1 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,360 This is ERC Sundays, the messages at Emmaus Rd. 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,240 Church in DeWitt, Iowa. ERC is a Church of people 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,320 striving to grow in Jesus and make him known to others through 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,560 our faith, words and actions. Find out more about our church 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,360 at emmausrdonline.org. Here's this week's message. 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:33,360 Well, welcome 1st Sunday of the new year we're. 7 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:39,400 Calling it one more. Sunday, We are going to do these 8 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:45,040 just about every quarter. We want to make one more Sunday 9 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:50,520 an opportunity for you who are regularly a part of our church 10 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,680 community, to bring the one mores that you have in your 11 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:56,840 life, whether that's. Family, Friends, Neighbors Co. 12 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,560 Workers, whatever it may be, the one mores that need to know 13 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,520 Jesus, quite frankly, and I don't. 14 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,360 Want to put. Any of you in the room on the 15 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,760 spot who feel like, Yep, they dragged me? 16 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,280 Along I'm not super happy that I'm here and I maybe don't even 17 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,640 know why I'm here and now you're telling me I need. 18 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:20,680 What you're selling, Pastor Matt, seen this movie before. 19 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,960 It sounds like a pyramid scheme. It's not. 20 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:32,880 And it is at the same time the reason. 21 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:38,240 If you are someone's one more here today, that means the 22 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,120 person that you came with or the people that you came with have 23 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:48,360 encountered A meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ, 24 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:54,240 who is the greatest thing that any of us will ever encounter 25 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:57,080 and so much. So. 26 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,360 That they. Cared enough about you as well 27 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,600 to bring you along so that you would know. 28 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,160 This truth and hope of eternal life that they have also come to 29 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,120 know so on one more Sundays. We want to make. 30 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,800 Jesus abundantly clear. We do that we try to do that 31 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,400 every week, but on one more Sundays that the gospel the. 32 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,240 Freedom, the gift of. Jesus needs to be abundantly 33 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,400 clear. We want to push. 34 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:30,240 Away any preconceived notions. Of coming to church and feeling 35 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,560 judged you certainly shouldn't feel judged by people at church. 36 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,520 You should probably feel judged by God at church because we've 37 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,120 sinned. We've all sinned. 38 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,800 You sinned too. Again, telling you who you are 39 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,720 and and what you need and. You need a God who can. 40 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,280 Defeat sin. Who can forgive your sin? 41 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,400 You need a savior who can pay and has paid the penalty. 42 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:00,680 For your sin. So we don't want church to be a 43 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,720 place that you come. And feel judged. 44 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:05,600 By people, it's OK to feel judged by God. 45 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,080 But we also have to hear and feel the freedom of the gospel 46 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,720 that. Even in that judgment, he made a 47 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,120 way. It's Jesus Christ that we were 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:21,200 singing about. He made a way to pay the 49 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,920 penalty. For your sin, that those who 50 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:25,520 confess. Their sin and call on the name 51 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,160 of the. Lord Jesus would be saved. 52 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,680 So that's in a nutshell what we want One More Sunday to be an 53 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,520 opportunity for you to hear about Jesus for the first time. 54 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:39,920 Or even those of you who know him. 55 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,920 Maybe you can pick up some tools today, some apologetics, some 56 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,800 some really. Easy gospel Nuggets to bring to 57 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,000 those one. Mores in your life? 58 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,240 Even if they're not here with you today, there should be some 59 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:56,560 stuff from this message that is a compelling, easy 2 minute way 60 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,840 to infuse the gospel. Into your lives, into your 61 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,840 relationships, your conversations with these people. 62 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:11,160 Now this is all within kind of our, our, our vision, our, our 63 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,800 mission of knowing Jesus and making him known. 64 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,120 The next 4 weeks we're going to be, we're going to be in these, 65 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,640 these four FS that were kind of. Banding. 