Title: How to get faithFocus: Since we are saved by faith, we need to understand what it takes to have faith. It takes someone preaching the word, and another hearing the word and then calling on the name of the Lord. Just as Israel needed to listen carefully to its own scriptures and the Apostolic message, we also need to listen carefully to the message because simply hearing is not enough. We need to listen carefully and understand.
Function: To motivate the hearers to spend more time studying and sharing spiritual insights
Text: Rom 10:13-21
Intro: 1. Once was a rescue team in a Holland Village a. Fishing Industry big there b. Call came in of a life boat stuck, and went out with rescue boat c. Not enough room, one had to stay behind d. Needed volunteer to go back. 16 year old Hans stepped forward e. Mother begged not to go. Lost husband at sea, and brother lost only three weeks ago f. Hans went out, and on way back, shouted from shore - Did you get him? g. Hans shouted. Yes! Tell Mother it is Paul! 2. God sent life boat. Faith causes us to get in. Saved by faith. 3. Since we are saved by faith, we need to understand how to have faith I. (10:13-15) It takes a preacher A. Can’t hear message unless someone tells you B. God has always used PEOPLE to tell his message 1. Text does NOT say - How shall they hear without a Bible? a. Don’t get me wrong - Bible is word of God b. But Bible is not an evangelistic tract c. New Testament not written to lost, but to Christians d. If written directly to lost, would sound like our tracts 2. Nothing takes place of personal contact a. That is why God sent the prophets b. That is why the word became flesh 3. (Acts 8:26-39) - Ethiopian Eunuch a. He had a Bible, but needed a person to explain it all b. Phillip preached Jesus to him c. One on one study is called preaching C. ILL: I started preaching when I was 13 years old 1. Not in pulpit. Studied with guy named Warren 2. Didn’t just hand him a Bible 3. Baptized him. Started with preaching (one on one) D. Paul’s point? Need a preacher to hear 1. Need to understand importance of preaching a. We are all preachers b. Acts 8:4 - Those scattered went about preaching 2. (1 Pet 3:15) - Feel anxious about this scripture? a. It not say - make sure have all answers for defense b. Says to sanctify Jesus as Lord c. Important ingredient - Dedication and genuiness - That can’t be seen unless have a person d. Besides, there are more questions that answers 3. It’s like trying to instill faith in children a. Not pass on faith by having all the answers b. Kids eventually figure out you do not know it all c. But there are 2 kinds of lessons: - What you hear - What you see d. When they witness your loyalty and passion, that a lot 4. So don’t avoid preaching because you not have all answers II. It takes hearing (v.16-18) A. So basic, why elaborate on it? Paul spends 3 verses on it B. What is it that we need to hear? 1. The word of Christ. What is that? 2. Mk 1:15 - Jesus said repent and believe the Gospel 3. Gospel is not - Hear, believe, repent, confess, baptize a. Walter Scott used 5 finger excercise b. But it not till AFTER preach the Gospel c. 1 Cor 15:1-4 - Gospel is death, burial resurrection 3. 1 Pet 3:21 a. Not removal of dirt (as if it by works) b. Appeal to God (talking about faith and change) c. Through resurrection C. ILL: I heard plenty of sermons growing up calling people to the water 1. Sermons on 5 steps to salvation, or necessity of baptism 2. Rarely heard one on the resurrection, or the blood of Jesus 3. They left out the Gospel - Power is in the BLOOD 4. Just as bad to leave out Gospel as it is baptism D. The object of our faith is NOT our response 1. I will preach to my dying day the need to repent and baptism - If you not baptize, need to do so today 2. But that is not the object of our faith 3. We trust in crucified and risen Lord! 4. He is coming back III. It takes listening (10:19-21) A. Hearing and listening are two different things B. It is so important to learn to listen 1. Israel heard but did not listen a. They heard Jesus, they eliminated him b. Heard Stephen, put hands over their ears c. Why? 2. Promoted bringing in the Gentiles (without being Jew first!) a. Jews were God’s chosen people b. Jesus theaten their identity as chosen people c. Jesus welcomed gentiles, samaritans, sinners d. Kingdom would not come, they thought, if they tolerated this, but they could wind up back in exile again 3. But if they had taken time to listen a. Their own scriptures testified of gentiles b. Prophecies about nations coming to Zion c. But that is not how they had understood their scriptures d. What Jesus represented did not fit in with their belief 4. Because of this, Paul ran into opposition too a. 1st journey he stoned b. 2nd journey, driven out of Thessalonica c. But Bereans more noble. Why? d. They carefully listened and searched scripture C. Grow through periods of deconstruction/reconstruction 1. Comes a time when you deconstruct and examine each piece a. Some pieces don’t go back into recontruction b. Examples: - Job and his previous construct of faith of God - Paul - Took a blinding experience 2. Some de/reconstructive experiences in life a. When in school b. When ask hard questions and examine answers c. Some of you came from another religious background d. Something cause de/reconstruction, brought you hear 3. Can feel threatening at first a. May grope in dark for awhile as Paul did b. God will provide light if you ready to really listen c. Need to be Bereans D. May we never be as Israel was 1. “All day long, I have held out my hands...” 2. Grow in grace and knowledge - lifelong process Concl: 1. God gave Israel all they needed to have faith a. They had their preachers, they heard the message b. But they felt threatened by what they heard c. So they didn’t listen. But that was no excuse 2. Lesson for us? LISTEN a. If you have not been baptized. LISTEN b. If you have been baptized. Continue to LISTEN 3. How do you listen? a. Listen to veterans of the faith. Their knowledge, wisdom - Heb 13:7 - Consider your leaders. Imitate their faith b. Be Bereans. Search the scriptures daily