Portrait Gallery of Faith (Part 2 of 3)

Faith is believing it's taking God at his word and doing what he says in Hebrews chapter 11, the author gives a list of men and women who were exemplary in our faith. So how can we stand on God's promises just as resolutely as they did today on her life. Alister Greg examines the simple faith of men in Genesis 5 verse 2165 years he became the father after he became the father of Methuselah in our walk with God. 300 years and had other sons and daughters altogether. Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God than he was no more, because God took him away.

There were at least two volumes in his life.

Volume 165 years, absent any faith in the living God. Volume 2 faith in the living God.

You have two volumes in your life you would say here is 20 years 30 years of my life and I live without faith and got a tall and as of this day, I began to live with faith in God, she faith is a decisive act. It would simply drift into there has to come a time when you start believing in yourself and you start believing in God we stop depending upon yourself and things you can do to make your acceptance to God and you say I can make myself acceptable to God, and therefore I can do anything else other than what the engines dead and that is to God's word and regulate my life, on the basis of and as a result of that, Enoch walked with God. All of his days as a result of the fact that he walked with God. He was taken away and he didn't taste death.

And in this he anticipates the glorification of the body, which will be the experience of believers when that when Jesus Christ returns is not what we saw in first Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 60 for the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. And after that we are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and will be together with the Lord forever.

Where did you go you into God, where did Elijah go. He went to God.

Some your sitting there seem like what happened to hundred and 20 seconds after this. Where did Enoch actually go where was he a brain that works like that. I need one with God and he was no more, because God took him to come where we are.

Where was he same question you have in relationship to Elijah in two games due to the same question you have in relation to the ascension.

He was taken up out of their site where no let me give you a quote in relationship to this so you don't waste your time on it is better to pass over the subtle questions with which curious men and women harass themselves let us leave this elite philosophy to those with small intellects which cannot find a firm foundation. It should be enough for is that the rapture that is Elijah. Nina was a kind of extraordinary – and we should not doubt that they put mortal and corruptible flesh to be renewed with the other members of Christ in blessed immortality enough as Trapp says in an earlier generation change this place but not his company 40 still walked with God as an error so in have you see, he walked with God before he was taken away.

He had if you like been translated into the round of God's presence while he lived his physical life, and then for him the experience of heaven would simply be to be removed into the fullness of it all. It was a change of company for him. When a person is redeemed, as it says in Colossians 1 would been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son that he loves and therefore for us to be taken out and gathered into heaven is not to change our companies simply to change our place if were going to spend all of eternity and worship then and worshiping down here. We simply get cranked up and ready for going if willing to spend all of our time in fellowship and adoration than our expedients down here is a preparation for what happens out there, but he walked with God before he lacked.

He didn't leave so he could walk with God. We don't walk with God on our we don't live with God in heaven. It's as simple as that. So far able you look at his portrait for able faith meant offering his very best to God for enough faith command walking with God. Every dime mention of his life under his control and his constraint and interestingly, when you read in the Old Testament.

It doesn't say that Enoch had faith, but the New Testament writer begins verse five by saying by faith in so how can he speak of Enoch's faith with confidence will the explanation is in verse six we see verse six is not an evangelistic verse to be on there from the context and without faith it is impossible to please God. What we know that Enoch please God. Therefore, we know that Enoch was a man of faith. Now you see this faith in God is more than an acknowledgment of the fact that there is someone or something this faith in God is actually more than an Orthodox understanding that there is a God, because in James 219 it says that even the demons believe in the orthodoxy of God as Creator and Redeemer-based times height is the area of a triangle.

The law of gravity was established by experimental knowledge and the constant apparent dropping of an apple from a tree. I know about that mean something to me and stop me from sliding up the street, but neither that arm's-length knowledge or experimental knowledge is to be acquainted with the knowledge of genuine faith and trust in the living God.

That kind of faith that gives my best to God. The kind of faith that walked with God is the faith which comes about as a direct result of an encounter with God in the late 60s and campfires, we used to sing the song in the stars his handiwork.

I see and on the wing. He speaks with Majesty and though he rule in Overland and see what is said to me, I will celebrate nativity because it has a place in history. Christmas, though he came to save his people free. What is said to me.

Then one day I met him face-to-face and I felt the wonder of his grace.

