Faith Has Evidence Enough (Part B)

They did not get this testimony in some Cathedral somewhere locked away in a wrong. They were out in the world.

Trials gave them opportunities to demonstrate their faith and God uses them as sermons to us to encourage us and then God uses us as sermons to encourage others. We take the communion ball at the end of the community says you and you do these things you preach Christ when you come to the table with the body you break bread in communion as he said do this in remembrance of me.

You preaching a sermon. Do you believe that this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick in Hebrews chapter 11 with his message called faith as evidence enough Matthew for verse four.

As I mentioned man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth about how profound is that is such a simple statement coming from the very throne in heaven of God you live by my word.

All of it closure again is a W Dozier. It takes the whole Bible to make a whole Christian I love that state and you. Not many Christians don't want to get receive instruction from the pulpit. They rather get it from the Internet or clean it somewhere but they don't want to sit in the church and received the word. They want to be entertained and this unfortunate churches that entertain have full parking lots. Churches that preach the word, they don't. As a rule, John's Gospel seven verse 38 Jesus being here in the Army. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow living waters, living water, singular, Hebrews 11 verse six without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and and that he is a rewarder of those who trust him to the verses diligently seek him through hard work. So again you come to church some and I can keep up with this. It is hard there's no diligence there. Paul says study to show yourself approved, a worker who does not need to be a shame he's study means hard work is God not worth that much here some things about faith, we cannot dismiss it. Faith is such a big topic. You cannot exhausted but you cannot dismiss it either. Faith is not centered on what one can get out of this life, but where you go after how many Christians think faith is something to get something in this life to have fun with a better house, a better car, a better lifestyle is not faith doesn't mean those things are wrong in and of themselves, but that's not what faith is centered in faith is not centered in objects. It centered in a person.

What does he want with my life, lays hold of what Jesus is said what he is done and what he is foretold, that's big prophecy coming to to pass in our lifetime.

Just the last 50 years alone are astounding in detail. Setting up the stage for the big show. You go to the theater and if you happen to get there early enough. You're allowed in my the stagehands are putting the props in place. You can see what's going on where this is going that they set up a battlefield was going to be a battlefield scene.

They set up a kitchen is going to be food involved or something. Christ to set the stage to the prophecies in Scripture. Faith leaps into the light because of it based on evidence enough. According to the Scripture trusting God that is our shield of life and so Paul says take up the shield of faith that you going to need that if you're going to block what's going to come at you and there is going to be a lot especially the children of the world. The world is attacked with things. Part of being under the curse where attacked with the same things, and our faith doubts to challenge us to push us away to make is useless how many Christians right now be what I believe Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.

I believe I'm a sinner and only by him I'm safe will not come into the house of God, is it doing their thing. I think that's a noble and I understand I don't want to sound malicious, but it's not right you you have to be in on the field of battle will go come to some more of that in a minute but a difference between a saved person in an unsafe person is not that one has faith in the other does not have faith. The difference is what they have faith in, or who they have faith in everybody exercises faith, believe it or not you succumb into a building. You trusted that the structure is not going to randomly collapse, but of course, is much more to faith than just trusting in proven laws of physics. The unbeliever they trust something other than the Scripture we trust the Scripture.

And that's where the contest is faith being no greater than the object because the because is are important. Faith is not believing without evidence.

Superstition is that's what superstition is, throw some salt over your shoulder to ward off the demons put a rabbits foot in your pocket. You'll have a happy day whistle while you go to the cemetery and none of them will grab you. Whatever it it is faith, not super station. We don't have to let the world dictate to us what proof is proof the sports listen device to near zero world link. You know the pilgrims settled America in 1940 and they did it in Wyoming. They would laugh. We have records we have writing so you trust those things than what you marked the Scripture what you market when we trust the Scripture well this is the battle that we are engaged in faith rejects what rejects Scripture as part of faith to so here we go. The verses take this one from second Thessalonians. Now Paul is writing to the church. These new believers. They came to him when he came to them beaten. He and Silas.

They were they were scourged with canes in Philippi.

They made their way to Thessalonica. They were chased around for their faith and he gets there he makes converts hey, anybody want to be a Christian look look at the beating. We just took and that many of them said yeah everything is bad better than these fake idols on anything. Truth is better, and so Paul boast about them well when he left Thessalonica because they chased them out of Thessalonica.

They wrote that they wanted to know what is going to happen at the end of the world. So he writes to them, and he says there is coming a political leader who the world is going to love is going to have charisma, but he's going to be a liar. He's going to act like he loves the Jews he's going to act like he's everybody's friend and he's not and he gives us some information he says the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perished because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. For this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie guts is fine and everything I can to make you believe you reject that or I take a lie.

