Title: The Just Shall Live by Faith Meta: We often say, “If I could understand something, then I would believe it.” Yet God says that when you believe something, then you will understand it. Hebrews 11:3 says it is, “By faith we understand that the worlds were created by the word of God…” So faith is: God said this. That settles it. As we learn to not trust in our own ability, we then constantly live on the reality of Christ living His life in us. That is, the just shall live by faith, as we look unto Jesus. Tags: Colossians 2:6,faith,hope,believing,Mike Morrow,Men's Retreat,Romans 1:17 1 00:00:00,945 --> 00:00:10,590 Be turning with me this afternoon to the book of Hebrews 11. 2 00:00:10,591 --> 00:00:18,240 While you're turning there, I want to read to you from Colossians 2:6, 3 00:00:18,241 --> 00:00:24,663 where the Bible says, "As you therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, 4 00:00:24,664 --> 00:00:27,677 so walk ye in Him." 5 00:00:27,678 --> 00:00:34,280 And then verse 7 says, "Rooted and built up in Him, 6 00:00:34,281 --> 00:00:38,881 and stablished (or established) in the faith, 7 00:00:38,882 --> 00:00:45,700 as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." 8 00:00:45,701 --> 00:00:51,299 As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. 9 00:00:51,300 --> 00:00:55,887 You received Him by faith. (P) 10 00:00:55,888 --> 00:01:02,812 Hebrews 11 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 11 00:01:02,813 --> 00:01:06,307 the evidence of things not seen. 12 00:01:06,308 --> 00:01:10,814 For by it the elders received a good report. 13 00:01:10,815 --> 00:01:16,830 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, 14 00:01:16,831 --> 00:01:23,121 so that things which are seen were not made by things which do appear. 15 00:01:23,122 --> 00:01:28,211 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, 16 00:01:28,212 --> 00:01:33,497 by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, 17 00:01:33,498 --> 00:01:38,560 God testifying of his gifts (or his sacrifice); 18 00:01:38,561 --> 00:01:42,912 and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 19 00:01:42,913 --> 00:01:48,524 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; 20 00:01:48,525 --> 00:01:52,572 and was not found, because God had translated him. 21 00:01:52,573 --> 00:02:00,103 For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 22 00:02:00,104 --> 00:02:04,071 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: 23 00:02:04,072 --> 00:02:08,862 for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, 24 00:02:08,863 --> 00:02:14,036 and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. 25 00:02:14,037 --> 00:02:20,940 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, 26 00:02:20,941 --> 00:02:28,165 moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; 27 00:02:28,166 --> 00:02:30,656 by the which he condemned the world, 28 00:02:30,657 --> 00:02:38,970 and became the heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (P) 29 00:02:40,006 --> 00:02:42,337 Father, we bow in Your presence again today 30 00:02:42,361 --> 00:02:46,771 to thank You for the Word of God. 31 00:02:46,772 --> 00:02:53,780 We thank You Lord that it is our food, it is our life. 32 00:02:53,781 --> 00:02:56,685 We thank You for the Spirit of God that inspired this Book. 33 00:02:56,686 --> 00:02:58,798 We thank You for the Spirit of God 34 00:02:58,799 --> 00:03:03,226 Who now illuminates the Word of God to our hearts. 35 00:03:03,227 --> 00:03:06,746 And I pray, Lord, You would do that this afternoon. 36 00:03:06,747 --> 00:03:09,050 I want to thank You for these men. 37 00:03:09,051 --> 00:03:13,815 I want to thank You Lord for what my eyes have seen, what I've heard. 38 00:03:13,816 --> 00:03:17,912 Thank You Lord for my own heart being refreshed by the fellowship. 39 00:03:17,913 --> 00:03:22,735 Lord I bless You today for this church, for their pastors; 40 00:03:22,736 --> 00:03:27,070 and Lord, for those in leadership, and for those who are in followership. 41 00:03:27,071 --> 00:03:29,628 Lord I just bless You and praise You. 42 00:03:29,629 --> 00:03:32,520 Raise up more, Lord. 43 00:03:32,521 --> 00:03:35,811 Lord help us in this hour. You know my weakness. 44 00:03:35,812 --> 00:03:39,389 Lord, You know my inabilities. And so I pray, 45 00:03:39,390 --> 00:03:43,123 O God, that Your name would be glorified in spite of me; 46 00:03:43,124 --> 00:03:47,682 and Your truth, dear Lord, would come out regardless of what I say. 47 00:03:47,683 --> 00:03:53,004 Lord I pray Your truth would reign supreme in this place today. 48 00:03:53,005 --> 00:03:56,177 But if it please You Lord, help me to speak the truth. 49 00:03:56,178 --> 00:03:59,787 Help me to say things in a way that's easily understood; 50 00:03:59,788 --> 00:04:03,777 and Lord, in a way that glorifies Christ, I pray. 51 00:04:03,778 --> 00:04:06,482 Thank You again for the cross. 52 00:04:06,483 --> 00:04:09,816 Thank You Lord for the blood that was shed for us. 53 00:04:09,817 --> 00:04:12,989 Lord I bless You and thank You for salvation today. 54 00:04:12,990 --> 00:04:16,079 Thank You for the companionship of the Holy Spirit. 55 00:04:16,081 --> 00:04:20,163 O God, thank You that we can call You, Abba our Father. 56 00:04:20,164 --> 00:04:27,826 Lord we praise You today and thank You in Jesus' name. Amen. (P) 57 00:04:29,380 --> 00:04:33,809 As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. 58 00:04:33,810 --> 00:04:38,989 The Bible says that we received Him by faith. 59 00:04:38,990 --> 00:04:44,594 Scripture tells us that we're saved by grace through faith. 60 00:04:44,595 --> 00:04:49,656 And neither the grace nor the faith is of ourselves, 61 00:04:49,657 --> 00:04:52,076 but it's the gift of God. 62 00:04:52,077 --> 00:04:55,232 God in mercy, if you're saved today, reached down and saved you. 63 00:04:55,233 --> 00:05:02,501 And He, by grace, gave you faith to believe the Gospel. 64 00:05:02,502 --> 00:05:07,982 If you're saved today, God, by grace, gave you faith to believe the Gospel. 65 00:05:07,983 --> 00:05:11,752 Last night, I gave my testimony. 66 00:05:11,753 --> 00:05:17,665 And I did that on purpose because I wanted it to kind of preface 67 00:05:17,666 --> 00:05:19,950 what we're going to be talking about in these days 68 00:05:19,950 --> 00:05:21,900 if God continues to lead me in the way. 69 00:05:21,932 --> 00:05:24,646 I feel like He is. (P) 70 00:05:24,647 --> 00:05:30,354 I don't think most of us today really understand how faith operates 71 00:05:30,355 --> 00:05:33,313 in the life of a Christian. 72 00:05:33,314 --> 00:05:36,030 We believe we were saved by faith. 73 00:05:36,031 --> 00:05:37,954 I gave you my testimony last night, 74 00:05:37,986 --> 00:05:42,490 and I told you that for the first time in my life, 75 00:05:42,491 --> 00:05:46,554 on that Thursday evening at about 10 minutes till 7; 76 00:05:46,555 --> 00:05:51,291 for the first time in my life, I genuinely believed 77 00:05:51,292 --> 00:05:56,227 that Jesus Christ had died on the cross for my sins. 78 00:05:56,228 --> 00:06:01,355 And that if I would call upon Him, He would forgive me of my sins 79 00:06:01,356 --> 00:06:05,184 and change my life, and save me forever. 80 00:06:05,185 --> 00:06:09,185 Out of faith I did call upon Him. 81 00:06:09,186 --> 00:06:14,713 And in response to His own word and His own promise, He did save me. 82 00:06:14,714 --> 00:06:19,754 So my life as a Christian began in faith. 83 00:06:19,755 --> 00:06:23,349 And if you're saved here today, your life began in faith. 84 00:06:23,350 --> 00:06:26,846 Your Christian life began in faith. 85 00:06:26,847 --> 00:06:30,775 You exercised faith. (P) 86 00:06:30,776 --> 00:06:33,005 I've listened to a lot of testimonies. 87 00:06:33,006 --> 00:06:40,518 And I have to tell you I believe certain things about testimonies. 88 00:06:40,519 --> 00:06:44,381 If I offend somebody, you're just offended, I'm sorry. 89 00:06:44,382 --> 00:06:49,934 I'm not sorry that you're offended; I'm sorry that you have to be offended. 90 00:06:49,935 --> 00:06:55,855 But you hear me today, you don't go to bed one night lost and wake up saved. 