March 30, 2008
Morning Worship
Text: Romans 1:16-17
Subject: Faith in the Gospel
Title: Radical Faith for a Radical Life
There is a radical movement in Christianity called the “Word of Faith” movement. One of the pioneers of the movement in this recent generation was Kenneth Hagin. Brother Hagin has been accused a teaching heresy and has been rejected by much of mainstream Christianity. Did I ever tell you that I don’t want to fit into mainstream Christianity? My goal is to fit into the word of God. You know what it is that I believe and I also believe that the Bible teaches. We are called to be a different kind of people – a people who walk by faith in the word of God. I believe most of the same things that Kenneth Hagin believed. I have come to that belief, not by studying and reading Kenneth Hagin books, but by studying the Bible. So when I say that I am a word of faith preacher I mean that if the word promises it, I am going to believe it and accept it.
There is a vast difference between what many of today’s churches teach about faith and what the Bible teaches. Too often we are told that the things that have occurred in the Bible are not for today. Miracles, signs and wonders, healing and blessing don’t have any relevance for today’s Christian. But I believe that they are more relevant now than ever before. And I believe that Christians today are called to walk by faith and not by sight more now than ever.
When a traveler in the early days of the west, came to the Mississippi, he discovered there was no bridge. Fortunately it was winter and the great river was sheeted over with ice. But the traveler was afraid to trust himself to it, not knowing how thick it was. Finally with infinite caution, he crept on his hands and knees and managed to get halfway over. And then he heard--yes he heard singing from behind. Cautiously he turned, and there, out of the dusk, came another traveler, driving a four-horse load of coal over the ice, singing as he went!
That is the kind of faith that God desires for Christians to have today.
Listen as I read just two verses from the word today and then believe with me that God desires for you to have radical faith for a radical life.
I. THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. 16I am not ashamed of the gospel… I want to do a word study on a couple of words here. That’s really a good way to get to the meaning of a passage. “Ashamed” means “to feel” shame for something. It is an emotional response. Paul says, “I am not ashamed” of the gospel. Gospel means “good news” of “good message”. Some translations say “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…” but the oldest manuscripts omit “of Christ” . So when it says “I am not ashamed of the gospel” it refers to the whole Word of God. There really isn’t a conflict here because the gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ - is the same as the rest of God’s word. It is the message of hope for a lost and dying world. It is the message of the grace of God who invites all to come to Him by faith. It is the same now as it was 3500 years ago when Abraham walked by faith and was called a friend of God. Listen to the words of Jesus from Mark 8:38, 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Notice that Jesus said that if anyone is ashamed of Him and His words… in this adulterous and sinful generation. That’s talking about a generation not in reference to time or heritage but in reference to the world system that is prevalent right now. It is talking about the age in which we live now. Even though this is the church age, the age of the dispensation of grace, satan is still the god of this world or this age, but if you are not ashamed of Jesus or of His word you have overcome the devil. Who do you think it is that is behind the teaching that the Bible is not relevant today? The devil! Who is it that has placed in the hearts of men from the beginning, “Did God really say…?” It’s the devil! Who is it that has placed it in the minds of theologians that you can believe part of the word but you have to throw out other parts? You know who it is! Don’t fall into that trap. The Word of God is timeless. Jesus said that heaven and earth would pass away but that His word will never pass away. That is why Paul could write to his young friend in 2 Timothy 1, 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. Hallelujah! 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God… the word power means,
force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself):—ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. So when we talk about the gospel being the power of God we literally are saying that the gospel is the force of God, the miraculous power of God or the ability of God or the abundance of God or the strength, violence, or wonderful work of God. It is the emphasis on the supernatural aspect – something that is done outside the natural order of things – something that God is doing that transcends all natural laws that He has set in order in the physical realm. I am not ashamed (I don’t have emotional reservations about) the gospel (the good news, the Word of God) because it is the supernatural power of God to work miracles in the natural realm.(Mike Rickman translation) That tells me that if God’s word says it you can expect it to happen. My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus… And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:…By His stripes you are healed… whatever you ask in Jesus name He shall do it… Are you seeing a pattern here? You don’t have to be ashamed of the gospel!
