Champions of Faith

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham a little later in the program will tell you how you can get the best 21 message first hears Dr. Graham's message the champions Bibles turn with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 11. As believers we face challenges and difficulties in our lives that many are tempted to give up because faith is difficult. Faith is hard sometimes it's hard to believe, and so we need a faith that is founded on a future that is secure and trust in a God. We often say will Lord give me greater faith and I pray that the disciples prayed that Lord increase our faith. I pray that prayer often.

Lord, increase my faith. But remember, it's not the size of your faith that matters most. But most of the size of your God we have a great God who responds when we come to him in faith. And as we move through Hebrews chapter 11 it is a veritable Hall of heroes is been called the hall of fame God's Hall of Fame of the Hall of Fame. I'm calling this message the champions of faith because we are going to meet individuals who live their lives by faith, the recurrent theme of chapter 11 of Hebrews is by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, each one of these men and women live their lives based challenges in their lives, and overcame by faith and therefore they received the great reward because God is the rewarder of them who diligently seek him. And so what was true of yesteryear. Those believers way back. It is true for us today as a matter of fact, I've always love the stories of the Old Testament. My grandfather used to read them to me at when I was a little bitty boy I just reveled in those great stories and adventures of faith in the Old Testament believers in the course the story of Jesus, but the Old Testament is excited because these Old Testament heroes this Hall of heroes and many others are not listed here are an encouragement to us. There like a cloud of witnesses.

Hebrews 12 one. Having run their race or competed and finished the course, there now.

He understands the heavenly stands and their cheering us on. Because their lives propel us in our own faith is a pattern. Now remember the Christian life is is not a short run is not a Sprint. It is a marathon and a marathon with obstacles and therefore you need to be prepared long distances. Sometimes we look at these great Old Testament personalities and we think these are supersafe superstars. I'm not in their category. Well, frankly, every one of the men and women that we meet here in the Bible. Hebrews chapter 11.

They were very ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives by faith. What sets them apart.

What sets us apart is our faith. Now what is state why I should say at the outset, you're the faith that cannot be tested is a faith can't be trusted. So, expect your faith to be tested. But faith is interesting your life to God through Jesus Christ. And when you have that kind of faith you trust God regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the consequences. So let's take a look today at three of these great champions in Hebrews chapter 11 essay trio of trust if you will.

And these three men of faith offer us a powerful testimony today.

The first one is named eight. You no doubt have heard the story many people. Most people who don't even know much about the Bible know about the story of Cain and Abel, two brothers, sons of Adam and Eve in verse four says, by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain in which he was commended as righteous righteously God commending him by accepting his gifts and through his faith, though he died he still speaks by faith that we can do all kinds of mental gymnastics as to why God may have asked, sifted the offering of able and rejected the offering of K story is told in Genesis chapter 4 if you want to read about it later but the basic story is that these two men came with offering to God.

No doubt they've been taught by their parents, Adam and Eve of the need to bring a sacrifice and offering to the Lord for the forgiveness of sins and and so Abel brought a sacrifice. The first of his flock. Again, the principle of bringing my best to the Lord, and you can preach about that all day long. He brought the first of the best of the Lord a more excellent sacrifice, and Cain brought the fruit of the ground vegetables you could make this case that well one bought brought a really good sacrifice one just a plain ordinary sacrifice, but that's really not the point. The point the contrast between the sacrifice of Abel, which pleased God – the goal is to please God. God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him and therefore to please God. Faith pleases God as compared to the offering that was accepted because Abel please God and rejected because Cain did not please God is a very simple reason one Abel brought his gift by faith in the other Cain did not. Now Abel brought an animal as a sacrifice, and therefore perhaps taught by his own father's own mother about the sacrifice for sin, even in the garden of the at the very beginning of time. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they brought a sacrifice they slew an animal and covered themselves with the skins of those animals in the blood spilled in the garden and this scarlet thread of redemption.

This red redemption River begins to flow from the Garden of Eve throughout Scripture, because all the Bible believes it's all about the blood in the sacrifice that is made is pleasing to God. And so they learned that lesson and so Abel brought this lamb.

We don't know is it was a lamb as an animal, I believe it was a lamb because it is a prophecy is a precursor of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ who takes away the sin of the world, all the Old Testament sacrifices, beginning with Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel and all the rest of the Old Testament are portraits, pictures of the sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, the better sacrifices. Hebrews is told of Christ dying on the cross for our sin. There are two kinds of religion in the world you say no.

