Sermon: The Meaning of Faith #2

Title: The Meaning of Faith #2
Purpose: To move Christian to Total Faithfulness

Intro:

How do you determine God’s will for you?
1. Lady who wanted to see holy land & got tickets. Not sure if it was God’s will. On the night before departure, she re-read the brochure & noticed the plane was a Boeing 747. She woke up at 7:47, she knew it was God’s will to go!
2. Not very reliable way to express your faith
3. Faith is based on God’s promises and his instructions in the BIBLE
Last time saw examples of those who were approved by faith (preflood)
In Heb 11 in the faith chapter (context in Heb 10:35-36) (last time
This morning will see example of the patriarchs (Text: Heb 11:8-22)

I. Faith moves you to move (v.8-10)

Abram by faith packed up his U-haul and left his home behind
Explanation
1. From Gen 12:1-3
  1. God didn’t describe land, send local paper or chamber of commerce info
  2. Just said “go to a land which I will show you”
  3. Came home and told Sarai - “we’re moving”
    - Did get a transfer at job? No. New job? no. Where going? I dunno
    - How would you react? My husband needs therapy (he’s 75 yrs old)
2. Even though Abraham didn’t know what ahead, he followed
3. Wasn’t just a move across town or even across the state. Was drastic
  1. Went to foreign place and lived in tents
  2. Imagine the trip (are we there yet? When will get there? I dunno)
4. Was looking for city with foundations (permanent and built by God)
ILL: Our move to Searcy (never had visited there) But we felt the call, and God provided for us. Some said we were crazy!
Faith has caused every single one of us to move
1. May live in same house, might have same job
2. But you have realized it is all temporary (God’s perspective)
3. You have recognized that this is a tent. (Word became flesh and tented among )
4. We are camping and looking for and living for the permanent city
5. May not have moved physically (some have), but we all have moved spiritually

II. Faith moves you to trust in God’s ability, not your own (v.11-12)

Many have the impression that Sarah (& Abraham) did not believe God
Explanation
1. Gen 12:2 - I will make of you great nation (75 yrs old)
2. Gen 15:2-6 & 16:2-3 - (10 yrs later)
  1. Descendants would be as stars of heaven. Abram believed
  2. Sarah gave Hagar to here husband as a wife (God said Abraam would have descendants. Didn't specifically say it had to be Sarai!)
  3. Things seem to be going just as planned
3. Gen 17:5 - Reaffirm promise (name change - “father of multitude”)
  1. Gen 17:15-19 - Abraham laughs (this is 25 years later!)
  2. The Lord even came in the form of 3 men to tell the news of the baby
    - Gen 17:10-15
    - Judging from Sarah’s reaction, Abraham didn’t do or say anything yet to Sarai about it?
    - If Abram had been trying, Sarai might have instead said, “Oh, that’s what’s gotten into that old man”
  3. Did they mock in disbelief? (Most people old enough to have great great grand kids usually don't have kids)
Sarah’s perspective something like this? (a letter-)

I have become a little older since I saw you last, and a few changes have come into my life since then. Frankly, I have become quite a frivilous old gal. I am seeing five gentlemen everyday. As soon as I wake up, Mr. Will Power helps me get out of bed. Then I go to see John. Then Mr. Charlie Horse comes along, and when he is here, he takes up a lot of my time and attention. When he leaves, Mr. Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn’t like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from joint to joint. After such a busy day I’m really tired and glad to go to bed with Mr. Ben Gay. What a life!
p.s. - I talked to the preacher the other day and he told me that at my age I really need to think of the hereafter. I told him “Oh, I do all the time. No matter where I am - in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement - I ask myself, “what am I here after?” -And now I’m told I’m going to have a baby! -- *Laugh* not mocking
1. Based on this and other texts, their laughter was not mockiing disbelief
2. They believed in God’s ability, not their own
  1. They took a good look at themselves and laughed
  2. Rom 4:18-22 - Abraham was not Tarzan & Sarah was not Jane
  3. Nothing is to difficult for God
Rest assured God can and will do what he says (regardless of your "ability")
1. When you ignore God’s way and try to do it your way, you will have problems
2. For us today, it begins with letting go of sins. You can’t "work" your way to Heaven even though God expect you to work for him.
3. Continues with choosing God’s way, not yours
  1. All logic may make it seem ridiculous, but if they could have a child -That’s child’s play to God
  2. Don’t be anxious about tommorrow (Bird’s & lillies don’t)
  3. God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God
  4. I can do all things through Christ (dependence on God)
4. Ends in victory

