Lasting in Faith
Lasting in Faith
7/10/2004 and 7/11/2004
Introduction
I have been talking about hearing the voice of God and prayer. We have been doing it on Wednesday mornings and Wednesday nights. Prayer is essential but also it is important to be in the presence of God. Sometimes he speaks to you. Sometimes you are just still in His presence. Either way what you are looking for is revelation. Sometimes it is just the revelation that He is there.
The word for reveal in Matthew 16 with Jesus and Peter is apokalupto- one of the meanings is to make known what was unknown. It becomes hidden to us that God is with us. Revelation might just be a reminder that He is there.
This past week I was just sitting still before the Lord in my basement. I thought and just said to myself later;
“You are no closer to saving yourself now than you were 26 years ago (almost 27 when I received salvation).”
That might sound trivial to you but it was a settling and a reminder in my heart. This is by faith. Religion tries to systematize your spiritual life and take out the freshness. You have to be reminded constantly; this is a Jesus thing. Your part is to respond to Him.
Romans 1
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
/ 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, a just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” b [1] /
Message
/“The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.”[2] /
-I discovered that I needed to take the pressure off of my ability to;
· Try harder
· Believe more
· Do more
· Or whatever
-The point of this is to trust God.
-Jesus didn’t say try harder. He said “HAVE FAITH IN GOD.”
-I have gone to a Chiropractor to get an examination and adjustment. He might crack your neck but then it feels great.
-We need to have a self examination and adjustment in our faith.
2 Corinthians 13
5 /Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. [3]/
1. What Do You Do When a Storm Arises?
Luke 8
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”[4]
-These men were with Jesus the Son of God and the storm became bigger to them than He was.
-Is your problem bigger than your God?
-Is terrorism, the economy, your sickness, or whatever?
-Jesus said “I will be with you until the end of the age”.
-Notice that Jesus said; “Where is your faith?”
-He didn’t say they didn’t have faith. He just asked them where it was.
-I have to ask myself that often times. Where is my faith? Is it in?
· Myself
· My Christian friend
· A well-known minister
· My Christian record
· My past
-My faith has to be refocused to GOD ALONE.
-You are saved by God through Christ.
-You have to look away from all of your efforts or failed efforts; good bad or ugly.
-You have to turn away from your good works as well as your bad ones.
-We are tempted to go back and measure. Especially when we have been doing good.
-We don’t want to do that as an unbeliever. But as a Christian with 20 years plus behind us we want to stack them up against each other,
-Our best efforts are “filthy rags.”
2. What Do You Do When You Fail?
-You have to develop a faith in God’s mercy that is bigger than the guilt of your sin.
-This is a very big area because most of us would say we don’t have a problem with God. We just have a problem with ourselves.
-God knows your frame.
James 5
16 Therefore, aconfess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be bhealed. cThe effective 1prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
17 /Elijah was aa man with a nature like ours, and bhe prayed 1earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for cthree years and six months.[5]/
NLT
17 Elijah was as human as we are,
Watching a trapeze show is breathtaking. We wonder at the dexterity and timing. We gasp at near-misses. In most cases, there is a net underneath. When they fall, they jump up and bounce back to the trapeze. In Christ, we live on the trapeze. The whole world should be able to watch and say, "Look how they live, how they love one another. Look how well the husbands treat their wives. And aren't they the best workers in the factories and offices, the best neighbors, the best students?" That is to live on the trapeze, being a show to the world. What happens when we slip? The net is surely there. The blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, has provided forgiveness for ALL our trespasses. Both the net and the ability to stay on the trapeze are works of God's grace.
WE HAVE A NET FOR WHEN WE FALL.
1 John 2
/My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for b the sins of the whole world. [6] /
-Have you ever used the net?
-Do you resent having to use the net?
During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths. Engineers and administrators could find no solution to the costly delays. Finally, someone suggested a gigantic net be hung under the bridge to catch any who fell. Finally in spite of the enormous cost, the engineers opted for the net. After it was installed, progress was hardly interrupted. A worker or two fell into the net but were saved. Ultimately, all the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with faith in the net. As we paid nothing for God's eternal love and nothing for the Son of His love, and nothing for His Spirit and our grace and faith, and nothing for our eternal rest...What an astonishing thought it will be to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings and our receivings. O, how free was all this love, and how free is this enjoyed glory...So then let "Deserved" be written on the floor of hell but on the door of heaven and life.
Richard Baxter, The Free Gift.
-The net is there for our failures.
Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the 19th century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of children admitted to Spurgeon's orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon however, that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself. Spurgeon blasted Parker the next week from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the newspapers and became the talk of the town. People flocked to Parker's church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal. "I understand Dr. Spurgeon is not in his pulpit today, and this is the Sunday they use to take an offering for the orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here instead." The crowd was delighted. The ushers had to empty the collection plates 3 times. Later that week there was a knock at Parker's study. It was Spurgeon. "You know Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved, you have given me what I needed.
Moody Monthly, December, 1983, p. 81.
Someone confronted Martin Luther, upon the Reformer's rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of justification, with the remark, "If this is true, a person could simply live as he pleased!" "Indeed!" answered Luther. "Now, what pleases you?"
-His mercy is bigger than your failure.
Proverbs 24
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
/but the wicked are brought down by calamity. [7]/
3. Where is Your Faith When it Doesn’t Turn Out Like You Planned?
John 11
After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. a
2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy b are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” [8]
-John’s expectations were not met.
-Think about it, Jesus Christ didn’t live up to John’s expectations.
-There was nothing wrong with Jesus….it was John’s expectations that were wrong.
-Jesus didn’t do what the people expected. He was supposed to lead them into Jerusalem to overcome the enemies of the Jews and exercise authority, they thought.
-Instead, He died and rose from the dead!
-He did exceedingly above and beyond all they could ask think or imagine.
-Be careful that you don’t put your hope in some result instead of God Himself.
-There are times when my prayers weren’t answered as I thought they should be.
-God is still God. His Word is still true.
-When I have done all I should stand even if I don’t understand!
4. Where is Your Faith When You are Tempted?
-A better question is where is God when you are tempted?
-God never leaves you. He knows your frame and when you are tempted to turn from God…turn to Him.
Luke 22
31 /“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you a as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” [9]/
-Jesus prayed for Peter…that his faith wouldn’t fail.
-Jesus is still our high priest and He is in the presence of the Father on our behalf.
-We also need others praying for us.
-Isn’t it encouraging when someone says… I am praying for you?
-That is why we need a spirit of prayer in our church.
“You are no closer to saving yourself now than you were 26 years ago (almost 27 when I received salvation).”
-But I am just as saved as I was 26 years ago. Our faith is in Jesus to save us and keep us.
-This gospel reveals a faith and grace that extends your entire existence. It is big enough.
----
a Or is from faith to faith
b Hab. 2:4
[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ro 1:16). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[2]Peterson, E. H. (1995). The message : New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (Ro 1:1). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (2 Co 13:5). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 8:22). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a Matt 3:6; Mark 1:5; Acts 19:18
b Heb 12:13; 1 Pet 2:24
c Gen 18:23–32; John 9:31
1 Lit supplication
a Acts 14:15
b 1 Kin 17:1; 18:1
1 Lit with prayer
c Luke 4:25
[5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Jas 5:16). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
b Or He is the one who turns aside God~s wrath, taking away our sins, and not only ours but also
[6]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (1 Jn 2:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[7]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Pr 24:16). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a Greek in their towns
b The Greek word was used for various diseases affecting the skin—not necessarily leprosy.
[8]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Mt 11:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a The Greek is plural.
[9]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 22:31). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
