There is a way - A Faith that Overcomes!

What a blessing to be here this morning. And what we heard about faith. We'll just continue that.

! Faith that overcomes. Faith that overcomes the world. I've been thinking this week some, in the last maybe few weeks, about just in my own heart, my own spirit.

I don't know if I was telling God or if He was telling me, but this thought kept going through my mind, there is a way. In various situations, complicated situations at times, this thought keeps coming back.

There is a way. Think of yourself and maybe there are some things in your life that just seem complicated or difficult or where it seems like there isn't a way.

And let this thought override that there is a way. Through faith, by faith, there is a way forward.

And we want to just keep looking at that and keep going where James left off, I guess. You read some of the scriptures.

I really appreciated that. There are so many scriptures, verses in the Bible about faith, especially in the New Testament. I forget how many he said.

Does anybody remember? How many times? 1,240 something. Wow. So we're not going to cover all those.

But he scratched the surface there. I'd like to turn to Hebrews 10. There's a few verses there I want to start with.

Hebrews 10, verse 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us.

For after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them.

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. I will remember no more.

Did you know this morning God has the ability to forget? He can make the choice to forget. Am I too loud? Is it just me or it seems loud?

But as long as you're okay. But isn't that a precious promise that God can forget?

He chooses to forget. How would it be this morning if God would remember everything we've ever done? In other words, he would focus on that.

He would every day be remembering who you were, who you once were. Are we glad that God forgets those things? That when we put our faith and trust in Jesus, in the blood of Jesus, this was not only prophesied in the Old Testament, but it has actually become valid in the New.

It has, now that he has paid the penalty for our sin, he no longer remembers who we used to be. In verse 18, now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

I believe he's saying here that the blood of Jesus is the offering for sin. That's the remission. There's nothing else. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.

And having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.

Why? Because he is faithful. Not because we have somehow become good by ourselves, but because he is faithful that promised.

Encouraging verses, are they not? Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance, full confidence, fully knowing, having our hearts sprinkled.

Oh, it says of faith, full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. And then it says to hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering, no doubting, no room for doubt, no room for wishy-washy and maybe, but to have faith.

God is moved, and we'll look at this later, but God is impressed when he sees faith, when he sees people trusting him. It moves God.

In fact, he says, I think that's why we can move mountains is because God is moved and he's the one that moves mountains. Now let's go to Hebrews 11, the next chapter.

Maybe I'll just read the last few yet in chapter 10, but in verse 38 there, Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Are we drawing back? If we draw back and don't have faith, we back up a few steps. We're just not sure.

God says he has no pleasure in that soul that draweth back. If any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, but we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. Our brother covered that this morning. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Biblical faith is not wishing that something will happen.

It is having full confidence in Almighty God. You know, Noah was told to build the ark. Noah never seen a flood before.

In fact, I think this is correct, it had never rained up to that point. And so he goes and builds this big boat.

And in the flesh, in the natural mind, that would have been total foolishness. To build a boat so big and so vast because there's a flood coming.

Imagine with me if it had never rained here and somebody would do that. It has never rained in your lifetime or before your lifetime. And there's a man out there for 120 years or so building a boat.

Unless you believe God, it would make no sense. Faith doesn't make sense always to the human mind. But Noah had confidence.

He believed God. He believed God. Abraham didn't know where God was taking him. We'll look at some pictures here soon if we can.

I thought for the children's sake or whoever, we'll just put some pictures up as we go through these people here in Hebrews 11. And I think Aaron has some for us then.

But anyway, Abraham didn't know where God was taking him either. But he obeyed God. In fact, the Bible says it was accounted unto righteousness because he obeyed God.

He heard God and he obeyed Him that we would hear God. Do we hear God? Do we hear Him?

But do we really hear Him? Jesus often said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Verse 3. And we'll get to... Yeah, there's Abraham. We're going to start then with Abel here in a minute. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Genesis. If you read the book of Genesis, the beginning, first few chapters, the creation, we believe it by faith, don't we? We weren't there.

