January 18, 2015 Becoming an Authentic Christian

Becoming an authentic Christian

James 2:19 – You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

James 2:26 – Faith without works is dead.

FOUR TESTS OF AN AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN

1. The test of a major change.

Verse 8 – By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.

Lesson Number One – An authentic Christian will follow God's leading without knowing where.

2. The test of a delayed promise.

Verse 9 – By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country, he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Lesson Number Two – An authentic Christian will wait for God's timing.

3. The test of an impossible problem.

Verses 11 & 12 – By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age, and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise and so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Genesis 18:10, 12, 14 – The  Lord said, I will     surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son, so Sarah laughed to herself, then the Lord said, is anything too hard for the Lord?

Lesson Number Three – An authentic Christian will expect a miracle without knowing how.

4. The test of why.

Verses 17-19 – By faith, Abraham, when God tested him offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Lesson Number Four – An authentic Christian will trust God's purpose without knowing why.

Mark 9:24 – I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.

July 21 2013 Trusting God When It's Hard To Hear Him

Trusting God When It's Hard To Hear Him

Ver. 9 - But they did not listen to Him.

INTRODUCTION:

What I know about discouragement:
1. Everyone gets discouraged.
2. Is contagious.
3. Keeps us from being effective.
“Neither God nor man can use a discouraged person.”
Mary McLeod Bethune
4. It comes from a loss of perspective.
5. Often comes before God’s blessings.

Why did the Israelites feel so bad?
1. Their situation seemed hopeless.
Ver. 1 - For with a strong hand He will let them go.
2. They hadn’t experienced God’s deliverance personally.
Ver. 3 - May name Lord.
3. Their problem had lasted many years.
Ver. 5 - Egyptians keep in bondage.
4. They were exhausted.
Ver. 9 - They did not heed Moses because of anguish of Spirit.

Un-listened to Lessons of Exodus 6
1. God hears us when we’re hurting.
Ver. 5 - Moreover I have heard the groaning of the Israelites.

Four Reasons We Often Fail To Sense God’s Help:
(1.) We may have a pain problem.
(2.) We may have a timing problem.
(3.) We may have a attitude problem.
God chooses what we go through.
We choose how we go through it.
(4.) We may have a faith problem.
Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God.
Faith puts God between us and our circumstances.

2. Helps us to respond to God in a greater way.
Ver. 3 - I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob as God
almighty, but my name , The Lord, I did not make myself known to
them.

God is God, but at different places in our journey, He reveals
Himself to us in new ways. Most of these revelations come a
difficult times in our lives.

We off God our problems and He offers us Himself.

Closing Comments:
1. Look and listen for what God is teaching you.
2. Choose to make this difficult time in your life a time for
growth.
3. Focus on God, not your problems.
4. Take action now!