91 00:06:55,856 --> 00:06:58,609 You don't grow into salvation. 92 00:06:58,610 --> 00:07:01,580 It's not a gradual thing. 93 00:07:01,581 --> 00:07:03,915 God saves sinners; 94 00:07:03,916 --> 00:07:08,254 He saves people who understand that they are lost; 95 00:07:08,255 --> 00:07:13,131 and they exercise faith in Jesus Christ. 96 00:07:13,132 --> 00:07:16,970 Now I understand there are different experiences, 97 00:07:16,971 --> 00:07:22,198 and I'm not trying to say everyone has to have the same experience that I've had. 98 00:07:22,199 --> 00:07:27,373 But there are some elements to salvation that are the same. 99 00:07:27,374 --> 00:07:30,288 Lostness is one of them. 100 00:07:30,289 --> 00:07:33,848 Human depravity, and the recognition of human depravity, 101 00:07:33,849 --> 00:07:38,139 whether you know that word or not, is one of them. 102 00:07:38,140 --> 00:07:42,244 And the need of a Savior (that's "being lost"); 103 00:07:42,245 --> 00:07:48,976 and coming to Christ in faith as the Savior and the Lord of your life is the other one. 104 00:07:48,984 --> 00:07:51,619 Now you have all kinds of stuff in between there, 105 00:07:51,619 --> 00:07:54,303 and all kinds of phenomenon that happen. 106 00:07:54,304 --> 00:07:59,166 And you felt this, and you saw that, and all the rest of that stuff. 107 00:07:59,167 --> 00:08:02,169 But there's at least two things that are essential. 108 00:08:02,170 --> 00:08:07,653 You have to come to the end of yourself, and you have to come to Christ. 109 00:08:07,654 --> 00:08:12,447 And that's faith. That's faith. (P) 110 00:08:12,448 --> 00:08:16,301 So how do you live the Christian life after that? 111 00:08:16,302 --> 00:08:21,276 Most of us are taught that after you're saved, 112 00:08:21,277 --> 00:08:27,006 then you've got a set of rules that you need to live by. 113 00:08:27,007 --> 00:08:29,271 Get up the next morning after you're saved, 114 00:08:29,272 --> 00:08:31,804 and you gotta have a prayer time. 115 00:08:31,805 --> 00:08:34,366 You gotta read your Bible. 116 00:08:34,366 --> 00:08:37,933 How many Christians are reading their Bible because they are supposed to? 117 00:08:37,934 --> 00:08:40,538 Not because they're wanting to get something from God, 118 00:08:40,538 --> 00:08:43,720 but because they're supposed to? 119 00:08:43,721 --> 00:08:47,618 How many Christians are praying because they are obligated to pray? 120 00:08:47,619 --> 00:08:52,738 "The Bible says, 'Pray without ceasing,' so I guess I better pray some. 121 00:08:52,739 --> 00:08:57,230 And I want to be a good Christian, and I want to be a spiritual person." (P) 122 00:08:57,231 --> 00:08:59,386 And then when you head down in that direction, 123 00:08:59,402 --> 00:09:06,823 and I have to tell you, my background is in fundamental Baptist background. 124 00:09:06,824 --> 00:09:12,201 And brother, one of the first messages I heard after the Lord saved me was, 125 00:09:12,202 --> 00:09:15,782 "You know, you Christians sitting out here that have been saved, 126 00:09:15,783 --> 00:09:18,446 you need to get right with God." 127 00:09:18,447 --> 00:09:22,673 And then, we were constantly told we needed to get right with God. 128 00:09:22,674 --> 00:09:25,721 And so, we were constantly getting right with God, 129 00:09:25,722 --> 00:09:29,460 not knowing that it was the blood of Jesus Christ 130 00:09:29,461 --> 00:09:33,819 that eternally made us right with God. (Amen). 131 00:09:33,820 --> 00:09:39,842 It was through the blood of Christ that we have fellowship with God. (P) 132 00:09:39,843 --> 00:09:45,547 So a lot of people are brought into Christianity, the Lord saves them. 133 00:09:45,548 --> 00:09:48,090 And then immediately, because of false teaching, 134 00:09:48,091 --> 00:09:52,236 they are brought into a works kind of mindset. 135 00:09:52,237 --> 00:09:54,535 We fall into this legalism. 136 00:09:54,536 --> 00:10:00,240 And it doesn't matter whether it's an outward legalism or an inward legalism. 137 00:10:00,241 --> 00:10:06,904 You know, the guys I ran around with as a young Christian, very impressionable Christian, 138 00:10:06,905 --> 00:10:11,625 they were extremely legalistic. 139 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:17,831 Men who didn't wear bermuda shorts, for instance. 140 00:10:17,832 --> 00:10:22,640 It was a saying back in those days for girls, 141 00:10:22,641 --> 00:10:28,242 if a girl had a slit in her dress - "slits are for sluts". 142 00:10:28,243 --> 00:10:32,650 Isn't that terrible? I'm admitting those kinds of things are terrible, 143 00:10:32,651 --> 00:10:35,875 but that's the kind of Christianity that I was birthed into. 144 00:10:35,876 --> 00:10:39,145 And I was genuinely saved, (they were right about conviction, 145 00:10:39,146 --> 00:10:41,466 and they were right about the blood of Christ,) 146 00:10:41,467 --> 00:10:49,112 but then immediately cast into this legalistic type of Christianity. (P) 147 00:10:49,113 --> 00:10:54,122 Well, I began to pray, and I began to seek to grow in the Lord. 148 00:10:54,123 --> 00:11:00,733 And as I did that, I testified last night how the Lord saved me, 149 00:11:00,734 --> 00:11:07,424 how the Lord gave me my wife - all that was by faith. 150 00:11:07,425 --> 00:11:13,461 I had come to the end of myself about a wife, and then the Lord gave me a wife. 151 00:11:13,462 --> 00:11:16,702 "As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." 152 00:11:16,703 --> 00:11:20,881 So as we learn to come to the end of ourselves in our Christian life, 153 00:11:20,882 --> 00:11:24,364 in our life, in our efforts, in our ability; 154 00:11:24,365 --> 00:11:29,811 and constantly live on the cusp of "not I, but Christ. 155 00:11:29,812 --> 00:11:34,211 It's Christ that lives in me. It's Christ living His life in me"; 156 00:11:34,212 --> 00:11:39,456 as you learn that, you are actually learning what the Bible means 157 00:11:39,457 --> 00:11:42,664 when it says, "The just shall live by faith." 158 00:11:42,665 --> 00:11:44,797 That's where life is. (P) 159 00:11:44,798 --> 00:11:48,321 You see, life is not in legalism. 160 00:11:48,322 --> 00:11:52,703 And life is not in licentiousness. 161 00:11:52,704 --> 00:11:55,535 You got a whole crowd of folks over here on one side 162 00:11:55,536 --> 00:12:00,883 who are saying, "Well, I'm saved by grace and therefore I can live anyway I want to. 163 00:12:00,884 --> 00:12:04,209 I can live in sin if I want to because I'm saved by grace. 164 00:12:04,210 --> 00:12:06,509 I mean, God put my name down in the book of life. 165 00:12:06,510 --> 00:12:08,400 I'm forever saved, hallelujah. 166 00:12:08,401 --> 00:12:10,583 Once saved, always saved." 167 00:12:10,584 --> 00:12:12,835 And I believe in "once saved, always saved". 168 00:12:12,836 --> 00:12:20,881 But I always say it like this: "Once SAVED, SAVED, really SAVED, always saved." 169 00:12:20,882 --> 00:12:24,358 We got a lot of people who say they are saved, who've never been saved. 170 00:12:24,359 --> 00:12:27,685 We got a whole lot of people who say that they are children of God, 171 00:12:27,686 --> 00:12:29,871 who've never come to Christ. (P) 172 00:12:29,872 --> 00:12:32,765 That's another issue. The point I'm trying to get across today is: 173 00:12:32,766 --> 00:12:35,498 the just shall live by their faith. 174 00:12:35,499 --> 00:12:38,472 You got one crowd over here who says they are saved by grace, 175 00:12:38,473 --> 00:12:40,073 and they live anyway they want to. 176 00:12:40,074 --> 00:12:43,273 I believe the Bible teaches they're lost. 177 00:12:43,274 --> 00:12:45,151 I believe that's what the Scripture says. 178 00:12:45,152 --> 00:12:47,902 You know a false prophet by the fruits he bears; 179 00:12:47,903 --> 00:12:51,156 you know a Christian by the fruits he bears. 180 00:12:51,157 --> 00:12:54,836 You know whether a man is real or not by his love for Christ, 181 00:12:54,837 --> 00:12:57,930 and by the life that he lives. 182 00:12:57,931 --> 00:13:01,689 You got people on the other side, as I said, that are very legalistic. 