A Question Of Faith

A question of Faith

Today’s message is titled “A question of Faith”.

Our key verse is Hebrews 11:6 and I’d like us to consider how our faith impacts our relationship with God, and the effectiveness in our discipleship.

Yesterday in our men’s breakfast a couple of guys lamented that they wanted to get the fire back that they once had for Jesus.

Pastor Jeff reminded us of Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

Y’all, David knew his wood was wet! He cried out to the Lord that the Joy of Salvation be restored.

I believe that David had FAITH that God was going to restore him in every way.

Do you have that faith?

Let me remind you that when I say “you”, I without a doubt am including “me”!

Just a quick review of some elements of discipleship that we have discussed in recent weeks:

We looked at serving others in the message “Washing Feet”.

The week after that message, I asked y’all “did you wash someone’s feet this past week”?

After the service someone came up and asked me “did you really want us to wash someone’s feet this last week?” After I gained my composure, I explained I was figuratively asking “did you serve someone this week, as a Christian”.

In a couple of other weeks we considered how spiritual growth is key in our discipleship.

In yet another couple of messages we examined how obedience is critical in our discipleship.

And most recently, we unboxed the subject of Being the Church.

Pleasing God

I don’t know if y’all have ever picked up on this, but quite often part of my prayer is something to the affect of “I pray what we do is pleasing in your sight”.

Have you ever wondered “what is pleasing in God’s sight”.

Let’s go to Hebrews chapter 11, as we take a look at that question.

Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word.

Hebrews 11:1-11 (read from my bible)

Please be seated

re-read Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Today, I’d like us to break that verse down just a little bit, as well as a few other verses around it.

-what does your bible say?-

re-read Hebrews 11:1–3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Early in my adult Christian walk (by adult, I mean after college), a friend gave me a nice little simple plaque, with Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

That is one of my favorite verses. It helps put into perspective that I don’t have to see everything with my human eyes!

Let’s go to verse 4

Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”

In our bible study, we looked at Genesis 4:3-5 and discussed the meaning, of why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but rejected Cain’s. Today, is not the day to dissect that, but I just want to look at the first two words of that verse.

I read 13 translations of that verse, and 12 of them started with “by faith”. The 13th one read “it was by faith”.

Obviously “by faith”, is the cornerstone of this verse, that the writer of Hebrews was trying to get across to us.

Look at verse 5. Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

This verse also begins with “by faith”, but look at the ending of the verse “that he pleased God”!

“for before he was taken he had this testimony “that he pleased God”! By faith he pleased God. It that you?

It’s crazy, sometimes I get so jazzed up by reading God’s word, y’all!

verse 7 Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Again with the “by faith” already!