There many kinds of religions another just two kinds of religion to religion and false religion. What is true and what is not true and false religion is any religion that commends ourselves to God. False religion is all the religion that says if I bring the works of my hand. You see, that's what came to came brought the fruit of his labor work of his hands. If I was good enough. Somehow, for God is this powerful portrait is this picture of one who brought a blood sacrifice and the other in obedience to God and faith in God and another who came without faith and just handed over some vegetables from his garden to religion and false religion. The Bible talks about the way of Cain the way of Cain, which is the way of death. First murder happened shortly after this experience. Cain was somehow enraged by this event or something else, and he killed his own brother and Abel became larger in effect, because the Bible says Abel's blood flows from the ground cries out from the ground when it says that by faith Abel still speaks his blood is speaking to us today because his blood speaks of a greater blood. The blood sacrifice of Christ. I'm calling the faith of able Christian faith. What was this Faith Christian faith say how were Old Testament believers saved by looking forward to the coming of Christ to the cross of Christ believing in the one he was to come with essay by looking back and believing in the oneness, but all are saved by faith through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Abel, by faith, offered this sacrifice that was accepted by God because he gave it with genuine faith. Jesus said, those who worship me worship we was in spirit and in truth, so you can get all your money. Bring all your offerings, you can do many good deeds you can attend church 10,000 times you can do all of these things, but unless your faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ you're on the way of Cain and not the way of Christ which is the way of the cross, you come to the cross. The cross symbolizing the death of the barrel. The resurrection is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Abel still speaks today and what is he saying the gospel. The gospel Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except by me. That's why say there's true religion and false religion is either the way of Cain are the way of Christ and if Jesus is not the only way to have these none of the ways to heaven because he claimed to be the way, the truth about life and if you want to come to God the father you come through Jesus Christ.

Peter declared this when he said there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. The name of Jesus. The saving powerful name of Jesus you want to be forgiven in your sin, you want to know that your life is pleasing to God by faith through his blood sacrifice listening to PowerPoint with Jack Grant and today's message the champions and faith. We hope you're enjoying today's message and were excited to share that for a limited time gift to PowerPoint will be doubled up to $150,000 thanks to a generous matching grant to say thanks for your gift today send you the most popular and encouraging messages this past year together in one collection called the best of 2021. So, now you get double Panamax and request the best of 2021 is I think, 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to 313131 and visit Jack Graham.org shop E store.

Give the gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.now let's get back to today's message the champions of faith. Second, God Hall of Fame here in his name is Anna and his stories briefly told these are brief biographies, this one picks up from Genesis chapter 5 by faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken now before he was taken, he was commended as having please God. And then it says without faith it is possible to please God. So meet Enoch, and he is singled out as an example of faith because he walked with God hears was a continuing faith if Abel's faith was a Christian faith. That's how you get started by coming to Christ in pleasing God to the sacrifice of his son. That's how we worship God. That's how we connect with God then then Enoch is how we walk with God. The Christian life is described in the Bible as a walk is like a journey, and where on our journey home to heaven. And as we go we are walking with God's a beautiful picture why walking because as Christians we are followers of Jesus, right what a Christian is a believer is a follower of Jesus, not just faith and faith to faith in myself or faith in whatever but faith in Jesus Christ. And if you are a believer your following Jesus. If you're not following Jesus you're not a believer so is a walk in it it it begins and ends through and through. By faith we see this long continuous walk and as a matter of fact when you turn to Genesis 5 is an interesting passage like a walk through the cemetery because we mean all the genealogies of the early people on earth, beginning with Adam and Eve and it says that many lives over the years, and they died.

And then such and such so-and-so was born and he died in such and such was born and he died and he was born and he died.

He was born and he died and he was born and he died he died he died he died he died rather depressing to read the fifth chapter is a reminder that we all die, but right in the heart of that passage. It speaks of even when Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah manually longer than any man on earth even walk with God after he followed fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughter for 365 years. He was tracking with the Lord. He was walking with God walk with God means to walk with him as a friend is to know him to have a relationship with. That's what happened to this man Enoch. He started walking with God. There was a definitive moment in your life and you see that there came a time 65 years old but he was just getting started. Something happened in his life that brought him to face you know what it was when he was 65 years old eunuch walk with God after he fathered Methuselah the same thing happen to Enoch that happens to many of you are holding your babies today. Many of us, we held our children and we realize maybe you went to college, so some wild oats came out, you never know if you really go back to church again any sort of abandon your faith within that child came, God put a new life in your arms, you realize that I have a responsibility now. I can't I got and I'm going to grow up I need a genuine faith. I can do this on my own I married, I got a family now many men in this room you know it you came to faith in Jesus Christ, because you realize that God had given you a son, or God given you a daughter, and now you had the opportunity and responsibility to set the pace for your children for your family.

Set the pace for your wife spiritually set the pace for your family is what happened to this man and it was a moment in time. You see, you don't just, by osmosis, ease into the Christian life know there was a time of place. He began this walk with God and he walked in he walked any walk and there's an amazing miracle that Takes Pl. in Enoch's life at the end of his days the end of this walk. The Scripture said he was taken into the presence of Jesus. In fact, in the book of Genesis Bible talks about it says and he was not that his people were looking for because he was not. Why, because God took him. He didn't die and thus a firm here in Hebrews chapter 11 he was taken into the presence of God. One day he was walking with God and he never came back to earth.

