COMMON FOLKS TEST OF FAITH
Heb. 11: 1, 8, 17. 36-40; James 1:2,3
I. FAITH, BELIEF, ESSENCE TO WALK
A. The saved are to live by faith The Just shall walk by Faith
1. the Commandment / Word De 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
a. Part of the process of getting the People of God ready to
claim the promises, the promised land were challenges that
tested their faith
1. Obedience, Holiness, Purity, Worship & National Organization
2. the Promises 1Pe 1:6-9 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.
a. One of these days, what we have been looking for, we shall see:
Jesus and all His glory
B. God use Tests to Prove us
1. Test are for us to know ourselves
a. God already knows us
2. Learn from, Word, God, How to win
**USN test are about us being tormented
a. Not about failure or pass but learn and grow
3. Rewarded, Graded, Honored
II. AVERAGE SAVED PERSON
A. NOT miracle workers, Moses, Elijahs & Elisha
B. Just us, Everyone else Proves His / Her faith Jam. 2:17-26
1. Faith isn’t faith unless it is tried, tested challenged
a. Some don’t like the idea of being tested, faith tested
b. To say I have faith but never have to live it, prove it test it,
1. Is that faith? Is that playing it safe?
**Famer playing it safe A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack. A stranger stopped for a drink of water. "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked. "Ain’t got none," replied the farmer. "Did you plant any?" asked the stranger. "Nope," was the reply, "afraid of bollweevils."
"Well," continued the stranger, "how is your corn?" "Didn’t plant none," came the answer, " ’fraid there weren’t gonna to be no rain."
The visitor persevered: "Well, how are your potatoes?" "Ain’t got none. Scairt of potato bugs."
"Really, what did you plant?" pressed the stranger. "Nothin’," was the calm reply, "I jest played safe."
2. Ain’t got anything to gain that way
1. That is assumption, assume you have faith, assume going to pass,
assume God will honor you
III. EVERYDAY TEST
A. If continually passed: go on to bigger & better
1. Victory is Gained
a. Process….. Progress…… Growth
2. These were passed by the greats to the great feats they are
famous for. (these of Heb 11 )
B. If Failure: No growth, no promises, No victory, No blessings
1. "Oh Ye of little faith!"
a. No make test tomorrow
2. Know self, know what to pray for,
a. Dad took son to Jesus, he has demons, they cast him in
fires to destroy him. Please help him
1. Jesus said Mr 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.
Mk 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
2. What an honest prayer, Lord I don’t have much faith, got some, but
help me overcome my unbelief
3. Only by honest evaluation of the heart, testing of our faith
can we pray like that
C. Test everyone will face, (3 Areas)
1. Commitments
a. Commitment to Christ & the Church
Mt 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
2Ti 2:11-13 [It is] a faithful saying: For if we be dead with [him], we shall also live with [him]: If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us: If we believe not, [yet] he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
1Jo 4:2-3 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
b. God challenges us to Proclaim our faith
c. The world will challenge us to stand by it Islam hate and
all the world’s temptations
2. Purity
a. Holiness “be ye Holy for I am Holy”
b. Mortify flesh, Clean up life Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
"He that covereth his sin shall not prosper; but whosoever confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Pr 28:13
3. Faithfulness dependability
a. Attendance b. Giving c. Witnessing
D. Passing a test doesn’t save, but proves we are saved
1. It strengthens us to face the challenges of tomorrow
a. Rewards us with knowledge God is faithful, He honors
faith.
1. And the next hill, next hurdle, next battle we win again
b. Rewards in eternity are coming. Mt 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