183 00:13:01,697 --> 00:13:05,796 It's immediately, "You have to get right with God, and stay right with God, 184 00:13:05,797 --> 00:13:11,350 and you do these things in order to stay right with God." 185 00:13:11,351 --> 00:13:12,947 Well, I've got news for you: 186 00:13:12,948 --> 00:13:17,485 There is one performance that God accepted, 187 00:13:17,486 --> 00:13:19,990 and that was the work of His Son, 188 00:13:19,991 --> 00:13:24,648 in His life and in His death on Calvary's cross. 189 00:13:24,649 --> 00:13:30,064 And even now, in His intercession for His children. 190 00:13:30,065 --> 00:13:33,883 And my life has to be lived by faith in that. (P) 191 00:13:33,884 --> 00:13:35,835 So now listen to me. 192 00:13:35,836 --> 00:13:40,970 He gives us here a definition of what faith is. 193 00:13:40,971 --> 00:13:44,770 What does it mean to live by faith? 194 00:13:44,771 --> 00:13:46,224 And I've read the commentaries. 195 00:13:46,225 --> 00:13:50,851 They say this is not a definition, but I'm going to say it is. 196 00:13:50,852 --> 00:13:52,188 Listen to what he says. 197 00:13:52,189 --> 00:13:55,368 If I say to you, "Assured is", and then I tell you what "assured" is, 198 00:13:55,369 --> 00:13:58,282 I've given you a definition of "assured". 199 00:13:58,283 --> 00:14:02,628 Faith is, listen now, 200 00:14:02,629 --> 00:14:08,002 in the original language, it actually starts off with the "Is". 201 00:14:08,003 --> 00:14:12,103 "Is faith" - this is really what faith is. 202 00:14:12,104 --> 00:14:20,847 It is the reality of things that are hoped for. 203 00:14:20,848 --> 00:14:25,720 Now if you're reading a modern translation, it may translate it better than the KJV. 204 00:14:25,721 --> 00:14:31,615 But what he is saying is: faith is the title deed, 205 00:14:31,616 --> 00:14:42,250 the reality of things that we have confident assurance over. 206 00:14:42,251 --> 00:14:47,698 If I buy something on the Internet and I get the receipt, 207 00:14:47,699 --> 00:14:52,533 and I print out the receipt, I've got a title deed to it. 208 00:14:52,534 --> 00:14:58,141 It's the title deed of something that I have confidence I'm going to get in the mail. 209 00:14:58,142 --> 00:15:00,260 That's faith. 210 00:15:00,261 --> 00:15:04,797 If I own a piece of property and I have the deed to that piece of property, 211 00:15:04,798 --> 00:15:07,842 I may never have seen that property yet, 212 00:15:07,843 --> 00:15:09,969 but I'm the owner of that property. 213 00:15:09,970 --> 00:15:13,619 It is a reality in my life. 214 00:15:13,620 --> 00:15:17,173 He says that's what faith is. 215 00:15:17,174 --> 00:15:25,743 Listen now, the presence of faith in your life is that. (P) 216 00:15:25,744 --> 00:15:29,283 Now listen to what the object of that is. He says, 217 00:15:29,284 --> 00:15:35,204 "Faith is the title deed, the substance, the reality 218 00:15:35,205 --> 00:15:39,515 of things that we're confident we will have. 219 00:15:39,516 --> 00:15:42,759 Confident things. 220 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:51,536 It is the evidence, the convincing, of things not yet seen. 221 00:15:51,537 --> 00:15:57,645 We are convinced of things that are not yet seen. 222 00:15:57,646 --> 00:16:01,081 And then he's going to explain how faith works. 223 00:16:01,082 --> 00:16:02,949 Look at the next two verses. 224 00:16:02,950 --> 00:16:07,711 He said, "For by it, the elders obtained a good report." 225 00:16:07,712 --> 00:16:11,907 And we're going to read about some of those elders down through here later on. 226 00:16:11,908 --> 00:16:14,560 But he just makes the general statement: 227 00:16:14,561 --> 00:16:19,792 This is how the elders lived their lives and pleased God. 228 00:16:19,793 --> 00:16:26,248 This is how the Old Testament saints walked with God and pleased God. 229 00:16:26,249 --> 00:16:28,143 It was by faith. 230 00:16:28,144 --> 00:16:33,092 And they saw something far off that they had not possessed yet, 231 00:16:33,093 --> 00:16:35,365 but they believed God for it, 232 00:16:35,373 --> 00:16:40,779 and they lived as if it was theirs because it was theirs. 233 00:16:40,780 --> 00:16:43,154 That's what faith is. (P) 234 00:16:43,155 --> 00:16:49,468 And then he says in verse 3, "Through faith we understand..." 235 00:16:49,469 --> 00:16:53,920 wait a minute, let me stop there. 236 00:16:53,921 --> 00:17:00,819 We say, "If I could understand something then I'll believe it." 237 00:17:00,820 --> 00:17:07,068 God says, "No. You believe something, and then you understand it." 238 00:17:07,069 --> 00:17:12,530 "By faith we understand that the worlds were created - 239 00:17:12,531 --> 00:17:14,267 listen to what he says - 240 00:17:14,268 --> 00:17:19,840 they were framed, the ages were framed by the word of God 241 00:17:19,842 --> 00:17:21,710 (God's speech), 242 00:17:21,711 --> 00:17:30,861 so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 243 00:17:30,862 --> 00:17:33,554 Now we know that's true. 244 00:17:33,555 --> 00:17:36,505 You go back to Genesis, God said, "Let there be light." 245 00:17:36,506 --> 00:17:39,471 God spoke the world into existence. 246 00:17:39,472 --> 00:17:43,622 From His word, out of nothing, God spoke things into existence. 247 00:17:43,623 --> 00:17:50,191 And the world you see around you right now is made of things that are not seen. (P) 248 00:17:50,192 --> 00:17:53,917 By the way, it's just in the 21st century 249 00:17:53,918 --> 00:18:00,988 that we've really come to understand that the world is made by things you can't see. 250 00:18:00,989 --> 00:18:04,391 They've looked at the atom. 251 00:18:04,392 --> 00:18:09,904 And then they've gotten down below the atom, and looked at the protons and the electrons. 252 00:18:09,905 --> 00:18:12,439 And they've gotten down below the electrons and protons, 253 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:17,097 and looked at the quarks and the neutrinos and all the rest of that stuff. 254 00:18:17,098 --> 00:18:19,961 And they've gotten to the place where they can isolate something, 255 00:18:19,962 --> 00:18:25,699 but the problem is, it's moving so quickly they can never see it. 256 00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:32,269 They only way they can say it is "it was there," 257 00:18:32,270 --> 00:18:34,870 because it's moved so quickly they can't see it. 258 00:18:34,871 --> 00:18:38,657 And so, actually, the world, the things that you can see 259 00:18:38,658 --> 00:18:42,881 is literally made from things that can't be seen. 260 00:18:42,882 --> 00:18:44,637 Isn't that amazing? 261 00:18:44,645 --> 00:18:48,054 And now some people say, "Well now, now I believe it." 262 00:18:48,055 --> 00:18:52,498 You don't have faith. That's not faith. 263 00:18:52,499 --> 00:18:58,860 Faith is: God said this, that settles this. 264 00:18:58,861 --> 00:19:07,110 God said it: The worlds were framed, the ages were made by the word of God. 265 00:19:07,111 --> 00:19:09,686 That's how faith works. (P) 266 00:19:09,687 --> 00:19:12,466 Now you're going to see that more practically here in just a minute. 267 00:19:12,467 --> 00:19:14,665 I really want you to get it. 268 00:19:14,666 --> 00:19:17,009 Listen to what he says now. 269 00:19:17,010 --> 00:19:23,634 He says, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain; 270 00:19:23,635 --> 00:19:26,850 by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, 271 00:19:26,851 --> 00:19:28,718 God testifying of his gifts, 272 00:19:28,719 --> 00:19:33,350 and by it he being dead yet speaketh." 273 00:19:33,351 --> 00:19:38,158 So Abel brings a sacrifice to God out of his flock. 274 00:19:38,159 --> 00:19:41,336 How did he know to do that? 275 00:19:41,337 --> 00:19:49,068 I think the way he knew to do that is that 276 00:19:49,069 --> 00:19:53,280 (this has to be speculation somewhat), 277 00:19:53,281 --> 00:20:00,089 but his parents had been clothed with the skins of animals 278 00:20:00,090 --> 00:20:04,563 that had died because of their sins. 279 00:20:04,564 --> 00:20:10,004 I think Adam knew much more about the Gospel than we could believe He knew. 280 00:20:10,005 --> 00:20:11,846 And when Abel comes to God, 281 00:20:11,847 --> 00:20:18,913 he realizes there is something about the innocent dying in the place of the guilty. 282 00:20:18,914 --> 00:20:22,926 And he brings his sacrifices to God. (P) 283 00:20:22,927 --> 00:20:25,863 Of course Cain is over here laboring. 