Walking by faith (Quality: Poor)

[0:00] Well now let's turn to the Portapis of the Hebrews chapter 11 and the 7th verse. Portapis of the Hebrews chapter 11 and the 7th verse.

[0:16] By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark for the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

[0:44] There are those upon this earth who know God and those who do not. And as we gather around God's work today we may be so satisfied that we know God.

[1:08] We may know him but only know him with a head of knowledge. We often may come to the conclusion that we know a person because we've met him so many times.

[1:24] as time goes on there are those things which we see in their lives that we have to realise that he knows after all we only thought we knew them.

[1:38] It will be a very sad day if we come to the end of life's journey and we have to come to this conclusion that although we thought we knew God that we were wrong we only thought we knew him.

[1:57] Now it's sad to say that in the religious world today including our own denomination there is a lack of true living faith.

[2:11] Very solemn when we come to consider because it doesn't matter how much religious we have or what we may call ourselves if we have no faith well then we know nothing of God.

[2:25] And there are many today who profess to worship God many who call themselves the Lord's servants and they know nothing whatever of true living faith.

[2:43] So we have to put a question to ourselves what do we know of faith? Now as we enter another year there will be those things of which we may compare this verse by faith now have been warned of God of things not seen as yet.

[3:06] There will be things which will take place if we are spared and mortified in the coming year which as yet are not seen. and when they do come they may drink happiness or they may drink solos.

[3:26] But this we do know that there will be certain things which we shall see only in 1981 we've never seen before.

[3:39] And our past life has gone. aren't you thankful that our life has not completely gone but we're still about praying ground. So that we may know something of true living faith and we've thought how awful it would be that we've been taken in the past year and not known anything of God or right.

[4:06] Now man in the 80s has built a wonderful religion but it's built upon man. man's opinions man's thoughts what man can do and what man cannot do.

[4:18] And therefore the religion of today is that which is mentioned in the scriptures the religion of man pleases. it's far better for you and I to be like Noah who was one on his own.

[4:36] Noah didn't have many friends but he had the best friend that was possible to have. He had God as his friend and God talked to him.

[4:50] God talks to his people today and God warned him. God warned him with regard to those things that were going to take place on the earth.

[5:04] How little do we hear of warnings today with regard to the world. We hear warnings perhaps given to those in authority but how often do we hear the trumpet blowing warning those that God is coming again upon this earth.

[5:24] It's all very well to say that of course Noah he built this earth it was so long ago that God has promised to come again. He's a faithful God and he's a God that keeps his promises that he's coming again.

[5:41] It may be very very soon. and if we have faith to lead to scriptures it would appear very evident that we're living in those times of men's when men's hearts are failing because of fear.

[6:00] When the armies are surrounding Israel God says when these things begin to take place look hard not to look down look up now you and I however young we may be however old we may be have got to stand before God one day and we've got to hear God's voice and we shall hear it in such a way as we've never heard it before which hear it as heard not before and it will be a final word and we either come in the letter of the Lord or departing cursing I never knew you and there's not one of us that escaped because of stand before this God now now we're warned of God now the trouble with the religious world today whilst they're warned of God they will not take heed to the warning for their hearts are so proud they have so much unbelief in their hearts and they say well of course if we follow this man follow that man or we follow this teaching or follow that teaching while everything will build rightly there's no deal for us to worry you know

[7:37] Satan is a great enemy to the whole human race and how men do not realise the awful power that Satan has he has power to deceive evil and if it were possible he would deceive evil God's evil now how do we know then whether we are rightly taught and whether we really believe in his God the centre the true religious faith but now some years ago when I was very ill and in deep trouble a man who I looked to as being a very godly gracious man said to me all you can do at a time like this is to rest upon faith well you can't rest upon something you haven't got no I haven't got faith not at that particular time

