The Audacity of Faith - Romans 4-1-25

Good morning. Hi, my name is Ron Stanley and I'm the senior pastor up to eat Mount Olive Baptist Church. In a one-day most essential components of the Christian Life. Is the application of their faith? faith the ability for us to trust in The Invisible even in the midst of difficult times and now case we trust in God. Through 2020 from March of 2020 up until now we've had to trust God for a whole life WeChat to trust him for a safety. You have to trust him for healing you got to trust him to bring us through a cataclysmic and chaotic social political environment. We tried to trust him to make sure that we just had even the minor things. toilet paper I mean we got to trust God for a lot this year. And through we threw this year we've noticed that God has been faithful. Yes. He's been very faithful to us. He's provided us with everything that we needed. You know and so and doing so we want to talk about that today and I'll morning worship service you want to talk about the audacity of Faith. You know that's believe in God in the face of the impossible. You know, we seen God provide. these two vaccines just now one at 95% accuracy when 90% you've also seen God do a lot with regard to the church help us to T-Mobile down in to be loving and caring for one another and still function at the church not just scattered, but now gathered is also seen God help us to Come closer to our loved ones become more and more intimate with them now more than ever. I just want to praise God for that. I don't want praise God not only for that but I want praise God for you. For supporting us for continue to be faithful for you my lord for being supportive and continue to be faithful. Faithful in you giving faithful and showing up for Sunday school and was showing up for morning worship showing up for prayer service is showing up for Bible studies. Whether it's WebEx weather resume, whether you're looking at us on YouTube or Facebook or any social media platform. It's want to say thank God for you want to thank God for my wife. He married to now for 34 years the 23rd of this month, which is tomorrow. I want to thank God for I guess who continue to tune in to watch us going to give God praise for you? So just for a few moments as if you join us. For the audacity of Faith coming out of Romans Chapter 4 verses 17 to 25. And again, thank you. Thank God and remember. Spray for those individuals for the first time who will not have that loved one with him. But at the same time, I remember that. The chaos that we've gone through this year in 2020 gave us ample opportunity to give God praise for God to show himself strong, and he did just that. So I'll see you in a few minutes. Bless you I'll talk to you later, bye-bye morning. Good morning. Good morning. Again. Olive Baptist Church in welcome to the iMessage from the mount the Bible teaching and preaching Ministry of the Mount Olive Baptist Church. We thank you and thank God for the privilege of being able to be here today. We ask that you was on grass you that you would join us today and that you would join us in prayer. And we look forward to what God is going to do just in these few moments. Thank you for your goodness to us. And we pray Lord that you is only you can with superintendent right time. Cause it be profitable to my brothers and sisters in to myself. We ask in Jesus name. Amen. Well in the coming weeks that is on tomorrow, I would say we could be Monday November 23rd. I'll be celebrating both my wife an hour. I'll 34th wedding anniversary pray that you continue to pray with us.

Continue to pray that we continue on in our relationship. Will you pray as well that you would pray for our children that they continue to go on and be successful and to be good believe is in Falls of Christ Church Here Mount Olive Baptist Church here to 11 46th Street Northeast Washington DC. That would be the church that God wants us to be today is as we are looking at the text today. There's a few interesting things that the Lord has brought to my attention and by virtue that to encourage you. That is when you think about the Christian Faith Christian is a hold it three dominant. If you will intangibles that Believers live by as Christians first areas love that indispensable that irrepressible that that dominant characteristic that is to identify Believers as followers of Christ people become a part of the Beloved Community that Jesus Christ died on calvary's Cross because of love and that love covers a multitude of sins. And since that's all it is a dominant characteristic that should Mark every Christian. In fact Francis Schaeffer calls it the mark of the Christian the ultimate Apologize by which Christians should be measured by and then we have the next one. That is hold. That is the expectation that God is still at work and that we can look forward to him doing good in us and through us all because of Jesus Christ's in fact, we know that the Bible says it very well the Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 that God is at work in us working to do a 50 Cent this way that we know that Christ is in a few continue a good working us until the day of Jesus Christ. And so we thank God for that but then there's that third aspect that third characteristic that should dominate Believers and if you will and that is the characteristic of faith. Faith Assembly is is the investment about trust in someone or something. That's what it is and Faith gives us the boldness if you will need it to trust and believe God against all visible obstacles. We see this over and over in scripture all the time how God is continuing to have Believers to trust him and very very powerful situations. And we see this specifically in Romans chapter 4, if you will God is talking about the father of faith in this case. He's talking about Abram Abraham as we know him. We see Abraham in Genesis begin to do what it is. They call him to do and he exercises his faith and put away that is his fault dacious is it is such that it causes him to do that with God. Calling to do against visible and invisible obstacles of Faith the audacity audacity simply is this it is if you will watch this it is one who has chosen to risk something on behalf of doing or, seeing a greater goal in this particular case. We know that is able now we find this particular tax and Romans Chapter 4 verses 18 to 25 specifically, but the whole book the whole chapter if you will is significant the author is none other than the Apostle Paul. This is what they would call a great work his magnum opus. If you will The Book of Romans in the Bible Romans can be broken down into what I called 6 equal parts if you Chapters 123 the Apostle Paul talk specifically about the issue of sin and that people are guilty of it. No matter who you are when you are a Jew and Gentile what does ride or do what's