284 00:20:25,864 --> 00:20:30,080 He is so proud of that 30-pound watermelon, 285 00:20:30,081 --> 00:20:32,840 and he gets the biggest one and the best one. 286 00:20:32,841 --> 00:20:36,647 And that 20-pound squash that he's grown. 287 00:20:36,648 --> 00:20:39,574 And that ear of corn that's 3-feet long. 288 00:20:39,575 --> 00:20:44,245 And he brings all of this that he has sweated over and toiled over. 289 00:20:44,246 --> 00:20:49,520 And he lays them before God, and he says, "See God what I have done." 290 00:20:49,521 --> 00:20:56,947 And God does not smile upon his sacrifice. 291 00:20:56,948 --> 00:21:05,721 And guess what, God says, "Abel is righteous; Cain is unrighteous." 292 00:21:05,722 --> 00:21:09,231 And Abel dies. 293 00:21:09,232 --> 00:21:14,796 And the unrighteous seed persecutes the righteous, 294 00:21:14,797 --> 00:21:17,327 and the righteous dies. 295 00:21:17,328 --> 00:21:25,102 Why did Abel die? Abel died because he exercised faith. 296 00:21:25,103 --> 00:21:27,905 By faith he brought that sacrifice. 297 00:21:27,906 --> 00:21:32,444 He had an insight into the will of God. 298 00:21:32,445 --> 00:21:38,383 And, in doing the will of God by offering the innocent animal, he comes before God. 299 00:21:38,384 --> 00:21:47,032 And because he does that and God accepts him, Cain murders him. 300 00:21:47,033 --> 00:21:52,315 Cain, who is of his father the devil. (P) 301 00:21:52,316 --> 00:21:56,394 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death. 302 00:21:56,395 --> 00:21:59,762 Wait a minute. Here's another man who comes along, 303 00:21:59,763 --> 00:22:06,278 who has this testimony that he pleased God; 304 00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:10,198 and God doesn't allow him to die. 305 00:22:10,199 --> 00:22:12,672 He's taken out. 306 00:22:12,673 --> 00:22:18,276 He's translated. He's brought out of this world. 307 00:22:18,277 --> 00:22:19,744 Faith works both ways. 308 00:22:19,745 --> 00:22:22,925 When we get down into the latter part of Hebrews 11, 309 00:22:22,926 --> 00:22:25,745 you're going to find some that God delivered from the sword, 310 00:22:25,746 --> 00:22:28,079 and some that gave up to the sword. 311 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:34,521 Some who wandered this world in terrible situations, 312 00:22:34,522 --> 00:22:36,589 and others who were victorious. 313 00:22:36,590 --> 00:22:40,257 Some who were fed to the lions and died, 314 00:22:40,258 --> 00:22:42,814 and some who shut the mouths of lions by faith. 315 00:22:42,815 --> 00:22:44,891 And both of them by faith. 316 00:22:44,892 --> 00:22:46,476 You see, the problem with us is: 317 00:22:46,477 --> 00:22:53,110 We don't understand that faith is not something we grab hold of 318 00:22:53,111 --> 00:22:55,754 and manipulate and use for ourselves; 319 00:22:55,755 --> 00:23:01,145 it's something that God works in us for His purpose to do His will in us. 320 00:23:01,146 --> 00:23:03,894 That's what faith is about. (P) 321 00:23:03,895 --> 00:23:05,295 And so Enoch escapes. 322 00:23:05,296 --> 00:23:07,380 Now listen. 323 00:23:07,381 --> 00:23:12,710 He says, "But without faith it's impossible to please Him, that is, God. 324 00:23:12,711 --> 00:23:15,148 For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, 325 00:23:15,149 --> 00:23:20,136 and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." 326 00:23:20,137 --> 00:23:24,705 Now here it's going to get really important. 327 00:23:24,706 --> 00:23:27,633 I'm not going to preach a long time this afternoon, 328 00:23:27,634 --> 00:23:31,641 but I want to say to you it's about to get really important in your life. 329 00:23:31,642 --> 00:23:33,751 Listen to what he says: 330 00:23:33,752 --> 00:23:45,055 "By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet." 331 00:23:45,056 --> 00:23:51,032 Wait a minute. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, 332 00:23:51,033 --> 00:23:57,068 the evidence of things not seen yet. 333 00:23:57,069 --> 00:24:02,361 Noah, if you go back to Genesis 6 and read his history, 334 00:24:02,362 --> 00:24:06,101 you find that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; 335 00:24:06,102 --> 00:24:08,671 and because he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, 336 00:24:08,672 --> 00:24:11,180 he was a perfect man and an upright man. 337 00:24:11,181 --> 00:24:14,565 He lived for the Lord in a terrible generation. 338 00:24:14,566 --> 00:24:19,120 In a time when everybody else - God said the whole earth, 339 00:24:19,121 --> 00:24:23,273 every imagination was wicked constantly, continously. 340 00:24:23,274 --> 00:24:25,030 It was a wicked, wicked place. 341 00:24:25,031 --> 00:24:28,852 And yet Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (P) 342 00:24:28,853 --> 00:24:33,580 And God said something to Noah. 343 00:24:33,581 --> 00:24:39,998 And Noah heard God, and believed God, and obeyed God. 344 00:24:39,999 --> 00:24:42,712 And there was results that came from that. 345 00:24:42,713 --> 00:24:48,992 Now hear me. That is the life of faith. 346 00:24:48,993 --> 00:24:56,789 The faith life is a living relationship with the living God, 347 00:24:56,790 --> 00:25:01,348 who deals with your life in your circumstances, 348 00:25:01,349 --> 00:25:06,267 according to the principles and the teachings of His Word, 349 00:25:06,268 --> 00:25:13,961 so that He guides you day by day through all kinds of situations in your life. 350 00:25:13,962 --> 00:25:19,209 I told you about meeting my wife because I wanted you to understand. 351 00:25:19,210 --> 00:25:24,249 I was a young man who had absolutely no experience. 352 00:25:24,250 --> 00:25:29,429 I was naive. I didn't know so many things about living life. 353 00:25:29,430 --> 00:25:33,514 And yet God, in His mercy, arranged things 354 00:25:33,515 --> 00:25:41,786 so that I would find the very woman that He wanted me to have; 355 00:25:41,787 --> 00:25:47,188 that twenty years later down the road would preserve my life, 356 00:25:47,189 --> 00:25:51,742 and preserve my ministry, and set me free. 357 00:25:51,743 --> 00:25:53,847 He arranged that. 358 00:25:53,848 --> 00:25:56,262 But how did that start? 359 00:25:56,263 --> 00:26:00,892 A conviction in my heart that was biblical: 360 00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:05,866 "If God wants me to have a wife, He can give me a wife." 361 00:26:05,867 --> 00:26:09,036 Here's the biblical truth: 362 00:26:09,037 --> 00:26:14,534 We receive every thing we need from the Lord in this life. 363 00:26:14,535 --> 00:26:21,813 We don't need anything else from anybody else, except from the Lord. (P) 364 00:26:21,814 --> 00:26:24,124 The Lord gives us everything we need. 365 00:26:24,125 --> 00:26:26,041 He's our Source. 366 00:26:26,042 --> 00:26:32,498 As a child of God, you're born out of this world into the spiritual world. 367 00:26:32,499 --> 00:26:34,694 And God is your Supplier. 368 00:26:34,695 --> 00:26:37,873 Jesus Christ is your Shepherd. 369 00:26:37,874 --> 00:26:41,141 That's what David meant in Psalm 23 when he said, "The Lord is my Shepherd. 370 00:26:41,142 --> 00:26:43,345 He leads me in green pastures." 371 00:26:43,346 --> 00:26:47,679 And then think about everything he said God supplied in His life. 372 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,770 God is your Supplier. 373 00:26:49,771 --> 00:26:53,551 And there I am, young, naive, young fellow; and I just believed the Bible. 374 00:26:53,552 --> 00:26:55,505 I believed God has a woman for me. 375 00:26:55,505 --> 00:26:57,835 And so I seek His face and I wait before Him 376 00:26:57,836 --> 00:27:03,105 until He does exactly what He promised He would do. (P) 377 00:27:03,106 --> 00:27:11,062 Here is Noah. He's walking with God. 378 00:27:11,063 --> 00:27:14,658 The Bible says, "Noah walked with God," 379 00:27:14,659 --> 00:27:17,212 just like Enoch walked with God. 380 00:27:17,213 --> 00:27:22,474 Enoch got taken out, Noah got given a job. 381 00:27:22,475 --> 00:27:29,262 The Lord said, "I want you to build a boat." 382 00:27:29,263 --> 00:27:31,896 "Why would I build a boat, Lord?" 383 00:27:31,897 --> 00:27:35,339 "It's going to rain." 384 00:27:35,340 --> 00:27:38,152 "What is rain?" 385 00:27:38,153 --> 00:27:40,515 "Water is going to fall from the heavens, 386 00:27:40,516 --> 00:27:43,306 and the fountains of the great deep are going to break up, 387 00:27:43,307 --> 00:27:45,966 and I'm going to destroy this generation of people. 