The church's faith life

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

23 After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage

and the peoples plot futile things?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand

and the rulers assembled together

against the Lord and against His Messiah. j

27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness, 30 while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

Introduction

One of the first prayers of the early church was to be granted confidence to speak God’s Word. This is something we desperately need—confidence in God; and when we have confidence in him it will produce confidence in ourselves.

Without confidence we are afraid—afraid to live, die, serve, pray, or witness. With confidence we are bold and fearless. We can do all things through Christ; we can live for Christ with authority! The church needs the kind of faith life that makes it powerful in the world.

There are four areas of confidence that will strengthen us to face whatever confronts us. There are four things we can trust God for.

1. God’s grace

2. God’s providence

3. God’s word

4. God’s spirit

I. We can trust God’s grace.

A. You can trust God’s grace to save.

A. Salvation is by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8–10).

Ephesians 2:8–10 (HCSB)

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

B. God’s grace provides salvation from self, sin, and Satan.

B. We can trust God’s grace to show us who we are.

1. We say, Who are we?

a. The answer is wonderful! We are no longer under condemnation.

b. we are a forgiven sinner.

c. we are a child of God. According to Galatians 4:6–7,

“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

d. We are born of the Spirit and led by the Spirit.

e. we are no longer a slave but a son, a daughter, an heir.

f. we are in God’s family, an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ.

To Quote John Newton

He said;

• I am not what I could be,

• I am not what I should be,

• But I am not what I used to be"

• How imperfect and deficient I am!

• I am not what I wish to be,

• Although I abhor that which is evil and would cleave to what is good.

• I am not what I hope to be,

• But soon I shall put off mortality, and with it all sin.

• Though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor yet what I hope to be,

• I can truly say I am not what I once was: a slave to sin and Satan.

• I can heartily join with the apostle and acknowledge.

• That by the grace of God I am what I am!”

II. We can trust God’s providence.

If this is not true, then life has little meaning.

A. We can trust God’s certainty of purpose. Isaiah 46:8–11 teaches this.

a. The Bible says that it is God who is working all things together (Rom. 8:28).

Romans 8:28 (HCSB)

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

B. You can trust his supply for every need. Philippians 4:19–20 affirms that God is the source of our supply!

Philippians 4:19–20 (HCSB)

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

a. The writer of these words, Paul, a prisoner of Rome, is trusting the Lord to supply his needs. And he rejoices and tells others to rejoice.

C. Matthew 6:30–33 emphasizes the truth that you can trust the heavenly Father to meet your needs.

Matthew 6:30–34 (HCSB)

30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

George Mueller’s life is a living testimony of God’s provisions for him and the thousands of orphans he cared for during his lifetime. He fed the orphans out of God’s hand. Mueller’s faith was so dominant that he rested calmly in the divine assurance that God’s hand would deliver a bountiful supply when the moment of need arrived, no matter how great that need. He and worry parted forever. Though he was concerned, he never fretted at delay in receiving answers to his requests.

D. We too can trust the Lord to supply our needs! Proverbs 3:5-6

III. We can trust God’s Word.

A. We can trust God that he has revealed his Word.

a. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV84)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

b. The one who authored the Word is still making his Word personally known to us so that we may know his thoughts.

B. We can trust God to prosper his Word.

a. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (NIV).

b. If God sent it, he will prosper it!

c. This is true in your life, your family, His church, and among His people in his work.

C. We can trust the power of God’s Word.

Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.

a. God’s Word is sure and fully dependable.

b. God’s Word has wisdom for every need.

IV. We can trust God’s Spirit.

a. We can trust God’s Spirit to make certain the indwelling presence of God in our life.

a. He makes real the presence of Christ in us (Eph. 3:17).

b. We can trust God’s Spirit to renew us spiritually.

a. Isaiah 40:28–31 most defiantly affirms this.

Isaiah 40:28–31 (HCSB)

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. 29 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

c. We can trust God’s Spirit to provide us with spiritual power to do God’s will.

a. This is the teaching of Acts 1:8.

Acts 1:8 (HCSB)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

d. John 4:13–14 proclaims the Holy Spirit as the overflowing spring in a believer’s life.

John 4:13–14 (HCSB)

13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.”

e. His presence and power are available to all Christians and are never exhausted.

Conclusion

So there is four things that build the church’s faith life:

1. God’s grace,

2. God’s providence,

3. God’s Word, and

4. God’s Spirit.

How rich is the church and how powerful, as he grants us his confidence.