What is Faith? And are We Living by It?
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
What is Faith?
What is Faith?
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is the only way to please God. Without it, we are unable to please Him or be saved by Him.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Those are high stakes. If one single thing is the hinging point of our salvation and our ability to please God, then I think it is rather important that we know exactly what it is and how to live by it!
So wouldn’t it be nice if God gave us a definition of what faith is, since it is so important?
Well He did:
Let’s look at Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Having faith means that we have assurance…strong confidence in the things that we hope in. The end of this verse also illuminates the fact that faith often has to do with things that we cannot physically see. For if your could see it, why would you need the faith to believe in it?
With this in mind, I’d like for us to look at some passages where we see that faith takes action and results in life change!
We are going to read a handful of passages that are recorded in the Gospel accounts when Jesus was traveling around healing and preaching the Kingdom of God:
22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”
13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Over and over again we are seeing a pattern start to repeat. Someone is desperate, comes to the end of themselves and turns to Jesus in faith. Jesus looking at them sees straight to their heart and grants them their need. “Your faith has made you well” was the resounding message that Jesus was giving people.
There is one of these stories in particular that I want us to camp in for a moment though. And some of this will be slightly repetitive if you were here for my Israel presentation.
Put picture up on the slide.
Turn to Luke 8:4—56
40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house,
42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.
43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”
50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”
51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.
52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”
53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”
55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.
56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
In this story there are 2 back to back episodes of people who had great faith in Jesus! (If you watch The Chosen, there is a really cool episode that features this story).
1st we have a man (someone who worked at the synagogue) and his daughter was dying. In desperation, he comes to Jesus, and falls down before him in request that he would heal his daughter. Matthew 9:18 highlights a few more details into the request that He made of Jesus and I think demonstrates his faith a little more clearly:
18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
This man knows that if Jesus would simply lay His hand on her, that she would recover!
While Jesus is on the way to the man’s house, our 2nd character of faith is introduced. It is a woman who has had a bleeding disorder for 12 years. Similarly, the passage in Matthew explains the thought process behind why the woman did what she did. Our passage tells us that her thought process was as follows: No one has been able to heal me. If I can simply get get close enough to Jesus to touch the hem of His garment (jacket) then I will finally be healed.
43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
We see that she was instantly healed when she touched Jesus!
However, when this happened, Jesus stops walking and asks a really strange question: who touched me?
Peter responds and is like: “Jesus, there is a huge crowd pressing in around you” What do you mean “who touched me? Lot’s of people have touched you”.
****Show video of us in a really busy street in Israel.
Jesus clarifies that He felt healing power went out from Him.
The woman recognized that she wasn’t going to be able to hide from Him and so she tells Jesus what happened. You can almost expect Him to fuss at her for not asking or for using His ability to heal her without permission....But Jesus instead commends her for her great faith and sends her on her way in peace and healing! (Show the previous picture a 2nd time).
The story continues… Jesus’ attention now goes back to the man and his dying daughter.
Before Jesus even reaches the house, the people tell the father that his daughter has died and not to trouble Jesus any longer.... but look at what Jesus says to the man:
50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”
In the light of fear coming in to destroy the man’s faith, Jesus’ simple words remind Him of the ways of God: Do not fear, only believe!
Childlike Faith is what Jesus bids us towards! Not childish. But the simple and wholehearted sense of trust that children often have towards people or a parent. They don’t think of all the bad scenarios or situations, rather they simply trust that what you say is true. That is the heart Jesus desires.
Jesus proceeds to go in through the crowd of people who are crying. When Jesus tells them not to cry, what was their response?
They laughed because they knew she had already died!
Can you identify with these people sometimes? A total lack of faith when Jesus whispers into your life: just believe!
He doesn’t let their response stop Him, but rather he proceeds to go to the daughter and bring her back to life.
I think there is also something else to notice here: Several times Jesus will tell people who He heals not to say anything to anyone.
56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Its rather interesting that those who are willing to exercise faith are sometimes the only ones who God allows to see His remarkable power. There is a special blessing in having faith in God!
And naturally, the parents are left in amazement. They are left in awe of Jesus!
Have you stopped being “in awe” and amazement of the amazing power of Jesus to save? I hope that I never get to a place in my life where I cease to be left in awe of His greatness and compassion. Not because I doubt His ability to do something, but because when I do see it, my response is worship and overwhelming amazement at who He is!
Now, with all of this context in mind… how does this apply to us today? Jesus isn’t physically walking the earth in ministry like He was 2,000 years ago. But there is much to learn from these stories regarding faith. Now the type of “healing” that we need differs from these people. They primarily sought physical healing. Today we seek spiritual wellness. Spiritual healing. This is Salvation, forgiveness of sins, and walking in fellowship with God!
However, in order to get spiritual healing from God, we must first truly desire it.
Lets look at one last story briefly to see what I mean. And this is the part that will sound familiar to those who heard about my trip:
John 5:5–9 (NASB95)
5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”
9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
Notice Jesus’ question to the man! “Do you wish to get well?”
How ridiculous of a question!!!! The man had been sick there for 38 years!!! Of course he would want to be well. Or so we would think. Had he become accustomed to this lifestyle and become bitter and angry? We don’t really know.
Does this sound familiar? Have you become accustomed to some form of hardship or difficulty, and instead of choosing to be better, you have chosen to be bitter?
But one thing we can take away from this is a reflection of the question Jesus asked: Do you wish to get well?