good on hasn't even had a claim for God. He says that we call Salvation. What do we discover the impact of what's happened with send we need to be saved and so chapter 3 verse 21 2 chapter 5. We find that salvation is made available to us. We see it happen in 321, but we also see as well chapter 4 which will come back to in chapter 5 the fire by faith that is declared righteous. We have peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but then you have not only that after you saying you understand what's happened with regard to salve. Can you have what you call is sanctification in chapter 6 7 and 8 and and that deals with the fact that God has sent you and me apart for a particular working. But after you have the six seven eight you have chapters 9 through 11 which deals with the sovereignty of God how God is going to work with Israel. And how God is going to be working with the church and how he's graphic them together in some way shape or form to establish one new man. We see that also in Ephesians chapter 2 and then we have service because after you have watch this dealt with the issue of saying you now got to say they've been set apart for God sovereignty working the life of the church and those other Jews because he's not finished with the Jews. He also when they push us to work, and we see that in Romans chapter 12 and Romans chapter 12 through 15, and then at 2:15. We are dealing with now we call salutations salutations in other words. We are saying thank you to People who have worked in Ministry that can be effective in Ministry themselves Ministry is something it is a team sport. If you will it needs to have you need to have somebody to work with you. You can get places quicker by yourself. You just can't stay this long because the Bible continues to demonstrate that those of us who are hanging out together to buy to have more effective Ministry, but now just going back to the main crops of the past is talking about the audacity of faith. We see in chapter chapter 4 Romans verses 18 to 25 and it reads these words Who's the old who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken social. Seen me and being weak in faith. He considered not his own body now did when he was about a hundred years old need to get the dentist Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that he might have promised. He was able to also perform and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now, it was not written for his sake of all that was imputed them. So to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our lord from the dead. Offenses and was raised again for our justification. The first thing that we see that felt like three ideas that come from this passage that are that we can extrapolate this passage regarding this idea of the audacity of faith in the first thing the Apostle Paul for is it to us if you will is that this all day to take some cases even appear to be rude or disrespectful it starts out being represented as children of God about trusting God the by that the characteristic that that continues to come to the fore about a person who is a child of God the fact that they have invested and believed in God and he read Romans chapter 4 just versus to enforce it helps us to understand what it means to be Representatives as children. I've got the text says what shall we say, then that Abraham my father's pertain to the flesh had found for the Abraham was justified by works. He had well to Glory but not before God save the scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness now to him that is the reward not record of Grace, but of that now they understand the idea of Fame this street terms that we understand about faith in that those terms go something like this Thursday idea of no tissue Essentia and their nests for this year. Since you sent me says that we have a mental assent that something exists. We know for example, we know where the bank is. We've seen it be passing the number of times we've noticed it but then there's a sentient that we have a mental thing of it. That is we recognize is in the back of my mind, but the difference between the two is that we not only know where the bank is really know who works in the bank. We know what time the hours are we know what kind of products they sell but then there Three component which is for this year, which is an investment term, which means that not only we know where the bank is the people who work on it back. But we also invest money in the bank before that money in the bank and see this is what he's talking about Chia with regard to Abraham. Abraham was justified not by his worst, but by the fact that he believed God first Reef Abraham believed God counted watch that another counting turn on to him for righteousness has a what we see here. Is that God chose to make him a righteous because if we can just happened number one, we had it in faith. This is what happened as a result of him using his faith that is pissed this in the original language it the investment of his trust in God said there for a child of God. I watch this. It's not the work that he did is the promise that God fulfilled because Abraham believed God watch that. Then we see something else that happened this didn't happen because of his worst. It happened because of the grace of God and his son married favor this this this this this unmerited favor that has been given to Abram Abraham in this case took place because of the love of Christ that made it possible, you know Christ causes us to be able to enter into the presence of God because he paid for our sins, but we have to believe that we have to watch this. We have to trust that that's great truth profound truth that is taking place in order to be able to embrace and receive all that. God has for us some people right now, they're not experienced experiencing God's blessing because they have not chosen to believe God's blessing to watch this some of the things that happen in the world and God has blessed because And the unjust and told he has today is his his his common Grace which is extended to everybody that lives on the face of people today who experiencing God's grace and don't know it they're experiencing life and they don't know it because God has given it to him there experiencing less trouble than right because God has mitigated troubles and trials and tribulations in the life experience in common Grace. They don't know that God has provided an hour for them to be here old. They don't understand that God providing them a job, but I'm happy that God has provided to be gainfully employed and God has given the present mopping to get an education that God provided funds and and and finances and and family and friends and support them. They don't understand that. These are common races that God has allowed all of them to experience, but then there's the believer.

