Four Things You Can't Do Without

Four Things You Can’t Do Without

Hebrews 11:1-6

September , 2007

* Interesting headlines in recent newspapers...

* Headlines read- "5 kinds of insurance policies you can’t do without"

- Health, homeowners, disability, life, & umbrella liability

* "Americans can’t do without their credit cards"

* "Youth can’t do without phones, alcohol, & drugs"

* There are some things you gotta have

* There are some things you THINK you gotta have.

* We think we can’t do without:

(some of you are old enough that you have done without some of these)

1- electricity

2- a microwave

3- TV

4- indoor bathroom

5- food

6- money

7- designer clothes

8- teenager can’t do without a ride

9- others can’t do without another beer, another high, another fix

* There are four things the Bible says we can’t do without.

I. Faith - Heb. 11:6

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

* Not all faith is the same in Scripture … different types of faith

A. Saving faith

* can’t be saved without faith

* No relationship with God without faith

* BUT even a child is capable of having saving faith

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

* Saved not by what we do or achieve, but by what we believe …FAITH

* We are saved as a result of our trust, dependence, and confidence in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished on the cross.

* Paul spent a little over 3 years in Ephesus and here is what he said he emphasized...

Act 20:20-21 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, (21) Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

B. Sustaining faith Heb. 11:6

* Context of Heb. 11 is sustaining faith - …Many had sustaining faith

- Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

- Heb 11:32-34 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: (33) Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (34) Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

* These verses aren’t talking about the salvation of these people but they speak to us concerning their sustaining faith in their lives.

* We can’t please God without faith

* We claim to trust God for salvation,…and we do.

* But do we trust God in every other area of life

- finances, family life, social life, work life

- When we run into an obstacle in life, who do we trust God to get us past it?

* Christian life is one of faith.

* We are not only saved initially by faith, we are sustained by faith.

- We don’t just begin the Christian life by faith, we continue the Christian life by faith.

- Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

- You received Him by faith, continue in Christian life to walk by faith

* We are to learn to walk by faith.

* We begin the journey by faith, and we continue the journey by faith.

* We don’t just need faith to be saved, we need faith to live by

* "The just shall live by faith"

II. Shedding of blood Heb. 9:22

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

A. It’s essential, not optional

* We have been accused of ’slaughter house religion’ – or – bloody religion

* v. 23 – necessary

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

* Not optional … not take it or leave it – not you go your way, I’ll go mine

* No forgiveness without the blood

* Christ’s blood is sufficient to pay the price of the world’s sins