Row The Boat: The Dawning of a New Day

So what our God never fails.

A man a minimal sum of family and friends there. This way you get to hear from her family ministries Pastor Jason Gaston's what do you love so much about Jason Gaston prompting you sent me. We are not wrong, but that I do have to how I will freely admit that his wife under the make some question about yesterday's right you think you for asking me. I appreciate that Jason Gaston is one of the most passionate and most joy filled people we have some church I've no doubt that as you listen to that you can be challenged and encouraged today as he brings us to work before we dive into that. I want to take a moment just to say thank you. Seriously, I know this is been a strange season to say the least, and so many have continued to stay faithful with us to adjust for the times two online or home gatherings and you continue to give generously know it's been amazing to hear stories of those of you that have not wavered in your faithfulness to give even when the economy is unknown. Business income at times been decreased your faith displayed in giving has increased my faith.

Somebody wants to give for the first time or set up recurring giving you that you did I discover weeks ago we said in our living life Seabreeze actually you can begin your journey of gasoline simply by canceling 33 going to let right that's right so I did add that it not me.

Seriously, all of you. Thank you for your faithfulness summit church wants to review some really exciting things are happening in the month of October here in some church, but you will. It's okay patent first next week really started a new sermon series called flag and citizens of another kingdom.

It's about the election coming up a lot before soda on pins and needles were to think about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus part of a unified church, a diverse unified church considered on on on on Jesus as our flag bearer. Jesus is the one were following you begin that next week before.

About three weeks and that I want to be in prayer about that which you come with open heart and open ears open Bibles ready to present what the Bible teaches us about how to think like apologies this time.

The second thing is that beginning listen to this beginning Thursday, October 1 to be hosting a live indoor service at each of our permanent locations at 7 PM lightning round here, let admit answers and questions for you that you have okay does this in person gathering at her for permanent campuses.

Does that replace home gatherings okay, correct. Do you need to RSVP to attend due to attendance restrictions correct again will we be taking all necessary precautions to keep people safe. Leanne correct again at will there be childcare so there you have to be a part of the services like your part of our service each week differently. That's right. It will be worth it. Excellent rights or last one. Why are we doing this to you in person corrects again.

I know this brings up a lot of questions for you. I was going to direct you right now to our website for a much more detailed version of what Thursday evening gatherings. You look like in the month of October.

All I can say is that I am so excited were speaking in person even if it's in a limited capacity. Last thing on site is that the month of October will be hosting to large outdoor October nights of worship were talking the whole church.

The all campuses. Two different ones ones on October 10 at the apex campus and the other is on October 24 that are capital Hills campus to service times promoted as one of 41 6 PM originated get together worship were to celebrate something that got us done during the season. His testimonies speed together worship together, outdoor, and socially distance of course, but more info on our website about to come.

Okay, something a little kid ran a lot. I think a lot of us in amen and amen could not have said it better myself. I am pumped. I'm even more pump for the sermon. Are you ready beginning somewhere in the 17th century and Karen on March through the 19th century the American spirit of adventure and exploration.

What is was at its height as brave men and women would saddle up and head into the great unknown. To see parts of our nation that no Westerner had yet seen the American frontier as it would come to be known was expanding for people who embodied courage and risk in the early 1800s, a young man by the name of John Wesley Powell was growing his love for science, history and literature. His life dream was to teach in power would eventually realize that dream and begin his life of teaching in a small, sleepy pocket of our growing nation. However, in 1861. News of a Civil War breaking out had reached the quiet town where Powell was teaching immediately. He felt the call. He left this job and he enlisted in the Union Army and are the ranking of second Lieut. just a few months later on April 6, 1862 at the battle of Shiloh in western Tennessee. Powell was struck in the forearm and the bullet shattered every ounce of bone in his arm just a few days later he would have that arm amputated a few years after Powell lost his arm.

He would put the courage that was forced on the battlefield and the passion for the created world together and he would lead the first recorded expedition of the Colorado River through the heart of the Grand Canyon. It was in many estimations. One of the final arenas of the American frontier yet to be explored. The journey would require every ounce of courage that the 10 men on the trip could muster.

The Grand Canyon was dangerous and unknown.

If you've ever hike the Grand Canyon. You know that the terrain is not just difficult, it can at times be overwhelming. It was no small task. The ragtag group of 10 men journey down the river and clunky working boats, hoping and believing for the best in his personal journal that he kept as he was journeying down the river which would later become a book called down the great unknown. Powell said the following as his team officially began entering the walls of the canyon. We are now ready to start our way down the great unknown rehab at a months rations remaining.

