Awakened to Grace

Chad Roberts: Welcome to Awakened to Grace. I'm Chad Roberts, and I am so glad that you are joining us today. I believe God has connected us for a great purpose. We are just weeks away from the national release of my new book, *Blind Faith: Seeing God Through Darkness*, that is being published through our partners at Lifeway. It's available on Amazon or anywhere that you buy books in any format you prefer.

Through this book, we will learn together how to trust a God you can't see. I hope you'll go right now and pre-order your copy of *Blind Faith: Seeing God Through Darkness*. So many of you know we are working our way through the book of Hebrews, well over 60 weeks thus far we've invested in our study of the book. Today, we are in session 13 of our study of chapter 11. We plan to be 20 Sundays in chapter 11, and today is number 13 of that study.

Last week, we were at the walls of Jericho and we watched God bring them down. It was riveting, it was fascinating, and it was exhilarating to be at Jericho with Joshua and the Israelites. It was stunning to me to walk through the details of obedience that God required of his people. When they were obedient, then came to life that beautiful scripture: "It's not by might, it's not by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."

Well, now today, we're going to see a family that lived within the walls of Jericho. We're going to see in particular a woman that God saved, that God rescued and delivered, and I believe that similar to myself, you're going to see yourself in her. You're going to see your own life, you're going to see your own faith in that of a wonderful and a special woman named Rahab.

I'm going to take you, God willing, through just a few scriptures this morning, so perhaps you'll have your Bible ready, or your tablet, or your phone, or an ink pen. However it is you're going to capture today, make sure you capture some of these scriptures because Rahab is such a special individual. Her original story is found in Joshua chapter two, but do you know she's also mentioned three other times throughout the rest of the Bible?

So, I want to note those with you. Number one, we're going to begin in our text, which is Hebrews 11, verse number 31. She's mentioned in the great hall of faith. Note what it says with me: "By faith Rahab the prostitute." Well, that tells us a great deal about her right off the bat. Rahab, not the godly woman, not the Spirit-filled woman, not the saved woman. No, Rahab the prostitute, the scripture says, did not perish with the disobedient.

We're going to explain what that phrase means. That's a very important phrase to my life and to your life. She did not perish with the disobedient. Now, Rahab, if you'll go to Joshua chapter two, that's where her story is found in detail. I'll share just briefly the context because I don't want to hold too long this morning, but understand this. Joshua and Israel are getting ready to conquer Canaan. God has already told them that he will give them the land.

Jericho was the first stronghold in the land of Canaan. They could not go any further than Jericho, and Jericho was a great fortified city. Its walls are historically known. It was safe, it was fortified. No military was going to overthrow it, especially a ragtag military like the Israelites, who were former slaves and had spent the last 40 years in the desert. I think Jericho felt pretty good about itself.

Now, they had heard about the God of Israel and they had heard that he had dried up the Red Sea for them. They had even seen that they crossed the Jordan River supernaturally. So, they did get a little nervous and according to Joshua chapter six, the city was shut up. No one came in, no one went out, because they had heard about the God of Israel.

If you're going to take notes today, I want you to note just three simple principles that we see from Joshua chapter two. Number one, I want you to note this: Rahab, God knew exactly who she was and God knew exactly where she was. My mind goes wild at just thinking about the encounters that Rahab had in the months and the weeks leading up to meeting the spies.

I go back and I think, long before she ever met the spies, long before she heard from them what God had done, according to verses nine through 11 of Joshua chapter two, she had already heard all that God had done. She had heard how they dried up the Red Sea. She had heard the miracles that God had done in Egypt. Here's what I want you to note today: God had already put faith within her heart.

How did the spies know? They didn't. There is no way that the spies knew that God was already working in this woman's heart, who was a sinner and a prostitute. But you know what? In God's providence, he led their steps right to her. I wonder, I wonder how long Rahab had lived in that house. I wonder how far off the ground, how high up in the walls of Jericho her home was, for we know that she tied the scarlet cord and let the spies down.

I wonder what kind of distance that was. I wonder if when she moved into that particular house, did God already know, "I'm going to spare this entire house when the walls collapse"? I just wonder what steps God orchestrated in order for her to meet the spies. See, the point is, is that before she ever met them, God had already put faith in her heart.

