In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of faith in the Christian life. He draws inspiration from Hebrews 11, which lists the great acts of faith performed by biblical figures. The preacher encourages the congregation to lay aside any burdens and sins that hinder their faith and to run the race of life with patience. He concludes by urging them to look to Jesus as the ultimate example of faith. The sermon highlights the need for revival and the desire for God to work in the present day as He has done in the past.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, EFRA PA 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the freewill offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Good morning. Is that your heart's cry this morning? O our Father, send revival. Do it in this our day. We've heard it with the hearing of the year. We've read the books of how you've done it in the past. We've seen how you worked in days of old, Lord. Father, send revival. I greet you in Jesus Christ's name this morning. What a beautiful service. We could go home, couldn't we? We've been richly blessed already. Can your cup hold a little more this morning? As I was praying and seeking the Lord, what He had me to share today, I had a message on my heart for quite some time, but the Lord just didn't seem to give me a clearing on that one and lend me rather to Hebrews 11. And then as Brother Paul was sharing this morning, thank you, Brother Paul, for sharing the introduction. Beautiful. It just stirred my heart to see how God is just affirming His word, saying it again and again. Simple title this morning, by faith. By faith, fellow Christian. It's by faith. You know, I find myself at times as I'm going through this Christian life and the Lord is showing me areas in my life that need purifying, sanctifying. Well, let's see, how are we going to achieve? How are we going to lay hold? For myself, I have to say, every time I've tried another route, it hasn't panned out. But when I come back to that cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, where the victory was won, and I put my faith in Him, oh, that's such a different perspective. By faith. For some opening verses here, open your Bibles to Romans 1. Romans 1. Verse 14. Paul says, I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith. The righteousness of God that is revealed unto us is both springing forth from faith and leading to faith. It's a faith within us that arouses us to more faith. It's from faith to faith. I don't think this morning that we're any different than the Christians of days gone by that needed to be instructed in their relationship with Christ, with God, that it is through faith. I believe when Zach Boonin was here sharing with us, he said, you know, one of the things that people who strive after a practical holiness outliving, a practical application to the Scriptures in their lives, you know, the temptation is that as we obey and as we put into practice the word of God, we become tempted to methods or, what would be a better word, a formula that if we apply this principle and then this one and this one, when we follow these steps of formula and principles, we will have the desired end result. And it is true the Bible does say follow. There are principles to be followed. Add to your faith. You know, this is true, this is right. But there is a danger for us to not continue in faith and going from faith to faith and adding to our faith. But rather, there is a tendency and can be a danger to become principle oriented and lose sight of the God of the principles who wrote them and who gives us the power to fulfill them. By faith. The righteousness which God ascribes is revealed that it's springing from faith and leading to faith and it's a faith that arouses to more faith and as it is written, the just shall live by faith. The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live and shall live by faith. Did you get it? It's a continual walk of faith. It's not a once and done, is it? You know, if we could just receive the gift of faith and then hold it tight and now we have it. But it's not, I haven't found it that way. I find that my faith must continually be multiplied and increased and as we exercise the faith that God gives us, it increases and it grows. Amen? But if we are afraid to exercise the faith that we have in God and to step out beyond our comfort zone and in faith believe God, we just tend to not move forward and tend to stagnate. Are you ready? Like Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel for as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel. I am ready. Because through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, therein is the power of God revealed unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith. Now let's turn over to Galatians 3. Look at a few verses there. And I think it would be good to just read beginning in verse 1 to get the context here. We have this reference to the Old Testament again here that as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Let's begin in Galatians 3 and verse 1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you? This only would I learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Hath ye suffered so many things in vain, if it be yet in vain? He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just shall live by faith. Here we see very clearly God again bringing a correction to the Galatian church and sharing with them how is it that you began in faith but you have been moved from that standing by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ into leaning upon the arm of the flesh again. You know? And he says, Are you so foolish having begun in the spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh? I just want to exhort us this morning through the word of the Lord not that we should not seek to live a practical holy life before the Lord that