Faith that is pleasing to God
I. Have a faith that obeys. / To have A faith that doesn’t question God
Do you just know sometimes it’s the Lord speaking but you JUST need More?
Abraham’s faith / Isaac’s sacrifice
Gen 22:1-3, 6-12 Abraham’s faith meant implicit obedience.
A. - He didn’t question God’s command
B. - He didn’t alter God’s plan
C. - He didn’t delay God’s plan
Noah’s
Gen 6:22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Noah got right to work.
Noah’s faith in God and obedience saved him from the flood.
Didn’t the others of that day see the Ark being built?
Your Faith may turn your friends and loved ones from you… they may just start to hate you and cast you into a pit….
Joseph Gen 37:3 – 5 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. Didn’t they call Joseph Brother?
What are some of the things we all tend to do when God commands us to do
something? Complain / Cry / Whine / or even Ignore God / or even Runaway
II Have faith in a Crunch.
(Sooner or later our faith is tested in a crunch) MOSES Ex. 14:10-16 Moses and crunch time 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ’Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." 13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15 And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
* v.15 imagine Moses speaking to the crowd and then turning to raise the rod over the sea. Now watching the rod, he waits to see what will happen.
* If God dealt with him like he deals with me there was a few moments time between the raising of the rod and the parting of the sea, at least long enough to break a sweat. *In a crunch is where our faith is tested.
III. Have a Faith that knows where and when the final accounting takes place.
Stephen Acts 7:54-60 54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen’s vision saw the final accounting and it allowed him to forgive those that had hurt him.
He realized that this wasn’t the end and as such he didn’t have to get revenge on those that had hurt him.
The effects of Stephen’s Death Directly or Indirectly
Philip’s evangelistic tour (Acts 8:4-40)
Paul’s conversion (Acts 9 1-30)
Peter’s missionary Tour (Acts 9:32- 11:18)
The Church of Antioch in Syria founded (Acts 11:19)
* When we are hurt by others or by the Lord we have an opportunity use our faith to say
"God I trust you.
That this isn’t the end,
And in your time you will bless me for my faithfulness”.
Amen Sun 02-10- 02