We don't know anybody that was there except Jesus. But we believe it by faith. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.

God testified of his gifts. And by it, he being dead, yet speaketh. The people mentioned here, you know, all these people here in this chapter, they're mentioned today and for, what, a few thousand years.

Number, well, Abel, way more than that. And here we are today talking about Abel and I believe that's what this verse is saying. He's dead a long time ago but we're still talking about it.

Why? Because he had faith. I believe if he would have been just faithless in God, we wouldn't really have anything to, he might not even be mentioned a whole lot in the Bible.

These people. So that verse is saying, him being dead, yet speaketh. He still speaks to us. His faith does. His faith keeps speaking.

And then verse 5, by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him.

For before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. Enoch was no more. God just took him home and his testimony, the testimony of God was that he pleased him.

He pleased God. He walked with God also. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. A brother, James, read that this morning.

For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. faith believes in who God is.

Who is God? What is his character? Do we know his character? Do we know God?

We must believe that he is and he is revealed throughout the Bible through his word. we can come to know God. There's a verse that says, faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God.

That's how faith comes. The word of God. Okay. Verse 7. Noah. By faith, Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world.

Yeah, the world mocked him but because of his faith it condemned the world and because and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Yes, Noah, he never saw rain before. I believe the way I understand. God put a dew upon the earth and before the flood but not rain like we know rain.

You know how rivers flood sometimes and overflow and people drown and Noah never saw that probably. But he built a boat by faith.

He knew God. Okay, where were we? Verse 8. Abraham. By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went.

Question, would we do that? Have we done that? Maybe if you came to Montana you kind of did it by faith.

Most of us came here from somewhere. Hopefully we did it by faith. He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs of him of the same promise.

For he looked for a city which hath foundation whose builder and maker is God. Now Sarah, through faith also, Sarah herself, received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised.

God had promised it and so she believed. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable stars.

I had the other or actually the last while evenings it gets dark earlier so stepping outside and just looking up at the stars when it's completely clear and I've thought about it seems like there's more than you used to see.

I don't know is it just we notice them more or what but I just look up in there and I think well this is just one galaxy this is just our local zone here and that's what God asked Abraham to count and nobody even knows that one they say there's billions more of those and yeah nobody on earth will ever know how many stars there are unless God tells you but AI won't figure it out there's nothing and Abraham flag can't and nobody since has been able to count the stars but God knows these people in verse 13 these all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them far off and they were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth it's interesting that they were looking ahead to the promise looking ahead to the promise and they believed they were persuaded it says and they embraced them today we have the promise today we know

I mean Jesus has been sacrificed and rose again and is alive today do we embrace our promises verse 14 for they say such things declare plainly that they seek a country for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country that word country means I believe homeland they seek a homeland a home and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire a better country that is and heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city you know in case we thought that the people in the Old Testament didn't go to heaven

I don't know what you think about all the ones from the past you know in the Old Testament but here it says that they were seeking a better country and God was not ashamed to be called their God and that he prepared for them a city he prepared a home for them they too had faith by faith Abraham when he was tried he offered up Isaac and he had received the promises offered up by his only begotten son by faith Abraham when he was tested he offered up his son he was in his heart he did of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence he also received him in a figure so

Abraham I believe he believed that God was able even if he had to slay him he just surrendered to God and said you're able he knew the promise he knew that his seed will be blessed and vast like the stars and the sand of the sea countless and now you're wanting me to take that life well we know the story the angel spoke just before he slayed him and Isaac was spared and God said now I know that you love me more in verse 20 by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come Jacob had I mean Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau twins and by faith he blessed his sons by faith

Jacob when he was dying blessed both the sons of Joseph and worship leaning upon the top of his staff so Jacob also did you know he blessed his grandsons am I right because Joseph was let's see here help me out on that yeah Jacob had Joseph and so he blessed his grandsons!

it's amazing grandpas bless your grandsons when you have opportunity and granddaughters verse 22!

