Bulldog Faith

BULLDOG FAITH by George Crumbly

Hebrews 11: 1-3

Sunday AM August 5, 2001

Sheridan, Arkansas

I preached a message several years ago about a Bloodhound; today I want to talk about a Bulldog. I believe that God uses any and everything in order to explain to us how we are to serve Him.

Bulldog: "A ferocious fighter, his massive head is structured so that when he clamps down on an object, his powerful jaws will literally lock down into that position. No matter how fierce the fight a bulldog will not let go. Even in a fight to death his jaws will remain clamped down upon his object."

I want you & me as Christians to use the same Bulldog Grit today with our faith.

Hebrews 11: verses 1-3

It is hard to question today whether this is a definition or a description of faith. "Faith has to do with a reality that is not accessible to our senses and lies beyond the grasp of reason." Faith is a belief in or a confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life.

Today here in the 11th chapter of Hebrews we have the "Roll Call for the Heroes of Faith"; according to the writer here this faith was already present in their experience and a key element in their spiritual life. These folks here were not Super-Humans; they were not Robots, nor Angels, nor God’s or even Super Heroes. They were ordinary folks like you and me that had and exhibited a special Faith; it was what we call today a "Bulldog Faith."

A Faith that hangs on. A Faith that refuses to let go. Today I want to encourage you, no matter what you are going thru to HANG ON and do not let go.

Our First Hero today is:

I. ABEL: (Verse 4)

Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. They offered sacrifices unto God. (One writer says this was Worship of Faith)

CAIN: Was a tiller of the ground and he was like so many today after he made all his bills and did everything he wanted to do he gave God what was left. He gave God an offering. He was like so many are today, not concerned in giving God their best just giving Him something good enough.

ABEL: Abel didn’t look to give God a better sacrifice that Abel did or he wasn’t interested in giving God the prettiest sacrifice he had or even the most expensive gift, he gave God the best he had. God wants our first fruits.

(It is so sad today to see churches competing to have the biggest, the most expensive and most lush buildings in town. This doesn’t excite God.)

If Jesus were on the earth this Sunday morning do you think He would be looking for the most prominent place to worship? No sir. He would be out looking for a need.

ABEL HAD A BULLDOG FAITH - DO YOU?

II. ENOCH: (Verse 5)

Bottom Line: It’s not what men eat, but what they digest that makes them strong;

Not what we gain, but what we save that makes us rich;

Not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned;

Not what we preach or pray, but what we practice and believe that makes us

Christians. (Francis Bacon)

Enoch did not die. He was translated just like Elijah was. In Genesis it says that Enoch “Walked with God.” God was pleased with Enoch. Think today about your own personal walk with God, does it please Him? Or does your walk displease Him?

Folks spend a lot of time, lots of money, and a lot of energy trying to please themselves or someone else when we better be concerned with pleasing God!!

(Verse 6)

No matter what the circumstances are today in your life, we must maintain that Faith in order to please God. Remember “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

(Had a friend that started out in a pastorate right out of Bible College, he and another friend he went to college with. His friend was a very strong and very conservative man. They both pastored in the same state quite a distance from each other. A few years later his friend’s wife called my friend crying, needing him to come speak with her husband. My friend drove a few hours where he found his preacher friend in a motel. He thought this young man was strong enough to handle most anything. When he found the pastor in the motel he told my friend that he was tired of working day and night to please everyone. He decided that he was going to please himself for a while. He wound up leaving his wife and the ministry.)