66 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,440 Around and and financial peace university and and the and the 67 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,920 finances that's at the very end that's week 4. 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,960 But we didn't want to wait till week 4 to to start financial 69 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:29,840 peace up. That can start right now. 70 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,240 The next four weeks on Sundays, we're going to be working 71 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,680 through the significance of faith, family, fitness, and 72 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:42,120 finances in our lives as we seek the Kingdom of God first. 73 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,800 We believe that as a body of believers, that is what we need 74 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,160 to prioritize. And our relationship with Jesus 75 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,120 needs to be the first box, even more so than any relationship 76 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,800 that you could have on earth. So that's why we're starting 77 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:03,600 with faith today. Guys in the back, would you, can 78 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,000 you switch the screen for me? That would be great. 79 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:12,600 We are eventually going to be in Hebrews 11 today. 80 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,440 There are Pew Bibles. Under well, I call them pews. 81 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,440 They're chairs. There are Bibles under the seats 82 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,640 in front of you. And I did not look up where 83 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:30,360 Hebrews 11 is on page 1710 Zero 7 if you want to get ready to be 84 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,840 there. But before we get there, I'm 85 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:39,280 going to set up a few things as to why we are prioritizing faith 86 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,400 in our knowing Jesus and making him known. 87 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,360 The first passage we take in knowing Jesus, why we need to 88 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,000 know Jesus, why we're called to do that, is Philippians 3 Paul. 89 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,200 Writes. Indeed, I count everything as 90 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,480 lost because of the. Surpassing worth of knowing 91 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,440 Jesus Christ my Lord, for his sake I have. 92 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,360 Suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in 93 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,880 order that I may gain Christ. And be found in him not having a 94 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:06,360 righteousness. Of my own that comes from the 95 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,800 law, but. That which comes through faith 96 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,480 in Christ, the righteousness from God. 97 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,960 That depends on faith. There's a lot. 98 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,680 Of big words there, there's a. Lot of churchy words in there. 99 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,080 In essence. In a nutshell, what Paul is 100 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,120 saying in this passage he did not encounter. 101 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,240 Anything on earth? That came close to comparing 102 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,880 with the worth, the relationship, the value. 103 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,600 The joy that he. Found in Jesus Christ. 104 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:42,080 And that through faith in him. He's credited with righteousness 105 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,840 before God. He had a problem that he could 106 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:46,760 not solve. He had a. 107 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,640 Sin problem that same sin. Problem that we all. 108 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:53,160 Have that we cannot account for for ourselves. 109 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:58,960 He cast that aside. He understood that he needed to 110 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,200 set that aside and pursue Christ to gain Christ. 111 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,160 Through faith so that he could be credited with righteousness 112 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,880 before God. Then what do we do with that? 113 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,480 What if we have that? OK, great. 114 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:13,600 Just. Keep it to myself. 115 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:19,600 Hang right here, I'm good to go. Jesus taught his disciples, 116 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,800 those that followed him. You who are closest to me, you 117 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,880 who know me, go there for and make disciples of all nations, 118 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,880 baptizing name in the name of the Father and the Son of the 119 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,280 Holy. Spirit teaching them to observe. 120 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,520 All that I have commanded you and behold, I am with you always 121 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,600 to the end of the age. If you've been with us through 122 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,120 the past, through series, the past few sermon series, there's 123 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,720 a common thread that even when there's a directive, when 124 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,640 there's a mission, when there is. 125 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,400 Something for us to do for the sake of Christ. 126 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:59,520 We don't do it alone. He goes with us, he is 127 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:04,800 delegating, but he's helping alongside. 128 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,920 He's working in and through the people that know him that. 129 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:15,040 Have relationship with him. So faith. 