Without Faith...
Notes
Transcript
Before we go any further in our service we want to observe the Lord’s Supper. On your way in today you were offered the cup and the bread and we do not want anyone to partake of the Lord’s Supper if they are not comfortable in doing so. As a matter of fact Scripture indicates not everyone should partake of the Lord’s Supper.
Notice what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
What we’d like to do right now is to take a few moments and invite the Holy Spirit to EXAMINE us and see if there is anything in our lives that we know is hindering our walk and fellowship with the Lord, confess those things to Him and genuinely ask for His forgiveness right now
Moment of Silent Reflection
Moment of Silent Reflection
Prayer by Deacon to ask the Lord’s Blessing on the Cup & the Bread
Prayer by Deacon to ask the Lord’s Blessing on the Cup & the Bread
As you remove the first seal the small piece of bread will be revealed. We ask you to remove it and hold it in your hand and wait for further instructions...
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Now carefully remove the second seal which will reveal the fruit of the vine
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
The Bible also tells us
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Sermon:
Sermon:
In two weeks I plan to begin a series entitled “LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS” from 2 Thessalonians. I really want to ask you to be praying about this series and the interesting things we will be talking about as we look at God’s Word together on this subject.
Today, however, I want to bring you a stand alone message entitled “Without Faith...” from Hebrews 11:1-6.
God’s Word tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. What kind of faith are we talking about? If we can’t please God apart from faith we better understand what faith is and what faith means and why it is so important. Join me please in Hebrews 11 and notice Hebrews 11:1-6
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
As we think about “FAITH” it’s important to understand faith is something everyone exercises, most likely on a daily basis. Atheists and agnostics exercise faith. Christians exercise faith. Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus…EVERYONE religious and non-religious exercise a type of and a degree of faith.
While there are different types of faith, based upon this passage, I want to know “WHAT KIND OF FAITH PLEASES GOD?”
First let’s answer the question...
What is Faith?
What is Faith?
Tony Evans’ definition of faith is pretty good:
Faith is ACTING LIKE God is telling the truth!
One commentary says:
faith is being certain of what we do not see.
But specifically what does God’s Word say about FAITH?
Notice Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Another translation puts it this way...
Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
First of all we see...
Faith is the Reality of Things Hoped For
Faith is the Reality of Things Hoped For
My hope is in Jesus Christ today as my Lord and as my Savior.
But...
I have never shaken His hand.
I wasn’t there when they crucified my Lord.
I have never taken a picture with Him.
I have never seen the nail prints in His hands and feet, I have never seen the scar on His rib-cage where the sword pierced Him.
I have never been to Israel and walked inside the empty tomb.
Charles Ryrie put it this way:
The Christian life is lived in the assurance of the reality of even those things that are outside the range of the believer’s present experience.
But today MY TRUST IS IN NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS’ BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Because I’m trusting in Him, because I have faith in Him, I also have:
the HOPE of Heaven
the HOPE of forgiveness
the HOPE of no more tears and no more pain
the HOPE that He is coming again to receive me to Himself
the HOPE of eternal and abundant life.
In the devotional Stand Firm Day by Day the authors say:
Faith has an element of unrealized yet certain hope. And just what are we hoping for? Our full and final salvation in Jesus.
I’ve used this illustration before to help us better grasp “faith in Christ.” We can realize a chair is a chair without trusting in the chair.
A person can realize that Jesus existed, was a real human being, and believe in God, without really trusting in Jesus. I can know THIS is a chair, but I’m not trusting in this chair until I rest in its SUPPORT!
Who are you TRUSTING in and HOPING in today?
The second aspect of faith is also seen in Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the Evidence of Things Not Seen
Faith is the Evidence of Things Not Seen
Many times when I am watching Dateline or 48 Hours or one of those type of shows they will talk about “collecting evidence” and many times they will say something like, “the killer’s DNA was left at the scene.”
It is from the evidence that the investigators find that they will try to then piece together WHAT happened and WHO is responsible for what happened.
DNA or fingerprints and sometimes even fibers from an article of clothing can place a person at a particular crime scene. The investigators have “evidence” or “proof” that a certain person came in contact with the victim in some way.
There are other occasions on these shows where the perpetrator of the crime seeks to “clean up” the evidence. I watched a recent episode where two young adult girls had murdered another girl and had cleaned up the trunk of their car because the victim had bled inside of it. They cleaned it up very good and the investigators could not see any blood evidence...
THAT IS UNTIL THEY SPRAYED A CHEMICAL IN THE TRUNK OF THE CAR CALLED LUMINOL. The luminol revealed lots of blood and followup tests determined that it belonged to the victim.
Faith serves as convicting or confident evidence that what all these people in this Chapter believed was VALID and TRUTHFUL!
