Old Age; Young Faith - Part A

You should never fear growing low should fear growing stale.

As you grow, you should be afraid of losing vibrant, active, dare we say childlike faith in God. One leader remarked we need passion in our faith instead of praying, if I should die before I wake. We should pray Lord wake me up before I die.

We get older our skin may rank listen to this faith never cashed today on connect with Skip Heitzig Scriptures would include your whole life with the same competent and rocksolid faith that Abraham had in his old age is a great resource to help the kids in your life engage in God's work.

Recent state of the Bible survey revealed that only 9% of millennial's with the Bible on a daily basis will skeptical generation I record is also uninformed about the word of God. Small water supply style confusion about your own children or your grandchildren passenger faith to a younger generation so they don't become a statistic and stepped to help you encourage a young person in your life to get excited about God's word all he has for the swing to the Bible Skip Heitzig gives kids and twins. An overview of the entire Bible and exciting travel guide for illustrations fascinating facts to keep them engaged will send you your copy of this may produce resource you give a generous donation of $35 or more to help keep his Bible-based teachings on the air connecting more people like you to God's word. Call now to give them and receive your copy of sword to the Bible 892 1888 or securely connectwithskip.com/offer Romans chapter 4 to get into the teaching with Skip Heitzig probably all heard of Graham's fairytales right the Brothers Grimm published some of the greatest what are considered classics in literature stories like canceling Gretel Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, etc. hunt couple hundred of these things in their fourth edition of the Brothers Grimm. They have a little thing called the duration of life and then I can read the whole story, but here's a synopsis God originally determined 30 years as the ideal span of life for all animals, including mankind, the donkey, the dog and the monkey considered it much too long, however, and begged God to reduce their years by 1812 and 10 being healthy, vigorous and somewhat greedy.

The man asked to be given those extra years God agreed and so man's years totaled 70 the first 30 are his own and they pass quickly. The next 18 are the donkey years during which he has to carry countless burdens on his back. Then come the dog years 12 years when he can do little but growl and drag himself along.

This is followed by the monkey years is closing 10 when he grows rather strange and does things that make children laugh at him.

I found people who fear growing old. You should never fear growing old, you should fear growing stale. As you grow, you should be afraid of losing vibrant, active, dare we say, childlike faith, youthful faith in God. One leader remarked we need passion in our faith instead of praying, if I should die before I wake.

We should pray Lord wake me up before I die. One of the great promises in Scripture, and Psalm 92 where the psalmist said those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God, they shall still bear fruit in old age. They will be fresh and flourishing. What makes a person attractive at any age is a confidence in God and that brings us to Abraham. He is the featured star of chapter 4 of the book of Romans and am I found a survey that was given to people over 95 years of age. They were asked a simple question if you could live your life all over again what would you do differently top three answers number one I reflect more number two I risk more number three. I do more things that live on after I'm dead.

I take those answers to simply mean I live a more purposeful intentional life where I live out my faith without regret there too many people have regrets. I will guarantee this, you will never regret a life of faith never get to the end of your life and say you know I think I really trusted God way too much while I was younger I was out of disorder held back on trusting the Lord never ever met somebody is that I met plenty who said the office while in Romans chapter 4 Paul has been talking about what it means to be right with God. Chapter 3. He talked all about being justified. If you remember that were justified by faith in Christ. He said the law can only reveal sin can never remove the sin. He even said that salvation by faith was witnessed by the law and the prophets. Now he knew that anyone who read this letter once he said that would say really the law and the prophets anticipated salvation by faith alone prove it. What exactly does it say that the reason Paul knew that that would be the questioning is because he knew the Jewish mind and the Jewish mind was that God chose Abraham because he was the most righteous person on the planet. When God picked up. There's all sorts of stories that Abraham was righteous before God, starting at age 3 and of all the people who live he attained this high level of goodness and righteousness. That's why God picked up because he was the father of the Jewish nation was sort of like the MVP of their religion that the poster child of Judaism. So Paul calls on him as a witness in chapter 4 Abraham and David to prove his case that it's salvation by grace alone through faith alone will begin in verse one rock and read all of the chapter relook at several verses but working to pick and choose an almond to give you Abraham's faith in three slices go deeper each one.

