This is the second sermon of mine,preached to filipino church member. [Title of sermon: What is faith?] Today’s scripture: Hebrew11:1, Mtthew18:3~4, John20:29, Matthew13:44~46 1.We often say, The man has faith. His faith is strong, or weak. etc. What is faith? What do we believe in? Which faith is good one? Apostle Paul said at Hebrew11:1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It is simple but correct expression of concept of faith. There are two aspects of faith. The first one is the belief to believe in the Bibles story as real facts: existence of God. He is the origin of all things. He created the universe and all things by his word, Gods and prophets miracles, many prophecies and achievements on Jesus Christ, his activities and purpose of coming in this world, End of this world and Judgement, Salvation. etc. Some of these conflict with our rationality and modern scientific theory. So there are something difficult to believe in and accept the Bibles story as facts. So there are two kinds of tendency to interpret the Bible. One is the conservative to interpret the Bible only literally. The other is the progressive to interpret it according to the context and consider writers purpose. We belong to the conservative presbyterian that confess Apostles’ creed as real facts. etc. It is written at Matthew18:3~4,3 And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Like this, we must admit our scarcity and limit , be humble under the God, and accept the Bible as facts. Because it is extremely difficult for us to find out and prove how the Universe and all things were created, or what is the principle of their operation etc, by our rationality or science. But many persons ask to prove the Bibles story on Gods creation of the Universe and all things, Jesus conceiving by Holy Spirit, birth by the Virgin Mary and resurrection etc. If then, they will believe in the Bible. I want to introduce following example to such men. Jesus appeared his disciple Thomas who doesnt believe Jesus resurrection, showed his bodys scar nailed on the cross. and then Thomas believed Jesus, at that time he said to Thomas. At John20:29 ,Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Who doesnt believe in something if the proof is seen? Believing in something after seeing its proof, is not a real belief but only an admittance by its proof. We must throw away such a belief to calculate, wait-and-see, and lets have a pure and true belief to believe in the Bible without proof. 2. The second one is the faith to believe in Gods covenant that , if we repent to separate from God, commit sins and indulge in greed, go our own way, and accept Jesus as our savior, God forgives our sins, makes us his children, and leads us to prosperity in this world and eternal life in heavenly kingdom after death. All of us agree that Bibles teaching is the way, the truth, and the life. It is really good teaching to live righteously without committing sin, love your neighbors as yourself, share possessions with them. But others, our competitors commit many fouls without hesitation, to attain their profit or success, in spite of that, we have to live righteously to follow the Bibles teaching. Moreover, God asks us to love our neighbors as ourselves. But we are not sufficient for me and my familys living expenses. If we live such a life, we surely fall behind in the severe struggle for living. Therefore, we think Gods teaching is correct, but we worry about the future living of my family, hesitate and dont choose it. But the God almighty promised us to protect and guide, here and there in the Bible. Therefore, dont worry. Follow the Gods teaching without hesitation. But God promised at Genesis12:1~2 “1 The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your fathers household and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. God promised at Genesis 22:16~18, “16 and said, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. God promised at Deuteronomy28:1~14, 1 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock-the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. 9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity-in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground-in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. God promised at Joshua1:7~9, 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. God promised at Isaiah 43:1~2,1 But now, this is what the Lord says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. God promised at Isaiah 49:14~16, 14 But Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.15 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Jesus, our Lord promised at Matthew6:25~33,25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. There are lots of covenant like these in the Bible, dont you want to believe in these Gods promises? Can holy God deceive us? Cant the God almighty keep his promises because lack of ability. His promises are not certain to be achieved or not, because faith is affair in future. But we must purely believe in his promises and follow him. It is written at Matthew13:44” The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” To unbelievers, gospel of heavenly kingdom can be thought as useless trials to get the incredible promises. But to us, faithful believers, it is treated like treasure hidden in a field. Therefore, we must get it although we invest all we have. Brothers and sisters! The life of believers is not easy. If we follow Gods teaching, many difficulty can be occurred and our lives and future is not certain, seems to be dark. If anyone starts to believe in God, go to church, God blesses him right now, all person may believe in him to get his blessing. God doesnt reveal the gospel of heavenly kingdom to all, like a treasure hidden in a field, but reveals to only chosen people. Although non-believers try to believe in it, they cant believe in it because they are very greedy and calculating, it is considered as an incredible fiction. On the other hand, we can believe in it and want to believe in it strongly. It is the certain evidence that we were chosen as children of God. Lets grasp Gods word tightly, live as a true believer without shaking. ----------------------------------------------------------------- [Closing prayer.] Lets pray altogether. Thank you God father. We knew that what is faith , through todays message. Thank you for giving us the faith to believe in invisible you and your promises which are not achieved yet. We think it is the proof that you chose and made us as your children. We will root our faith more deeply and strongly, breed it. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 10:52:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015