Pressing On by Faith
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last time my title was “Freedom to Serve”. In that sermon, which is still available on-line, I covered a lot of scripture and used lots of examples; some based on my own experiences, to outline what it is to serve God and the methods he uses to prepare us for service. At one point in the sermon I quoted a verse which has always been in my mind as I have sought to serve God: James 2:26 a verse which has at times weighed heavily upon my heart.
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
I went on to talk about the ‘works’ part of the verse, today I want to talk to you about the ‘faith’ part of the verse and, if nothing else, encourage the development of faith within us so that we can believe for small things and big things alike.
I hope in future sermons to talk about the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit and various roles in the church to round out the subject of service, but today I’m just going to do my best to deal with the subject of faith and how we can apply it to our lives.
What is Faith?
What is Faith?
To answer this question we’re going to spend a little time in a Jewish Coffee Shop…
Come with me to Hebrews 11:1 if ever there was a definition given in the Bible of the word ‘faith’ this is it:
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The two key words here are ‘Assurance’ and ‘Conviction’.
The greek word used for Assurance is ‘hoop-os’-tas-is’ which means ‘the reality underlying’ something.
The Greek word used for Conviction is ‘el’-eng-khos’ which means ‘the evident demonstration’ or ‘proof’ of something.
So someone can give you the ‘Assurance’ that if you do ‘X’ you will receive ‘Y’ but having the ’Conviction’ that as a result of doing ‘X’ you’ll receive ‘Y’ is so much more. You no longer simply expect that you’ll receive ‘Y’, you know without a shadow of doubt that you will receive ’Y’. This is the level of faith exhibited by the folk the writer refers to in the following verses.
Follow in your Bibles with me:
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
The book of Genesis causes scientists untold problems. We all know they believe that the Big Bang created the earth and that life came about out of some “Primordial Goo”.
My question to them is: “If that’s true where did the goo come from?”
When you get right down to it what scientists are saying is that Nothing Created Everything. Yes you heard me correctly: Nothing Created Everything. Have you ever seen Nothing Create anything?
Scientists also proclaim that the Earth evolved over millions of years and that we evolved from apes. We know they’re wrong don’t we!?
If by faith we believe what the Bible tells us, the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and everything in them, INCLUDING US, took God just SIX DAYS!
Hebrews 11:7 (ESV)
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.
Can you imagine the flack that Noah took from his friends and neighbours? Building a ship in the middle of a desert?! He’d have been a laughing stock.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Do you normally go on journeys not knowing where you’ll end up?
11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
How would it be ladies if you gave birth to a child in your seventies?
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
It never would have crossed my mind to do this, promises or no promises. What about you?
22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Hebrews 11:28 (ESV)
28 By faith he (Moses) kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
These are not small things brothers and sisters. You might say to me: ‘Trevor, this is beyond me, I’m a simple man or woman, I don’t possess that much faith’ or ‘I’m a young Christian! Give me a chance; lighten up!’
I’ll let you into a little secret - I sometimes feel like that too! My faith wavers from time to time, usually according to the size of the task. Ask Ros, she’ll tell you what I’m like. So as I’m preaching this to you, I’m reminding myself of just what faith is.
Because the thing is, though we’ve read the Bible and we know what faith is, we don’t possess it. If we did, as scripture says we would believe and not doubt.
So for us who are God’s children and heirs of all the promises, faith boils down to this: It is an unwavering belief that all that God has said is absolutely true. It has either come about already or will come about in the present or the future.
Where do we find what God has said? As I’ve said before and will say again, in, and only in, the Bible.
Turn with me to Matt 17:19-20
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Here’s the question: What has God given you to do?
Has he given you a task that falls into any one of the categories the writer listed in Hebrews 11?
Have you been asked to do what Noah did? Build an Ark and suffer ridicule for a hundred years or more while doing it, so as to escape the destruction of life on earth.
Have you been asked to do what Moses did? Lead the Israelites out of Egypt and to cross the Red Sea.
Have you been asked to move a mountain? That thing Jesus said to his disciples takes almost no faith at all.
NO!
Turn with me to Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
As I said last time: You were Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand. Before ever you were born!
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
So take a deep breath, relax, let the facts calm your hearts and minds. God isn’t going to ask of you anything more than you can deliver. But ask yourself this question:
Does that mean that I should only accept small tasks; and thereby put limits on what God can do with me? Absolutely not!
Jesus said (and here’s the key) John 5:19
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
I do only what I see the Father doing.
So faith doesn’t require of us that we believe we can do all of these amazing things. Nor should we carry any weight of guilt or sense of failure when we compare what we have achieved in the past to what these great men of God did in Hebrews. God doesn’t see us like that.
