Wednesday, October 11, 2006
By Faith... Abraham - Part II, Part 32 of 79
TEXT: "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude--innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore" (Hebrews 11:11-12).
IDEA: Easy Believism is not in contrast to Hard Believism.
PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate the different aspects of faith.
Have you ever heard anyone refer to "easy believism"? What do you think they mean?
Do you think that belief or faith comes easily?
The Bible refers to belief and faith in different ways, all of which have significance.
I. We can refer to faith as a body of knowledge that Christians affirm.
Jude 1:3 refers to this use of the word faith. What does he mean?
It is also what many Christians recite on Sunday morning in the Apostle's or the Nicean Creeds.
Is reciting a creed enough to establish a relationship with God?
Does it mean that these affirmations are unnecessary? What good are they?
When someone says she believes in God, does that make her a Christian?
When someone says he believes in Jesus, does that make the person a Christian?
II. We can have a deeper faith that the body of knowledge is true.
James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. You do well."
Why was this affirmation of faith important in the ancient world?
Was it essential to believe that there is one God?
James goes on to write, "Even the demons believe that and shudder."
Do you think that the demons are orthodox?
Do you think it is merely a "statement of faith" for the demons?
What do you think it means, "they shudder"? Do you think that demons are believers?
III. We have the deepest faith when what we believe shows up in the way we live our lives.
Hebrews 11 describes people who live by faith. What does that mean?
Were these people "perfect"?
Were they really believers? How do you know?
What is "easy believism"?
How many good works do you have to have to demonstrate that you are really a man or woman of faith?
