The Bedrock of Faith

Introduction

In the 18th chapter of Luke and verse 8, I find one of the most intriguing questions Jesus ever asked. It was said after he taught the parable about how that as God’s children we ought always to pray and not lose heart. And the parable was about a widow who came before a judge who did not fear God. And yet she sought justice from him against her adversary. And the judge evidently postponed some time, but she kept on coming. Until finally the judge, though he said that he did not fear God, yet he would respond to her lest she weary him. And then Jesus made the application how that our Father indeed will hear us and will avenge us. But there needs to be that attitude, of course, of turning to God.

We ought always to pray and not lose heart. But as he completed that parable in verse 8, he raised the question, nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth? I’ve often thought about that question and how the answer should go. Why did he ask? Will he really find faith on the earth? Does he mean will he find those who like this poor widow who truly do believe in the Lord and trust in him and continually turn to him for his avenging, for his care? Will the Lord really find that kind of faith when he comes? Or when he comes, will it be a world that has become indifferent and turned against the Lord in the sense that they do not really trust in him?

Will it be that mankind will have come to a point of looking only to things that the eye can see and man can see and trust, and we depend and trust upon things that are more material rather than spiritual. Will he really find faith? I wonder sometimes if there are those who claim to have faith. But when you look at their lives and hear their words, they will take God’s name in vain. They will live ungodly kind of lives, sexual immorality, lying, like the world around, and yet they say they believe in God. Is that really faith in God? I think the real question ought to be when the Lord comes again, what kind of faith will he find in you? What kind of faith will he find in me?

Obviously the subject for this morning is about faith. The bedrock of our lives is faith. It is upon faith that we find ourselves having hope of the world yet to come because of the sacrifice God made through his son. Faith is also the means by which we learn how to live this life to the fullest. Faith. It is the subject that we will be dealing with throughout this month, Lord willing. But in a particular way, I hope at least every member of this congregation is well aware that next Sunday, Lord willing, Brother Sewell Hall will be with us. And the theme of all of his lessons, real faith does that. Real faith does what? His lessons go like this. Real faith saves. Real faith worships. Real faith walks with God.

Real faith lives as pilgrims. Real faith takes a city. I hope you’ll not miss a single service. Brother Hall is an exceptional, unusual man of faith and gospel preacher and evangelist. I first met him over 50 years ago when he and his wife just returned from living and preaching in Africa, Nigeria, to be exact. I’ve witnessed him as he’s lived in England, as he’s gone in many countries throughout the world, but even in our country, in places that were difficult, helping plant new congregations. He now lives in Atlanta. You’ll miss a great deal if you miss any one of the lessons that will be most edifying. Real faith. Do you have real faith? You see, faith is not simply words only. What real faith is and how important it is has to do with eternal life.

1. Faith Based upon Evidence

In Hebrews 11 and verse 6, the writer says, without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. While that is necessary to salvation, what is faith? It is in that same chapter in Hebrews 11 and verse 1. That there the writer describes faith as the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. Now, what does that mean? Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Evidence of things not seen. Obviously, right off somebody says, Well, why do you believe in God? Have you ever seen him? And the answer is no. Only through we sometimes use the word through the eye of faith, I know in whom I believe, as Paul wrote in 2 Timothy.

But in reality, we’ve never experienced him with the empirical senses of sight and sound and touch and so forth. But I believe God. Because there’s reasonable evidence that God is. It’s based upon some evidence, though we’ve never seen him. I mean, I have a television in my den, probably most of you do too. Do you refuse to turn it on because you’ve never seen the ones who happen to put that together and make it go? I’m certain that in the field of electronics, they know a whole lot more than I do. But you know, I am certain that whoever put that together is a lot smarter than I am. But I’ve never seen them, I’ve never met them. But I know this that that TV didn’t just happen.

It took some intelligence to do it. And in the order of it itself argues intelligence, doesn’t it? And therefore we use it believing that indeed there was someone who did it, not just happened. Oh, there are people who say, well, you know, our world just happened. But I say to you that there are stronger arguments, that the order of our universe, the expanse even beyond our own, that there is order that argues intelligence. And intelligence certainly argues God. There are places in this world you’ve never been, but you believe they’re there because of the evidence. Probably none of you have ever been to Sydney, Australia. Arlene and I lived there for two and a half years. And I can tell you a lot of things about that city.

