Sermon idea adopted from Mark A. Copeland http://executableoutlines.com/home.htm
INTRODUCTION
A. Happy New Year! Starting today and on the first Sunday of each month I will be preaching a series of lessons on “Faith to Face the World.” You and I are faced with many trials each day and this sermon series will be an effort to give us as Christians encouragement to face and overcome the world we live in. These lessons will be based from Hebrews 11, were we will see how these people of faith faced great trials, persecution, and tribulations yet they overcame!
B. John writes about this faith to face the world by saying, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn 5:4-5).
C. The “world” to which John refers are those things in the world that can separate us from God such as:
1. Family, not having a proper view of God, loneliness, things that seem impossible, choosing the wrong direction for eternity, failing the test we face, death, government, tragedy, persecution, and lacking the faith to overcome sin.
D. These things can hinder our relationship with God.
1. For whatever is in the world that might hinder our relationship with God...There can be victory in overcoming the world!
2. Such victory comes to those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God -- Yes, “Faith Is the Victory!” We can have a great faith so we can face the world that we live in.
E. In this series, I would like to examine how faith in our Lord enables one to overcome the world. Just as those faithful people did in Hebrews 11.
F. Today’s lesson, we will introduce this series by examining faith, especially faith in Jesus as the Son of God.
G. In following lessons, we will consider how faith in Jesus can provide victory over things that can hinder our relationship with God.
H. So what is this faith that will give us victory to overcome the world?
Body
I. FAITH IN JESUS DEFINED
A. FAITH IN GENERAL...
1. As defined by Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true.
2. Its primary idea is trust.
3. It is a strong conviction or trust in something; as the NIV translates He 11:1...
a. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for...”
b. “...and certain of what we do not see.”
4. E.g., you have faith that your parents are indeed your parents. Based upon your trust or conviction in the reliability of their word. Such trust prompts you to respond accordingly as their child. You spend time with them, talk to them, make request of them, and do thing with your parents that you would not do with any other because you have faith that your parents are indeed your parents. This faith in general.
B. FAITH IN JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD...
1. It is a strong conviction or trust in Jesus:
a. Who Jesus is? That He is what He claimed in the New Testament; that He is truly the Son of the living God
b. What Jesus did? That He died on the cross for our sins and that His death, burial, and resurrection is truly a sufficient sacrifice for our sins
c. What Jesus said:
i. That He alone provides the way to eternal life (Acts 4:12).
ii. That He alone is the way to God, the Father - cf. Jn 14:6-7.
iii. Peter professed this faith in Jesus - Jn 6:68-69, “That Jesus has the words of eternal life.”
iv. That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God - cf. also Mt 16:15-16
2. When a person has such faith in Jesus...
a. They look to Jesus on how to deal with the problems they face.
b. They have trust and conviction that what He says in His word is the right answer or solution.
c. They are willing to act with trust and conviction on His word - cf. Lk 6:46
d. For those with an active faith in Jesus, their lives are built on a solid foundation...
i. Like a wise man who builds his house on a rock - Lk 6:47-49
ii. They are able to weather the storms of life, because their faith in Jesus has prompted them to prepare for whatever comes their way!
C. [This is the kind of faith that overcomes the world! The problem is that while many have a degree of faith to “hear” (listen) what Jesus said, most don’t have sufficient faith to apply, “do” (obey) what He says!
1. If we desire to have the kind of faith in Jesus that will help us to face and overcome the world, how is it developed? It is not as difficult as we might think...]
II. FAITH IN JESUS DEVELOPED
A. FAITH COMES FROM EVIDENCE...
1. Many people believe that faith is something blind, that you “just gotta believe” or we might say blind faith.
a. It is true that faith is often a strong conviction in “things unseen” - cf. Heb. 11:1
b. But there are solid reasons for believing in what you cannot see.
i. Just as one believes in George Washington, though we have never seen him.
ii. Just as we believe in who your parents are, though you can’t remember who was there at your birth.
iii. We believe in countries such as China or Austria yet we have never seen it with our own eyes or visit there.
iv. We have solid reasons and evidence for believe these things.