The flower has been resected through the mosquito net. The spoiled bacon has been dried. All that so depressing. And the worst of it boiled a few pounds of dried apples had been spreading the sans the sugar has all melted and gone its way down the river, but we do have a large sack of coffee to get amen somebody amen. Okay. We are three quarters of a mile. The depths of the earth and the great river shrinks and in insignificance as it dashes its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above rehab and unknown distance yet to run an unknown river yet to explore what falls there are. We know not what rocks beset the channel we know not what walls rise over the river. We know not how well this is literally what he says I well I will yes we are living in some pretty unique times division at every corner. Traps of social media are set on every path and navigating those waters as the church are going to be tricky.

May I propose however that we need a generation of Christians people from the summit church with an well mentality when the odds seemed stacked against us. But the promise of something new ahead.

We press forward into the great on today organ to be in the book of first single chapter 14.

In fact, as your gathering in your home gatherings want to go.

I did get kids in the room help help them find a passage to gasket the bottles. I will also be on the screen but as you're doing that. Let me give you a little bit of backdrop to the store. First single 14 we find the Israelites facing an unknown future.

Chapter 14 begins with Israel's army hiding among the caves of Divya after having been defeated in battle by the Philistines. But the question remains, why were they hiding as God's people well. Israel had just defeated the Amorites, and Jonathan defeated a group of Philistines in a small back alley bar fight right so so all the leader of God's people foolishly declares war against the Philistines were as for single 13 describes as numerous as the second Saul's soldiers were overmatched but they were not overmatched. According to Saul's ego is he Saul since his trip to battle without first seeking the Lord in leadership of the Lord.

Needless to say there now like cats with their tails between their legs and not only did they get their tails walk, but the land that they are living in has been rated okay. In fact, the Bible tells us that there were no blacksmiths in the land.

The Philistines had taken control over it. Why well because the Philistines didn't want the Israelites to have the ability to make their own weapons. Saul and Jonathan were the only two people in the land with swords to people with swords, one hiding out under a pomegranate tree one ready for battle. That's where we pick up in first Samuel chapter 14 let's read together that same day, Saul's son Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, on, let's crossover to the Philistine garrison on the other side. However, he did not tell his father that he was going. His father is Saul. Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Negron on the outskirts of Divya the troops with them numbered around 600 Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, on, let's crossover to the garrison of those uncircumcised men. Let's go perhaps the Lord will help us nothing can keep the board from saving, whether by many or by few for seven his armor bearer responded doing what is in your heart. Go ahead.

I am completely with you. All right, Jonathan says will crossover to the men and then let them see us since it is that if they say wait until we reach you and we will stay where we are and we will not want to them. But if they do say this if they say they will go up because we know that the Lord has handed them over to us that will be our sign skip down to verse 11, they let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison and the Philistine said look, they are coming out of the halls were they been hiding the mid of the garrison called the Jonathan and his armor bearer and said come on up will teach you a lesson, follow me. Jonathan told his armor bearer for the Lord has handed them over to Israel today. Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet with his armor bearer behind him. Jonathan cut in his armor bearer followed and finish them off. That's pretty epic. By the way, in the first assault Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about 20 men and 1/2 acre field are three things I want us to see today as we head into an unknown future number one God uses are perhaps not our personal power. God uses are perhaps not our personal power. Look back to what Jonathan says.

He says it's, let's crossover to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord work will help us. Nothing can save the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. Now why is this statement that Jonathan makes so important well and it's a stark contrast to the leader that the Israelites wanted was that that was Saul remember just one page back in the timeline of events that happened that day Saul made an attack on the Philistines, except it didn't go as planned.

I got routed and the primary reason it wasn't because they were overmatched Joe that's the story of God's people all throughout the Bible always overpowered, always overmatched, according to human standards right okay so Saul just the day prior determines in his own heart and in his own mind that he needed not the approval of God to fight and win the battle.

He determined that it would be one through his own strength and the wisdom of his own plan. Now Saul is out and down for the count.

Like the dude got Molly walked so like, what, where is the irony in that you might be thinking like what's with the big deal.

Well, if you move just a touch further back in the timeline of Israel's history right here in first Samuel, you'll see that the Israelites wanted something that all the other nations currently had given what that was. What was that a king a king like all the other nations. A king who was strong king who was wise, but the reality is is that they Artie had that king a better king, but they took their eyes off of him, they stop trusting his God gave them their wish and who they get they got Saul, the one who was strong in the eyes of the people he looked the part.

PT fit the bill on the outside.

