What I Believe
Pastor Glenn Newton October 31, 2010
Are you a believer? I’m going to ask that question a lot this morning because I think it’s important, in fact, I believe it makes all the difference in the world. The truth is we are all believers in SOMETHING or Someone.
This morning I want you to be thinking about this question…. Are you a Believer…. And what is it that you passionately believe in….what are those bedrock beliefs that you hold onto that are worth fighting for?
This morning I am going to be using various scriptures to show you what God has told us about belief….I want to start with Luke 1:37….God has sent the Angel Gabriel to a little, rural town called Nazareth, in Galilee to talk to a young girl named Mary, she was a virgin who was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph….do you remember the story? Gabriel reveals God’s plan to young Mary, how God through the Holy Spirit is going to give her a child, and his name is going to be Jesus…do you remember? Mary is young and afraid, but she’s old enough to understand that babies don’t just appear…she asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Do you know what Gabriel says in v.37? “For nothing is impossible with God.” (prayer)
For nothing is impossible with God, do you believe that? Say that with me…. For nothing is impossible with God.
Can I tell you a secret? If you’re a Christian this morning…..your crazy! If you’re a Christian and you really believe what the Bible says is true, then your certifiable nuts according to this old world and their wise men.
So if you’re a Christian, WELCOME TO THE CRAZY CLUB! I BELIEVE A LOT OF CRAZY STUFF, AND IT’S ALL TRUE BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Friends I believe that the first sentence in the Bible is true… “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1 God is the author of life, He is our source, there is no other! I believe God’s Word has been given to us to Reveal who God is, how much He loves us, its been given to us to reveal His Truth, It has been giving to reveal Jesus Christ, the Living Word, our Messiah, Our Savior. From the first word to the last, it’s all true….Rev. 22:20 says, “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
What you believe makes a difference, What you believe changes everything in this life. When you stopped doubting and you made that decision to put your faith in God, repenting of your sin and rebellion toward God, when you turned to God in Faith and said, Please forgive me…. You know what happened, God did a miracle in your life, you were spiritually brought to life, you were Born Again, amen?
Your belief makes a difference; the question is “Are you a believer?”
Jesus said in Mark 9:23-24, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
One of the most important doctrines of the church states that Jesus Christ, who was fully man and fully God at the same time, he lived a sinless life, he was tortured and crucified on a Roman cross, he was dead for 3 days, and on the 3rd day, He came back to life…. That is fundamental to our Christian Faith, without the resurrection of Jesus, we would not have hope for heaven, we would not have forgiveness of our sins, we would be trapped in our sins and our God would be dead…..But Praise God we Believe what the Bible says, Amen?
On the 3rd day Jesus Christ arose from the dead, he appeared to His disciples, He met with them, he ate and talked with them, He was with them for 40 days, he appeared to over 500 eyewitnesses during that time, and He ascended into heaven on a cloud promising to return as the conquering King…What you believe makes all the difference in the world.
Are you a believer?
This morning there are a lot of people who believe in all kinds of things, belief is not a problem for people, the problem is what they are choosing to believe in.
On Saturday nights we come together at Celebrate Recovery and we learn about how God wants to set us Free, Free from the lies and the deceptions that somehow over the years we have bought into. The truth is God’s Word tells us that Christ has come to set us free, when we live our lives outside of God’s protection, outside of His Truth, we end up in chains to our addictions, we end up in chains to our wrong ideas about life, we end up believing that there really is no hope, there really is no future to look forward too.
I have a lot of friends who don’t believe in Christ, well if you asked them, they would say Yes, they believe in God…..but it’s not the kind of belief that the Bible talks about, it’s more like the kind of belief we had in Santa Claus when we were kids, were you just hope that he is real, but you’re not real sure.
What a lot of my friends believe in, and these are really good people…. In fact I love them with all my heart, but I know that they are placing their faith in things that won’t make a difference in eternity….
