10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 3 Oct, 2010 12:00 PM
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH-Heb 10:19-26, Heb 11:1-13, Matt 11:12, Daniel 10:10-14
The gift of Faith is talked about a lot in church. It is also used loosely in daily conversation. Whats important is what God says about Faith and why its important to us.
In Hebrews vs. 10 it says we should have BOLDNESS to enter into the Lord�s presence. This presence being also the throne of Grace.
When the prophets of the Old Testament entered into God�s presence, they fell to their knees. Being in sin is a death penalty from God so they fell to their knees so he wouldn�t kill them. God cannot look at sin. We are covered by the Blood of Jesus, washed clean and can enter into God�s presence with no fear of death. This is why we pray to God in Jesus�s name, so we are cleaned.
We have to go to the cross of Calvary to meet the Lord because he can�t and won�t come to us when we are in our sin. We must have Faith in the cross�s ability to do it�s work. This work is cleaning us of our sins so we can go to God in Jesus�s name thru Grace.
1) Hold Fast: We must hold fast to things that can bring more Faith into our lives. We are to hold fast to the cross, God�s promises and walk in Faith. God is not in Heaven counting our sins, ready to punish us. God wants to protect us and prosper us. But�..when we sin, we are putting a consequence into motion that was set before time by God. Sin has consequences that bring death and destruction. Just like dropping a pair of glasses, gravity brings the consequence of them falling to the ground. So is the consequence of sin.
Grace is the thing. When the cross is applied to our sins Grace intervenes and stops what we have set into motion by sin. We must have faith in Christ�s ability to do what He was told to do at the cross. Heb 10:19-20 We are to have boldness to enter into the holiest place by the Blood of Jesus, by a New and Living Way. Jesus Christ is our High Priest that we can draw near to. We can walk in a new way now since we got washed vs. 23. We need to hold fast to the cross because it is able to do great things in our lives. We should have a New Attitude. We should have Hope. Let our Hope be seen by others so when they ask us why, we can tell them about Jesus!!
FAITH says that no matter�NO MATTER what life throws at us, we BELIEVE that the Cross of Calvary CAN do what needs to be done in our lives!!
FAITH says that we believe and KNOW God is waiting to UNLEASH his blessings and healings on us.
2) Freedom is Worth Fighting For: Matt 11:12 No matter what comes in our lives, we can be free in the midst of hell. We should hold fast to Jesus, the cross, the crucifixion---No matter what!! We can be Free and God is with us! We cry out to God in the middle of our mess and He will be there. Freedom is worth fighting for. We need to fight the doubts that satan brings us. When satan comes to us with junk that�s against God�s promises, we need to go to the cross in prayer. We pray to God in Jesus�s name and He will meet us at the cross. Anything that tries to kill our joy, take it to the cross and God will stomp it down! The Cross has the power to raise us from the dead and put us in a place of honor.
Daniel 10:10-14 The angel comes to Daniel and tells him what God is going to do with him. The angel said that Daniel�s words were heard by God. Our words are heard by God. Our prayers go up to God because of Jesus and the cross. We must believe, have faith and
WAIT on God! Freedom is worth fight for because hell wants to steal our faith and joy.
3) We Must Believe there is a Miracle in Our Future:
Say out loud: There is a miracle in our future! We must have Faith like those in the bible had: Heb 11:1-13 Noah, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, Enoch, Shadrach, Meeshack and Abednego had Faith in God! They said God was able to DELIVER them no matter the circumstances. God was with them and they believed. Shadrach, Meeshack and Abednego said NO to bowing to idols and said that God would deliver them. They had Faith . We need to have Faith that thru the Blood of Jesus, we can go to God and He WILL do a miracle in our lives.!
Faith says==No matter what, God is able to deliver us from EVERYTHING!!
Faith says==If God be for us, who can be against us?? NOBODY!!
One Day we will be in the City of God where there is NO sin, NO death, NO doubt and just NO mess! In that day, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.! We need to hold fast to our Faith because the Day of the Lord is coming SOON!!
