1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,720 Turning your Bibles to Hebrews Chapter 11. 2 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:03,840 And I would highly recommend putting a ribbon in there 3 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,160 because we're going to, we're going to come back to Hebrews 11 4 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,400 all night. Yes, we need some copies of it. 5 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,240 Yeah, he's, he's getting them. They should be in the printer. 6 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,720 So I don't see, I see a shadow, but I don't see Alex. 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:25,240 Of course, it might be hard to tell the difference, but they in 8 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:29,600 there it should be. It should be 2 pages front, back 9 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,800 and then a front. OK, all right, raise your hand 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,920 if you need a copy of those. All right, get the adults 1st, 11 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,960 Alex, adults and teens. And then there's any left we can 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,000 get the kids. I think I made 7 copies of it 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:49,560 maybe. So right here you should get 14 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:56,320 Miss Michelle. And there we go, Miss Loida, 15 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:09,000 this Esther, and there we go, Very good. 11 And he mentioned 16 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:10,000 this right at the very beginning. 17 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,480 Hebrews 11 is one of those special passages that brings 18 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,680 together all of the major teachings on one subject in one 19 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:17,480 place. And of course, this is faith. 20 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,040 You have other passages that are like that First Corinthians, and 21 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:22,720 you're familiar with that. It's the chapter on love. 22 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,160 First Corinthians 15 is the chapter 1st Corinthians 13 is 23 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,720 about love or charity. First Corinthians 15 is about 24 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,000 the resurrection. This this chapter in Hebrews 11 25 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,240 is known as the hall of faith. Many times you've probably heard 26 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,400 that you know the hall of faith and it's just one person after 27 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,800 another that exhibited faith. And so based mostly on Hebrews 28 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,160 Chapter 11, but with a lot of other verses that we're going to 29 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,400 look at and talk about, this is, this is 8 major lessons on the 30 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,920 subject of faith. And again, I've, I've preached a 31 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,760 good number of messages on faith. 32 00:01:55,160 --> 00:02:00,640 And so, you know, this is, this is another, another message on 33 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,440 faith. And, and, and hopefully maybe 34 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,600 you'll see some things that will stick out to you and, and some, 35 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,360 some things that we can work on. We always, I think this is one 36 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:14,360 of those topics that is like prayer where you just, you know, 37 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,440 you hear a message on prayer, you never feel like you pray 38 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,640 enough. You know, you hear a message on 39 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:20,560 witnessing, you never feel like you witness enough. 40 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,680 You hear a message on faith and you never feel like you have 41 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,520 enough faith, right? And if and if that's all we ever 42 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,160 do is never feel like we have enough of this or never feel 43 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,280 like we do enough of this and we're never going to get to the 44 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,760 point where we accomplish what God wants us to accomplish in 45 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,200 that area, right? Why do we always feel like we 46 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,720 never pray enough? Why don't we just pray more, 47 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:40,920 right? Why do we always feel like we 48 00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:42,800 don't witness enough? Why don't we just witness more? 49 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,440 Why do we never feel like we have enough faith? 50 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,200 Why don't we just have more faith, right? 51 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,840 Well, these are 8 elements that will hopefully help us to 52 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,920 accomplish the idea of, of having a little bit more faith, 53 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:56,440 right? And maybe we'll, we'll, we'll 54 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,440 get to that, that maybe we'll reach that goal by the time we 55 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,160 get to the end. And, and I think the, the object 56 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,400 of, of, of going through this lesson. 57 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,120 And again, the, it's, you know, these are all their 58 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,640 discipleship. It's all, you know, steps in 59 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:16,080 that discipleship process. And so most of you have heard 60 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,040 most of these messages before, but what I want you to try to do 61 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,560 tonight is pick one thing that you don't do very well and see 62 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,120 if you can say, you know what? I'm going to work on that this 63 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:27,960 week or I'm going to work on this going forward. 64 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,560 Number one is that faith is essential. 65 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,600 And I don't think that's, I don't think that's anything that 66 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:34,480 we don't understand or anything that we don't know. 67 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,400 But Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse #6. 68 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,040 But without faith, it is impossible to please Him. 69 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,320 For he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He 70 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,280 is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. 71 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,080 So obviously you cannot please God without faith. 72 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,880 Is faith essential? Absolutely. 73 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,560 Faith is essential. But even more than that, the 74 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,240 word faith or believe which synonyms of each other are 75 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:00,320 mentioned 771 times in the Bible and that idea is mentioned even 76 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,360 more than that. This, that's those, that's the 77 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,800 words believe in faith that are mentioned 771 times. 78 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,240 So the Christian life is from faith to faith. 79 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,320 That's what Romans 117 says. Jesus often reproved his 80 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:13,920 disciples for their lack of faith. 81 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,320 And how many times did he say, Oh ye of little faith, right? 82 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,079 And I the, the sad thing is, I think that he would have to say 83 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:24,200 that to a lot of us. Oh ye of little faith. 84 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:29,160 How many times we get into situations right where faith is 85 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,800 what's required, but we step out on our own or we think I can 86 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,800 handle this, I can do this and oh man, I guess I can't. 87 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:39,440 I guess maybe now we'll turn to God. 88 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,920 You know, how many times have you heard or maybe even, you 89 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,280 know, seen it in print, seen somebody written in a book, you 90 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:49,560 know, or, or heard somebody say, well, I guess the only thing we 91 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,080 can do now is pray, right? I mean, obviously that's prayer, 92 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,000 but why do you come to God in prayers? 93 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,120 Because, well, I guess God's the only one that can do something 94 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,880 about it now, right? Why isn't that the first thing 95 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,560 that we did, right? And we brought it to God and 96 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,360 we've said, well, I've given it over to him. 97 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,800 So I'm going to do my part. I'm going to work. 98 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,200 I'm going to do whatever has to be done. 99 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,840 But why don't we do that first? Why don't we? 100 00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:16,000 Why don't we express our faith in Him first? 101 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,360 We always try to do everything that we can do first, and then 102 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,480 we turn it over to God and then we try to step out in faith. 103 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,240 Well, it's not faith because you've already tested the chair. 104 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,200 You've already made sure that it's going to hold you up, and 105 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:28,720 now you're going to sit down in it. 106 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:33,000 That's not faith, right? Faith is not faith until it's 107 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,440 all you're hanging on to. Faith is not faith until you 108 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:37,920 don't know how things are going to work out. 109 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,320 You don't know how it's going to turn out, but you step out 110 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:41,760 anyway. That's what faith is. 111 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,440 And so I mean #1 faith is essential. 112 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,520 That's that that's just for us, for most of us, probably for all 113 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,120 of us. That's a given, right? 114 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,000 It's it's essential #2 faith is based on God's word. 115 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,560 Now verse #1 faith is the substance of things hoped for, 116 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,960 the evidence of things not seen. What is Romans 10/17? 117 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,480 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, 118 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,120 right? I wish there was a lot more 119 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,720 people that knew that verse and could say it, right? 120 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,320 That's why we memorize Bible verses. 121 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:15,480 I'm going to do that a lot tonight. 