Yet here we are just a few chapters later in their earthly king has already failed them miserably. His wise plans were thwarted, and his strength was failing. Lesson in the economy of the kingdom of God in investment in personal strength is an investment in a crashing market. It will fail. What God is after is not your skill is not after your wisdom. He's not after your personal strength. He cares not about the size of your house, the car that you drive, the amount of friends that you have on social media, the platform that you've been given for influence. He's after the posture of your heart. Just like Pastor JD said last week. He's after ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the kingdom and oh how beautiful Jonathan displays that right here in first single 14 perhaps God. Perhaps God for nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few or by few. Now in its purest form. What what kind of posture is that it's a posture of trust like I am trusting in the heart of God and his promises towards his people.

I am throwing every ounce of the potential outcome completely on God and not on myself.

That's what Jonathan was doing when you ask a question.

How was your trust in the promises of God today. Charles Spurgeon says it like this.

He says brothers a lack of familiarity with the word of God is very often the C plot of our doubts half our fears arise from the neglect of the Bible because of God's promise to his people.

Jonathan, no winning the promise of God towards his people. He began to see things differently. He had a different lens in which he saw the battle ahead can I tell you something. If you are in Christ you have a new lens in which you not only see the world, but how you engage in the world on a day-to-day basis.

How well do you know the promises of God and how will you know the promises of God will determine your ability to say. Perhaps perhaps God now I've got a boat paddle illustration gusset me. Thank you. I got a boat paddle right here for you okay that when I pulled up this boat.

Paddle a lot of you may see or think about different things right as some of you. You may look at this boat. Paddle and you may think to yourself how boat paddle a boat.

Paddle is used as a backup for my motorized boat right if the motor fails on paddling back to shore right okay that some of you you you look at this as the energy in which you actually move the craft for the beer in a canoe. It's the only thing you have. It's it's the thing that moves you forward. Others of you if you're out there like me when you see a boat. Paddle you think about a baseball drill right it's like a great great joy to teach kids how to hit IPO learned by her hips not squish the blood very important. Okay some of you.

You grew up in eastern North Carolina. God's country all right and when you see a boat. Paddle all you see is like a stir for a pot of Brunswick stew right yeah yeah let's go you see so many different things. When you look at a simple boat. Paddle now if you were to ask the University of Minnesota, specifically a football player what they see when they look at this, or they see something utterly different.

Why, because in 2017. The University hired a charismatic coach by the name of PJ Fleck. He was bringing in energy, passion and skill set to the program that hadn't been seen in decades. He brought also a new thought process.

Why because he was determined to change the culture of the program and in turn the culture of the University and the city.

It started within or in a model wrote about look at a neighbor right now and say wrote about the go row the boat is actually pretty basic in its understanding every person contributes to trust the process. You don't jump out of the boat when the storm hits you put the paddle back in the water and you keep rolling. Okay, so after a few seasons of average football. The 2019 that the team goes nine and oh for the first time since 1905. Why there had been a change in the culture. The people in the program were beginning to see and act differently expectations changed up and down the hallway of the locker rooms are all works personalized by each player's commitment to keep rolling. Keep trusting and keep believing my wife actually was on the crew team at UNC W and I remember going to some of her regattas and watching her row. Interestingly enough in the boat, there's only one person who could actually see the river ahead a coxswain. The captain of the boat. The people on the boat just at the rise on the coxswain in row with their backs facing their destination and their trust that their captain sees where they're supposed to be going yes to question how much more should the promises of God re-shape the lives of believers. They reshape the way that we see the world on a day-to-day basis. They reshape the way that we look at our family whether we look at our jobs the way that we look at our mission. Here's the thing you back to the story. Jonathan was not promised that he come out on the other side of that battle.

Life he just knew. Either way, God be glorified.

All right about God. You see what's ahead. Not me. You tell me to row an ongoing where have you stop growing where to stop growing. My gut tells me that if we dig deep enough will find areas of our lives, work, we relied on our own strength much like Saul and not in the beauty of the promises of God, and we do that. Guess where we end up in caves hiding running defeated, you need to remember that we have a God that is for us.

We have a God that is on our side. We have a God that is already won the battle, so keep fighting, keep trusting, keep growing eyes on Jesus.

Number two, you never row alone.

Never row alone or look back at Jonathan's halftime speech verse six and seven, on let's cross over to the garrison of these on circumcised men.

Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. Verse seven. His armor bearer. Respondent says this delights in your heart.

Go ahead. I am completely with you. Okay, say by the Bell time out here right it. If on the armor bearer and I'm looking at Jonathan and I'm like Hoda, we got two swords in the entire army.

