True Faith Series

Introduction: We come to the end of our stewardship series today. Over the past 3 weeks we have looked at the topic of stewardship and how it relates to ones spiritual health. Today as we bring this series of messages to a close I want us to look at the topic of Faith.

Faith is not just a Christian word faith is woven into our life. When you arrived this morning you did not examine your chair before you sat in it. You just automatically committed yourself by faith to the chair, assuming it would hold you. Most of you got here by car; you slid in the car and turned on the ignition and away you go. You don’t have a clue as to what goes on behind the scene. You can’t explain the process. You just trust it.

The last time you went to a doctor, he wrote out a little prescription. You couldn’t read it. In fact, you wondered if anybody could read the thing! Then you took it to your pharmacist, and you gave it to him. He gives you the little bottle and says, "Take it three times a day," and by faith you do exactly what he tells you to do. Faith is woven into the system.

Faith is one of those words that Christians like to use. It is a strong word; it is a word that crystallizes who we are.

We are to be people of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7, calls us to walk by faith and not by sight

Romans 1:16, the just live by faith

Hebrews 11:6, without faith it is impossible to please God

A quick study of scripture fined the word faith or faithful in 22 of the 39 OT books and 26 or the 27 NT Books

Faith is an important factor when it comes to God’s people. Faith makes the difference in our life. Faith makes a difference in the area of stewardship as well. I believe and scriptures point out stewardship is a spiritual issue. Giving is a matter of faith. Do we trust God or do we trust ourselves and others when it comes to the matter of giving.

Today I want us to look at 3 accounts in scripture to demonstrate how faith relates to the area of stewardship. Our message this morning has 2 points, one a negative and the other a positive look at faith.

Today it is my desire we will choose positive side of faith.

Let’s look at the negative side of faith first…

Lack of Faith leads to a lack of Contentment

We live in a world where contentment is lacking

A Google Search of the internet discovered there are currently 11, 400,000 sites designed to teach people how to play the lottery.

About once a month I receive an email from Nigeria that a prince has converted to Christianity and would like to give our church $25 million, all they need is our bank account – and it will all be set up. While we may laugh at this idea over 20 churches have been accepted the offer only to find their back accounts emptied.

E-mail scams, Pyramid schemes and Promises of getting rich quickly all prey on one thing – the discontentment of people.

Discontentment is not reserved for our culture alone

Discontentment began soon after creation

Genesis 2:15-17, The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Adam & Eve had a life blessed with perfection

Adam & Eve had a perfect relationship with God, walking with Him

They had a perfect habitat – the Garden

All their needs were met, they had what was a picture of contentment – but it was not enough.

Genesis 3 tells us Eve soon faced a battle with contentment from the serpent

Eve - We can have any tree but one – the tree of knowledge and evil

Serpent – Go ahead, what will it hurt

DANGER OF DISCONTEMENT – Damage your relationship with God

Note Eve’s decision

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Genesis 3:6-7

They had it all – a relationship with God, a home created by God, but they were still discontent. And it cost them dearly;