388 00:27:45,967 --> 00:27:48,220 I am going to destroy the whole earth." 389 00:27:48,221 --> 00:27:50,561 Now listen to what he says. Listen again. 390 00:27:50,562 --> 00:27:55,114 He says, "Without faith it's impossible to please God." 391 00:27:55,115 --> 00:28:00,439 Verse 7, "By faith Noah, (he heard from God,) 392 00:28:00,447 --> 00:28:10,837 being warned of God of things not seen as yet, 393 00:28:10,838 --> 00:28:14,490 (hadn't rained yet,) 394 00:28:14,491 --> 00:28:24,224 moved with fear, (he moved, how? out of obedience to God.) 395 00:28:24,225 --> 00:28:32,803 He moved with fear and prepared an ark to the saving of his house." 396 00:28:32,804 --> 00:28:37,553 And by the way, the rest of us too - 397 00:28:37,554 --> 00:28:41,917 to the saving of all the rest of humanity, 398 00:28:41,918 --> 00:28:47,723 so that the human race didn't perish from off the face of the earth. (P) 399 00:28:47,724 --> 00:28:51,930 So Noah hears from God, he is moved with fear, 400 00:28:51,931 --> 00:28:57,434 he obeys God by preparing the ark, and he saves his house; 401 00:28:57,435 --> 00:29:01,981 by which he condemned, in building the ark, he condemned the world, 402 00:29:01,982 --> 00:29:07,119 and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 403 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:12,776 Now hear me: That's repeated over and over and over again 404 00:29:12,777 --> 00:29:15,769 in this chapter on faith. 405 00:29:15,770 --> 00:29:19,499 My question to you is, 406 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:27,321 What issue in your life are you hearing from God about? 407 00:29:27,322 --> 00:29:30,848 We are a pretty complacent bunch if we don't have any needs 408 00:29:30,849 --> 00:29:34,491 that we need to hear from God about. 409 00:29:34,492 --> 00:29:36,523 I'm not talking about something mystical here, 410 00:29:36,524 --> 00:29:39,414 I'm talking about something practical. 411 00:29:39,415 --> 00:29:42,603 I'm not talking about something weird, 412 00:29:42,604 --> 00:29:46,348 if you're saved you know what it means to be in fellowship with the Lord. 413 00:29:46,349 --> 00:29:50,301 And if you're in fellowship with the Lord, it's not always just hallelujah. 414 00:29:50,302 --> 00:29:57,182 I'm learning prayer is not always me talking. 415 00:29:57,183 --> 00:30:01,836 It's a two-way conversation. 416 00:30:01,837 --> 00:30:05,160 And the Lord deals with us, again, according to His Word, 417 00:30:05,161 --> 00:30:06,535 according to the Scriptures. 418 00:30:06,536 --> 00:30:09,190 It is filled, His Word is filled with promises, 419 00:30:09,191 --> 00:30:12,058 and His Word is filled with encouragements. 420 00:30:12,059 --> 00:30:19,285 But listen to me. The Word becomes alive in us. (P) 421 00:30:19,286 --> 00:30:22,729 You remember Jesus' rebuke to Satan? 422 00:30:22,730 --> 00:30:24,817 "Man shall not live by bread alone, 423 00:30:24,818 --> 00:30:28,976 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." 424 00:30:28,977 --> 00:30:31,512 It's a little Greek word, rhema. 425 00:30:31,513 --> 00:30:34,411 It's the spoken word of God. 426 00:30:34,412 --> 00:30:37,889 Same word when Paul says, "Faith cometh by hearing; 427 00:30:37,890 --> 00:30:42,698 and hearing by the word of God." 428 00:30:42,699 --> 00:30:47,509 I'm saying to you, and I want to say this with all of my heart this afternoon. 429 00:30:47,510 --> 00:30:53,197 Don't allow yourself to be deceived by dead orthodoxy; 430 00:30:53,198 --> 00:30:57,289 by believing that because you believe certain doctrines, you're all right; 431 00:30:57,289 --> 00:31:02,329 or because you prayed a prayer that you're all right. 432 00:31:02,330 --> 00:31:06,578 I know you know better than that, but listen to me. 433 00:31:06,579 --> 00:31:13,330 The life of the Christian is to be lived by faith. 434 00:31:13,331 --> 00:31:16,409 I'm here this week by faith. 435 00:31:16,410 --> 00:31:19,748 I'm not here because I feel like I'm strong, 436 00:31:19,749 --> 00:31:23,218 and I could come out here and just wallow round in the pasture 437 00:31:23,219 --> 00:31:29,203 and fight through barb-wire fence, and go shoot guns. 438 00:31:29,204 --> 00:31:33,402 Five years ago, I might have felt that way. 439 00:31:33,403 --> 00:31:36,948 Now I'm weak. (P) 440 00:31:36,949 --> 00:31:45,179 I heard somebody say "motel" last night, and I said thank you Jesus [laughter]. 441 00:31:45,180 --> 00:31:52,549 I honestly believe God provided that for me. 442 00:31:52,550 --> 00:31:58,465 If you don't understand that there are things 443 00:31:58,466 --> 00:32:00,924 that you are trying to deal with right now in your life 444 00:32:00,925 --> 00:32:08,059 that God has an opinion on, God has a will about; 445 00:32:08,060 --> 00:32:10,950 and our business is not to run around 446 00:32:10,951 --> 00:32:16,654 and try to automatically, mechanically, do certain things. 447 00:32:16,655 --> 00:32:25,170 Our business is to find out what is the will of God in this situation. 448 00:32:26,052 --> 00:32:32,338 Now we have an advantage over Noah, and Enoch, 449 00:32:32,339 --> 00:32:36,489 in that we do have the canonised Word of God. 450 00:32:36,490 --> 00:32:38,355 We have the Bible. (P) 451 00:32:38,356 --> 00:32:40,033 And as I warned you last night, 452 00:32:40,034 --> 00:32:45,169 I'll probably warn you this way every time I speak this way 453 00:32:45,170 --> 00:32:50,088 because I know a lady who got a hold of this truth that God can lead you, 454 00:32:50,089 --> 00:32:51,757 and God can speak to your heart. 455 00:32:51,758 --> 00:32:56,841 And so, my goodness, she justifies everything she does by "God told her". 456 00:32:56,842 --> 00:32:59,362 "God told her this. God told her that. God told her the other." 457 00:32:59,363 --> 00:33:03,324 And God told her several things that's not in the Bible. 458 00:33:03,325 --> 00:33:07,117 And I told her that it wasn't God telling her that, 459 00:33:07,118 --> 00:33:12,999 that I genuinely questioned her understanding of those things. 460 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,034 Hear me very closely. 461 00:33:16,035 --> 00:33:17,795 We have a standard, 462 00:33:17,796 --> 00:33:24,746 and what is not specifically spoken of in the Bible is spoken of in principles. 463 00:33:24,747 --> 00:33:31,515 There are principles that cover whatever is in your life. 464 00:33:31,516 --> 00:33:35,022 And so our business is to find out what does God say about this thing? 465 00:33:35,023 --> 00:33:38,798 What does the Lord want about this thing? (P) 466 00:33:38,799 --> 00:33:43,053 I had a lady in our church who began to pray for her dad. 467 00:33:43,054 --> 00:33:45,943 She sought the Lord diligently for her dad's salvation. 468 00:33:45,944 --> 00:33:48,759 Her dad was just a pagan. He had never been to church. 469 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:53,611 Just a rough, old man; never been to church at all; didn't care about church. 470 00:33:53,612 --> 00:33:56,034 And God began to deal with her heart. 471 00:33:56,035 --> 00:34:00,170 She read over in 1 Timothy where the Bible says, 472 00:34:00,171 --> 00:34:04,392 "God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 473 00:34:04,393 --> 00:34:09,862 And it came alive in her heart, "That means my dad." 474 00:34:09,862 --> 00:34:19,954 You can sit down and double-exegete that Scripture to death if you want to. 475 00:34:19,955 --> 00:34:21,940 But God brought that alive in her heart. 476 00:34:21,940 --> 00:34:25,315 She said, "That means my dad." 477 00:34:25,315 --> 00:34:29,284 And to make a long story short, in about a year the Lord saved him. 478 00:34:29,286 --> 00:34:33,592 She continued to pray in faith: "O God, that means my dad, 479 00:34:33,594 --> 00:34:37,579 that means my dad, that means my dad." 480 00:34:37,580 --> 00:34:39,937 The Word of God came alive to her. 481 00:34:39,938 --> 00:34:45,251 I'm saying to you, don't, for anything, allow yourself to be sucked in 482 00:34:45,252 --> 00:34:51,443 to this intellectualized, mechanical kind of Christianity 483 00:34:51,444 --> 00:34:55,674 that is so popular today among young people. (P) 484 00:34:55,675 --> 00:35:01,622 We hear the doctrines of grace. 