2. Other people believe that faith is some gift from God for a select few.
a. It is true that in one sense faith is a “gift” from God - cf. Ep 2:8; Ro 12:3
b. But while faith owes its ultimate source to God, it is available to all
i. For God desires all men to be saved - 1 Tim. 2:3-6.
ii. And He desires that which produces saving faith to be proclaimed to all the nations - Ro 1:16; 16:25-26.
3. So then Faith comes from evidence provided by God Himself!
a. God provided signs and wonders so that people might believe in His Son - Jn 5:36;10:37-38; 14:10-11.
b. And so the apostles and other inspired writers recorded these signs that they were eye witnesses to so that we might believe - Jn 20:30-31; 1 John 5:13.
i. Believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God
ii. Through such faith to have “life” (i.e., victory over the world!) in His name
4. This leads us to the primary source of faith for us today...
B. FAITH COMES FROM “WHAT WAS WRITTEN,” THE WORD OF GOD...
1. Even as Paul declared: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”- Ro 10:17.
a. Faith (trust and conviction) is founded upon what the Word of God reveals.
b. This is especially true regarding faith in Jesus! - again cf. Jn 20:30-31; 1 John 5:13.
2. The Word of God produces faith in Jesus by the evidence it provides...
a. E.g., the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament as fulfilled in the N.T.
b. E.g., His signs and wonders recorded in the Gospels.
c. E.g., the testimony of eyewitnesses in Acts and the epistles.
3. -- As one studies, meditates, and obeys the Word of God regarding Jesus; faith is developed!
4. Faith in Jesus that leads to victory comes from believing what is studied and obeying the Word of God!
a. The reason many people do not live victorious lives is a lack of faith. Such as the Jews in Hos. 4:6 which were destroyed for the lack of knowledge.
b. They have a weak faith because they do not read, study, and obey the Word of God! As the Jews illustrate in Amos. 8:11-14 who were very weak spiritually because they did not abide by the word of God.
c. Not only is their faith weak, but they often don’t even know the teachings of Jesus that can help them to overcome the world! Mat 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
CONCLUSION
A. When the Alaskan Pipeline was being built, there were many Texans who went to Alaska and found work on the pipeline. The Texans could only work a few hours in the frigid weather, yet the Eskimos, the native Alaskans, could work indefinitely in the cold. They decided to do a study to find out why the Eskimos could withstand the weather. After much study they found that there were no physiological differences between the Eskimos and the Texans. There was nothing in skin thickness, blood, or any other thing physically that would explain the differences in the ability to withstand the temperatures. The solution came when they did a psychological study. The difference was the Eskimo said “he knows it was cold but there was a job to be done.” In other words, his focus was on the job and obtaining results rather than on the weather. The Texan focused on the weather and this kept him from focusing on the job at hand. (Taken from the Movie 5th Quarter).
B. You and I will focus on one of two things this week. We will either focus on how bad things are, the trials, and temptations or we will focus on Christ and His Word. Godly faith can help us to face and overcome the world we live. Whatever our troubles are: with family, loneliness, things that seem impossible, dealing with death, sin or whatever it is.
C. Our responsible as Christians is to focus on Christ. It is our job to study scriptures and apply it’s teaching to our life. When we go to work or school tomorrow. When we wake up and see our spouse and kids. There is a great likelihood we are going to be say something, do something to sin, situations might tempted us to quit our faith, or turn our back on God. We must remember we are responsible for our faith. We are responsible to continue in Christ each day!
D. Faith in Jesus gives one the victory to face and overcome the world... We have seen it in people like Peter, Paul, and others who overcame, so can we!
1. Whether it is overcoming sin which separates us from God.
2. Or it is overcoming sinful thinking that hinders our relationship with God.
E. Victorious faith comes in focusing on Christ Jesus, studying, and obeying the Word of God...
1. This is why I cannot emphasize enough the importance of feeding upon it daily. If you have not read and studied the Bible I challenge you to start today as we being a New Year. Make it your goal to study the Bible daily. Study it so it will change you and help you be the person of faith God needs you to be.
i. Faith is where our Christian journey begins and faith must be maintained until we die or Jesus returns (Rev. 2:10). This morning if you have not confessed your faith in Christ, repented of your sins, put Christ on in baptism for the remission of your sins, do so today as we stand and sing.
