HAVE SIMPLE FAITH

HAVE SIMPLE FAITH

Ps. Aaron Creasey

Passage

1 Tim 2:1-4

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

If Paul writing this letter desires everyone to be saved by simple faith and plain truth… Then that means you!

EVERYONE IS EVERYONE

WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SIMPLE FAITH IN THE PLAIN TRUTH…

So tonight…

Starting series

ON THE SIMPLE FAITH // PLAIN TRUTH

How do we have Simple Faith in The Plain Truth?

If you are looking for a title

It’s a Simple Title for a simple message.

HAVE SIMPLE FAITH

PRAY

If we are to live BY SIMPLE FAITH WE FIRST NEED TO HAVE THE RIGHT PERCEPTION OF THE PLAIN TRUTH…

WHAT IS THE PLAIN TRUTH?

THE BIBLE (STORY OF JESUS) PLAIN TRUTH

WHEN I ORDER AT RESTAURANTS ITS THE MOST COMPLICATED MESS EVER

WOLFGANG PUCKS RESTURANTS

You don’t ADD to a master chiefs dish.

Often I find that we treat THE TRUTH as unfinished Meals...

WE ADD THINGS TO THE TRUTH

NEWS FLASH IT IS FINISHED… FINISHED…

THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO DESERVE WHAT WE RECEIVED

WHICH MEANS THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CAN ADD TO IT…

THE TRUTH IS SET

BUT I FIND THAT IT IS SO EASY TO START ADDING IN ALL THE THINGS…

OR HOW ABOUT THIS…

WE CHANGE WHAT WE WANT

WE CANT CHANGE THE PLAIN TRUTH

No matter how hard we try.

WHAT AM I SAYING?

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN 18-30 YEAR OLDS IS THAT WE TAKE WHAT WE WANT AND LEAVE WHAT WE DON’T

WE TREAT THE WORD LIKE A BUFFEY

THIS IS NOT A BUFFEY (hold up bible) PLAIN TRUTH NOT A BUFFEY

THIS IS THE BEST GOSH DARN MEAL YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE

Made with Blood, Sweat, Tears, Love, Sacrifice, Purity, Truth

SO THAT WE CAN BE NOURISHED

ANY NOURISHMENT NEEDED, ANY HELP, ANY QUESTION WE HAVE ARE FOUND HERE

ONE STOP MEAL

WOMAN AT THE WELL

We cant change the truth…

Hebrews 13:8

ESV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

WE cant change it, but we can know it.

How can we know the Plain truth more?

How do we have simple faith?

To answer this, let’s look at the story of Laz being raised from the dead.

This is a story of Faith

Faith from 3 groups of people and their struggles with Simple Faith

Because lets be real, it is hard to keep it simple.

POINT ONE: DRIVE OUT DOUBT

Laz’s had Two Sisters MARY AND MARTHA

Same Martha that was in the kitchen as

ANd this is kind of Marthas problem here as well…

Common problem is that she is focused on the things,

which we will see eventauly leads to doubt.

John 11:17-27

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c] off,

19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus is reminding us to focus on HIM

Some scholars beleive that Marthas simple faith was what lead to the resurection of her brother...

BUT AGAIN LIKE I SAID NOT WITHOUT DOUBT

John 11:39–40 ESV

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

She believed THEN DIRECTLY AFTER SHE DOUBTED

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT

MARTHAS DOUBT DOESN’T CHANGE HIS TRUTH

IT DID NOT CHANGE WHO JESUS IS

DOUBT IS NORMAL

JESUS IS NOT THE WITCH FROM WIZARD OF OZ

LIKE WHEN MARTHA DOUBTED JESUS DIDN’T MELT INTO A PUDDLE.

YOUR DOUBT DOESN’T CHANGE THE POWER OF JESUS.

IT IS THE CATALYST TO THE POWER MOVING IN AND THROUGH YOUR LIFE

YOUR DOUBT DOESN’T CHANGE HIS TRUTH

2 Timothy 2:13 ESV

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

But it is a hinderance to our own faith…

ITS SELF INFLICTED WOUND

IT DOESNT HURT JESUS

BUT IT HURTS THE ABILITY OF HIS FAITH TO RISE IN YOU

THAT IS WHY HE CORRECTED IT IN THE MOEMNT.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT FULED OFF DOUBT / DISBELIEF

ITS FULED OFF OF FAITH

BUT DOUBT IS A HINDERANCE

IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH

BELIEF // DISBELIEF

SO WHAT DO WE DO IF WE HAVE DOUBT??