485 00:35:01,623 --> 00:35:05,132 Well, I love the doctrines of grace. 486 00:35:05,133 --> 00:35:12,860 I remember as a brand new Christian in that Armenian atmosphere that I was in, 487 00:35:12,861 --> 00:35:14,106 I always had the question, 488 00:35:14,107 --> 00:35:17,475 Why did God save me out of that youth group that was so worldly? 489 00:35:17,476 --> 00:35:22,619 Why didn't He save my friends like He saved me? 490 00:35:22,620 --> 00:35:26,836 I finally came to the conclusion that that was His business, not my business. 491 00:35:26,837 --> 00:35:30,625 But as I grew, and as I understand the Scriptures 492 00:35:30,626 --> 00:35:33,895 and began to believe the doctrines of grace, 493 00:35:33,896 --> 00:35:35,815 it's a great blessing to my life, 494 00:35:35,816 --> 00:35:40,122 great truths about election and all of those things. 495 00:35:40,123 --> 00:35:42,523 I love those truths but you hear me: 496 00:35:42,524 --> 00:35:46,418 Those truths themselves will not save you. 497 00:35:46,419 --> 00:35:49,668 Salvation is an encounter with the living God. 498 00:35:49,669 --> 00:35:54,953 And hear me now, the Christian life is that same encounter. 499 00:35:54,954 --> 00:35:58,372 Don't stop encountering Christ. 500 00:35:58,373 --> 00:36:02,365 Don't stop doing that. (P) 501 00:36:02,366 --> 00:36:10,763 You can go down a religious, we call them over at the Carolinas, a little religious pig trail. 502 00:36:10,764 --> 00:36:13,445 Just off the main trail, 503 00:36:13,446 --> 00:36:18,149 running off after some new doctrine or some new idea. 504 00:36:18,150 --> 00:36:23,426 And boy I tell you, it is really puffing up, isn't it? 505 00:36:23,427 --> 00:36:29,005 It makes you feel intellectual, you can discuss sublapsarianism, doesn't it? 506 00:36:29,006 --> 00:36:31,938 It really makes you feel good, doesn't it? 507 00:36:31,939 --> 00:36:34,731 Especially if you can say that, and somebody look at you and say, 508 00:36:34,732 --> 00:36:36,922 "I don't know what he's talking about." 509 00:36:36,923 --> 00:36:40,710 It really makes you feel good, doesn't it? It's not worth a hoot. 510 00:36:40,711 --> 00:36:43,696 I'll tell you what's worth something. 511 00:36:43,697 --> 00:36:49,717 Being warned of God, he obeyed the Lord and he saved his family by doing it. 512 00:36:49,718 --> 00:36:52,042 That's what's worth something. (P) 513 00:36:52,043 --> 00:36:59,257 Are you where you are because God's led you to where you are? 514 00:36:59,258 --> 00:37:01,091 or are you supposed to be somewhere else? 515 00:37:01,092 --> 00:37:04,652 You see, I realize this afternoon that I'm talking to somebody 516 00:37:04,653 --> 00:37:14,372 that might end up in Iraq, or in the hands of ISIS. 517 00:37:14,373 --> 00:37:17,341 I understand that. 518 00:37:17,342 --> 00:37:21,889 And I want to tell you something, it'd be better to be in the hands of ISIS in the will of God, 519 00:37:21,890 --> 00:37:24,408 filled with the Spirit of God, 520 00:37:24,409 --> 00:37:27,918 than it would be to be in the greatest hospital 521 00:37:27,919 --> 00:37:33,780 surrounded by the greatest doctors on earth, out of the will of God. 522 00:37:33,781 --> 00:37:36,772 So how do you do that? By faith. 523 00:37:36,773 --> 00:37:40,781 As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; 524 00:37:40,782 --> 00:37:43,429 built up and rooted in the faith. 525 00:37:43,430 --> 00:37:45,533 Built up in Him. 526 00:37:45,534 --> 00:37:50,204 You see, that Colossians passage doesn't say "just built up in the Word," 527 00:37:50,205 --> 00:37:53,767 it says "built up in Him." 528 00:37:53,768 --> 00:37:58,591 Again, it's a relationship. It's Him. (P) 529 00:37:58,592 --> 00:38:04,823 So Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, 530 00:38:04,824 --> 00:38:09,590 moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; 531 00:38:09,591 --> 00:38:15,039 by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 532 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:17,697 By faith Abraham - 533 00:38:17,698 --> 00:38:23,267 the writer seems to be bringing out some very important people in the life of Israel. 534 00:38:23,268 --> 00:38:30,177 Remember he's writing to the Hebrews, the so-called Christian Hebrews, 535 00:38:30,178 --> 00:38:33,571 and he's reminding them of their heritage. 536 00:38:33,572 --> 00:38:39,859 And he says, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place 537 00:38:39,860 --> 00:38:43,650 which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed." - 538 00:38:43,651 --> 00:38:46,367 Alright, you got the elements again. 539 00:38:46,368 --> 00:38:51,686 Abraham heard God. 540 00:38:51,687 --> 00:38:57,397 God spoke to Abraham. 541 00:38:57,398 --> 00:39:00,636 What did He say? He said, "Abraham, I want you to go with Me. 542 00:39:00,636 --> 00:39:03,242 I'm going to take you to a place you don't know of." 543 00:39:03,243 --> 00:39:07,785 Abraham said, "Where are we going?" God said, "Just come on." (P) 544 00:39:07,786 --> 00:39:14,168 Can you imagine how it must have felt to Sarah when Abraham walks into her tent, 545 00:39:14,169 --> 00:39:16,408 looks at her, and says, "Honey, pack up, we're leaving." 546 00:39:16,409 --> 00:39:20,538 And she says, "We're leaving, but all our family is here." 547 00:39:20,539 --> 00:39:24,139 And he says, "Yeah but we're leaving. God says, 'Go.'" 548 00:39:24,140 --> 00:39:27,001 She says, "But, but, but where are we going?" 549 00:39:27,002 --> 00:39:29,055 He says, "I don't know, but we're going." 550 00:39:29,056 --> 00:39:31,591 "I don't know?" 551 00:39:31,592 --> 00:39:39,113 "Well we're going with God, and God's going to lead us." (P) 552 00:39:39,114 --> 00:39:48,278 I remember when I was a young man, I pastored for 4 years in Laurel, North Carolina. 553 00:39:48,279 --> 00:39:52,103 I could see the little mountain where I was raised 554 00:39:52,104 --> 00:39:54,197 from where I was pastoring the church, 555 00:39:54,198 --> 00:39:58,520 within 3 or 4 miles of my mom and dad's house. 556 00:39:58,521 --> 00:40:02,684 And I remember when God began to deal with my heart to go to school; 557 00:40:02,685 --> 00:40:08,968 and began to deal with my heart to go to school in Mississippi, 558 00:40:08,969 --> 00:40:15,335 which was five hundred miles away from where I was. 559 00:40:15,336 --> 00:40:18,885 And I felt like Abraham. 560 00:40:18,886 --> 00:40:22,540 I felt like I'm going someplace, I had never even been to Mississippi 561 00:40:22,541 --> 00:40:25,231 except for going to a camp meeting in North Mississippi. 562 00:40:25,232 --> 00:40:30,037 But as far as knowing anything about the place, I knew nothing about the place. 563 00:40:30,038 --> 00:40:33,240 But my wife and I packed up our goods, 564 00:40:33,241 --> 00:40:37,194 and we put them in a U-Haul or whatever it was, 565 00:40:37,195 --> 00:40:40,832 and we went to Mississippi. 566 00:40:40,833 --> 00:40:44,350 I stayed there for 18 years. 567 00:40:44,351 --> 00:40:48,869 The Lord taught me some awesome things while I was in Mississippi. 568 00:40:48,870 --> 00:40:54,224 And it was God's will for me to be in Mississippi. (P) 569 00:40:54,225 --> 00:40:56,822 Now you say, "Brother Mike, why do you bring that up?" 570 00:40:56,823 --> 00:40:59,911 Because when I left North Carolina, 571 00:40:59,912 --> 00:41:04,162 I didn't know exactly how things were going to be. 572 00:41:04,163 --> 00:41:05,621 People taught I was crazy. 573 00:41:05,622 --> 00:41:07,488 My mom and dad couldn't understand. 574 00:41:07,489 --> 00:41:11,756 "How is it that you could just get up and just go somewhere like that? 575 00:41:11,757 --> 00:41:14,867 I mean, there are schools here, Mike. 576 00:41:14,868 --> 00:41:17,683 You don't have to go to Mississippi to go to college. 577 00:41:17,684 --> 00:41:20,176 There's Gardner-Webb, there's this school, 578 00:41:20,177 --> 00:41:22,505 there's that school, there's the other school." 