The Faith Challenge
Notes
Transcript
Windsor Castle
Seeing all the knights and relics used by different men from yesteryear - read the names and the history of a king or man who valiantly fought and battled in the king’s army
This year, our hearts and minds have journeyed down the splendor of the kingdom. We have walked down the long corridor of faith and have stood in awe of men, women, and children and their strong faith:
Abel - believed God and his parents to perform the right sacrifice of a lamb
Enoch - who enjoyed such a close walk with God that God translated Enoch to be with Him
Noah - who preached and laboured for 120 years to build an ark that would save mankind along with every living kind
Abraham - who walked by faith with his wife, Sarah, and received a son, Isaac
Moses - who led the children of Israel to a land unknown to them
Rahab - who prepared the way for Jericho to fall as the Israelites began their entry into the Promised Land
Others like: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets, mothers, children, and so many others
These people who stood strong in their faith in the Lord will be remembered for eternity.
The Testimony of Faith
The Testimony of Faith
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
All these and more that we have mentioned this morning have received a good report:
Report - to be approvingly testified of v. — to be or become affirmed favorably by firsthand authentication
Their faith has been authenticated
Devices that reads our fingerprint or scan a facial ID - once it has been authenticated - it unlocks and access that wasn’t available before is now granted
The faith of these people has been authenticated - they saw God literally move mountains, the earth and sun itself
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
As they exercised their faith, God moved His mighty hand and did the impossible! Faith did the impossible!
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
It is impossible to please God without exercising faith. It is exercising faith to please God that does the impossible.
What was their faith built upon?
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
A promise not received
What is this promise?
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The law did not disannul (void) - Jesus Christ
It pointed people to Jesus Christ! The promise was given before the law was delivered to Moses, and the law helped visualise the sacrifice the Son of God was going to fulfill one day!
Driving Contract Lumber lorry - found shortcuts to new housing sites
It was in December nearing Christmas and I wanted to get done at a good time that day
Drove down the same road I had been on many, many times - there was a Sheriff that was behind me, but I didn’t think anything about it
I was doing the speed limit and everything seemed fine
We crossed a bridge and suddenly he switched on his lights and stopped me
I had no idea why
He got these big plates out of his car, had the truck slowly drive onto them
Afterwards he said, why did you drive across the bridge?
“It’s a bridge.”
During the winter certain roads would have a reduced weight limit for the bridges as the colder temperatures cause extra stress on the bridge structure. I had seen the signs hundreds of times, but never paid attention to what they said.
The signs were placed before the bridge; warning of the weight limit during the winter months.
God told the world they needed a Saviour and Jesus is the Bridge to that relationship with God they were to look for, and gave them the sacrifice as a sign of the Bridge. This was before the Bridge was ever built; before He had come through the virgin womb of Mary and became the Lamb of God that would be slain for our sins.
They believed the Bridge to God was coming, whereas we look back to the Bridge that has been built.
The Word of God has been given, the sign given is the cross, and we, like those looking forward to Jesus have a decision to make; accept or reject the Bridge of Jesus.
Those in this great hall of faith have presented to us a challenge...
The Challenge of Faith
The Challenge of Faith
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
They did not have the whole candid of Scripture - the NT was not written yet, and, yet, they hoped, believed, and acted upon faith in the Lord.
God has provided a better condition for us to get saved thereby.
It’s historical fact the Jesus came to this earth and paid the price for our sins. Hundreds upon hundreds were witnesses of the very scene of Calvary. It was open, transparent, and clear for all to see. Over 500 saw Jesus after He rose again.
God made it very clear for all the world to see the Bridge called Jesus.
When we put our faith in Jesus, it perfects the faith of the saints in the OT. It validates and verifies their faith was perfectly placed in God.
This speaks of salvation AND living by faith.
Notice to whom Hebrews is written:
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Those that lived by faith in the OT are a challenge to us today. The Holy Spirit has said, “Go on! Prove that the faith of those in the OT was valid and secure in God. Perfect, complete their lives of faith, by picking up the torch of faith.”
Olympic torch relay:
A few months before the Olympic games a fire is lit in Olympia, Greece
Over the next months before the Olympic games, this torch is passed from runner to runner to wherever the final destination is on the world.
The flame is to stay lit, and to be passed from one runner to the next runner.
When the last runner enters the stadium, a lap is run around the stadium, and then the cauldron is lit.
We have been selected as runners of faith. The torch has been passed to us. We have easier and more access to the Word of God than any other generation before us.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
RUN!
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The reason for accepting this challenge is not because of the previous runner. The reason is Greater. The reason we accept the torch of faith is Jesus!
Will you accept the challenge to live by faith?!