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL. 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: How many of you would agree with me if I said that the gospel (the entire Bible) contains everything you need to know about what it takes for you to have the kind of relationship with God that leads to eternal life? It’s the power of God for salvation, right? When you think of the word salvation you immediately think about the work that God has done in you to save you from hell. Most of you are sure of your eternal state. Some of you may have lingering doubts but you don’t doubt God, you doubt yourself. God’s word is the power for salvation. You don’t doubt that. But, what would you say if I told you that the word translated “salvation” goes deeper than just your spiritual status before God? The word means, rescue or safety (physically or morally):—deliver, health, salvation, save, saving. It is derived from the word that refers to a deliverer, that is, God or Christ:—saviour which in turn stems from the word that means to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):—heal, preserve, save, do well, be (make) whole. So if we are willing to accept the salvation of our souls unto eternal life, why is it that the church has such difficulty with protection or provision or healing or deliverance or wholeness or blessing that comes from the word? Maybe it’s because you haven’t been properly taught what the word says about those things. Maybe you have been taught but you attach your own personal thoughts to the word, which in come cases nullifies the word. You see if we say, “By His stripes we are healed” and then add on our own interpretation, “if it’s His will” or, “if it’s His time” or “when He gets done teaching me a lesson”. The word in fact says, “By His stripes we are healed – without any other stipulations added to it. Do you see what your additions do to the word? Your additions are based on tradition and not the Word of God. Well but Pastor, that’s what we have always been taught. So let’s unteach it. The work of the cross provides more than eternity – it has provisions for now. Having said that about what salvation means, who is it for? Yes, eternal salvation is for all. Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice once for all. But no one receives it until they believe. 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: The word “believes” has such strong meaning that goes beyond believing with your mind. Mental ascent is important in understanding scriptural concepts but believing in order to receive must come from your heart. The heart refers to the spirit man inside of you and it is when your spirit man is in agreement with your thoughts that these things come to pass. That is the importance of what Paul would write later in Romans 10, 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. The word “believes” means to be fully persuaded, to commit yourself to, or fully put your trust in something or someone.
III. THE PRESENCE OF THE GOSPEL. Now look at verse 17. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last… or from faith to faith. Now obviously this refers to the righteousness that come from a relationship with Christ, but once again the word means more than the English gives us. It means “character” so in the gospel God’s character is revealed from faith to faith. Every time we find a promise in the word to stand on and do so with unwavering faith, God’s character is revealed in us. From the time when we trusted Him for salvation to the time we trusted Him to provide for our every need, to the time we were fully persuaded that we are healed from a disease. Mathew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. If Jesus was doing it then don’t you think He is still doing it today? Now I want to finish this with something for you to act upon. “The righteous (just) will live by faith.” If you are a child of the Living God through a relationship with Jesus His Son, you have been made righteous or just. These are words that first came from the prophet Habakkuk. The just shall live by faith. I want you to get this. The just shall live… That is not just talking about eternal life. We gain eternal life by faith – trusting Jesus. But the just shall live (right here, right now) by faith. That means trusting in not bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God. That means not being satisfied with just plodding along as a poor, sad or downtrodden Christian till Jesus comes, but to have life and have it abundantly. That means looking to the gospel, the Word of God, for every need you have in your life and trusting His promises because His righteous character is revealed through your faith. Do you see what that means? Every time you stand in faith to believe God’s word, he is revealed through you – He is glorified through you – He is lifted up by your faith so that the world may see God for who He really is! He is present in you through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He is present in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that fills you to overflowing. And he abides in you when you let His word abide in you and be revealed in your faith. The just shall live by faith.
James 2, verse 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
To illustrate dead faith, "It is that kind of faith which would lead a man to take a bottle of medicine from his medicine cabinet. Looking at the instructions on it, he says, ’I’m sure they’re correct. I have all confidence in the source of the medicine. I know who wrote these directions. I believe everything about it. I know this will relieve my headache, if I just take it.’ But he takes the medicine bottle and puts it back on the shelf. He doesn’t lose his headache. It continues on. Yet he can say I believe that medicine. I believe all about that medicine. But still he won’t take it. That’s dead faith."
James 2:20 - Dr. Harlan Roper, Tape on James, Dallas, Texas.
Jesus said this in John 15, verse 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Stand with me. I want to ask you, what is it you are believing God for today? Healing? There are bodies that need a touch from God all across this sanctuary today. Do you need for God to provide for you financially? Step out in faith. Are you believing God to fill this sanctuary? Then we need to start preparing for that. Are you believing for our revival services to touch lives? You need to start acting on that now. Are you believing for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life? Come to the water and receive it right now. Are you believing for God’s blessing in your life?
The Just shall live by faith … from faith to faith…
But you have to act on it.
Are you ready?