Many of my friends are living for the next “experience”…. They are kind of numb because of the many disappointments in their lives, so they are searching for something that will make them feel something, anything. So the weekend becomes a “looking for love in all the wrong places” kind of thing. Alcohol and drugs become apart of their lives because they are trying to escape the pain they are in, they are wanting to feel whole, they want to feel peace, they want to be really happy. Satan loves to promise the things that we are desperately searching for, but have you ever noticed, he never delivers…He’s a liar.
People are looking to place their faith in Material things….If I could just have that house, drive that car, get that job…If I could just have this much in the savings account, then I would have some peace, then I would be happy. Material things come and go, they blow away like the leaves in the fall, if you put your truth in material things you will be disappointed. Friends, in our economy, it could all disappear in an instant, and many people who have put their faith in their material things are going to be hurting and greatly disappointed, disillusioned.
Some people put their faith in religion….they believe that if they obey all the rules, carry out all the rituals, if they live good moral lives, if they don’t miss too many services, if they put on the happy face, if they play the religion game, then surely that will be good enough for God. Nowhere in the Bible does it say Religion is the answer. In fact, Jesus had most of his disagreements with the Religious leaders about what it was to be truly spiritual and a true believer. Your church membership can’t save you, your good works won’t do it, your time punched in for services doesn’t do it, the number of times you have read the Bible doesn’t buy you any brownie points…... It’s not religion that God is after….it’s a personal Relationship he desires.
Are You a Believer? What do you believe in?
Can I tell you a secret? You have to be a Crazy Christian, you have to join the Crazy Club to find that Peace, that Love, that Wholeness that you’re looking for, it’s not found anywhere else. God has been calling to you since breath number one, hounding you, extending His grace to you, putting Crazy Christians in your path so that you could see what He can do in a person’s life.
Are you a believer? 1 John 2:3-6 has some very strong words to consider…. “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did,”
Did you notice that first part? There are many people, who are claiming to know God, but they are not following God word, his commands…..and the word says that they are liar, in other words they are deceived, they really aren’t believers.
How do we know if we are “In Christ”, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Wow… did you catch that? True believers are to be “Christlike” in how they live their lives.
Some of you might be thinking…preacher, that’s impossible, earlier you said Jesus was sinless and perfect, how am I supposed to walk like that? That’s a good question. Here’s the answer, you can’t do it on your own. Jesus himself will help you, empower you, He will be your source… Listen to what Jesus says in John 15:5-7 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”
You can’t live the Christian life on your own; you were never intended too, you can only live the Christian life with Christ as your source, living in you, that personal, intimate friend who helps you in every situation. When you fall, He’s there to pick you up, when you fail, He’s there to dust you off and teach you how to avoid doing that again, He’s closer than a brother, He’s your savior, He is your everything.
Are you walking like Jesus?
When we walk like Jesus people notice. Jesus was a polarizing person, he called people to believe crazy things, He called people to love their enemies for goodness sake. Jesus called people into a life of service, a lifestyle where other people become more important than serving yourself, that’s a crazy concept isn’t it?
When you walk like Jesus you also take a stand on things that are important, you stand up for the innocent, you get involved in your world. Jesus did more to elevate a women’s place during His time than anyone had dared in the culture that he lived in, Jesus dared to touch the sick, to confront corruption, to call people to accountability.
Here at New Hope, I talk all the time about taking a stand for what God cares about, stand up for Jesus every time you get the opportunity, let your voice be heard. This Tuesday, you have a chance to let your voice be heard, Christians should be the first ones in line to vote when the chance is there.
Are you a believer? Are you walking like Jesus? If you don’t know Jesus in this real, personal, intimate way….today is the day to change that. That thing that you have been searching for, that feeling, that thing that will finally provide you peace, that thing that will give you hope….it never was a thing….It’s a person, His name is Jesus….He’s alive, he’s your Savior, he’s the King of Kings, He will change your life for eternity…it’s time to begin believing in the impossible!
“For nothing is impossible with God.”
Invitation…
Prayer