One of them is with your pots chilling under the pomegranate tree and the other one is right here with us and you want to do what like that feels like a maverick and goose type moment from top to the Indians as I don't know about this didn't seem like a good idea right. That's not what armor bearers did armor bearers were steady with courage and equipped for the battle and their unwavering courage filled their leader with confidence. Jonathan needed someone to go to battle alongside of him. We all do. We all need someone to row the boat life with what Adam we die true friendship. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, is not just that you love me but it's also that you are seeing the same truth is I see the same truth is I do. I would add that you see the same truth is I do, even when I can't see it for me to make it when he did armor bearer need a friend. We nephritis Proverbs 1717 says a friend that loves at all times by some kids yell no that's all right.

It says Proverbs 1824, says a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Some of you are gathered at home right now alone and to be honest, it's been like that for a while, maybe even since Coburn started her or maybe even before Tobin just highlighted your loneliness at his tell you I really do mean you are not alone. Let us connect with you. Let your pastors and staff at the summit help you get connected to some friends that can help you with talk with Jesus for the long haul in life. That's our goal.

Some of you are sitting at home gatherings in small groups this week in your shoulder to shoulder with Meskill Courtwright Childers shoulder, yet you actually still feel alone do not alone. Kids and students it you may know what it feels like to walk up and down a crowded hallway at school and if you like, you're the only one facing those issues you're not. You're not alone. Ephesians 1 tells us that we been sealed with the Holy Spirit inside of us. Colossians 1 says it would tell us that Christ in us is the hope of glory. John 15 tells us that Jesus calls us friends in Christ. You are never alone. He lives in you and is also giving you a tangible expression of his nearness to note, that is, it's the church living side by side attacking the gates of hell together. Don't row alone. Number three. Your faithful rowing spurs on others. So when we first in reading this passage I actually intentionally left out the last few verses.

When we first read the story because I love what happens at the end and I didn't want to act like middle school boys and skip all the way. The end and ruin the story okay so remember Jonathan and his armor bearer attack and they strike down 20+ man in 1/2 acre field and God brings about confusion on the camp and it hits the Philistines where they are in their running around like your hair is on fire okay and the Israelites that were in hiding, begin to gain hope Saul joins the fight and then that's when we read this when all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of freedom heard that the Philistines were flinging.

They also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle so the Lord saved Israel that day. Now I don't believe that it was just Jonathan's action that led to the victory that came about that day it was the posture of his faithfulness, obedience, and that obedience and that faithfulness of Jonathan spurred the entire remaining army back into the fight. It spurred Saul out from underneath the pomegranate tree and back into the fight. Here's what I know and I think that you know this to this is an epic story right. But let's be honest epic stories don't change us. They don't change just because we don't naturally trust God or leaning on each other or spur one another on.

We are actually much more like Saul in Israel, then we are like Jonathan and his armor bearer. We don't need something to change. We need someone to change us, someone to go to battle or behalf. Enter Jesus.

That's the beauty of Jesus. Jesus came to save people like us words the faith to keep rowing come from, where do we get to the power like with Jonathan to save, perhaps, God will work because of Jesus.

Jesus trusted that God would deliver him even through the great Jesus went with out in armor bearer and faced God's ultimate enemy not an army but sin, death, hell, what a beautiful name. It is the name of Jesus with our eyes on Jesus, we have every reason to say. Perhaps God will work if God is already conquered sin, the grave and death for us by grace in Christ, we can look at the cross every day with great confidence and say God has already worked.

Perhaps he will work again so in Christ regardless of our circumstance, you can keep rowing you may have just received that report from the doctor that you did not want or that you do not expect it because of Christ's. You keep rowing as you row you bring courage to the hearts of everyone else, you may be overwhelmed. Multiple kids and virtual school trying to balance full-time jobs in the home and and and you're trying to navigate the new waters of the world and you're trying to figure out if you're to delete your social media account right yet because of Christ's. You keep rowing and as you row you bring courage to the hearts of others you may be the student is faced all kinds of challenges in your family life yet because your eyes are on Jesus see OJ you keep rowing you encourage the hearts of other students, other believers, the church, you may be experiencing pain of loss all around you, you actually had a hard time seeing the promises of God which you had someone nearby to help you see things that you couldn't see or maybe bring clarity to something that you just see dimly and you keep rowing anyways because of the courage that they are giving you keep rowing your faithfulness spurs us all. And remember, remember, the Lord saved Israel that day and he's doing it every day until finally on that one day because it happened you guys is coming when he will make all things new.

In the battle will finally be