130 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,200 Knowing Jesus, we face the thing we need to pursue making him 131 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,400 known. We're also charged to share 132 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:21,720 this. Faith with others that they 133 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,920 might also. Have faith to make disciples. 134 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:33,919 So that's what we're doing this week in Hebrews 11 now. 135 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,400 We're going to also talk about the distinction. 136 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:45,400 Between belief and faith because as we're going to read a little. 137 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:51,880 Later in James. They are different belief. 138 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,080 Typically refers to intellectual acceptance or conviction that 139 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,880 something is true, often based on evidence. 140 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,800 Logic or information. It can be passive. 141 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,680 And it can be. Changeable our our. 142 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,440 Beliefs can change. In what in what we think about 143 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,680 things our our our understanding can change, information can 144 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:15,240 change. There was once a large. 145 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:17,960 Portion of the population. And some. 146 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,080 Still. Do that that believed that the 147 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:20,880 earth was. Flat. 148 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:27,160 Well, someone sailed all the way around the world and eventually 149 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:28,600 flew all the way and figured out OK. 150 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,880 The thing just keeps going around. 151 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:32,400 It's a circle. It's our. 152 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,480 Beliefs change. The information that we knew 153 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,640 changed. We were able to observe other 154 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:38,600 celestial bodies and planets in the sun. 155 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:40,800 It's OK these these other things. 156 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,600 Are little spheres, little balls floating around in space so it 157 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,320 wouldn't make sense that ours is just this flat canvas and 158 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,240 everything else is this little spit like OK, yeah, we're we're 159 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,800 in a circle now We we get that we understand that our beliefs 160 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,000 about what that changed so. Those. 161 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:59,560 Those things are moldable. Faith involves deeper. 162 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,720 Trust. There's a relational aspect of 163 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,560 faith. Commitment, resilience, 164 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:11,160 sometimes action, often persisting beyond evidence or in 165 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:17,440 the face of uncertainty. There is an element. 166 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,440 Of doubt to faith. Not that, not that you must 167 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:27,680 doubt to have faith, but there's an aspect of things that we have 168 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:33,840 faith in that we can't fully understand or see or or or maybe 169 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:38,800 feel. It involves trust. 170 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:44,760 And there's some uncertainty. In having faith, in putting our 171 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:50,240 faith in something which is. Why we should not put our faith? 172 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:59,520 In things that can fail. Let's jump to Hebrews. 173 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:05,040 Chapter 11 and we're going to see how the Bible defines faith 174 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,760 Hebrews 11 verse one page 1007 and and the Bible's under the 175 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:10,960 seats. If you want to follow along, 176 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:12,880 grab your. Phones out follow. 177 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,680 Along on the screen, the other thing we're going to be 178 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:16,720 abundantly. Clear. 179 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,640 About animated church this. Bible. 180 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,440 Is the word of God. It's fully true. 181 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,640 It's complete and perfect. It's everything we know. 182 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,880 Need to know how to live this. Life on earth for the glory of 183 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:31,360 God we teach. From it. 184 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:37,040 We teach for it, for His glory. This isn't the school, the 185 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:38,800 Church of man up here. This is the Church of God. 186 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,000 I'm trying to do my best to teach and explain. 187 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,200 Through my experience. And, and in my knowledge that 188 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,160 I've gained doing this, trying to bring you along with me. 189 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,520 All right, this is God's word. This is ultimate truth. 190 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:58,080 Hebrews 11 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, 191 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:07,000 the conviction. Of things not scene I want. 192 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:13,080 To remind you this word, hope. In the Greek language, it is a 193 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,800 certainty. It's not a wishful. 194 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,600 Thinking, oh I hope luck happens and and and this. 195 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:26,040 Unfolds when you. Were hopeful for something, you 196 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,720 knew it was going to happen, it just wasn't here. 197 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:33,040 Yet you were sure of it. That it was going to happen. 