Sermon Central
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Amazement Is Not Faith In God
Contributed by William R. Nabaza on Jun 14, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: To show in GOD's WORDS that astonishment, amazement is still not faith, you have to have faith in your heart that will declare your heart's content before GOD.
I. EXORDIUM:
Don't be amazed just believe?
DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show in GOD's WORDS that astonishment, amazement is still not faith, you have to have faith in your heart that will declare your heart's content before GOD.
IV. TEXT:
And overwhelming astonishment and ecstasy seized them all, and they recognized and praised and thanked God; and they were filled with and controlled by reverential fear and kept saying, We have seen wonderful and strange and incredible and unthinkable things today!
V. THESIS:
Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You have given me faith by Your WORD and my faith is established in application of Your WORD and not on miracles to entertain me.
He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock.
But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great.
VI. TITLE:
Amazement is not faith in GOD
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Dr. Luke, The Beloved Physician (close friend and traveling companion of Paul)
B. Audience: Theophilus (Greek means friend of GOD, a Christian)
C. Purpose: To give a connected and orderly narrative of the life of CHRIST as seen by eyewitnesses
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. Amazement might bring praise, thanksgiving, and reverential fear
"And overwhelming astonishment and ecstasy seized them all, and they recognized and praised and thanked God; and they were filled with and controlled by reverential fear"
Parallel verses:
1. They were amazed and astonished but they declared JESUS as the Prophet not the Messiah
Profound and reverent fear seized them all, and they began to recognize God and praise and give thanks, saying, A great Prophet has appeared among us! And God has visited His people [in order to help and care for and provide for them]!
2. They were amazed and astonished but they only declared JESUS as man.
When the crowds saw it, they were struck with fear and awe; and they recognized God and praised and thanked Him, Who had given such power and authority to men.
3. The people were amazed and astounded but they doubted the ancestry of JESUS
And all the [crowds of] people were stunned with bewildered wonder and said, This cannot be the Son of David, can it?
We need to be established in the WORD of GOD and not in miracles. Beware of churches that capitalize on signs, wonders and miracles. It's ok for an unbeliever to see this to amaze them but for a believer the WORD OF GOD is more than enough.
Thus [unknown] tongues are meant for a [supernatural] sign, not for believers but for unbelievers [on the point of believing], while prophecy (inspired preaching and teaching, interpreting the divine will and purpose) is not for unbelievers [on the point of believing] but for believers.
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.
B. But declaration of mouth is different and can't save
"and kept saying, We have seen wonderful and strange and incredible and unthinkable things today!"
Both mouth and heart should coincide and declare the same thing: that JESUS is your LORD and SAVIOR.
Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.
And the whole church and all others who heard of these things were appalled [great awe and strange terror and dread seized them].
