The Pathway of Faith

1
The Pathway of Faith

• Everyone expresses faith in something
• Faith in the physical world.
• Faith in the spiritual realm
• Moslem- Koran
• Humanist- Himself
• Religion- their own good works
• Christians- Jesus Christ
• Acts 412, Salvation is found in no one else,
  for there is no other name under heaven given to
  men by which we must be saved.
• What faith is and what faith does

2
What Faith Is

• Misconceptions
• Not the ability to manipulate God (health and
  wealth)
• Not adhering to a set of beliefs
• 2 Tim 112, That is why I am suffering as I am.
  Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have
  believed, and am convinced that he is able to
  guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
• If your beliefs are not founded on the right
  person it does not matter what else you believe.
• Not a blind leap into the dark
• Not just sincerity

3
What Is Faith

• Heb 111-3, Now faith is the substance of things
  hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For
  by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By
  faith we understand that the worlds were framed
  by the word of God, so that the things which are
  seen were not made of things which are
  visible.(NKJ)
• True faith is confident obedience to Gods word
  in spite of circumstances or consequences.
• Two-fold
• substance of things hoped for
• the evidence of things not seen

4
What Is Faith

• Substance- hupostasis. Means, to stand under
  or support
• Faith is the foundation that gives the believer
  the confidence to stand.
• NLT- It is the confident assurance that what we
  hope for is going to happen.
• My Grandmother

5
What Faith Is

• Evidence- elegchos- proof, conviction
• This inward conviction enables the believe to
  believe things not yet seen, that God performs
  what he has promised
• Liberia Relief

6
What Faith Does

• Faith Caused Abel to Worship God (4)
• Heb 114, By faith Abel offered God a better
  sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was
  commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well
  of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks,
  even though he is dead.
• He chose the choicest lamb as an offering and
  brought it the place of sacrifice.
• True faith looks for an opportunity to worship!
• Brother Ose, Sister C.

7
What Faith Does

• Faith Caused Enoch to Walk with God (5-6)
• Heb 115-6, By faith Enoch was taken from this
  life, so that he did not experience death he
  could not be found, because God had taken him
  away. For before he was taken, he was commended
  as one who pleased God. 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.
• Gen 521-24-
• Hebrew walked- closely and continually with God
• Key- he pleased God

8
What Faith Does

• Faith caused Noah to work for God (7)
• Heb 117, 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.
• 120 years
• 450x75x45
• Preached to a people whose hearts and minds were
  only on evil continually
• Only 7 responded

9
Faith

• Swimming Pools
• At different times in our lives, all of us feel
  we are getting out of our comfort zone
• Problems abound- sickness, jobs, family, death
• Truth is we have never been in control
• We have always been held up by the grace of God,
  our Father
• Perhaps God wants us to move deeper than weve
  before

10
Faith

• It is faith that will give us confidence and
  conviction
• To worship God as Abel
• To walk with God faithfully as Enoch
• To work for God as Noah did.