Faith Against All hope

INTRODUCTION: Open your Bibles with me to Romans chapter 4:

We have been talking about justification by faith for a while now.

We’ve talked about Faith is belief in action, as exhibited by Abraham

We’ve talked about how your faith doesn’t stand on what you say, but what you do

your obedience is the fruit of your belief-works won’t save you, but faith will bring about works

SHIFT- We’ve been talking about all of these things, and wrestling through them, and yet we’re not done talking about justification by faith.

True faith is a really big deal because true faith is something hard to come by.

It means, not only that you believe the truth, but that you are willing to act on it in a way that by all other accounts may leave you looking like a fool

EXAMPLE- Have you ever been to “Ripley’s Believe it or Not”

They have hundred’s of thousands of articles in their collection, displayed at attractions around the world

People flock from all over the place to see these things

They swear that their artifacts and exhibits are unaltered and authentic

Yet their very name should clue you in to the idea that it is hard to believe that what you are seeing or hearing is true

LEAD IN: After all- It’s hard to believe something is true when everything else points in the opposite direction. But this is what faith is all about.

Reading from Romans 4:18 (Stand)

Romans 4:18–25 NASB95

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

PRAY, Invite them to sit

LISTENING GUIDES OUT

Hoping against hope is something that is very hard to do.

Staking your life on something that you can’t see or that doesn’t seem possible is not easy, but this is what true faith is. Look at verses 18-19

Romans 4:18–19 NASB95

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

This morning, we as we continue to grapple with faith, the first thing we see is

Faith is walking God’s path when common sense says not to

Abraham had every reason to doubt

His body was old and worn out

“Body as good as dead”-Can anybody else relate to that?

We have songs about this

Old Country Song- “I ain’t as good as I once was”

Anybody that is old enough to have doubted their ability to do something physically that they could do before knows what this doubt is all about

I doubt and I’m 40! Abraham was nearly 100 years old

I’m sure if one of our senior men told us, “God told me we’re going to have a baby,” I’m sure our first reaction would be to plan a baby shower, right?

Sarah was 90 years old herself. Abraham was a real cradle robber! and though they had tried, they could never conceive. She was barren

Paul writes here that her womb was dead

We always give Sarah a hard time about laughing. Do you remember?

ABRAHAM LAUGHED TOO! and listen to what happened

Genesis 17:17–19 NASB95

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Abraham laughed! He heard God’s plan and His first thought was “no way! Impossible!”

He presented God with an alternative plan, one that sounded more feasible, more doable, more reasonable

This is what you and I do, isn’t it?

God gives us a piece, a clear step in His plan for us, but...

It costs too much

I’m too young…I’m too old...

I am not capable...

What you are asking is impossible...

How could we...

change and grow our style of worship to reach others?

Reach out to my neighbors that don’t know you?

Take a lesser role at work so that I can work more for your kingdom?

be a part of a church plant for Hispanics?

help start a church on the other side of the country?

Did you know, God hears all of your doubts. He heard Abraham’s doubts and questions.

God named Abraham’s son-Isaac—> His name means laughter!

Did you catch the last part of Genesis 17:19? Let’s look at it again:

Genesis 17:19 NASB95

But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Who gave them a son? God did!

Who made Abraham the father of all that believe? God did.

Abraham was being asked to do something that seemed impossible.

Sarah was old and he was older

but Abraham believed. Abraham chose to look past his doubts and his own objections and to believe. Why?

because he believed God could do what he couldn’t.

God can do the same thing with you and me, if we are willing to walk in faith

Look back at Romans 4:20

Romans 4:20–21 NASB95

yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

The next piece in our understanding of what true faith looks like is this, friends, that

Faith is pursuing God’s impossible commands because you believe HE CAN do what HE SAYS!

Scripture is full from cover to cover with stories of ordinary men that God used to do impossible things

They were farmers, carpenters, fishermen, and shepherds

They were teenagers, old men and women, and every age in between

Noah built a boat in a place with no ocean, where it had never rained...

Esther saved her entire people

David fought a giant with a slingshot

Mary bore a Son as a virgin

Moses parted the Red Sea

God did all of these things that were impossible with ordinary men and women who were willing to step out in simple faith

If God can give a child to a couple in their nineties, he can do even greater things with you and me

The reason that God calls us to do the impossible is that we know we can’t do it

It takes us trusting Him to move

When the impossible happens, God gets all the credit because we know we didn’t do it

God can do what He says

He can save you from your sins

He can transform your life from the ordinary perishing to the extraordinary eternal

He can change your heart to beat for the things of His Kingdom instead of yours

He can grow this church spiritually and numerically

He can use this church to start new ones

THROUGH YOU, He can reach those people in your life that you think are unreachable

All YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE AND TO STEP OUT IN FAITH!

Abraham believed God…and he banked His life on it. Look at what happened when he did. verse 22:

Romans 4:22–25 NASB95

Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

Abraham believed in God and in His promise to give him a son

It was through Abraham’s choice to believe and to act in faith that God credited Him with righteousness

And today, you and I have the same opportunity

Our last point to remember this morning is this:

Faith is the choice to follow God’s Son, believing God’s impossible promise in Him

Jesus is the promised Son who came, and He is the promised Son that is coming

Jesus is the One that came the impossible way, lived the impossible life, and paid the impossible price for your sins

Jesus is the One who defeated the unbeatable enemy of death, who Has promised He is coming again

And THIS MORNING, Do you believe it?

Can you say that you stake your life on it?

Are you ready to step out in faith because you believe that God has done and will do what He says?

Do you believe in Jesus strong enough to leave EVERYTHING ELSE behind to go where He sends you?

INVITATION: This morning, you can share in His life and righteousness forever, if you choose to walk in the impossible.

We’re going to pray together. And with every eye closed, and every head bowed, I’m going to lead you in a prayer of surrender.

A surrender to the faith that Jesus is calling you to.

When we are finished, we’re going to sing together.

And if this morning, you are ready to begin living like someone who believes, won’t you come down front as we sing, so that we can pray for you and celebrate what God is doing in you this morning.

PRAY