198 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:34,880 It just wasn't. Here yet. 199 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:37,960 So that's an aspect. Of faith the. 200 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,520 Assurance of things hoped for, knowing that it's going to come. 201 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,760 The conviction of things not seen. 202 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,640 Now, some of those are easier to. 203 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,640 Understand for. For example, let's talk about 204 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,160 gravity. It's maybe an obvious one, but 205 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:01,480 we can't really see gravity, the force that is. 206 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:08,520 We can see its effects, right? I believe in gravity and I I 207 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:13,600 even have like actions to. Bring my. 208 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:18,760 Belief in gravity into faith. If I step off this stage, I have 209 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,600 full faith that my feet are going to hit the ground. 210 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,440 I'm not just going to walk on air, right? 211 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,520 My actions could follow that off if I jump, I'm going to come 212 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,400 back down. I have full faith. 213 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:36,520 I I can hope I know fully assured that if I jump, I'm 214 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:41,000 coming back down, right? It's belief in belief into faith 215 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,240 by actions, right. I know what's going to happen. 216 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:47,880 Think about it on a on a larger scale. 217 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,080 This is this is maybe a common analogy analogy you've heard of, 218 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,640 but skydiving. How many of you have ever been 219 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,960 skydiving or or veterans military down to jump couple. 220 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:04,800 OK, did your parachute work? OK, If it didn't, I was going to 221 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:06,560 let you come up here and we're going to have a different 222 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:08,400 sermon. That's going to be an amazing 223 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,720 faith story that we could hear today instead. 224 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:18,280 But OK, parachute worked. You believed that the mechanics, 225 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,920 the inner workings, the function of the parachute, it, it was 226 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,240 going to catch you, right? You believe that? 227 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,720 And like I, I could do that too. I could wear a parachute right 228 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:32,200 now and standing on the ground, I believe that it works. 229 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,040 Now put that into faith. Would it? 230 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,560 Would I be acting in faith if the parachute works if I jump 231 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,640 onto the ground from right here with the parachute on my back? 232 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,160 No, I feel pretty safe. Like I'm not worried about like 233 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,960 I'm going to die. Now go on a helicopter. 234 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,240 Go on an airplane with that parachute on your back. 235 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:58,160 How's your faith in that parachute? 236 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:05,000 Still feeling pretty good by jumping out of that. 237 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,440 Plane, you're putting all your faith in that. 238 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:20,710 Parachute right? Belief with action is faith. 239 00:15:23,070 --> 00:15:29,150 Faith lived out includes taking action based on belief. 240 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,080 This is where the writer of Hebrews goes. 241 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,480 With this faith the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction 242 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,680 of things not seen for it is. By for. 243 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,960 By it, by faith. The people of old. 244 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,680 Received their commendation. He's talking about the Old 245 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,800 Testament. There's two halves to the Bible. 246 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,160 The Old Testament pre Jesus and the New Testament. 247 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,840 The ministry of Jesus and the early church that follows the 248 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,720 writer of Hebrews talking about the faith of Old in the Old 249 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,600 Testament By faith we understand that the universe was. 250 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:07,320 Created by the Word of God so that what is seen was not made 251 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:14,600 out of things. That are visible now genesis 1 252 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,720 one the first verse is in the Bible in the beginning God 253 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:22,480 created the heavens and the earth we're already at a point 254 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,000 of faith because there were no. Humans to record Watch. 255 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:33,080 See God create the heavens and the earth that came later, even 256 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:34,760 those that actually. Recorded it weren't. 257 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,440 Really the first humans that were there. 258 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,160 Inspired by God. Wrote the story down. 259 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,640 So it is by faith that we even believe in creation. 260 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,440 We can't see it. We can't prove it. 261 00:16:52,840 --> 00:17:00,480 But we're here by. Faith by believing that God 262 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,640 created all things and that human. 