“WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?”
“Faith Defined and Applied”
Hebrews 11:1
Fr. Christopher M. Nerreau
Illustration: About a year ago a man entered a priest’s office with a great commotion. He was weary, distraught and weeping. The Priest who knew the man well asked – “What seems to be the problem?” The man began to tell the priest about his life and the giant mess he had made out of it. The man said – “Father, I have no hope, I have ruined my life and I have no chance of ever getting it back!” The Priest sat back in his chair with a smug grin and said – “Have faith my son.” The man sat us straight and said – “I would Father but I do not know what faith is? TELL ME – “WHAT IS FAITH, HOW DO I GET IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT.” The Priest’s smug look disappeared very quickly as he realized he himself was unequipped to answer the man’s questions.
This story hits home for me because I was that Priest!
Proposition: Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
Interrogative sentence: If you were asked the same question as I could you answer it?
Sermon Preview: Because faith plays such an important role in our lives, I thought it important to take some time to better understand it by answering this man’s very applicable questions:
1. WHAT IS FAITH (Hebrews 11:1)
2. WHERE DOES FAITH COME FROM (Romans 10:17)
3. WHY FAITH IS IMPORTANT (Hebrews 11:6)
Transitional Sentence: Let’s begin by looking at...
I. WHAT IS FAITH (Hebrews 11:1)
Explanation: THE BIBLE SAYS: Hebrews 11: 1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
At first glance this might seem like a ridiculous question – “What is faith.” It seems that we should intrinsically know what faith is. But if you really think about it you may find yourself as much at a loss as I was.
• If we look at Hebrews 11:1 we will find that faith is defined as having two major components.
• The First Is Assurance: (GOD’S ROLE)_
o “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (v.11:1)
o Assurance conveys the idea of giving hope, something that people can hold onto.
o Assurance is what God gives us in the Gospel. Jesus said – “I will never leave nor forsake you.” He also said – “Though you die yet shall you live.” He was giving us assurance.
o Jesus healed the blind to give assurance that He was the cure for spiritual blindness. He healed the sinner to give assurance of forgiveness of sin. He raised the dead to give assurance that He is eternal life.
o ASSURANCE IS THE WORK OF CHRIST, GIVING HOPE!
• The Second Is Conviction: (OUR ROLE)
o “Conviction of things not seen.” (v.11:1)
o Conviction is pounding your fist over something.
o Our role in faith is to be convicted (pound our fist) over the assurances of God.
o God gives assurance and we are called to believe with conviction that causes us to pound our fist. Total conviction.
• The Two Together: (Consummation Of Faith)
o When the assurances of God meets the conviction of the heart what is born is faith.
o The consummation of assurance and conviction is true, living faith.
Illustration: When I was a teenager I pulled up to a gas station and said – “Fill er up.” It was not until the tank was full that I realized that I left my cash at home. The gas tenant was not going to allow me to leave to get the cash unless I could “Assure” him that I would return. I gave him my driver’s license and registration and that was enough, he had a conviction that I was going to return and what was birthed out of that assurance and conviction was faith in what was not seen – Namely that I would return.
Application: God has given you the assurance of things hoped for: Protection, Security, Peace, Rest, Strength, Purpose and Eternal life
• Jesus said – I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life! Jesus said – I am the gate, I am the good shepherd, I am the bread of life, I am the door…
• Today we are called to a conviction that these assurances of Christ as real as I am standing here.
There is no faith without conviction, and our conviction must be in those things that are “unseen”.
We MUST TRUST HIM, WITHOUT TRUST FAITH DOES NOT EXIST. Today are you convicted of the assurances of Christ?
Transitional Sentence: So we have seen what faith is… ( the coming together of the assurance of God and the Conviction of the heart.) Now, lets turn our attention to…
II. WHERE DOES FAITH COME FROM? (Romans 10:17)
Explanation: The second question of the man in my office was – “Where does faith come from.” OR IN OTHER WORDS HOW DOES ONE OBTAIN THIS CONVICTION IN THE ASSURANCES OF GOD?
THE BIBLE SAYS (v.8) - “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
• Faith and Hearing
o “Faith comes from hearing” – FAITH HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE EARS TO HEAR THE ASSURANCE OF GOD.
o At least 5 times Jesus says – “He who has ears let him hear.” Mt. 11:15, 13:9, 13:43;Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8
o Jesus understood that most of us have ears, but not all choose to hear. Faith IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT HEARING THE ASSURANCES OF God.
o What Jesus is addressing here is the heart that WILL NOT listen.
• Hearing and the Word of God
• Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God…”
o The word used here in the original Greek literally means dynamite.
o The Gospel message is the dynamite of God to change hearts and minds and to OPEN EARS THAT THEY MAY HEAR!
o In this sense then, faith comes through the preaching of the Gospel. THE GOSPEL OPENS EARS BY IT’S DIVINE POWER AND OPEN EARS HEAR THE ASSURANCE AND THE ASSURANCE LEADS TO CONVICTION WHICH IS FAITH!
Illustration: When it comes to faith I often felt like a pirate in search of a treasure chest. I knew it was out there somewhere but I just did not know how to find it. Was it something that I created in and of myself or was it something that I needed to find?
FAITH IS NOT SOMETHNG YOU PRODUCE IN AND OF YOURSELF. Faith is born as the Gospel is preached, as the assurance is revealed and as the heart is convicted.
Application: What I am trying to say is that FAITH IS FOUND IN THE HEARING OF GOD’S HOLY WORD.
Transitional Sentence: Finally let’s turn our attention to…
III. WHY FAITH IS IMPORTANT (Hebrews 11:6)
Explanation: I have often wondered why God was so serious about us having faith. Why not knowledge, or why not just show Himself to us? But instead He chose faith…
THE BIBLE SAYS – (Heb 11:6) “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
• WHY FAITH
Illustration: A long time ago at a party a friend of mine came up to me and said – “God must be an egomaniac wanted the praise of the whole world.” And that would be true if in fact He were not worthy of the praise of the whole world.
The bottom line is that God is the only One/Thing in the entire universe that IS WORTHY OF OUR PRIASE.
• So the answer to the question – Why faith is found in this truth – God is worthy of the highest form of praise and the highest form of praise one can give is to trust in Him with all of our conviction.
• Jesus said - John 20:29 - “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” The highest form of worship is TRUST AND NOT KNOWLEDGE.
Restate Proposition: Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Restate Main Points: Remember -
1. FAITH IS THE COMING TOGETHER OF ASSURANCE AND CONVICTION
2. FAITH COMMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING THE WORD OF GOD.
3. FAITH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WITHOUT IT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD.
Final Application:
Maybe when you came into the Church today you felt just like the guy who came into my office a few months ago.
• You might not be crying , shaking and carrying on but at the end of the day you have messed up your life and feel like there is no turning back.
• Today, I want to give you the same advice I gave that man, only this time I give it not as a platitude but as the pursuit of your soul.
o HAVE FAITH IN CHRIST – That He will forgive you, that He will receive you, that He will make you whole, that He will make the crooked paths straight, that He will save you from Death and that He will give you eternal life!
• Augustine Once said – “It is the very limits of our reason that make faith necessary.
• REMEMBER FAITH IN FAITH IS POSITIVE THINKING, FAITH IN CHRIST IS SALVATION!
Amen!
