What Faith Requires Of Me

Sermons and musical artists featured to extol JESUS CHRIST as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity.

Transcript

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Hunt us even in daylight now. Nowhere is safe. We

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thank God for you tuning in for this week's Words of Life show. I am Pastor Mark, and as always, I am humbled that God directed you here and you have decided to tune in to what God has to say through his Words of Life. the Bible for your week this week. This week we're going to talk about faith. And when I say faith, everybody, when I say Christians, we all have, the Bible says, a measure of it. But what's most important is what are we doing with what we believe? Are there actions with what we believe? Or do we just believe and sit around and do nothing, expecting God to do everything? With that being said, let's get into today's Words of Life to see what God has to say about what faith requires from us.

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We thank you for joining our Words of Life broadcast every Saturday night from 8 to 8.30 p.m. where our mission is persuading the lost, perfecting each believer, and equipping all for service with practical application from God's Word. We now join Pastor Mark for this week's Words of Life.

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In our opening text we are going to begin our reading from the book of James chapter 2 and I am going to begin at verse 21 and we are going to be reading from the NIV version and our reading is as follows. Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see It was his faith and his actions. They were working together. And his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. And he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? We'll conclude with verse 26 of our reading in the NIV version, and that verse reads, As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds or works is dead. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearers, the readers, and the doers of his holy word. The title I would like for us to consider this week is, What Faith Requires of Me. What Faith Requires of Me. requires of me. When we talk about faith, we are talking about a biblical topic that we often hear that we have to have, or we have to possess it. But I don't think that we recognize the importance of this fact as it relates to faith. Faith believes, but it also must be active. Faith requires that we do something. Faith is not simply believing nor is it simply action. It is belief with action and those are the ingredients mixed together that comprise Faith is action corresponding with my belief. All Christians have been given a measure of faith and it is up to us to add to our faith. So in so many words, what is faith in the biblical definition? Hebrews 11 and 1 NIV version states, Now faith is the substance. It is the assurance or the confidence of things hoped for. it is the evidence of things not seen before I go in on faith I want us to understand something when we talk about faith being believing it being action and being those two things working together we have to understand that the antithesis the opposite of faith could be impatient it could be impossible circumstances it could be unbelief it could be frustration and my point is God must have known that a part of the faith package would be impatience, impossibilities, frustrations, unbelief, the desire to quit or to give up. But God says that we must believe anyway. And if God did not know that, you know, frustrations, unbelief, the desire to quit and all of that, if he wasn't aware that that wouldn't be a part of the package, then it wouldn't really be faith. Salvation, if we think about that, the Bible says when it concerns faith, it is impossible to even please God without faith. That's definitely true when it comes to salvation because to believe, to please God, to be with Him eternally, we must have faith and believe that Jesus is the Christ, His only Son that died for us and rose on the way now coming back to get us back. Let's look at what Hebrews 11 and 1 says in a different version. The New Living Translation says, Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us assurance about things that we cannot see. I'm going to be transparent right here because I like to try to share a lot of my stories in hopes that it ministers to someone. I just believe in my heart and my spirit that the Lord is going to touch and save many people through what he put in my heart, and that is Words of Life Christian Center. As I speak and minister to you, we don't have the four walls of a building to minister within. We had one, we were in it for three years, but I just kind of felt like God was dealing with me. But to make a long story short, we are no longer in our first building, but I am assured that God wants me to tell this world about his son, Jesus Christ. I am confident. that God is pleased. if I have decided to go ye therefore to preach, to teach, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And