Sermon: Reading the World’s Best Seller

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
(Chatham Citadel – September 26^th, 1999 AM)

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about studying God’s word. One of the “Staples” of our Christian faith along with prayer.

Paul writes in 2nd Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” So far, so good. Most of us can say “Amen to that”, but how well do we know these scriptures? How do we know that these particular writings are God-breathed? How do we know these verses are so useful in our lives?

There is a story of a new minister who was asked to teach the boys’ classes when their regular teacher was absent. He decided to find out what the boys knew, so he asked them who knocked down the walls of Jericho. When every one of the boys declared that it was not them, the preacher was appalled at their ignorance. At the next deacon’s meeting, he told about the experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the walls of Jericho!” he lamented. The group was silent until one seasoned veteran of the church spoke up, “preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born, and if they say they didn’t do it, then I believe them!”

Now, before you laugh too quickly, perhaps it is time for a quiz… Not a hard one, and the only one that needs to know how you did is you, so here we go. There are five questions. I’ll read the question, then after a moment, give you the answer. Each time you get an answer correct, count another finger. When we’re done, we’ll see how many fingers you have up.

1. True or False – Jesus was born in Jerusalem?

- False – Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem where his father was returning for a Roman census Matthew 2:1 – in research by George Barna, only 61% of Christians, and 55% of non-Christians knew Jesus birth place.

2. True or False – As well as being known for doubting Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas is the name of a book in the Bible.

- False – While Thomas did indeed doubt Jesus’ resurrection, (John 20:25), stating that he would have to put his finger into the holes in his hand to believe it, there is no book of Thomas in the Bible. One quarter of Christians get that one wrong.

3. True or False – the phrase “be sure your sin will find you out” appears in the Bible.

- True – Numbers 32:23 – After Moses divided the Promised Land among the Israelites, the tribes of Reuban and Gad requested land on the east bank of the Jordan. Moses granted their request but made them promise to go to war to conquer the land on the West Bank. If they broke the oath, Moses warned them that God would know.

4. True or False – the phrase “God helps those who help themselves.” Is in the Bible.

- False – Thomas Jefferson is credited as having said this famous phrase. The nearest thing in scripture is “The Lord helps [the righteous] and delivers them.” (Psalm 37:39-40)

5. True or false – The commandment “Thou Shalt not Kill” was the second commandment on the second tablet.

- True – The two tables given to Moses (Exodus 20:3-17) were divided between commandments relating to God, and those relating to man. When Jesus gave the two greatest commandments, (Matthew 22:37-38) he was really summarizing the two tablets made up of four commandments which referred to Loving the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind, and six commandments relating to loving your neighbour as yourself.

Now, how did you do?

Of course, if you made a mistake or two, you probably aren’t the only one. You are in good company; many people have made mistakes, even in translating and printing the Bible. The first English language Bible printed in Ireland in 1716 encouraged its readers to “sin on more” rather than “sin no more”, and a 1702 edition quoted King David as having said “Printers” instead of princes “have persecuted me without cause.”

If you made a mistake or two, however, hopefully you are challenged to get out your Bible and study it more. Even when we find it difficult to understand, we should only be spurred on to dig deeper and learn more.

Phillip Brooks once said, “The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it and so they see only the dead letter.”

Again, John Underhill tells a story from when he was painting the home of an 89 year-old lady in Spokane Washington. She had a large family Bible prominently displayed on the coffee table. The lady remarked that it was 116 years old and a priceless heirloom.

After commenting on how remarkable that was, John added “It doesn’t matter how old the Bible might be, what’s inside is what matters.” And the lady immediately replied “Oh, I know. That sure is the truth. Why, we have family records and births and marriages and deaths that go so far back, all recorded in that Bible; we could never replace them!”

It warms my heart when I visit a home, to see a worn out Bible on a table, filled with bookmarks and old bulletins, scribbled in and underlined. It means that the book is read and studied. It means that the person who owns it considers it more than a trinket to be placed on display.

The passage we read from the book of 2^nd Timothy is a record of Paul’s instruction to the young man who was working in the church in Ephesus. In it, he reiterates the importance of scripture. Let me read for you again the three verses from 2nd Timothy 3:15-17:

“…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Without getting into a long discourse on how we came to have these sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament, and 27 in the new. Or how they can be split into Pentateuch, Poetry, Prophets, Gospels, Letters and other divisions. Or how the writing spans millennium, or how the central theme of Jesus the Messiah keeps cropping up all through the collection. Without dwelling on the thousands of years of commentaries, and exegesis, there is really only one question that begs asking; have you read it?

Paul begins by saying Timothy has known the scriptures from a very young age. His mother and sisters taught him and his understanding brought him to knowledge of Jesus Christ and faith in His Salvation.

It would be enough if that is all the Bible did for us, but there is so much more; it is useful for teaching us, for telling us when we are dead wrong, for setting us on the right path, and for showing us the better way. It is also full of comfort, and joy, as well as wisdom. There is something for every one, and for every circumstance. The catch? The only catch is that you have to read it – really read it - to understand it – and more than read it, to take it to heart.

Some people think they know the Bible. They can quote verses to you from it in almost any situation, and yet they can also somehow miss the point.

There was a lawyer one time who thought he knew the Bible and tried to use a quote from it in a case.

He thought he would make a great impression on the jury by quoting from the Bible. So he said concerning his opponent’s client, “We have it on the highest authority that it has been said, “all that a man has will he give for his life.” But the other lawyer knew the Bible a little better, and said, “I am very much impressed by the fact that my distinguished colleague here regards as a highest authority the one who said “All that a man has will he give for his life.” You will find that this saying comes from the Book of Job (2:4), and the one who uttered it is the devil, and that is whom he regards as the highest authority!”

For hundreds of years, the Catholic Church kept the reading of the Bible to the elite – the priesthood. The result was a biblically illiterate mass of people.

In 1456, Gutenberg completed his three-year project to print a bible using moveable print. Since then, literally billions of copies have been printed and distributed, and yet there is still an immense number of biblically illiterate people in this world.

Even now, Christian believers know little of the bible’s history, its content, its structure, or the doctrines it contains. There have been two thousand years worth of classic works on the Christian life, basic theology, biblical language, and biblical ethics. How is it then, that those who have devoted themselves to lifetime habits of study in areas such as law, medicine, farming, and industry, sales and science, have only an elementary level knowledge of the Bible?

How is it that High School students can be taught and understand the complexities of computers, foreign languages, DNA, and Euclidean geometry, but cannot understand the basic principles taught in the sermon on the mount, let alone know who delivered that sermon.

How is it that people can teach Sunday school for years in a church, but find new truths in a beginner’s bible study, or at an introductory course on the bible at university or a bible college?

Why is it that when I talk about Bible Study, it is viewed as a task that is the sole responsibility of the pastor to undertake? Why do people think that a poor lay person has not the ability to comprehend the deep meanings contained in the Bible? Oh, my!

Let me say it now, clearly and without qualification. If you are not in a bible study, either in your own personal time, or with a group of friends, then you are starving yourself spiritually. There are plenty of good books at the Christian Book store to get you started if you feel uncomfortable with sitting down with only the Bible in front of you. There are friends and neighbours who would likely love to join with you to talk about the scriptures, and there are plenty of books to help you when you get stuck, as well as people in the church who will try to answer your questions.

Don’t wait for the Church to start a bible study that fits your personal socioeconomic demographic. Just do it! What are you afraid of?

We are blessed with a freedom to study God’s word. Unlike other countries where people are persecuted for even owning a bible.

Robert Seiple, president of World Vision in 1990, tells of a bible he has seen. A Russian Armenian owned it in 1915. He was beheaded while he was reading it. Mr. Seiple described the pages as large, thick, and well used, with a reddish stain inside that permeated most of the book – the stain of the man’s own blood – one of more than a million casualties of a religious and ethnic holocaust.

In the 1970’s, in the same country, a large shipment of bibles was sent from the west. Ceausescu, dictator of Romania, had his lieutenants confiscate them, shred them, and turn them into pulp. As if as some sick joke, they then had the pulp reconstituted into toilet paper and sold to the West.

All of this for a book that we take for granted. A book that many of us have several copies of in our homes, and rarely do we turn their pages. What a privilege we have to be able to read it.

Curtis Cartmel, a candidate for Salvation Army Officership in Williams Lake, BC told me of how God was challenging him to memorize the New Testament. He has worked with the people in Russia, and in other countries where the Bible is difficult to get a hold of. He felt that one day he might be in a place where he would not be able to have the bible, and wanted to make sure that he could carry it with him always, even if he did not have the book.

Where is that kind of dedication to God’s Word in the hearts of us who call ourselves Christians? Where is that kind of drive to take God’s word and apply it to our own living?

Let me leave you this morning with a poem by Amos Wells to consider:

I supposed I knew my Bible,
Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,
Now a bit of John or Matthew,
Now a snatch of Genesis,
Certain chapters of Isaiah,
Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),
Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs --
Yes, I thought I knew the Word!
But I found that thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through.

You who like to play at Bible,
Dip and dabble, here and there,
Just before you kneel, a-weary,
And yawn through a hurried prayer;
You who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book,
Just a paragraph, disjointed,
Just a crude, impatient look,
Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible through. [1]

---

[1] Leading the Way by Paul Borthwick, Navpress, 1989, Page 139

Sermon: The Parable of the Cars

Text: Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23
(Trenton, Summer, 1989 - On Radio)
(North Toronto, April 14/91 AM)
(Wallaceburg, September 5^th, 1999 AFT)

I want to tell you a parable this morning. It goes like this:

One day at a car dealership not far from here, four men went in. Each was looking to buy a family car. As luck would have It, they all bought the very same car, all on that very same day.

Now the first man took his car home and proudly showed it off to his wife and neighbors explaining all of the great features and how he had gotten such a wonderful deal. But that night, the car was stolen because he left the keys in the ignition and forgot to lock his doors.

The second man took his car home and also showed it off. It drove well, but unfortunately, the man didn't. On the third day he had the car, he drove around a curve at too high a speed and rolled the car into a ditch. It was totaled.

The third man brought his car home and it drove well, going many miles, but he didn't follow the maintenance schedule and take care of it. It wasn’t very long before it started giving him trouble. He blamed it on the fact that the car was built on a Friday, on the way his wife drove to work, on the guy who was supposed to repair it (even though he never took it to him), and anyone else he could think of, but the car simply fell apart around him.

The fourth man took good care of his car. He looked after it, followed the instructions, maintained it regularly, and drove carefully. His car took him 1000 miles, 10,000 miles, even 100,000 miles requiring only regular maintenance and checkups.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

If Jesus come today, he would probably use things around him in parables just as he did in Israel. I wonder if he would have told the parable of the seeds something like this? But just as the parable of the seeds had meaning, the parable of the cars holds the same meaning. Listen carefully to see if I am right.

THE FIRST CAR: STOLEN

The first type of car, was the one stolen the same night it was bought. It is the seed that fell on the path. It represents someone who hears the word, but ignores what that word has to say to them. This man took his car home, but ignored the security features – the locks - that would have saved his car from being stolen that night.

In scripture, the seed that fell on the path couldn't take root and was plucked up by birds that passed by. The message of the gospel didn't sink in. Like someone not listening to what I am saying this morning, but instead thinking about what they want to have for lunch. The words of the gospel are heard, but they bounce right off again, unable to sink in.

People might tell you that the gospel is just so much dribble spoken by people who are half crazy. But If you hear the gospel and half believe it – that is, you find it interesting, and maybe even attend church, but you won’t let it affect your life - then you haven't taken the time to lock your doors and secure your faith. God is very real, and you can anchor your roots in His word, so that you will know the word will not be stolen from your heart when someone tries to steal it away.

Everyone can hear and understand God's word. It has meaning and application to every life. Some might try to convince you otherwise. The devil will tell you that it isn't true. But the only thing that can really stop the word of God from taking root in you is your own heart. If you haven’t already - find a bible and read it. Find out what God has to say, then take it further: let it sink into your heart. Every word can be applied to your life in some way. There is enough material in the bible to have kept preachers going for centuries. Volumes have been written on the truths contained in just a single verse. How can anyone say there is nothing in scripture that can apply to them directly?

Isaiah talked about people like this almost five hundred years before Jesus came, when he wrote:

"You will be ever hearing but never understanding, you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." (Isaiah 6:9 & Various)

Open our eyes, and our ears. Read the owner’s manual and lock the doors. Look into the word of God and find the message it holds for you today. Lock it in your heart and keep the key safe.

SECOND CAR: WRECKED

Now, remember the second driver? His was the car that was rolled in the ditch because he didn't know what he was doing. This car is like the seed that fell on the rocky places. Both represent the kind of person, who hears the word and receives it, but they are careless with it, and it can’t make the impression it needs to, to really be effective. It doesn't go deep enough, and it only lasts a short time. As soon as trouble comes along, control is lost, and this type of person winds up lying in a ditch somewhere blaming everyone and everything except themselves.

I wonder how many people you know who are like that? I wonder how many people you talk to every day, who have been involved in a church, who were regular attendees, who were considered fairly, or even very religious, but who suddenly thought that it wasn't enough and turned away? Jesus described them this way, in Matthew 13:20-21. He says they have:

"received the ... word and at once received it with joy. But since it could not take root, it only lasted a short time. When trouble came, or persecution, you quickly fall away."

Once you receive the word, you must let it sink in. If the man with the second car had only thought about the laws of the road that were laid down for his own benefit, he might have followed the speed limit on that corner and been safer. If he had taken a drivers education course on how to drive the car safely, he might have not only saved the car, but enjoyed it far more as well.

Some of us are people who like to dive into things; to jump on the bandwagon. Our society is very much like that. In spite of recycling, and maybe even partly because of it, we are an “on demand”, “throw away” society. Everything is available instantly and is tossed aside when it is no longer useful to us. Razors, glasses, plates, cups, bulbs.... friendships ... marriages.

Most things come with a cost and a value. If you’re like me, then you often look at the cost right off the bat – how much is it going to cost me? Can I afford that?. But how many look at the value? If I buy something for 10 cents here that lasts me 10 minutes, but can buy one over there for a dollar that will last me a lifetime, which is the better value?

Most people consider the price, but not the value when they first look for something. We must consider the cost, not just in an initial look at the pricetag, but in the entire value of the proposition. In any relationship, there must be commitment, because without it, failure is certain when times of trouble come along. How much more should that apply when we are talking about securing an eternity in heaven. The benefits far outweigh the price – it is great value! But we must expect there to be a higher price.

Christ will see us through our hardships. We are promised that He will never let us down. Romans 8:31 tells us:

"What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

And in verse 35:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword?"

Christ is not a quitter! He went to the cross, suffered a humiliating, horrible painful death and took upon himself all of the sins of the world, so that you and I, just two insignificant people among millions, could personally be saved from the consequences of sin that is within us.

That is the message of the gospel. Receive it, believe it and be saved. Let it take root in your life. Search for God, and He will be found. Matthew 7:7 says:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

When you find it, commit yourself to it. Join a small group and study the owners manual. Be ready for times of hardship and trust that by following and applying the rules of the road, Christ will be with you. Read the instruction manual, take the drivers education course and obey the road signs. Then you will be able to navigate the corners safely and can avoid ending up in that ditch.

THIRD CAR: FELL APART

The third car was the one that was not taken proper care of. It is like the seed that fell on thorny ground. This person is one who listens to the instructions and knows them well, but for whatever reason, chooses to ignore them along the way.

We all know that anything worth keeping requires care and maintenance on a regular basis. If things are not maintained, they fall into disrepair and decay. Perhaps you have heard the word of God. You have received it. You actively try to live like you believe God wants you to, but neglect taking time with him, you rarely or never study his word, and you’ve given up on praying with Him?

Before you know it, you begin to drift. You begin to lack Christ's presence in your life. You begin to fall back into your old, ungodly ways. You ignore the rust holes and the broken pieces. You become one of those who gives the church the name “hypocrite” because your life does not demonstrate the truths you say you hold to.

Who would want to buy a car when they see the same model in disrepair and falling apart? When something needs fixed, you fix it or it will begin to cause you other problems.

I remember one time when I had a screw fall out of the tailpipe clamp on my car. I didn't have time to fix it, so I left it. A while later, after several pot holes, the end of the tailpipe fell off. I still wasn't willing to take the time to fix it, so I tried to tie it up with a coat hanger. A little while after that, the muffler fell off. I figured then, it was about time to get it fixed, but by the time I made it to the garage, the whole pipe from engine to trunk needed replacing.

If only I had replaced that one small screw, the whole assembly would have stayed in place and I would not have had the expense of replacing the entire system.

Many things in our lives try to crowd out Christ. Jesus said in verse 22 of Matthew 13:

"The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth chock it."

Day to day living is not a bad thing at all, but it can make us forget about God, let alone that Jesus died to save us from our sins.

If you’ve been married for any length of time, you know that the day to day chore of simply living and getting by can wear on your relationship with your spouse. You can begin to take them for granted, and unless you maintain that relationship with the occasional date, or time talking, or otherwise spent with each other, the relationship can crumble. How then can you expect the relationship with Christ to be any different? It also needs time and maintenance.

Wealth is another deceiver. When things look good financially, we can begin to feel so secure in this world that we forget there is a coming world into which we cannot take these comforts. Imagine being so focused on such a few short years that you can forget the eternity ahead. That sounds a little like my teen years! And what an amazing deception!

We must let God's word into our hearts, we must understand Christ's presence with us, and we must maintain our Christian experience.

FOURTH CAR: GOOD CAR

The fourth type of car was the one that was taken good care of. It is like the seed that fell on good ground. All of the security precautions were observed, all of the rules of the road were followed. Regular maintenance was performed, and the car served the driver not only for 1000 miles, not only for 10,000 miles, but even up to 100,000 miles.

This is the man who heard the word and didn't ignore it. He listened to what it said to him, and he put it into practice. He found Christ and asked him into his heart. But it didn't end there. He read the rules of the road and obeyed them. He read the owners manual and followed the instructions that were given in it. He took the drivers education course and applied what he learned. He met with other drivers to share tips of the road and share the fun of driving. He maintained his faith. He made sure Christ was still with him, and that he was still with Christ.

Because he did all this, he was able to keep his car running, to keep his faith going. It ran like it was supposed to. Even when he hit rough roads, he knew he was safe because he had discovered how to trust in God and obey his commands.

Naturally, I hope you will be like this fourth man. But probably you feel at least a little bit like one of the first three. So now you have heard the parable – “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”.

How does this parable relate to you, and what are you going to do about it? Christ can find the time for you when you need it, why not find time for him right now.

Sermon: You’ve Gotta Have Faith!

Text: Hebrews 11:1-13; 11:39-12:2
(Chatham Citadel: August 8^th, 1999 AM)

This message was accompanied by a relatively familiar drama where a man is climbing a cliff and slips. As he’s clinging onto a branch almost falling to his death, he cries out “God help me” – and God answers. God says “Trust me! Let Go!” and the man’s response is “is there anyone else up there?” Eventually he lets go only to discover that there was a hidden ledge below that he fell onto when he trusted God.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

So begins the roll call, in Hebrews 11, of those who have been commended for their faith. But more than simply a roll call, Hebrews 11 is a roll of honour for these men and women who have passed a testing of faith. At some time in these people’s lives, they could have easily turned the other way, but by faith they persevered.

While their faith may have occasionally been blind, it was most definitely not stupid. When they put their hope in what was as yet to them unseen, they were certain their faith would be rewarded and they would receive that reward they knew was waiting for them. They didn’t second-guess the value of what their faith told them was true.

These days, we probably all have an electronic thermostat in our homes. When it was first introduced, manufacturers guaranteed that by adjusting the temperature through the day, the thermostat would not only make you more comfortable, it would also save you money by reducing the amount of energy you use. They claimed you would save enough on your energy bill in one year to pay for the thermostat, and that if you didn’t, the company would buy it back. If you multiply the annual savings over the lifetime of the product, it should have been obvious and reasonable that the purchase would be wise one. Yet, when people saw the $100 price tag, they would reach for the much cheaper manual one. All it took was a little faith to see a much bigger reward.

There are hundreds of examples where faith is necessary to life. Without faith, we can do nothing. Without faith, we can accomplish nothing. Don’t be deceived; faith is not only necessary for our spiritual life, it is necessary for all of life.

The fact is, as George Michael sings, "Ya’ve gotta have faith - faith that there is something more!

Note: Yes this is a “secular song” about a girl, but listen to the lyrics carefully – what is George really saying about faith?

FAITH DOES NOT PRECLUDE REASON

So many in the world today would say that faith is fickle, and when it comes to faith in God, it is even bogus. Others would tell you that you are stupid to believe in God by faith alone – that you should rely on reason instead – and since, they say, there is no physical proof that God exists, we are foolish to believe in Him.

But just because we have faith does not mean that we ignore the facts. We do not suspend all reason to simply rely totally on a gut feeling. There are lots of good reasons to believe in God. However, at some point, the essence of who God is moves beyond our frame of reference and into things that we do not understand or can explain – at that point, He exists outside of our ability to reason because he is outside of what we can quantify and measure. We have nothing to compare Him to.

Really, how could we possibly compare him with something he created in the first place. He is beyond our scope of experience and far beyond our understanding. Even with all our science and knowledge, we are still finite beings living in a finite creation contemplated and created by an infinite God. Reason alone cannot comprehend the greatness of God, and so we require faith.

Faith does not take the place of reason – it extends reason. Faith is required in every walk of life. You have to have faith that the sun will come up in the morning. You have to have faith that your clocks are right and that you will get up at the correct time. You have to have faith that when you get in your car, it will start. You have to have faith that when you get to work, there will be a job there for you to do. You had to have faith that when you sat in your chair, it would hold you or you would never have sat down. Even those who have very analytical and scientific minds must rely on faith or they will go nowhere.

After talking for a short time, a young man who once visited Albert Einstein walked out onto the porch with him. The young man pointed to a tree. "Dr. Einstein, do we know that tree is there?" and the great mathematician replied "Only by faith"

Another great man of reason, Blaise Pascal, who is considered to be the inventor of the adding machine, and thereby the father of computers, is reputed to have said “Faith indeed tells what the senses do not tell, but not the contrary of what they see. It is above them and not contrary to them.”

In other words, faith confirms fact even before we can prove those facts. It “is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV) If fact should prove it wrong, then it was false faith, but faith that does not have fact to confirm it does not deny that what the faith is placed in, is false – and have not yet seen evidence to convince me that faith in the God of Hebrews is false.

Faith does not preclude reason. It merely takes a leap ahead of it.

Faith does not discount reason, but faith is sometimes required before reason is possible. People tell us that if they could only see God – find some physical evidence to prove he exists – they would have had faith. On the other hand, we as Christians ask people to accept Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the basis of faith, and then as they experience a relationship with Him, they will find the evidence within their own hearts and lives that God exists and cares for us.

Those who do not have faith must make the first move. If faith could be given to them so that they might see God, we would, but we cannot. If, however, you can accept on faith that Jesus died to redeem you, then you can see for yourself and be satisfied that God exists… and even more.[1]

FAITH IS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING

Asking people to accept Jesus Christ on faith is not such an unreasonable thing to do. Thomas Edison asked people to believe on faith that he could make electricity light a room. For a very long time, there were many doubters. Those working with him had to accept it on faith that such a thing was possible without any proof. After thousands of hours of painstaking work and hundreds of failed attempts during which Edison himself must have been tempted to say it was impossible, what he believed by faith finally became an experienced reality. But what if he had given up? Imagine the world of darkness we would live in if Edison had not persevered – in faith!

Jesus said “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mat 17:20 NIV). Within my lifetime, we have seen not only mountains moved, but men walk on the moon and robots walk Mars. It is not merely technology that has accomplished these tasks, but the faith of those who believed it could be done. Having that kind of faith is incredibly powerful.

Edna Butterfield tells a story about her husband Ron, a teacher at Harding University in Arkansas; “Ron, once taught a class of mentally impaired teenagers. Looking at his students' capabilities rather than their limitations, Ron got them to play chess, restore furniture and repair electrical appliances. Most important, he taught them to believe in themselves. Young Bobby soon proved how well he had learned that last lesson. One day he brought in a broken toaster to repair. He carried the toaster tucked under one arm, and a half-loaf of bread under the other.”

Without faith, nothing is possible. With faith, all things are possible. It is indeed the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1 KJV)

It is interesting that one of the very few times Jesus commended someone for their faith, it was to a centurion who compared Jesus ability to heal to his own position of command.

“…I myself am a man under authority,” the centurion said in Luke 7:8-9 (NIV), “with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’”

Perhaps you have heard the story of the old drinking water pump on the very long and seldom-used trail across Nevada’s Amargosa Desert some time in the 1930’s. A letter was written and placed in a baking powder tin wired to the handle of the pump, which read: “This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller. (signed) Desert Pete. P.S. Don't go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll git all you can hold."

Without faith we would be tempted to drink the bottle first, but taking the risk that faith affords us and priming the pump brings us more water than we could ever drink.

Without faith we may not take any risks, but neither will we accomplish anything of value. As Henry Miller once said “Back of every creation, supporting it like an arch, is faith. Enthusiasm is nothing; it comes and goes. But if one believes, then miracles occur.”

FAITH IN JESUS BRINGS ETERNAL REWARDS

Having faith does not mean that we are blindly accepting something on the basis that it makes us feel good. We do not simply believe because it is convenient to do so. We believe because of what we do know and is supported by the testimony of others who have been there. It is true we don’t have all the answers, that some things we have to take on faith, but we know that without faith we can accomplish nothing.

Faith takes us places we have not yet known, and when it comes to Jesus and spiritual things, it is no different.

Pascal tells us that there are only three kinds of people: Those who serve God, having found Him, are reasonable and happy. Those who live without seeking Him, and have not found Him, are foolish and unhappy. Those who are occupied in seeking Him, not having found Him, are unhappy and reasonable.

Personally, I would rather be reasonable and happy. As Edward Mote wrote in his popular hymn, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Blood and righteousness…”,

Hear what God is saying to you right now. As Paul states in Acts 20:21, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

CONCLUSION

The bottom line for all of us today is: “You gotta have faith!” Faith that there’s something more for you and that God in his infinite wisdom has a greater plan for you.

You have to take the plunge – to take that first step on the journey. Let us “run the race”, as Paul says, let us “fix our eyes on Jesus.” Let us put our trust in him and by faith seek his direction. It is a long and sometimes scary road to follow, but when we trust him, he leads us safely through every challenge. All that is required is a little bit of faith.

One night there was a house that caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below. Flames leapt from the roof not far behind the man’s son silhouetting his small figure in a hellish red glow.

With outstretched arms, he called to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see below, however, was smoke, and blackness. He felt safer where he stood, and was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling to him: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." In desperation, the father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

Are you living on a roof top surrounded by flames? Jesus is calling to you today to make the leap of faith – you can’t see him, but his arms are outstretched, waiting to catch you. Make that leap of faith today.

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[1] Pascal - Pensees - 240