The Christian's Faith & Convictions
Luke 5:1-11, "And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him."
Introduction:
A. Mark 9:23, "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."
B. Hebrews 11:6, "But 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 that diligently seek him."
I. The Christian's Faith.
A. Faith in God through Jesus Christ is the Greatest Lever of Power For Service.
1. Faith is the Cup, in which the begging lost soul receives life from God.
2. Faith is the Wire, bearing to the soul the current of heavenly grace.
3. Faith is the Key, that unlocks God's treasures and granaries.
4. Faith is the Outstretched Hand of A Sinner, which God takes hold of .....
5. Faith is the delicate Needle, with which God vaccinates and sanctifies our souls.
B. Faith is God's spiritual tonic for Character.
1. It made a Moses laugh at Pharaoh --- the barriers of sea --- and desert .....
2. For Joshua it bridged swollen Jordans --- demolished Jerichos --- held back setting suns .....
3. For Daniel it took the rage out of the lions' den.
4. For the Hebrew Children, it took the destroying elements ofut of the fire.
5. It made heroes like --- John The Baptist --- Paul --- Spurgeon --- Moody --- Bunyan --- Finney --- Livingstone .....
6. Faith is a Divine Necessity to all who would win lost souls for God.
1 John 5:4, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
Daniel 11:32, "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."
C. If our faith is to make us Conquerors, it must possess Certain Spiritual Ingredients.
1. It must be Reliant.
Psalm 37:5, "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
2. It must be Unstaggering.
Romans 4:20, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;"
3. It must be Persist in the face of God's denials and delays.
Matthew 15:22-28, "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour:"
4. Faith must Look Above Difficulties unto God.
a. Moses did this at the Red Sea.
b. Elijah did this at Mount Carmel.
c. Paul did it in facing the devil's agents.
d. You and I must do it if we are to win lost souls for Christ.
5. Faith must Remember its true and only source of supply.
Hebrews 12:2, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
D. Peter's miraculous walk on the water Failed When He Took His Eyes Off Jesus.
II. The Christian's Convictions:
A. The Deity of Christ.
1. Christ is God's Son.
Matthew 16:16, "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Luke 1:35, "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
2. He is the Visible Image of the invisible God.
Hebrews 1:3, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"
3. His existence is Eternal.
John 1:1-2, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God."
4. He was Born of A Virgin.
Luke 1:26-37, "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible."
5. He had Divine Authority.
Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
B. The Saving Efficacy of His Blood.
1. Isaiah 63:5, "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me."
2. 1 Peter 2:24, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
3. Hebrews 9:12, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
4. Ephesians 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
5. Revelation 1:5-6, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
6. Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
C. Salvation By Grace Without Works of Any Kind.
1. Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."
2.
Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"3. Romans 3:24, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"
4. The Conditions of this Grace are Repentance.
a. Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"
b. Acts 17:30, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:"
c. Luke 13:3, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
5. And Faith.
a. 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:"
b. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." --- V. 18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
c. John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
D. The Sinful Nature of Mankind.
1. Ephesians 2:3, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
2. John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
3. Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
4. Psalm 58:3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."
5. Romans 6:20, "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness."
E. The Impending Doom Awaiting The Lost Sinner.
1. Job --- Job 21:29-30, "Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens, 30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."
2. David --- Psalm 9:17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."
3. Isaiah --- Isaiah 14:9, "Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations."
4. Daniel --- Daniel 12:2, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
5. Paul --- 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"
6. Peter --- 2 Peter 2:9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:"
7. John --- Revelation 21:8, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
8. Jesus Christ --- Matthew 25:41, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
F. The Inspiration of The Bible.
1. 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
2. 2 Peter 1:21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
3. The proofs of the Divine Authorship and Binding Authority of God's Word are overwhelming.
4. If you wish to have the power of the Spirit then you accept His weapon.
Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"
G. The Obligation of Christ's Command To Go Into All The World To Win Souls.
1. Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
2. John 20:21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
3. Acts 4:19-21, "But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done."
4. Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
H. Our Lord's Second Advent.
1. Mark 13:32, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."
2. Acts 1:7, "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."
3. We should Watch For His Appearing --- Matthew 24:42, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
4. We should Pray For His Appearing.
Revelation 22:20, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
5. We should Love His Appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
I. The Holy Spirit.
1. In the Power of The Holy Spirit Alone can we hope to win lost souls to Christ.
2. Zechariah 4:6, "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
A Search For The Truth