Right before God just if I was mean to declare righteous, if you will their nest, where is this and put on The Ledger righteousness you say? How does that work? What's up with this in the Bible says that without faith. It's impossible to please. God, please God not hard. Is it? Is it possible to please God because faith is the only way that you should consider sure that it needs all that you need in order to enter into the presence of God and being so you have a situation where Abraham imagine if we brought the car but I don't have rice is because I am the Senate and God are you got that right? You need righteousness, but you don't have prices to do a just for you. I'm going to give you righteousness and what you going to do with you? Believe that you can give it back to me. And therefore I will imputed under Youth and therefore you and Justified I thought was right there give it back to God if you will and trust in him and therefore he was declared righteous represents us as children of God because we both choose to believe God the face of everything else that people say about the response to God in trust because it says this right here in vs127 going down if it's simply this we register first three Bristol ready now to him. That work is the reward not going to happen to him that worketh not but believe it on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for him righteousness describe the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness without works say blessed. Are they who Iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. He's talking about David who's talking in Psalm 51. I believe it is. He says he whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. In other words blessed is the man that God has chosen watch this to transfer righteousness and not send that's what he's bringing out here. Okay, they are forgiven and whose sins are covered your the Bible says this way that love covers a multitude of sin you say how do you say how much sense so much send that it covers all of those who choose to embrace Jesus Christ and because free response that is a price trusting God's word over every other circumstance that is that even though it may not seem to be possible to to believe something by Imagine here. was supposed to leave the early colonies he was a gift and pull up stakes and go to a city and make it to a city appraisal City maker is God and Abraham had to believe God even with regard to his son Isaac that Sarah would have a son and he had to believe that as well and if you but so even though it seemed like it couldn't happen the audacity of Faith caused him to come before God and do what he was supposed to do in the Bible says here that he even he did not stagger at the promises of God because one he trusted God of his circumstances he trusted God instead of Staggering and unbelief I thought he was persuaded to do what it was that guy that called him to do but thoroughly he's receiving it from you since we received this calls just received this by gods 17224 father of many nations you say Reverend how has he made Abraham Abraham limitations is very simple Abraham believed God is imputed him righteousness. But God talk to Abraham and Genesis chapter 12 verses 1 through 3 in the promised Abraham that if he did is you supposed to do that. God will bless him. He would make his name Grace and that all the nations will be blessed is the abrahamic Covenant because he did these things that Abraham believed God if you were supposed to do if we had by virtue of that the fact that one day that Jesus Christ would be born and that's real Jesus Christ birth. Guess what would happen if he will provide salvation for all humanity and because one thing and trust in God and not staying at the promises God and embracing what God has said what happened was he received God's approval? I thought you did it by investing his faith in verses 17 to 19. If you will as it is written that made mainly of father of nation before him who he believed. He even got him quick and the dead and call those things which be not as though they were in other words, even though there was that the idea is that God used the principles of Faith to call those things into believing that we're not and so is this who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken. So chilled out CBD don't watch this your Abraham is he is water when I use a beige Sarah is now 90 years of age. And here's the situation that looks like there's no possibility of anybody about age having any children. I don't know why I looked in the Guinness Book of World Records, never heard anybody say that anybody of that age have had any children. So Abraham who is believing against God says over what everybody else says was the last time you believe God over everybody else. You know, when you believe God of everybody else, you know, you look foolish. You look like if you are just a few fries short of a Happy Meal that you're not playing with a full deck people think something's wrong with you because you believe that you're trusting God over everything else going to help you out my sisters and your trust in God for God to bring you a man. They bring you a man of God who is who's going to be the man that you believe God wants for you and and what they're looking at you as sister. You say something wrong with you. You going to have to make your dress a little bit shorter. You got to make your blouse a little bit cut cut the show little bit more skin so that you can get in yet you all those types of things is in the same thing that you're going to have to compromise if you will and then there's all kinds of things that goes on in business that people tell you that you need to cut corners and call. Rather than you have have integrity and practice what it is that God wants you to do. Why do they do that? Because they don't believe what you know is true that God is faithful that God makes a promise and he doesn't lie. He doesn't changed the Bible says the numbers 23:19 that God is not a man that he should lie to me the son of man streak. He should repent and so we know that as long as we are in bracing him and believe in him that no matter what happens as long as we hold on to him that in the end we will win if you will, but see that's what happens when you are living watch this by the audacity of faith that you're choosing a trust God over Against All Odds. God has a way of showing his faithfulness to you and watch this manifested it before many people does not weaken fake. He considered not his own body now didn't watch that when he was about a hundred years old meeting you at the dentist's of service