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 10:59 AM
@ ET: @ ET:You say,"God has created man for the sole purpose of coming into the fullness or lokeness of image of His Son Jesus Christ. " Why do you think this is true?
You also say, "We are born into the world equipped with qualities, everything God desires for us to have, on the side of our beings /nature in order for us to come into the image of His Son. Some people cultivate these qualities, some people don't. The saints and the sinners all have the same attributes and qualities, given to man instilled within the spirit of man, including the Spirit of the Lord. These things must be activated and developed and cultivated. No person born on this earth is born not being equipped with the Spirit of God on the inside, God tells us this that evreything He has created has His Spirit." Which would imply that we are all born in a state of being born again but some of don't manage to stay that way and others do. My understanding of the teaching of the NT is that we receive the Spirit of God when we are born again and this "quickens" our spirit, that is it comes alive. Prior to the presence of the Spirit in us we are spiritually dead. YOu sound as if you are a Universalist.
Then you say, "And this faith is the kind of FAITH that even the sinner has, because it was given as a part of man's nature, as a gift from God to get every man created a chance at life, just as God has given every person born a measure of love, peace and all the other attribute of His image, incluuding His breath, all a gift from God." but this completely disregards the Scripture Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
As for Jesus and the Disciples going to the Synagogue on the Sabbath it is important to remember that this is not an example to us that shows us we should go to Church. Especially on Sunday. If you choose to use this as an example for anything then I suggest you go to Synagogue on the Sabbath. It is also important to note that although the four Gospels appear in the New Testament they are not New Testament books. The New Testament did not begin until Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus was still living under the Old Testament Law and it was up to Him to keep the Law perfectly for us so that we don't have to. Rather, we are free from the Law because He kept it for us since it is impossible for us to do it.
You accuse those of us who seek to understand Truth and find it in the Bible as ones who twist the Truth to suit ourselves. The fact is that once a person decides to seek an understanding of God rather than an understanding of teachings the Truth becomes obvious. Just because someone does not agree with your version of Theology doesn't make them Truth twisters. It is easy to know who is seeking the Truth and who is not. Truth seekers are both teachers and teachable while those who think they understand everything they think they believe are usually stiff necked and always right. They are also generally argumentative, confused and lash out with false accusations because they are incapable of defending their beliefs with anything more than the rhetoric of their immoral and twisted teachers and leaders.
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 11:16 AM
I will not address any of the comments here any more but rather simply want to make a statement or two.
First of all I spent several years counseling people who were involved in churches that are part of what is called the "Word of Faith Movement". I have heard all of the arguments that are being made hear about faith and I have found it interesting that in recent years faith is treated like a very new and special discovery. Kind of like the way Grace was before it. In my counseling experiences I dealt with people who were accused of not having enough faith and not giving enough to God and other similar reasons for why their beliefs didn't "work".
I worked with these people to bring them back into a true relationship with God. They were lost and confused because all the teaching about prosperity, faith and giving and the promises of the ten fold blessings and all that stuff just didn't work out for them. There were not just a few of these people either. I worked with over 100 of them over a period of a few years.
Perhaps it is difficult for some Christians to understand because they are so locked up in the false teachings of the Word of Faith Movement but it is part of my calling and my mission to refute the teachings of these self proclaimed "anointed" men and women of God.
These teachers are false prophets and according to Paul they are anathema, damned by God.
It is a fact that we will never know or understand the complete Truth of God until we are able to stand before Him in glory and know with pure hearts. In the mean time we must be aware of what is being preached and the way people are affected by it. When nothing good comes of it then it likely came from nothing good.
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 01:15 PM
Thunder I was very surprised at your responses, and the gross error in your statements, It is one thing to expose Calvinism, but another to say that those that agree with the word of God are false teachers, according to Paul, I would expect you and all I have from you in the past to at least consider scripture instead of opinion.
Many of the statements you made are by no means in agreement with scripture, Faith is the most misunderstood subject in the word of God and yet in my book the most important.
If you will go back to scripture you will see at that the father does is of faith and faith alone.
