Forging A Real World Faith

Forging A Real World Faith:

Live as a Servant and Witness of the Lord

Acts 26

Intro.:

A. We have been talking about Forging a Real World Faith! A couple of special word pictures we have to help us understand that God wants to Forge in us a Real World Faith is…

1. BlackSmith who took molted metal, put it on the Anvil and molds or Forges it to become a beautiful piece of art.

2. The Potter (God) and the Clay (us).

How does the Lord Forge this real world Faith in us?

1. Gentle Instruction; Through the Word, through a brother or sister in Christ, through a spiritual leader, etc. Jesus and the woman at the well, Peter at Pentecost preaching, Zacheus

2. Defining Moments; situations that God uses you. Ex. Would be The Disciples feeding the 5000, Daniel, David with Goliath, Joseph

3. Radical Transformation: Where God just Forges you through His Divine Hand; Ex. Jonah, and Paul.

What is Forging a Real World Faith? The Process of developing our faith in Christ to function in the real world as we Live For Christ in our everyday routines as well as the unexpected situations in life without Surrendering/Losing our Faith and Hope in Christ - so that we can make a difference in the Real World for the Kingdom of God!

How is this Real World Faith Forged in us? Live for Christ; He gave His life for us, we now give ourselves to Him and seek to be used by Him, everyday in every way, with everyone we come into contact with.

1. Develop Intimacy with God. Matt. 6:25-34; Jesus teaches us that Real World Faith will cause us to completely Trust the Lord, believe that He will provide for us and that the Lord desires to be in an intimate relationship with us as Heavenly Father (through Faith in Jesus Christ and by being filled with the Holy Spirit).

2. Surrender Ourselves Completely to the Lord; our rights and privileges, our loyalties, our HEART.

3. Live as a Servant and Witness of the Lord; to make a difference for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

There are many examples of men and women in Scripture who demonstrate to us a total surrender to the Lord; David - Ps. 51 - Zacheus in Luke 19,Daniel, etc. Paul - Acts 26

Background and how he was used by the Lord.

- Ch. 23; Paul before Annanias (High Priest) the Sandhedrin. They send him to Felix - who for a favor the Jews left Paul in prison for 2 years (Ch. 24). Ch. 25, Festus succeeds Felix -hears Paul’s defense - was going to hand Paul over but Paul appeals to Caeser. Ch. 26 King Agrippa is in town and wants to hear Paul’s defense.

Jesus calls us to make a difference in the world in which we live. Luke 10:3 - I am sending you out lambs amongst the wolves. John - Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. John 16:33; I have told you these things so that you may have peace - in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.

We are called to be in the world but not of the world - if fact we are told that if we love the world we hate God (1John 2).

So as we come to this section of Forging a Real World Faith we learn that God wants to Forge in us a Real World Faith so that we will live with faith and Hope - and so we will make a difference in the world in which we live - each one of us!

Paul whom God Forged a Real World Faith - lived for Christ in his everyday routines as well as the unexpected situations that he found in himself in. But he also lived for Christ and was used by God to make a difference in this world.

Our Passage: Paul has been arrested for preaching Christ and is now before King Agrippa and Governor Festus. This is not the best situation for Paul but He is living for Christ with faith and Hope and we still see Him making a difference for Christ. How?

Paul has been called as you and I are to be a Servant and Witness for Christ (vs. 16). As we study Paul being a Servant and Witness for Christ, we learn how we should live to be a Servant and Witness for Him too.

Body: Lessons on Living as a Servant and Witness for Lord from Paul. If we are going to make a difference in our world for the sake of the Kingdom of God, how should we live?

1. Confident in God, Vs. 22, 25 FAITH