“Faith: God’s Fabulous Formula For Life”
Hebrews 11-12:2
At times in our Christian walk, we need a faith check-up!
It is a sad day when we lose faith in life!
Ted Turner, Most of you have heard of Ted Turner. He is the founder of CNN, TNT, TBS, etc. He is a very successful businessman, a billionaire and a well-known critic of Christianity. In fact he has publicly stated, "Christianity is for losers."
What is not so well known is how Mr. Turner became so anti-Christian? According to numerous newspaper articles as a teenager, Mr. Turner aspired to become a missionary but lost his faith when his younger sister, Mary Jane, contracted an immune system disease that eventually killed her. "I was taught that God was love and God was powerful and I couldn’t understand how someone so innocent should be made or allowed to suffer so".
We have cities everywhere that are full of those who have lost faith in God and what God can do in their lives! The sadder than that - the churches in cities everywhere that are full of people that have lost faith in what God can do!
Matthew 13:58 “Now He did not do mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Psalm 9:10 “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.”
1. Faith’s Foundation Must Be Locked In. Vs.1-3
6a, 13 & 27
FaithPoint: The Christian’s faith sees God today standing right there with him as God works in the Christian’s future!
Let me put it another way… Faith is grounded in the confidence in God’s presence and a conviction in God’s promises working in the unseen realm of our tomorrow.
I like that story about the boy and his Mom and Dad who were getting ready for a trip for the first time to Disneyland for the next day. That evening as the Dad was putting his son to bed, the boy hugged his father’s neck and said, "Dad, thanks for tomorrow."...
We need substance and evidence needed day to day.
Solid conviction regarding Jesus and His finished work!
Romans 1:16,17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…it is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
2. Faith’s Fame Must Lead Us On. Vs. 4-32
Notice what influenced their faith:
· The pleasure that God receives from faith. Vs.6a “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
· The promise that God rewards faith. Vs. 6b
3. Faith’s Fearlessness Must Launch Us Over. Vs. 27
a. Troubled waters. Vs. 29
b. Towering walls. Vs.30
c. Trial’s weight. Vs. 32-35a
d. Torturous ways. Vs.35b
e. Temptation’s work. Vs. 36
“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable and receives the impossible.” –Cory Ten Boon
4. Faith’s Family Mercifully Looks On. 12:1-3
It as Paul is assuring us that those of Chapter 11 as a family are motivating and encouraging us on!
Paul gives us a glimpse of the winner circle in heaven! Ever racecar driver, jockey and athlete want, to be in the winner’s circle!
As a Christian you are in a race! God put us in to the race not to start it but to finish it! No telling how some of us may look when we get to the finished line in heaven! Battered, bruised, bloody, etc., because if you live for Jesus you cannot get through this race untouched.
Vs. 1- “Race” = agony, (agon literally).
The Christian’s faith calls for discipline of an athlete, the endurance of a marathon runner and the determination of a champion!!
From the time you got saved, God built you a custom-built racetrack. It’s for you only. I can’t run it and you can’t run on my racetrack!
And the reason for that is because there’s only one person you are to be concerned about when it come time to compete in this race---YOU!
So you could say that this race is both personal and permanent! You’re in it for the rest of your life!
The good new today is that every Christian will finish the race, but the bad news is that not every Christian will win the race! Listen God’s not looking for runners He’s looking for winners!!
1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”
So what can faith’s family teach us?
· Lay Beside Whatever Weights You Down. Vs.1a
Picture a Roman Coliseum and the stands are packed! The they’re watching us from a distance…
“Witnesses” – those who have gone to heaven before us. Already run their race and their waiting for us to join then in the winner’s circle in heaven! They are encouraging us all the way! And if they can win this race, we can too!
Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
There are some maybe that are here today and you just want to quit the race. You’ve lost family, friends, fortune and you want to stop competing. May I tell you that there’s Job looking down from the balcony of heaven and he’s saying to you …
Some are here today that are thinking life hasn’t been fair to me; I’ve been treated so unjustly. May I tell you that Joseph is standing at the balcony of heaven and saying to you…
This famous family in this chapter is saying, “If you’re going to win the race you’ve got to lighten up!!” Back in Bible days… a runner ran almost naked on the track.
“Weight” = anything that distracts, disturbs and deceives us from our running!
· Leave Behind Whatever Tires You Out. Vs. 1b
It’s one thing to be slowed down, but it’s another thing to be tripped up!
It’s one thing to run with two suitcases in hand, but try running the race with shackles on your feet!
Sin can trip you up and trap you in to defeat and discouragement!
“Ensnare” = picturesque of a vine that wraps itself around a tree.
The sin that is also a major problem for us is not just wickedness but weariness!
Vs.3 “Consider Him who endures…” (Endurance)
A long distance runner faces what is commonly called… “Hitting The Wall”. A point where a runner wants to quit and hit the showers. If he doesn’t fight through he’s failed the race and will finish in last place!
Do you know how we should treat sin? Treat sin just like it treats you! It doesn’t care about you; sin has no compassion for you and has no courage for you in the thick of life!
· Look Beyond To The One Who Picks You Up. Vs.2
It’s not how you run your race it’s about how you finish your own race!
Key: Jesus is not timing us with a stopwatch; He’s measuring us with a yardstick! Measuring us with the yardstick of faith!
God doesn’t says, “Dave, that’s the fastest I’ve seen you run in this race.” That doesn’t impress the Lord Jesus! He’s looking for determination in the heart of faith!
When we get discouraged, Jesus is there and faith’s family is pushing us on when we start to give out. When you get depressed, (anyone who doesn’t get depressed at time in this race of faith needs to be in a mental hospital) Jesus and faith’s family is picking us up at just the right time so we will finish the race as a winner.
Vs. 2 – “Looking unto Jesus…” Focus on the finish because he’s the one who put you into this race.
Maybe you’re saying today, “How can I be so sure that I will finish this race of faith and be in the winner’s circle of faith? Because of…
Philippians 1:6 “He who began a work in you will be faithful to complete it…”
Do you know why I’m so excited about this race of faith? Because when you and I get to the finish line of faith, we won’t find a tape to break through, we’ll find the arms of Jesus to fall into, and He’s going to say to you and I, “Well done my good and faithful servant, you’ve made it here’s you robe and crown!” Then you look over and look the rest of this family of faith is giving you a standing ovation!
Ever watched the boating competition called “Sculling”?
Ever noticed that as they are in that small boat rowing away they have their backs to the finish line? Ever noticed that they always finish so strong? Why is this?
Because they pace themselves and they listen to the Cockswing, the man sitting up in the boat and calling out the cadence and keeping them focused all the way to the finish line!
Key: I know I’m in a race and I don’t know where the finish line is! My finish line maybe tomorrow, next week, or next year, but while I don’t know where the finish line is, Jesus does!
Just keep your eyes on Jesus and let your faith focus on unknown and the unseen!
