The Real Thing

We all know the story of Abraham and Isaac, how God told him to the mountain and sacrifice his son. Abraham proceeded as told and took Isaac up, having been asked by his son Where the lamb for the offering was, Abraham just could say that God would provide. As they reached the top, Abraham bound his son on the altar, and took the knife to slay his son. An angel of the Lord immediately called out to him saying do not lay a hand on the boy, don’t do anything to him. Now i Know that you fear God, b/c you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.Abraham then looked up and saw a ram caught that God had provided.

I’m not a father yet, but I can only imagine what kind of faith, REAL FAITH, it took for Abraham to even consent to offer his only son to God. We have such a hard time today letting go of the simple things, and giving it up, Bring Real.

Jesse Duplantis once said ... Faith isn’t a movement, it’s a lifestyle.

Scripture:

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, "You have faith;I have deeds."

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.

20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that is faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostiture considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and send them off in a different direction? As the body without spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

- James 2:14-25

V. 15-16 - A word of blessing w/o an act of blessing is like the promise of salvation w/o the saving act of God in Christ.

- 1 John 3:17-18 tells us, - If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.

V. 17 - FAith by itself, not accompanied by action, is dead - You have nothing inside to spring action, to give you that uumph! in your life.

- Just like Michael Jordan who can still dunk over people from just about anywhere on the court, but put me out there, I couldn’t dunk on a 9 foot goal, Why? B/c I don’t have that uumph in me, I don’t have the spring that allows him to do it.

- If you stayed in Mcdonalds and ate Big Mac’s all day long, everyday, what would happen? You’d get fat and become practically useless... That can happen to our spiritual lives also, we can stay in the word and pray, and do all these things to understand God, but it’s useless unless we put it into action.

V. 18 - Splitting duties, someone else will do it attitude , ex. pastors should do the preaching, visitation, planning, etc. and I’ll just pray for him.

Our demonstration of faith, to everyone else, has to be in action, or no one sees it!

Glory of God should be active in our lives.

V.19 - Everyone believes in faith in one God!

V. 26 - if we had no spirit, we’d have no animation to our body , if we have no deeds, our faith is useless,not showing.

In a magazine article:

Based upon an average 71 year old life span.

You will spend...

23 years sleeping (8 hours a day)

6 years in a car

3 years eating

11 years in leisure activities

2 years getting dressed

17 years working

and... let’s say you come to church sunday morning and evening and wed. nite, an average of 3 hours a wk, you will spend a whopping total of ...

*6 months in church.*

Is this what you are living off of?

When you died, would Jesus say to you, well done my good and FAITHFUL servant?