The Definition of Faith

After discovering that "without faith you cannot please God" and that "whatever is not of faith is sin" it soon became obvious to all of us that faith is worth studying. What better place to look than Hebrews 11.

But the examples set forth in Hebrews are confusing, perplexing, and, sometimes, downright in contradiction of themselves. How do you explain an abundance of faith where there is no abundance of belief (Sarah)? How do you explain an abundance of faith when there is no call to obedience (Abel, Enoch)? How do you explain an abundance of faith where there is deceit and thievery (Isaac, Jacob, Esau)? How do you explain an abundance of faith where there is a lack of morality and law (Samson, David, Rahab)?

Either the writer of Hebrews got it wrong, the writer of Genesis got it wrong or, perhaps, our definition of "FAITH" is lacking. Click HERE to listen to the message.

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Sermon Outline:

I. WHY IS FAITH IMPORTANT?

Heb 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Ro 14:23 Whatever is not of faith (4102/pistis) is sin.

II. WHAT IS FAITH?

Hebrews defines it as:

Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
(Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen KJV.)

III. THE HALL OF FAITH

A. Abel:

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    • Of what hope was Abel sure of?

    • What was he certain of that he could not see?

    • His faith did not originate from his belief but faith was credited to him because his sacrifice lined up with God's model for sacrifice: shedding innocent blood to cover shame.

    • Cain's sacrifice did not speak to this prophetic model and was not accepted.

    • Cain enjoyed the presence of the Lord, was intimate with the Lord, was distraught that his sacrifice was not received, and was coached by God like a father to a son. By the account in Genesis, the sacrifice (of worship/adoration) was brought forth by Cain. And he brought what he had. No where does it indicate that the fruits of the soil were deficient or less than adequate. Nowhere does it indicate that Cain's heart was crooked or deficient.

    • In this light, God's definition of doing what is “right” (Genesis 4:7) is doing the thing that reflects his intent. Such a thing can only be accomplished by the gift (HIS gift) of faith.

B. Enoch:

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  • Did not experience death. Early echos of the gospel.

  • Again, a prophetic action initiated by God.

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    • Of what hope was Enoch sure of?

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  • What was he certain of that he could not see?

  • There is no indication that Enoch believed or trusted that God would take him out of this life.

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  • Enoch speaks to the fact that Faith is not mere belief in something but it is the rich communion of mankind and God resulting in the revelation of the very person and intention of God.

C. Noah:

• Faith leads us to places where we cannot defend our actions or convictions.

• More importantly, it reflects the intentions of God to save the world / redeem / restore.

• Important note: Acting through this kind of faith brings forth righteousness in the person doing the trusting.

D. Abraham:

• Believing the promised land yet living tents like a nomad.

• Prophetic echos of Exodus. The very situation calling to mind that we are living in the promise yet waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.

• This is re-iterated throughout Hebrews 11 of those who were given a promise but only saw it from afar.

• David lived in this state of faith, wandering through the desert, anointed as the king and yet not being the king at all. Given the promise yet waiting on the promise fulfilled.

E. Sarah:

• Had no faith as we define it.

• In fact she laughed at God and recommended that Abraham have a son with Hagar.

• Yet here she is with faith credited to her name.

• Either Hebrews got the account wrong, Genesis got the account wrong, or faith is simply a much bigger subject than a mankind's ability to believe.

F. Abraham:

• Offered Isaac as a sacrifice – about to sacrifice his “one and only son... through whom your offspring will be reckoned”. SO PROPHETIC!!!

• Abraham trusted in the PERSON of GOD – what he knew about God – that He can raise the dead. Not implied in Genesis but credited to Abraham in Hebrews.

• Faith outside of the character of God is not faith but empty belief.

G. Isaac:

• By faith Isaac blessed Jacob.

• WHAT?! Faith? You mean by “deception”? No, faith. Who's faith? What faith?

H. The Rest (Jepthah, Gideon, prostitue Rahab, Samson, David, Samuel)

• Moral? Hmmmmm.....