Then I knew that he was more than just a God who didn't care who lived away. There now.

He walks beside me day by day. Now he keeps me in the narrow way. See some of you are here this morning.

You're desperately concerned to get a little more religion in your life and is frankly killing because what it is doing is it is telling you again and again and again that there are certain things you need to do and the harder you try the worse it gets, and so far you've come to a knowledge of our God is a God who is away on their you're not sure whether he cares and what is the difference the differences that you need to meet him face-to-face. You see, creation is a signpost which sends us for so that you might be brought to that great signpost, which is the cross of the Lord Jesus and suddenly you realize that your own sin in your own rebellion in your own sense of emptiness is answered better that cross and it is in that that we come to a knowledge of the living God, which is been intimated in his creation, but which has been given fullness in the Scriptures, and in Jesus. Well, let's go to Noah for able faith meant giving his best to God for Enoch men considering walking with God. The most important thing in his life and for Noah, it meant that he was concerned for the salvation of his household. Now you need to go to Genesis again for the story and we don't have time to read it all, but I want you just to know where it is and you go to Genesis chapter 6 into chapter 7 you get this remarkable story of how Noah receives the warning of the impending flood and he responds to it with implicit faith despite every appearance to the contrary, God says to them now know this what I want you to do and for the hundred and 20 years God expresses his patients and the faithfulness of Noah as he preaches he is a preacher of righteousness were told serves not only to hold out the way of salvation to his listeners, but serves according to verse 7B to condemn the world, he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Every time Nora stood up and proclaimed to the people. The judgment of God.

He called in question their lifestyle and out onto the terrain of his day comes, this man and he says ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that there is a judgment and it is coming. They said I know your crazy man, no, no, says Noah, God is going to flood the world and that's why had started building this art down on the coffee shops. The hangman overhead of all the things that have happened so far in our world. There is nothing more bizarre than this guy Noah. He's got a boat thing going in his backyard. There's not a drop of rain in sight were a million miles away from the coast and he's planning so apparently there's going to be some big flood, man oh man, what will somebody think of next.

Noah stands out again. He says guys are going to tell you it's appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes judgment, but if you will plan on getting yourself in through the door. Here and when the flood comes you'll be safe know where in the world did he come up with that. Why would anybody preach that unless God told him to preach that Noah I want you to build an ark.

We take your family and to be saved and no I want you to tell the people about the possibility of salvation. Now you don't have to be a genius to allow your mind to fast-forward and what am I doing here are my dear, I'm here to tell you it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes the judgment. Eternity is a long time will either spend it in heaven with the Lord Jesus or we will spend it in hell without the Lord Jesus, and it will go on forever but God, who is rich in mercy, has as in the days of Noah provided a way of escape, so that those who are humble enough to admit their need to confess their sin and to believe unreservedly in God's promise Mekong by way of the cross to the place of freedom, forgiveness, redemption, and safety. But if you would rather stay where you are. You will die in your sentence and use it week after week and you say who is this guy think he is, where does he come up with this stuff.

Why would you be so passionately concerned about for the same reason.

I think God as his war. I see what he told me to say because I must remember I didn't want to do this and most Saturday evenings. I don't want to do the and by most Sunday nights I have decided that I'm never doing it again, but I can stop because I want to tell you about the love and the patience and kindness and goodness of God. That 420 years.

He had his man say you have to go through this.

You know you can come riding in here were not going in that spin: member the story of Naaman go wash yourself in the Jordan dip yourself in seven times. Hey y'all realize who I am doing you realize that I came here in a stretch limousine know you realize my influence did myself in the Jordan you crazy like so you said you realize what school I went don't you realize how successful I am doing realize how much I am giving to charity are you honestly telling me Alastair back that I must come and bow down before the cross of Christ and that the entryway opens to me on my knees absolutely that's the way those who are earnestly seeking God, but for those for whom religion is an esoteric interest.

I know of body religious experience. No change. Listen to this court and I'll just wrap this up.

The example that is here in Noah is the more instructive as it naturally and necessarily brings before the mind, the fearfully destructive efficiency of unbelief. You want to remain an unbeliever. Go ahead and remain an unbeliever, but don't consider the fact that you may remain in your unbelief and not be destroyed for on believe just for not believing to remain in unbelief is enough to destroy you for all of eternity to believe in yourself rather than to believe in God. To believe in modern wisdom rather than the wisdom expressed in the cross, it will destroy you.

