Faith

Faith. Hebrews 11:1-16. WBC Sun 22nd August 2004 am

INTRODUCTION

You have faith. You do!

- when you got up this morning and put on the light: you exercised faith

- when you got in your car you exercised faith in that car to deliver you here

- when you buy some pills from the chemist, you exercise faith that they will work

- when you board a train- you have faith that it will get you to your destination

- when you post a letter: that it will arrive at the right destination (that takes faith!)

There is nothing unique about faith. It is a universal currency

As is spiritual faith. We all have it. Seriously

- as they say: everyone is someone’s fool. Who’s fool are you?

- The humanist has faith in himself

- The New Ager in the general benevolence of the universe and the power of inane objects such as crystals

- The Muslim in the Koran and Mohammed as a prophet

- The religious person in their own works to save them

Everyone exercises faith. There’s nothing unique about it

- you have bucket loads of it!

But what you realise is that some things are more worth putting your faith in than others

-so it’s not your faith that counts- but the object of your faith

Illustr: 3 people were on an aeroplane in awful weather. One terrified, hysterical and sobbing. One biting their nails and clutching the seat handle. One calmly asleep. All 3 made it because the object of their faith (plane and pilot) were trustworthy.

Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. The object of our faith

- utterly dependable

- able to save to the utmost those who come to Him. In fact- as subjects of religious faith go, He is the only trustworthy one as

AC 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

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So- let’s get a few things clear about faith this morning

WHAT FAITH ISN’T

Faith isn’t about FAITH. Believing. Faith is not the object and goal (as if by it I can please God and make things happen, get myself a good life)

- that’s an extreme that we all feel uneasy with

- Faith is about the object of my faith

Faith isn’t about adherence to a set down rulebook or set of doctrines

- can be said of some: “oh, they are a person of faith” (because they bash a certain drum or doctrine all the time, and seem so sure)

- in fact they are desperately unsure, insecure and bigoted

o religion has become their crutch

- > rather a than JESUS.

- It’s not the matter of right doctrine (though that matters)

o Paul says “I know WHOM I have believed” 2 Tim 1:12

Faith isn’t about a blind leap into the dark

- “just have faith” (in other words: unscrew your brain)

- doesn’t mean switching off common sense

- doesn’t mean can’t be a scientist. Faith is not the anti-thesis of science!

- Cf here: by faith we believe that God created the world

o It’s not telling us how it happened

o I am a creationist. I believe God created the world. Out of nothing.

 It’s science’s job to try and find out how



o Strangely enough they currently think there might have been a time when there was nothing. And then, pow, matter came into being!

 Hey boys, give me a Professorship! By faith I’ve believed that for ages!

 I look forward to hearing more theories as to how my God might have done it. My what mechanisms

All faith is not the same

- people think, nowadays, that ‘It really doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. You’ve got your faith I’ve got mine”

o that’s just not true. I know some lovely, sincere people, but what they believe is absolute tosh. I just don’t know how they can do it

o Illustr: Margo. 16 credit cards and debt. Why did you expand the house? “The house spoke to me and told me it wanted to be”

o Friends- us Christians have got NOTHING to worry or be ashamed about!

WHAT FAITH IS

Faith is in an object

- our faith is in the nature of a loving God, and that object is Jesus Christ

o completely trustworthy

It is “the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of things not yet seen”

- that word ‘assurance’ (NIV ‘being sure of’) literally is ‘hypostasis’

o you know that: hypo= under stasis= stand

- faith is the what stands under the things we believe as Christians and gives them support. It is their foundation