The Work Of Faith

And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. (Genesis 7:5-KJV)


I – THE WORK OF FAITH IS TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD

1 Corinthians 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them [is] without signification.(KJV). The work of faith is to catch God’s voice amid all the other voices from earth and hell.


II – THE WORK OF FAITH IS TO OBEY THE VOICE OF GOD

Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and [there was] not a man to till the ground.(KJV). The work of faith is to obey the voice of God however contrary to human reason it may seem to be.

The work of faith is to accept and to act upon the revelation which God has made, however contrary to human reason it may appear to be.
We are foolish to try to fit God into our mold – to make His plans and purposes conform to ours. Instead we must strive to fit into His plans.


III – THE WORK OF FAITH IS TO DO THE WILL OF GOD

Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.(KJV
The work of faith is to do the will of God even though you appear to be the only one doing it.
Are you the only Christian in your home, in your office, in your hospital ward, in your neighborhood? Remember, God’s people have always been in the minority.
Go on living and working for the Lord even though you are the only one in your sphere who is doing so.


IV – THE WORK OF FAITH IS TO GO ON WITH GOD’S WORK

Genesis 7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.(KJV)
The work of faith is to go on with God’s work in the face of every opposition and discouragement.
What a cruel taunts he would have borne from the godless crowd around him! “Surely you are mad” they would say.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;(KJV)
All our risks, humiliations and time are opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s power and presence in us. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.(KJV) It is discouraging to continue to do right and receive no word of thanks or see no tangible results.

Rev. Samuel Morrison who after 25 years in Africa, was returning home to the U.S. to die. He travelled on the same ocean liner that brought President Teddy Roosevelt back from hunting expedition.

When the great ship pulled into New York Harbor, the dock where it was tie up was jammed with what looked like the entire population of New York City. Bands were playing, banners were waving, choirs of children were singing, multicoloured balloons were popping, and cameras were poised to record the return of the president.

Pres. Roosevelt stepped down the gang plank to themselves cheers and applause. At the same time, Rev. Morrison quietly walked off the boat. No one was there to greet him. He slipped alone through the crowd.

Inside his heart, he began to complain; “Lord, the president had been in Africa – for 3 weeks, killing animals, and the whole world turns out to welcome him home.”I’ve given 25 years for my life in Africa, serving you, and no one has greeted me or even knows I’m here.

In the quietness of his heart, a gentle, loving voice whispered, “But my dear child, YOU ARE NOT HOME YET!”

As we face great troubles, it is easy to focus on the pain rather than our ultimate goal. Just as athletes concentrate on the finish line and ignore their discomfort, we too must focus on the reward for our faith and the joy that lasts forever.

God's Requests

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.(Proverbs 23:26)

You must not be satisfied or content to stay where you are. God cannot use you to fulfil His plan and purposes in this final hour as long as you remain “spiritual babies”. “Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional (left to personal choice).

A. GIVE ME YOUR TIME.
When earthly interests and occupations are more important to us than eternal ones.
When we would rather watch TV and read secular books and magazines and text messages than read the Bible and pray.
When we watch things on TV and movies that we would not show in church.
When you are tires, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week in church.

B. GIVE ME YOUR TALENT.
Mark 4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.(KJV)
We are responsible to use well what we have. It doesn’t matter how much we have but what we do with it.
The more talent we have the more responsible we are to use them effectively. We must not hesitate, refuse, or serve grudgingly.
God asks each of us: “What are you doing with that I have given you?

C. GIVE ME YOUR TREASURE
God won’t ask what kind of car you drove.
God won’t ask the square footage of your house.
God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet.
God won’t ask how much money do you have.
God will say: “Freely, freely you have received, freely give. Go in my name and because you believe; others may know that I live.”

D. GIVE ME “YOUR HEART”
The heart is what the great God requires.
We must not think to divide the heart between God and the world, He will have all or none.
If our hearts are right with God, if the vertical relationship between us and God has made right – then our horizontal relationship can be made right too.
The best gifts to God – YOUR HEART.

The Persistence of Joseph's Faith

I - A Persistent Faith Is Not Shaken By Fierce Adversity - Tears, sorrow, distress, homesickness, afflicted Joseph. He was even hated and planned to be killed by his brothers and became slave in Egypt, but God was with him. His faith in God was not shaken by these trials.

