Risk-taking Faith Dr. Ritch Boerckel
Senior Pastor
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God has always called his followers to exercise a “risk-taking faith.” I know that we are more comfortable with a “safety-finding faith,” but that is not the kind of faith that God requires of us. Throughout the record of biblical history, godly men and women had their quiet lives interrupted by a call to act courageously in obedience to God. They were given a call that asked them to leave the serene security of their lives to accomplish a work that God has set aside for them to do. “Noah, take a risk and build a boat.” “Abraham, take a risk and leave the land you are living in.” “Moses, take a risk and go talk to Pharaoh.” “Joshua, take a risk and march around the city of Jericho.” “David, take a risk and go meet the giant.” “Elijah, take a risk and pour water on the altar before you ask me to set it aflame.” “Daniel, take a risk and pray anyway!” One of my favorite stories from the Gospels of such risk-taking faith occurs when a crowd becomes so
enthralled with hearing Jesus preach that they do not go home to eat. By the end of the day, this crowd that likely numbered over 10,000 are hungry and Jesus asks his disciples to feed them. The disciples reply in a protest, “That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” They did not want to risk their entire nest egg for one meal. So Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” In their search for food they found a boy with five loaves and two fish. We can imagine the exchange as one of the disciples approached the boy, “Son, will you give us your lunch?” “But sir, this is all I have to eat! I am hungry and have a long walk home tonight” “Son, the Master is asking for it.” “Oh, Jesus wants it? Here then, please take it all.” Continued on page 2