First of all this faith is exhibited. Second, it is explained. And third, it is examined begin in verse one what then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh. In other words, if we look at Abraham's personal life. What did he personally conjure up in his own nature. Since the Jewish mind was that he was the most righteous person who ever lived. That's why God chose him. What shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about like this, but not before God. In other words, no way, José. For what does the Scriptures say now he quotes the Scripture Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Now to him who works the wages are not counted as grace but as death makes sense you go to work put in your 40 hours to get your paycheck is not an act of grace. You earned it. You deserve it, but to him, verse five, who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Just as David also described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works that Abraham's faith exhibited. Paul is referring to an incident that happened in Abraham's life when he was 86 years old. As described in the 15th chapter of the book of Genesis is out of God's is Abraham's will for lock takes him outside glasses.

Look up at the stars, see if you can count all the stars in heaven and is elected the stars is that Abraham, so shall your descendents be who probably was one of those very dark very crisp nights when the moon was low and the stars were shouting and he pointed up to the stars sick and you count them all that so many kids are now that that's in a be your progeny, your descendents minutes as Abraham believed God, no. He's 86. Abraham believed God, and God counted it to him as righteousness. By the way, next time you're feeling really low, discouraged, despondent and despair go outside and look up and consider your God did that you might have to drive out to other side and send is to avoid the light pollution we get a good look at the stars because it says in the book of Isaiah the God measures out the universe with his span, put your hand up to do this is for a moment that your spandex from farm to your first finger that was used in ancient times to measure this God has marked out the heavens with a span so get this your your galaxy to Milky Way galaxy 10,000 ly wide by 100,000 ly long.

Let me frame that if you could travel the speed of light hundred and 86,000 mi./s. You could go around the third, 7 1/2 times in one second. You could sail past the moon in 1.5 seconds. You could make it to the sign in seven minutes and 30 seconds but to go from one end of the Milky Way galaxy. Your neighborhood to the other end of the Milky Way galaxy traveling 186,000 mi./s will take you 100,000 years and if you could do that you haven't even left the front yard. There are billions of other galaxies beside that we are told and we look up and we should allow it's so large I goes not so much the only at that rate, so that helps you frame whatever you're going through.

As you also trust God in the midst of whatever you're going through so God made the promise and in Genesis 15, Mrs. Abraham believed God no. In Hebrew the word believed is the word mean amen solemnly paraphrase a lookup check that out. Can you count those things that so many descendents are going to have an Abraham said amen right on. And God said good enough. Your righteous you believe what I just said that I can do that. I will accounted back to you as being right before me righteous performing. He didn't do anything he does believe that God sent look back in verse three and notice how Paul writes for what does the Scripture say now he quotes Genesis 15 Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Paul is writing in the Greek language the Greek word for accounted is the word lot good Semites, a banking term and it means to put something to one's account for two credit something to somebody else's account.

So here's the picture Abraham standing before God was spiritually bankrupt before God. As soon as he said amen and trust in God.

The accounts changed. God took righteousness and credited to his account. He accounted it to him as righteousness God in civil Abraham. I'm glad you said amen to what I just said that's a good start, but now you have to do these other 36 things and get circumcise and get baptized and go to church every week and a few other things. Confirmation probably and then maybe then you'd be right. Performing God is that I consider you righteous before me because you believed by faith. So to the Jewish mind to the religious mind who were thinking I have to do my part. I earn a spot in heaven because I do my thing, let's go all the way back to father Abraham, who just believed and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

Abraham and his response becomes prima facie evidence that any sinful person can be right with holy God simply by faith. That's why it is use no less than four times in the New Testament to make that point when Abraham believed God, the law wasn't even around. Moses wouldn't be born for another 400 years, so there was no law of Moses, there was no circumcision yet.

In fact, look at verse nine does this blessedness then come upon the circumcise only upon the uncircumcised also for we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

How, then, was accounted while he was circumcised or uncircumcised.

