A God-Pleasing Faith

Heb. 11:1-6

Intro:  Faith is the key to the Christian life.  Believing God is vital to the Christian's success.  The difference in the strong Christian and the weak Christian is their level of faith.

• People that do not believe God concerning sin will play around with sin.
• People that do not believe God concerning soul-winning will not witness to the lost.
• People that do not believe God concerning salvation will die in their sins; lost without God.

The Faith Process:

• Confession - Hearing produces Awareness - This is the Receiving process.

Romans 10:14 - How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

• Comprehension - Awareness produces Faith - This is the Reaction process

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

• Consideration - Faith produces a Choice - This is the Responding process

2 Timothy 2:7  Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

• Compliance - Choice produces Obedience - This is the Results process

Philippians 4:9  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

James 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

James 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also

• Compensation - Obedience produces Rewards - This is the Rewarding process.

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.

Faith that pleases God is a faith that exists...

I. Without Encouragement from God's People - Job 2:10, 11

II. Without Encouragement from God Himself - Matt. 15:21-28

Conclusion: We need a faith that:

Listens to the truth

Believes the truth

Obeys the truth

...NO MATTER WHAT!!!