so therefore, since I believe that with all of my heart, it lines up with the scripture, God's instructions telling us, man, the harvest is plenteous, but the labors are few. Pray that the Lord send forth workers into the harvest. In other words, if you are a Christian, God doesn't want us just believing. Yes, it's wonderful that we believe Jesus is the Christ. It's wonderful that we believe that we are saved. But a result of our being saved is works will go along with what we believe. Action will be attached to our faith or what it is we believe in. Let's put this to the test by looking at our scriptural review in context, because the author of our opening text in the book of James, beginning at chapter 2 we started at this morning, the author of the book most believe it to be Jesus' little brother, also born to Mary and Joseph. His name was James, and James within the book, he connects what one believes. and how action is required toward that belief. Pertaining to faith, the book basically intimates that our actions will coincide with what we believe instead of either, be it faith or action, standing alone by itself. In other words, actions should correspond to what our mouths utter. James has written to Christians being persecuted for their faith or what they believe, and James encourages the believers to remain true to God. in the midst of added temptations and the opportunities around them to do wrong. In James 1, verse 22, he instructs the believers, Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only. Chapter 2 then opens with the treatment expected of the Christians when interacting with others and there should be no favoritism shown based upon social status, based upon economic standing, based upon connections, or race. James then connects how believers should act toward one another as proof. of what it is they believe. In so many words, don't say I am an apple tree, but my actions produce nothing but nuts, pecans. I'm this, but my actions are saying totally different. If my faith says A, then corresponding actions should follow with B being the result. James now summarizes in our opening text that authentic faith automatically produces good works, especially one toward another. Now understand that we are not saved by works, but being saved manifests good works, that being actions that will bring glory to God. In our opening text, verse 21, by his actions, Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did. And what he did was he offered Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar, proving that he trusted God so much that he simply did as God told him to do. In verse 22, The verse informs us that Abraham's faith was made complete by what he did. In other words, his action corresponded to what he believed. In verse 24, we are reminded that we are also made right with God by what we do and not by faith alone. Our opening review concludes with verse 25, because Rahab, we are informed, she was being made right in her faith. Because of her actions, she hid messengers and she sent them away safely. Verse 26 closes with this interesting example that all should be able to picture mentally. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also is faith without corresponding action or works. That's a great picture to paint. Verse 26 painted for us because if you look at a dead body, anybody in a casket was so different about that person that we're looking at in the casket, the spirit is gone. It has left that body. And just as everybody, that body physically is, will go to the dirt. It will be without life, without the spirit. Well, so is our faith when we don't have corresponding action or works. So as we transition from the text in preparation for our applicable points, let's deduce what God did in our opening text, what our subjects did in our opening text, and now what we must do in the applicable process. In our opening verses, God told Abraham to sacrifice his son while God inspired Rahab to protect, shelter, and give direction to those dependent upon her for such. Abraham's action, this is what he did now after God told Abraham, after God inspired Rahab, Abraham, this is what he did. His action with his son proved that he believed God was able to raise Isaac if he did sacrifice and kill him. Rahab's action with the spies proved that she believed those same messengers would save her from destruction later on. Now, here's where we can begin our transition because the questions I want us to ask ourselves before our song of the week Am I currently obedient to what God and or his word has already instructed me to do? Here's another question. Do I exhibit corresponding action with what I believe God for? And here's another question to consider. Am I sacrificing anything right now for a better later or a better tomorrow? As we prepare for our applicable point, let's pause right now to interpose our song of the week and the message of this particular track. It does ably support today's message. Here is Believe from the forthcoming church mixtape project, and it is presented to you right here on the Words of Life show.

