Faith To Face The World Series

Sermon idea adopted from Mark A. Copeland http://executableoutlines.com/home.htm

INTRODUCTION

A. Happy New Year! Starting today and on the first Sunday of each month I will be preaching a series of lessons on “Faith to Face the World.” You and I are faced with many trials each day and this sermon series will be an effort to give us as Christians encouragement to face and overcome the world we live in. These lessons will be based from Hebrews 11, were we will see how these people of faith faced great trials, persecution, and tribulations yet they overcame!

B. John writes about this faith to face the world by saying, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn 5:4-5).

C. The “world” to which John refers are those things in the world that can separate us from God such as:

1. Family, not having a proper view of God, loneliness, things that seem impossible, choosing the wrong direction for eternity, failing the test we face, death, government, tragedy, persecution, and lacking the faith to overcome sin.

D. These things can hinder our relationship with God.

1. For whatever is in the world that might hinder our relationship with God...There can be victory in overcoming the world!

2. Such victory comes to those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God -- Yes, “Faith Is the Victory!” We can have a great faith so we can face the world that we live in.

E. In this series, I would like to examine how faith in our Lord enables one to overcome the world. Just as those faithful people did in Hebrews 11.

F. Today’s lesson, we will introduce this series by examining faith, especially faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

G. In following lessons, we will consider how faith in Jesus can provide victory over things that can hinder our relationship with God.

H. So what is this faith that will give us victory to overcome the world?

Body

I. FAITH IN JESUS DEFINED

A. FAITH IN GENERAL...

1. As defined by Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true.

2. Its primary idea is trust.

3. It is a strong conviction or trust in something; as the NIV translates He 11:1...

a. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for...”

b. “...and certain of what we do not see.”

4. E.g., you have faith that your parents are indeed your parents. Based upon your trust or conviction in the reliability of their word. Such trust prompts you to respond accordingly as their child. You spend time with them, talk to them, make request of them, and do thing with your parents that you would not do with any other because you have faith that your parents are indeed your parents. This faith in general.

B. FAITH IN JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD...

1. It is a strong conviction or trust in Jesus:

a. Who Jesus is? That He is what He claimed in the New Testament; that He is truly the Son of the living God

b. What Jesus did? That He died on the cross for our sins and that His death, burial, and resurrection is truly a sufficient sacrifice for our sins

c. What Jesus said:

i. That He alone provides the way to eternal life (Acts 4:12).

ii. That He alone is the way to God, the Father - cf. Jn 14:6-7.

iii. Peter professed this faith in Jesus - Jn 6:68-69, “That Jesus has the words of eternal life.”

iv. That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God - cf. also Mt 16:15-16

2. When a person has such faith in Jesus...

a. They look to Jesus on how to deal with the problems they face.

b. They have trust and conviction that what He says in His word is the right answer or solution.

c. They are willing to act with trust and conviction on His word - cf. Lk 6:46

d. For those with an active faith in Jesus, their lives are built on a solid foundation...

i. Like a wise man who builds his house on a rock - Lk 6:47-49

ii. They are able to weather the storms of life, because their faith in Jesus has prompted them to prepare for whatever comes their way!

C. [This is the kind of faith that overcomes the world! The problem is that while many have a degree of faith to “hear” (listen) what Jesus said, most don’t have sufficient faith to apply, “do” (obey) what He says!