Sermon Central
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What It Takes To Please God
Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Mar 4, 2022 (message contributor)
Summary: One of the things that many Pastors enjoy doing is reading of great churches across this land that are reaching the lost for Christ.
But the fact is, you can visit these wonderful soul winning churches to see how they do it, and come back and implement the same things they are doing in your church, and not get the same results, if any results at all.
Why? Because what might work for one church might not work for another. That has proven to be true over and over again.
But one thing is for sure, you can read the 11th chapter of Hebrews and see how they did what they did for the Lord, and IF WE DO THE SAME THING, WE WILL GET THE SAME RESULTS.
HOW DID THEY DO THESE WONDERFUL THINGS?
As you read about these great men and women of God, you see the words “By Faith” or “Through Faith” linked to their lives.
Look at:
• Verse 4, we read, “BY FAITH Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain”
• Verse 5, we read, “BY FAITH Enoch was translated that he should not see death…”
• Verse 7, we read, “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…”
• Verse 8, we read, “BY FAITH Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
• Verse 11, we read, “THROUGH FAITH also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age…”
• Verse 17, we read, “BY FAITH Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.”
• Verse 20, we read, “BY FAITH Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.”
• Verse 21, we read, “BY FAITH Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.”
• Verse 22, we read, “BY FAITH Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.”
• Verse 23, we read, “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.”
• Verse 24, we read, “BY FAITH Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;”
• Verse 27, we read, “BY FAITH he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
• Verse 29, we read, “BY FAITH they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.”
• Verse 30, we read, “BY FAITH the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”
• Verse 31, we read, “BY FAITH the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.”
If you examine the life of any of these Heroes listed in God’s Hall of Fame, you will see that they were able to achieve what they did BY FAITH. “BY FAITH” or “THOUGH FAITH” in ALMIGHTY GOD!
We do not read in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews that they had their faith in anything or anyone other than in God.
If FAITH was that important in the life of these Believers, we need to make sure that we know what FAITH IN GOD MEANS.
WHAT IS FAITH?
The Word of God tells us. Look at Heb. 11:1, "Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen."
This verse of Scripture tells us two things about Bible Faith.
I. IT IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR
That is, we all have come to times when we could not -
• Turn to our FAMILIES in our desperate need, because as much as they would like to help us, they could not help us.
• Turn to our FAMILY DOCTOR in our desperate need, because as much as he would like to help us he could not.
• Turn to our BEST FRIENDS in our desperate need, because as much as they would like to help us, they could not.
When we reach this place in life, humanly speaking we have come to a dead end street. It seems like we have NO OPTIONS LEFT! None!
Illus: Kathy Dane of Rantoul, Illinois, said, “During the final weeks of my last year at Bible college, we were all busy with term papers, studying for finals, and taking care of other pressing matters. Amid all the worry and hustle, one of the students candidly expressed the feelings of many of us with this slight revision of 2 Timothy 4:7” : "I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, but I doubt I'll finish this course." (Christian Reader, "Lite Fare.")
