Make Yourself at Home Part 4
This Preaching in Shorts sermon series is about learning to abide in Christ, to make ourselves at home in Him.
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Make Yourself at Home Part 4 from Preaching In Shorts on Vimeo.
In this series called Make Yourself at Home we have been talking about the importance of abiding in, being rooted in Jesus. We started by talking about the root of thankfulness and we encouraged you to remember to start each day by being thankful for at least five things and we launched the Ministry of Encouragement by asking you to encourage at least two people a day. Then we talked about the root of hope, which we defined as a passionate trusting in the Lord. Last week we talked about the root of joy, and that Christianity is not about following rules and regulations, but about peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This week we are going to talk about the root of faith.
When you want to discuss faith, one of the best places to look is Hebrews 11. Let’s turn there now and jump right in.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
This verse tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God so faith is obviously an extremely important part of our lives. What does this root of faith look like?
1. Faith is seeing the not yet in the now
What does that mean?
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Faith is seeing the future in the present. People are often fond of saying “I’ll believe it when I see it”. If you come on Wednesday nights you know that this past Wednesday we talked about Doubting Thomas who would not believe until he actually touched Jesus wounds from the cross. But faith requires us to believe first in order to see.
It is like an artist who has seen the painting in their mind before it ever becomes a reality. Or an architect who sees the building before they design it. Scientists had to believe they could go to the moon before they got there. Sometimes you have to believe it before you see it. You have to believe it is possible before you see it happen.
2. Faith is obeying without having it all figured out
There are two great examples of this in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:7 (NIV)
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Noah built an ark in the desert, apparently before it had ever rained on the earth. Think about the ramifications.
Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
How might you respond if God came to you when you were 75 and said, “You are going to need to pack up and leave”. No details or extensive travel plans. Get up and get moving.
Faith allows us to respond in obedience even when we don’t have it all figure out, but knowing that God has a plan for our lives.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Am I going to do what I feel is the right thing or what God says is the right thing, even if it doesn’t make sense to me. Even if it seems old fashioned or out of touch with the culture. Which brings up the next point.
3. Faith is doing the next right thing even when I don’t feel like it
We all have to fight a very popular cultural influence which is, “if it feels good, do it”. This statement causes all of us a lot of pain. When we are driven by our feelings rather than by our faith we are going to make a lot of really bad decisions. God wants us to live a life of faith, not just a life of feeling. Are feelings bad? No, of course not, but they are not the only thing we are to rely on for direction in our lives.
The reality is, I don’t always feel like doing the next right thing. If I went with my feelings I would make selfish decisions all the time. But life is never found there. Life is found in faithfully following the Lord, by faith choosing to do the next right thing even when I don’t feel like. The number one thing I hear people say when they are trying to rationalize sin, is “Yes but God wants me to be happy, doesn’t He”? Yes He does, but not if you have to compromise and sin to get there.
Living doing the next right thing requires perseverance. Developing perseverance requires faith in the Lord. Look at Moses.
Hebrews 11:27 (NIV)
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
You begin to persevere by seeing the not yet in the now as we discussed in point number 1.
4. Faith is telling it like it could be
Hebrews 11:22 (NIV)
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
Four hundred years before the exodus takes place, Joseph told it like it could be by telling the people that when they left Egypt, they were take his bones with them.
Words are extremely powerful. God creates by the spoken word.
Hebrews 11:3 (NIV)
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
God spoke it into existence. Our words are powerful as well. We can encourage people or we can tear them down with our words.
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
The direction of people’s lives have been changed for good and bad by the things that are spoke into them.
People are fond of this comment, “I just believe in telling it like it is.” That can be a good thing if they are telling the truth in love, but there is a better thing and that is telling it like it could be. Telling it like it could be requires faith but it sets in motion the events that cause people to change. Telling it like it is usually requires you to label someone. You are a no good whatever. Labeling someone never changes them, it just reinforces their present situation. When you tell them what they could be, there is room for change.
This is why the Ministry of Encouragement is so important. It is telling it like it could be.
Tell it like it could be.
This process is the same that we use when we are saved. We are confessing our faith in Christ.
Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Related posts:
- Make Yourself at Home Part 2
- Make Yourself at Home Part 1
- Make Yourself at Home Part 5
- Make Yourself at Home Part 3
- Naturally Supernatural Part 5
Category: Preaching in Shorts
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