That's what you want here you go, so faith rejects what rejects Scripture.

They are rejecting Scripture Matthew 1312.

False Christ and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible. The elect Matthew 720 therefore by their fruits you will know them. The lying wonders, you see them do things you see it with these people in moral they are harmful. They are frauds.

Because of that. That's why the Lord says by their fruits you will know them first Timothy 41 now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons demons teach human beings and human beings only banal acknowledge their teachers was so surprised many of them don't acknowledge the creator commit fraud sign someone else's name. The creation of the world and that's what were talking about here, the creator and and all that he is doing but he says in the end times the going to leave the face. That's the apostate church that will be very much alive and well during the days of antichrist. Second Timothy 43 for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers are already doing this, I didn't like when he said about cheesecake is not our doctrine is never idle like what he said about Scripture it's always something else when when Christians begin to mock churches that preach the word, it is never the main thing is always a secondary thing. So beware and share with others who may do it. We could go on with that, he says here in verse one we are still in verse one, the substance of things hoped for the substance. Faith is the thing.

It makes all the difference with God.

Colossians when Paul was writing to a place called policies writing to Christians there and they were succumbing to all sorts of lies and so he takes the paper any deals with these lies and he says I know you got these rituals in these diets and all his other stuff and he says this, which are the shadow of things to come, but the substance is Christ there is a different Greek word he uses their the word that he uses for substance. There is the body.

The body is Christ of the life here.

It's the same thought different word and very important will open this word up substance in one moment we won't abuse it.

The substance of things hoped for the meet the body of it. The word substance in the Greek, which the Bible was originally written. We we have translated into various languages. It comes from two comes from one Greek word that is made of two Greek words and the two Greek words are stand under so if you look at the Greek word I don't want to pronounce it because I get it wrong and look sillier but if you take that one Greek word is a compound word to stand under it speaks of foundation, a pillar column a support member of a loadbearing wall. It supports says faith is the loadbearing wall. Faith is the foundation faith is the pillar faith holds it up. Without faith there is no substance in that the world proves they have not Christ.

They don't trust him. They have not the substance of things hoped for. Some translators translate the word assurance that is proper, that is not incorrect. That doesn't mean it's the only word they could've chosen substance is proper. Also, the words are to convey thoughts community that can to communicate and they do both words do that well too many have hopes built without consulting or trusting God without that substance, and so the evidence of things not seen proof enough knows a writer since faith is the substance that holds everything up is evidence here the concept we should have no problem understanding faith enables leaving soul to treat the invisible, as seen faith. Does that you are born again you see things that the world is not sedimentary NEPSY psychedelic trips or anything like that but you see, you've got it crystal clear. Second Corinthians that we quote Scripture because of God's word to us and it is without it we it's just gibberish. It's just a lecture on ideas, but when it is the power of God. We do not look at the things which are seen, Paul writes, but the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not our eternal spiritual realm, but there's this to spiritual realms to be concerned with their is the satanic spiritual realm. Everything opposite and against, and contrary to God, then there is the spiritual realm of the king. So evidence of things not seen.

Now when you if you were to walk and down in Manhattan Midtown Manhattan you go to the canyon of skyscrapers you cannot see that in massive structures, foundation, which you know it's there is no doubt because you reason you use your mind along with your brain and you that reasoning demands the fact foundation is there. Otherwise the structure would not stand oxygen invisible but we all believe in it God is evident in the unseen, and this is beyond argument to the believer, but not to the unbeliever again that they'll challenge the visible world bears witness of an invisible creator in the world wants nothing to do with that creation demands a creator, and yet they do not agree with that. Psalm 19 one the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. There's the evidence there's foundational there substance but it is not accepted in the court of the unbeliever and so that is faithlessness.

Verse two. Now we've covered.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the things hoped for.

For the believer is the will of God in the heaven that awaits us into condenser verse two for buyer.

The elders obtained a good testimony so there were others before us were not Johnny-come-lately's there are others who exercised faith and left the record behind the demonstrated the elders here the past heroes faithful Old Testament characters that he is going to list when and in the coming weeks will get to that. Of course, after all the centuries. One thing is left standing amongst the ruins of ancient Babylon one thing and one thing only the testimony of Daniel Mordechai investor Azariah Amisha Ellen had Anaya. Those testimonies are standing. Babylon is gone. Whatever ruins they were on earth. They are just that, ruins their conversation piece, but nobody lives there faith in action. Noah was a man who obtained a good testimony he knew what it meant to trust God and do something with the trust. Otherwise he would've perished in the flood will be getting to him in future weeks or days to come. Remember lots wife.