And you believe because I can tell you about them. I can show you some pictures. And there’s evidence for believing there is such a city as Sydney, Australia. And so on, that’s what really we mean when we say there’s evidence of God. The Bible claims it to be that way. In Romans chapter 1 and in verse 20, the scripture says, even his divine attributes are clearly seen by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. So is the psalmist in Psalm 19 and verse 1. The heavens declare the glory of God in the firmament short his handiwork. Indeed, who can say every day as the sun arises, oh, it just happened? Or as we know, there’s an order to the day and to the night, to the changes of seasons.

And there are things that we know that are consistently over and over and over repeated that argues order. Order argues God. Have you ever seen Jesus? Well, no. But I believe there’s evidence that Jesus, the Son of God, was born. Born of a virgin, lived in this world, suffered in many ways as we do, tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin, that he suffered the cross, and he arose the third day. Why do you believe? Well, there are many witnesses to it. In fact, sometimes we talk about doubting Thomas. Have you ever thought about the fact that Thomas really does more to confirm reasons to believe? Why it was on the evening of his resurrection on that first day as Jesus appeared to his disciples, and all were there but Thomas.

And as Jesus made himself known to his apostles, when they told Thomas about it, he said, I will not believe till I have, till I put my hand into the print of the nails in his hands and into his side. Eight days later, Jesus again appeared, and Thomas being there. And when Jesus indeed exhorted him to come and fill the imprint of the nails in my hands or in my side, it was Thomas who said, My Lord and my God.

Until he had felt.

But we have evidence. We have evidence of these apostles, men who had nothing to gain by testifying that they had been with Jesus or that they knew him. They had nothing to gain except persecution and indeed early death. For indeed their lives were taken from them. They suffered much ridicule, abuse, and even Peter, who wrote in 2 Peter chapter 1, in verses 16 through 19, we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved son, in whom I’m well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with him on the mountain.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Now say what did Peter have to gain? It certainly wasn’t, it wasn’t any monetary gain. In fact, he lost his life as one persecuted, crucified, tradition says. But even Peter said he was not worthy to die like his Lord, and therefore crucified, hanging upside down. There was Peter, indeed, when the women came from the tomb that early morning of the first day, and they came back to tell the apostles that he is not there. You know, their words seemed as idle tales to the apostles. They were not looking for the resurrection.

They did not understand though Jesus had told them it would occur. They saw for themselves. Even John, the apostle who ran with Peter to that tomb, when he wrote in 1 John chapter 1, probably some 60 years after the occurrence of the of the tomb itself.

Two expressions there. It may look like it’s a repeat when he says, We’ve seen with our eyes and we’ve looked upon. Well, I can see you with my eyes. But that expression to look upon said there came to be an intimacy, a knowledge. There’s some of you who know me in a personal way. You kind of know the foods I like or don’t like, or etc. Many of you can say, Well, I’ve just seen Bob, but you John could say, Yes, we saw the Lord, our hands handle the Lord, but we came to know him. We spend three years closely with him, and therefore what we testify to you is not simply a mere apparition. It’s not simply some kind of myth that was told us that we ought to say, but we know.

Yes, men like that who gave their lives for the testimony as eyewitnesses. I believe. I believe the Bible to be the Word of God. I believe it to be the Word of God because there’s evidence that it is the Word of God. There are so many things within the Bible that one would say, if you’ve really spent much time with it, you know. Man could not have written it if he wanted to. Man would not have written it if he could have. He wouldn’t written it if he could have because it’s far too narrow. Its morals are far too strict according to the thinking of the world today. Man wouldn’t have written that book. And certainly man could not have written it if he wanted to, because it has many prophecies that were not fulfilled until hundreds of years later, for that matter.