Joseph by faith Joseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandments concerning his bones and then we get to Moses children we know the story the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for many many years and then God sends Moses when he was born he was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment by faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter he gave up the treasures of Egypt because he believed God had something greater for him you know he surrendered that was always a test for me as a young one young boy I would read that or I'd hear it preached and

I would think wow if that was me he had everything he had he was in the family for being the next king even potentially and everything at his fingertips and here he goes and becomes he joins the slaves instead because why because God called him you know we don't read much about Pharaoh other than he had a hard heart but Moses on the other hand he became the greatest leader in history outside of Christ I believe God used him in a mighty way to set his people free it says in verse 25 he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season let me ask us this morning what is our choice

I believe just the fact that you're here we probably know your choice but it's good to ask us that somebody could be here struggling between the two Moses was with the Israelites I mean he was with the house of Pharaoh and he chose the other!

and the sprinkling of blood lest he that destroyeth the firstborn should touch them the sprinkling of blood are you glad for the Passover the blood of Jesus sprinkled over our life we read earlier about our hearts being sprinkled and God will pass over us the sprinkling of blood.

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land which the Egyptians is saying to do were drowned.

We know the story. That was one of the greatest miracles. How do you stop a river or a sea? How do you... Only God, right? What a miracle.

It's amazing the miracles of God through Moses and then how quickly, how quickly they forgot. People are so forgetful and we're people.

We forget so quickly. The good things God has done in our lives. The amazing things. The deliverances. Do we forget so quickly? That wasn't part of the message, but it's just...

I'm often reminded of that when you think of all the things that happened in Egypt by the hand of Moses. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down.

Remember, they went around the city seven times. after they were compassed about seven days. Those walls came tumbling down.

And then there's the harlot Rahab. By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace. She must have been drawn to God.

She felt something from God. And what shall I say more? The Hebrew writer says, for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and Jephthah and David also and Samuel and the prophets.

I'm not sure if we're seeing some of those, but I don't know who wrote Hebrews. We don't know for sure. I have a few opinions, but I don't think anybody knows for sure.

But the writer says, he doesn't have time to tell us of all the other men of faith and women of faith. But there are many. Verse 33, who through faith subdued kingdoms and wrought righteousness, they obtained promises.

Stop the mouths of lions. That's a good one. Stop the mouths of lions. Some word Daniel's in the picture. How about quench the violence of fire?

Who do we think about, children, when we think about quenched fires? The fiery furnace.

Didn't hurt them. Not even a hair on their head was singed. Miracle after miracle. They escaped the edge of the sword.

Out of weakness were made strong. Waxed valiant in fight. Turned to the flight. The armies of the aliens. We'll just read the rest of the chapter here.

A couple more verses. Women received their dead rays to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Some were persecuted, in other words, and they maybe could have been released, but they weren't by choice. And others had trial of cruelty, 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.

Does that sound like a wonderful life? But in all this, they had their eyes on a city, not made with hands.

They had a faith, an unwavering faith. Verse 38, Of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, receive not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect or complete.

Wow, what a chapter. But then if we go on, we're going to read just a couple of verses in chapter 12 yet. Wherefore, seeing also, we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience in the race that is set before us.

One of the things I think about is patience. We are in an age and in a world that knows very little about patience anymore. We're just geared to, our culture's geared to get it and want it and get it now and no patience, and I find myself falling into that trap.

But it says there that with patience. Running that race with patience. Think about some of these people, especially like Abraham and the promise and how long he waited and Noah.

We think waiting on something for a whole year to change is a long time. We keep reading here in the next, yeah, verse 2.

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.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. If we want to be encouraged, think of Jesus.

He endured such hostility. That's what that word contradiction means. Yeah, they were hostile. Sinners were against him.

Think of him, lest we be weary and faint in our minds. We get tired of waiting. We get weary and our faith dwindles or shakes sometimes.

In Romans chapter 14, Paul speaking to the Romans chapter 14, verse 22 and 23.

Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. He's talking here about the law and about the dietary laws of eating.