affects our everyday living but beware when you try to work it out in the flesh it brings failure and it brings defeat and it brings us to even wondering sometimes what is wrong? Brother Paul, as you were sharing this morning it's like, Lord I don't know what's happening right here it can bring us into confusion. He again brings his example saying having ministered in the spirit and he that worketh miracles among you doeth it by the law or by the hearing of faith. And then he gives us this beautiful picture of Abraham. Abraham believed God and he was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham. Now listen to this verse 8 of Galatians 3. The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith. Just let that settle in for a little bit. Let that sink in. God is going to justify the heathen through faith. They which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. That no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith. The word faith is found 245 times in the New Testament. I think the Lord wants us to understand the importance of faith. Let us turn now over to Hebrews 11. And maybe we should pick up Paul already read those verses in Hebrews 10. But again here in Hebrews 11 and the end of Hebrews 10 He says cast not away in Hebrews 10.35 Cast not away therefore your confidence which has great recompense of reward for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God you might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith. This matter of faith is the key issue with God. It is not by our works. It is not by our strivings. It is by believing God. It is by taking God at His word and believing what He said. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. The just shall live by faith. Yes, we have need of patience. We wait. We don't see it. But we believe it. And we wait with expectation that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. Jesus said, when I come again will I find faith on the earth? The just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But I have this confidence this morning and I want to encourage you with these words. Do not be of those who draw back. Do not be a partaker of those who having begun in faith they draw back and shrink back and fall back into the old natural man's way of working this thing out. We are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Faith. By faith. You know, as I was thinking we are gathering for prayer and fasting seeking the Lord. And I, you know, in my mind I was thinking should preach a message on you know, prayer and fasting and on just examining our hearts and sort of where I was going but about midweek the Lord just began redirecting me and this word of faith just kept coming in. I said, okay Lord I am trusting you that you will just share your heart with us. I know the Lord wants to break us He wants to mold us and He wants to shape us and search us and you know, and bring forth trying of our faith that we come forth like gold all those beautiful things. But I believe the Lord just wanted to lift this up before our hearts this morning and I was encouraged brother Paul as you shared in the opening meditation how the Lord just shared that with you also. So let us go in now to Hebrews 11 and let us just look at the scriptures. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen for by it the elders obtained a good report through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were made of things which do not appear. Now stop and think about it. God made the worlds by the word of His power. He just spoke it. You know there wasn't these big globs floating around out there and then God just brought order. I don't believe that. In the beginning God created and yes the earth was void and without form in the first beginnings but God is the creator and He created it from what? Tell me. Nothing. Because God has the power to speak those things into existence which are not. He can do it. And I believe it. I believe it by faith. I believe it that God spoke this world into existence that we stand upon and live on and you know I mean it's God did it. He just spoke with His word. I believe it's in Psalms where it says that with His fingers He formed the planets, the moons and how big is God. And He can just do that. They're developing more and more powerful telescopes and they're sending out probes to go out into outer space and examine the heavens and the farther out they get the more they realize that how little they know. There are galaxies and galaxies and heavens and stars by innumerable. Well God says that in His word. But you know the scientists well we got astronomers we have to try to figure this thing out. You know and I I believe it's put there, God put it there so that man can look and see and we can see our smallness and we can wonder at the God who spoke the heavens and the worlds into existence by His word out of nothing. By faith I believe it. Through faith we understand. The astronomers are only confirming what we already knew. The worlds were framed by the word of God. Now stop and think about it. And this is our God. This is our God. Who adjusted His numbers this morning when you took your shower because there was a few hair came out. Amazing! God that we serve. And how many billion people are on the face of the earth? And He knows all of us. He calls the stars by name. Man has no idea how many there are. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made and the things which do appear are not made. Do you see the things which do appear? Is it settled in your heart? Do you believe it? By faith we understand it so. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh. You know brother Paul, maybe Cain didn't offer his sacrifice in faith. Because here it tells us Abel offered his by faith. But I agree, God in His righteousness, He came to Cain He wasn't shutting the door on him. He said, Cain, if you do well, you'll be accepted. Verse 5, by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. Before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. Enoch. And if we go back and look at Enoch, the picture we get there in Genesis he was a man who walked with God. He had sons and daughters I believe it tells us there. He had responsibilities just like you and I but Enoch, in his day in his generation, he walked with God. How did he do it? By faith. Just like you and I. And by faith he was translated that he should not see death. And was not found because God translated him. Wonder what that was like. You ever stop and think about it? What did his wife and children think? How did they find out? I don't know, the Bible doesn't give us all those details but Enoch, it was clear what happened. It's recorded for us. By faith. Here's a very important verse, verse 6. Without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is. And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. You know there's a warning wrapped up in this beautiful encouraging chapter. Without faith it's impossible to please him. But oh, by faith and through believing his promises we lay hold on those rewards. He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. And so the chapter just keeps unfolding. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet. Now stop and think about that. Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet. He didn't see it yet. But Noah moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became the heir of the righteousness which is by faith. You know Noah had never seen a thunderstorm come across the land. He never saw it rain with such downpours that there were puddles and little streams rushing. He never saw that. It didn't rain. But God told Noah there's going to be a flood. It's going to rain. And Noah he believed God. He didn't see it yet. Someone said it this way that God didn't send a little mini storm to prove to Noah and give Noah a little bit of a foretaste so that Noah would say, oh yes, now I understand what you mean. But he just believed God. He didn't see it yet. He didn't see it rain yet. But he was moved because he feared God. And by faith he prepared the ark to the saving of his house. And look at this. And became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. And it just keeps unfolding. The Lord really wants us to just see how a faithful God he is. And how down through the ages all those who in faith believe God received a reward. Abraham by faith when he was called to go out into a place where he should afterward receive for an inheritance he obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went. God told Abraham get thee up. Get out of thy country. I'm going to lead you into another place. And Abraham said yes Lord. By faith. Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. He had a vision far beyond what he was the earth and the dirt he was walking on. He was looking for that city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. Brothers and sisters this morning our faith needs to stretch far beyond these houses, these lands this little property of mine or whatever it is but by faith we walk and sojourn in this land but our goal and our eye by faith is on that heavenly city which has foundations and whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised. You know God is doing the impossible through faith. Sarah said it's Abraham, Sarah it's not possible but through faith believing God she received strength and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised. Now we can go back and we can read the account and we can see were they perfect in every way? Was Sarah perfect in every way? I would have to say as I look at it the weakness of her flesh came through pretty strong but still God looks at that and he didn't say ok well you laughed so now you blew it, that's it. God didn't do that. That's not how God is. You know do you sometimes think well I I missed it. No God's going to give you another chance. God's going to give you another opportunity. God is merciful, God is gracious God is long suffering and he loves you. So when you fall, get back up again. The righteous man gets back up again and believes God. The devil would want to say well you blew it it's no use, just stay down there in the dirt now. No God says get back up again, my promises are still yes and amen in Christ. You can still get back up again. And so Sarah though she wrestled and struggled a little she had a child because she believed God. Say so right here. She herself received strength to conceive through faith. Oh glory God is so good. Therefore sprang there even of one of him as good as dead. You know how does your situation look this morning? I think this thing is dead. It's pretty hopeless. But see God who call us things that are not as though they were when we lay hold on that kind of a faith in our God God is able. With men, yeah Jesus said with men there's things that are impossible. But with God there's nothing impossible. So therefore through faith there sprang there even of one of him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They saw him they were persuaded and they embraced and then they also confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country that is in heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promise offered up his only begotten son of whom it is said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence he also received him in a figure. That's beautiful. You know when Abraham went to offer up his son Isaac it tells us here that as he offered up his son his only son in whom the promise was that in Isaac shall thy seed be called Abraham believed God so firmly so strongly that he said God was able to raise him up even from the dead Lord my faith my confidence in you is so strong that though it doesn't make sense you think that made sense to Abraham it didn't I can't see how it did not make