Even the prophecy of the birth of Jesus in Micah 5 and verse 2 that he would be born in Bethlehem. How could Micah have known 700 years earlier where he would be born? Indeed, there are many prophecies. Man could not have written it if he wanted to, but only God, who inspired those men who wrote, and he would say, before they spring forth, I tell you of them. That’s what prophecy is about. A strong fulfillment to believe that the Bible really is not the word of men. There were about 40 different writers who spoke different languages, who lived over a period of some 1,600 years, and yet they did not write contradictory words. There are words that agree with one another, because it came from one mind, the mind of God.

2. Trust in God, Not Man, for Refuge

Indeed, I believe in God, in Christ, and in the Bible, the Word of God. And therefore, when we talk about faith, the faith that really is the bedrock of our life, the very foundation upon which we build our very lives, it trusts in God, not man. When I say trust in God, just to look at the history of God’s people, the past, indeed, one of the reasons why they were taken into captivity and fell as a nation is because they turned to men. Isaiah threw out his prophecy, the ringing fiend throughout his trusts in the Holy One of Israel. Because Isaiah lived in a time where some of his people turned to, well, other nations, it seems strong to help defeat their enemy. Well, how about Egypt?

Egypt is strong. Or even later, how about turning to Assyria? Assyria was a mighty power. And no men turned to those. They lost all because of it. God emphasized, He’s the one who lifted up these nations and gave them their power. Why turn to them instead of God? It is the Lord that created the heavens and the earth. And therefore, trust in God. And what that would mean is their trust in God even in times for refuge. In Psalm 57, if you have a Bible, you might want to turn Psalm 57 where and in verse 1. The psalmist speaks about having refuge even under the shadow of his wings. Psalm 57, be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me. For my soul trusts in you.

And in the shadow of your wings, I will make my refuge until these calamities have passed. Believed to have been written by David at a time when he was fleeing from Saul who sought his life and then gave. He has those that say, Lord, I trust in you. Under the shadow of your wings. Now we know literally God does not have wings, but it’s sort of a metaphor. We understand that the idea.

They find refuge. That hawk cannot get to her biddies until they’ve gotten her first. She protects them. It’s in that kind of a sense that David could say, I hide myself under the shadow of your wings. In you I take refuge. Refuge in the Lord. Do you find in him the strength, the kind of attitude that says, Lord, I know I’m imperfect. I know that because of my sin, even the Bible says that there will be death, separation from God eternally, sins unforgiven. But I believe that Jesus Christ is the one who gave himself for me. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21, him who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And so the scriptures are full of declaring how that God so loved, he gave his only begotten Son, that we, as we believe in him, there comes faith, that we may have everlasting life.

We hide ourselves in that sense under the shadow of God’s wings. We just sung one of our songs today, Rock of Ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let that be our attitude, that indeed the Lord, as the rock of our life, has provided for us shelter, has provided for us a place where we can go and certainly find forgiveness of sin. It’s like indeed in the Old Testament, where you may recall in Numbers how that God established Numbers 35, verses 11 through 32, how that he set up six cities of refuge. Three on one side east of the Jordan and three on the west side of Jordan. And they were set up on purpose. That if someone were to kill a fellow human being, he would flee to the city of refuge.

And there judgment had to be made. Now, if he was actually guilty of murder, he had he had no refuge there. He’d be set out. But if maybe he had killed another by some means of an accident, where he really would be acquitted or not guilty of murder, he could stay in that city of refuge. God has provided for us a city of refuge under the shelter of his wings through Jesus Christ, judged, acquitted, justified by his blood. God has made provision for us. And if you’ve not turned to him in that respect, you may say you have faith. Well, you have no faith, not the kind that saves, if you’re not willing to turn to him in simple obedience to Jesus Christ who loved you and died for you.

3. Trust in God to Share Our Burdens

But the scripture also speaks about how that we trust in God to share our burdens. In Psalm 55 and in verse 22, again, the psalmist says, Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Does anyone in this audience have a burden? To ask that really is the answer, isn’t it? Every adult, everyone at least of accountable age can say, yes, you know, we have a burden. It may be different from everyone, but as we live in the flesh, we find there will be different burdens that we share. It might be financial in this period of economic strain in our nation. It may be a burden of sickness. Maybe you have been to the doctors, but there’s prevailing illness and you’re concerned about your health.

Maybe there is the sorrow of loss of a loved one who has indeed given their life and returned unto the Lord. And you’re grieving because of the loneliness that you feel. Several years ago, several years ago, in fact, I guess I was taught a lesson I often think about it as a very godly woman in the congregation, witnessed her husband die a slow death by cancer. She made a comment to me, though, upon his deathbed that she said, You know, I’m going to miss him, but I’m not alone. You know, the Lord promised that he would be with me. And I believe that the Lord will be with me. I trust in him, even as Jesus in Hebrews chapter 2, verses 17 and 18. And much the same thought in chapter 4, verses 15 and 16, that even as he suffered in all points like as we are yet without sin.

And therefore he is able to understand the feelings of our infirmities. For he walk in the flesh as we walk. And he is able to come to the aid of those who have need. He’s able to succor them, one translation gives it. Do you ever lean on the Lord that way? And say, you know, I’m not by myself. In fact, no matter what the burden may be, I’m not carrying it by myself. I trust in the Lord. And he promised in Romans 8 28 that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the call according to his purpose. Now I say to you that that blessing that God will be with you and bear your burden and help you sustain it.

Starts with the fact is that you’ve turned your life over to him. And that you’ve indeed found refuge through the blood of Jesus Christ. You’ve obeyed the gospel. You know, there are a lot of people who want all the blessings of God’s care without giving their lives to God. You may be sitting in this audience today and saying, Well, I’ve never become a Christian, but I believe in God. Who are you kidding beside yourself? You’re not kidding God. True faith in God not only takes refuge in him and finds forgiveness through Christ Jesus. Indeed, there will also be that understanding. I’m not by myself. I walk in this world, and though there may be troubles that affect me, yet I know God has not promised heaven on earth, but he has promised it in the world to come.

4. There’s Support in Him

But even while on earth, he’s promised to help me bear whatever the burdens may come my way. He helps me even now. And I lean upon him. In fact, the third point I want to make is that there’s support in him. In Isaiah chapter 50 and in verse 10, the prophet there said, Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of his servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. I’m going to rely upon God. I’m going to lean upon God. Some of you have come in, you have a walker. Or maybe you even have a cane, and you’d have to say, Well, you know, that provides strength for me.

I can lean on that. I know what it means to rely on. I may lean on this pulpit. And if it were not here right now, I’d fall all the way to the ground the way I’m leaning on him. What do you mean? It’s a support. And the scripture says that the Lord can be my support. I lean on him. I find in him there is someone who will help me through whatever the burdens may be, even in my life. Leaning on the everlasting arms, we also were seeing this morning. Do you lean on God? Maybe you’re like the person, it’s an old old story if you’ve not heard it. If you have, bear with me about the man who was who was uh at an area high up in the mountain area, and he got too close to the edge and slipped and fell.

And as he was going down to death, certain it looked like, he happened to grab a lone branch. And there he hung. And he started calling out, is there anyone up there who can help me? He looked down and he knew a certain death if he let go. But maybe there’d be someone who could still help him up there. Anyone help? And finally the answer came from above. Let go. He looked down again and he saw certain death if he let go according to human wisdom. And so what did he do? He said, Is there anybody else up there? And maybe that’s the way we want to deal with God. Instead of really leaning on the Lord and trusting in him that he is there for support to share our burdens, and he will bless us through no matter what the difficulty in this life may be.

5. The Faith That Saves Is the Faith That Obeys

We sometimes want to know, is there anybody else? What can I do? I’ll work out my way. Is that what sometimes we who say we have faith? But really demonstrate we don’t have that kind of faith. Indeed, the Lord has promised to bless and to be with us. But again, all of this really depends upon the kind of faith that is more than mental. It is not simply saying, I believe. Oh yeah, I believe there’s God, but I might take his name in vain and might live ungodly lives. But I believe in God. You do. Maybe you don’t even take God’s name in vain. Maybe you don’t live immorally. Did you say you believe? Have you ever obeyed the gospel? Well, someday later I plan to do that.

Who are you kidding? Look at Hebrews chapter 11. A great chapter examples of faith. We’ve quoted from verse 1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We’ve quoted from verse 6 how without faith it’s impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. But I want you to notice what faith is all about. This chapter tells us in verse 4, by faith. Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. What did he do? Actions involved. That’s what I want you to see. He offered something, he did something. In verse 5, by faith, Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God had taken him, for before he was taken, he had this testimony that he pleased God.

He pleased God. There was some action in his life. Look at verse 7. By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear. Prepare an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. He actioned. He moved, he prepared. He did something according to God’s will. Look at verse 8. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. You know, that last part of that verse has always intrigued me. He didn’t say, Now, Lord, tell me where I’m going and give me the map.

Is it a good place, Lord? Is it better than where I am, Lord? He didn’t ask those kind of questions. If God called him and said, You do this, he went. That was the kind of faith Abraham had, to do what God said in God’s way. For God’s ways are not man’s ways. His thoughts are not man’s thoughts. As in Isaiah 55, verses 8 and 9, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts than your thoughts, and my ways than your ways. Instead of us questioning, there ought to be, if God said it, then I’m going to do it. That was the attitude Abraham had. In fact, you talk about a real test to his faith. You know the story of Abraham, you know that he and his wife Sarah had no children when God promised him that they’d be a great nation of his lineage.

They had no children. Finally, at age 100, for Abraham and 90 for his wife, a son was born. Had to be by the power and miracle of God, of course. But then as that son came of age, God told Abraham, You take him up on Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice. Would you have sort of said, now, Lord, have you forgotten that this is the promised son? Lord, have you forgotten we already’re older now than we were when this was born? Lord, do you. There wasn’t that attitude at all. In verse 17 of chapter 11, by faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Abraham obeyed. In fact, back in the story in Genesis 22, he went, he got ready the next day and went up toward the mountain.

It was Abraham’s faith that said, Lord, whatever you say, I will do. Indeed, faith. That’s the kind of faith we must have. If you want to have the assurance of God’s refuge, that he’ll bear and help you with your burdens, that you lean upon him and rely upon him for support. Because there is the attitude of walking in the works that God has ordained. I want you to notice the emphasis on that verse. In Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10. There’s a passage I think is often abused. In Ephesians 2 and verse 8, by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It’s a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Sometimes there are those who read these first two verses, eight and nine, and they quit on verse 9 when it says, Not of works, lest the men should boast, and they draw a conclusion. Men don’t have to do anything. You see, there, not of works, it’s just by grace. Well, notice it’s by grace through faith. And the word only is not in that text at all. The kind of faith that saves is the faith that obeys. And therefore we walk in the works God ordained. What you find in the Bible, the word of God, you learn what is God’s will for us to do. Another passage that certainly bears this out is in James chapter 2, verses 14 through 21, where the writer there says, What did it profit my brethren?

If someone says he has faith, but does not have works, can faith save him? He says he has it, but he doesn’t have obedience. And wherever you find the word works, you just substitute the word obedience, and that’s the idea. In verse 15, he examples uses an illustration. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it, Prophet? If you don’t have any action with it, so what? So the conclusion of verse 17, thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Dropping down to verse 24, after talking about Abraham, he says, You see that then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only.

Conclusion

I ask you, dear beloved, and the Lord comes again, will he find faith in the earth? But maybe more specifically and importantly, if the Lord should come today, will he find you a person of faith? Will it be said of you, Yes, I believe in God in my action of obedience? Proves it. I’ve obeyed the Lord. Jesus said, He that believes in his baptized shall be saved, and I’ve done that. Proving it, in fact, on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when after the resurrection of Christ, the apostles standing up preaching that first gospel sermon, and the audience said, What shall we do? As believers, they were pricked in their heart. The answer, repent and be baptized, every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Have you done that? As a believer, repented of sins, been immersed for the forgiveness of your sins? If not, why not? We offer an invitation this morning. And I appeal to you, if you are a believer in God and in Jesus as the Son of God and the Bible as the Word of God, then why not now? Seek that refuge in Him by yielding your life in obedience to the gospel command. Let us be standing as we sing. Won’t you come at this time?