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Giver of every gift in me Controlling all possibility But dream, I don't What I belong You do exceeding abundantly But in the way standing by is me

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Believe, believe, believe, believe Oh, I believe, oh, I believe Oh, I believe, oh, oh, oh Your sun, the wind, and the deepest sea Yet fear became my reality So leave I don't, why I won't With faith inside growing my belief You and I, we still must agree But speak, I

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don't, nothing's sold There is nothing too hard for our God. There is nothing we can't do if we believe, believe, believe, believe, believe, believe, believe, believe, believe, believe, do. He wants you to believe,

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receive, believe Once you believe, then you'll receive that infinite was life He paid the price that made us right, so you don't have to tell me twice When you believe, then you'll receive. When you believe, then you'll receive that thing you're asking for. Walk through the doors, they claim yours, believe you can pursue. We are back, and we certainly hope you enjoyed that track entitled Believe, and the message of that song is definitely one that paints. If you haven't had an opportunity to watch the video, I'm gonna ask that you go to our Words of Life webpage, and I do believe the video is right there on the front page, but if it's not, click on whatever message is on the front page of our website, wolchristiancenter.org, and then you can either watch this message It will literally take you to our YouTube Words of Life page where you can watch the video to such a powerful message, the song being believed. As we transition into our point of the message, these are points that I want us to think about and to then, as the Bible says, not just hear them. but be doers of what it is that we hear. When we're talking about what faith requires of me, here's point number one. Faith requires my faithfulness. Faith requires, and point number one, my faithfulness. 2 Corinthians 5 and 7, version states, for it is by faith that we walk and not by sight. Notice in the verse, by faith we are walking. Walking is an action verb. We don't do faith by sight. What we perceive or do not see. By faith we are to walk. We are to do something. It is an action verb. In Habakkuk chapter two, beginning at verse two, the verse reads, write down the revelation or the vision and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. The revelation or the vision, it awaits an appointed time. It speaks of the end and it will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it. It will certainly come and it will not delay. Behold, his soul which is lifted up, he that is prideful, he that is self-sufficient, in his own eyes or his own ability, is not upright in him. In other words, that person is puffed up with pride. But the just shall live by his faith. In other words, his belief and his corresponding faith action faith in both instances the Greek and the Hebrew this particular notation of faith is akin to faithfulness to God so if we really were to read And to use the Greek rendition and the Hebrew rendition of the word faith, it will sound something like this if we were to read a verse like 2 Corinthians 5 and 7. It is by faithfulness to God that we are walking, not by our sight. Let's use Habakkuk 2, 2-4 the same way. The just shall live by his faithfulness to God. not to others, nor to pride, but our faithfulness to God. Wow, that's something that just hit me and ministered to me as I'm speaking it to you because that's something I need to walk in more diligently and get my eyes off of other people, other opinions, what others are doing for the Lord. Lord, when is it going to happen for us? When will you birth words of life in the way that you're going to do it that I feel? You put it in my heart. All of that really does not matter. God has placed something in my hands and God wants me to walk in faithfulness to him. God wants us all to walk in faithfulness to Him, not to anything, not to anyone else, not with this unhealthy dependency upon people. No, God wants our faith to be undergirded primarily in His faithfulness. And our faithfulness should be to him, not more or less to others and why we do what we do. Walking in faithfulness to anything or anyone else without being undergirded primarily in faithfulness to God is a recipe for disaster. If I were faithful to any one person, any one denomination, any one heritage, and I made God secondary, words of life would have been closed by now. But my wife and I, we recognize that faithfulness to God matters most. Proverbs 20 and 6, most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness, but a faithful man. A trustworthy, reliable steward of an estate, an overseer of an estate, the Bible says, who can find? Faith, which is belief with corresponding action, requires that we be faithful to whatever God has supplied us the grace to begin with. and finish. Here's point number two when we're talking about what faith requires of you and I. Point number two is faith requires a down payment. You ever notice when you would like to secure a mortgage or purchase an automobile that we might admire, you ever wonder why a lender wants a portion of earnest money called a deposit or a down payment? They would like to know that our intent is serious and our interest isn't just a passing phase that'll come today and then leave tomorrow. Yet, even when we decide to change our mind and we really weren't interested, in some instances, that down payment, that deposit, it's non-refundable, it's gone, kaput, it's a loss. Faith operates the same way because faith is consistent. We must be consistent also. Faith is reliable. So must we be. Firmness, promise, steadfastness, fidelity or trust are involved. Even as we believe and confess our salvation. Listen to how God feels about an unsettled, undecided or wavering faith. Hebrews 10 and 38. My righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns, who draws back, or shrinks away. James 1, 2-8 Thus we must believe, not doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he should receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all that he does. What may seem like a waste of time to others, it's our down payment or deposit on what we believe God has set aside and created for us to walk in. Faith, corresponding action is required with what we believe it is a down payment or a deposit. And our last point, faith requires our spoken word. Faith requires our spoken word. In Mark 11, chapter 22, Jesus says, have faith in God. Jesus answered, I tell you the truth. If anyone says to this mountain, throw it into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will happen, it will be done. Promises cannot even be initiated or fulfilled. without someone first uttering words. And so as we conclude, here are three questions I want us to think about. Question one, is my faithfulness to God consistent or sporadic right now? Question number two, am I simply talking faith or is my talk accompanied by action or walking it out? And question number three, does my faith speak aloud toward what I believe in despite appearances or naysayers?

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You've

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just heard a depiction of terrible despair where there's no hope or rest. The frightening truth is, it's a horror-filled place reserved for those who choose to reject the way the truth, and the life. Now, try to imagine what forever will feel like without Jesus. We thank you for joining us for this week's Words of Life. And in this episode, we talked about what faith requires of us. As the body without the spirit is dead, the Bible lets us know, that's just like our faith if we don't have accompanying action with God. what it is that we believe. So let's pray words of life this week over you and I. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we thank you for your word. We pray that it takes root in our hearts, allowing us not to just hear this message this week, but to be doers of that that we have heard. Whatever it is we are believing you for, help us to put corresponding action with that belief. And most importantly, If we do not believe or have that Jesus Christ is our personal Lord and Savior, we're praying right now that that is a done deal for somebody at this very moment. And from this moment forth, we will believe and we will go forth confessing that with our mouths. In the name of Jesus Christ, we do pray and we call it to be as it is. Amen. We're praying that you have a wonderful week. We look forward to seeing you again next week on this show right here, same time, same place, on the Words of Life show. God bless you.

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We thank you for listening to Words of Life with Pastor Mark D. Ingram. We request your prayerful consideration in partnering with us to support our sole purpose of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ with your monetary donation. You may visit our website at wolchristiancenter.org