579 00:41:22,506 --> 00:41:25,882 No. God wants me to go to Mississippi. 580 00:41:25,883 --> 00:41:32,719 And so we went to Mississippi, spent 18 years there in the will of God. 581 00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:34,279 We came to Kentucky. 582 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,366 I spent six years in a church, 583 00:41:36,367 --> 00:41:39,545 getting ready to go to the church I'm in now. 584 00:41:39,546 --> 00:41:43,017 That may sound odd to you but I did. 585 00:41:43,018 --> 00:41:45,216 And I've been where I am now 15 years. 586 00:41:45,217 --> 00:41:49,176 But listen, God's ways are not our ways. 587 00:41:49,177 --> 00:41:55,020 It's not us to question where God leads and what God says, 588 00:41:55,021 --> 00:41:57,508 except to verify by the Word of God. 589 00:41:57,509 --> 00:42:04,537 And when that's done and we know we're following the Lord, strike out brethren. (P) 590 00:42:04,538 --> 00:42:06,964 Abraham obeyed God. 591 00:42:06,965 --> 00:42:11,307 He went to a place he should after receive as an inheritance. 592 00:42:11,308 --> 00:42:18,434 And he went out - listen to this - not knowing where he went. 593 00:42:18,435 --> 00:42:23,598 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise. 594 00:42:23,599 --> 00:42:27,264 You know what that means? It means he stayed there. 595 00:42:27,265 --> 00:42:30,822 The only way he could stay in the land of promise was by faith. 596 00:42:30,823 --> 00:42:33,409 And the Scripture says, "He was in a strange country. 597 00:42:33,417 --> 00:42:38,318 He was dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 598 00:42:38,319 --> 00:42:42,448 the heirs with him of the same promise." 599 00:42:42,449 --> 00:42:44,976 Here's the promise he had. 600 00:42:44,977 --> 00:42:48,670 God said, "I'm going to take you to a city." 601 00:42:48,671 --> 00:42:50,970 And then He took him to Israel. 602 00:42:50,971 --> 00:42:54,635 He took him to a wilderness almost. 603 00:42:54,636 --> 00:42:57,287 Now it's a beautiful land, I've been there. 604 00:42:57,288 --> 00:43:05,613 But listen to what it says: "He went to a place. 605 00:43:05,614 --> 00:43:08,815 He looked for a city which had foundations, 606 00:43:08,816 --> 00:43:12,739 whose builder and maker is God." (P) 607 00:43:12,740 --> 00:43:16,407 When he left Ur of Chaldees, he was looking for a city. 608 00:43:16,408 --> 00:43:20,047 He was looking for a permanent residence. 609 00:43:20,048 --> 00:43:24,105 And what he found was a place for his trailer. 610 00:43:24,106 --> 00:43:28,252 He found a place to park his U-Haul for a while. 611 00:43:28,253 --> 00:43:30,445 And then for a little while, somewhere else. 612 00:43:30,446 --> 00:43:33,571 And then a little while, somewhere else. 613 00:43:33,572 --> 00:43:35,134 And we're going to find out later 614 00:43:35,135 --> 00:43:39,236 that all of these who followed in faith did exactly the same thing, 615 00:43:39,237 --> 00:43:47,099 looking for the fulfilment of the promises of God. (P) 616 00:43:47,100 --> 00:43:55,822 "Through faith also Sarah received strength to conceive seed, 617 00:43:55,823 --> 00:43:59,622 and was delivered of a child when she was past age," 618 00:43:59,623 --> 00:44:00,936 I guess she was. 619 00:44:00,937 --> 00:44:05,223 Ninety years old is pretty well past childbearing age, wasn't she? 620 00:44:05,224 --> 00:44:13,255 "because - now hear this - she judged Him faithful who had promised." 621 00:44:13,256 --> 00:44:18,095 You remember the story? 622 00:44:18,104 --> 00:44:21,619 Abraham is outside his tent. 623 00:44:21,620 --> 00:44:23,639 There's some guys who come walking up. 624 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:29,216 One of them happens to be God. 625 00:44:29,217 --> 00:44:36,656 And He tells Abraham, "This time next year, Sarah will have a child." 626 00:44:36,657 --> 00:44:46,384 Sarah's 89 years old there. And she laughs. 627 00:44:46,385 --> 00:44:51,736 That's why they named the child Isaac by the way. It means laughter. 628 00:44:51,752 --> 00:44:53,361 And she laughs. 629 00:44:53,362 --> 00:44:57,414 But somewhere in there she believes God, 630 00:44:57,415 --> 00:45:05,428 and she says in her heart, "If God said it, that settles it. It is so." 631 00:45:05,429 --> 00:45:09,797 And when she said it's so, and settled it in her heart 632 00:45:09,798 --> 00:45:13,131 that God had already settled it - listen to me now - 633 00:45:13,132 --> 00:45:18,279 when she settled it that God had settled it, it became so in her life, 634 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:24,232 and she received strength as a 90-year old woman to bear a child. 635 00:45:24,233 --> 00:45:26,511 That's how faith works. 636 00:45:26,512 --> 00:45:31,216 We have faith, and then we understand. 637 00:45:31,217 --> 00:45:34,882 We have faith, then we receive strength. 638 00:45:34,883 --> 00:45:39,539 We believe God, then God does the work. (P) 639 00:45:39,540 --> 00:45:42,583 The Lord Jesus made a promise to His disciples. 640 00:45:42,584 --> 00:45:45,414 He said, "Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. 641 00:45:45,415 --> 00:45:49,337 Whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 642 00:45:49,338 --> 00:45:50,619 The Greek there actually says, 643 00:45:50,619 --> 00:45:55,301 "Whatsoever you bind on earth shall have already been bound in heaven. 644 00:45:55,302 --> 00:45:58,591 Whatsoever you loose on earth shall have already been loosed in heaven." 645 00:45:58,592 --> 00:46:04,328 In other words, our business is to find out what He has bound and binded 646 00:46:04,329 --> 00:46:06,047 before we see it bound. 647 00:46:06,048 --> 00:46:10,980 Do you understand faith is seeing something before you can see it? 648 00:46:10,981 --> 00:46:15,154 It is receiving something before you receive it. 649 00:46:15,155 --> 00:46:20,257 It is the subjective acceptance of what is so 650 00:46:20,258 --> 00:46:24,397 before it actually physically becomes so. 651 00:46:24,398 --> 00:46:25,810 That's what faith is. 652 00:46:25,811 --> 00:46:35,703 And the fact of faith itself is the evidence of the confident expectation that you have. (P) 653 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:43,364 So she received strength to conceive seed when she believed, 654 00:46:43,365 --> 00:46:47,879 and as she believed the promise. 655 00:46:49,321 --> 00:46:57,489 Wasn't it some lepers who came to Jesus and they asked to be cleansed? 656 00:46:57,490 --> 00:47:02,437 Jesus said, "Go to the temple and offer the sacrifices 657 00:47:02,438 --> 00:47:05,157 that are supposed to be sacrificed for the cleansing." 658 00:47:05,158 --> 00:47:11,969 And as they went they were cleansed. 659 00:47:13,345 --> 00:47:16,493 You know what flesh does? 660 00:47:16,494 --> 00:47:21,827 Flesh looks around and says, "Why should I go to the temple? I'm not cleansed yet." 661 00:47:21,828 --> 00:47:27,745 But as they went they were cleansed. (P) 662 00:47:32,363 --> 00:47:47,005 Satan does not waste his time in counterfeiting things that are not true. 663 00:47:47,006 --> 00:47:54,368 There is a word of faith movement out there that's Name it-Claim it, 664 00:47:54,369 --> 00:47:57,696 Blab it-Grab it. 665 00:47:57,697 --> 00:47:59,672 And they teach all you have to do is: 666 00:47:59,673 --> 00:48:04,161 Say something and God will bring it to pass. 667 00:48:04,162 --> 00:48:06,762 Here's the problem with that: 668 00:48:06,763 --> 00:48:11,204 The will begins in their heart, rather than in the mind of God. 669 00:48:11,205 --> 00:48:14,052 And so that's a counterfeit. 670 00:48:14,053 --> 00:48:18,410 Now the reason Satan counterfeits it is because there is a reality there. 671 00:48:18,411 --> 00:48:25,379 And the reality is: When God says it, then we can say it and do it 672 00:48:25,380 --> 00:48:27,751 in the will and power of God. 673 00:48:27,752 --> 00:48:30,667 But if Satan can chase you away from those kinds of truths, 674 00:48:30,668 --> 00:48:36,102 he can keep you from walking in faith. (P) 675 00:48:36,103 --> 00:48:47,291 "Sarah received strength because she believed the promise. 