room. And so he stayed at the prom. Promises of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God that we should do what God said. He got up and he went we know that he did eat even after Isaac came. He was supposed to offer him up. He got up early in the morning. If you will, we have a difficult as we push it off and put it off and push it off and put it off until it to the very first because he knew that was the right thing to do is that he received approval for investing his faith if you will and investing means that took it upon himself to do what he knew to do based on what God and told him. But secondly, we also see that we received by faith verses 22 22 cents. Does he stay You won't believe what was strong and fit giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised. He was able also to perform. You know, what is faithful to his promises beloved to provide a Cadillac on Benz or Beamer Bentley and living in Bethesda. He's not Faithfully promise you that he never promised as any of that type of stuff but he's promised that he would be with us in the midst of all trouble. He's promised that he would take us to difficult times. He promised that he never leave us nor forsake us promise that we have eternal security. Even if we went out last night that he was a resurrection and the life he's made those types of promises and his promises are yes, and amen and we can Embrace those we can hold on to those because they are true why because God is true to his word. And so we know that we will experience God's approval. I watched you might have experienced her friends approval. You might not experience experience your family's approval. But you really don't need their approval to get into heaven. You need any damn thing you need when you stand before him. He can say Well done thou good and faithful servant but it goes on here. You're also receiving God's approval for receiving his example to get verses 23 to 25. Now. It was not written for the sake of his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but she'll be imputed if we believe in him that raised Jesus from the dead. Who was delivered flowers fences and was raised again for our justification to think he brings out here is that Jesus Christ is the one who chose with the lyrics if you will for offenses, but then again, he was raised so that you and I could be declared righteous. We thank God we praise God because Jesus Christ came, we praise God that Jesus Christ was faithful to what he supposed to do. He came and he died on calvary's Cross he hung from the 6th to the 9th hour for your sins and my sins and he hung on the cross. He did this paying for sins past present and future Jesus got up from the grave and sold him getting up for the Great Seal. The fact that that was supposed to have taken it. Not only was his his sacrifice approve it accepted but he was also Victorious over the grave if you will now the thing we know is that Jesus is come. He's coming back in one day. He receive all those who accepted him to himself as a question on the floor is today. What are you investing your faith in? How are you expressing the faith that God has for you. How are you expressing their faith in such a way that you not only invested not only do you do something about that is exercise yet. But you are also a practicing that Faith. What are you doing with that today for the individual today? Who's here? Who's before me who doesn't have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The question on the four is where is your faith? Let me share something with you if your faith is in your job. Just as I said before then pack it up and send it over to another country to visit May shut down if your faith is in your family at some point in time all your family may expire. Some of their family might not even embrace your your Christian belief if you will, but the thing about it is you got to understand that Christ abides forever. Where is your faith? You think that getting an education is going to be the only means by which you're able to secure those things. I'm not saying not to pursue in education, but you have to understand that the most important education is first of all knowing about the Lord Jesus Christ and then utilizing your faith in order to be a better Ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ believe that you're good businessman, but at the same time and no point in time, nobody knows anything about the faith of Jesus Christ in your life, then there's something wrong with that face. The fact that you have is a faith that can be communicated shared with someone else. But if you don't have any faith at all, let me say something to you. This is your time. This is your time. The time to start believing is now the method to choose in believing in Christ is God's and the person to begin with to begin to trust price right now is you is you is very simple. Say Lord Jesus. I am a sinner but giving me of my sin. Change my heart come into my heart take over my life and make me the person you want me to be and you know, what the Bible says that he that calls on the name of the whosoever. It is to call upon the name of the Lord shall be as simple as that John said this way in first John chapter 5 verse 13 these things have I written unto you that believe in the name of Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This life. John also says is in his son so that he that has the son has life and he did have not the Sun have not life my prayer for you today is that you had chosen to invest your life in the life of the Sun and by doing so that you find yourself saved declared righteous and Justified.

That's bright. But we thank you. Thank you, dear. Heavenly father for the fact that your son Jesus Christ came down through 42 Generations. That he chose to be born in the midst of the messiness of humanity and by doing so he identified with the last at least of the lost but more importantly that same Jesus chose to die on calvary's Cross for all Humanity that it would just trust in him that we would be saved not only from now they're going now but also from the things to come so father, I just pray right now father that for those who underside of my voice God that you would would cause them Father to trust in you if they have it already and Father Day would live a life dedicated sold out all in for you father. We ask you today in Jesus name. amen Well, thank you. But thank you for spending this time with us today. We're so glad that you had the opportunity to do. So, we're praying that next week that you were able to join us until the next time. May God bless you. Richly my beloved.