FAITH IN ACTION
GEN. 12; 1-4
1. INTRODUCTION. DEAD FAITH NEEDS TO BE BERRIED AND EULOGIZED. THERE ARE MANY PERSONS IN THE CHURCH WHOS FAITH HAS WITHERED AND DIED, AND AS A CONSEQUENCES THEY ARE LOST AND CONFUSED ABOUT THE THINGS OF GOD, THE WILL OF GOD, THE WORK OF GOD, AND THE GRACE OF GOD. DEAD FAITH IS NO GOOD TO ANYONE. DRY FAITH IS JUST AS BAD AS DEAD FAITH. I DON’T KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT LIKES DRY STUFF. DRY SKIN, DRY BREAD, DRY CAKE, DRY CHICKEN, AND GOD DOES NOT LIKE DRY FAITH. FAITH HAS TO BE ALIVE AND ACTIVE. THAT’S WHY THE BIBLE PROCLAIMS THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH! SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION.
2. THE TEXT. GOD INSTRUCTS ABRAM TO LEAVE THAT WHICH IS FAMILIAR, WHICH IS HIS LAND AND HIS FAMILY AND GO TO A PLACE THAT GOD WOULD SHOW HIM AT A LATER DATE.
a) NOTICE IF YOU WILL THAT ABRAM DID NOT QUESTION GOD, BUT ACTED ON WHAT GOD SAID.
b) ABRAM DID NOT REASON WITHIN HIMSELF THAT GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS DID NOT MAKE SENSE.
c) ABRAM DID NOT CONSULT HIS FAMILY OR FRIENDS ABOUT THE MATTER.
d) ABRAM DID NOT TAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE MATTER.
e) ABRAM ACTED ON WHAT WE WOULD CALL BLIND FAITH.
f) AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GOD IS LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO WILL RESPOND TO HIM WITH BLIND FAITH.
g) WHAT IS BLIND FAITH?
h) SIMPLY, TRUSTING GOD WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD IS UP TO.
i) OBSERVE, ABRAM GATHERED HIS FAMILY AND HIS POSSESSIONS AND FOLLOWED GOD’S INSTRUCTION.
j) OH, IF MORE PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO JUST FOLLOW GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS, THEY WOULD DISCOVER THE GREATNESS OF GOD.
3. ABRAM’S FAITH. BECAUSE OF HIS FAITHFULNESS TO GOD, ABRAM IS CREDITED WITH BEING CALLED THE FATHER OF THE FAITH.
a) IN THE JEWISH ECONOMY, THERE IS NO GREATER JEW THAN ABRAM.
b) CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM, AND THE MUSLIM FAITH ALL ACKNOWLEDGE ABRAM’S GREATNESS.
c) ABRAM WAS NOT A PERFECT MAN, BUT HE WAS A FAITHFUL MAN.
d) ABRAM TRUSTED GOD UNCONDITIONALLY.
e) HE TRUSTED GOD FOR WHO GOD IS.
f) BECAUSE GOD KNEW THAT ABRAM WOULD BE FAITHFUL, GOD MADE SEVERAL PROMISES TO HIM.
4. WHAT IS FAITH? THE 11TH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS PROVIDES A BROAD DEFINITION OF FAITH, “NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN.”
a) BUT THAT DEFINITION IS TOO GENERAL TO EXPLAIN IN THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE.
b) SO A WORKING DEFINITION OF FAITH FROM A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE A SINCERE TRUST IN GOD WITHOUT COMPUNCTION.
c) FAITH IS EVIDENCED BY OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
d) FAITH UNLOCKS THE DOOR TO THE STOREHOUSE TO THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.
e) FAITH IS THE VEHICLE THAT WE RIDE UPON TO GET OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED.
f) FAITH IS WHAT GETS GOD’S ATTENTION.
g) HEBREWS 11:6, “WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM.”
h) IF WE WERE TO DO A ROLL CALL OF THOSE N THE BIBLE THAT DEMONSTRATED FAITH IN GOD WE WOULD SEE THAT BY FAITH…
• BY FAITH ABEL OFFERED UNTO GOD A MORE EXCELLENT SACRIFICE THAN CAIN.
• BY FAITH ENOCH WAS TRANSLATED THAT HE SHOULD NOT SEE DEATH; AND WAS NOT FOUND, BECAUSE GOD HAD TRANSLATED HIM: FOR BEFORE HIS TRANSLATION HE HAD THIS TESTIMONY, THAT HE PLEASED GOD.
• BY FAITH NOAH, BEING WARNED OF GOD OF THINGS NOT SEEN AS YET, MOVED WITH FEAR, PREPARED AN ARK TO THE SAVING OF HIS HOUSE.
• BY FAITH MOSES, WHEN HE WAS BORN, WAS HID THREE MONTHS OF HIS PARENTS, BECAUSE THEY SAW HE WAS A PROPER CHILD; AND THEY WERE NOT AFRAID OF THE KING'S COMMANDMENT.
• BY FAITH DAVID SLEW GOLIATH.
• BY FAITH DANIEL WAS VICTORIOUS IN THE LIONS DEN.
• BY FAITH THE THREE HEBREW BOYS CONQUERED THE FIERY FURNACE AND CAME OUT NOT SMELLING LIKE SMOKE.
5. THREE POINTS/CONCLUSION.
a) ONE, FAITH HAS TO BE HEARD. ROMANS 10:17, “SO THEN FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.” IF THERE IS NO LISTENING TO GOD, THERE WILL BE NO FAITH.
b) TWO, FAITH SHOULD NEVER BE SECOND GUESSED. JAMES 1:8, “A DOUBLE MINDED MAN IS UNSTABLE IN ALL HIS WAYS.”
c) THREE, FAITH MUST BE PUT TO USE. FAITH THAT IS NOT USED IS USELESS!
• SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BECAUSE OF FAITH…
• NO BURDEN IS TOO HEAVY TO BEAR.
• NO CROSS TOO HEAVY TO CARRY
• NO ENEMY TOO FIERCE TO FACE
• NO PROBLEM TOO HARD TO SOLVE
• NO ROAD TOO ROUGH TO TRAVEL
• NO OPPOSITION TOO STRONG TO OPPOSE
• NO TEMPTATION TO GREAT TO OVERCOME
• NO FEAR TOO BIG TO CONQUER