263 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:04,720 Life if we act. In a way that. 264 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,680 Human life. Set apart, made in the image of 265 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:11,839 God, is greater than all of the things as God intended. 266 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,040 As God created by faith, we understand the universe was 267 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:21,359 created then the writer of. Hebrews goes into all these. 268 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:22,400 Examples. I'm not going. 269 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,720 To dive into each and everyone. Here this morning. 270 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:32,840 But the writer of Hebrews chronicles these. 271 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:37,200 Pillars, these foundations of. The faith by faith Abel, Cain 272 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,880 and Abel first two born to Adam and Eve. 273 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:46,560 Real quick, Cain murdered his brother Abel because God favored 274 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,400 Abel's offerings. What did Abel do? 275 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,280 Abel brought the first fruits of his harvest. 276 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,160 He gave God his first and. His best and that. 277 00:17:56,360 --> 00:17:58,920 Pleased God. That's how our relationship with 278 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,960 God is supposed to be, because. Abel understood that everything 279 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,000 he had came from God was God's, was just. 280 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:06,360 He was just the. Caretaker. 281 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:08,760 For it so of. Course he gave. 282 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:14,600 Back to God out of what he had already blessed Abel with by 283 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,560 faith. Abel made this offering that 284 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:17,680 doesn't. That doesn't make any. 285 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,600 Sense right to. Give back to God what he's 286 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:22,680 already. Done. 287 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,400 It's an act of trust. It's an act. 288 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,080 That what he's already given you, he will continue to. 289 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:34,960 Bless you with so it was by. Faith in faith, Abel took this 290 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,560 action that what God already did, what he had already 291 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,440 repeatedly provided he would continue to do he. 292 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:47,840 Acted in faith. Skipping down by faith, Enoch 293 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,040 was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not 294 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:58,320 found because God had taken him. Without faith, it's impossible. 295 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,840 To please God. For whoever would draw near to 296 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:03,840 God must believe that He exists, and that He. 297 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,640 Rewards those who seek him seeking the Kingdom first 298 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,680 language there in Hebrews as well. 299 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:13,040 Then we get to Noah. This might be a little more 300 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,760 familiar by faith. Noah being warned by God 301 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,040 concerning events is yet unseen. Think about this. 302 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,240 We talked about Moses. We worked through Moses a little 303 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,720 while there's. There's a very climactic moment 304 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,880 with Moses. Right where God speaks to him 305 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,760 through a burning. Bush OK. 306 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,280 Very clear. This is the voice of God. 307 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,600 I am that I am. I am Yahweh. 308 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,360 Set my people free. Go rescue my people. 309 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,000 Moses went home that day and said, wife Zipporah, you're. 310 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,200 Never going to believe this. But the voice of God spoke to me 311 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,760 through a Bush and we got to go get these people out of Egypt. 312 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,000 Noah on the other hand, it's it's, it's a little different. 313 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,080 We don't know that there was this heavens opening moment. 314 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:00,960 And the voice of God booms down and says, Noah, 100 years from 315 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:02,120 now, there's going to be this flood. 316 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,600 So you better start building the boat. 317 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:14,160 Maybe maybe that's happened, but also Noah may have been so in 318 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:20,280 tune with God in his relationship with God that in 319 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:24,360 the day-to-day, in his prayers to God, in his listening, in his 320 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:26,880 conversation, Remember, faith is relationship. 321 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:32,680 It involves trust. Maybe that idea started as just. 322 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,280 An inkling. Maybe it was just a whisper, A 323 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,640 thought. In Noah's head, maybe it was an 324 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:45,240 audible voice. It it could have been, but I've 325 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,960 never heard the audible. Voice of God not saying he 326 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:49,480 can't. He can absolutely still. 327 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,680 Work in that way. But if I believe, if I have 328 00:20:53,680 --> 00:21:01,000 faith that God still talks and leads and he's leading my 329 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,720 thoughts, my actions directing in my mind, he could have talked 330 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:05,880 to Noah in the same way for sure. 331 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,880 That's that's a lot different for Noah to come home and say 332 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:13,680 wife kind of had this can't shake this feeling. 