III. Faith moves you look forward and not back (v.13-16)

If they had though about where they came from, might have decided to go back
Explanation
1. They welcomed God’s promise at a distance (what faith!)
  1. Much of God’s promise did not come in Abraham’s lifetime
  2. Four generations later and they would return to the land
2. Think about what he left
  1. Archaeology shows UR to be cutting edge (had running water in homes)
  2. Now Abraham is living in tents. They never complained
3. They were looking for city with foundations
  1. Their “own” country, a “better” country, a “heavenly” country
  2. God has prepared a city
  3. So they never looked back
A friend I had thought it was God’s will to come to Harding School of Biblical Studies.
1. He got angry with himself even before first semester was up
2. Went back home and tried to make everything just as it was
3. Many of you have left things behind to follow Christ, don’t look back
  1. ILL: Remember tests you used to take with little "O’s" to fill in? They said do not change answer, but go with the first response
  2. When you look back, you will change things and mess it all up
Phil 3:13-14 - God didn’t design us with eyes in the back of our head!!
1. Take a lesson from Lot’s wife
2. Take a lesson from children of Israel
3. Take a lesson Jesus illustration of man who put hand to plow
4. And then take a lesson from Abraham & Sarah - Never looked back & blessed
5. Keep your eyes on the road!

IV. Moves you to be 100% devoted to God (v.17-19)

The hardest test of the Faith of Abraham came at Moriah
Explanation
1. Gen. 22:1-14 - Take your son, your only son whom you love to Moriah, offer him as a burnt offering
2. Can you imagine? Your ONLY son whom you love
  1. But I thought you didn’t do human sacrifice?
  2. But Isaac is the promised heir (what about the stars?)
  3. Abraham did not question God, he did not look for a way out
Ponce de-leon burned his ships after coming to the "new world"
1. No going back just because it gets too difficult
2. Need full devotion and commitment
3. When Abraham left UR & followed God, he burned his ships & was fully devoted
Have you given God your whole self? Have you withheld anything from God?
1. Ask self - When decision, what comes to mind first? What you want or God want
2. When thing complicated, do you Rely on own reasoning, or God’s word
3. Maybe it’s time to burn those ships

Conclusion

It takes faith to burn those ships and totally rely on God
Faith is the assurance and conviction
Without faith it’s impossible to please him, approval by faith, shall live by faith
Don’t have to practice open window method. God is spelling out what faith is and how he wants us to live it in these examples
This faith moves us
1. To move away from the world, and move to God
2. To trust completely in God’s ability, not ours
3. To look forward and not back
4. To be completely devoted to God in all things (withhold nothing)
IF you’ve misunderstood God’s will, don’t beat yourself up
1. Read Phil 3:15 - “Let us therefore as many as are complete have this attitude, and if you do have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you also
2. If you have misunderstood, God will show you
  - Gen 15:6 - Abe believed and it was credited YET he took Hagar
  - Heb 11:9 - Considered God able to raise dead, YET God wasn’t going to do it
  - You can be sincerely mistaken, and yet still receive approval by faith
    - As Phil 3:15 - GOD WILL SHOW YOU (just as he did Abraham)
    - WHEN Abraham was wrong, he changed course
    - Course corrections are part of what helps us to grow
Exhortation about faith is clear
1. It’s not about knowing all the answers (Abraham didn’t have them)
2. It’s about trust and obedience. stepping out even when not sure what is coming next
3. It’s about burning your boats, and being totally committed to God’s care
When we have this kind of faith
1. It will lead us home from these tents and a permanent home
2. Will move from this KOA to a permanent home with God (& bank wont own it)