122 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,080 I hope you have, I hope you're ready for it. 123 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,120 And I hope you can have some of these verses memorized. 124 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,240 See where you're at with your Bible memorization. 125 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,360 But if you don't, if you can't look at Romans 10, Romans 10/17 126 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,440 and know that that's so then faith cometh by hearing and 127 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,760 hearing by the word of God. You're not memorizing enough, 128 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:33,720 right? I think that's in probably both 129 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,680 of the books that, that that we have that that we've put out 130 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,120 there that you're working on memorizing. 131 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:44,960 But by the way, well, OK, so let's just start into this. 132 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,000 And I want to, I want to mention a couple things about this that 133 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,760 are vital to understanding these things. 134 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,400 Faith is based on God's word. It's simply believing God's 135 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:54,640 Word. And that's the most important 136 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,280 fact about faith. Noah by faith. 137 00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:02,640 Noah being warned of God, that's verse #7 moved with fear, 138 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:04,920 prepared an ark to the saving of his house, right? 139 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:06,760 Warned of God, of things not seen yet. 140 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,640 That's that was faith. It was him stepping out of 141 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,840 faith, but it was God's word. Abraham verse #8 when he was 142 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,240 called to go out into a place which he should have to receive 143 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:16,920 for an inheritance, where did he get that from? 144 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,160 He got it from God. It was God's word to Abraham. 145 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,520 Now, obviously they didn't have the written word of God the way 146 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,720 that we have it now, but it was God's word to him, and he took 147 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,280 God's word and acted on it, right? 148 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,160 That's faith. I mean, we, we've, we've told 149 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,320 the story of Noah from the time that, I mean, it's probably one 150 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,400 of the first stories you ever learned when you're in Sunday 151 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,320 school, there's Noah in the ark, right? 152 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,920 But what was Noah doing? He was acting in faith. 153 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,760 And for all of those years he preached and for all of those 154 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,920 years he never saw anything, but he continued to act in faith. 155 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,480 And, and it was, it was faith in God's Word. 156 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,400 Sarah Hebrews Chapter 11, verse #11 Through faith also Sarah 157 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,160 herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered 158 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,720 of child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful. 159 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:01,720 Who had promised? Who was it talking about? 160 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,360 Who's the hymn? God, right? 161 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,480 It was God's word to Sarah that said that she was going to have 162 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:10,800 a child and she trusted that God was going to follow through on 163 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,440 His word, right? So when we say this is faith in 164 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,600 God's, faith is based on God's Word. 165 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,240 Biblical faith is not blind faith. 166 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,920 It has evidence in substance. Faith is the substance of things 167 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:23,840 hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 168 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,440 And that is God's Word itself, which is based on Acts chapter 1 169 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,920 and verse 3. Many infallible proofs, right, 170 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:33,760 which he showed to his disciples. 171 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,520 So this is in contrast to the faith of this world, which is 172 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,480 based on nothing substantive, by the way. 173 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,480 And this is the point that I want to make when it comes to 174 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,920 faith is based on God's Word. That's why it's vital to know 175 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,920 which Bible is God's Word, right? 176 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,120 If you can say, well, I don't really like the way that this 177 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,200 one says. If you read this version, this 178 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,840 one says this, well, then who's the one that's deciding what's 179 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,720 God's Word? Me, right? 180 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,800 If I can say, well, I don't really like the way that's 181 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:04,360 worded. I think this is worded better. 182 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:09,400 Well #199.9% of people are not Greek and Hebrew scholars, 183 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:11,680 right? You don't know Greek and you 184 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:13,800 don't know Hebrew. Even if you think you know Greek 185 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,240 and you know Hebrew, right? Even if you've studied a little 186 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,800 bit and you can understand how some of the words are formed and 187 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,720 everything else, very, very, very few people are fluent in 188 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,560 Hebrew and Greek enough to be able to say, well, that's not 189 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:28,600 exactly what the Bible means right here. 190 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,480 I like the way this version says it better, right? 191 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,240 But all of a sudden everybody is a Greek and Hebrew scholar and 192 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,080 they get decide what the Bible is trying to say there and what 193 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,640 it's not what God is saying there and what it's not, right? 194 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,280 I don't, I'll be honest with you, I don't, I don't know if 195 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:50,320 I've ever heard anybody say that, you know, is using the NIV 196 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:53,520 or the ESV or one of these, that they, they can hold it up and 197 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,960 say I have the, the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God 198 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:02,160 and I hold that in my hands. Have you ever heard somebody 199 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:07,240 that's preaching from the NIV say that or the ESV or the NASB 200 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,440 or the any other bees that are out there? 201 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,400 Right. And there's hundreds of them 202 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,040 because they don't believe that they have God's word in their 203 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,280 hand because, well, they might come up with another version 204 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,880 that says it better next month. And I'm actually may change my 205 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:22,000 mind and find out that that's, you know, you know what? 206 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:23,560 I, I do think that's a better version. 207 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,080 They don't say that. They don't say I'm holding the 208 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,840 inerrant, inspired, infallible word of God in my hand because 209 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,920 they don't, they don't believe that they have that right. 210 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,560 But when I have the King James Version Bible in my hand, I can 211 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:38,960 say that this is the inerrant, infallible, inspired word of 212 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,680 God, right? And that's why it's so important 213 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,720 when we're talking about faith being based on God's word. 214 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:50,600 If I don't even know which Bible version is God's word, then how 215 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,840 can I say that, right? I can't say that. 216 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,720 So biblical faith is, is not blind faith. 217 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,360 It's based on what God's Word says. 218 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,120 And I know that I have God's word in my hands and I can trust 219 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,440 it, right? And if I have something that I 220 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:09,040 know is concrete as a foundation and it's not going to chip, it's 221 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,080 not going to crumble, it's not going to fall apart because 222 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,040 somebody is able to pick it to pieces, right? 223 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,120 Really, though, the, this is the interesting thing to me. 224 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,280 All the people who want to, who want to pick apart the King 225 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,000 James Version of the Bible say that it's, it's, it's too hard 226 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,600 to understand, right? But then they say, well, it's 227 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,080 not scholarly. It wasn't, it wasn't, you know, 228 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,560 it's not scholarly enough. So which one is it? 229 00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:34,760 Is it not scholarly or is it too hard to understand? 230 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:36,840 You can't have it both ways, right? 231 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,560 Well, they just didn't, they just didn't know exactly what 232 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:41,760 they were doing with Hebrew and Greek and everything else when 233 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:43,680 they wrote the King James Version of the Bible or when 234 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:46,240 they give us the translation of the King James Version, right? 235 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,560 There's a lot of arguments against, against the, the King 236 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:50,640 James Version, but there's, there's even more arguments 237 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,280 against all the rest of those versions of the Bible, right? 