The Foundation of Faith
Hebrews 11:1
September 17, 2000
Morning Worship
Introduction
Where there is no faith in the future there is no power in the present
I. Hudson Taylor and his trip to China
A. A dangerous situation
1. The captain comes to Taylor’s room
2. The captain reports that they have no wind and was drifting toward an island. An Island full of cannibals
B. The request
1. The captain asks for Taylor to pray for God to send them some wind
2. Taylor agrees to pray but only if the captain will raise the sail
3. The captain resists claiming that there was no wind at all and that the sailors would think that he was crazy
C. The result
1. The captain raises the sail and Taylor begins to pray
2. 45 minutes later the captain returns – You can stop praying now. We have more wind than we can use.
II. What is Faith?
A. Webster: Firm belief is something for which there is no proof, complete trust; allegiance to duty or a person
B. H.L. Menchen: Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable
C. Max Lucado: Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good… It is a choice to believe that the one who made it all hasn’t left it all and that he still sends light into the shadows and responds to gestures of faith…
Faith is the belief that god will do what is right.
God says that the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater need for light.
God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek.
There is a massive difference between secular faith and biblical faith
Q – What is biblical faith?
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
The Qualities of Faith
I. Faith sees the Unseen
Faith moves on the unseen with expectations and evidence
A. Expectations
1. Things we hope for
a.) God is real, God will never forsake me
b.) God will forgive our sin, We will have eternal life in heaven
2. Our hopes are based on fact
a.) These are more than mere wishes or pipe dreams
b.) Our faith and hope is based on God’s promises
1.) We can have vain hope or dead faith – Based on personal desires
God does not promise to give you all of the money that you want
God does not promise to make your life free from trials or difficulty
2.) True faith is based on God’s promises to us
FACT: God will forgive you of you sin, if you ask. Expect it!
FACT: God will never forsake you. Expect it!
FACT: God will guide you in life. Expect it!
B. Evidence
1. The purpose of evidence
a.) Evidence is used to establish a point or belief. It proves something
b.) Power of evidence
Evidence rules out conjecture
Evidence rules out feelings
Evidence rules out probabilities
2. Evidence for faith
a.) Examples of evidence
1.) The ground is wet – it must have rained
2.) The thermometer is high – it must be hot outside
b.) Christian evidence
1.) Millions of changed lives
2.) Dead apostles: Died terrible and painful deaths – Who would die for a lie?
3.) Empty tomb – Jesus Christ Himself
II. Faith hears the Unheard
A. God speaks in a still, small voice
1. God does not yell and scream His will to us but rather speaks softly
2. God can still make you a powerful agent of His grace
3. Faith is resting in the fact that God has an objective in leaving me on the scene when I feel useless to Him and a burden to others – Pamela Reeve
B. E. Stanley Jones
1. Jones was to travel by boat to hold evangelistic meetings
A. In line for tickets God began to tell Him not to get on the boat
B. Jones decides not to go to the meeting
2. Jones receives word about the boat
A. En route to their destination the boat sank with no survivors
B. Jones was later asked the following questions
1. Do you believe that there were other Christians killed in that boat accident? Yes
2. Why did God choose to speak to you and not the rest of the people?
3. Jones response: God speaks to all of His children but not all of His children listen to Him
III. Faith believes the Unbelievable
A. Martin Luther: God, our Father, has made all things depend on faith, so that, whoever has faith will have everything and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.
B. God provides all that we need all of the time
1. God knows everything – including what you need
2. God controls everything – The universe is at his disposal
3. God loves you unconditionally – He will supply all you need
4. God is patient – he is waiting for you to ask for His help
IV. Faith expects the Unexpected
A. Prime the pump
1. Man wandering in the desert – dying for a drink of water
a.) The man finds a small shack
1.) Inside the shack there was an old pump
2.) He tries the pump but nothing happens
b.) Finding the jug
1.) Frustrated he starts to leave and finds a jug of water
2.) There was a note on the jug: You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug. PS: Please fill the jug back up before you leave
2. The dilemma arises
a.) If he drank the water, he would live
b.) If he primed the pump, he could have all the water he wanted – If the pump still worked
3. The decision
a.) He poured the water into the pump and began pumping the handle
b.) Water began to drip, then dribble and finally gush from the pump
c.) He added this to the note: Believe me it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back
B. God does His best work when we come to the end of our ability
1. We have to give God all of who we are to become all we were meant to be
2. Do not follow where the path may lead; follow God, instead, and leave a trail
V. Faith achieves the Undoable
A. Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends. - George Muller
B. Faith Is and Isn’t
1. Faith is not
a.) I think so
b.) I hope so
c.) It might be so
d.) It could be true
2. Faith is
a.) Faith is trusting and possessing all that God is and says
b.) Faith is believing and possessing all that God is and says
c.) Faith is having confidence in and possessing all that God is and says
d.) Faith is hoping for something and possessing it because God exists and has promised it
Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation
VI. Faith receives the Unattainable
A. Quotes
1. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
2. Saving faith may thus be defined as a voluntary turning from all hope and grounds based on self-merit and assuming an attitude of expectancy towards God trusting Him to do a perfect saving work based only on the merit of Christ. – L.S. Chafer
3. It is not what men eat, but what they digest that makes them strong
Not what we gain, but what we save that makes us rich
Not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned
Not what we preach or pray, but what we practice and believe that makes us Christians – Francis Bacon
B. We receive the reward of heaven
1. By faith in Christ
2. By the merit of Christ has given through His death and resurrection
Conclusion
Little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul
Where is your faith? Are you waiting to raise the sail? Are you debating on priming the pump? Do you want all, that God has waiting for you? Are you willing to give all you are to become all you were created to be?
