7. The Journey of Faith
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Introduction
Introduction
Common myths people believe about faith… T/F Quiz
Faith is the power of positive thinking. “You can do anything if you just believe.”
Faith is belief without evidence.
But see Romans 1:19-20.
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Faith is opposed to science.
Look at the order and organization in the Creation story. Science is only possible because God exists.
“Faith is not believing that God can but knowing that God will.”
Faith is not spiritual money that we use to buy miracles. It’s not tool that we use to manipulate God. It’s not a magical power.
Faith in… faith? “Biblical faith is not faith in faith but faith in God and his love for you.” ~ Crawford Loritts
Faith is believing that God can and trusting that God is good, even when his answer is no.
Why does this matter?
Hebrews 11:6.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Romans 1:16-17 (NRSV).
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”
Subject: What does it mean to have biblical faith? What does the Bible mean when it tells us to believe?
Abraham’s Story
Abraham’s Story
Genesis 1-11 covers about 2,000 years of human history—as much time as the entire rest of the Old Testament!
Part of Abraham’s Story
Genesis 12:1-8.
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. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
25 years after God promised to make Abraham into a great nation, his son, Isaac, was born. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old!
Abraham’s not perfect. You can read about some of his mistakes as you read his story in Genesis.
Big Idea
Big Idea
Abraham heard God, believed God, obeyed God, and worshiped God. That’s what it means to have faith. Posture, attitude, action, and heart.
To have biblical faith means your posture, attitude, actions, and heart are oriented toward God. Christian faith means to hear, believe, obey, and worship God.
The first component of biblical faith is a posture of listening to God. The first step of Christian faith is to hear God.
Explanation
God spoke to Abraham (Gen 12:1).
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.
God speaks to us… How? Six primary ways:
Scripture
Prayer
Songs
Sermons
People
Nature… see Psalm 19:1-4.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
The first five of those are the practice and identity of the Church. This is one reason why being an active part of a local church is so important!
Illustration: The boys got walkie-talkies for Christmas…
Application: How do you tune your heart to God’s frequency? Two steps: (1) Quiet the distraction of media and technology. (2) Be intentional about listening through Scripture, prayer, songs, sermons, people, and nature.
The second component of biblical faith is an attitude of trusting God. The second step of Christian faith is to believe God.
Explanation
Genesis 12:1… God didn’t tell Abram where to go or give him all the details of the game plan. But Abram still went because he trusted God.
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.
Genesis 15:6… Abraham chose to believe God, even though he didn’t understand it, he didn’t see it, it didn’t seem possible, and he still had unanswered questions. He had an attitude of trusting God.
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Illustration: I’ve had times in my life when I want to hear what God says, think it over and evaluate if it’s in line with what I want, and then decide if I’m going to accept it. But that’s now how it works.
Application: Christian faith says, “I choose to trust God before I know what he’s going to say.”
When God says don’t, it’s for our protection. When God says do, it’s for our good.
The third component of biblical faith is actions of obedience. The third step of Christian faith is to obey God.
Explanation
Some of the most important words in the Bible: Genesis 12:4. And look at the outcome of his obedience, Genesis 22:18.
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.
18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Obedience brings blessing… Luke 11:28.
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Grace is not opposed to obedience but to earning.
Illustration: A few years back, I went for several months without hearing God speak anything to me. Finally, he said, You haven’t done what I asked you to do six months ago.
Application: James 1:22… Listening to a sermon isn’t the same as doing what it says. What is God speaking that you need to obey?
The fourth component of biblical faith is a heart of worship. The fourth step of Christian faith is a heart that values God.
Explanation
Abram had a practice of building altars (Gen 12:7-8).
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
What is worship? Worship is the attitude and the act of giving worth to God, making him the most important thing in your life.
Application: This is what it means to have Christian faith:
Posture — Hear God
Attitude — Believe God
Action — Obey God
Heart — Worship God
Conclusion
Conclusion
Selection from New Morning Mercies.
What do I really want in life: the success of God’s agenda of grace or the fulfillment of my catalog of desires?