Your Faith - Fact Or Fiction Series

LIFE IS AN ATTITUDE – PICK A GOOD ONE

Your Faith – Fact or Fiction?

Sunday March 11, 2007

Scripture Reference: Romans 12:2, Hebrews 11:1-6

Intro.

A. Last week we looked at the attitude we want to get rid of which is doubt, but during that message also talked a lot about faith because the obvious attitude for replacing doubt is faith. So today we are going to center in on the attitude of faith.

1. As we begin today I think especially as it relates to this attitude I need to reemphasis that attitudes are something that are formed over a long period of time. As we begin to think about developing our faith today it is important to understand that we all encounter those times of crisis in our spiritual lives when we will make a decision that will either move us into a life a greater faith or a life of lesser faith, but it is what we do. It will be the decisions and choices that we make day after day as we move away from that crisis that will determine whether our faith grows or shrinks.

2. I have very purposefully chosen the title of today’s message because this is precisely what I want you to do today. I want you and I to look at our faith, and answer the question, “Is my faith a fact or is it a fiction?” Is our faith real or is it pretend? I believe the answer to those questions is going to become very clear to each one of us today as I go through this message, so let’s take a moment and ask God to open our hearts and mind to Him today so that we can hear everything He has to say to us. (Pray).

Trans. I believe that if we are going to truly be able to determine whether our faith is a fact or just fiction then we need to have a complete understanding of what this faith is, so let’s uncover some facts about faith.

I. FAITH FACTS.

First of all let me share with you some false ideas about faith.

A. Some False Ideas About Faith.

1. Faith is not an ostrich. I think you understand what I mean when I say that don’t you? Faith is not burying your head in the sand and hiding from reality. Faith is not sticking your fingers in your ears and singing the Flintstone song. That is fear not faith.

2. Faith is not being anti-intellectual. Some people seem to have the very false idea that to have faith means we put our minds in neutral. That to have faith means we throw all logic and reason out the window. That would be feeling and not faith.

3. Faith is not fantasy. Faith is not escapism. It is not living in some sort of fantasy world believing that everything is just fine when in fact we know it isn’t. [] You see this sort of thing happen among the Christian Science religion. They strongly believe in God to be the healer and if He is then going to doctors and using medicine means you lack faith. This not faith this is fluff.

4. Faith is not self-motivation. For some people faith is little more than some sort of self-motivation seminar. It’s like going to one of those seminars you always see advertises on TV and maybe you have been to one. You get all pumped up and in the emotion of it all you feel that you will become a millionaire in a matter of months. Faith is not “envisioning a better future” for yourself. That is fad not faith.

Trans. Lastly let me say that:

5. Faith Is Not P.M.A. PMA stands for Positive Mental Attitude. I am all in favor of having a positive mental attitude, Lord knows I need a better attitude and that is why I am preaching this series, but faith is not having a positive mental attitude. Faith is not ignoring the pain; it’s not pushing down the feelings of doubt. That is foolishness not faith.

Trans. As you can see from your outline we will be talking in a moment about what faith is but before we do it is vitally important that we understand the very foundation for this thing we call faith. As we all know and I have repeatedly said, with out the right foundation we will eventually fall or fail. The building may look great but if its foundation is faulty trouble is just around the corner. So we want our foundation to be solid, don’t we?

II. FAITH HAS A SOLID FOUNDATION

I know that what I am about to say is not very profound but I think based upon the false ideas of faith we just looked at I think this simple truth is often lost.