238 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:57,360 The number one for me being if we don't have an inspired, 239 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:01,360 infallible, inerrant word of God, then we don't have a 240 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,600 foundation that we can trust. And if I can question even one 241 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:10,160 thing in this Bible, then that means I can question everything 242 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,280 in the Bible. And I don't have a solid 243 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,320 authority. I don't have something that I 244 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:15,920 can base everything in my life on. 245 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,000 Because if there's one thing that's wrong, how do I know that 246 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,560 there's not more things that are wrong? 247 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,440 If I can disprove one story in the Bible, how can I not 248 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,320 disprove all of them? And how can I say, well, no, you 249 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:28,680 can't. That one's OK. 250 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:32,320 This one's not well. You can't question God's word on 251 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,400 that because we know that that story happened. 252 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,120 Well, how do you know? You're questioning it on this, 253 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,560 on this side of it, right? So you either have God's word or 254 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:42,560 you don't have God's Word, and your faith is either based in 255 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:44,640 God's Word or it's based on something else. 256 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,960 So biblical faith doesn't come by miracles or by feelings or by 257 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,160 mystical experiences. Abraham told the rich man in 258 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,280 hell that if the men do not believe God's word, if men do 259 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,640 not believe God's word, they're not going to believe even if one 260 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,320 rose from the dead before them. That's Luke's. 261 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,560 Luke chapter 16 is the story of rich man and Lazarus, right? 262 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,120 The rich man died and went to hell and in hell he lifted up 263 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,880 his eyes being in torment. And he asked Abraham to dip the 264 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,680 tip of his finger in water and just cool my tongue for I am 265 00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:13,640 tormented in these flames. And then he said, please go tell 266 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,920 my brethren, I've got 5 brethren that I don't want to come to 267 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,280 this place. Please if, if, if you can send 268 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,320 Lazarus to go tell them about this place. 269 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,880 I know they'll believe him because he's, he's already dead 270 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,120 and they know that he's dead. And he said if he doesn't 271 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,160 believe the Bible, he has Moses and the prophets. 272 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,760 What is Moses and the prophets? That was the, that was the Bible 273 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,800 that they had, right? They said if they don't listen, 274 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,800 if he doesn't, if they don't have faith in God's Word, 275 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:41,400 they're not even going to believe. 276 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:46,240 If somebody came back from the dead and told them that, right? 277 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:47,800 That that is faith in God's Word. 278 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,040 So that faith is based on that. That that faith is based in 279 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,080 God's Word means that the Bible is essential for Christian 280 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,000 living. If we want our faith to grow, we 281 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:04,080 must read and study the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 Study to 282 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:08,320 show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be 283 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,960 ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, right? 284 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,840 It's so important. We have to read, we have to 285 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,760 study if we are going to grow in our walk with Christ and hear 286 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,920 the Bible. Faithfulness to the preaching 287 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,240 and teaching right? Memorize the Bible. 288 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:31,360 Psalm 1/19/11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not 289 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,160 sin against God. All right, little disjointed, 290 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,680 but we got it, most of us. But why do we memorize God's 291 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:39,480 Word? Why do we hide God's word in our 292 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,400 hearts that I might not sin against him, right? 293 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,000 It's important. It's very important. 294 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,080 And so our faith has to be based on something, and it's based on 295 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,160 God's word. So then Hebrews Chapter 11, back 296 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:57,440 in Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse #8 through faith also Sarah 297 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:00,560 herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered 298 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,200 of a child. I'm sorry, wrong verse. 299 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,440 Verse 8, By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a 300 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,440 place which he should after receive for inheritance, obeyed, 301 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,400 and he went out not knowing whether he went. 302 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,360 That's number 3. Faith steps out in obedience, 303 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,480 right? Let's turn over to James because 304 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,160 there's a couple verses here in James. 305 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,000 We'll look at both of these. We've already done a, we did a 306 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,840 whole study on the book of James, right? 307 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:33,360 But but true faith is not something that is just in the 308 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,000 mind and in the heart. It is something that acts on 309 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,280 God's Word. And I think that's where most 310 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:43,280 Christians live. We know that God can do things. 311 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:48,200 We know that we need to have faith, but we don't actually 312 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,680 step out in faith, all right? That's what happens with most of 313 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:53,400 us. James chapter 1 and verse #22 314 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:59,480 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers, only deceiving your 315 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,920 own selves, right doers, not just hearers. 316 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,760 Most Christians never make it past the hearing point. 317 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:11,720 We hear it and we know it, and it's up here, but it never makes 318 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,520 it down here. We never step out in faith and 319 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,160 we never do exactly what God wants us to do. 320 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:22,520 Verse 26 of chapter 2 for as the body without the spirit is dead, 321 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:28,680 so faith without works is dead. What does that mean? 322 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,640 It means you prove your faith by actually stepping out and, and, 323 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:35,560 and doing it, right? I mean, it's, it's, it's the 324 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:37,880 simplest illustration. We use it all the time, but it's 325 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,760 exactly what we do every time we sit down in a chair, right? 326 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:43,760 You see the chair, you sit in it. 327 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,040 That is saying, I believe that chair is going to hold me up and 328 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:48,920 I'm proving it because I'm sitting right down and I'm not 329 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,120 going to test it first. I'm not going to shake it and 330 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:52,200 make sure it's going to hold me up. 331 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,160 I just, I just sit down in the chair because that's what chairs 332 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,280 are supposed to do, right? And that's what faith cometh by 333 00:16:58,280 --> 00:16:59,720 hearing and hearing by the word of God. 334 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,800 But be doers of the Word and not hearers only. 335 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,560 And then of course, faith without works is dead. 336 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:11,240 Faith steps out to develop godly habits like attending church. 337 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:16,520 What is Hebrews 1025 not forsaking the assembling of 338 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:19,200 ourselves together right and we could go on with the rest of 339 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,560 that Bible study. Second Timothy 212 intercessory 340 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,079 prayer, First Timothy chapter 2. All of those are our habits that 341 00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:30,360 we, that we have to step out in faith and do right. 342 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,040 I don't know how it's going to work because I, I work on 343 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,720 Wednesdays and I got to get up really early on Thursday 344 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:36,800 mornings. But you know what? 345 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,040 I'm going to step out on faith. I know that I should be there at 346 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:40,200 church. I'm just going to trust that 347 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,240 God's going to take care of those things for me, right? 348 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,080 Well, they want me to work on Sunday and I really need this 349 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:47,040 job. But you know what? 350 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,440 I'm not going to work on Sunday because God said that I should 351 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,040 be in his house. So I don't know how it's going 352 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:54,000 to work, but I'm going to step out on faith and I'm going to be 353 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,800 there at church on Sunday, right? 354 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,360 I mean, that's, that's what stepping out in faith is. 355 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,040 And, and then watching God do it, studying the Bible. 356 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,400 I, I got so many things going on. 357 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,320 I just, I just don't have time to study the Bible. 358 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,640 When am I going to do this? You know what, I'm going to make 359 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,120 time. I'm going to make time for my 360 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:12,200 Bible study and then I'm just going to trust that God will put 361 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:13,440 all the rest of the pieces in place. 