common sense so to speak but he knew his God and he walked with his God and when God said offer up thy son he went and he went up to that mountain to worship the Bible tells us they went up to worship him and Isaac together and we know the account as he bound up his son and laid him up there on the altar just as he raised the knife to slay his son and was ready to bring it down the angel cried out the Lord cried out do thy son no harm he stopped right there now I know that you love me more than anything else more than your son what is it that the Lord is asking you and I to lay up on the altar is there some other love something else that is too precious to our hearts and the Lord is asking us to lay it up on the altar and sacrifice it all for God you know this morning even if it doesn't make sense if there is something in your life that you know the Lord is asking you to offer up and to give up that has become too dear to your heart by faith trust God lay it up there on the altar and allow the Lord to raise it up from the dead if that is his will I know that we have heard different testimonies of the death of a vision you know God needs to do a purifying work we try to work it out and it just doesn't work it just doesn't prosper and so finally when we lay it on the altar and we give it all up and it's hard sometimes it's very hard it can be very heart wrenching to finally come to that place where there is a total surrender a sacrifice on the altar Lord I don't care Lord I just want your will whatever you say Lord and then the Lord may take it away or after you've gone through that offering up of that which is dearest to your heart the Lord sees that you love him more and you love him with all your heart and he gives it back can you trust God with your life are you walking in faith with your life that whatever is in your life you can give it all to God total surrender by faith you know how foolish we can be I'm sorry to use that term but you know like Paul said to the Galatians you know how foolish having begun in faith just trusting God with your entire life just leaning upon him wholly totally and then go down the road in your Christian life a while and start to sort of pick things up again and take them back to yourself and holding on to this and this is mine and then the Lord has to bring us back to that place has to bring us back to that Calvary of total surrender and just giving it all up and crucify and die you know Abraham he just had to die to all of what God was telling him it was like Lord this doesn't make sense but Lord I'm trusting you you know God is faithful we can trust him we can trust him with our lives we can trust him with everything we can trust him with our future we can trust him with all that he's given unto us and just give it up for God and let him through the purifying refining trial of our faith purge out the dross and then raise up a beautiful testimony for his glory by faith by faith Moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents because he saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment how was it that they were not afraid of the king's commandment all the little boys were to be slain it was by faith by faith by faith his parents hid him three months and we know how they put him out there in the little baskets the Lord arranged all the divine circumstances and Moses was saved and when Moses verse 24 by faith Moses when he was come to years he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter that same faith that his parents had Moses had by faith he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompense of reward and by faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible hallelujah see his faith through faith he saw he saw him that is invisible through faith through faith he kept the Passover and the springing of blood lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them by faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land when the Egyptians were drowned you know it was by faith we read those accounts of the mighty acts of God they had to have faith to go through that sea, they had to have faith to believe God that this water isn't going to come in on us from either side and they went through by faith but when the Egyptians entered in they were drowned and by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven times it was by faith by faith by faith by faith and on and on and on we can just keep going by faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not and she had received the spies with peace and what shall I say more for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon oh remember Gideon of Barak Samson Jephthah David Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness remained strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received the dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection and others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted, were slain with a sword they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted, tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth and these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect wherefore seeing we are all so compassed about with so great a cloud of witness let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that is set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God by faith by faith my brothers my sisters by faith Stephen was full of faith and power he did great wonders and miracles among the people how was it it was because he was full of faith and power Barnabas tells us he was a good man full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people was added unto the Lord faith by faith how do we have our faith strengthened and exercised scriptures tell us in Romans 10-17 faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God you see if we're hearing of the word of God and our minds are being renewed as we look at the