Sermon Central
-
Faith Gives Your All When You Don't Have It
Contributed by Ralph Juthman on Jun 15, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: God is not interested in hearing our excuses about what we don’t have. He is calling us to give to him all that we have.
Faith-The Greatest Power I the world p.2
Faith Gives When You Don’t Have It
INTRODUCTION
WHERE'S YOUR FAITH?
Television interviewer and journalist Larry King describes three farmers who gather daily in a field during a horrible drought. The men are down on their knees, looking upward, and praying the skies will open and pour forth a much-needed rain. Unfortunately, the heavens are silent, and the petitioners become discouraged, but they continue to meet every morning to lift up their request to God.
One morning an uninvited stranger approaches and asks the men what they are doing. They respond, "We’re praying for rain."
The newcomer looks at each of them and shakes his head, "No, I don’t think so."
The first farmer says, "Of course we’re praying. We are down on our knees pleading for rain. Look around; see the drought. We haven’t had rain in more than a year!"
The outsider continues to nod his head and advises them their efforts will never work. The second farmer jumps in and says, "We need the rain; we aren’t asking only for ourselves, but for our families and livestock."
The man listens, nods, and says he still isn’t impressed. "You’re wasting your time," he says.
The third farmer can’t take any more, and in anger he says, "Okay, what would you do if you were in our shoes?"
The visitor asks, "You really want to know?"
The three landowners answer, "We really want to know! The future of our farmlands is at stake."
The guest announces, "I would have brought an umbrella!"
SOURCE: Praying in Faith, Citation: Larry King, Powerful Prayers (Renaissance Books, 1998), p. 243.
What is faith? The simplest definition we can give is that,…
True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.
Read that last sentence again and let it soak into your mind and heart. This faith operates quite simply. God speaks and we hear His Word. We trust His Word and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or what the consequences may be. The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown; but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best.
Faith is not mystical or mind over matter. Niether is it denying reality.
The Bible makes clear that faith is very practical, inspite of what the world says.
When we come to understand how faith operates in the life of the believer, you discover Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see, and as a result, faith enables us to do what others cannot do!
It should not come as surprise when people laugh and mock great men and women when they step out by faith. God is with them and enables them to succeed to His glory.
The best way to grow in faith is to walk with the faithful. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to a summary of the lives and labors of great men and women of faith found in the Old Testament.
The writer begins his survey by going way past Moses and Abraham beginning with Abel.
Abel ‘s life testifies how faith gives when we don’t have it. Abel gave the best he had and the most he had in worship to God. The bible says that he was commended for his faith and that his life continues to speak to us long after he died.
Genesis chapter 4 tells the story of …
1. THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL
Genesis 1 records God’s creation of the heavens and the earth. Chapter 2 records God’s creation of man. And then chapter 3 records man’s sin and the terrible consequences that followed that act of rebellion against God.
And so in Genesis 4:1 we read: “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor..”
Now, if you’re like me, when you read this story, the question that immediately comes to mind is: “Why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?”
Well, I tink there are three reasons. The first has to do with the …
• Type of Offering
Abel brought what God commanded; Cain did not.
