Sermon Central
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"The Wanderer" Series
Contributed by Joey Slayton on Dec 17, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: Collection of the All-Stars that God has chosen to be on his team of Faith (Hebrews 11).
God’s All Stars
“The Wanderer”
Abraham
Appetizer
8 “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land that God promised him , he lived there by faith - for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. 10 Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.”
Without Faith it is Impossible to Please God
Main Course
Faith = Believing what God says is the TRUTH!
To have F.A.I.T.H. you must…
F = Find FREEDOM in God
“...leave home...” Hebrews 11:8
34 “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is a part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.”
“God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins” Colossians 1:14
A. Example - 1. Moving out to go to College
2. Me moving to Ashdown ( God told me to go & I did)
B. Imagine how miserable I would be if I had said
“NO!” to God and stayed in Damascus...We were happy there! ...BUT...
1. I wanted to do great things for my God
2. I wanted to be happy
3. I wanted to have FAITH that He would take care of me wherever I was.
C. You will never hear me say, “I’m sorry I moved to Ashdown, AR!”
1. I don’t care what may come
2. YOU may be sorry I came, but I will never be! Why?
3. This is where God wants me to be right now in my life... and I have faith that He will take care of me and my family.
YES
YES!
D. Have you ever heard anybody say...
1. “I’m sorry I ever started drinking...”
2. “I’m sorry I ever started doing drugs...”
3. “I’m sorry I had sex before marriage...”
NO!
NO
E. Have you ever heard anybody ever say...
1. “I’m sorry I ever became a Christian...”
2. “I’m sorry I ever gave my life to Jesus Christ...”
WHY?
F. Because with God we have unmeasurable FREEDOM!
1. Some people think that being a Christian is a DRAG because you don’t get to do all that fun stuff like drink, smoke, do drugs, and have sex...BUT...
2. That is far from the TRUTH!
3. The TRUTH is that they are slave of their sinful nature (It controls them) and WE have so much freedom!
HOW?
4. We have been set free from the power of SIN!!!!
“Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin!”
5. While others are trapped in their sin and cannot get out, we have freedom in Christ to live life to the fullest!
A = Accept the ACTIONS of God
“...he obeyed...” Hebrews 11:8
“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.”
A. Deuteronomy 5:10 - “I (God) lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands.”
B. We might not like the word “obey” but to God it is a big deal!
1. Matthew 5:19 - “So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obey’s God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
2. God sometimes might want us to do “wild and crazy” things, but He expects us to OBEY Him.
3. Like Abraham moving away from His family. He would have been miserable if he had stayed at home.
4. Like me moving away from my family...I would have been miserable if I had stayed.
C. Jesus Himself even obeyed God
1. Philippians 2:8 - “...and in human form He (Jesus) obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on the cross.”
2. His father needed him to die for the sins of the world so we could have the opportunity to go to heaven for eternity...WHY?
3. Because God is holy, and He cannot even be around sin.
4. Don’t you think Jesus could have said, “But Dad! I don’t want to!”
D. Yes, but He accepted the actions of God.
1. When you grow up, wanted to be a doctor and make lots of money and have all the things the world has to offer...and...
