Truth Over Trends
I. Faith
a. Faith is constantly on Trial.
b. We all want Great Faith
c. Faith must be built.
d. Faith is stirred.
e. You and I at times have to Fight for Faith…
Transition: Often times when we consider Faith, we look at Trends vs. The Truth of Faith!!!
II. What Is Faith and Do I Have It
a. Most of the time when you hear someone preach on faith or discuss the subject of faith, they use great little cliché such as: Believe God’s promises, Take God at His Word, The Bible is True so step out on it. Then the rest of the time they give great stories of how their prayers were answered due to their great faith in these principles. It usually results in health, money, physical protection, or success in some venture.
b. Now all these things are true, and I have personally experienced them, but I believe we are putting the cart way before the horse. This has a lot to do with me and if memory serves me well scripture says, “Jesus is the author and perfector or finisher of my faith.” So, faith must have its origin in Christ and must be completed in Christ, not in my mental exercise of believing.
c. What is Faith?
i. There are fourteen words used in Hebrews 11:1 that gives a brief definition of this thing we call Faith.
ii. But here faith is defined functionally, not philosophically.
iii. In other words, Hebrews 11:1 tells us what faith is, in operation, to what it is in essence. And the truth is, that is what I really need to know, what faith is in operation, not all the theories and philosophical ideas of faith… I want to know how to live by faith. So, for the rest of our time this morning that is going to be our focus. Operational Faith, not theoretical faith.
d. Ephesians 2:8 tells us “Faith is a gift of God”. So this tells us where faith comes from…
e. Romans 10:17 tells us “Faith cometh by hearing andhearing the word of God.”
f. So, I don’t know about you, I would rather experience Faith than know the definition of Faith.
Heb 11:30-40
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockingsand scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
NKJV
III. 4 Different Applications of Faith
a. Word of God
i. Every person has been given a measure of Faith…
ii. For simplification purposes I’m going to refer to this as the Word…specifically the word of God…every person who has ever been exposed to the Word at any level has been exposed to the same measure of faith…
b. Second Application of Faith is Belief
i. Meaning we give credence, care, weight and credit to the Word of God or we believe it…
ii. Though we all receive the Word of God, we don’t all believe it the same way…
iii. Mark 9 we have a story of a man whose son is in trouble…and he brings his son to the disciples,and they can’t help the boy…
1. When Jesus shows up, Jesus asks the Father “do you believe…” the father says, “I believe, but help my unbelief”?
2. The Father is confessing what we all struggle to confess at times…”I have faith, but there are some things here I’m having a challenge with…”
3. “The apostle Paul said: “for me to live is Christ, for me to die is gain…” yet I don’t read where he consults those around him to see what they think of that statement…
c. The Third Application of Faith is: Hope
i. Hope defined by me “is a desired (not guaranteed) expectation according to my faith and what I believe”
ii. Heb 11:1-3 AMP
1 NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
2 For by [faith — trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
Heb 12:1-2
12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
NKJV
Transition: It seems to me to be a direct Contradiction to the Hall of Fame of Faith as I consider the last of Hebrews 11 that I read to us earlier….
IV. 4th Application of Faith
a. “I believe God, trust God, even if I don’t see everything, I’m believing God for…”
b. I was saved at 7 years old. I was filled with the Holy Spirit at age 11…I have been preaching since I was 17 years old…and I can say this with all my heart…
c. There are things I have prayed for, and it has happened just as I have asked…
d. Then there are things I am still waiting for, and there are things that did not happen at all as I asked God for….
Transition: This is the side of Faith I want to Address with you today…
V. The Inevitable
a. In Culture we use words that we don’t particularly like:
i. Fate…this word seems to be in direct contradiction to Faith…so we choose the word…
ii. Destiny…now we have developed a faith palette for this word.
iii. Another word we wrestle with…is inevitable!
b. Faith Doesn’t Always Change Reality
i. Some things are inevitable.
ii. Isaiah wrote 700 years before Jesus was born…”he will be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace will rest upon him and by his stripes we are healed…”
iii. Yet in the garden Jesus prayed…”Let this cup pass from me…nevertheless.”
iv. Jesus taught us we all must bear our cross
v. Faith doesn’t remove your cross, but Faith empowers you to carry your cross…
c. Faith Doesn’t Always Change Your Future
i. Ecclesiastes tells me…when I get through fasting and praying…everything has a season…the word season means: “an appointed time.”
ii. Eccl 3:1-4
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
ESV
iii. Yet scripture says…”to him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all I could ever think or ask…”
iv. So, after I get through fasting and praying we need Faith to Go through what our prayers didn’t change…
v. There are things that are inevitable in Life…
d. Faith Doesn’t Give Us a Free Pass Through Life
i. Faith does something in you and for you as you Go Through Life and try to handle things this life throws at us…
ii. Let me use a light-hearted illustration: when I was a kid, my dad brought home a cat…now I thought the cat was to be a pet, but dad got the cat to be a barn cat…but I was determined to get my way…so I brought that cat inside the house…when My dad got home and saw that cat…he picked that cat up…and threw him out the front door…that cat began to twist, move, turn in mid-air and that cat landed on all 4’s…it was miraculous.
iii. That is what Faith Does…Life is Going to Throw us at times…and God gives us Faith to Land on all 4’s.
iv. Faith Positions us in mid-air to land correctly…
e. Faith Doesn’t Protect Us from All of Life’s Calamities…
i. If Faith did that for us…God would have to apologize to all those in the Old Testament and to all those in Hebrews 11…
ii. But Faith Does Prepare us for a Future Beyond the here and now…
VI. Misplaced Trust
a. Faith at its Core is Trust…
b. Everyone has Faith…but where is it placed!
i. Yourself
ii. Others
iii. Society
iv. Governments
v. The Church
vi. Christ Jesus…
c. Too Often we look at Faith as the Ability to Hold On…I’d submit…Faith gives us the Power to Lean and Lead Forward!
d. If Our Faith Isn’t Misplaced!!!!