• Used by God to bring forth prophetic declaration in accordance with His heart? Yes.

• Faithful by our definition? We probably wouldn't receive these people into our home.

• “HALL OF FAITH” quality? Yes.

IV. THE CONFLICT

• Either some of these stories are being recounted incorrectly or our understanding of faith is lacking.

• Has faith re-written the script for these people or is the writer of Hebrews indicating that the scope is much larger than mere human hope, belief, morality and obedience?

• Faith, like worship, is reciprocal. All faith originates from God as he reveals Himself to humanity. Humanity responds in a way that brings forth prophetic clarity and speaks forth God's intentions to the past, present and future generations.

• God uses mankind to do this work.

• God is glorified. Humanity is made righteous.

• If you're still not sure, let's look at the Greek word used here.

V. PISTIS

• 4102 pístis (from 3982/peithô, "persuade, be persuaded") – properly, persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust); faith gifted from God,

• [4102 (pistis) in secular antiquity referred to a guarantee (warranty). In Scripture, faith is God's warranty, certifying that the revelation He in-birthed will come to pass (His way).

• 1. The root of 4102/pistis ("faith") is 3982/peithô ("to persuade, be persuaded") which supplies the core-meaning of faith ("divine persuasion"). It is God's warranty that guarantees the fulfillment of the revelation He births within the receptive believer (cf. 1 Jn 5:4 with Heb 11:1).

• Faith (4102/pistis) is always received from God, and never generated by us.

• The Greek definite article is uniformly used in the expressions "your faith," "their faith" (which occur over 30 times in the Greek NT). This genitive construction with the article refers to "the principle of faith (operating in) you" – not "your faith" in the sense that faith is ever generated by the recipient.

• Distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it.

Js 2:19: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder"

2 Thes 1:11: "To this end (glorification) – indeed each time we pray about (peri) you for the purpose (hin) of our God counting you worthy of the call – even that He may fulfill (His) every good-pleasure that comes from (His) goodness and work of faith, in (His) ability."

2 Ro 12:2,3: " And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will (2307/thelçma) of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ³For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith (4102/pistis)" (NASU)

"We have made faith a condition of mind, when it is a divinely imparted grace of the heart . . . we can receive faith only as he gives it . . . you cannot manufacture faith, you can not work it up . . . you can believe a promise, and at the same time not have the faith to appropriate it . . . genuine, Scriptural faith is not our ability to ‘count it done,’ but is the deep consciousness divinely imparted to the heart of man that it is done, . . . it is the faith that only God can give . . . do not struggle in the power of the will . . . what a mistake to take our belief in God and call it faith . . . Christ, the living word, is our sufficiency . . . (Charles Price)

VII. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

• Matt. 17:20 Faith the size of a mustard seed

• Lack of faith

• Because of your faith

Jesus is called the “pioneer and the perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2) because he completely embodied the character and intention of God and fulfilled the prophetic promises revealed in the covenants, actions and obedience portrayed by the men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. And we can share in that perfection! We DO share in that perfection!

THE GOOD KING

 

 THE GOOD KING

Meant to post this a little closer to Easter...

The poem was written with Easter in mind. Jesus (the Good King in the poem) was brutalized by the very creation He redeemed. The poem seemed to write itself as I considered the brutality of the Justice that Jesus endured in order to bring forth new life and redemption.

Realizing that He was found guilty (and punished accordingly) brought forth a lot of emotions and visuals. That He could conquour death and endure the judgement of all creation for the sins that were not His own is simply overwhelming; that He is able to extend love and intercession to the very creation that turned on Him is the gospel... the Good News.

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THE GOOD KING

War is coming and with it the sound of battle-blood hungry wolves

A pack of leather, iron and wounds

They scream towards their goal. fangs and weapons

Scratch and claw, onward brutal reckoning

Creation! Fallen-creation! It is their war cry.

Earth is dark. Sea is lost. Sky is a black heart with a stone for a sun

Moon is an axe to carve their thirsty path

To take what's rightfully theirs The princes and kings and children have sinned.