333 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:14,880 I kind of had this thought today that. 334 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:20,600 It's going to rain soon. Not not like soon, but like a 335 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,120 long 100 years from now. But like I got this feeling that 336 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:27,400 we need to build this boat big enough to hold all the animals 337 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:28,880 on the. Face of the Earth. 338 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:32,600 So that we can. Keep them and preserve them and 339 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,640 And God told me to. Sounds a little less convincing 340 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:43,080 than the burning Bush, right? But by faith, because he was 341 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,880 attuned to God. And his relationship? 342 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,720 With him, Noah was utterly convinced of something he could 343 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,000 not. See by faith. 344 00:21:59,350 --> 00:22:02,630 By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place. 345 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:04,840 That he was to. Receive as an inheritance. 346 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,200 He went out not knowing where he was going by faith. 347 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,480 He went to live in the land of the promise, as in a foreign 348 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,520 land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of him, with 349 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:15,720 the same promise. For he was looking forward to 350 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:17,040 the. City that had foundations who 351 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,600 designer and builder. Is God by faith Sarah herself 352 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,680 received? Power to conceive, even when she 353 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,000 was. Past the age since she had. 354 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,720 Considered him faithful who had promised. 355 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:27,920 We don't always give you homework at church. 356 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:33,600 Go back to Genesis. Read through these names, these 357 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,200 Saints, these foundations. And how they? 358 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,000 Acted in faith. Get the whole story. 359 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,200 These are just snippets of examples of living by faith. 360 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:48,040 That we find here. In Hebrews. 11 What the writer 361 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:49,240 of. Hebrews is saying. 362 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:58,880 By highlighting their examples, these forefathers, these people 363 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:04,560 that came beforehand. How they lived their lives. 364 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:09,560 In response. To who God is, who he said He 365 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,760 is, and what he had done, what he had blessed them with. 366 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:21,040 They lived their lives in faith. And God. 367 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,800 Credited that faith. To them as righteousness. 368 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,800 Each of these. Individuals, and I'm not, I 369 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:35,600 don't like to use the word characters because these were 370 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,880 people. The Bible is a book of history. 371 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:43,040 This happened each of these individuals. 372 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:48,120 Even before Jesus, all of them lived before. 373 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:53,640 Jesus came to earth, had a relationship a. 374 00:23:53,640 --> 00:24:01,280 Knowledge and understanding of God, who He was, who he is, that 375 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:08,720 they sought his Kingdom first, their faith was the first thing 376 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,840 in their lives they woke up and their relationship with God was. 377 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:21,280 Priority #1 There's many of you in here who have, who have heard 378 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,960 that, understood that we, we. Fail at that. 379 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,840 That's not. It's not always something we 380 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:31,560 execute really well, but that's the greater. 381 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,800 Point of church. Not to come here and feel judged 382 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:35,520 by. People. 383 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,080 But to come here? And know there's people who are. 384 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,480 Striving for the same things that you are struggling along 385 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:46,080 the way, and together we can encourage each other in that. 386 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,360 To. Refix our eyes on Jesus to seek 387 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:56,640 first the Kingdom together, because James warns. 388 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:01,400 In chapter 2 this. Is where it comes back. 389 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,040 We can have a debate about belief in faith, but I But I 390 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,720 think there's a distinction. James 2. 391 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:12,840 Chapter 2, verse 17 So also faith by itself does not have 392 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,480 works. If it does not have works, it is 393 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,680 dead. Someone will say you have faith 394 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:20,560 and I have works. Show me your faith. 395 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:26,880 Apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works. 