OBSTACLES, FAITH, AND OUTREACH OREGON

Any Spirit empowered work done in Jesus' name will be met with opposition. Whether it be the mere utterance of a simple prayer, or the endeavor to plant a church, the world, the flesh, and the Devil stand in opposition to all such efforts. We've been studying through the book of Nehemiah, and Nehemiah provides for us a great example of how we ought to respond to obstacles. Upon hearing of the broken down walls in Jerusalem he yearned to go lead a rebuilding effort. But consider the obstacles he faced. Work had stopped on the wall decades previously, how would he guide and motivate the people to rejoin themselves to the effort? He was the cupbearer for the King, how we he gain the King's permission to go? The journey to Jerusalem would cover a thousand miles and take months of time, how would he be kept safe and where would his provisions comes from? Where would the materials for the rebuilding come from? Would the people accept his leadership?

How did Nehemiah respond to these obstacles? He responded as a man of faith! Faith is a heart-level trust and confidence in God that reveals itself in one's choices and actions. The "heroes of faith" listed in Hebrews chapter eleven are notable for how their faith in God overruled their doubts and the obstacles they faced. By faith Noah built the ark. The obstacles he faced were titanic, but he chose instead to trust in God and build. Likewise Abraham went out to a land he did not know and Moses chose to suffer ill-treatment with the people of God. One of the great examples of faith overcoming obstacles in the Old Testament is that of Joshua and Caleb. Twelve spies went into the promised land. All twelve saw the same things. They saw how desirable the land was. They also saw the size and number of the enemies they would face. Ten came back and gave a bad report and incited the people to distrust God. Joshua and Caleb saw things differently--they trusted in God's ability to bring the people into the land. Their God was much bigger to them than the obstacles they faced.. Goliath was a giant obstacle before David, but before God he was smaller than a flea. David saw that obstacle through eyes of faith and responded accordingly.

Nehemiah’s faith was strengthened by his knowledge of the truth regarding the nature and character of God. His prayer in Nehemiah chapter one is a model prayer for all of us. He prayed to the great and awesome God of heaven. The God who is able! His decision to go and rebuild was instructed by the promise that God had made to regather His people once they returned to Him. Faith is only as good as its object. Nehemiah’s faith was well-founded inasmuch as it was in the omnipotent and promise-keeping God of Israel.

The measure of our faith is revealed in our prayers. Nehemiah was a man of faith and Nehemiah was a man of prayer. The two go hand in hand. When he heard the news of the broken down wall and the distress of the people, he turned to God in prayer and appealed to God that He might turn the heart of the King. When the King noticed that Nehemiah was sad before him, Nehemiah prayed again. No doubt he asked God for wisdom as to what he should say. At any rate, his faith was revealed in his prayers, and God answered his prayers in an "exceeding abundantly" manner (Eph. 3:20). The King not only gave him permission to go, but letters to assure his safety, resources for the rebuilding of the wall, and men and horses to protect him on the way!
How does this apply to Outreach Oregon? The endeavor to plant a new church in Beaverton faces many obstacles:

1. The Cagle family selling home to more to Aloha to have presence in the community.
2. The Nyborg family being on the field full-time---need another 70-80 supporters .
3. More core members to launch church in September.
4. Seeing people come to faith in Christ.
5. Meeting location---possible merger???
6. Song leader and youth leader.

Were the effort up to us alone, we would surely fail. The obstacles that we face are insurpassable by our own strength and wisdom. But the God whom we worship and serve is a great and awesome God. The Lord Jesus has declared "I will build my church." His desire and ability to do just that has been recorded for us in the book of Acts and demonstrated for us through the pages of history. He has bid us "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:16). He has provided for us everything that we need (Eph. 4:11-12; 2 Peter 1:3; Phil. 4:19). Like Nehemiah we should focus not on our obstacles, but instead appeal to God in prayer, in faith.

Nehemiah faced many obstacles, but as a man of faith he declared, "The God of heaven will give us success, therefore we his servants will arise and build" (Neh. 2:20). Let us likewise, by faith, look past the obstacles to the God who is able to give us success.

Pastor Jerry