[8:53] I had had faith I had months of faith but I had lost the substance of it lost the reality of it but faith is that when you absolutely believe in a thing especially true faith is when you believe in a thing and you cannot possibly be moved from it I've been reading recently a book which has only just been published that speaks about the early churches the way in which the churches have been built that is by people not by the actual building and how those men of old going right back to the centuries Luther Calvin and the masters what they went through the faith they were given and when we come to consider that to our own religion and the religion of today how we find there so much lacking and then we look at Joe in the midst of his troubles where he believed in God at such an extent that he said though he slated yes but I trust in him and then in this very chapter we're reminded of

[10:19] Abraham where he told Isaac I thought that maybe the way in which he took Isaac forgave he took his life by faith now that then is what faith is is that where we believe in God to such an extent that we know that he can do everything that we ask him and that he controls everything upon this earth and that we've sinned against him and yet we know that if it's his will he can cause us to repent to draw nigh and again now why did the law work in the days of old different to the days that we're living in now well you see as men multiply upon the earth they've got worse than them that's just what's happening today as men multiply upon the earth they go their own way they don't want to know if you're about

[12:08] God there are those who are quite satisfied and go to the place and worship once or twice a week there are others who are very devout very sincere they read their minds every morning and every night they pray every morning and every night they're still destitute of grace still know nothing but still living faith you see they're trusting in what they do now it's very good and it's very profitable if we're able to read our Bibles morning and night to pray morning and night but how often do you find it profitable how is it can it become full how it can become dead whether it's such a thing as reading your Bible in such a way that it becomes life and power and reality to you

[13:19] God speaks to his people through his word and that means we're not to neglect it we're not to neglect the reading of God's word because God speaks through his word to his people he uses his word but don't let us rest satisfied because we read God's word morning and night or because we read beginning to end or have read beginning to end so many times that we're all right with life and save because until we be warned of God of things not seen as yet I'm sure of this that if those around us today knew what was before them that they died in their sin they wouldn't be as comfortable they wouldn't enjoy life as they are enjoying and when one is warned of God whatever

[14:20] God does is perfect and one is brought to believe beyond all doubt that there is a heaven and a hell two places which are put in the background today heaven and hell without a reality and you and I have spent eternity one or the other and therefore we'd be most foolish not to consider what our religion is all about because that's what it is about heaven and hell one or the other now Satan is so crafty so clever he's just as happy to have hell a full of religious people as he is of ungodly people murderers thieves and so on blasphemers doesn't worry him as long as he can have them and there's a lot of religious people now in hell in religious all their life born religious as it were in religious homes live a religious life they die in religious suck in hell and I said why because they don't have faith the faith is the most important thing in religion now we use religion as a word which is used generally to speak the good

[16:01] God of salvation now another person may not know God's words but they never read it never been brought to understand it and yet God speaks to them in such a way that they have faith to believe in this God now what do we know then of God what do we believe do we know any of faith oh yes you see whenever I know I have faith and I pray to God he's made me better I've had trouble in business I pray to God he's heard my prayer and put it right yes but what about your soul why faith and know of being warned of God of things not seen as yet he turned to you he was warned now I warn him as soon as I warn him forget he won't take any heed to that warning however blunt people plain people and they put it to you

[17:19] God warned you there's a different fact if God warns a person to be gone to things not seen as yet well then they'll be made willing to do whatever God would happen to now can't you imagine Noah he built this up the ridicule would go on how there'd be great companies coming to see what this man was doing as there's no sign of water that load rain or rain about floods fancy might be on his gears building an ark what do you think he's going to do with that but it made no difference to you how men will see to God's people today those who know what to a living faith there's something wrong with you see the religion of today is light it's easy it's happy we all join in all and sundry that's not true religion true religion is that where one is warned of God of things not seen his head where one is brought to realize that never before that there is a heaven and there's a hell and that there is a God and that we want to stand before this