The Christian is death is going home. The rapture, when Jesus comes to take us home is going into the presence of the Lord. We walk right into heaven. That's what that's what he this is a prediction of prophecy of the day when Christ comes to take us.

First Thessalonians chapter 4 when the trumpet was not sound of the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we who are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord will be caught up together with them in the air to meet the Lord in the air. And so will we ever be with the Lord. We will be taken like like Enoch translated like Elijah translated into the presence of the we keep our eyes on the horizon, whether it is to the Port Elizabeth doorway of death or whether it is through the rapturous return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are walking in the presence of the Lord. We are going somewhere going to heaven is one final man mentioned briefly. His name is Noah and he represents a courageous faith. You know the story of Noah and the ark and were told in Hebrews 6 as we meet this man that by faith. Verse seven by faith Noah, being warned of God concerning events, yet unseen in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his house so by this, he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith remembers not self-righteousness able taught us that correct not self-righteous.

Not what I bring but righteousness that is given by God through Christ and then we began walking with God we worship God.

We walk with God and then we start witnessing of our God.

That's what Noah did in his generation of very dark and depraved and degenerate generation those days before the flood of terrible time to try to walk with God exactly got right down to it, there were only eight believers in the entire world and that was Noah's own family. Everybody was an unbeliever. It was immoral.

It was file it was according to Scripture, it was overflowing with evil mind the minds of men were on evil only continually it is is a gross word used in the Hebrew really the overflowing of evil. It means the overflowing of a sewer. The overflowing of the toilet, that's gross.

That's the generation in which Noah by faith, built on our oh by the way, nobody even knew anything about rain and never rain before they lived in a kind of umbrella on Jurassic Park. I don't think that but he was an unbelievable creation before the rain punctured everything in the judgment came, but Noah began to build this ark and don't you know people thought he was totally insane, crazy they did. They mocked him crazy old man down there building a boating since it lets you get on the boat is going to write something called the flood were all going under nobody believe he preached he witnessed for 120 years and didn't have one single, nobody even believed it gets any better. He placed at this grace you get on this boat and you can be, say, walk up the plank of faith and get on the grace and you'll be safe after hundred and 20 years God's mercy and judgments are long-suffering, grace was available. Accessible all those many many years and and Noah preached to the priest and he preached in one day something started coming out of the sky little bit of time a little more little more seen anything like this and now it's raining. And then there's more rain and more rain and now it's flooding and people realized too late that that Noah was right that a judgment was coming because the Bible says it is a part of the man once to die, and then the judgment and the judgment was on God and shut the door. God put Noah and his family and me are the only people that believe were the eight and that was God shut the door and says shut the ratings falling people swimming to the art.

For God sake. No, but it was too late. Grace was no more.

And they all perished. According to the Bible save no who live by faith and preached by faith and he is a testimony today and along with this powerful story that the only way to live in days of judgment terrible days of the privacy and degeneracy and violence in vileness is in the world today are worlds, not as bad as Noah's world is pretty bad lease are more believers than eight times. I'm just telling you that I know it may be difficult to live for the Lord and in in times like these when so many are not so many don't believe your story. Many do not believe your words. I don't believe in Christ but by faith.

You keep believing and trusting in God, listening to PowerPoint with Jack Tran and today's message champions. I think prepared to step into my 28th year of ministry. Generous partners like you are enabling PowerPoint harness technology to take the gospel to close countries and hard-to-reach region and lines are being transformed by Christ, but in order to seize every opportunity God sends our way. Your support is vital to ensure PowerPoint finishes this year on a strong financial footing. That's why we are excited to share that some generous friends have offered to WTF this month to $150,000 to say thanks for your gift will send you the past 2021 CD collection featuring popular messages from this past year that will help you deepen your faith to calm down and asked to request 20, 21, as I thinks, when 800-7954 627-1800 795-4627 can also text PowerPoint to 313131. That's PowerPoint to 313131 and hopefully to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop store.

Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.what is your PowerPoint for today.you know, I truly believe faith is a must have walking daily with Christ. The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him as Hebrews 11 six so ask yourself right now, do I worry about how I'm going to pay next month bills or do I trust God's provision that he will take care of me.

Do I stress out over difficult situations. Trying to work them out on my own, only to fail again and again or do I have faith that God will work all things together for good and that my circumstances are always under his control. When I give them to him. Driver Lyle my own judgment in planning or do I trust in the Lord with all my heart, leaning not on my own understanding and acknowledging him in all my ways. Knowing that he will direct my path. In other words, MI relying upon God to provide wisdom as I seek to make good decisions every day.

True faith can only come through a personal relationship with Jesus and that faith relationship can only be deepened by spending time every day in the word of God, and remember what I said earlier about what faith is like is like a muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes, is not feelings or emotions but rather living trust.

Remember that faith is believing that God will do what he says he will do just as he promised in his word God requires you to trust them so please him today honor him today with your faith, and that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint double and will send – 20, 21 message.

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