396 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:29,560 I want to be really careful here. 397 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:35,680 James is not suggesting that there is anything we can. 398 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:41,560 Do to earn or keep? Our salvation, however. 399 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,240 As we started out entering into worship, our. 400 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,920 Worship and we. Do it in song. 401 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,880 Here we can do it in a variety. Of ways our worship. 402 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,400 Our life of worship is simply response to God and what He's 403 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,200 done. That's what James is. 404 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,520 Getting at here if. You believe these things about 405 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:04,440 God, that Jesus is who he says he is and did what he what the 406 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:10,280 Bible says he did. What does a life lived out in 407 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,520 faith look? Like in response to. 408 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:21,160 That belief because you believe James continues on in verse 19 409 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,480 you believe that God is 1 you do well even the demons believe 410 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:26,400 and. Shudder. 411 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:35,520 Even the demons acknowledge that God is the Creator. 412 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:41,440 The mighty God that Jesus came to earth, died, rose again from 413 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,440 the dead to cover the sins of many of all. 414 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:52,400 The demons believe that, but their response is 1 of 415 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,600 rejection. The response is not one of 416 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:02,520 faith. The response is 1 of rebellion. 417 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:10,280 Against the one true. God, that belief is. 418 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:16,800 Squashed by their works. It is not enhanced into faith by 419 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:18,800 how they are. Living their life in response to 420 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:25,920 that belief. So where are you at today? 421 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:30,480 Some of you I know are maybe hearing some of these things for 422 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,520 the first time. There's a lot you don't know. 423 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,040 Me. I'm up here telling you what to 424 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:41,960 do with your life. I hope it came out. 425 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:46,640 In love. In the same way that. 426 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,600 The person who brought you here, they're not. 427 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,640 They're not trying to scold you or judge you. 428 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,400 They just know. That Jesus. 429 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,280 Is the greatest thing that you'll ever experience. 430 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:03,120 They know that you need to know Him to experience the 431 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:05,800 righteousness of God, to have the hope of eternal life. 432 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,080 It might feel like the things that I'm saying of this is new 433 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:12,280 to you, or maybe even some of you. 434 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,280 It hasn't really just sunk in. You don't feel like you're 435 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,520 living a life of faith in response to God. 436 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:25,160 It might feel like you're jumping out of a plane with a 437 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:30,080 parachute on your back. You're not 100% sure that it's 438 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:36,840 going to go off. That's where that analogy breaks 439 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:43,200 down for me, because I think the most certain thing. 440 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:48,840 In that analogy of jumping out of a plane is that I'm going to 441 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:54,480 need that parachute, the thing that I have the most faith. 442 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,640 In in that scenario is that gravity is. 443 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:00,480 Pulling me down, That's going to happen. 444 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:06,920 Parachutes have failed. Gravity has never once failed to 445 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:15,800 pull someone out of a plane. That's the God that we have 446 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:21,600 faith in. He has never once failed. 447 00:29:27,230 --> 00:29:31,830 So for some of you. Jumping into this life, it 448 00:29:31,830 --> 00:29:33,150 might. Feel like you're jumping out of 449 00:29:33,150 --> 00:29:34,910 a plane? It might feel like a really. 450 00:29:34,910 --> 00:29:38,910 Big scary change. A really big great unknown. 451 00:29:40,150 --> 00:29:41,830 And that's OK. For some of you it might be. 452 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,400 For some of you it might be a drastic redirection and course 453 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:47,560 change. For your life. 454 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:55,040 But it doesn't have to be an encounter with Jesus is what 455 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,520 I've already said the the the most amazing thing you will ever 456 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,760 experience. But it can also be very simple. 457 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:02,960 It doesn't. Have to be the. 458 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:06,760 Rush of skydiving. It can be the. 459 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:11,040 Simple daily act. Of taking a step. 460 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:23,360 Knowing that he's still the same, knowing that that pull, 461 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:29,200 the desire, that reaching out for you is still going to happen 462 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:35,200 each and every day. For most of us. 463 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:36,200 That's. Probably. 