There are some of you listening today, there are some in the building, there's some watching online, that you have heard the gospel over and over and over. You have heard the gospel a hundred different times, but something is changing, something is happening to you. Do you know what it is? The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word, and God is turning your heart.

God is turning your thoughts. God is opening your ears to his voice. Why? Because just like Rahab, God knows who you are, God knows where you are. God is putting faith in your heart. It is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. For some of you, that's happening through a friendship. There's somebody who's talking to you, there's somebody that's praying with you, there's someone that's investing in you.

Yes, you've heard the gospel a hundred times, but right now something different is happening in you. For some of you, it's a podcast that maybe you're listening to and somehow God is opening your ears to his voice. For some, it's an invitation to this church that now all of a sudden you're encountering God and you're encountering life change. Let me tell you, my friend, what is happening with you: God is putting faith in you. What a beautiful thing.

You say, "Chad, I don't know if God really knows who I am." Yes, he does. Let me prove it to you. You're created in the very image of God. Do you know there's not a one of us that come off of a manufacturing line, but we are all created in his image? This is so important to our text. Rahab did not die, she did not perish with the disobedient. What does that mean? Why would God call Jericho disobedient?

Because Jericho had heard for the last 40 years how God had dried up the Red Sea. God gave them 40 years to repent and to turn to him, and they didn't do it. Furthermore, Jericho saw Israel cross the Jordan River. Their scouts saw it. We're talking a million-plus people walking across the Jordan River on dry ground. You better know they knew what was going on.

They had full intelligence briefings. They saw it all, and did they repent? No. Furthermore, Israel encircled Jericho and marched around the walls for six consecutive days. Within that six consecutive days, who repented? No one except Rahab. What made her different? God put faith in her heart. So it is today. Many are perishing, many will leave this world without Christ, but what makes you different? God's putting faith in you.

By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish with the disobedient. Her story is found in Joshua chapter two. If you'll just note this, I'm not going to expound it. I just want you to note it. In Exodus chapter 15, the crossing of the Red Sea, which we studied in detail, we crossed the Red Sea with Israel. What we didn't look at is chapter 15 and that was the great celebration.

In that great celebration after crossing the Red Sea, they sang a song that was quite prophetic. It foretold what was going to happen. Let me show you just how cool these scriptures link up. If you want to take notes and you can study it later on your own time, but Exodus chapter 15, verses 14, 15, and 16, they say, this is the song they sang: "Peoples will hear." We're part of that. Here we are thousands of years later and we're still talking about the crossing of the Red Sea.

We're still talking about the walls of Jericho. "Peoples will hear, they will fear, they will tremble. The kings, the leaders of Canaan will be dismayed and they will melt before the Lord." You know what's so amazing? This harlot, this prostitute who God's putting faith in her heart, you read Joshua chapter two, verses nine through 11, and it is nearly verbatim what Israel sang.

She says, "We've heard what your God has done and it has melted our hearts within us." God knew exactly who she was and where she was. So it is with you. God knows you. He loves you. You're created in his very image. You know how well God knows you? The Bible says that the very hairs of your head are numbered. I don't know the number of the hairs of my head, and you know what that tells me? That tells me that God knows me better than I know me.

The Bible says in Psalm 139 that before you even have a thought, before you even have a word on your tongue, God already knew the thoughts. The Bible says that every one of your days are already written within his book. Friends, God knows you. The Bible also says that God knows your uprisings and your downsittings. God knows your goings out and God knows your comings in. You know what that verse means?

That means that God knows your daily, every day life. He knows your daily routine. Friends, God knows you today and God knows that you would be hearing today's word. God knows that you would be hearing this sermon today. Why? Because God has something special to say to you individually. God knows you and he loves you and he knows exactly where you are.

Number two, I want you to note this. Not only does God know us, number two, I want you to see that, well, go on to James chapter two, verse 25. She put her faith in action. James chapter two, verse 25, look what it says of Rahab. This is the second time she's mentioned in the scriptures in the New Testament. "In the same way," talking about faith justifying us, "was not also Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she welcomed the messengers?"

