Faith - Part 1

Faith Comes by Hearing and hearing by the Word of God

Why do we need to talk about faith?

Mt. 13:3-9 Sower & Seed Parable

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. - St. Thomas Aquinas

WHAT IS FAITH? - RELATIONSHIP

Greek: pistis - belief, conviction, but also a pledge of loyalty - faithfulness

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen

WE ARE THE EVIDENCE OF THE UNSEEN GOD!

1. Faith is not power to do magic - Real faith is power from God to stay loyal to God, no matter what.

-Luke 10:20 - However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Luke 17:6 - He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you.

-This was a metaphor for being able to uproot things in our lives that stand in the way of our relationship with God. That is why we need faith - to become faithful, to be loyal in our relationship with Christ.

GOD CARES MORE ABOUT CHARACTER THAN CHARISMA

2. Faith is for losers - faith is for people who desire to lose their lives in Christ and follow him, not for people who want to be great.

Luke 9:24 - Whoever desires to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

3. Faith is not about earthly success but heavenly reward- God did not come to make us successful but to set us free. If you become successful, great. Abundant life requires heavenly perspective Mt. 6:19-21, JOHN 10:10

WHY DO WE NEED IT?

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him

-This word please means to be accepted. God’s love does have conditions. It requires faith. Christ told Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep. That if means there is a condition. Pleasing God means listening to and responding to God.

HOW DO WE GET IT?

Faith Comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17)

Greek: rhema - implies a direct charge from God for our individual lives

-God wants to speak directly two you...

Two streams are always flowing into our lives: God’s and the World’s

Daily Reading: We are quick to forget the words of God when we don’t read them.

God Does not have to repeat Himself, we have to remind ourselves: Now, God’s word reveals itself to us in to different ways: There is Logos – God’s word to all his people and Rhema – God’s specific word to us. As we listen to God’s general word, that is when we also hear specifics from him about our lives and about what he wants us to do. What has God spoken to you in the past? God expects us to guard His word in our hearts: When God speaks, He makes us managers of His word. Guard His word in your heart. Compromise clogs our ears: God wants us to forgive, or to stop doing something that is questionable, but we won’t and, since we won’t listen to God in that area of our lives, we tend not to hear Him in others, and we fulfill the prophecy of being ever hearing but never understanding concerning God’s will for our lives ( see Mark 4:12).Often times, we become cynical about faith, cause us to doubt, because we have tried to mix faith and compromise. We have become confused, defeated and, consequently, embittered. God still wants to speak truth into your life: It doesn’t matter what we have done or how long we have failed to listen – God is waiting to speak His will into our lives. What does it take to hear from God after not hearing for a while? HEBREWS 12:1-2 God is a jealous God and He does not want to compete for our attention. Are you willing throw off the weight of this world’s influences and listen to God?

Hebrews 3:15 - Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.

A Small Army/God's Army

Our church is relatively small in light of today's mega-churches. Yet, historically, God did not need a large cavalry but instead chose to pare it down in order that He might receive the glory.

God sent Gideon after an immense army (the Midianites) with only three hundred. They found victory, and God got the glory. Remember, God does not need your strength, just your willing-obedience to Him in order to overcome the forces that are too great to conquer with human strength. With God, all things are possible. Following is the story of Gideon's Army:

1Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

4But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” 6Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” 8So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.