Faith the Key to Fellowship 5/5/13
Introduction: Faith is the key for all believers in Christ Jesus it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen as Hebrews 11:1states. By placing your faith in Christ you have Hope, Hope for all eternity. That Faith which starts our relationship with Christ begins to form our walk with Him. We can strengthen our relationship with God through the spiritual exercise of walking with God.
Core: You must first place your faith in Christ before you can walk with Him. Faith in Christ brings the believer to a walking of that Faith, which is reasonable service. When we walk with God our walk is not always easy. Our walk does bring great eternal rewards.
Body I. Without Faith in Christ all Labor for God is in vain
A. If you can present to God a life of perfect works then you will have salvation.
1. The problem is no one but Jesus Christ has ever lived that perfect life.
2. Salvation therefore cannot come by works.
3. It must come through faith.
4. That Faith must be in Christ and in His efficacious work on the Cross.
5. Romans 10:17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
6. Works of intrinsic value come only after salvation not prior to it.
B. Enoch is an example we can look to concerning works.
1. Genesis 5:24 says Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him.
2. Enoch walked or had fellowship with God daily.
3. Great was his reward because he was found fellowshipping with God.
4. God translated Enoch he was taken from walking on earth with God to walking in eternity with God.
5. For the believer today great will be our reward.
6. For we are promised eternal rewards for our service, our fellowship or walking with God.
C. As we continue in fellowship with God we begin to grow into spiritual maturity. Continued fellowship comes with practicing 1 John 1:9 confession of sin the moment we realize we have committed that sin.
1. Notice in Genesis 5 when Enoch began his walk with God.
2. Verse 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
3. After his son was born God’s gift of life brought him to walk with God.
4. God’s gift of life for us or let’s put it like this our salvation brought us to walk with God.
5. The beginning of our fellowship or our relationship with God began at salvation
6. We started a walk with God.
D. Walking with God means the believer continues in fellowship with God.
1. Fellowship doesn’t imply status quo.
2. Fellowship with God means moving forward.
3. Fellowship with God means never retreating.
4. We are to be advancing ever advancing
5. Sin halts that advance that is why we must confess sin when we commit that sin.
6. We should enjoy a daily walk with Him and desire everyday of our lives to walk with Him.
7. In order that we can continue to grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. Ever advancing in spiritual growth.
II. So what is your Hope based on, works or Faith?
A. Are you seeking to do things man’s way or God’s way?
1. In Hebrews 11:1 the writer stated that Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.
2. Understand what the writer meant in saying “Faith is the substance”
3. God’s way is the substance or from the original Greek word in this passage God’s way is the “assurance”
4. The original text states “Now is Faith of things Hoped for Assurance of things, (the) conviction not seen.”
5. Faith in Christ brings Great Assurance.
6. It brings conviction of truth.
B. The foundation of our Walking with God and our Assurance of Salvation is Jesus Christ.
1. This is the foundation we build upon as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
2. We build on the foundation of Faith
3. Our eternal House is established on Faith.
4. Rewards for eternity are built upon Faith.
C. Faith is the substance of things not seen the KJV tells us.
1. This reminds me of the story I once heard from a black pastor friend Ivory Varner.
2. When he was a young child and they would have a family reunion.
3. His mom and other women would cook steak and from the drippings make gravy.
4. The platters would be passed first to the men who would eat their fill.
5. Then to the ladies and finally the platter would reach the children.
6. Usually the only thing left in the platter was the gravy.
7. When he became a man, he thought, the gravy represented the steak (meat), which he did not see, but he had hope of receiving when he grew into maturity.
8. That is what walking or fellowshipping with God as Enoch did brings’ to us.
D. That is faith in action.
1. Understand it is faith not works that saves you.
2. Faith is not something that is added to good works.
3. It produces them.
4. Good works for the believer come after salvation
III. The completion of Enoch’s fellowship is seen in the fact that “he was not for God took him.”
A. For Enoch the life of Faith of walking with God was seen in the fact that:
1. He did not see death for he was Translated.
2. God took him bodily from this earth.
3. Hebrews 11:5 starts by saying “By Faith Enoch was translated…”
4. Then it concludes with these words “…he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
5. What an epitaph to have.
6. Will that be said of you?
B. Walking with God strengthens your submission to God.
1. Walking with God doesn’t imply reliance on self.
2. James 4:7 puts the perspective on it, submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
3. James makes it clear we are to submit to the Holy Spirit.
4. As we walk with God we are to submit to His authority in our lives.
5. God has a job He wants us to do.
6. That job requires us to be walking with Him or in fellowship with Him.
I. IV. Walking with God means the believer’s life is to be one of worship. Isaiah 6:1-9
A. Isaiah 6:1 we recognize God’s presence.
1. Realizing God is present in our lives.
2. Therefore we set our worship and praise on Him.
3. We let go of the thoughts of our neighbor’s service.
4. We get our thoughts on God and walking with Him.
B. 6:2-3 Praise and Adoration, once you realize God’s presence in your life you can then acknowledge Who God is and Praise Him.
1. Seeing Him as He truly is and what He has done for you.
2. Begin to acknowledge who He truly is and cry as the angels did Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Host the whole earth is full of His Glory.
3. He is perfectly Holy in every sense
4. We are to recognize God for who He is and we are brought to the point of Praising and Adoring Him
C. 6:5-7Which brings us to confession and that brings forgiveness.
1. It is hard for us to see who I am until I acknowledge Who God is.
2. Until I recognize His Holiness and His Perfection.
3. Notice Isaiah says “I am undone, a man of unclean lips”
4. Recognizing the presence and acknowledging the Holiness of God brought Isaiah to confess his sin.
5. Notice upon confession we see forgiveness occur.
6. His lips were cleansed.
D. Prayer-Petition/Intercession Isaiah also prayed for the people of His nation.
1. Calling them a people of unclean lips.
2. Praying for Himself and others
3. Notice the intercession came after his confession of sin.
4. We see a beautiful model of prayer for our lives here in Isaiah chapter 6
E. 6:8 Then we see illumination come.
1. When we have gotten right with Him then we are to listen to God.
2. We are to allow Him to speak.
3. God illuming our minds.
4. Giving us His message
5. His calling us.
6. His message with our allowing Him to speak and our hearing His call.
7. Our hearts are open and ready to hear when we have practiced these first points.
F. This then leads us to the Dedication of our walk with Him.
1. Notice that once God has illuminated our hearts with His word and message it is time for dedication.
2. God said to Isaiah “Whom shall I send, who will go for us?”
3. Isaiah responded “hear am I send me”
4. This is Isaiah’s dedication. Responding to the message he had heard. This is true fellowship a true walk with God.
G. In the steps to worship the vitally important part of that worship is “Service” or our labor for God.
1. Worship is not complete until the illumination leads us to dedication which leads us to service and that is a part of our fellowship or walk with God.
2. Service or labor has not taken place it has not come full circle in being complete until we then follow the command of verse 9
a. God said do something with what you have heard.
b. Don’t just remain here with the message but go, go and labor for God.
Conclusion: We are not fully walking with God or having fellowship with Him until we are responding to His message. God has a message that is clear for the church and the members of the church. The Great Commission, go ye into all, the world, tell others about Christ. Acts 1:8 you have the Power to be a witness wherever you are. Walking with God as Enoch walked with God, responding to the leadership of God as Isaiah did and having hope in the substance and evidence brings you to maturity as a believer. Be found walking with God and be one who is pleasing God.