Why else would God accept Abel’s sacrifice (v. 4)
Why else was Enoch taken into Heaven (v. 5)
Why else did Noah build an ark (v. 7)
Why else did Abraham leave his family to search for a place whose builder and maker was God (v. 8-10)
Why else did Sarah never completely give up hope on having a baby (v. 11-12)
Why else did all these saints die trusting in these promises that they embraced through their last breath (v. 13)
Why else would Abraham offer up the promised child Isaac (v. 17-19)
Why else would Moses turn his back on the riches of Egypt and identify with the Jewish people (v. 23-27a)
Why else would they sprinkle the blood on the doorposts (v. 28)
Why else would they step into the Red Sea at God’s command (v. 29)
Why else would they march around Jericho one time a day for 6 days and then 7 times on the 7th day, blowing trumpets and breaking pottery (v. 30)
Why else would Rahab hide the spies (v. 31)
Why else would disciple after disciple and Christian after Christian through the centuries be willing to be tortured, crucified, hung, set on fire, when they could have been delivered just by renouncing Christ
I’ll tell you why…BECAUSE THIS KIND OF FAITH IS THE EVIDENCE, THE DNA, THE FINGERPRINT THAT WHAT THEY HAD IS REAL!
IF YOU WERE PUT ON TRIAL FOR YOUR FAITH WOULD THEIR BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU?
Let me put it this way...
Do You Have This Kind of Faith? (vv. 2-4)
Do You Have This Kind of Faith? (vv. 2-4)
Notice Hebrews 11:2
For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
The Kind of Faith that Gives You a Good Testimony
The Kind of Faith that Gives You a Good Testimony
This kind of faith allowed those in the OT to have a “GOOD TESTIMONY.” In other words they obtained “GOOD STANDING” with God because they TRUSTED Him!
We are told this about Abraham in Genesis 15:6
Genesis 15:6 (NKJV)
And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
and in Romans 4:20-22
Romans 4:20–22 (NKJV)
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
That’s the ONLY way you and I can obtain a “good standing” with God…by trusting in the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross!
The Kind of Faith that Believes God is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe
The Kind of Faith that Believes God is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
No matter what you believe about the creation of the universe you have to accept it by faith.
*You weren’t there
*No one you know was there
*No one was there
I choose to believe that the All Powerful God created the Heavens and the Earth just like He said in His true Word.
You can choose to believe that “nothing exploded and created everything.”
You can choose to believe that aliens seeded life on this planet…
You can choose to believe all kinds of things, but whatever you believe about the world and the universe you have to exercise faith.
But the kind of faith that pleases God is the kind that take Him at His Word and believes that He created the heavens and the earth, and that means He also created you, which means you are not a mistake, accident, or coincidence, but the sovereign God of the universe created you and actually has a plan for you and your future!
This is the kind faith that Enoch had. Notice Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Look at Enoch’s testimony. His testimony was…HE PLEASED GOD. Why did he please God, because He was a man who TRUSTED in God. Then we learn this in verse 6...
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The same is still true...
Without Faith it is Impossible to Please God (vv. 5-6)
Without Faith it is Impossible to Please God (vv. 5-6)
It is impossible to be in right standing with God, and have a good testimony with God if you do not trust Him!
Thomas Lea said:
Real fellowship with God cannot exist without faith
You can DO everything you want to DO to try to make yourself right with God, but until you TRUST in what Christ has already DONE you are fighting a losing battle!
As we close this morning notice again the last part of Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Unless you humble yourself and believe in God, realize you are not Him, and desperately need Him in your life to forgive you and cleanse you of your sins, YOU WILL NEVER COME TO HIM.
You will live and die in your stubborn pride and stand before the God who made you, the God who sent His Son to be crucified for you, and you will be needlessly and hopelessly lost for eternity!
For those who do answer the door when Jesus comes knocking, we will find a GREAT REWARD…not one that we have earned, but One that He has earned for us!
As we close this morning I want to leave you with some important truths to consider...
As Your Faith in God Grows so will Your Hope
As Your Faith in God Grows so will Your Hope
Remember Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
Faith and hope go hand in hand. If you want to be a hopeful person ask God to increase your faith. Ask God to increase your hope in Him, who He is and what He’s done!
Live in Such a Way that Others Can See the Fingerprints of God on Your Life
Live in Such a Way that Others Can See the Fingerprints of God on Your Life
When you look at people who have enough faith in God to do what He says, live the way He says to live, serve the way He says to serve, loves the way He says to love you are seeing THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN!
Your life serves as EVIDENCE to the unbelieving world that what you have is REAL and GENUINE.
They may be able to argue with a lot of things but they cannot argue with a changed life!
Will YOU Place Your Faith in the Risen Christ Today?
Will YOU Place Your Faith in the Risen Christ Today?
Salvation
Re-dedication
Baptism (May 12)Rom