God loves us and wants the best for us. But like any good father he will at different times give us tasks to perform, tasks that vary in complexity and difficulty, he’ll discipline us and encourage us, so that over time we become more and more like Christ Jesus, willing and able to do whatever He asks of us.
And so he gives us the faith to do what he wants us (you and me) to do, no more, no less.
Are you listening to the Holy Spirit?
How can we know the will of God?
How can we know the will of God?
How do you find out what anyone wants of you? Do you just get on with something in the hope that you’ve got the right idea? Do you go and ask first? Or, do you wait to be asked? Which camp are you in?
Hold that thought!
I had a colleague once who frequently used a method to teach new employees, mostly apprentices, a valuable lesson. He would ask them for something just to see what they brought back. It was never wasted work but they would either bring back exactly what was asked for or something more or less than was asked for.
It was akin to me asking Ros “go get me a rock” and when she returned, saying “Wrong rock, go get me another.”
It was his way of teaching apprentices to ask questions to make sure they knew exactly what he wanted.
Unlike some of my colleagues. they’d ask some apprentices, the more gullible among them, to go to the stores and ask for things like a bucket of steam, a left-handed screwdriver or a long weight. One colleague sent an apprentice to the butchers for a pound of shrove, the butcher played along and sent him back with a pound of sausages.
For my part I go and ask. I don’t guess or assume, because that leaves me open to the “Go get another rock” outcome. Neither do I wait to be asked, as if waiting for some voice to call out to me through the ether.
So how can you know the will of God?
1. Study your Bible
1. Study your Bible
If you’re a normal Christian you’ll already be reading and studying your bible on a regular basis. I find it useful to set myself regular achievable targets: A chapter a day or a book at a time.
Moto: “A chapter a day keeps the devil away”
I never plan to read more than a book at a time, and although I’ve done this in the past, I’ve learned not to do things like plan to read the bible in a year; it doesn’t work for me. It feels like a huge task stretching out in front of me for the rest of the year and, if I fall behind for any reason, I have to catch up by reading several chapters at once and I come away feeling like I’ve failed to get the most out of the text.
By reading a chapter a day I might read it two or three times, until I get my head around it, only then will I move on and, if it’s just one chapter, you have the luxury to immerse yourself in it for a while.
While I do so I’m asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me, help me understand something more about God, his character, his purposes, etc. to help me get to the point the text is trying to make. I’ll pray about it, meditate on it, write notes about it. etc. etc.
Have you heard of the SPECK method for getting the most out of a passage?
Is there a Sin to be avoided?
Is there a Promise to be held on to?
Is there an Example to follow?
Is there a Command to obey?
Is there something to Know about God?
While all this is going on I’m becoming familiar with God’s voice so that when something stands out to me I can discern whether or not it is of Him.
In John 10:27 Jesus says:
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Get to know God’s voice using the only tool we have at our disposal - The Bible.
Do not rely purely on modern-day Prophecy, Wisdom or Knowledge or any of the other Gifts of the Holy Spirit for your direction.
Why? we are fallible. We make mistakes. I’ve lost count of the number of prophecies, words of knowledge, etc. I’ve heard from well-meaning, Godly people that have failed to come true and have hurt those to whom they were given.
Here’s the rule that should be applied to anything you hear, or think you’ve heard from the Holy Spirit: “Is it in line with scripture?” If it is, it’s worthy of further consideration. If it isn’t, forget it and move on.
Also, the Devil is very good at sounding like God. At persuading you that it’s OK to do something. We all know how he tempted Eve in the Garden, in 1 Peter 5:8-9. Peter is talking to those who are going through suffering.
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And Paul writing to the Ephesians says:
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Ask the questions: does it line-up with scripture, does it sound like something God would say, share your thoughts with your husband or wife or, if you’re not married, some one you respect.
Depending on their complexity, you may then need to take your thoughts or ideas to others.
If the feedback from all of the above is positive then you can move forward in faith that what you have heard is of God and, being of God, you can know without a shadow-of-a-doubt that he’ll provide everything you need.
2. Pray without ceasing!
2. Pray without ceasing!
The other tool in our toolbox is prayer. Jesus prayed all the time, it was his means of getting alone with his father and the Gospels contain many, many references to Jesus’ prayer life.
In Luke 6:12. This particular event took place just before Jesus chose the twelve:
12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
In Matthew 6:5-15. He taught us how to pray:
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Does some of that sound familiar?
Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Lord’s Prayer is a framework for prayer not an actual prayer. The established church however has taken verses nine through thirteen, added an ending and taught christians to recite it regularly, as if the framework itself has some power, or that it’s the only prayer you need to pray.
Neither the framework, nor the many words of the Gentiles (that’s You and Me by the way), is what the Father wants to hear.
Yes, we are to pray, even though God knows what we need before ever we ask, we must pray, but we don’t pray in public to show off, we pray simply for what we need in order to do what God has called and equipped us to do.
