ENCOUNTERING GOD DAY BY DAY
Part 3 – Living By Faith
Hebrews 11:1-3

November 13, 2022
Dr. Mark S. Hartman, Lead Pastor
(20th Anniversary of Mark Hartman’s Ministry at SCBC)

INTRODUCTION

It is Sugar Creek Baptist Church’s job to keep on dreaming and believing and seeing what God wants to do through this church.
Romans 1:17 …The just shall live by faith.

1. ​FAITH IS ACTING ON A PROMISE GOD HAS MADE TO US EVEN THOUGH IT HASN’T YET HAPPENED. (Hebrews 11:1-2)

A.​ Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (NASB)

B.​ Hebrews 11:1a Faith is the assurance of things hoped for.

1. ​“Your faith in God’s promise to you has just guaranteed you that you will receive it.”

2.​ “Faith is believing that something is so, when it is not so, in order that it will become so.” (Manley Beasley)

C.​ Hebrews 11:1b Faith is the conviction of things not seen.

​Faith is having a conviction that something is going to happen, even though it hasn’t happened, yet. Faith is the ability to see something before it happens.

D.​ Biblical faith is not presumption; it is not walking on thin ice, going out on a limb, or doing something crazy. Faith is not wishful thinking, or even positive thinking. Faith is trusting in a promise God has made to me. When I believe in a promise God has made and act on it, my faith guarantees that I will get it.

E.​ You might or might not have overwhelming talent, but you can learn to have overwhelming faith.

1.​ Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. (NLT)

2 .​John 20:21 Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.’ (NLT)

3. ​Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (NLT2)

2. ​FAITH TAKES GOD SERIOUSLY. (Hebrews 11:6)

A.​ Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

B.​ The verse means, “The person who is demonstrating faith believes that God is who God says He is to the point that person acts upon that Truth.”

C. ​Isaiah 26:3-4 God, You will keep the person in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in Yahweh, the LORD, is everlasting strength…