362 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:14,920 Same thing with intercessory prayer. 363 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,920 I don't have time for it. How am I going to Well, that's 364 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:19,880 what stepping out in faith is. And there's a lot of other 365 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,160 things that we could talk about when it comes to those things as 366 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:23,800 well when it comes to stepping out in faith. 367 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,000 But faith steps out when God calls, right? 368 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:29,920 Jesus warned about putting off the call of God. 369 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,280 And that's the that's the parable that Jesus was talking 370 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,360 about when he comes to the his disciples and everything else 371 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:40,160 stepping out in faith. God calls you go, all right, I 372 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,160 don't know how it's going to work out, but that's what that's 373 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,600 what missionaries do, right? God calls the missionary goes, I 374 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:46,800 don't, I don't know how it's going to work out. 375 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,560 I don't know what living in another field is in a foreign 376 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,800 country is like. But God called me to go right. 377 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,760 God called me to start a church. I don't know, I don't know what 378 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,240 I'm doing starting a church, but God called me, I'm going to go 379 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:03,840 right, God, God, I believe God's laying on my heart to marry this 380 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:05,360 person. And I've, I've never been 381 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:06,880 married to them before. I don't know how it's going to 382 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,720 work out, but I think this is what God wants me to do and you 383 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,120 do it, right. I mean, everything in our life 384 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:16,600 that God calls us to do, we step out in faith because God tells 385 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,760 us to do it and we do what Abraham did. 386 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,520 What did Abraham do? He obeyed, right? 387 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:24,600 He just did it because God told him to do it. 388 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,240 And look how well it worked out for Abraham, right? 389 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,160 And, and, and anybody else that has stepped out in faith in 390 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,680 their life has seen how God works things out that for us 391 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,680 just don't look like they would ever work. 392 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,920 And yet when you step out in faith, God puts all those pieces 393 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,720 in place. Faith looks beyond this life. 394 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:44,440 That's number four. Hebrews Chapter 11. 395 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:50,680 If you go back there verse #10 talking about Abraham again, for 396 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:55,680 he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and 397 00:19:55,680 --> 00:20:00,120 maker is God. Matthew chapter 6 and verse 20. 398 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:02,320 What is? What is Matthew 620? 399 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,600 Laying that up for yourselves, treasures in on earth where moth 400 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,680 and rust death corrupt, where thieves breakthrough and steal. 401 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,560 Lay up your treasures in heaven. That's what it is. 402 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:16,520 It looks at looks at treasures laid up in heaven. 403 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:21,240 Because you know what? Especially for those who, I 404 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,240 mean, many times full time ministry missionaries, right? 405 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,760 Not only are you leaving America, you were leaving the, 406 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,400 the American dream. You're leaving the chance of 407 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,480 making a lot of money. You're leaving the chance of 408 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:33,560 having a successful business. You're leaving the chance of 409 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:34,760 doing all these different things. 410 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,680 And you, oh, you know what? I'm giving up all of that same 411 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,480 thing in a lot of cases with, with becoming a pastor and doing 412 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,000 all those other things. You know, you serve God with 413 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,000 your life. You're giving up the, the chance 414 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,560 many times to, to be wealthy and to have things and to do things 415 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:50,960 that most people look at as really enjoyable. 416 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:53,120 You know what? I'm not looking at this life. 417 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:56,400 I'm looking at the next right. I'm laying up treasures in 418 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,080 heaven where moth and rust can't corrupt, where thieves can't 419 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,720 breakthrough and steal, right? And and that's the hard part, 420 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,120 but that's faith. I've never seen heaven. 421 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:12,120 I don't know that heaven exists. I don't know that there's 422 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,840 treasures waiting for me up there. 423 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,280 I don't know that there's streets of gold. 424 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:21,600 I don't know that there's crowns that are waiting for those who 425 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:23,040 are faithfully living for the Lord. 426 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,240 I don't know that, but I believe it by faith, right? 427 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:28,560 Because I'm not just looking at this. 428 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,200 I'm not just looking at this life, I'm looking to the next 429 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,120 life. But it takes faith to do that, 430 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,280 right? And the people who say who, I 431 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:42,120 mean your, your works prove whether or not you believe what 432 00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:45,960 you say you believe, right? So do you believe that the next 433 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,400 life is where the real rewards come or not? 434 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,200 Everybody would say that, but your life proves whether you 435 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,400 believe it or not, right? Are are you living your life for 436 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,520 everything that you can get here and not pushing anything on a 437 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,760 head because you can say all the you want to that you believe 438 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:07,800 there's rewards that are waiting for all of those. 439 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,200 And I want to hear him say, well done now, good and faithful 440 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:11,880 servant. And I want rewards in heaven. 441 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,880 And I'm doing all of this for for for the next life. 442 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,400 You can't take it with you when you go right. 443 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:19,680 Everybody in this room would say that. 444 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,800 But what is your life saying about whether you really believe 445 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,400 that or not? Because faith looks beyond this 446 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,440 life. And it doesn't just look beyond 447 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,920 this life, it acts beyond this life, right? 448 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,440 Faith without works is dead. So say all you want to that you 449 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,160 believe that nothing in this world really matters. 450 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,880 I'm just passing through and everything is, you know, 451 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:45,360 treasures that I'm laying up in heaven. 452 00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:50,400 But is your life prove that because faith is not just 453 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,400 talking, faith is acting right. It looks at the judgement seat 454 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,680 of Christ, 2nd Corinthians 510 For we must all appear before 455 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,640 the judgement seat of Christ that everyone may receive the 456 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:06,520 things done in his body, right, whether it be good or bad and 457 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,200 and the fire show try every man's work of what sort it is, 458 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:10,400 whether it be good or bad, right. 459 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,560 So it that, that mindset that that fact that faith is looking 460 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,840 beyond this life is going to keep me from being lazy, from 461 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,240 being selfish, from being carnal, from being lukewarm. 462 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,240 Young people need to do that. New believers need to do that. 463 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,040 Businessmen need to do that. Elderly believers need to do 464 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:26,360 that. You know what that means? 465 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,800 Everybody needs to do it. Everybody needs to do it. 466 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,120 He said, Brother Klaus said, my mom started reading the Bible 467 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:36,160 every day was when she was in her 70s and has read it through 468 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,720 twice a year since then. When Bible commentator, I love 469 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:41,520 this. When Bible commentator William 470 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,120 Kelly's nephew attended university, his Greek professor 471 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,160 learned that his uncle had taught him his language and 472 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,600 offered him a position on the faculty of Trinity College. 473 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,200 It was a Roman Catholic institution. 474 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,080 He was offered prestige and he was told he would make a 475 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:57,560 fortune. His wise reply was, for which 476 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,560 world? For which world? 477 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,560 Which world am I going to make a fortune for? 478 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,320 Because you know what, if you're not sitting on the head, is it 479 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:10,440 really even count as a fortune, right? 