The Extraordinary Life of Faith, Part 1

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1 1 NOTE: THIS FILE CONTAINS BOTH PARTS 1 AND 2 OF THIS MESSAGE ON THE SUBJECT OF FAITH. OPENING SCRIPTURE(S): Hebrews 12:1, Hebrews 11: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hnders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. Hebrews 12;1 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life. 36 Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. 37 Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, hungry and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world. They wandered over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All these people we have mentioned received God s approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can t receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race. Hebrews 11:33-40 The import or important point of Hebrews 11 is the many different ways God s people pleased Him by their faith. The import or important point of Hebrews 12:1 is that we are surrounded by that same invisible crowd of witnesses we read about in Chapter 11 who have all run the race that is set before us and finished something he refers to dogmatically as the life of faith. The Extraordinary Life of Faith, Part 1 1. I find in the Scriptures and in the apostles testimonies incredible ironies and amazing contradictions not contradictions to the truth, to our way of thinking concerning the life of faith! Accounts of breathtaking miracles, amazing victories, countless setbacks, and uncommon courage and devotion yet, each one of them affirmed these things as part of the extraordinary life of faith! Consider from our reading, some Quenched the flames of fire, Escaped death by the edge of the sword, Their weakness was turned into strength, Overthrew kingdoms, and some, Closed the mouths of lions, Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, They were too good for this world! Incredible isn t it? Let s look at some other examples Hebrews 11:5 5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying suddenly he disappeared, because God took him. For before he was taken up, he was approved as to God. NLT

2 2 The KJV puts that verse this way: 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Consider now the personal testimonies of the apostles to the life of faith 2 Corinthians 4:8-13 NLT (first edition) Read verses 4: We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don t give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but never God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be obvious in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but it has resulted in eternal life for you. 13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, I believed in God, and so I speak And consider, for example, 2 Corinthians 6 For proper context, we ll read verses We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 2 Corinthians 6:8-10 IT S ALL AMAZING BUT IT IS ALL A PART OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF FAITH! 2. We know what faith is but, how often and how deeply do we ponder that faith, by its very definition, is extraordinary! 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. Hebrews 11:1-2 KJV Same Scriptures in the NLT (first edition): What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave His approval to people in days of old because of their faith. Hebrews 11:1-2 NLT If we want to obtain God s approval in our day, then we will have to demonstrate and walk in the same kind of faith! 3. Our outlook on life and our understanding of the world which is what we refer to as our Christian worldview are both informed by our faith in the inerrant Word of God! 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3 KJV The NLT treats that verse this way: 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God s command, that hat we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Hebrews 11:3 NLT So, by faith, we understand And by faith, we accept those things the natural mind cannot grasp and those things that defy the norms and conventions of science, imagination, intellect, and one s own life experience. 4. Scripture is not silent but rich in its witness to the extraordinary life of faith

3 3 1. His incredible power towards us Ephesians 1: God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7 Incredible isn t it? 3. Consider Elijah although he was a prophet of God, that is not the thing God ascribed to as greatness it was his earnest and effectual prayers! Concerning Elijah, Scripture (James 5:17-18) is emphatic: Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three years! Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured. The grass turned green, and the crops began to grown again! What an extraordinary testimony to the life of faith! 4. Consider again Enoch a man who pleased God because of his faith and about whom the Scriptures simply declared walked with God and was not because God took him. One minute Enoch was here on earth and Bam! the next minute, he was snatched up to heaven! CLOSING SCRIPTURE(S) AND INVITATION Hardship and suffering are also part of the extraordinary life of faith 1 Peter 4: Dear friends, don t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10 Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! Ephesians 3:10 MSG 16 It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! Romans 1:16 MSG END OF PART ONE STAYED TUNED FOR PART 2 WHEN WE LL TALK SOME MORE ABOUT: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF FAITH! QUESTION AND INVITATION: ARE YOU IN THE RACE? ARE YOU IN THE FAITH? HAVE YOU RESPONDED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD BY PLACING YOUR FAITH IN HIS SON, JESUS? FOR THOSE OF US ALREADY IN THE FAITH HOW WELL ARE YOU RUNNING THE RACE THE BIBLE AFFECTIONATELY REFERS TO THE LIFE OF FAITH?

4 4 The Extraordinary Life of Faith, Part 2 As I ve mentioned and shown before, a careful read of Scripture and the apostles testimonies give rise to incredible ironies and amazing contradictions concerning our outlook and perspective of faith and specifically the kind of faith that pleases God! From Genesis to Revelation, we are introduced to accounts of breathtaking miracles, amazing victories, countless setbacks, and uncommon courage and devotion yet, each one of these things is affirmed to us as part of the life of faith! I want to open with a page right out of the everyday life of faith. Mark 11: Then Jesus said to the disciples, Have faith in God. 23 I assure you that you can say to this mountain, May God lift you up and throw you into the sea, and your command will be obeyed. All that is required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. The extraordinary life of faith begins with Jesus simple declaration... HAVE FAITH IN GOD! Everyday afterward, we have to remind ourselves that we re the people He was talking to and that 5. We are God s children! Remember, God is a Spirit so, His children must walk with Him and engage Him by faith! [John 4:24] 1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don t recognize that we are God s children because they don t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 1 John 3:1-2 The apostle Paul reminds us of our unique relationship with God in Romans chapter 8:15 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father. The apostle Peter goes further and shows us just how rich that relationship is... 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 KJV And although we re God s children, and descendants of a chosen generation, and of a royal priesthood, when it comes to the life of faith and how the world sees us, we are not accorded the rights and privileges of royalty, or the respect reserved for someone in the priesthood, or the level of deference that should be shown to the children of the Almighty. Rather, we are a spectacle We are a spectacle to men and angels! Considering that we are the children of God, ever wonder how the angels see us and what they might be thinking? 10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious sal - vation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ s suffering and his great glory afterward. 12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter 1: Corinthians 4:9 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.