3. Bring the two (Bible study and Prayer) together
3. Bring the two (Bible study and Prayer) together
As you read your Bible the Holy Spirit will bring things to mind - right out of the text - and thereby help you to understand the scriptures and how to apply them to your life. Remember SPECK?
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
There it is again:
Jesus did only what he saw the father doing…
The Holy Spirit will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears (from Jesus) he will speak to us…
So stir it up, build faith within yourself by reading the word, by praying and meditating on what comes from above.
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
Do not harden your hearts!
So what do you think God is asking of You?
So what do you think God is asking of You?
Whatever it is, I have four questions for you:
Are you drawn toward it?
Do you think about it frequently? Do you read about it? Are you figuring out how to do it as you go about your day? Are you asking God to help you do it?
The things that we are drawn to, assuming they would not lead us into sin, are more than likely the things God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Is it in Scripture?
When it comes to our standing before God, men and women enjoy total equality, one is no more valuable than the other, but our roles are quite different, they’re complimentary.
Within marriage the husband is the head of the wife: Colossians 3:18–21 “18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”
Within the church, leadership is male: 1 Timothy 2:12–14 “12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”
So the teaching and leading of men and the church is not part of a woman’s role but there are no other restrictions. Can a woman teach other women? Yes. Can a woman teach children? Yes. Can a woman run a business or be industrious in other ways? Yes.
When you have time ladies, read from Proverbs 31:10 to the end of the chapter. Don’t compare your efforts to the woman described in the passage, you’ll likely be crushed. Keep in mind the context, but look at the freedom offered.
Again, the established church has chosen to ignore what is written in scripture and we should be very careful not to fall into the same trap.
WOKE ideologies are forcing their way into the established church, attacking the Bible and Christian values on every single front, so we must stand up to them at every given opportunity. God has prepared and is preparing folk with the skills to do that effectively. Our job is to pray for God’s protection and to prepare for the fight when it comes.
Is it within you to do it?
Has God, through the Holy Spirit’s work in your life, already given you the skills you need to do it? For example:
Can you Sing or play an Instrument? Maybe you should be involved in leading worship; Come see me afterward if that’s you.
Are you good with Audio or Computer equipment? Maybe you should be involved in setup and tare down or operating the equipment during services; Again, come and see me afterward if that’s you.
Are you some one who likes to talk to others and can strike up a conversation easily? Maybe you should be on the door welcoming visitors to our services or going out into Margate sharing the gospel on Saturday mornings.
Are you acutely aware of the practical needs of others? Maybe you should be helping to meet those needs by giving of your time or expertise.
The opportunities to serve God’s purposes are endless and there are very few restrictions! God will stretch you and lead you out of your comfort zone, but he’ll give you the skills necessary in due time.
Do others recognise your gifting?
We’re taught to encourage one another aren’t we? So if you see that someone is good at something make a point to go and encourage them, you might be confirming what they’ve already been thinking or you might be making them aware of an ability to serve God of which they were previously unaware. Just go and encourage them. You need encouragement at times don’t you? So do others!
And you; are others encouraging you? Take notice, take it to God in prayer, share it with your husband or wife, etc. Remember Hebrews 3:7-9?
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
In Summary
In Summary
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
We already know a great many things by faith:
We know that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them in six days.
We know that God created man, that he created them Male and Female, no more no less.
We know that man (and woman) sinned and that death entered the world because of sin.
We know that as a result ALL have been born into sin and fall short of God’s righteous requirements.
We know that God sent his only son Jesus to die on the cross, shedding his blood to pay the price for sin ONCE ONLY and for ALL mankind.
We know that Jesus died, was buried and rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, there to intercede for us now and prepare a place for us in the future.
We know that we have been saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone. Not by works so that none of us may boast.
We know that all the parts of the body (that is you and I) are held together and and function as one body (that is the church).
We know that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for Good works that God prepared in advance, before ever we were born, for us to do.
We know that God has equipped us and sent us the Holy Spirit to help us do all that he has given us to do, both as individuals and the church as a whole.
We know that we will from time to time make mistakes, but that God is faithful to forgive us when we repent of our sin.
We know that the purpose of the Church is to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ in all the nations of the world.
We know that he is coming again to judge the living and the dead.
We know that he will create a new heaven and a new earth and that we, those he has called and chosen, will live in his presence for all eternity.
Listen to Paul:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
That sacrifice is what Reynolds was talking about last week. It is the sacrifice of your hopes to his, your desires to his, your will to his and renewing your mind under the direction of his Word and the Holy Spirit so that you can understand what the will of God for your life is.
Then having not merely the assurance but the conviction that, just as all those people we read about in Hebrews did, we can and will succeed in completing the tasks he has given us, the reward for which is to live with Him in Heaven for all eternity.
Amen?