Calvinism as an example cannot pass in any point of the tulip, the law of faith.
The word is very clear on the subject, and we should be one that knows and understand the topic before we say anything about it.
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 01:15 PM
Thunder I was very surprised at your responses, and the gross error in your statements, It is one thing to expose Calvinism, but another to say that those that agree with the word of God are false teachers, according to Paul, I would expect you and all I have from you in the past to at least consider scripture instead of opinion.
Many of the statements you made are by no means in agreement with scripture, Faith is the most misunderstood subject in the word of God and yet in my book the most important.
If you will go back to scripture you will see at that the father does is of faith and faith alone.
Calvinism as an example cannot pass in any point of the tulip, the law of faith.
The word is very clear on the subject, and we should be one that knows and understand the topic before we say anything about it.
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 03:06 PM
Well Oky Doky Thunder...but ima address what ya addressed to Ella...and Thank you for sharing your Statement about Counseling people and what they were dealing with...it gives a perspective of where you are comming form...This will be long...so please bare with...
Thunder Shared~ My understanding of the teaching of the NT is that we receive the Spirit of God when we are born again and this "quickens" our spirit, that is it comes alive. Prior to the presence of the Spirit in us we are spiritually dead. You sound as if you are a Universalist.
*** I find this Interesting�I know we are all Created by GOD and Born with a Soul and Dead in Sin�Dis-Connected from GOD the Father and when we are Born Again�it is the Infilling of the Holy Spirit & Fire that Quickens our Soul Sickness & Separation from GOD and we become Alive / Quickened in Spirit with and in Christ Jesus* therefore Bridging the Gap betwixt us & GOD�Universalist ? What is that ? Is that another Denomination ?...:excited:..
The New Testament did not begin until Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus was still living under the Old Testament Law and it was up to Him to keep the Law perfectly for us so that we don't have to. Rather, we are free from the Law because He kept it for us since it is impossible for us to do it.
*** I strongly disagree with this. I believe the New Testament began the MOMENT the LORD Jesus* was Prophesied in the OT and our LORD Jesus* ( The WORD ) was Born in the Flesh. Every account documented in the Good Book is a New Testament unto Jesus*�Birth, Life, Crucifixion, Death, & Resurrection�its All a Testament to Him & did Fulfilled those Prophesies in the OT�
Just because someone does not agree with your version of Theology doesn't make him or her Truth twisters. It is easy to know who is seeking the Truth and who is not. Truth seekers are both teachers and teachable�
*** Yup !!!�Some persons don�t always agree with others Theories� & Analogy�s�because it comes from Mans / Womens mind�Theory / Thought�a Analogy / Speculation�Not Truth or Fact. And your right�it is easy to know who is seeking the Truth / Jesus* and who is not�Truth Seekers IMO fall into 2 groups�
1 ) Those that seek Truth and Never really find it�they keep seeking anything other than�Jesus* I am the Way, the Truth and the Life�
2 ) Those that are both Teachers of Jesus* and Teachable of Jesus*�So�where does anyone of Us Fit ???�
While those who think they understand everything they think they believe are usually stiff necked and always right.
*** No one is Always Right or Always Wrong�Not even lil ole Me or PJ�.:rolleyes:...Its just that some persons will not be Swayed or Accept Other Than What They Believe and Know to be the Truth�Not ( Think ) they Believe or ( Think ) they know to be the Truth�Obviously one persons Truth is not another�s�it is called Divisions�and it�s a real shame�
Why for is everyone so divided on Buildings & Church�s, Organized Religions or Dis-Organized Religions for that matter�or if they Partake of a Saturday Sabbath ( which I do ) or Sunday Church Service ( which I also do ) ??? Hey now�does that make me a Universalist ??? Nahhhh�I personally could care less if a person Chooses To or Not To Sabbath on Saturdays or Go to Church on Sunday�What I doCare More About is that some Persons Learn to Accept an Acknowledge that this is a Very Serious Time in all of History�and We ALL Have a Part to Play in the Greatest Story Ever Ever & ForEver Told�
They are also generally argumentative,
*** All people are Argumentative when Something is Not in Agreement�Its called a Difference of. Or better yet a In-Difference of�Belief, Opinion, View, Perspective�Its Human Nature to be this way and that�s why we need Jesus* more than ever�He is our LORD, High Priest, Counselor, Comforter and Most Important. our Salvation�Thank you Father for Sending and Sacrificing your Only begotten Son�How is it that You Love such a Rag Tag Mis-Fit Bunch of Knuckle Heads like Us�
Confused and lash out with false accusations
*** Yup !!! Sometimes people do this�Please refer to previous statement�
Because they are incapable of defending their beliefs...
