We’ve all experienced times when we were confronted with tasks we felt were impossible. How did we approach such undertakings? Did you procrastinate? Did you turn away, give up or say no to the endeavor? Or… did you face the problems head on and deal with it or accomplish your goal?
Years ago a popular shoe company created a slogan which you are all likely familiar with. That slogan was “Just do it.”
This morning, we are going to look at four examples of men in the Bible who were confronted with gargantuan undertakings. Some of these men hesitated at first but in the end they dove into their enterprises and did some amazing things for the Lord. They were men who “Just did it!”
NOAH
First up we find a man in Genesis who Jehovah found to be a righteous man, a blameless man, who was faithful to God. We pick up the story of Noah in Genesis 6. We’ll be looking at verses 9-22
9 This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. f Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Now picture in your mind what that must have been like for Noah. As far as we know Noah had never seen rain. The first time rain is ever mentioned in the Bible is here in the account of Noah and the flood. We don’t know for sure if it rained previously. Genesis 2:5-6 explains that before the flood, the streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Now from that point until the flood it is possible it had rained but as far as we know it had not.
Regardless, if Noah had seen rain or not, I imagine his first reaction when told by Jehovah what to build, might have been “God, what’s an ark?” “You want me to get two of ALL the animals?” The point is Jehovah gave Noah a job, a mighty job! Now I like to do woodworking but I can tell you, that to build a vessel of any kind is a monumental task even with power tools, but Noah likely just had simple handmade tools like mallets and axes. Of course, the one thing he did have was a hundred years to complete the task Jehovah God gave him. If I started building a small boat just a quarter the size of the ark in my twenties I’d probably still be building it the day I die!
The point is, if ever there were an endeavor that could have seemed impossible, then this would surely be it.
Hellen Keller once said: “What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.”
Noah didn’t balk at his task. The Bible seems to indicate he set to work immediately and began building the ark. Some say it was a hundred years, some use other scripture to say it was 120 years. How long it took is not what is important in context of this lesson, only that it was a long time, and Noah saw his task through to completion.
As I thought about this part of the lesson, I was reminded of the supposed replica of the ark built over in Kentucky. If I’m not mistaken it took 18 months to build, but that was built with power tools and many people and has all manner of modern conveniences. And as an aside, I don’t believe the shape of the ark in Kentucky is correct either but if you are curious about that we can discuss that after worship.
Back to Noah now, imagine the faith he had to have to do that, to build that vessel. We also learn from Noah that nothing will ever be finished if we don’t first make a start. Noah… “Just Did It.”
ABRAHAM
Our next great example of a man who was given a task to do by Jehovah God was a man who was wealthy by the standards of the time.
In Genesis 12:1-5 we find in the very first verse that…
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
For the men and women in our military this is a familiar occurrence, and I know they can relate to a degree on such an instruction, especially for new recruits who receive their first orders. They wonder what it’s going to be like where they are being stationed. They consider the danger of the theater of operations they are going to be stationed in. What if things go awry? Who will be there to help them? Can they depend on them?
Abraham had even more to worry about than that as he was taking his wife and family, all his possessions, including his slaves. He was going to a land he either knew nothing of or very little. Abraham and his entourage faced the uncertainty of a new land with no established support system beyond his own family. And remember, when he left Ur he was 75 years old!
Such great faith and obedience to God. Could you do that? Could you pack up everything you own in a trailer, put your family in the car and without a map, excuse me – a GPS, (I’m a bit old school) and head out to somewhere but you have no idea where except for a general direction?
Abraham was given a task along with directions. He did not hesitate; he did exactly as Jehovah directed. He took on the task head on and did an amazing thing.
To highlight another task Abraham was given, think about Jehovah telling Abram to sacrifice his only son. By the time he was told to do that Abraham was approximately 125 years old and in his mind he likely knew he would never have another child, much less a son. Yet Abraham was prepared to see through the task God instructed him to perform. Now we know sacrificing Isaac was meant to demonstrate Abrahams faith and devotion to God and the Lord reprieved Isaac from the sacrifice.
The point is Abraham was given a job to do by the Lord and even though his heart was surely heavy for his task he set out to do what he was directed.
Abraham was a man who “just did it.”
MOSES
As we continue on, we examine another hero of the Old Testament who was given many difficult tasks in his lifetime, especially his later years. The story of Moses is probably one of my favorite Bible stories. I remember so very well all the Sunday school lessons I had as a child and inevitably we would study Moses. Couple that with the movies about Moses and I was just always fascinated with his story. From being rescued from a basket in the Nile, to living forty years as a royal in Pharoh’s court, to his exile to Midian for another forty years then returning to Egypt to confront Pharaoh.
Imagine being 80 years old and being told to return to a hostile land, a land where you are wanted for murder, and confronting the king or in Moses’ case confronting Pharaoh. Not only do you confront him you tell him to release all the Israelite slaves!
Now Moses, unlike Noah and Abraham, was hesitant to obey God. When Moses first meets the Lord at the burning bush God gives Moses what I would call a monumental task – to go to Pharaoh and have him release the Israelites. In Exodus 3:10 & 11 we read what Jehovah said to Moses and then what He replied to Moses –
10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
Moses was given a task to do by the Lord, however he was obviously very hesitant. And you can’t blame him. He has been gone from Egypt and Pharaoh’s court for forty years. He had no idea if Pharaoh would receive him, if he would be put in prison for murder and tortured or put to death. I would certainly be hesitant too.
