FAITH AND GRACE

FAITH IS THE VICTORY

GRACE IS THE KEY

September 9th and 10th, 2000

Titus 3

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared,

 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,

 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Ephesians 2

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

 9 not by works, so that no-one can boast.

 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

-We finished a series about the world, America, and missions.

-We are going to switch tracks and look today at grace and faith.

Joh 1:16 From the fulness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

1.   FAITH IS THE VICTORY

1Jo 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Hebrews 11

1 ¶ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

 4 ¶ By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

 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.

THE OPTIMUM

-We are encouraged to have faith in God.

Mark 11

22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.

-In order to experience victory as a Christian, the Bible says it will take faith.

-Everything we receive from God takes faith.

-Faith is another word for TRUST.

-It simply believes the promise of God.

MARY EXAMPLE

Luke 1

26 ¶ In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you."

 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.

 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end."

 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

 37 For nothing is impossible with God."

 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

-Faith is simple responding to the promise and plan of God in the affirmative.

Heb 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

(NAS95)

-Confession literally means same word or to agree with God.

-God says I want to save you…His will is my salvation….I agree and am saved.

-He says in His word I healed you….I agree and am healed.

-Jesus said to pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

1Jo 5:14 ¶ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

(NIV)

-That is wonderful.

THE PRACTICAL

-How does this work out?

-Usually people are wishing they had faith…you do…God gave it to you as a gift.

EXAMPLES:

Basketball and broken finger

John Osteen and healing…my theology is living.

Cancer scare with me.

-Don’t make debt a lifestyle but don’t be afraid to take a risk like the man in the parable of the talents in John 25.

-Jesus rebuked him because he was afraid, wicked, and lazy.

-Sometimes debt is a business expense.

-The drive to be debt free often comes from a Henny Penny fear of the world crashing down.

-This is lived out by responding to the promises of God where you are in faith and not let other’s ideas condemn you from following the peace in your heart.

2.                       GRACE IS THE KEY

-The key to faith is God, not you.

-Jesus said “HAVE FAITH IN GOD”.

-Often faith has been man-centered and not God-centered.

-The issue isn’t great faith but faith in a great God.

EXAMPLES

Before Scotland I LOVE YOU

Cancer Scare

-In a pinch…a principle won’t do.

FAITH IS YOUR HEART’S RESPONSE TO THE GRACE OF GOD.

-The issue isn’t whether or not you can believe God…the issue is whether or not God is believable.

-For instance:

If you are praying for someone and you are thinking…I HOPE I CAN BELIEVE GOD/ your faith is misplaced.

You should be thinking.. THIS SICKNESS IS NOTHING TO A GREAT BIG POWERFUL GOD.

-God should be the object of our faith…not our faith.

-We are saved by GRACE. Faith is the tool that receives it.

Joh 1:16 From the fulness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

 Joh 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

-The issue is do I know God loves me?

-If you are having trouble with faith…focus on God’s goodness…not your ability or inability to believe Him.

-Faith is a result of relationship with God.

-You behold Him as Jehovah rapha and your heart responds.

-You behold Him as Jehovaj jireh and your heart responds.

-It isn’t a revelation of faith that you need but a revelation of God!

-Faith is the victory but grace is the key.

-Faith is our response to God’s part-GRACE.