Now, watch this. This is so fascinating to me. This is such a little spiritual nugget that I think is just quite fascinating. The word that the author of Hebrews uses is the word "spies," which indeed they were two literal physical spies. But James uses a different word. In the original Greek, when James talks about Rahab the prostitute and how she was justified, it says that she was justified by the way she received the messengers.

The Greek word for "messengers" that James uses is the same word for "angels." Now, isn't that fascinating? Does that mean that they were literal angels? No, I don't think so. But let me tell you what I think it does mean. Now, are there true angelic activities? Oh, you bet there is. From the Garden of Eden to the closing of all history in the book of Revelation, angels are common throughout the entire Bible and they're part of our lives, too.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to be a speaker for the Forward Missions Conference. Part of that conference was our wonderful friend and partner in ministry, Pastor Doss from India. What a mighty man of God he is. He was sharing this story with me this week that he had gone many years ago to a place in the north of India to plant a church, extremely hostile to the gospel.

Go to Hebrews 13:1 with me because that's what I want to show you. He had gone there to plant a church and immediately made enemies. A group of men were very hostile to him, very hostile to the gospel. Pastor Doss, very routine, and he would walk throughout the streets of that small city. He would walk every single morning at a certain time, on a certain route, praying for strongholds to break, praying for a church to be planted.

Over a short amount of time, Pastor Doss ended up leading those same hostile men to the Lord Jesus Christ. But one day they asked him, this is fascinating, one day they were telling him, "Doss, we planned many times to attack you. We were going to kill you. Many times we were going to... we knew your route and we knew your times. You're so routine, we knew where to find you and we were going to attack you."

And they said, "Since we've come to know the Lord, we have not seen your companions." Doss said, "What are you talking about?" They said, "The men who walked with you every morning. You had two to your left and two to your right. Very, very strong men. Where are they? Who are they?" Doss said, "I walk alone." No, he had angelic protection. Amen.

And so, Rahab put her faith in action. She received the messengers. The word here is "angels." And look what the scripture tells us: Hebrews 13, verse one, "Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." I think the author of Hebrews had Rahab in mind when he wrote that.

Does that mean they were literal angels? No. But what I think the Holy Spirit's telling us is when we love one another, we show hospitality to one another, God marks it as the same as us loving angels and entertaining angels. Look at verse number two. "Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

Pastor Doss, I was with him in India in February and I had the privilege of doing the graduation ceremony of his seminary. Doss has sent out nearly 3,000 church planters all over India. Last week, one of his young men, one of his young graduates, he's planting a church in a state within India that has an anti-conversion law. That means you're not allowed to evangelize and convert a Hindu over to Christianity.

And this young man, God has set him ablaze, and they've arrested him for it. Right now, he's in prison. I asked Pastor Doss what happens next. They've confiscated his motorbike. I said, "Pastor Doss, what happens?" And he says, "Well, over time, and we don't know how much time, a judge will set a bail and we'll need to raise the money for the bail." I don't know about you, but I believe God wants this church to take care of that, don't you?

That's helping remember those that are in prison as though we, for loving the same God, for preaching the same gospel, for living the same life, as though we were in prison with them. And you say, "Chad, how much will it be?" It don't matter. "How much will it cost?" It does not matter. We're going to entertain as though they were angels unaware. Amen.

She put her faith in action. In our culture today, there's this false belief that just as long as you believe in Jesus, you're okay. No, friends. The Bible says demons believe and tremble. You have to have faith in action. Faith without works is dead. Now, does that mean you have to work to merit salvation? No, no one can do that. Does that mean that you have to somehow obtain salvation on your own terms? No. Salvation is a gift of God, lest any man should boast. It's a gift.

Then what do you mean work for salvation? What do the scriptures mean? Faith that needs to be put in action without works is dead. What's that mean? It means you don't work for salvation, you work because of your salvation. You don't work to get saved, it's because you are saved you get to work, amen, and walk in those good works that God has created you to do. And God has not created the pastors for good works, God's created you for good works.

I don't care what you do for money, and I don't care what you do for a living, and I don't care what your title is or your occupation is or the lack thereof, you are created in Christ. Did you know that I'm a pastor, husband, and father of four, who suddenly went blind in 2018? Today, I teach people how life is not random, but it is actually orchestrated by God for a great purpose. Learn more about my story and Awakened to Grace at chadroberts.org.