II - A Persistent Faith Is Not Spoiled By Success Or Prosperity - Our faith is more likely to suffer a relapse in times of prosperity than in times of adversity. When everything is going well, that is a dangerous time for a child of God. Joseph though succeeded in life did not forget God. He did not forget God in times of abundance. This is a warning to all: God will take away our valuables if we forget Him.

III - A Persistent Faith Is Not Moved By The Most Subtle Temptation - Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife. Joseph did not say "I'd be hurting you." Joseph said: "It would be a great sin against God." The lesson is: The anger of man may be hard but God's anger is harder.

What disturbs you most?

1. A soul in hell.......or scratch in your appliances?
2. You're missing the worship service.......or missing a day's work?
3. Spiritual life not growing.......or your garden not growing?
4. Your Bible unopened........or your newspaper or text messages unread?
5. Church worship being neglected......or house work neglected?
6. Missing a good Bible study.......or your favorite TV program?
7. Your children late for Sunday School and Church.....or late for public and private school?
8. What really disturbs you most?

Engraved Blessings

"We write our blessings in the sand, and we engrave our complaints in the marble." - Charles Spurgeon

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." (Psalm 103:1-12). True blessings are engraved blessings:

I - Illustrated Blessings - Blessings are not only material things.
1. Blessing of Forgiveness - "Jesus forgave all our iniquities." (Psalm 103:3).
2. Blessing of Redemption - Jesus redeemed our life from destruction. He lifted us from slavery to sovereignty.
3. Blessing of Satisfaction - We can only get true satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment from Jesus. We deceive ourselves when we measure our happiness or contentment in life by the amount of wealth we possess. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." (Psalm 23).

II - Balanced Blessings - "The wise should understand the loving kindness of the Lord." (Psalm 107:43)
1. Start looking to the BLESSER instead of the blessing.
2. Don't just enjoy the gifts and forget the GIVER.
3. Don't just look at His hand and forget His HEART.

III - Discoveries In Thanksgiving
1. Be thankful for God's presence.
2. Be thankful for we have the grasp of His hand.
3. Be thankful for the guidance of His Word.
4. Be thankful for we will have the glory of His Heaven.

Christianity Is Not Membership In Some Red Carpet Club

"I shall come for as Gold." Job 23:10

Red Carpet - a strip of red carpeting laid down for dignitaries to walk on.

One of the misconceptions held by many is that being a Christian means that all life's difficulties will disappear. But being a Christian means problems may even intensify!

We are afflicted in every way. Job suffered a lot: physical and mental pain. He lost 7 sons and 3 daughters, 7,000 sheeps, 1,000 oxen and 500 donkeys. Lost household and even lost the loyalty of his wife and got sick of boils. The lesson here is affliction can bring a dynamic quality of life.

Just as drought drives the roots of a tree to find water, so affliction can drive us beyond acceptance of suffering. Perplexities and uncertainties always come our way but there is a saying "we may be at the end of the rope but we are never at the end of hope." For with God nothing shall be impossible. When catastrophy comes we may ask "what else is worth living for?"

But we must not forget that although God loves us, faith and obedience to Him do not shelter us from life's calamities. God is telling us and expecting to us to withstand. How do you respond to your troubles? Do you ask "why me"? Or do you say "use me!" Adversity destroys counterfeit faith. Adversity strengthens real faith!

True believers dig their roots deeper into God in order to withstand the storm. Job lost his possessions and family but he responded POSITIVELY and RIGHTLY. There are sayings: "when the Lord is to lead a soul to great faith, He leaves its prayers unheard," "to be miserable, look within, to be distracted, look around, to be happy look up."

Abraham's Faith

"So Abraham departed, as the Lord had spoken." Genesis 12:4

1. Abraham's Obedience Was Prompt - The reason for obeying God is that He tells us so and that must be reason enough without delay.

2. Abraham's Obedience Was Practical - Faith brings us salvation but active obedience demonstrates that our faith is genuine. Godly conduct is a verification of our faith in Christ.

3. Abraham's Obedience Was Progressive - You can't make progress with God as long as you are holding onto pieces of your old life. "No man can serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24). when you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you. He will finish the work. The more closely we relate to Him, the more we will like Him.

4. Abraham's Obedience Was Productive - All Abraham's enemies were ultimately conquered. Don't let the comfort and security of your present condition make you miss God's plan for you. God promises great blessings to His people but many of these are conditional. "If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and turn away from their wicked ways...then I will forgive their sins and heal their land..."