5 5 It s all extraordinary, isn t it? Our dedication to God and to Christ is one more extraordinary irony 7. Our dedication makes us look like fools. 1 Corinthians 4: Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are per - secuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world right up to this moment.. 1 Corinthians 4:10-13 READ verses for context. The apostles dedication to Christ is to be taken as examples of the kind of dedication and faith required of all believ - ers! See 1 Peter 1:3-9. An unbeliever and people who don t know who we are might look at us and the life of faith this way 1. What fools so, you believe in a God you have never seen And you love Him even though you ve never seen Him! 2. You trust in a God whose audible voice you have never heard and are not likely to ever hear! 3. Yet, every one of you say God is pleased with you because of your faith 4. On top of that, you say that you don t count your own lives as precious, but are passing your time hereon earth denying yourself of so many good things and good times on the hope of something better at something you call the resurrection! 5. On top of that, you say that some people who think and believe like you will go to heaven with even dying?! The psalmist declared 8. The psalmist declared: Some men trust in horse, some trust in chariots (Psalm 20:7) They trust in what they see. We, on the other hand walk by faith and not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7 Which means every aspect of our life is to be lived out by faith even our eating! Yes, even our eating! But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn t eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. Romans 14:23 Let s take about some examples of things people do everyday that can be likened to the kind of faith God has called us to: People who jump out of airplanes at 12-13,000 feet put an extraordinary amount of faith in two things: One, in another human being namely, the person who packed the parachute, and second, that the parachute won t fail after they jump and pull the ripcord! Policemen trust their bullet-proof vest to stop up to a certain caliber of bullet from completely penetrating that vest. They also trust that there are no manufacturer defects or weak points in the vest. I spent 24 years in the Air Force and probably more time working with and around pilots than the average enlisted person. In talking to them and listening to their accounts of mission they flew, I can now look back in retrospect and see something in their confidence that shames me when compared to the kind of faith and confidence we should have in God! Want to know what faith is? Faith is fighter pilots landing on an aircraft carrier (which is about the length of 3 football fields) in nearzero visibility weather in the middle of the ocean. They trust that a mechanical hook and cable will stop the jet carrying live bombs and jet fuel before they run off the other end of the carrier deck into the sea!

6 6 Consider faith, life of faith, and what it means to walk by faith from the vantage point of an experienced commercial airline pilot - Pilots exercise a great deal of (faith) although it is often called skill or confidence. - Pilots place an extraordinary amount of confidence in their training, their aircraft, their equipment, and other pilots! - It takes a lot of faith to trust in your instruments to communicate to you that the plane: Is flying upright at 37,000 feet That you re flying well above the highest mountain peak That at that very moment you re flying over the vast Atlantic Ocean And when you get within two miles of the destination airfield and you can t see anything below you to trust the landing instructions of the Air Traffic Controller on the ground to bring you in safely. Then, once you touch down, it still takes a lot of faith to trust that the engine s reverse thrusters and brakes will bring this 255,000 pounds metal, steel, and highly-flammable jet fuel to a safe stop before you crash and burn! It s extraordinary and yet, people do it without thinking everyday all day long! 9. To iterate, Some men trust in horses and some trust in chariots those who walk by faith must continually train themselves to trust and believe in things they can t see and things that defy the laws of science and convention! It took extraordinary faith to step out of the safety of a perfectly good boat onto the water and do what no mere human being had ever done before! [This event is recorded in Matthew 14:25-32] 1. We trust in a God we have never seen at anytime We trust Him 2. To never sleep nor slumber 3. To watch over us and our children for good 4. To always have our best interest at heart and do what s best for us 5. To fight our battles and always win 6. And, in the end, to safely deliver us into our eternal home in Heaven!! 7. THAT S A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IS IT? THAT S THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF FAITH! WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING TO US IS THIS: PEOPLE PUT TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THINGS THAT CAN BREAK AND FAIL AND ALL I M ASKING MY PEOPLE TO DO IS TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD for I will never fail you, I will never forsake you! CLOSING EXHORTATION AND SCRIPTURE No matter the trial, no matter the test, the Bible says we give thanks unto God......which always causeth us to triumph in Christ 2 Corinthians 2:14 And this is true. Consider the testimony of a first century believer. This is the testimony of Polycarp, Bishop of the Church at Smyrna, as told by those who were eyewitnesses to his life and death: That s Part Two and the end of our message on: The Extraordinary Life of Faith! INVITATION