[18:44] God and your religion may become very very small between you and your God have you been brought there yet have you been warned of God has God warned you of things not seen as yet you can see them you believe you know it beyond all doubt and it's a great concern to you that's how things will be in that day it's all very well to look down so of course this one's alright that one's alright what do we see what do we hear of today in the epitheries they were born on such and such a day in a godly home they had godly parents they attended this place of worship and you get sick and tired of hearing what they've done how they were brought up what about what God has done has God warned them of things not seen the end so very well fighting these wonderful lives but if I know anything if you are warned that God you're alive you'll see things in your life that are not very wonderful things you're ashamed of and they will call you having been warned of

[19:59] God to flee to seek something to safety and so Noah was warned of God that he could not see it yet he believed it yet faithfully God told him how to build this ark and he went about it and he worked then under the instructions of God regardless of what men say nothing was stopping every now he drove into that ark every moment that he worked upon that ark so the time was coming when that would be necessary now what we see then in this ark what's it typified is something which men cannot see is things which men cannot understand it is a type of Christ it's a type of the way of salvation it's where men are warned of God to seek salvation in Christ through his precious blood that's the only way we know very little about Noah but this we do know that he wasn't chosen to build that ark anymore than anyone else because he was sinless because he was a good man we read of Paul who wrote this epistle of Hebrews as being a very good a very wonderful man very holy man very devout man but he'd have sunk into hell had it not been that he was warned of God for the way in which he was going he was trusting in himself not trusting in the tomb of

[22:05] God if any denomination they could get back to this event of Hebrews and had faith in this God as these men and women of all had how different things would be also what would God believe this God believe the other it's not men how men can make appointments and cancel appointments do this do that just at their own will not at their work in under faith what a mercy it is to know something of the true of God being warned of him it's so we shall have nothing to do when under the influence of that faith with anything short of it now you see having been warned he was enabled to do something about the earth of

[23:08] God he began to build and he took God's word to build upon not man's word if he had listened to man he would never have built that ark now if you listen to men today you'll never be saved if you listen to what men tell you even godly men if you listen to what they tell you you'll never be saved if you're resting on man there's only one way whereby you and I will be saved and that is by hearing God's word being warned of him and then being led by him to build a place of safety and that place of safety is already built one blueprint I see very sweet like this is God Christ the solid rock

[24:09] I stand all other ground is sinking sand always we might say how is it possible for one to be saved well none can be saved apart from Christ and when God works he will never warn a person he will never force them to seek him without being true to his word they will find him by faith Noah being warned of God things not seen as yet moved with fear brought fear about in his heart a godly fear and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and he began to take notice of what God said one thing that you and I will do if we be warned of

[25:17] God we should be filled with fear and we should take notice of what God says we should search his word and if we search his word within God may put prayer within our hearts indeed he will because a fearing soul is a praying song we read two men who went up to pray in the temple one had been warned of God the other happened one thanked God quite rightly for what he wants as he thought in his own mind he was quite right solubus men to be so sure and satisfied in our own minds that we are right he thanked God he was not like other men and how he despised that but

[26:19] I wonder how many of us know it is to pray something like that poor public who spoke on his breast that's where his trouble was and his heart inwardly said God be merciful to me a sinner he was seeking refuge he wanted safety he wanted somewhere where he was lying he was he was not seen as yet moved with fear or as the martyr says being wary and if you and I are wary we should not listen to me not even who walks unless they lead us to Christ now it doesn't matter what we believe if we don't believe in Christ as our only hope of salvation we should be lost it doesn't matter how little faith you got so long as it's true you'll be saved at last being warned of moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house now what does that mean his house or what he was asked now he was saved his body was saved so mankind would be saved upon the earth but when the

[28:06] Lord comes again that said coming none will be saved as no other the bodies will be saved what does it matter when it goes to our bodies it's our souls matter our souls go on living after death it matters not what man may do he can destroy the body but he can never destroy the soul God can destroy the earth the body and soul that soul once is destroyed can never and that word destroy before God it means can never approach God now you and I as we enter upon this year we're favored souls because we're still upon praying ground what blessing it is to have faith to believe and pray whereby we can come and wrestle with

