. But God start to stir me to say. "Your season is up on staff at the church." And I'm like, Lord, I'm 55 and my pension fund will go backwards if I don't keep earning the money I'm earning. The Lord spoke to me. It's no different to when He spoke to me to give the $50 away. No different to me when He said, "Go and meet this man even though you don't know it."

28:48 But God, I don't want to do it. I'm older now. Can't the young people take a step of faith? Can't they do bold things? I don't want to do bold things! So at the beginning of this year, I came off the staff of Planetshakers. I'm still a part of the board. It's still my home church, but now I'm positioned to help churches like yours be stirred to go and do what you're called to do. But it meant that I had to come off salary and if I go back, I could die. If I stay here again, it's like a church on a good salary, I could die. Now I got to take a step. And I like to say it like this, it's like faith is like - happy. "Oh, it's so good stepping out for the Lord." Scared.

29:35 "Why did I do that?" And it's like having both emotions at the same time. Why? Because God needs to be in control of your life. God needs to you to position yourself to be in control. So here I am three months later, living by faith, and I'm still alive. I say that only to inspire you to say what is it that God speaking to you about making a bold step of? You see a Christian life is like going from 1 to 10. You grow, you develop, you get to ten; and then it's like the Lord just takes you back to one.

30:22 What do you mean? Well, you don't go backwards. You go to 11. 11 is just one at a higher level. A whole life is just growing to a new level, then we go back, and we got to go through the same principle again. Why? Because God needs to be in control. We don't always love it when God is in control. We don't love the fact that - why are we waiting? Is God really making a way? And what I've learned is God is old. Old people move slowly. They don't move at the pace we want them to move at. God doesn't do what you want to do. You do what He's purposed you to do.

31:07 In this time of mission, you got to go beyond. You got to recognize that you live with a purpose. You were born with a purpose. So now the only way to express who we are is to take bold steps with that faith. It's impossible to please God; but the good news is we don't do it alone. There's power in partnership. Where two or three are gathered, He is with you. Today, I'm going to pray a prayer. I want you to have the courage to, even in your mind, with your mouth, make a declaration of a bold step you're about to take. Maybe this week I'm going to ring that family member

31:53 I'm going to present Jesus to. Maybe I'm going to give a gift of generosity to a friend that I know Holy Spirit's been speaking to me about. Maybe you're going to go and pray for somebody in hospital that you know God could heal them, but you are just scared. What if He doesn't? What if He does? Mission. Our mission is to make disciples. But you know, the greatest way to lead someone in discipleship is to show them the way. And the primary way of being who we are in Christ is taking bold steps because it attracts the attention of heaven. I can sense there's people in this room that are already thinking

32:39 "I don't want to just keep existing. I want to do something significant for the Lord." So here's what I'm going to do. I know if you do this in your church, but I want to do it today. I'm going to get you to lift your hands just like this, like you're ready to receive something, like somebody is about to give you something. I want you to close your eyes for a moment and allow yourself to hear Him speak to you. Because I tell you, my God trains in bold steps. Why? Because He isn't going to leave you alone. He's not going to position you so you're going to fail. He's going to make a way where there is no way. He's going to bless you beyond what you need. But His primary objective is to bring good news, His Name into people's lives - redemption salvation.

33:27 But for that to happen and you to be used, you've got to give Him something. So in those satellites, come on. In your spirit, give Him something. Remember, hope is the substance. It's not something tangible. The substance of things hoped for. Those kids coming back to the Lord. Oh yes yes yes! Those colleagues knowing Jesus. Yes yes yes. That business is exploding so that you can be a resource to the house. Yes, yes, yes. Healing coming into those bodies, things that we can't do; but when we partner with Him by taking bold steps, we can see Him come through. So I pray right now, everything we've seen and everything we've heard today

34:12 would be the source of inspiration, not that I'm better than anybody else, but that I just simply keep finding myself taking bold steps, positioning for what You have purposed. God, would You do something in people's lives and say, "Give something", make a way where there is no way this week. And Lord, I pray that their friends and their family would discover who Jesus is.