480 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,200 I was just talking about it to to Brother Greg. 481 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,360 I mentioned it to Brother Greg and Brother Gary Hubert Davis, 482 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,000 the coach at University of North Carolina. 483 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,400 And, and this is just small on a scale of a lot of these things, 484 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,320 but they fired him because he lost the first round of the 485 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,520 tournament. Again, not to rub it in or 486 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,000 anything like that, Brother Greg, but UNC lost again in the 487 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,120 first round of the tournament and they fired the coach, but he 488 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:40,120 is still guaranteed $5.3 million, guaranteed money, $5.3 489 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:44,040 million just to get fired. I mean, that'd be kind of nice, 490 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,400 wouldn't it? But you see what I'm saying? 491 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,240 What good does $5.3 million do you down here going to last for 492 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,920 a little while. Pretty soon the Moth going to 493 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,920 eat right through that money, the rust and they eat up all the 494 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,160 cars and whatever else he buys with that money. 495 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,720 Not going to last, not going to account for anything, right? 496 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:11,040 I heard a story about a, a guy who, who, who died and, and you 497 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,640 know, the angels came to, to take him to heaven and he, he 498 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,000 asked, he was like, hey, you know, can, is there, can I bring 499 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,160 something with me? And they were like, all right, 500 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,520 you can take that briefcase, whatever you can fit in that 501 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:21,840 briefcase, you can bring it with you. 502 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,240 So he gets there to heaven and everybody obviously, I mean, 503 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:31,000 what they're so curious about what he was so fixated on that 504 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,800 he had to bring it with him. And so he got up to heaven and 505 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,080 he opened the briefcase and it was just, it was filled with 506 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,760 nothing but bars of gold. And all the angels were standing 507 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,080 around there. And they said, why in the world 508 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,880 did you decide if of all the things that you could bring to 509 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,960 bring pavement? It's exactly what it is. 510 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:49,800 I mean, the streets in heaven aren't paved with gold. 511 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,760 What, what, what can you bring that's valuable enough in this 512 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,320 life to even make it worth bringing with you, right? 513 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,080 Because the things that we have in this life are worth nothing 514 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,440 compared to the things that we pass on ahead. 515 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:08,000 Which world are you trying to make a fortune in? 516 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,600 That's the question. Because most people are focusing 517 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:16,320 on this one number five. And I think this is one that 518 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,160 hits pretty hard for a lot of us. 519 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,240 Faith is tested. Verse #17 by faith. 520 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:27,240 Abraham Hebrews Chapter 11, when he was tried, offered up Isaac 521 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,520 and he that had received the promises offered up his only 522 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:33,800 begotten son. Faith is always tested. 523 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:35,760 It's tested to see whether or not it's real. 524 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:40,000 It's tested to see if it's pure. And we see that in the lives of 525 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,280 the Jews in the wilderness. And then I'm not going to take 526 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,640 the time to turn back to Exodus and read through some of those 527 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,440 things. But you know, say that you have 528 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,680 faith all you that you want to. What does it look like under 529 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,960 test, right? Faith is tested as soon as an 530 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,920 individual believes in Christ. And there's a process of testing 531 00:26:58,120 --> 00:26:59,880 and strengthening throughout the Christian life. 532 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:01,560 In fact, let's turn. We're not too far from there. 533 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:04,360 So I'm trying to keep you a semi close to Hebrews Chapter 11. 534 00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:08,640 But first Peter chapter 5, first Peter chapter 5 and verse #10 535 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:15,920 and I think this is a, some really interesting way to put 536 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,480 it, a really interesting perspective. 537 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,320 Verse #10 first Peter 5, verse 10. 538 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,560 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal 539 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:26,000 glory by Christ Jesus, after that you've suffered awhile, 540 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,840 make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. 541 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,760 I think it's interesting. God's going to call you home, 542 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:37,600 but after you suffered awhile, He'll bring you up there, right? 543 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,960 The God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory 544 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,120 by Christ Jesus, after that you've suffered awhile, He'll 545 00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:46,560 make you perfect, He'll make you complete. 546 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,160 He'll do all of those things. But faith is tested every time a 547 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,400 new step of faith is taken, right? 548 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,880 Hey, you're going to you're going to decide not to work on 549 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:02,000 Sunday. And you say, well, don't know 550 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,120 how it's going to work out, but I'm going to be in church on 551 00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:06,400 Sunday. And if you need me, I'm sorry, 552 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,000 I'm not going to be available. OK, fine. 553 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:10,840 Then you may not have a job on Monday. 554 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,560 Well, I'm going to step out of faith, right? 555 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,360 And sometimes that results in losing your job. 556 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:22,560 But are you going to step out in faith or not? 557 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,040 Your faith, Your faith is going to be tested. 558 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,240 Well, what is God going to do? He's not going to leave you 559 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:34,200 hanging, right? When you do it His way, God's 560 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,360 not going to leave you hanging. I've been young and now I am 561 00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:42,000 old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed 562 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,480 begging bread? You step out in faith because 563 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,320 you believe that it's something God wants you to do, or in some 564 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,200 cases, you know that it's something God wants you to do 565 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,000 because He's very plainly commanded in His Word. 566 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:55,720 He's not going to leave you hanging. 567 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,160 So you know what? Fire me. 568 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,840 Fire me from that job. Guess what? 569 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,320 I don't know how God's going to work it out, but He's either 570 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,400 going to give me a job that's just as good, or He's going to 571 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,160 give me a job that's better. And many times what you see is 572 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,640 that God gives you something that was way better than what 573 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,720 you ever thought He could give you. 574 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,920 Because your faith is going to be tested when you step out, 575 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,160 right? A decision to attend, attend 576 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,560 church faithfully or to read the Bible every day or to give a 577 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,160 portion of my income to the Lord regularly. 578 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,840 Now that's a big one. People who start to struggle 579 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:32,520 financially. I just, you know what, things 580 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,000 are getting a little tight. Sorry, God, you're the first one 581 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,440 that has to go. That was just money that I was 582 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,800 throwing away every every week. Anyway. 583 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,760 No, the Bible says very plainly that you ought to give, right? 584 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,720 Your tithes and your offerings. And what does God promise to 585 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,960 those who give and give cheerfully? 586 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,000 He'll return it again. Good measure. 587 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:59,480 Pressed down, shaking together, running over, right? 588 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:00,960 That's how he's going to give back to you. 589 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,400 So do you believe it or not? But oh, things got tight. 590 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,960 Sorry, God, I need that money. I know it's yours, but I need 591 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,480 it. And you don't step out of faith 592 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:13,840 and you expect that everything's going to work out the way that 593 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,080 you're planning for it to work out. 594 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:21,080 You trust God and you give and you watch how God provides and, 595 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,280 and, and so many of you have stories of exactly how God 596 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:28,000 provides in those situations, right? 597 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,760 We could go on for a while about that. 598 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,080 But love my wife as Christ loved the church. 599 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,440 God wants to see if our faith is real or if it's only 600 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,840 superficial, right? Most Christians, especially in 601 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:43,400 America, have superficial faith because most people are not 602 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:48,400 living on the edge of disaster. You're not living where? 