676 00:48:47,292 --> 00:49:00,077 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, 677 00:49:00,078 --> 00:49:04,241 so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, 678 00:49:04,242 --> 00:49:10,900 and as the sand which are by the sea shore innumerable. 679 00:49:10,901 --> 00:49:15,812 These all died in faith, not having received the promises." 680 00:49:15,813 --> 00:49:20,948 He never found that city. 681 00:49:20,949 --> 00:49:23,144 He never did. 682 00:49:23,145 --> 00:49:29,232 Not here. Not in the land of Canaan. 683 00:49:29,233 --> 00:49:32,128 But they, listen to what it says, 684 00:49:32,129 --> 00:49:39,751 "These all - Abraham, and Noah, and Sarah, and Isaac, and Jacob, all of these, 685 00:49:39,752 --> 00:49:44,049 and he's going to name a bunch more because he says it again down in verse 39 - 686 00:49:44,049 --> 00:49:48,007 but he says these all died in faith, not having received the promises, 687 00:49:48,015 --> 00:49:49,937 but having seen them afar off. 688 00:49:49,938 --> 00:49:53,232 They saw them. They got a word from God about them. 689 00:49:53,233 --> 00:49:55,967 They knew what God said. 690 00:49:55,968 --> 00:50:00,793 And they were persuaded of them. 691 00:50:00,794 --> 00:50:05,864 Listen, when you're persuaded of something, that's subjective. 692 00:50:05,865 --> 00:50:08,183 And then the next word is they embraced them. 693 00:50:08,184 --> 00:50:10,072 It's actually they greeted them. 694 00:50:10,073 --> 00:50:16,471 They said, "Hello! Praise God. This is true." 695 00:50:16,472 --> 00:50:20,608 And they embraced the promises. 696 00:50:20,609 --> 00:50:27,689 And they confessed that this world didn't mean a thing to them. 697 00:50:27,690 --> 00:50:31,200 They were pilgrims and strangers. (P) 698 00:50:31,201 --> 00:50:33,741 You know what a stranger is? 699 00:50:33,742 --> 00:50:37,573 A stranger is a guy who is not from around here. 700 00:50:37,574 --> 00:50:41,016 And a pilgrim is a guy who is just passing through. 701 00:50:41,017 --> 00:50:43,566 And they confessed: "We're not from around here, 702 00:50:43,567 --> 00:50:45,490 and we're not going to stay here. 703 00:50:45,491 --> 00:50:50,768 God has got something better for us." 704 00:50:50,769 --> 00:50:55,282 "But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: 705 00:50:55,283 --> 00:50:59,936 wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: 706 00:50:59,937 --> 00:51:04,012 for he hath prepared for them a city." 707 00:51:04,013 --> 00:51:13,011 Do you think for a second that Abraham is disappointed this afternoon? 708 00:51:13,012 --> 00:51:14,975 You think Sarah is disappointed? 709 00:51:14,976 --> 00:51:19,726 Do you think Noah is disappointed? 710 00:51:22,071 --> 00:51:25,349 God said, "I'm not ashamed of them, 711 00:51:25,350 --> 00:51:30,091 because when I said something, they believed it. 712 00:51:30,092 --> 00:51:37,794 It became settled in their heart, and then I did it." (P) 713 00:51:37,795 --> 00:51:43,282 Jesus said, "When I come again, will I find faith on the earth?" 714 00:51:43,283 --> 00:51:51,447 He's not talking about a general "I believe in God" faith. 715 00:51:51,448 --> 00:51:56,287 He's talking about a living faith, an experiential faith. 716 00:51:56,288 --> 00:52:04,702 "Will I find people who are living by faith?" 717 00:52:04,703 --> 00:52:10,423 There's more to it than just "I got saved; now I'm gonna go to church; 718 00:52:10,424 --> 00:52:13,336 I'm going to do the best I can". 719 00:52:13,337 --> 00:52:15,403 It's a walking with God. 720 00:52:15,404 --> 00:52:17,573 It's a being where God wants you to be. 721 00:52:17,574 --> 00:52:20,428 It's building what God told you to build. 722 00:52:20,429 --> 00:52:24,832 It's believing that things exist that you don't see yet, 723 00:52:24,833 --> 00:52:27,594 that are out there in the future that God has promised you. 724 00:52:27,595 --> 00:52:31,208 And I'm going to tell you something: that you may die not seeing, 725 00:52:31,209 --> 00:52:34,105 but believing God anyway. 726 00:52:34,106 --> 00:52:36,347 That's real faith. (P) 727 00:52:36,348 --> 00:52:38,825 The story is told of George Mueller, 728 00:52:38,826 --> 00:52:46,094 and I get these things, you know, the exact figures are not necessarily true. 729 00:52:46,095 --> 00:52:52,611 But I have read where George Mueller prayed for a couple of men to be saved, 730 00:52:52,612 --> 00:52:56,268 and claimed them, and believed God was going to save them. 731 00:52:56,269 --> 00:52:59,836 And it was many, many, many years after he was dead 732 00:52:59,837 --> 00:53:03,866 that God saved both of them. 733 00:53:03,867 --> 00:53:10,294 I have something on my heart right now that I know God is doing. 734 00:53:10,295 --> 00:53:13,489 If it wasn't on film, I'd tell you about it. 735 00:53:13,490 --> 00:53:17,534 But I know God is doing it. I know God is doing it. 736 00:53:17,535 --> 00:53:21,741 And because I know He's doing it, He's doing it. 737 00:53:21,742 --> 00:53:23,864 "Explain that, brother Mike." I can't. 738 00:53:23,865 --> 00:53:25,799 It's faith. 739 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:31,787 It's something God gave me about a certain issue and I know it's true. 740 00:53:31,788 --> 00:53:36,267 And it lines up with the Scriptures, so I know it's true. (P) 741 00:53:36,268 --> 00:53:39,046 What's going on in your life? 742 00:53:39,047 --> 00:53:41,836 What are you believing God for? 743 00:53:41,837 --> 00:53:47,366 What's the Lord dealing with you about? 744 00:53:47,367 --> 00:53:50,948 Are you in a blank spot right now? That's possible. 745 00:53:50,949 --> 00:53:54,007 I mean, you read the rest of the history of these guys, 746 00:53:54,008 --> 00:53:59,260 they went through uptimes and downtimes. 747 00:53:59,261 --> 00:54:03,376 But the just shall live by faith. 748 00:54:03,377 --> 00:54:07,035 Hear me. That's the way a Christian's life goes. 749 00:54:07,036 --> 00:54:11,466 There may be a valley, but he's tending. 750 00:54:11,467 --> 00:54:15,217 When was the last time you had a faith experience with the Lord? 751 00:54:15,218 --> 00:54:19,007 "Oh brother Mike, I got saved back 20 years ago. Let me tell you..." 752 00:54:19,008 --> 00:54:23,214 Yeah, but when was the last time you had a faith experience with Jesus? 753 00:54:23,215 --> 00:54:24,899 When was the last time you needed Him? 754 00:54:24,900 --> 00:54:27,897 When was the last time He led you? 755 00:54:27,898 --> 00:54:30,738 When was the last time He spoke to you, and guided you, 756 00:54:30,739 --> 00:54:33,098 and directed your life into a certain area, 757 00:54:33,099 --> 00:54:38,299 and fulfilled His will in you? (P) 758 00:54:40,151 --> 00:54:42,162 Brethren, that's what it's all about. 759 00:54:42,163 --> 00:54:48,628 The just shall live by their faith. 760 00:54:48,629 --> 00:54:52,054 That's when you get into miracles. 761 00:54:52,055 --> 00:54:54,436 That's when you begin to see stuff happen 762 00:54:54,437 --> 00:55:01,708 that you can't explain by organization and human ability. 763 00:55:01,709 --> 00:55:07,040 That's whenever you start seeing mighty things happen. 764 00:55:07,041 --> 00:55:11,218 Jesus said, "If you say to that mountain, 'Be removed,' 765 00:55:11,219 --> 00:55:19,109 and believe in your heart without doubting, it will be cast into the sea, it'll happen." 766 00:55:19,110 --> 00:55:21,234 I don't read one instance in the New Testament 767 00:55:21,235 --> 00:55:24,172 where Jesus looked at a mountain and said, "Be cast into the sea," 768 00:55:24,188 --> 00:55:26,913 or his disciples did that. 769 00:55:26,914 --> 00:55:30,147 So He's not saying like some people foolishly think: 770 00:55:30,148 --> 00:55:33,919 "Just randomly test God and see, 771 00:55:33,920 --> 00:55:36,284 tell that tree to go run down the road." 772 00:55:36,285 --> 00:55:38,325 He's not doing that. 773 00:55:38,326 --> 00:55:41,784 What He is saying is: 774 00:55:41,785 --> 00:55:47,707 "When I direct you, and I've settled something; 775 00:55:47,708 --> 00:55:51,878 you settle it, and believe Me. 776 00:55:51,879 --> 00:55:55,009 And I'll do it." 777 00:55:55,010 --> 00:55:58,610 Amen. 778 00:55:58,611 --> 00:56:03,789 I'm through. That's my conclusion. I'm through.