The world perished had materially the same message delivered to them as Noah received had they repented. There is no reason to doubt that the fearful infliction would not have taken place. Noah believed and feared and obeyed and was saved. He believed and feared and obeyed and was saved.

They disbelieved law were disobedient and perished, he feared and believed the obeyed was saved, disbelieved law were disobedient and perished. So let's imagine that are two doors out of what you can go over here is Noah's door, he feared, obeyed, believed and was say that's the Noah door. That's the other door they mocked, disbelieved and went on their merry way and were destroyed as the symbol is this was Dori walking out this morning you going to go out as an arrogant unbeliever. Are you going to go out with Noah is a significant I'll tell you significant when Jesus in Matthew 24 is recorded for speaks about the time of his return.

What is he say it will be like in part, he says, as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the day of the Son of Man. When Peter addresses it in in second Peter chapter 3 he uses the very same picture. Listen to what he says.

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires.

They will say where is this coming of Jesus Christ.

Ever since our fathers died, everything is been going on since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forget what are they deliberately forget the big deliberately forget the flat they deliberately forget that long ago by God's words, the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water and by these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed by the same word by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men, nor stands up and he says there is going to be a fly in your bedding in the art gives it blot out your ear and down through time. Others, like myself, standing for men and say that is going to be a judgment, you better hide in the cross and is a blow to but do not forget this one thing, dear friends with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. Listen to this. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness.

Why doesn't he just do it. Why did he have a flood on day two. After all, they were a bunch of miserable wretches. Wendy finally have them stand up and say 24 hours flood in the world get in the art hundred and 20 years. Why, because God is not slow concerning the fulfillment of his promise. What is he he is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but desiring that everyone will calm to repentance and those who do not come to repentance will for you to come to repentance. As a result of sticking their fingers in their ears putting their hands over their eyes and running out in there on believe choose you today, whom you will serve, this little PS to let you go noise impact on his community. If you think about it was related in part to his preaching, but actually his obedience was maybe a more powerful impact because you see men and women this morning are influenced not only by what we say to but by the way we respond to what God has said to us for real. Back to work tomorrow. If you come in 15 minutes late and leave 15 minutes early. You made a direct statement about the nature of Christianity, a real bad and they don't care about your bumper sticker.

They don't care if you love bumper stickers, so much so that you don't have a bumper big enough to carry because they're not only listening to what you have to say they are watching to see how we respond to what God said to us. They know that the Bible says you shouldn't steal there watching to see if we still they know the Bible says we should have no gods before him there watching to see if we worship God with all our heart and soul and life. They know that the Bible says you shall not commit adultery there watching to see whether by our language and our posture in our lives that were violating this command and our Christian obedience is one of the most decisive impactful factors in seeing unbelieving men and women become committed followers of Jesus Christ. See because when in the coffee shops were saying to one another.

What is Noah saying down there, a lot of them the same fellow like me.

I don't know what he said but I'll tell you it's going to be important because he's out there every day and he's got nothing to go on except the commitment that God said and he believes it, and he's going to regulate his life. According as faith is that your faith a compelling question from Alastair Beck today on Truth for Life were learning about men and women in the Bible who demonstrated faith by believing God's promises and obeying his commands.

It's easy for us to forget that these were just ordinary people like you and me, but God chose to use them in spite of their doubts, their fears and their failures and he can do the same with us. That's why we've selected a new book by Nancy Guthrie to go along with her studying the book of Hebrews, today's the first opportunity I have to tell you about the book is called God does his best work with empty loneliness, loss, unfulfilled dreams any of these circumstances can leave us feeling profoundly discouraged and empty. What could we possibly offered God. This book provides hope and help regardless of the cause of your emptiness Nancy right to assure us that God never sees us as useless, even when we feel depleted. God does his best work with empty requester copy of the book when you donate could do that by clicking the book imager CME app can call us at 888-588-7884 Bob Lapine copy of a great weekend and hope you're able to worship with your local church this weekend. Alastair continues her studying Monday. As we look at a man whose faith led him to wait for the impossible. I hope you'll join us. The Bible teaching of Alastair Beck is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living