Faith that Leaves

You’ve Got to Have Faith – Faith that Leaves

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

1. Faith comes through a Living Word from the Living God:

a. How did faith begin with father Abraham? Genesis 12:1 says, “And the Lord said unto Abram.” The Lord said something to him and that’s how FAITH began! “For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!”

b. Us today, after Abraham and after the Cross of Christ, in the New Testament era, the Word of God is contained in the 66 Books of the Bible. The Bible is our only rule of faith and conduct, our only rule of doctrine and morals.

c. The Bible is our roadmap, it tells us, if we stay the course, where we’re going and what will be at the end of our journey. But faith does NOT come by intellectually reading the Bible. This Book MUST become to us the Living Word from the Living God just like Father Abraham.

2. Faith that Leaves:

a. When you have faith, LISTEN, you are ALWAYS LEAVING what you’re used to, ready to follow God to something better that He has for you. FAITH THAT LEAVES. The first word Abraham ever heard from Almighty God was “Leave your country, your culture, and your family.” “And go where?” “I’ll tell you later.”

b. The Bible says, “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.” Upon hearing a living word from a living God, faith was birthed in Abraham and he left. And everyone who walks by faith is always and must ALWAYS ready to leave. That’s why Abraham never settled down. He always lived in tents. Why? Because he was looking for a city whose builder and maker was God.

3. You Must Leave:

a. You must be willing, if you’re going to serve God and walk by faith, to leave the confines of your comfort zone, your own culture, background, or tradition, so that God can use you, and you can look at the world the way God looks at it!

b. Now just as color and ethnicity have a powerful influence on us, it’s very hard to break away from church culture and really walk by faith and see the world the way God sees it. I need to leave what I think God wants and follow Him to where He leads. That doesn’t mean to be crazy and fanatical, but that’s not the danger for most Christians.

c. Most Christians are just going through the motions, they’re just living in what they’re used to and not stepping out in faith because they’re afraid to leave the comfort zone. When you have faith, you are always leaving your comfort zone; ready to follow God to something better that He has for you. The Bible says that faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. When you step out in faith, you are stating your faith. You proclaim to all who observe that you believe.