603 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:53,240 Well, if I, if I go to church and I get fired from my job, I 604 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:55,520 don't know how I'm going to put food on the table on Monday. 605 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,040 Most people are not living on the edge of disaster. 606 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:00,200 They're comfortable. They got everything they need. 607 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:02,880 Oh, well, if I step out in faith and I lose my job, fine, I'll 608 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,440 just retire. I'm ready anyway, right? 609 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,040 That's what most people have a backup plan before they step out 610 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,480 in faith. Faith steps out whether you have 611 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,240 a backup plan or not. And that's what I'm saying. 612 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,480 Most faith in America is superficial because you're not 613 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:19,480 living on the edge. You're not living on that edge 614 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,400 of if I do this, I don't know how this is going to work out, 615 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:24,800 right? I feel like that's where we're 616 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,560 at with this Belize project. We're right on the edge. 617 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,680 We stepped out. It's too late now. 618 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,160 We're already, you know, we're over the Cliff and we're 619 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:33,520 falling. I'm just waiting for something 620 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,440 to catch us down there at the bottom before we crash. 621 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,960 But that's what faith is, right? Do we believe that God wants us 622 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,000 to do this or not? Step out and watch how God 623 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:44,520 provides. I don't know how he's going to 624 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,320 provide, right? I have no idea where it's going 625 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:48,440 to come from or how it's going to come. 626 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,800 Maybe we can ask Hubert Davis if he can just give us a little 627 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:52,720 pocket change or something and see what he says. 628 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:55,080 You know Greg, you probably know him pretty well, don't you? 629 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,680 But you see what I'm saying? Faith is not faith. 630 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,120 If you don't step out when you don't know what's going to 631 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,120 happen, it's not faith. If you step out when you know 632 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,000 that the outcome right, it's not faith. 633 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,600 It's not faith. Faith is going to be tested. 634 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,920 But number six, then faith gives us courage. 635 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,520 Hebrews Chapter 11. Let's go back over there verse 636 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:25,320 #23 By the way, pray about this. I have a, but most of you know 637 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,080 who Spencer Smith is. He's been here. 638 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,240 He did the Doctor Matters conference for us last year. 639 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,480 But I'm going on to his channel tomorrow to talk about this 640 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:34,400 missions project. And it's, it's a, it's a new 641 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:35,760 idea. It's a different way of doing 642 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,360 things. And, you know, it's just kind 643 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:44,080 of, I don't know, outside the box maybe a little bit, but guys 644 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:46,040 like that, like Brother Shifflett and some of these 645 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:50,280 other guys are, are open to these kind of ideas because just 646 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,200 because it's always been done this way doesn't mean that 647 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:53,520 that's the only way to do it, right. 648 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,880 So this is a little bit different way of, of, of getting 649 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,800 the gospel into a country. And I've, I've been talking to, 650 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,760 to brother Spencer about it. And, and so I'm going on there 651 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:07,240 tomorrow to talk about it. And I'm going to put the idea 652 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,120 out there that we're trying to raise some money for these 653 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:10,800 things. Who knows, you know, what the, 654 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:15,160 what the possibilities would be with that, but just pray that 655 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,560 that, that the word will get out and that people be willing to 656 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,240 give toward it and then we'll get this thing up off the 657 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:23,160 ground. I, I still believe it's just a 658 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,040 tremendous opportunity to get the gospel into it an entire 659 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,320 country. And I actually had two really 660 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,120 good opportunities yesterday. We were talking to a couple 661 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,400 other people about some Christian businessmen who are 662 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,200 in, in this area. But but hey, let's stay in 663 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:37,880 touch. I think this is a great idea. 664 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:40,160 You know, so we're starting to get some momentum and things are 665 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:42,280 starting to move. But at the same time, you know, 666 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:47,640 it's, it's, it is a, it's a step of faith and, and we're all kind 667 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:51,280 of taking that step together, whether you want to or not, 668 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:54,560 we're taking that step. But faith gives us courage. 669 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,120 And that's, you know, this is this is what Hebrews Chapter 11, 670 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:00,120 verse 23 by faith. Moses, when he was born was hit 671 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,720 three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper 672 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,680 child and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. 673 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,800 Well, that takes courage. I mean, you stick your kid in a, 674 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,800 in a, in an ark and throw him in the bulrushes, not knowing 675 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:17,159 what's going to happen, but trusting that you're doing what 676 00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:19,960 God wants you to do. I mean, that that takes courage. 677 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,320 Could you imagine how difficult that was for, for Moses's 678 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:29,080 parents to put their baby in an ark and trust that is not going 679 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:30,400 to leak and he's not going to drown. 680 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:33,159 Trust that some of Pharaoh's men's not going to come along 681 00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:35,440 and, and find him and just kill him right there. 682 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:38,560 And you're going to go back and there's a dead baby in a ark in 683 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:42,639 the bulrushes, right? But they knew what God said. 684 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,920 And it was, it was it was faith that gave them the courage to do 685 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:47,960 that. So life is full of fears, but 686 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,960 faith in Christ overcomes every fear. 687 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,520 We don't have to fear any problems or situation because 688 00:34:53,760 --> 00:35:00,560 everything is in God's hands. Romans 828 And we know that all 689 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,160 things work together for good to them who love God to them who 690 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:05,600 are the called according to his purpose. 691 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:10,080 What is I mean, what is there not to trust if we know that all 692 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:15,480 things work together for good, right, that that's faith because 693 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:20,160 do you know that all things work together for good Here you do 694 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,520 yes, but but here is it's it's harder to get it down here to 695 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:27,440 actually act on it right. But if God says it, can we 696 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,560 believe it or not? Absolutely we can believe it. 697 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,520 We don't have to fear for food and clothing. 698 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:36,920 Matthew 633 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His 699 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:40,480 righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. 700 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,960 What is all these things? Food raiment. 701 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,320 Let us be there with content, right? 702 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,200 Hebrews 13, five and six. Jesus Christ the same yesterday 703 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:52,880 and today and forever. We don't have to fear for old 704 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:54,880 age. What's Psalm 3725? 705 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:01,920 I have been young and now I am old, yet have I not seen the 706 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:04,560 righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 707 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:09,280 We don't have to fear, faith gives us that courage #7 Faith 708 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,600 makes wise choices. Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 24 by 709 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,400 faith, Moses by faith. Moses, when he was come to 710 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,040 years, refused to be called the sons of Pharaoh, the son of 711 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:21,640 Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with 712 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:24,840 the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a 713 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,840 season, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than 714 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,480 the treasures in Egypt, For he had respect unto the recompense 715 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,920 of the reward. What is that's a that's a wise 716 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:38,280 choice that Moses made. But but but what allowed him to 717 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,440 make that choice? Faith. 