Faith means trusting in Jesus

Series thinking about the Christian life as a race. We are to run by faith.

Last week saw that faith is a confident hope in something that has not yet happened, based on trustworthiness of God to keep his promises.

This week I want us to think about, on our side, what does it mean to live in faith?

We heard from Justin thyme and miles of road, - they needed to be ready for the race, so that they could start.

What does it mean for us as Christians to begin and continue to run by faith?

When people think of work faith, think of all kinds of things (pics)

going to church certain amount

dressing certain way

singing certain way

being good

following certain set of rules.

Today we are going to see that running by faith is first of all not about what we do on outside, but something that comes from the inside.

Running by faith means trusting Jesus

To help us, we are going to think about the bible passages read. THe first was from Genesis. A true story of two brothers.

CAIN AND ABEL. (picture)

Children of Adam and Eve.

Cain worked the soil (PICTURE)

While Abel owned sheep

After some time they decided to bring and offering to God.

Cain brought some of the crops he had grown from farming.

Abel brought fat portions of some of the firstborn of his flock.

Did God accept their offering? Who was listening?

FAVOURED ABELS

offering

Why did God look on Abels offering with favour and not on Cains?

was it something to do with offering itself? Abel brough meat- from first born animals, while cain only brought crops?

We aren’t told. But writer to Hebrews tells us.

Hebrews 11:4 NIV

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

How did Abel bring better offering? because he came to God in faith.

There was a big difference between Cain and able. Bigger than difference between offerings. Difference that wasn’t on the outside, but on the

inside.

We aren’t told much about Abel, what he looked like, whether he was tall or short, storng or weak, whether he was good at anything. But told about most important thing.

He trusted God.

God counted him as righteous and accepted his offering, God favoured him. because God knew his

HEART

It was simply because of Abel’s faith, that he was accepted by God. It was nothing that Abel had done, but simply that he knew who God was and trusted him, that God favoured him. But Cain was not favoured. Whatever Cain’s offering looked like, in his heart he did not trust God. We know this because of what happened next.

Genesis 4:5–8 NIV

but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

The bible says that we can’t earn our way to God. We have all sinned, we live our lives our way instead of God’s. Our sin seperates us from God, because in our hearts we haven’t trusted God. We can’t fix the problem. We need someone to rescue us. But God in his kindess made a way.

favoured another.

favoured him above all others.

When Jesus was baptised, God declared, this is my son, whom i love, with him I am well pleased!

Jesus loved God both inside and out.

Jesus trusted His Father

with his whole heart. Jesus.

Abel wasn’t perfect, but Jesus was. He lived the life, we could never live, always living God’s way. Like Abel Jesus made an offering to God, from a heart that trusted his Father completely - he offered himself. He died willinginly on the cross for everyone who had failed to love God as they should. When Jesus died he took punishment for our sin, in our place, so that we can be forgiven, so that we can have life through him, so that through him God treats us as dearly loved children. We just need to recieve God’s good gift in Jesus.

That is why FAITH means TRUSTING JESUS.

God favours anyone

not looking at the outside, at what we can do, or what we look like, or pretend to be like. He looks at the inside.

God favours anyone who inside, trusts in jesus, in his death and ressurection. Trust him as King of world and of their lives. Trusts him as Saviour and Lord.

God favours anyone who inside trusts in Jesus by giving their heart to him. Letting him take charge of their life.

Faith means trusting Jesus.

It’s how we begin the race of the Christian lfie,

It’s also how we keep going. Running the race is all about continuing to trust Jesus for everything.

There are all kinds of things we are tempted to trust in instead of Jesus. Voices we are tempted to listen to. We saw in our game the problem with trusting the wrong voice. Jesus is the one who knows us and loves us enough to die for us. He is the one who can offer us life forever, and life to the full.

Will you decide to trust Jesus?

Will you keep trusting Jesus?