I want to talk about Faith. The Bible define faith as the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen {the conviction of their reality-faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses}. Faith is not only an important characteristic to have, but, if you do not have it, you cannot please God.
Lets start with defining what faith is.
Faith- complete trust or confidence in someone or something. strong belief in God or in doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
Abraham and & Sarah
Genesis 17:1-8 (msg)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him “I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! I’ll make a covenant between us and I’ll give you a huge family.” Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: You’ll be the Father of many Nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that ‘I am making you the Father of many Nations.’ I’ll make you a father of fathers- I’ll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. I’m establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. And I’m giving you and your descendants this land where you’re now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I’ll be their God.
Lets Point out a few things:
Abram was not a spring chicken.
a) He couldn’t reproduce
Romans 4:19-21 (msg)
Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said.
Sarai was 99 years old
a) Her womb was closed
God did a name change!
a) Abram to Abraham
b) Sarai to Sarah
This Family had Faith!
Hebrews 11:11-12 (msg)
By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the ONE who made a promise would do what he said. That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.
5 Reasons to have Faith:
You cannot please God without faith
Hebrews 11:6
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And Why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
Faith helps you to discover your purpose in life.
James 1:2-4 (msg)
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do it’s work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
You can accomplish anything with faith.
Matthew 17:20 (amp)
He answered, “Because of your little faith {your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God}, {living} faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and {if it is God’s will} it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Faith is a way we can fight the enemy
Ephesians 6:16 (amp)
Above all, lift up the {protective} shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Faith is the only way to become a Christian.
Ephesians 2:8 (amp)
For it is by grace {God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ} that you have been saved {actually delivered from from judgment and given eternal life} through faith. And this {salvation} is not of yourselves {not through your own effort}, but it is the {undeserved, gracious} gift of God
How do I receive Salvation?
Acts 4:12 (amp)
And there is no salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved {for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation}”
Romans 1:13 (amp)
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord {in prayer} will be saved.
Dear God,
I ask you to come into my life through Faith I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross and rise from the grave 3 days later to forgive me of my sins so that I may serve you all of my life and spend all of eternity with you in Heaven. In Jesus name I pray Amen.