Sermon Central
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Faith Believes
Contributed by Ralph Andrus on Sep 9, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Abraham’s Faith Was Who He Believed A. He Had A Simple Trust In An Unseen God B. He Believed What God Promised C. He Acted On His Belief D. He Grew In His Faith
America’s “One Nation Under God” Drift
- Jesus told Peter you will deny me 3 times before the cock crows, 2012 years later the Democrats did it again
- On Wed. 9/5/12 amid boos, Democrats vote to restore God, & Jerusalem to party platform
- Chairman rams through platform change to boos, jeers & shaking fists
Following the controversial ruling, one frustrated young delegate — Daniel McKenzie from Minnesota — sought out the Occupy encampment at nearby Marshall Park to not only voice his displeasure with the decision, but also to walk with the protesters that evening in support of their cause
Websites of Unbelief
Under the search term “atheist” Google return 7,140,000 results
• The Clergy Project – “Moving Beyond Faith”
• Recovering from Religion
• The Evil Bible
• Freedom From Religion Foundation
• The Free Thinker
• American Atheists
- These question everything, & trust no one
- They believe in anything
It’s like a car without gas, you can stay in it as long as you want but you won't go anywhere.
- Trusting only in yourself is believing that everything is OK with yourself when you know it’s not
- If I denied the existence of the sun, I would find it rather difficult to be zealous in my convictions in the light of its brilliance.
- “Trust” literally mean a bold confident,
A sure security or
An action based on that security
- Jesus is worthy of our trust.
- Unlike men, He never lies and never fails to fulfill His promises
Justification By Faith Rom 4:1-3, 6-7
Abraham & David illustrates justification by faith,
-Abraham nor David could be justified by the works of the Law
- Abraham lived before the law was given
- David broke the law.
Abraham’s Faith Was Who He Believed
Gen 12;1-4
- v.1 - Note the past tense (“… the Lord had said …)
- Time element here to believe
- v.2-3 – Note future tense (3x “I will’)
. A Simple Trust In An Unseen God”
- Everyone has a faith—atheist, agnostic, or Christian.
- The real issue is what is a worthy object of our faith.
- Blind faith is faith without evidence
- Gen 15:1-6 (v.5) – “Look” All around you is evidence
- “look now toward heaven” See the stars
- Now count them
- That is what your seed shell be
- God is infinitely powerful in all his creation, including us
. He Believed What God Promised
- He makes a dead body alive
- Ro 4:17 Abraham found God’s Word true
- That he would have a Son
- That he should become the father of many nations
- Ro 4:13 That he would inherit the world
- “The opposite of joy is not sorrow. It is unbelief “ (Weatherhead).
. He Acted On His Belief
- Faith is not faith until is is acted upon
- Life & it’s problems are like a Mountain wall
- Don’t look at the mountain
- Climb that mountain wall
- Look over it and see Christ
Matthew 13:31–32 (AV)
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Luke 17:6 (AV)
6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, …
- Abraham believed just because God had said it.
- He had no other ground for it.
- Everything else would have led him to doubt or disbelieve it.
. He Grew In His Faith
Ge. 12:7,8 – He built an altar – 2x
Ge. 12:10-20 – Struggled in his faith in a famine
Ge. 16:1-4 – He misunderstood his faith
1. Hopeful faith (Ro 4:18).
2. A growing faith (Ro 4:20).
3. A certain faith (Ro 4:21).