And in verse 23, And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not in faith. For whatsoever is not of faith is sin, God says.

In James it says, I'll just read a couple more verses. I know, I think James, our brother James, shared a few of these verses earlier, but let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like the wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Corinthians says, We walk by faith, not by sight. Choices we make.

Here's one. The gray areas rule. The things that are gray, or maybe let's just say, we make choices, daily choices, and they're not always exactly defined in the Bible as to right or wrong, maybe.

One of the signs, or one of the things we look for, or should look for, is the peace of God. The Bible says, Let the peace of God rule in your heart.

Does God give us peace? To do or not to do. If you cannot do it with a clear, faithful conscience before God, it is better to avoid it.

There's something, too, that my wife and I were talking about earlier, a day or two ago, about the principle of purity. And I want to just speak to this a little bit.

The first part of Hebrews here that we were reading about God writing His law upon our heart. Families and churches often draw lines that they don't want to cross.

Are you still with me? We draw lines. Not all a bad idea to have lines.

Not throwing that out. But if we don't have God's law written in our hearts, then you're only, more than likely, following rules in your mind.

And I'm talking about things of purity, things of, that we would call right. But sadly, when that happens, the end result is you are not pure in heart.

If it's only following, not crossing a line, this is where I draw the line. I'll go this far. That's actually law.

And God wants to do a much deeper, much more powerful work. True holiness is when we allow God to write His law on our heart instead of just drawing lines.

This is the will of God. It says so in the Bible. That's the authority. It was prophesied in the old. It's spoken about in the new.

But He will write those things in our heart. And we just know. Right? You come up against something, a decision, what to do, where to go, what not to do, what to wear, what not to wear.

It's God's law on your heart. Now, somewhere in the Bible it says, it was prophesied that we have need that no man teach us.

Where's that verse, James? That no man teach, speaking of the Holy Spirit, because He is our teacher. He is the one that writes it in our heart. And I believe that's what God was referring to.

Believing God is accounted for righteousness. We love Him because He loved us first. He loved us first.

Do you and I this morning believe that? Is there more love that we can receive from God than we currently have? Do we by faith accept that?

Some people find it very hard to accept and receive love. Sometimes it has a lot to do with how we were raised. But we can, by faith, we can accept the love of God, the love of Jesus in our hearts, by faith.

Do we have faith this morning that in Christ Jesus old things pass away and all things become new? we say that, we read that verse, we sing that song, but do we actually believe that?

Do you and I believe that about yourself this morning? Do I believe that? That old things are passed away and all things because of Christ and our faith in Him have become new.

Doesn't mean that you're perfect in every way, that you always respond perfectly and do things perfectly, but by faith we believe it because God said so.

And it's accounted to us for righteousness. How about sinners? Do we see sinners that way? What they can become in Christ?

There was a man sitting out here this morning, right, Joe, that you talked with? I don't know who he is or what he's all about, but how do we see people even amongst us and God's people or sinners?

How do we see them? What they could become in Christ or what they are right now?

What about us? What about me and you? So often we speak badly of people that Christ hasn't saved yet, but He wants to, right? He wants to bring them hope, but instead too many times God's people write them off.

And that is really sad. Oh, that the body of Christ would see people the way God does. Knowing the heart of God, the compassion of God, and yes, even the judgment of God.

Let's have faith in what God can do with people in our lives. Paul said toward the end of his life in Timothy, he said, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

Hence there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.

Do we love His appearing? Do we love when Jesus appears to us? not just, He may have been talking about the end of life, but God wants to appear to us today.

There's things that God wants to speak to us. Do we love that? Do we love His appearing when God speaks? Jesus said in Luke, I'm just going to wrap this up here soon, but Jesus said that nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall He find faith on the earth.

You know, Jesus is coming back soon. and what He's going to be looking for is faith. That was His concern.

Am I going to find faith? Is it still going to exist when I come back? I believe it's maybe the most important thing for God that He's looking for.