*** Nope !!! I Disagree�I believe and know everyone is very Capable of Defending their Beliefs�Jut some don�t know how to�They are just Babes suckling�and it is These lil persons in Christ Jesus* that Could be Mis-Lead by Wolves in Sheeps Clothing�( Pharasees ) I sure wouldn�t want a one of them lil Babes to Fall to the Wayside or Betwix the Cracks because some person says everybody here has it wrong and I got it right�They don�t understand the deeper Mysteries but I do�So Follow me�Sorry�That is Another Gospel�and Jesus* says�Beware of this�
With anything more than the rhetoric of their immoral and twisted teachers and leaders.
*** Rhetoric ?�Hummm�Immoral & Twisted Teachers & Leaders ? Well I would Trust that none of Us would be Fellowshipping with the Likes of these that are mentioned�Especially the Immoral ones inside Church Buildings�ya know the ones�they are called SINNERS�Lets Pray for Them & Us to while were at it�xo
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 03:16 PM
PJ, I am considering Scripture. I don't believe I have said anything in my responses that is not Biblical. I know I come up with some pretty off the wall stuff now and then but I am certain that just because someone is in a pulpit or on t.v. claiming to be anointed of God that doesn't mean he is.
I think that part of the problem I have is that we don't all have the same education here. I think it is important to understand the roots of teachings, why they exist and who is responsible for propagating them whether they are good or bad doctrines.
I do understand faith. I know what Faith is and I know what the gift of Faith is. I understand that all things come from God including Faith and having someone imply that I don't makes me wonder what makes them think I don't. I have seen the gift of faith in action. It is without a doubt a work of God and does occur from time to time but to say that all faith of any kind is a Spiritual gift is inaccurate. I believe I am a man of faith but my faith is based on believing that God will do what he says He will do for and with me and not on the way someone else thinks God will do what He says He will do. I also don't believe in interpreting Scripture from an English translation of the Bible. If there is no understanding of the original languages and cultures then many things can be taught from the same verses. The key is to know and understand proper Hermeneutics. That is, how to interpret Scripture. The first law of Hermeneutics is that Scripture interprets Scripture. Scripture is generally logical and follows a basic theme. All interpretation of Scripture has to fall in line with both. Everything in Scripture has to line up with the character and nature of God. He is the author and the book is all about Him. If anything that is preached does not follow these principles it is a false teaching.
I'm not arguing about what faith is I am saying that in the case of the sermon at the start of this thread the way that faith is being taught is not Biblical. Considering the source of the sermon and the education he has received from other teachers like him I can and will say that this is not a man that teaches the Word of God accurately and that was my original point.
10/03/10 Sunday Pastor Alex sermon: Back to the Basics: FAITH
Posted : 7 Oct, 2010 06:48 PM
Thanks Mr Row!
@God's Jude. Jesus Himself stated at the Passover meal before His death on the cross that the New Covenant was in His blood. Luk 22:20 "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." In fact the writer of Hebrews says, Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
The New Testament of the Bible is a New Will or a New Covenant made between God and man and signed with the blood of Jesus. It could not have been until Jesus shed His blood and sealed the covenant that the New Testament was in force. It was not until the death of the Testator that sin was overcome and it was in His resurrection that death was conquered. Until that time the Old Covenant was in force. Therefore, Jesus lived under the OT Law and not the freedom of the New Covenant.
