Tangible Faith
Hebrews Chapter 11:1-10
This message was by prayer and resources from Sermoncentral
Introduction
I want to talk to you about faith.
I want to talk to you about your faith.
I realize when you talk about faith, people want to say it is a private thing.
They all have their definition of what faith is.
Faith stretches from people believing that faith is a crutch, it is what the weak put their trust in because they are weak in themselves. All the way to people who have enough faith that they can move mountains and change lives.
Question- where would you place yourself on that scale?
Don’t believe in faith? You have to show me everything.
To extreme faith- where you put your complete faith and trust in the Lord.
The next thing to realize is there is physical faith and spiritual faith.
While you can have both, they do not operate in the same manner.
Everyday we express faith in something.
You got in the car on the way here. You had faith that it would start.
You turned on that light switch, you expected and had faith that light would come on.
You didn’t build that pew, but you believed that it would hold you.
Physical faith is in objects.
spiritual faith:
you believe that there is someone or something bigger than you to put your trust in. Now I said it that way because spiritually, people don’t believe the same way.
Muslum’s believe in the Koran, Mohammad.
Humanist believe in himself.
Atheist believe in nature, happened by chance.
Christianity, put their spiritual trust in Jesus Christ.
Are you seeing something here?
Your faith is only going to be as good as the object or the person that you put your faith in.
Titled the sermon Tangible Faith.
By definition Tangible means:
capable of being perceived. Able to touch. Substantially real, capable of being identified or realized by your mind. Able to be appraised at or approximate value.
That’s the kind of faith I am looking for. That is what kind you should desire.
Able to identify it, realize that it is real. Having actual value.
Lets see what God’s word has to say about it.
Hebrews 11:1-10 read
Hebrews 11 is a classic. It is the chapter of faith.
Physical faith is built on what you can see.
The chair looks strong enough, I will sit down.
I didn’t build the building, but it looks strong. I’ve seen others come in and out, I’ll enter in.
But spiritual faith, more important, faith in God is different.
“Now faith is the substance(assurance) of things hoped for and evidence(conviction) of what we do not see.”
Walking in faith in God is believing in what we cannot see (yet)
This passage gives us two examples.
Noah - who spent 120 years building a boat on dry land. Spent that time trying to reach people, to only have 7 people except the offer. His family that would be saved. Telling people that God is providing an ark of safety, his way of protection. Put your faith in God
Today , that ark is Jesus Christ, the bridge, high priest, savior for mankind.
The second example is Abraham.
Called to leave his country, leave his comfort zone. To go somewhere that he did not know. He was looking forward to city with foundations, whose architect and builder was God.
We know faith is not by sight.
Without faith, we cannot please God.
We know that faith will take us out of our comfort zone.
The world says - seeing is believing, God says, believing is seeing.
People today, a lot are on spiritual journeys, unfortunately, God is not invited.
They are spiritually starving. Instead of being hungry for the word of God, they relay on what someone tells them.
How many quote the Bible out of context while trying to prove a point.
How many don’t know the Bible, but say that they love by it.
Barna resource:
60 % of Americans cannot name 5 out of the 10 commandments.
63 % cannot name the four gospels of the New Testament.
81 % believe that the quote- “God helps those who help themselves” is a direct quote from the Bible.
Most believe that Joan of Ark is the wife of Noah.
Faith is personal
It is a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not an object.
It is not the 5 senses.
Seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting.
It is common sense- that the promises of Jesus are true.
It is about the evidence, assurance, confidence that we put in out Lord.
It is realizing and living out that Biblical faith has power.
The power of real faith allows ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things.
It is realizing that Christ said in John 14
“ He that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also; greater works than these shall he do”.
No promises of God can be claimed until you know what the promise are
Faith in Christ is not a rollercoaster. (Thank God for that).
It is not meant to be a up and down experience.
Settle the issue of belief.
Settle the issue of who God is in your life.
Determine you believe the promises of God.
Square away that God word is going to be direction for your life.
Determine you are not going to be tossed around by every whim of doctrine
God said it, I believe it, that settles it.
1 Timothy 6:12
“ Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”
Faith is more than one battle. It is a series of battles we are in, and one victory at a time will strengthen our faith.
“You should earnestly contend for the faith. (Jude 3).
Not allowing things that crept in unawares to dilute the word, false teachers, things that breakdown the foundation of faith.
I don’t have blind faith.
I have faith in the promises of God.
My faith propels me. It moves me forward with my relationship with the Lord.
“I know whom I have believed in.” (2 timothy 1:12) the Bible tells me about faith.
It tells me that I must put my trust in Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12
“There is no salvation in any other, for there is no name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”
what faith is- putting our trust in Jesus.
What faith does- gives us the power to live a victorious life by the Holy Spirit here and now.
Listen, the Christian life does not just happen.
You don’t just arrive one day and you are a model Christian.
It takes discipline, it takes determination, above all else, it takes the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you.
Good runners don’t look back while running. They keep their eyes on the finish line.
“ let us keep our eyes on Jesus”
swimmers who cannot stay between the lines, won’t win races.
Runners who cannot discipline themselves for training, won’t finish.
Exercise equipment in the garage won’t do you any good until you get on and use it.
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the starting point and the goal line.
The Hebrew writer “Let us throw off everything that hinders”.
Closing:
Faith is trust. For a Christian, it is putting all your trust, in Jesus Christ.(Sermoncentral)
Exercising your faith, is walking with the one that you put your trust in. It is a intimate relationship. A close relationship brings joy, peace, contentment, and purpose.
God through our faith calls us to Him by 4 things:
(1)Salvation- He calls us to his saving grace. By faith in what He has done, He provides eternal life with Him . “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God.
(2)Sanctification- God desires all believers to live a life and power of His resurrected Son. It is by the Holy Spirit working in our lives, giving us the ability to things far above what we can do in ourselves.
(3)Service- James says, Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. His faith and his actions work hand and hand.
(4)Accountability- We do not have to have blind faith.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.
Corrie Ten Boom:
“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed, if you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest. It is where you put your eyes.
Faith is all about looking to Jesus.
Altar Call
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