DO YOU????? Do you even recognize that you are in need? Romans 3:23 - All have fallen short…therefore we all are in need of a Savior!
So often we like to hold onto a little bit of our sinful desires. We know that its wrong, but we think: “Whats the harm?” “Just one more time”
but that one more time continues to be just one more, and then another! If we are honest with ourselves, we like to hold onto our sin sometimes don’t we. Its kind of a messed up thing. We know that sin brings consequences in life, yet we love the thrill or satisfaction that is brings in that temporary moment. It doesn’t last though. And then there we are seeking something again, because we are left unsatisfied.
Do you wish to get well? Have you come to an end of yourself and your sin and finally humbled yourself before God and asked Him to forgive you and rid you of it? Have you started to hate your sin and see it for what it truly is? Does your sin grieve you? When you reach this point, then you will begin to desire to be well!
And Jesus is readily offering forgiveness, peace, and a never ending sense of joy that can only be found in Him!
Are your ready to stop being afraid and simply believe in God - no matter the situation in your life?
Then this is where faith should be kicking into play in your life. An assurance and conviction that lies in something that you are unable to see. A confidence that even in the hardest of days, God’s mercy and lovingkindness are pursuing and chasing you down!
Do you believe this? If not, then something is wrong! You may think that, oh, well His kindness and love are chasing you down Nate, but not little old me! What a lie from Satan himself! If you remember my first sermon that we went through, we discussed Psalm 23. In the very last verse of this psalm, David says:
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
That mercy David is describing can be translated as “Hesed” in the original language. The idea of this word is a covenantal love. A love that is one-sided. It is stubborn. Basically God’s love has bound itself to the object of His affection (us, the people of God), and there is no removing of it! It cannot be turned away. We don’t do anything to support or maintain it. Rather, it is all based on God and His faithfulness. Never once has He failed. So can I remind you today, that the goodness of God is pursuing you!
In the good days, in the busy days, in the hardest days, we must choose to believe that God is good and that His love is there for us. Its true! But do you believe it and then access the peace and confidence that He offers as a result. We don’t fight for victory. God has already given it to us through Jesus! In reality, you live with as much victory as you allow yourself to. Its all available, but will you choose to walk in what God has already won for you? That requires faith! Faith calls our believe to be put into action! Let your faith be real and an active part of your lifestyle.
So here we are again… back to the book of Hebrews. We started there and now we are returning. I do this with intention, because it is so much easier to have daily faith in God when things are going well. But how about when times are hard. Your not making enough income, you lost your job, everything you put your hands to seems to fail, you didn’t get the grade you wanted, you can’t seem to live up to someone else’s expectation… is His love still pursuing you even then?
These are the moments when an active faith is the difference between the believers who walk in defeat, or those who walk in victory despite their current situations. Have you ever considered the fact that God’s mercy to you is that you are still here today? That when it felt like you were only hanging on by a string, that He was allowing you to hold on? Something to consider.
Hebrews chapter 11 is often referred to as the “hall of Faith”. Sound similar to the “hall of fame”. Its called this because the men and women that it mentions are people who chose to act on their faith in the difficult moments of life. They were not recognized because they had faith during the times of peace and comfort. They acted on faith and chose to trust in God in the moments of hardship.
The author of Hebrews writes a lot of examples of people who lived by faith. So instead of reading the whole chapter, let’s watch a quick video and then we will read the final section!
**Watch video**
Finish up:
Hebrews 11:32–12:3 (NASB95)
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
These people accomplished great things because they chose to have faith in God.... do you also believe that you can witness mighty things happen in your life, based on your willingness to live by faith? I hope you do believe this!
One of my favorite sections of this passage is verse 38: God says that the world was not worthy of such men of faith! Did you hear that!!! Can you imagine God saying of your life: The world was not worthy of you?
Then look at verse 39-40! These people did not even attain the full extent of what they were hoping for and promised. They died not having heard of the full story and hope of the prophesied savior: Jesus! However, they were seeking a heavenly city, not an earthly one. Their eyes were fixed on the eternal, and not the temporary. Is there more to this life than what you have now or are looking forward to in the next few years? All of eternity awaits all of us! Your life now determines the destination in which you will arrive. Faith in Jesus is the answer.
Finally, my last part of encouragement to you this morning: Lets really apply Chapter 12:1-3. In light of hearing and reading of all of these men and women of faith...
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
The author tells us to rid ourselves of whatever may be holding us down from living for Jesus! Sin entangles us! When you are ready to give up, when you have had enough, when the world is starting to convince you that there is no God or nothing to really live for, vs 3: remember Jesus who endured such hostility and pain by men so that we could be saved and would walk in that victory by not growing weary or fainthearted.
Overall message: Keep running the race in faith! Faith is the source of your confidence in God! It is the means by which we access a lifestyle of victory and freedom from sin! It is the hinging point of experiencing peace in the storm! It is the only way to please God!
Do.... you.... wish to be well?
In the words of the disciples from Luke 17:5
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Now beware, in praying this to God, you can expect that He will allow certain trials into your life that will refine you and give you the opportunity to live by faith or to walk in fear. So don’t be surprised when they come. It is a hard thing to pray, but certainly one that will please God and result in a more mature Christian life.
But remember: when you are in the hard times, let God be the thing which you cling most closely to (rather than distance yourself from). If you do this, you will certainly hear the voice of God in your life saying: Do not be afraid, only believe in God!
Like the man from our story, God wants to show you amazing things! But will you live by faith so that you can experience them?
Let’s pray!