464 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:41,080 What a life. Of faith looks like that daily 465 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:50,960 small step. Band, would you? 466 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,520 Come back up, we're going to sing one more song. 467 00:31:04,430 --> 00:31:08,030 What do we actually do? Following Jesus isn't just 468 00:31:08,030 --> 00:31:09,870 coming up here and taking a step off the stage and letting 469 00:31:09,870 --> 00:31:18,030 gravity catch you. In case that wasn't clear here 470 00:31:18,030 --> 00:31:20,710 at Emmaus Rd. in this. Community of believers. 471 00:31:21,630 --> 00:31:26,720 Those next steps, that daily step of obedience, of of action 472 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:31,800 in faith with Jesus, that starts with baptism. 473 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:33,600 We read it in one of those first verses. 474 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,720 Go make. Disciples baptizing and 475 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:44,880 teaching, if you haven't been baptized, we can do that here. 476 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:48,960 We can do that right now, this morning, come and see me after 477 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:50,680 we sing this song. We can do it up here. 478 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:52,240 It doesn't have to be a big spectacle. 479 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:56,280 It can be a big spectacle. But again, it can also be 480 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:00,480 simple. If you've been baptized, but 481 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,040 maybe it was a long time ago and you didn't experience it, I 482 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:07,480 would also love to talk to you about that because it's still 483 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,200 real and meaningful and powerful. 484 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:16,280 For your life after you've been. Baptized. 485 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:17,840 If you've been baptized, what What are the next? 486 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,920 Things you should be in this. Book every day, even if you 487 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:24,400 don't understand it. Even if you. 488 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,520 Don't get it? That's that's we're. 489 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,920 Learning and teaching going. Through it together here. 490 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,280 That's what life groups are, Yes, we get together and do 491 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:31,920 life. Together. 492 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:34,280 But we're going to talk about God's Word too. 493 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:35,840 We're going to encourage each other. 494 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:43,760 In this, what's something? That you do every day. 495 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:49,560 I think most of us probably eat. Every day we know what that 496 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,160 feeling of hunger is when we don't eat. 497 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:56,040 We're reminded of that somehow. We don't always feel that same 498 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,040 pain when. We don't go to this every day. 499 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:01,240 We do. We feel it. 500 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,040 We feel it in sin, we feel it in brokenness. 501 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:07,240 But it's not always. With that same urgency. 502 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:13,800 Of an earthly hunger, so get baptized. 503 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,200 Join a life. Group be in. 504 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,160 God's Word be in. Prayer, listen, talk to him. 505 00:33:26,310 --> 00:33:29,150 And eventually you're going to feel the call to serve, to 506 00:33:29,150 --> 00:33:31,950 participate in the body of Christ. 507 00:33:33,350 --> 00:33:36,710 We have various ministries that are arranged here. 508 00:33:37,470 --> 00:33:39,510 You might have other gifts that we haven't thought about or 509 00:33:39,510 --> 00:33:43,200 considered or had before. We can impact God's people in a 510 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,320 variety of ways. We can impact people that don't 511 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,640 know Him in a variety of ways. But we do it in community, 512 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:53,120 together get. Baptized. 513 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:54,840 Join a life group. And serve. 514 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,560 Those are the next steps. Those are the little. 515 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:03,040 Steps. It can be that. 516 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:05,080 Simple, it doesn't need to feel like. 517 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:14,360 You're jumping out of a plane. As you consider these things, 518 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:21,840 whether it's for the first. Time or a recommitment, A 519 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,600 redirection, a reinvigoration. Of your faith. 520 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,800 Spend some time in reflection. As we sing this last song. 521 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:35,760 Come talk to me or Pastor Chris afterward. 522 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:37,239 Meet Kristen at the connection desk. 523 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:41,080 We believe that by. Seeking these things. 524 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,159 Faith, family, fitness and finances. 525 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:50,840 By prioritizing those things in God's design, that's how we. 526 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:54,719 Seek His Kingdom. That's how we make His Kingdom 527 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:59,000 on Earth. We each have a one more that 528 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,560 needs to know. Jesus, we're going to live a 529 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:07,200 life. In action, in faith to make him 530 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,400 known. But you stand and say. 531 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:17,480 Thanks for listening to ERC Sundays. 532 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,960 To support the work God is doing an Emmaus Rd. church, visit 533 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,960 emmausrdonline.org/giving.