Faith in the Son of God. Faith in His cross. Faith that produces obedience and good works. It produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

There is a day coming soon that we no longer need faith. Do you ever think about that? We only need faith now. There's a day coming soon because we shall see Jesus as He is, the Bible says, and we'll be with Him forever in glory.

Our brother Alvin, I think, is very close to that or was a night or two ago. They thought He was when that happens, no more faith for Him.

He's going to be with Jesus. To be absent from the bodies, to be present with the Lord. No more faith.

It's going to be reality. to be reality. faith. Faith, while we're here, is so important. We cannot please Him without it.

And depending on our faith will determine our eternity. We will experience the results of our faith or the lack of it.

Have we sought Him diligently? He will reward us more than we can comprehend. With a strong faith in Jesus Christ, you can be the father you need to be, the husband you need to be.

You can lead in confidence in faith. You can be the woman of faith that loves her husband, whose children rise up and call you blessed.

by faith you can be that person that gladly submits to godly authority in your life. And wisdom will show you what is godly.

By faith you can overcome and live a victorious life to the glory of God. Oh, if we had more faith. The disciples, when Jesus was telling them how often to forgive, I think, was it Peter that asked, I think that's when it was when they said after that Jesus was telling them 70 times 7.

I think that's where it was. They said, oh, increase our faith. They wanted that faith. They wanted to live like that. Sometimes we have just one thing to forgive and we just don't have the faith to do it.

Lord, increase our faith. Faith has power, not because of faith itself, but because of who we have faith in.

Amen? It's not because I'm powerful now, but because of who my faith is in. And he'll move those mountains. Right, Dan? Those things that bother us or yeah.

Yeah. whether it's a physical struggle or emotional or whatever it is, should we ask God to increase our faith?

Broken relationships. Some things look impossible. I was thinking this morning of the Steary family and your younger brothers and so on.

him and it looks impossible and it looks so hopeless kind of. And by man it is. But can we have faith? God can move a mountain.

He can change that situation too. I'd say faith, add some patience to it. But trust God. Trust God to bring healing and deliverance.

with man it's not possible, but with God all things are possible. So let's surrender those things. I love the song, and I don't even think we really know it, but he makes all things beautiful.

It's just the chorus I know really, but in his time he makes all things beautiful. beautiful. There's hard things in life, but in his time, if we have faith and we hang in there, or we can say we've kept the faith, in his time it'll all be beautiful.

There is a way. We just can't see it, but remember God is over the top of the mountain and he sees all of the other side.

We can't see that side, but he does, and that's who we know. I don't know how, but I know God.

That's what we can say. I don't know how this is going to be fixed, but we know God, and we know we have faith that he loves me.

He cannot lie, and he sees what I can't see. Where God leads you, he will also provide a way. He never led any of these people in Hebrews 11 without there being a way, and his way is best.

I believe that our display of faith, faith in action, moves God God. It moves God into action when he sees faith.

God is moved when he sees that. How many times did Jesus, when he was here on earth, comment on people having much faith? Think of the woman who touched just the hem of his garment.

She had so much faith that if I don't even have to talk to him. I just want to touch him, touch his clothing. And God noticed.

God stopped. And he said, who touched me? And they said, well, everybody's touching you. This is a crowd of people. No, somebody touched me by what?

By faith. He felt that faith. And he feels it today if you have faith. Praise God.

Let's be patient with ourselves and with each other. Let's think of who we could be if we keep walking by faith. Some of you have grown tremendously in the last five years or so, six years.

Hopefully we all have. We can look back and say, I'm not who I used to be. But I'm not yet what I want to be. Right? Well, let's not be discouraged by that.

Let's have faith. Let's keep moving. Let's keep walking. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the word faith.

And we thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gift of faith. And that it takes us onward and upward and takes us farther into your kingdom.

And Lord, those things that we don't always understand, but we believe them by faith. Lord, we want to trust you. We want to trust you, Lord Jesus, more and more.

And to continue to remain faithful to you. We need your help. We need your Holy Spirit. We need your power.

I pray that you bless each one that's here today. In Jesus' name, amen.