Not while circumcised. But while uncircumcised, and he received this assignment of circumcision seal that is an outward sign of an inward reality seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised that he might be the father of all those who believe though they are uncircumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also. Now, later on he was 86 years old and God made a promise later on at age 99. Abraham will get circumcise. I can even go there again. Fathom doing that, but the point is, he did it after he believed and after he was accounted righteousness.

13 years after that he went through the ritual. So this is a living, active, vibrant faith Abraham is an old man and God is having him look to the future didn't have descendents manager can have kids and not look backwards. You want to stay young.

Say amen to God's promises more don't read them in the Bible go over that one year not so much this amen yes right on God. Don't be like the guy who said I get up each morning and dust off my wits. I pick up the paper and read the obits.

If my name is missing. I know I'm not dead so I have a big breakfast and go back to bed. Anybody can do that. That's not faith that's not living versus existing investors doing time. George Bernard Shaw once wrote, youth is a wonderful thing.

It's a shame to waste it on young people. You don't have to. You are as young as your faith.

You are as old as your doubt. But some of y'all need a faith left. If you know what I mean.

Abraham 86.

Said yes amen. Let's do this. Abraham's faith exhibit now we go little bit deeper to Abraham's faith explained.

I went to go down to verse 16. Notice the transitional word therefore therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace so that the promise might be sure to all the seed not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations in the presence of him whom he believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Paul is explaining a principal that he lays out again in Ephesians chapter 2 familiar text when Paul writes for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast. So Abraham becomes the prototype the poster child of salvation by faith, so that everyone else who believes simply after Abraham can trace their lineage back to father Abraham if you were to go to 23 and me and pay that hundred bucks you can find up all about your gene pool and were originated in kind of fun to do that you go to 20, not just 23 me but ancestry.com. Find out you know who the famous person as part of your background or lineage, but when you place your trust in Jesus Christ alone. You are placed in a spiritual heritage goes all the way back to the simple faith given by Mr. heritage that you can enjoy and like Abraham, you didn't work for you. Don't strive to get it. You don't go to a ritual to obtain it. All you did is stand there and say amen yes I believe that I believe in Jesus Christ.

And when you say I believe in Jesus Christ. I trust in him you are saved you are saved. Romans chapter 10 verse 9 to 10 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God. That is just the beginning.

And certainly you grow from that. Hopefully it works.

Follow which are not saved by them.

Those words those deeds that growth simply verifies that the faith was real.

Is that simple. Amen.

That simple belief in your heart makes you right with God.

Not everybody thinks that way. In fact, most people think exactly the opposite. Paul's audience thought, exactly the opposite, opposite Jewish people thought exactly the opposite made many people in ancient pagan religions that you have to work hard to do it. Most people today believe that most people think that it's sort of like a frog that fell into a bucket of milk couldn't jump out because the sides were too steep so little frogs and are trying to get out, paddling, paddling, paddling, paddling, family paddling paddling battling paddling eventually that milk turns in the butter. So he was able to do on a firm stance jump out and say himself by working so hard.

Most people believe maybe some of you still believe you've got to do something other than just believe. According to life way. Research three quarters of Americans, 77% say people must contribute their own effort for personal salvation. Half of Americans, 52% believe that good deeds help them earn a spot in heaven. This is why when you ask people are you a follower of Jesus. They never answer you. You believe in Jesus think I go to church. Tell me what you do are you a believer in Christ you follow Jesus.

My parents raised me to be a believer. They went to church. I think that they want to tell you what they do. I gotta do my part. Look at verse 16. Therefore, it is of faith that it might be according to what grace there's that word again grace unmerited favor undeserved kindness sheer generosity, grace that is Abraham's faith explain reps of Skip message from the Susan hardens right now to tell you how your support helps keep these messages coming your way and how it connects more people to Scripture, through Jesus Christ, you have the privilege of being in a relationship with God and the secure promise of a life with him forever.

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Again, that's 892 to 1888 coming up tomorrow Skip Heitzig share so you can develop an unwavering faith by following the same convictions.

Abraham had you do the promises of the stairwell I underlined them in my Bible in yellow and taken red and blue.

I have a little color-coded system for all God's promises wonderful positive law. I memorize them. That's good health with your full answer should be taken to the thing so Skip presentation of connection communications to God's unchanging truth