WHAT DID MARTHA DO ABOUT IT???

John 11:39–40 ESV

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

TALK ABOUT IT!

MINT LEAVES IN DRINK

Started mixed in

Longer it sat they came to the top

Every time I tried to get a drink all I got was Mint leaves

Had to get them out

HOW DO WE KEEP SIMPLE FAITH?

DRIVE OUT DOUBT

TALK ABOUT IT

SO MANY OF US ARE JUST WAINING IN OUR DOUBT...

KEEPING IT IN,

IF WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH OUT DOUBT

WE ARE NOT GROWING OUR FAITH

POINT TWO || FUEL YOUR FAITH

YARD ANALOGY

Left my Sprinklers off

Grass Started to Die and the Weeds started to take over

GRASS does not grow without planting, and it will die even where it is planted without watering.

WEEDS grow without planting (NO ONE PLANTS WEEDS), and the WILL NOT die without plucking up.

FAITH does not grow without planting (THE DECISION), and it will die even where it is planted without watering.

DOUBT grows without planting, and will not die without plucking up.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY, MAN I USED TO BE ON FIRE

I USED TO LOVE GOING TO CHURCH

MAN I USED TO LOVE HANGING WITH THOSE PEOPLE

HERES THE THING

ALL YARDS LOOK GREAT AFTER PLANTING

BUT ONLY STAY AFTER WATERING

What am I saying…

We need to FUEL OUR FAITH

IF WE DRIVE OUT OUR DOUBT, THATS HALF THE BATTLE

THE OTHER HALF IS FUELING YOUR FAITH

faith either gains or wanes.

We use it or we lose it.

It grows or it goes

FIRE BUILDING

ITS SIMPLE, JUST TURN THE WATER ON.

POUR THE GAS ON

IN NON PREACHER TERMS - BE AROUND FAITH

Best way to grow in your faith is to be inspired in your faith

YOU SEE THIS IN THE STORY WITH LAZ - LET ME SHOW YOU

CONTEXT - Mary and Martha sent word - Jesus said lets go - they say we will die

(Jn 11:11–16).

11 He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”

12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,

15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

In other words… I am glad that he died, and I am glad that we get to go so that you have the opportunity to not only see faith in action but build your own faith.

FAITH BUILDS FAITH

THIS IS WHY YOU WILL AWALYS HERE ME SAY “ KEEP SHOWING UP”

Not so that we have more people, which is great, its so that we can all see GOD MOVE

AND our FAITH will be built.

You cant build anything that you don’t spend time on.

WE NEED TO FUEL OUR FAITH.

POINT THREE: RESURRECTION IS COMING

John 11:11–16 ESV

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

THE VERY THING THAT THEY WERE FEARFUL OF WAS THE VERY THING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WITNESS A MIRICLE IN

MAYBE THE VERY THING YOU ARE FEARFUL OF HERE TODAY IS THE VERY THING THAT WILL BE THE CATALYST TO YOUR BELIEF!

The crazy thing about this passage that gets me is that

Even though the lord had been with them

They feared

Even thought they had seen Jesus protect them

They doubted

Even though they had the light with them

They felt hopeless

BUT THE POINT IS EVEN THOUGH THEY FELT HOPELESS

They chose a simple faith

MORE SPECIFICALLY THOMAS CHOSE A SIMPLE FAITH

So much so that he would rather have a death with Jesus than a Life alone.

But the reality is, they were not headed to their death

SOMETIMES IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE HEADING TO THE SLAUGHTER BUT YOU ARE HEADED TOWARDS A RESURRECTION

I dont know what you are facing here tonight in this room…

SIMPLE FAITH ALWAYS LEADS TO A RESURRECTION

IF YOU FEEL HOPELESS TONIGHT

ALL IS NOT LOST

BECAUSE A RESURRECTION IS COMING

Because the one thing that we can always be sure is that Jesus came, Jesus died, and resurrected.

CALL

Been Believing all the things from the world… OR just been believing for the things more than in the person of Jesus

He is the only one.