718 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:44,200 Very plainly the Bible says that by faith Moses, when he was come 719 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:46,480 to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 720 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,920 So Moses made a wide, wise choice by faith, choosing to 721 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,840 suffer affliction with God's people for a short season 722 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,480 instead of living the life of ease as the son of Pharaoh. 723 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,400 Faith can give us the same wisdom to make major decisions 724 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,160 like those, whether we follow the crowd or follow Christ, 725 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,760 whether to be wholehearted for Christ or not. 726 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,800 Romans 12/1. Beseech you therefore, brother, 727 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,440 you guys are getting wide. You're looking up the verses 728 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:11,040 ahead of time before we get there. 729 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,640 I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God 730 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:18,760 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 731 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:23,160 acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, right? 732 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:26,680 So whether to be wholehearted for Christ or not, are you going 733 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:28,120 to? That's a wise choice, wouldn't 734 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:31,400 you say that's a wise decision? I'm going to sell out for 735 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:32,560 Christ. I'm going to live for Christ. 736 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:34,640 What allows you to make that decision? 737 00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:38,200 Faith, because I know that it's going to come to pass, right? 738 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:40,480 Whether it is be lazy or to be diligent. 739 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:42,480 What is Proverbs? Oh, I skipped whether to 740 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:47,000 separate from the world or not. Romans 12/2 and be not conformed 741 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,960 to this world, but be transformed whether to serve God 742 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:58,280 or mammon. Matthew 624 You're on the right. 743 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:00,000 Yeah, that's right. Right. 744 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,280 You cannot serve God and mammon, right? 745 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,560 You got to make a choice. Can't serve both, whether it be 746 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,800 lazy or diligent. What's Proverbs 13/4? 747 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:13,560 What is it? I don't know hoping somebody 748 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:15,920 knew that one. No, I think that one is the soul 749 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,320 of the diligent shall be made fat, right, right. 750 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:23,640 But but there's a there's an opposite of that for for lazy. 751 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:31,360 I I could be wrong, but right, there you go. 752 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,880 So I would I had it backwards. But anyway, whether to give to 753 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,160 God's work richly or to keep it for myself, right. 754 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,360 Those are all decisions that we have to make. 755 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:45,080 Faith makes those wise choices and there's a lot of choices 756 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:46,280 that we have to make in our lives. 757 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,760 And, and, and a lot of these things that we talked about go 758 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:49,960 hand in hand. Are you going to step out in 759 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,000 faith and give, Are you going to step out in faith and follow 760 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,120 God's leading? Are you going to step out in 761 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:55,680 faith and go to church? Are you going to step out in 762 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,200 faith and witness? Are you going to step out in 763 00:38:57,200 --> 00:38:58,640 faith and do all of those things right? 764 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:02,600 Those are all those are all things that gives us courage to 765 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:04,600 do those things. But then when we step out, it's, 766 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,960 it's faith that makes it, helps us make those wise choices, and 767 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:11,960 then #8 faith overcomes and also endures. 768 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,960 Verse 32. And what shall I say more? 769 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,280 For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barrack, 770 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,400 and of Samson, and of Jephthah, and of David also in Samuel, and 771 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,960 of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought 772 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:26,760 righteousness, obtained promises. 773 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,440 Stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the 774 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:32,400 edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made 775 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:34,800 strong. Wax, valiant in fight, turn to 776 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,040 flight the armies of the aliens. Women receive their They had 777 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:40,000 raised their life again. And others were tortured, not 778 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,120 accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better 779 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:44,720 resurrection. And others had trial of cruel 780 00:39:44,720 --> 00:39:47,720 mockings and scourgings, Yay, moreover, of bonds and 781 00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:49,520 imprisonment. They were stoned, they were 782 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:53,080 saunasunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. 783 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,760 They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being 784 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:59,920 destitute, afflicted, tormented. What does verse 38 say? 785 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:04,000 Of whom the world was not worthy. 786 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:08,160 They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves 787 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,720 of the earth. And these all, having obtained a 788 00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:14,080 good report through faith, received not the promise. 789 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,400 God having provided some better thing for us that they without 790 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:20,760 us should not be made perfect. But man, look at it. 791 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,560 I mean, it's like Fox's Book of martyrs in a, in a couple of 792 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:27,520 sentences, right? Cut in half sauna, sauna. 793 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:29,400 That's what it means. They were just, they were cut in 794 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:31,120 half. They didn't have, they wandered 795 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:32,520 around in sheepskins and goatskins. 796 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:35,760 It wasn't saying it because it was a good thing, right? 797 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,000 It was difficult for them, but the world's not worthy of 798 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,560 somebody who stepped down in faith, followed Christ. 799 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:48,080 Faith overcomes, faith endures. See, some receive faith to 800 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:52,080 overcome life's trials, but others receive faith to endure 801 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:55,400 life's trials. I think it's a great statement. 802 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,120 We can have faith whether the fire is quenched or whether it 803 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:01,760 burns us, whether the lion's mouths are shut or whether the 804 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:05,040 lion eats us, whether the jail doors are opened or whether we 805 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,680 die there. We must trust God whether we are 806 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,280 healed or not, whether the house sells or not, whether the bullet 807 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,640 is stopped or not. See, what we're saying is just 808 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,680 because you don't see the answer that you want doesn't mean that 809 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:18,640 God didn't answer your request, right? 810 00:41:18,720 --> 00:41:22,440 Sometimes God's answer is no, right? 811 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:26,480 Daniel trusted that he was going to get in the lion's den, but 812 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:28,240 Daniel didn't know what was going to happen. 813 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,400 Daniel didn't know if the lions were going to eat him or not. 814 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:34,240 Daniel didn't know what God's plan was. 815 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:36,640 All right, hey, I'm just going to do what's right. 816 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,200 Faith gives me the ability to say, you know what, God, 817 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:42,920 everything is in your hands. If the lions eat me, you knew, 818 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:45,280 right? If you stopped the mouths of the 819 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:48,200 lions, you knew, hey, they're going to, they're getting ready 820 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,720 to throw me into the into the fiery furnace because I'm not 821 00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:56,320 going to stand up and worship your God or I'm not going to 822 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:58,760 kneel down and worship your God. I'm going to stand up, right? 823 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,000 Throw me in the fiery furnace. I don't know if God's going to 824 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,840 deliver me or not. If he does, that's what he 825 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:07,480 wanted. If he doesn't, that's what he 826 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,360 wanted. I'm going to do the right thing. 827 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,720 And faith is what allows me to do that right thing, right? 828 00:42:12,720 --> 00:42:15,840 And there's so many other things that that go right along with 829 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:20,160 that, right? God wants me to leave everything 830 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,680 and go to the mission field. Well, I've got to sell my house. 831 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:24,760 I've got to do this. I've got to do that. 832 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:28,040 Hey, go do what God calls you to do. 833 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,960 God will work out all the details, right? 834 00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:33,880 Faith allows you to step out in faith. 835 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:36,440 Faith is what gives us the courage to make those wise 836 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:38,360 choices. But then faith overcomes. 837 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:41,640 God gives faith according to His will, and we must accept His 838 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:43,080 will. That's why Jesus called 839 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:47,320 Scripture in Revelation 310. The word of my patience, right? 