greatness and awesomeness of our God our faith is strengthened and faith comes by hearing and by the hearing by the word of God and then as we exercise that faith it grows and we go from faith to faith to faith and to more faith you know I'm not sure how much faith you have what did Jesus say about how much faith you have he said if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you know so our faith may be small but if it's genuine faith that is trusting and leaning upon God I think of that father he said Lord I believe but help thou mine unbelief you know he acknowledged I believe you Lord but on the other hand was this maybe little bits of doubts there or how can you believe for something like that you know or whatever going through his mind Lord I believe but help my unbelief faith you know it's not a mindset of where we try to work this thing up and get ourselves in a position where where now I just I just believe but you know it's trusting God it's believing God it's not working myself into some sort of state of faith I don't think so at all rather faith comes by hearing by the hearing of the word of God and seeing the faithfulness of God and what he's done down through the ages you see that same God is our God he hasn't changed I mean look at the prayers of there in the book of James where he speaks of prayers like Elijah he was a man just like us but he believed God and he acted upon what God had told him and shown him and then God rewarded his faith and I know all of you here this morning you have testimonies of how God rewarded your faith and how you believed God but I believe the Lord wants to take us on and how are we going to go on girding ourselves with sackcloth and ashes and all these things well it's a time to come and pray and fast and seek the Lord but what does he tell us to do he says when you come fasting and praying and seeking the Lord, loose the bonds set those people free that you're holding something against or whatever you know Isaiah 58 deal out your bread to the hungry and all these things it's not a religious exercise to where we disfigure our faces and make ourselves to appear to fast but we anoint our face and we wash our face and we don't appear to men to fast but God who sees in secret sees our fasting and he who sees it in secret will reward us openly oh it's beautiful I think the New Testament fast you know it's just God is looking for the fast that is a true fast from the heart and it's not in some ritualistic exercise of you know putting on this sad face and oh I'm so depriving myself because I'm fasting and all that no it's not that at all but rather it's wash your face and anoint thyself set the captives free you know forgive bless and encourage and give yourself in service to others and God will reward you openly hallelujah first Corinthians 16 13 says watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong and then our brother Paul had read these verses in Hebrews 10 where he says draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith and I just want to encourage us that as we come to this time of prayer and fasting let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience you know now granted if you are hiding sin in your life and your heart you have an evil dirty conscience you can't come in full assurance of faith but if there is sin in your life the Lord Jesus stands ready you know as brother Paul shared with us this morning he wants us to bring that which is lame he wants us to come with that which is crooked or disfigured and that which is in need don't turn out of the way come, come draw near draw near to God because he has the answer he can wash us from an evil conscience he can wash our bodies with pure water let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering how can we do that for he is faithful that promised that's how it's because of him faith in him not faith in my own program or faith in my own strivings you know but faith in him who is he that overcometh the world whosoever believeth that Jesus Christ whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith that's 1st John 5 1-4 well I just want to encourage us this morning God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him by faith by faith we believe as it is written the just shall live by faith the righteousness of God is revealed and it's from faith to faith Romans 1-17 the just shall live by faith it's a faith that is springing up unto more faith and it arouses more faith and more faith it's a continuous present faith the Amplified Bible says it like this as it is written the man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith and you could put as many as and shall lives in there as you would care to it's a continuous progressive walk of faith, shall we kneel together in prayer Father we we thank you Lord that we can look down through history of the just who have lived by faith they have overcome by faith because they believe God they have counted it to God he's faithful and he'll do what he has said oh Lord we thank you for those examples that were written for our learning for our admonition here this morning God and Father here we are Lord seeking your face desiring to grow more and more into the likeness and image of our Savior and oh Father we thank you for your word that teaches us Lord having begun in faith we are also made perfect in faith and so Lord we look away from ourselves and we look unto Jesus and that great cloud of witness whose testimony is by faith by faith by faith Lord we love you we thank you that you're a faithful God in Jesus name Amen I'm thankful for that message to the church this morning concerning faith you know I was thinking we hear many messages across this pulpit various subjects personal holiness practical applications and all those we take them seriously and we walk them out and let us not lose sight of the hub of it all faith in Jesus Christ faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen question is have I ever stepped out in faith as the children of Israel did when the walls of water parted are we able to walk through Abraham when he was called to a place to go where he didn't know what he was to face but he went because of faith we want to open it up here in a bit I think it would be good to hear some testimonies of faith and how the Lord has led different ones I appreciated also Brother Aaron's exhortation to go on in faith you know the Lord has, yes, led us thus far and in times past has led us sometimes the danger is as the Lord leads us to a certain place then to feel like we have arrived somewhere I guess my exhortation would be this morning we seek a continuing city we have not arrived but we seek a continuing city so does anybody have a testimony to share where you have come from the way the Lord has led you where you are going from here steps of faith you are taking at this time as we go forth in the Christian life just get your hand up as the Lord leads you and ushers will get a microphone to you Brother Joe Brother Joe as my wife and I were recently receiving counsel some issues in our life some things were spoken to us that I knew were right and I knew were truth but how can I say I just didn't have the faith to really believe it and as we prayed as the evening wore on it really began seeking down into me that I just need to step out in faith and believe that I can enter into God's rest and I can allow His enabling grace to come into my life and well as the week wore on it became stronger and stronger to me that this is truth and it's just it was just by faith I was stepping out and my wife I saw her too stepping out to say Lord we believe help our unbelief and as Aaron spoke I saw that we were in the past trying to have a formula and say well if we do this and this things will work out and as we just laid all that on the altar God began opening the heavens and the weight of all that just began lifting off our shoulders and it was such a blessing and I'm not saying we're there we're still growing and striving but I praise the Lord that He gave us a touch of reality of what faith really is Amen Thank you brother Joe Brother Merle Amen God bless you brother Aaron for sharing that message I know that was from God's heart and I feel like it was custom tailored to me this last week in my heart I just felt my faith faltering a bit I even spoke the words that it seems like I'm at the Red Sea you know the obstacles I was facing in front of me didn't seem to want to move and it seemed like from behind the pressure was closing in and you know Moses spoke the words and said stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and I believe this morning that faith is a decision just like that man that said I believe help thou my unbelief and it's a decision of the will and I choose to believe I choose to believe that verse that God is a reward of those that diligently seek Him and I just feel as I've seen my faith just falter a bit as I look at it I see it's been maybe just a lack of the diligence seeking of God and just trying to make it happen myself in my life so I want to go back on to diligently seeking God and know that He is a God that meets our everyday life our everyday experiences you know He answered prayers of men like passion like Elijah and affected whole nations with it and He'll do the same today in every area of our life and our health and our finances and victory over sin all those things I believe He'll do it in everyone so I'm just thankful for this message and I want to bless you brother Aaron for declaring all the counsel of God to us go ahead brother Dean I bless the Lord for both those messages this morning you know being raised as a child in a church that taught an easy believism and taught a sinner's prayer type of salvation you know we heard messages similar but they were missing something important in the idea that faith actually led to something to happen as we read through here in Abraham and by faith they obtained these promises they obtained them there was something there and so coming from that background sometimes I struggled with the being able to realize that God was the one who was to do these things I knew that what I had heard in the past was wrong I saw the failings of it and the easy believism and things that were said and so I rejected that but for some for quite some time I went off to start to try to say okay I'm supposed to have some works to follow this and so I started then to rely on systems and to rely on different formulas as it was said here today to try to accomplish that you know the Lord took me to Galatians and I realized that that book was not written to a easy believism church it was written to a church that was trying to press on it was a holiness church that was trying to do things for God yet they were trying then to rely on this formula to rely on these different things there are other scriptures I think in the like James that tells us a real faith will produce works but this book of Galatians there was written to a church that's trying to press on and what was so beautiful in that if I can turn to that real quick when Aaron quoted that oh foolish Galatians who have bewitched you you know that word bewitched is the only time that it appears in scripture it's the idea of being totally baffled by this how can we press on how can we do these things let me turn to that here real quick but when he went through there and he went through the example of Abraham and they went through there of how they rested on the promises he finishes up that whole argument there with this whole thing as it was preached here this morning about that promise there at chapter four verse twenty two through the end where he talks about that he had two sons and he compares it there that he had a son of promise but he also before the son of promise relied on a son