Now this is the first of five instances of hesitation on Moses’ part.
The next in verse 13, Moses tries to give God another excuse why he shouldn’t go to the Israelites.
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
In subsequent verses Moses goes on to present God with three more excuses for going back to Egypt. Chapter 4 verse 1 he asks “what if they (the Israelites) do not believe me?”. In verse 10 he professes that he is not a good speaker and finally in verse 13 he pleads with God to send someone else. Five excuses to get out of returning to Egypt to carry out God’s plan. All excuses which God had an answer for.
1- Who am I – I’m nobody, I’m not qualified.
2- Who would I tell them sent me.
3- They won’t believe me.
4- I don’t have the ability to speak.
5- Please send someone else.
How many times have we used excuses just like those Moses used? They sound so familiar, don’t they?
But Moses yielded to God’s will and if a humble shepherd could have enough faith to do all that he did when God asked him, then what is stopping us?
The life of Moses is one filled with incredible trust in God as he faced a multitude of confrontations, problems, and dangers, at first with Pharoh and then for forty years with his own people the Israelites wandering in the desert. I imagine there were times when Moses wavered under the magnitude of the tasks Jehovah set before him while leading the Israelites in the wilderness.
Even centuries later Moses is recognized as a hero to a nation because he was tasked with a mission from God (and after all Moses’ excuses)… Moses “Just Did It!”
The Apostles
Our next example of someone who “Just Did It!” is actually several people. Twelve to be exact. The apostles were just ordinary men who were called to do extraordinary things by Jesus. Several were ordinary fishermen, another a tax collector and Thomas was probably a carpenter and some we do not know. But there was nothing about these twelve men that was obviously extraordinary… until Jesus called them out. They were given a directive directly from the Christ very soon after he came from death and the tomb.
We find that directive In the gospel of Matthew, the 28th chapter and verse 18 which reads:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You know if Noah building the ark seemed impossible then this directive from Jesus which we call “the Great Commission” might just be a task given that could seem even more daunting. Now keep in mind this is the first century A.D.. There was no jumping in the car and driving to another state. No airplanes to zip over to another country. No phones to make contacts or call back home to the other apostles to ask for some help. The world was very much a massive place compared to our world today considering how technology has made the world so much smaller figuratively.
But check out what it says in Colossians chapter 1. First the last part of verse 5 and part of verse 6 Paul points out that
5b “the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you.
“You” being the Christians at Colossae. And where is Colossae? It was in what is today modern day Turkey. So Paul has given himself over to do his part in fulfilling the Great Commission having spread the gospel to modern day Turkey. Just as all the other apostles were doing, spreading out to various parts of the world and preaching the gospel and passing that commission on to other Christians who in turn did the same so that the word of God did spread out throughout all nations and the rest of verse 6 verifies this.
6b In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and GROWING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD….
In fact, towards the end of the chapter in the second half of verse 23 we read:
23b “This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven…”
So in fact the Great Commission was fulfilled – and I’ll address that in just a second.
Now it wasn’t just the apostles who accomplished this. They started it but as they carried on the converts would also branch out and preach the word. Now even though the scripture says the apostles had completed their task taking the gospel to ALL the world, that doesn’t mean it ended. The directive to spread the gospel is a directive that continues for every generation of Christians to continue taking the gospel to all the world, principally to the lost.
The apostles did not shirk from their mission. Now granted they very likely waited until they were all together in one place on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit came upon them and filled them with the Holy Spirit. Peter began preaching, thereby I believe that was the start of the apostles work to fulfill the command, the Great Commission Jesus gave them before he ascended to heaven.
If they could have enough faith to spread the Gospel, then what is stopping us from obeying God’s directives, Christ’s good news – the Gospel.
They did not shirk from their responsibility to spread the Gospel, they “Just Did It!”
Let’s consider for a moment two passages. The first Matthew 19:26. This is the story of the rich young man who asks Jesus what he must do to be saved and Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor… then come, follow me.” And verse 26 tells us we can’t be saved by ourselves “but with God ALL things are possible.”
With God we can talk to friends and strangers alike about Jesus and salvation. With God we can take on the hard things. Whether we fail or not is not important, what IS important is we must try. We must pray first and ask Jehovah God to help us, to guide us in our endeavors, whatever they may be.
If we have a task to do, whether it be something in the church like being asked to lead singing even though you feel you’re too shy, or talking to your neighbor about the Gospel, or even preparing a report for your boss at work or having to take a big test at school… you can do it with Prayer and with God. If you find yourself putting off or running away from a task, you’ll never accomplish the task. The late comedian piano player Victor Borge said one time “Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward!”
Now of course Victor mainly meant it as a joke but there is a lot of wisdom there. When you try you will sometimes fail, but failure is not your concern because when you fail you have at least started and with God on our side it is not as daunting to start again. Just like the proverbial falling off a horse, we dust ourselves off and get right back on and try again.
We shouldn’t be worried about the tasks we take on, whether spiritual or in our daily lives. We are told in Matthew 6:34 that we are not to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. In other words don’t worry about what is going to happen, just set your mind to do the things you have to do that are before you right now.
One of the most often quoted and easiest remembered verses in the Bible and one to remember when faced with trials, tasks you dread or talking to someone about Jesus is Phillipians 4:13 – “I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Noah, Abraham, Moses and the apostles had their faith in God to see them through their tasks and their trials. But also, they had to start somewhere. They had to “Just do it!”
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