840 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:52,400 Thank God for His grace and the privilege of exercising faith in 841 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,240 this wicked generation. Do you have saving faith in 842 00:42:55,240 --> 00:42:58,080 Christ? Faith that has changed your 843 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:01,760 life? 2nd Corinthians 517 Any man be 844 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:05,400 in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away. 845 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:07,000 Behold, all things are become new. 846 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,200 Don't tell me that your life should not change once you meet 847 00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:15,720 Christ. If you're in Christ, your life 848 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:17,840 should change. You have an intimate 849 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:20,800 relationship with the Bible so that your faith is growing. 850 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:25,400 Is your faith being tested? Just keep on keeping on what'll 851 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:27,200 be the story of my life in regard to faith? 852 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,120 Every life is written in God's Book, all right. 853 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:31,920 And he said that what shall I say? 854 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:34,080 More time would fail me. I don't have enough time to tell 855 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:36,480 you about all the people who have lived their lives in faith. 856 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:40,160 But some of them had to go through this, and this, and 857 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,320 this, and this, and they were difficult circumstances. 858 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:45,080 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, 859 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,720 received not the promise. God having provided some better 860 00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:51,080 thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. 861 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,560 We all have a part in that faith story. 862 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:56,800 All right, So what he's saying what's, what's going to be the 863 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:58,800 story of my life in regard to faith? 864 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:00,880 Now, the Bible is not still being written. 865 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:03,920 So you can't be added to the Hebrews Chapter 11. 866 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,400 You cannot be added to the to the, to the hall of faith, 867 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:13,120 right? But what would, what would God 868 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,760 say about you? What would if, if, if, if he was 869 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:18,720 still writing Hebrews Chapter 11, would you be added in there? 870 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:28,280 Could he put you in there? A huge, huge, huge percentage of 871 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:33,040 American Christians and most of American Christianity could not 872 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:35,000 even be mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11. 873 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,360 Because we do. We do so little stepping out in 874 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:43,200 faith. We step out when we know there's 875 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:44,960 something there to catch us, right? 876 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:49,160 What? What, what trapeze artist is not 877 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,720 going to go flipping through the air if they know, Oh, I slipped. 878 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:54,240 Guess what? The net caught me right. 879 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:58,760 Remember the story of the, when they were building a Golden Gate 880 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:00,440 Bridge? I, I, I think I've told you that 881 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:03,360 story before, But when they were when they were there at the 882 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:05,880 beginning working on it, there was no safety Nets. 883 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:08,640 And I forget the number of people that actually fell to 884 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:10,600 their death while they were working on the Golden Gate 885 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,080 Bridge. But about halfway through, they 886 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:14,440 got smart and they said, you know what? 887 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:17,320 Let's just, let's, let's put a net up. 888 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:20,240 That way. If somebody slips and falls, at 889 00:45:20,240 --> 00:45:22,240 least we know the net's going to catch them and they won't die. 890 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,840 And for the whole rest of that project, nobody actually died. 891 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:30,760 But like twice the number of people actually fell when they 892 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:34,040 were working on the bridge. You know why they weren't afraid 893 00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:35,760 anymore? Because they knew the net was 894 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:38,040 there and it was going to catch them, right? 895 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,400 I mean, I'm sure they still didn't want to fall, but they 896 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:42,600 weren't they weren't working in fear because they knew the net 897 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:45,120 was there, right? And that's, that's what we have 898 00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:48,200 in American Christianity. I'll step out because I know 899 00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:49,880 that the Nets there to catch me, right? 900 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:52,840 I got a four O 1 Ki got money in the bank. 901 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,560 I got this. I got that out. 902 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:57,720 If I step out in faith and it doesn't work out, then I've got 903 00:45:57,720 --> 00:45:59,400 this to catch me now. Faith. 904 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:03,440 Faith is not faith until it's all you're hanging on to when 905 00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:06,240 you have nothing else and you don't know how it's going to 906 00:46:06,240 --> 00:46:10,120 work and you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel and you 907 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,240 don't know what the next step looks like. 908 00:46:12,240 --> 00:46:15,040 That's faith. That's that's what faith really 909 00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:16,880 is. And so all of these elements of 910 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:19,320 faith, it's essential, it's based on God's word. 911 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:22,160 It steps out in obedience. It looks beyond this life. 912 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:24,960 It's going to be tested. But faith is what gives us the 913 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:29,880 courage to make the wise choices to endure to the end and to 914 00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:32,000 overcome. That's faith. 915 00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:39,240 And boy, I tell you what, if we had faith the size of a mustard 916 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:42,840 seed, you could move a mountain, you could tell this mountain a 917 00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:47,760 get up and go over there and it would do it right Now there's 918 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:49,760 got to be a reason for it. It's not you just walk out and 919 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:52,040 say, hey, mountain, I don't like where you're at. 920 00:46:52,040 --> 00:46:55,120 Go over here. You know, there's to be a reason 921 00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:56,480 for it. But when there's a reason for 922 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,440 it, God says if you have faith the size of a mustard seed. 923 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:02,960 Ever seen a mustard seed? It's tiny. 924 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:06,840 It's tiny. And if you had just that little 925 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:09,920 bit of faith, you could tell that mountain to remove itself 926 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:12,840 and go over there and would do it right? 927 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:16,480 Faith that moves mountains. I mean, we talk about it so 928 00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:18,080 much, all faith, faith, faith, faith. 929 00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:20,400 But do you really have faith? Have you really stepped out? 930 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:23,680 Have you really acted on what God has told you to do? 931 00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:27,080 Are you living for this life or are you living for the next? 932 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:29,920 That's what it comes down to. Where are you? 933 00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:33,120 Where are you making your fortune, here or there? 934 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,000 Because what it comes down to is faith. 935 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:37,760 What are you? What are you doing with faith? 936 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:39,720 What are you doing with what God's told you to do? 937 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:43,200 Do you just trust that God's going to do what he said he's 938 00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:47,000 going to do and you'll, in obedience, step out and do what 939 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,600 he's told you to do? That's what faith is. 940 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,400 Let's pray. We'll get into a lesson on the 941 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,280 armor of God next week. Father, again, we thank you so 942 00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:59,200 much for your goodness. Thank you for the opportunity 943 00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:02,640 that we have to be here. And I believe that this is this 944 00:48:02,640 --> 00:48:05,840 is more than just teaching. It's it's it's preaching on this 945 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:09,680 idea of and helping us to understand that, that if we want 946 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:13,000 to accomplish anything for you, we've got to do it through 947 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:14,720 faith. May you help us. 948 00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:19,520 May you help us to truly have faith, to trust you with 949 00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:22,680 everything that you've entrusted with us, to trust you with our 950 00:48:22,680 --> 00:48:27,520 finances, to trust you with our family, to trust you with the 951 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:31,040 boldness to to be a witness, to trust you with, with anything 952 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:33,280 that you've called us to do, to just step out and do it in 953 00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:35,800 obedience. God, may you help us when our 954 00:48:35,800 --> 00:48:38,400 faith is tested to continue to follow you and to continue to 955 00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:40,840 live for you. I believe we're going into a 956 00:48:40,840 --> 00:48:43,400 period in our history where our faith is going to be tested, 957 00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:45,960 where we are going to have to make decisions whether or not we 958 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:49,840 really truly believe what we say we believe or not. 959 00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:53,520 May you help us, you help us to endure, and may you, may you 960 00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:56,120 strengthen us in our faith. Thank you again for all that you 961 00:48:56,120 --> 00:49:00,880 do for us in Jesus name, Amen. All right, we'll stand and we'll 962 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:01,760 close in our song.