WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:03.359 We're going to start a new series today. 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:09.599 You know, we talk about faith very often at Faith Alive Church. 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:14.320 And it's much more though than just a favorite subject. 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:19.039 It's really the mission of this church to keep faith alive. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:26.000 And that is something that the Bible talks about, because the Bible talks about faith that is fake. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:32.560 They call it a feigned faith, or basically fake faith. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:35.280 There's faith that's dead, the Bible talks about. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:40.560 So you can have faith that looks like it's alive, but it's really not doing anything. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:41.359 It's dead. 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:45.520 So we obviously want to keep faith alive at Faith Alive Church. 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:52.399 So understanding what faith is and how it works is really a vital to our success as Christians. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:55.439 God works by faith. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:00.880 And the good news is that He's given us a portion of it, a measure of His faith. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:05.200 So even the faith that we have, the true faith, is actually a gift from God. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:07.120 It comes from God Himself. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.840 So our new series today is called The Journey of Faith. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.920 Because faith isn't just a one-time event. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:21.599 It's not just a, oh I, yeah, I believed God when I was born again and that I'm done. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:23.519 I'm now on the journey. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:25.920 I'm now, you know, walking on the path. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:27.519 No, faith is a journey to it. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:29.040 There's a journey to it. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:34.000 Living by faith, which is a command in Scripture, doesn't come overnight. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:35.439 It doesn't happen. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:40.959 I mean, anything that we're that we learn in life, we don't just learn it once and we're done. 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:45.760 We have to learn and learn and learn and put it into practice to make sure we're good at it. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:51.200 Because you can learn something, and if you're not putting it into practice, you lose it. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:02:02.079 You know, they say you never forget how to ride a bike, but don't ride one for 20 years and it may be a little wobbly the next time you do it. 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:14.000 Um and you certainly won't be as proficient as a professional cyclist because they do it eight, ten hours a day, every day, so they're good at it. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:24.159 And we look at, you know, I like to watch cycling, and when I watch cycling, I and I go on my bike, I'm thinking I feel like I could do that. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:26.960 Then I realize, no, I can't. 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:30.719 Um because I just don't put the effort into it. 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:33.759 It's not that I'm not, you know, not designed for it. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:42.879 I am probably past the prime age of what they most most of them are doing, but the point is that they've put their the so much effort into it. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:54.639 And that's true for athletes and musicians and doctors and scientists and all of us really that are in the profession, we didn't just learn it and then that was it. 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:55.919 We learn every day. 00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:01.199 We have to practice it every day in order to get better at it in order to be a success. 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:03.280 Faith is no different. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:16.800 Um it takes the but faith for some believers, it doesn't really happen because living by faith doesn't come automatically. 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:18.960 It takes the right actions to work. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:24.560 So let's think about when you when you were saved, when you were born again. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:29.280 Did you wake up one day and suddenly decide that you were going to get saved? 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:31.039 No, there was a process. 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:40.479 There had to be some things in place, some the right ingredients coming together, all mixed up in order for that event to take place. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:47.599 So let's look at what the word says about the salvation process. 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:53.280 So today's part one of our journey of faith series is salvation. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:04:01.439 Let's take a look at a very common salvation passage in Romans 10. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:05.280 So we're going to look at Romans 10, starting with verse 9. 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:07.840 I've got it on the screen. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.960 We'll read a few verses here. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:19.920 It says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:26.480 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:31.759 For the scripture says, Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame. 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:40.480 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon him. 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:45.360 For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:50.639 Verse 14 How how then shall they call on him in whom whom they have not believed? 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:53.920 How they how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.879 How shall they hear without a preacher? 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:07.199 How shall they preach unless they are sent, as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:16.160 But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:21.360 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:30.240 Verse 15 actually is a quote of Isaiah where it says, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.800 Isaiah's version says this. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:36.480 This is Isaiah 52, 7, this is New Living. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:47.680 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings the good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:55.279 So for you and I, for anyone to receive salvation, there's some prerequisites that have to happen. 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:59.040 There's some things that took place or have to take place. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:03.920 You have to call on the name of the Lord and ask him to save you. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.240 That's what that was the act of what we did. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:06.800 We prayed. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:10.319 We said, Lord, I'm asking you to come into my life. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:12.240 I'm asking you to be my Lord and Savior. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:31.839 And you may have done it in a church, you may have done it in your home, in a friend's house, you know, that act of coming down to the altar, as they used to say, that was the final step of you, of things that came together. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:42.319 But for you to even take that step of saying, okay, I raised my hand, I believe, I'm coming down to the altar, however, we did it, we had to hear. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:48.000 We had to hear something to go, oh, uh I have a now, I have a chance to believe that. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.879 I've heard something that I've never heard before. 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:56.720 And like both Isaiah and Romans is saying here, it's all about the good news. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:00.800 There's good news of peace, there's good news of salvation. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:07.839 So we heard some good news, which is why Jesus emphasized the gospel, the good news. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:17.439 He didn't go around telling people they're going to hell, didn't go around telling people that God's going to judge you for your sins, God's going to condemn you. 00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:19.600 That's not the good news. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:25.040 The good news of the gospel is hey, there's something better. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:27.120 There's a life you can live that's better. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:28.959 There's a life you can live that has peace. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:33.360 There's a life you can live that you won't experience death. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:37.360 You'll be, you'll have an eternal life where you get to go to heaven. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.360 There's some good news there. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:40.399 Amen? 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:44.800 How many remember your your moment of salvation? 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:46.879 I do. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:08:12.879 For me, it was as a child, it was, but it was in a it was in a church setting, and I just remember, you know, I grew up in a Christian home, so you know, I know I think my mom would say I was born born again at an even younger age, but I remember distinctly being 12 years old and just hearing something and going, that's what I want. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:13.920 I want that. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.519 And literally going down to an altar and praying with somebody. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:35.600 And I remember that, and then I remember not only the the the moment, the day, I could picture the building still, but I remember think it, I just remember coming out of it with a joy, and that even as a young preteen, thinking there is something different now in my life. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:38.879 And that's that was my moment of salvation. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:43.279 But again, it didn't happen because I woke up one day and go, heh, what should I do today? 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:44.320 Let me go get saved. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:45.679 No, I heard. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:50.799 I heard something good and I had an opportunity to believe. 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:55.679 So we have to call on the name of the Lord. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:58.559 Let me just put this on the screen. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:01.519 We have to call on the name of the Lord. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.039 We have to ask him to save us. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:04.159 That's the last step. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:09.039 But then we have to, we have, before that, we have to believe something that we've heard. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:11.679 And before that, we have to hear. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:15.679 And the verses we just read in Romans goes even before that. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:20.399 But for somebody to hear, they have to have somebody to preach it to them, to tell it to them. 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:28.720 That doesn't mean it has to be from a preacher, it just means they have to have somebody to tell them the good news, to proclaim the good news to them. 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:33.440 That could be from a coworker, a relative, or a friend, or a neighbor, or a stranger. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:40.000 Somebody has to tell a person the good news for that for even step one to happen. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:45.919 So there's even, we could expand this out to probably ten steps that the word just went through. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:52.799 But once we hear the good news, the gospel, we have a choice to believe it or not. 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:55.279 But there's more than just believing. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:10:04.799 I think too many churches, too many people emphasize, even in the faith circles, too many people emphasize the believing part. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:14.960 But if I stopped at number two and I never called on the name of the Lord, I never asked the Lord into my heart, there still would not be salvation. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:23.519 Because I can believe all day long, but if I didn't do something that next step, the event didn't take place. 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:27.039 The Bible says in James, the devils believe. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:29.039 The devils believe there's a God. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:30.559 They believe in Jesus. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:31.679 Are they saved? 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:32.320 No. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:34.559 They haven't done number three. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:38.879 In other words, believing by itself isn't the end result. 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:41.440 And it's an important result. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:46.480 If we don't believe, then we're still missing a step. 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.600 And if we don't hear, we're still missing a step. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:52.799 So we have to put ourselves into position to hear. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:11:10.399 Whether that's gathering in obedience, as the word says, don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, or listening to the word, or or or you know, spending time in the word in prayer with the Lord, there's you can hear even then. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:15.039 And when you hear something, you have the option. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.039 Do I believe this or not? 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:20.159 And that sounds funny when you're talking about the word. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:21.759 It's like, of course I believe the word. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:30.879 What I'm talking about is when you see something in the word that's pointing to you and saying, This is for you right now, this morning, you're like, hmm. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:32.879 Am I gonna receive that? 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:34.399 Am I gonna believe that? 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:39.360 And if I am, what do I have to do with that? 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:41.679 Because it doesn't stop at believing. 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:43.200 That's only the second step. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:45.360 It goes on to a next step, salvation. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:48.879 I mean, uh, to have salvation, there's another step. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:51.039 You have to call on the name of the Lord. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:59.200 The faith it takes to believe the good news comes from God Himself. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:01.120 We have a portion. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:04.159 The Bible says we have been given a measure of faith. 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:11.440 That means we've been given, God took the faith that he has, he took a little part of it off, and he gave some to Michelle. 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:14.879 He gave some to Georgia, and he said, Here, this is yours. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:20.000 And it doesn't mean that he gave one person more than the other. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:20.960 That's not what it's saying. 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:26.399 It's saying we have not a faith that we've had to grow on our own. 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:29.679 God gave us the very faith even to believe. 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:46.480 So even with salvation, think about it, the good news is there's something good to go to, and God's gave you the ability to even believe that and to latch on to it and to hold on to it and to experience salvation. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.200 So the very the God's giving you all the tools you need. 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:55.039 It's like saying, you know, Denmark, I need you to, I need you to mow my lawn. 00:12:55.039 --> 00:13:01.600 Here's the lawnmower, here's the lawnmower, here's the gas, here's everything you need to do it. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:07.519 And all he has to do is start up the engine and ride the mower. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.240 It's a riding mower, it's not a push. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:13.440 He's like, oh, I'm there, where am I? 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:13.919 No. 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:26.720 I think too many people think that God has kind of left everybody on, you know, once once Jesus came and died and was risen again and went back to heaven, there are people who teach that, okay, that was it. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:27.840 God's done. 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:29.279 He's done everything he's going to do. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:35.679 Yes, in terms of the act of salvation, the act of what he did for love, it is done. 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:42.720 But he's still working in it in the lives of every person to give us the very ability to believe him. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:50.720 And this really is where this verse comes into play, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:14:00.320 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:06.080 It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:08.480 We can't take any credit. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:13.120 We can't take any credit for salvation. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:17.600 We can't take any credit for even the believing. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:23.200 I think there's too much emphasis sometimes on when people ask, hey, how'd you get your prayer answer? 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:24.879 Well, it was my faith. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:27.440 Well, who gave you that faith? 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.840 Who gave you the answer? 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.919 Who gave you the ability to even think about there being an answer to prayer? 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:35.679 All comes from God. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:37.679 None of it is of works. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:40.559 None of it is by what we are doing. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:51.679 None of it is all, you know, the I know I've said this before, but some people sometimes wonder what it which one is it talking about when it says it is the gift of God? 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:54.320 Just consider all of it. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.519 The grace is a gift of God, the faith is a gift of God, the salvation is a gift of God. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:01.200 It's all a gift of God. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:05.519 Let's not get into, well, which one is it referring to? 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:10.480 It's a um, what do they call that, a vague pronoun. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:11.120 No. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:15.039 It was it referred to? 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.159 All of it. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.159 All of it is a gift of God. 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:20.720 We cannot take credit for any of it. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.720 God had mercy on you and I. 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:29.600 He sent his son to die for us and to take our place to save us from our destruction. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:34.720 Then he gave us a measure of faith, a drop of that faith that he has. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:43.840 Just enough, or not, well, I wouldn't say just enough, but he gave us that in order for us to even step into the door and believe on him for salvation. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:48.320 Then we believe the good news. 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:53.120 But again, is believing the last step? 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:54.240 Are we saved then? 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:55.279 Not yet. 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:57.360 There's still one more step. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:00.639 We've seen it, but let's take a look at Abraham. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:05.519 Abraham is the one that God called him the father of faith. 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:09.919 So he's the first, he wasn't the first one to believe God. 