that he created in the flesh he says there for it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a bond made the other by a free woman but he who was of the bond woman was born after the flesh but he of the free woman was by promise and he tells us which things are an allegory these things are written to us an example a story something for us to hear for there are two covenants the one which mount Sinai which gendered to bonnet which is agar or hagar this for this hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answer it to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all and this part I just rejoice so much he says then for it is written rejoice thou barren that barest not break forth and cry thou that travaileth not for the desolate have many more children than she which have a husband the context of that which rejoiced in my heart so much was that we're not talking about children at this point the context was this church that was pressing on with holiness was not able to do it and he tells them in the midst of their trials in the midst of being able to see you're not where you want to be but you want to be somewhere else you're trying hard rejoice rejoice because the promises are there in God and if we rest in him we can actually start rejoicing now knowing that God will take us to that he goes on he says now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise but as then he that was born after the flesh persecutes him that was after the spirit even so it is now so here I was realizing that I wanted to press on holiness but I created formula after formula Joe you can testify to some of those formulas you heard in Dallas I mean they were ridiculous formula after formula of trying to obtain something but as then he that is born after the flesh persecutes that after the spirit even so it is now then here was the solution nevertheless what saith the scripture cast out the bond woman and her son for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman so then brethren we are not children of the bond woman but of the free stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage until I could press on I was not able to press on until I realized the ishmael's that I had in my life all the formulas and things that had to be kicked out put out and then I was able to progress or still trying to put dead to dead those ishmael's but that's when I get my head banging against the wall I usually see I've got some kind of man-made thing there God does want us a holy he wants true holiness in our lives but he will do that by promise and that I'll confess that that I still am learning that and trying to press on that and I bless the Lord for these messages today amen thank you brother Dean for sharing another hand in the front here I also appreciated the message this morning where the Paul asked for some testimonies and thought I could just share that you know when we ask God for more faith how does faith grow in our lives well faith grows by it being exercised and faith cannot be exercised unless it is given an opportunity to show itself and so I can testify this morning that as I've asked God to increase my faith I found that I might as well pray and ask God to send some trials and hard times my way because it is through those times that my faith is exercised and it grows so just encourage you this morning if you go home and ask God to increase your faith get ready for some trials yeah I just wanted to share testimony this morning about delighting in the Lord and meditating in the word of the Lord and how that can lead to other ways that the Lord uses I remember a preacher a few years ago a well known preacher saying that there was a time in his life when he when somebody he was a teenager in high school and somebody gave him a project some memorization project or something and he pursued it and he he followed it and how later that opened up other doors in his life of ministry that he hadn't expected and it made me think of in Psalms 1 how that says that if we delight in the law of the Lord and in his law meditate how that the Lord is going to be like the tree planted by the rivers of water and also says not to walk in the way of the ungodly or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scorpio but rather delight in the law of the Lord and so one thing that I just want to praise the Lord that if we do this how that he does open up doors for us to be a blessing to others that we didn't necessarily expect but we praise him for it but Ben I praise the Lord for both messages today I can say my faith was strengthened and I was encouraged in the faith and I greatly appreciated the word of God to us this morning you know the longer I walk in this Christian walk the more I'm convinced that the battle is a battle of faith if we look at all these things that press into our lives whether it be the cares of life whether it be home schooling taking care of our children and all these things they are a battle of faith and we tend to look on those things instead of onto Christ so my encouragement to us all is to look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith he is finishing our faith he is trying our faith he wants it to become precious more precious than gold and all these things are a trial of our faith they are the battle of faith and if we could look at it that way I think we'd respond to these things a lot differently I know I would I want to read a verse here still in chapter 12 in Hebrews the verse following looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith that is verse 2 verse 3 for consider him Jesus that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself consider him lest ye be wearied you can consider what Jesus went through in his earthly ministry lest ye be wearied in the faith so let us continue to look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith surely we have been encouraged much this morning