A warrior prince stands ready to embrace their fury

A death trance coming like a wave to meet him

Bronze skin breathes in the dirt and dust of the onslaught

Storm is coming, boats on shore, banging the war drums

He is alone against them. They will overtake him and devour him along with all the rest

Their footprints bring wrath, their swords, dull and heavy, will bring bruises before blood

It is theirs, he is abandoned to them, left alone to feel their teeth and torment

He makes a move towards His judgement, towards their fists and whips

His footprints are pools of light on the dark dirt

Around His feet young-springtime blossom... echos of the beginning

The first blow spills warm blood from his princely veins

Blood like oceans, muddying the lifeless dust around his beaten body

The earth opens its blackened mouth and claims him

The First Judgement gathers around to spit and stomp and jeer.

The King has fallen; judged according to the fallen ones

The sins of the people speared upon the head of their King.

The black-judgement, the Iron Army, the snarled teeth and black moons

They too have been abandoned to the demon-prince

The earth has claimed the King, and the ever-darkness shows no kindness

Not even unto it's own. For death is death, is death.

Blossoms of spring endured even as the King lay bloodied-dead in the belly of the earth

Their tender-tendrils lifting Him off the death slab stone

His body pushed up through the earth like a tree in a dream

A great light of Being and Knowing shining forth through the cracked earth

So great is His light that it scorches their skin; leaves them begging for water.

So bright is the light that their eyes burn like coals, their shrieks are unending

They are judged not by their sins but by the great-glory of the King resurrected.

In kindness, His arms unfolding as branches, bigger than all that ever was, all that ever will be

Hair growing like leaves to shade and protect those underneath, to silence the shrieks

Fruit, the sweetest ever tasted, ever known, brought forth by the once-warrior prince King

Offering shade and abundance to the wolves that once devoured him

From his side pours forth oil forever, annointing them with always-redemption.

Winter Season

There is always something special about the winter season. It's cold. It's still. The trees are sleeping. The grass is hibernating under a blanket of frost and snow. So often we feel like winter. Like we're slumbering underneath the weight of the ice and winter white.

It's a beautiful time to retreat to the secret place. A place where you can talk to God. Just you and God. Just you and your Creator. He will invite you into a warm guest house. He will offer you hot chocolate and a blanket. He will show you the beauty of the the ice and snow and sleet and freezing wind.

This is a call to discover your Creator in the solitude of the Winter Season. Be still with Him. This is a time to consider. Trust Him. Embrace the slumber and rest in His assurance of Spring.

The Bride

Last Sunday we listened to a podcast from Bill Johnson titled "The Bride". It is one of those mind renewing, perspective changing teachings that really hits home.

Some of our favorite quotes:

"Man was not made for God's needs... he was made for God's wants"

"One of the great tragedies in life is when The Bible gets interpreted by people who are not in Love"

"No issue of sin has ever been abolished from humanity because we took it as our sermon topic"

"People cannot be punished into purity"

"No child dreams ever of being insignificant"

"Jesus created an atmosphere for people to think that they were actually important"

"Every year is the year of jubilee. Every day is a day of rest. Every hour is happy hour."

So. Good.

Click HERE to dowload it from iTunes. It'll rock you.

The Canvas @ The Light Well

Starting this coming Sunday (Jan 15th) we'll be meeting at The Light Well.

From their website... "Located in Historic downtown Orange, Virginia, The Light Well serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch in a casual atmosphere. The Light Well offers the finest selection of locally- roasted coffee from Orange Roasters, over 40 choices of beer, and a seasonally-updated wine list including the best local Virginia wines."

The restaurant is awesome. They also happen to have a sweet little room in the back of the restaurant that is perfect for a small group of people to gather together and worship Jesus. The restaurant doesn't open until 11:00am for brunch on Sundays so you'll have to walk around to the back of the building and enter through the back door. Don't worry, you won't need a password or anything.

Address: 110 E. Main Street Orange VA 22960

Time: 10:30 - 12:00

Parking: Street or Parking Lot accross the street

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