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:19.039 You know, even Hebrews 11 goes into, it mentions Abel, it mentions Noah, it mentions Enoch, all came before Abraham. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:24.879 So there are people who had acts of faith, of believing God before Abraham did. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:29.519 You know, Noah lived almost a thousand years. 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:32.000 He lived over 900 years long. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:40.159 Um and it's recorded that he believed God about, we know at least a hundred and some years. 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.720 It took about a hundred years to build the ark. 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:44.799 Why do I say that? 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:52.559 Because I think the people who came before Abraham, they they believed God for a short amount of time. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:58.240 They had that element of their moment of fame, if you will. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.600 Abel says, believe God for his sacrifice. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.799 Enoch walked, believed God on this earth. 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:07.519 Enoch lives 365 years. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:12.640 And then the Bible says he walked with God, and God said, Hmm, why don't you just come up with me and took him? 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:13.920 He was not. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:18.720 So he he got basically raptured by faith. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:23.839 But Abraham was the first to really live by faith. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:41.200 He trusted God with everything up to the point that he knew when God said, Go put your son on this altar and sacrifice him, he trusted God so much that he knew, Romans says, he knew that God could raise his son from the dead. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:47.279 He had that much trust in the Lord, in the word of the Lord, because his son was already a promise. 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:53.519 His son was already a fulfilled promise of what the Lord would say, what the Lord said he would do. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:18:02.000 So if the Lord said, Go kill your son, well, he must gonna raise him up from the dead because this is my promised son. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.640 Abraham believed God that much that God said, You know what? 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.200 I'm gonna change your name. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:16.799 So much so, remember, we talked about around Christmas time that when you have a name, you have a purpose. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:18.799 So Abraham's purpose changed. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:20.960 He went from Abram to Abraham. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.160 God changed his name because he changed his purpose. 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:27.359 So Abraham became that father of faith. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:36.480 Abraham, I'm not going to read through the story because it would take a while for us to get there, but we'll just summarize it. 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.119 This is starting in Genesis 12. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:46.960 God told Abraham, this is the first mention of God speaking to Abraham, okay, Abraham, get out of your country. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:53.279 It's time for you to leave this country where you've where you're born, where your whole family was has all has always lived. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:55.920 I'm gonna go and go somewhere. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.279 Where am I going? 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.039 I'm gonna tell you. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:03.039 So Abraham goes to his family, his father's still alive. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:06.240 He goes to his family, says, Hey, I'm I'm leaving. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.359 Where are you going? 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:08.799 I don't know yet. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:10.960 I'm heading that way. 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:14.559 How do you know when you how you do how you're gonna know when you get there? 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:15.200 I don't know. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.039 The Lord will tell me. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:19.839 You know, I think too, that takes faith. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:21.920 It takes some trust and believing. 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:29.920 I remember when I was 24 years old and I left Florida to go move to Tennessee, I at least knew where I was going. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:36.400 Um, you know, I got on, I got my moving van, towed in my car, and got on the interstate and was was driving. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:44.960 Now it was back then for me, it was still a big act of faith because it was I didn't know what the future would bring in this new new place all by myself. 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:48.400 But at least I had a I did have a destination. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:59.119 Abraham, you know, can you imagine all the logistics it took back then to load up you know camels and pack up and not even know where you're going, not even have that. 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:02.799 I mean, I I have to know where the rest stops are when I go somewhere anymore. 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:03.920 It's like, where are we going to stop? 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:04.960 Where are we going to get gas? 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:06.000 Where are we going to eat? 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:10.559 Not only where are we going, but what's all of our little milestones in between there? 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:13.039 But Abraham was like, I'm out, we're going. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:16.000 And he even convinced his nephew Lot to go with him. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:22.400 So now Lot had a must have had a little bit of faith in there to go, okay, I'll go with you. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:29.440 But that's using that measure of faith that God gave Abraham. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:38.880 But Abraham couldn't just believe God to say, okay, get out, okay, Lord, I believe that you're speaking to me. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:41.200 I believe you've told me to get out of my homeland. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:42.880 I believe you're telling me. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:46.799 But what if Abraham never actually took the step to do it? 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:53.359 There would not have been the branding of the father of faith. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:57.039 Because it's not a it's it doesn't stop at just believing. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:59.279 He had to obey what he heard. 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:01.359 He had to actually leave. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:04.319 He had to actually go somewhere. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:16.240 He just obeyed because he believed what he heard from God. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.839 Salvation is no different. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:23.200 There's one more step beyond believing. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:25.920 We don't stop there. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:27.279 Believing is important. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:32.799 It's vital because it's one of our, we go back to my steps here. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:36.400 It's one of our steps of getting to salvation. 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:38.240 But it's not the final step. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:46.240 We have to actually ask, pray, do the Bible says, any whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:49.039 So I can believe that God wants to save me. 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:52.960 I can believe that God has done the work to save me. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:22:09.279 But if I don't call on the name of the Lord, if I don't ask him to come into my heart, because we read verse 10, Romans 10, 10, you have to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:13.440 So there's an action that happens, not just a I believe. 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:17.279 And I'm not, again, I'm not downing the I believe part. 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:18.480 We got to have that part too. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:23.200 But all these ingredients have to come together for there to be a result. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:27.200 For there to be the fruit that God wants to happen. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:32.799 And if we stop at any one of them, other than the last one, we don't get the result. 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:35.839 We don't get the promise that God has given us. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:40.000 If we never hear, then we never have an opportunity to believe. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:41.680 We can't believe on nothing. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.039 We will believe something. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:51.680 And if we believe the truth and believe the good news, it doesn't stop there. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:54.079 We have to do something just like Abraham did. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:23:22.960 Along with the faith to receive it, it is a gift of God by his grace. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:33.279 But the reason I felt like this series should be called The Journey of Faith is because salvation is just the beginning. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:41.759 And I've spoken to Christians who have the mindset, because they said it verbally, I'm saved, I'm good. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:49.200 In other words, salvation was the first and last time they ever tried to use their faith. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:53.039 It was like, I'm in, I'm going to heaven, done, check. 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:54.799 I don't have to do anything else. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:24:00.559 I've got my ticket, it's stamped, and whenever that happens, I'm ready to go. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:03.119 But there is no living by faith. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:05.200 There is no life of faith. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:13.759 They just wanted to get their ticket in the door, and now they're just wandering through life aimlessly, not living by faith. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:17.519 And that's really the difference of what Abraham was the first one to do. 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:25.200 And I never really thought of it until I was looking at this and studying for this message that that's why Abraham was a father of faith. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:30.000 Not because he believed once and was done, but because he lived a life of it. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.680 And his faith grew. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:35.359 I mean, the first one was a small one, leave leave your home. 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:37.440 Okay, I can do that. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:39.440 Worst case, I come back. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:43.279 You know, there's always a plan, you know, we well, we uh we all think that way. 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:45.680 You know, I can go to plan B. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:54.960 But then it got to his faith grew and his faith grew and his faith grew to the point where you're gonna have a child and you're a hundred years old. 00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.880 Okay, I'll believe that. 00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:59.119 Well, the child comes. 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:02.559 Okay, faith in action had happened. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:09.920 And won't get into all the details, but there had to be some action for a child to come, even at a hundred years old. 00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:17.200 So there is a result, though, and he got his result. 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:21.519 And now God says, go sacrifice your son. 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:25.839 Now, could he have done that when he first left his home country? 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:26.319 No. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:35.680 His faith had to grow, and his faith had to grow through hearing, believing, and doing. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:40.000 Hearing, God, believing it, and then doing something about it. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.160 And God kept increasing what he was telling him. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:49.200 Abraham had to keep increasing what he was believing and what he was doing. 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:59.839 To the point where he was so confident that he, when God told Abraham to go sacrifice Isaac, and Sarah said, Hey, where are you going? 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:02.799 He goes, We're going up to the mountain to make a sacrifice. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:04.799 We will both be back. 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:07.519 That's what it says. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:09.279 It says, we will return. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:13.599 It doesn't say, I'll be back, I'm not sure about this kid. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:22.240 I mean, seriously, so Abraham already knew God could raise him from the dead if that's what it took. 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:26.960 But that didn't come with just that early start of faith. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:31.680 And that's where most people have left their Christian walk, is their salvation faith. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:35.200 I believe some good news that I can go to heaven. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:40.079 That's good because the start is great, but it's just the start. 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:41.920 It's just the beginning. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:45.039 The journey of faith is a life of faith. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:55.359 And if we want the results that we see in the Bible, we want the results of the things that we are hoping for and, you know, what's the word? 00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:02.880 Just we can see some glimpses of that God wants for us, we've got to exercise that faith. 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:08.720 We've got to exercise what we're hearing, we've got to believe what we're hearing, and we've got to do it. 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:11.759 There's some action that we have to do every single time. 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:16.880 It isn't just, Lord, I believe that you can answer my prayer because you can do anything. 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:17.680 Yes. 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:21.440 But what's that next step that God is telling you to do? 00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:24.559 There's always an action involved with it. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:31.440 Jesus suffered and died for more than just us to get saved. 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:36.880 I mean, if that was the case, I've heard this is not original to me. 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:42.319 But I mean, if God just wanted us to go to heaven, then we could get saved and he could kill us, and we're done. 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:42.720 We're done. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:45.359 You know, there's it's like, okay, yeah. 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:46.720 Uh you're saved, okay. 00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:47.039 Boom. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:48.079 Heart attack. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:48.559 We're done. 00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:49.279 We're in heaven. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:50.559 Welcome back. 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:51.119 Right, right. 00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:52.079 Welcome to my home. 00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:53.839 This is this is how I had to get you here. 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:54.319 All right. 00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:54.880 No. 00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:55.599 No. 00:27:55.599 --> 00:28:03.519 That's that's he wants us to live the life of faith on this earth. 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:13.519 In fact, the Bible, the Bible says the reward that we get in heaven doesn't come from what we do in heaven. 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:16.240 It comes from what we do here on this earth. 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:37.119 And if we want to be faithful in a lot, not just faithful in a, you know, or you know, faithful and have that, you know, the one talent, the five talents, the ten talents, and the people who actually got it, got the reward for their work, they're the ones who are faithful with what they had and faithful in everything they did. 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:45.839 So if we want to if we want a better reward in heaven, it starts with what we do here on this earth. 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:52.240 Salvation, though, is complete deliverance from destruction and death. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:55.119 The Hebrew word for salvation, anybody know it? 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:56.319 It's Yeshua. 00:28:56.319 --> 00:28:57.119 It's Jesus. 00:28:57.119 --> 00:29:00.799 It's the name Yeshua, the very name of the Son of God. 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:03.359 So Jesus is salvation. 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:15.599 Some of you may recall in our Bible study back in November, we watched that a few messages by Keith Moore on the teaching of faith for healing. 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:17.039 I'm still watching those. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:20.000 I'm still feeding on those because it really has ministered to me. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.240 Um I'm still listening and studying the scriptures on it too. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:26.240 I've been look looking it up. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:34.799 And this message, honestly, is a fruit of some of that study as I still reflect on it. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:38.000 Because there's so much more to understand about our journey of faith. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:56.720 And our journey of faith isn't just, well, I've been a Christian 20 years, because some so many times, again, we got in the too many Christians have just gotten in the door at salvation and done not much since in terms of building their faith, exercising their faith. 00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:08.319 If we understand how being born again works, how that salvation process works, then we understand how the life of faith works. 00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:12.319 This isn't just for being born again. 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:16.720 Let's take a look at, we're starting to wind down. 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:19.599 Let's take a look at Isaiah 58. 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:33.279 Isaiah 58, 8 says, Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:39.920 Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:51.920 Even in the Old Testament, salvation carried the context of more than just spiritual deliverance or being born again. 00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:56.160 There's a physical deliverance in the word salvation itself. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:02.799 Here he says, Then your salvation will come like the dawn, your wounds will quickly heal. 00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:10.559 One of the names of God, one of God's purposes is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:20.480 Forgiveness and healing have the same source of deliverance and therefore have the same process to believe it and receive it. 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:39.759 Even a verse that we Americans like to use a lot in prayer for their nation, 2 Chronicles 7.14, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin and heal their land. 00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:55.039 So you have forgiveness and healing as part of the same answer to a prayer of, Lord, we need salvation, we need deliverance for you know in a nation or a people or a person. 00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:59.200 Forgiveness and healing are tied together. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:18.319 In the Greek language, in the New Testament, the word so-zo, so-zo, um is defined as to save, to rescue from danger or destruction, to save a suffering one from perishing, to make well, heal, restore to health. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:22.960 So when we see the word saved in the New Testament, it's the word sozo. 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:26.240 And it's also translated healed. 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:28.240 It's also translated made whole. 00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:36.640 That same word, the translators just kind of use whatever the context of the situation is and put a English word, different English word on it. 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:42.880