[29:10] God what about him like this wrestling prayer and wonders do bring relief in deepest dreams prayer and force and passion through iron bulbs and prayers and gates it's one thing to say we believe in this God and have faith in this God if we have got faith and if we believe in this God well then that faith will be tested I have faith to believe that I get here this morning in my car because I know that car is capable of moving I pass it and although I have faith in it it's quite possible that faith could be unfounded because there are such things as breakdowns but where

[30:15] God gives faith to a living failure nothing nothing that is anything nothing can alter you and if we have faith and faith and pray to him that prayer the prayer of a righteous man you know that speaks that he got the Lord Jesus a letter much but your prayers will be channeled through Christ if you're moved by fear seek salvation in Christ now you see there's so much today based upon what man is how good he is but how so do we hear how bad man is and yet we're all as bad as each other you look for the most sinful man upon the face of this earth the price he's committed

[31:25] God's word it makes we with him as we believe because all have sinned and all come short of the glory of God and therefore as sinners we're all evil have we been warned of God in this and then as we read God's word that those who are taught by his holy spirit to see salvation through him now you see we would never seek salvation we would never have faith in God had we not been warned of him the greatest blessing you and I ever possessed the greatest blessing I could ever wish anyone is this that you might be warned of

[32:27] God maybe there's one here this morning you've been warned of God and you're concerned because you see yourself in the light of God's word sinner you realize the weakness of your flesh and you see others who are so proud of their religion so proud of what they do you can't come up to their standard Lord you say no wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of his death all mercy there to know something of the precious Christ now when Noah built this off when it was complete he entered in and God shut him in those who are warned of

[33:30] God will seek salvation from God and God has an ark in his dear son and those who are in Christ will be shut in eternally with him what a blessing it is to know anything of the scriptures how we will see the gospel goes right back to Genesis the way in which the Lord looked upon some and how he left others how you see with a gun how she was the one and how Abraham had a child of the flesh that Isaac was a child of the flesh he had faith and believed that God could do that it was absolutely impossible is there anything more impossible to one who is warned of

[34:40] God being saved at last you can understand this one being saved you can understand that God being saved but you can't believe that you will be saved God does the impossible so they ran although they laughed yet they were given faith and believed that God would bring that promise about to enough Isaac was born although naturally speaking it was impossible as we read this chapter those things which were impossible to look here what hope there is for those who look somewhere and yet they know nowhere for salvation they feel it's impossible that

[35:46] God would look to them we see something rubbish today that man looks to for salvation and yet when one's eyes are open and they're able to see the scriptures the gospel so simple it's that faith in the Lord Jesus whereby one is able to look to him having been born of God and they see him as the only way of salvation no other way and where they put their trust completely in him and then when you're trusted in him alone that faith will be born in you'll see things so different to what they are coming you'll see things in a different life altogether where death is so ghastly when man does not want to hear about death yet death to those who are told the

[36:53] Lord of God is a blessed time it is a time which those who are the influence of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit anticipate and where they look forward to it now we're not always in the exercise of faith we're not always feeling the reality of faith but there will be times when those who have been warned of God will eventually look forward to that time when they will be like him because by faith they will be brought alive we cannot possibly know anything of the love of God until we're warned of God and then beg the Lord Jesus for may it be our desire may God give us that faith to believe in him in such a way that whatever may be before us we should look to this

[37:57] God however impossible it may be to you and I may we have faith to believe God we worship is that God who can do everything now I'm talking from experience I'm not talking to what I've read I'm speaking to you and you young friends too of how God works within the hearts of children young men young men how there's that going on and they cannot understand what it is at times it is God working warning preparing for this life and for life so doesn't it if you and I are going on careless we regard the warnings in God's word but may we be able to take heed to these warnings and may we know what true and living faith is by a blessed experience we have a sleeve into the time people may the

[39:10] Lord have these blessings amen