Those words ominous Jesus said them.

Remember lots wife call man anybody flirting with doubt, that was raised in the Jewish society when they heard him say remember her what happened to her. A human being turned into a pillar of salt by the will of God because of her disobedience because of her lack of faith. She refused to trust as she put her faith into action.

She would've been saved along with Lot and his two daughters. She was not as all of these heroes of the faith achieve the testimony in the presence of an unwelcome enemy life life with its curse and its Satan and all the things that go on, that's where they got their testimony. They did not get this testimony in some Cathedral somewhere locked away in a room.

They were out in the world. Trials gave them opportunities to demonstrate their faith and God uses them as sermons to us to encourage us and then God uses us as sermons to encourage others. We take the communion Paul. At the end of the community says you and you do these things you preach Christ when you come to the table with the body you break bread in communion as he said do this in remembrance of me.

You preaching a sermon. Do you believe that David he struck Goliath because Goliath was in range. That's what happens when trouble comes our way.

It's in range where in range to what the devil came again to David a second time.

There were other times with a big time in the form of Bathsheba, and he did not take the shot. He failed he had opportunity to rise above it. He did not. Well, that's not criticizing David. That's a fact because who am I to criticize David, I and you just as susceptible to him. Maybe not to that sin, but to something and the only reason why you not completely collapse because it's not been your it hasn't come your way and so we pray lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Anybody want to be tortured to see if you going to stick by the faith be crazy to say yes.

Revelation 213 Jesus speaking says I know your works. I know what you've done where you dwell hit. I got your number.

I know we live. This is where Satan's throne is where is that, well, you know, technically, is everywhere disease given is the god of this age, he has free reign to harass, not entirely free deals gets permission, but he gets a lot of it. He says and you hold fast to my name. You're right there in the minutes were Satan's and you hold to my name did not deny my faith even in the days in which Oedipus was my faithful martyr at the time the Lord spoke that Oedipus was with him in heaven. It was killed among you, where Satan dwells to see Satan came into range for Oedipus to take a shot and he took it by faith, and he died and he won in preparation for this morning's message yesterday morning I felt so unqualifiedly the Lord. I mean, what am I going to say about faith. I can preach all the bold things about it, but is it really mine and my just repeating things I've picked up in the faith from others I felt inadequate.

I know I do all the time in the presence of God's word, but this was little different and I do what I usually do when I get to those places.

I take a pen and pad and I begin to write my prayer to him. I begin to write to God, Lord, I can do this but I cornered.

What else can I do. I'm not as strong physically as I once was. Time is catching up in my faith. This seems like yesterday was so much stronger as a believer, but over the years I've taken so many had so much failure so many defeats.

Maybe we can just rush through these verses and get to the heroes of the faith in God spoke, he said and wrote it down as I wanted to get it.

As he said it to me you would never have suffered those defeats the hurt to shame the frustration the despair the doubts and the victories had you been off the battlefield. If you did nothing. If you served yourself in my name you never would've been there to suffer like this. The enemy is common range you took shots.

Furthermore, he said on the battlefield of sin, love suffers long first Corinthians. Sounds like a Bible verse first Corinthians 13 four love suffers long and don't leave this part out. Love suffers long and is kind how many of you feel betrayed, wounded, and you think you're justified now and not being kind strike back and retaliate.

You are a counterpunch or at that point instead of saying love suffers long and is kind. Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He says suffer the loss you go to the world with these troubles suffer the loss and want to suffer, we will learn if you going to have the faith that goes into action that counts long term, you better learn first Peter four beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.

That's what happens when we get a bad report from anything that very serious.

Satan comes along and says it's you you're singled out as you're the goofball. Not if you'd if you been obedient of you been a good Christian's will never happen to you is line happens to the best Christians. In fact, the closer you walk stronger your faith, the bigger the target you become, you will draw fire, make it count.

Some of you will just suffer because you don't serve you do nothing for the kingdom. I'm not trying to bash you these are the facts so your suffering doesn't count like it would if you're taking hits in doing what you're supposed to do and this is a process is not a stamp of the finger moment the process of asking the Lord what'll I do admire. Then he tells you. Then you begin to do it and then you find is drudgery involved held God's not in this. Oh yeah, he is suffer long and is kind so Peter says, but rejoicing is writing to a persecuted church, he says, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed. You may also be glad with exceeding joy. He says make it count just suffer like the world doesn't get nothing in the end. First Peter four. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the same spirit for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Their party is blaspheme your part he is glorified. So when they said hey Peter were suffering persecution. What is the great apostle at the St. Louis.

He says suffer suffer like believers, suffering, faith you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio