SAVING FAITH
Pastor James J. Barker
Text: JOHN 3:16-18
INTRODUCTION:
- I would like to
talk about faith tonight. Faith is constantly exercised in daily life.
- A few years ago
I heard a preacher say we must have faith in the water company because we drink
their water and use their water to brush our teeth.
- We have faith
in the bank because we deposit our paychecks there.
- The patient who
goes and lies down on the operating table must have faith in the hospital and
the doctors and nurses who treat him.
- The patient
exercises faith when he allows the anesthetic to be given. He trusts the surgeon
to operate, because he has faith in his medical skills.
- Passengers who
ride on trains trust the conductor, and those who fly in airplanes have faith
that the pilot will get them safely to their destination.
- Tonight I would
like to preach about faith, because God brings this same principle of faith into
the matter of salvation.
I.
FAITH IN THE LORD'S NAME
- We read in John
1:12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name."
- His name
represents His Person and His authority and His power.
- There is power
in Jesus' name. One of the most
popular hymns is "All hail the power of Jesus’
Name."
- "All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate
fall;
Bring forth the royal
diadem, and crown Him Lord of all."
- Many years ago, there was a missionary in India by the
name of E. P. Scott. Let me read to you a story about him.
- "His friends had urged him not to venture near a
certain barbarous inland tribe, whom he wished to
evangelize. But he went forth with high courage, never
wavering in his duty, and trusting in God to protect
him. When at last he reached their country among the hills, he came
upon a company of these savages.
Immediately they surrounded him, pointing
their spears at him with threatening scowls. He had nothing in
his hand but his violin; and so, closing his eyes, he began
to play and sing, 'All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.' When at last he
opened his eyes he expected to be killed instantly. But his
life had been spared through the singing of the hymn. Their spears had
dropped, and they received him first with curiosity and
interest, and then later with eagerness, as he told
them the gospel story and won their hearts to the will of Jesus
Christ."
- His full name
is the Lord (God) Jesus (Saviour) Christ (Messiah, the Anointed One).
- The angel said
to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins."
- The Lord Jesus
Christ is the only one who has the power, the knowledge, the ability, the
willingness, and the right to save those who are lost.
- Jesus said in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost."
- The name of Jesus is above every other name.
Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
- The name of Jesus is far greater than any other name on
earth.
- The Lord Jesus is the only One who can put away our sins
and blot them out. He said in John
6:37, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out."
- The Lord Jesus Christ is sinner's only hope.
- There is a term we see often in the Bible -- "our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
- Is He your Lord and Saviour?
II.
FAITH IN HIS WORDS (JOHN
3:34).
- Our Lord said
in John 6:63, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life."
- Some people deny the deity of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Can you imagine any other
man making such a statement?
- If you do hear a man say such things, mark it down: he
is either crazy or mixed up in doctrines of devils or both.
- Romans 10:17
says, "So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." That is why we have Vacation
BIBLE School with Neighborhood BIBLE Time. The Bible is our
emphasis.
- First
Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for
ever."
- In
John 8:46, our Lord said, "Which of you convinceth me of
sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?"
- The Lord Jesus
on this occasion invited His adversaries to examine His words. But they refused to believe His words,
so He said, "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are
not of God" (John 8:47).
- A doctor (who
was also a preacher) named Walter Wilson, said this, "One evening I was called
to a home on a case of sickness. I made a thorough examination of the patient
and reported my diagnosis to the anxious family. The husband of the sick lady
was rather indignant because of my findings, as I reported them. He refused to
believe that the wife was ill with a cancer, as I had said. He did not want me
to continue as a physician for his wife, and so he paid me for the call and
dismissed me from the case. He did not believe my words. The report I had given
was not such as he wanted to hear. He rejected the doctor because of his
words.
- "The Lord Jesus
has diagnosed your case and He wants you to believe His words. The diagnosis
from Heaven is this, 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God'
(Romans 3:23). Some come short more than others, but none reach up to God's
standards.
- "Some commit more sins than others, but all are guilty.
You may not like the report, and you may reject the diagnosis, but our Lord
said, 'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth
him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day'
(John 12:48)."
- Notice the importance of believing the Word of God. In
John 6:68, Simon Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom
shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."
III.
FAITH IN HIS WORKS
- Our Lord said
in John 10:37, 38, "If
I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe
the works: that ye may know, and
believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."
- The Lord is
asking us to consider His workmanship.
First and foremost, our Lord came here to die on the cross for our sins.
- His work was a
finished work. Our Lord prayed to
God the Father in John 17:4, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished
the work which thou gavest me to do."
- As our Lord
hung on that cruel cross, He cried out, "It is finished" (John
19:30).
- His work was a
perfect work. You or I cannot add
to it or improve upon it. No one in this world can.
- God's redemptive work was done that day on Mount
Calvary. The Lord Jesus Christ had finished paying the penalty of sin.
- Our Lord had finished the task which would make sinful
man acceptable to a sinless God.
- Our Lord has completed the work of salvation. There is
nothing more which can be done. He had suffered, the Just for the unjust --
"that he might bring us to God."
- There
is no other way to get right with God.
CONCLUSION:
- I was
out soulwinning recently and my partner used a great illustration as he was
explaining saving faith.
- He
said, "Suppose you were out in the ocean, and did not know how to swim, and you
were drowning and flailing your arms, etc." Soon you would drown.
- Then
you saw a lifeguard swimming out to you.
- He
shouts out, "Stop moving your arms and legs. Trust me. Hold on to me, and I will rescue
you."
- But
suppose you refused to listen to him, and you continued struggling in the water,
and flailing your arms, etc.
- What would happen?
- The
right response: believe the lifeguard, and he will save
you!
- Application: believe the Lord Jesus Christ and He will
save you!
- You cannot save yourself!
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