Sermon

Three Kinds Of Faith - Frank Brancato

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

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  1. Faith is certainly an essential element in the Christian Life.

  2. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to,

  3. please God, and Hebrews chapter 11 and verse number 6, The

    Hebrews 11 chapter mention

  4. Inspired writer. And I as you know, believe it to

  5. be the Apostle Paul said, but without faith, it is impossible

  6. to please him. For he that cometh to God must

  7. believe that he is, and that he is, a rewarder of them that

  8. diligently. We seek him.

  9. Also, we find a Bible definition for the word faith by the same

  10. author in the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews.

  11. And in verse 1, where it says now, Faith is the substance of

  12. things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.

  13. You know, this is also very important and we find that the

  14. Apostle Paul. Once again, the same author

  15. talked about the fact that faith is imperative in the Christian

  16. Life for it is faith that saves. Us in Ephesians, chapter 2 and

    Ephesians 2 chapter mention

  17. verse 8. Paul said, for by grace are you

  18. saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of

  19. God. We also find in God's word that

  20. the Bible declares that a Christian is to walk or live by

  21. faith. We are even told by the Apostle

  22. Paul in the 14th chapter of the book of Romans and in verse 23,

  23. that whatever we do that is separate and apart from faith is

  24. sin. In very interesting.

  25. What Paul was pointing out in the fourteenth chapter of the

  26. book of Romans, it's a chapter that we often refer to as the

  27. things in life that are out there that we are allowed to do,

  28. Liberty wise, that are not infringing upon law.

  29. And there are things that we can do along that line that the

  30. Bible does not discuss or declare and it would not tell

  31. us. That a particular thing is

  32. wrong, then when we look at that particular thing that we might

  33. Do we find that the it does not infringe upon law, and

  34. therefore, it is not sin but very interesting though.

  35. Paul said that if your conscience is against it or that

  36. particular thing is going to go against your conscience because

  37. you feel it's wrong. Even though the Bible does not

  38. declare it's wrong, it is a sin to you.

  39. And so anything that is apart from faith is sin, but you no,

  40. an understanding faith. It is important to realize that

  41. there are three different kinds of faith that James describes in

  42. the second chapter of his letter there.

  43. And the only one kind of Faith though, is good.

  44. Only one kind of faith is truly saving faith in the passage

  45. that's before us in James chapter 2.

    James 2 chapter mention

  46. And in verses 14 through 26, we find James is discussing the

  47. different kinds of Faith with Emphasis upon the one that will

  48. work toward the saving of the Soul.

  49. You know, the Bible already said and we already quoted that the

  50. Apostle Paul by divine. Inspiration says that without

  51. faith, it is impossible to please him.

  52. We know that he gave a Bible definition and Hebrews chapter

    Hebrews 11 chapter mention

  53. 11 and verse 1. So you and I know and he also

  54. mentioned in Ephesians 2 and 8 that we are saved by this Faith.

  55. So, the question comes up, what What faith is going to be

  56. acceptable. In the eyes of God, James deals

  57. with three kinds in James 2 so we need to ask ourselves the

  58. question. What are the three and which one

  59. is going to help me go to heaven?

  60. One day. That's the only one that I'm

  61. concerned about. But let's notice a couple of

  62. others that he dealt with. First of all, he said there is a

  63. dead Faith. A dead faith.

  64. Yes, it is impossible to have a type of Faith but have it be of

  65. no benefit to you at all. And that is a dead one.

  66. A dead faith is one who substitutes words for Deeds,

  67. very important. You know, I couldn't come up

  68. with a greater example of this than James did himself in verse

  69. 15. Notice what he says If a brother

  70. or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say

  71. unto them depart in peace, be warmed and filled

  72. notwithstanding. Ye give them not those things

  73. which are needful to the body. What does it profit?

  74. This is a person that is sympathizing with his speech but

  75. doing nothing with his actions to help the need.

  76. It be like this if my brother Terry was starving and he came

  77. Um to me destitute of daily food and I say go in peace brother be

  78. ye warmed and filled, I'm feeling for you, go ahead and be

  79. warmed and filled depart from this place right now and so on,

  80. what have I done for him? I've done absolutely nothing now

  81. that might seem like an extreme example but that's what James is

  82. saying. An example is of a man, And who

  83. has a dead Faith. This is a person that has some

  84. knowledge though. They have some knowledge about

  85. what the Bible teaches on the subject of Salvation.

  86. This is a person that has some knowledge regarding the specific

  87. things that are outlined regarding faith in God's word.

  88. So we're not talking about a person that is ignorant.

  89. We are talking about a person that has been educated in God's

  90. word at least to the extent regarding God his son, Jesus

  91. Christ, the Lord's church, and how we must live.

  92. This is a person that has an understanding of those things.

  93. Let me just give you one more example before we press on an

  94. example that Jesus dealt with. You remember in one of his

  95. Parables, Jesus dealt with the parable of the two sons and what

  96. he says to the first one is he says going in my opinion, heard

  97. and labor there? The first son says, no probably

  98. says well. He said the first one says, I'm

  99. not going. I'm not going to go in your

  100. Vineyard, but the Bible says later, he repented.

  101. And then he went, but the second son immediately said no problem.

  102. I'll go sure you can count on me.

  103. You ever known somebody like that, man?

  104. Their long long, telling you that they're going to be there?

  105. They're long on saying they're going to be right there with

  106. you, but when it comes down to it, they are nowhere to be

  107. found. Could it be that even among

  108. God's people? We have folks like that?

  109. Well, here it is. The second son Jesus said, which

  110. one did the father's will what else could they answer?

  111. But well, the first he repented and then he went to see his

  112. actions and his deeds and his obedience was what was in

  113. question and that was the only thing that the Father, would

  114. deem acceptable, here's my point.

  115. What Jesus was pointing out is the fact that we live in a

  116. generation of sailors and not doers, could it be though that

  117. even among God's people, we are Sayers but not doers one that

  118. has a dead. Faith is one who number one

  119. knows the correct vocabulary for prayer and sound Doctrine.

  120. This is a person that perhaps can even quote the right verses

  121. of scripture that are found in God's word but there Talk does

  122. not measure up with their talk, so what it is, it's a man who

  123. substitutes words for works but secondly, this is one who has

  124. only an intellectual faith in one's mind, he or she knows the

  125. doctrine of salvation, but they have never submitted themselves

  126. to God and trusted in Jesus Christ for their salvation.

  127. They know all the right words to say, Say, but they don't back up

  128. their words with their obedient works.

  129. The question is before us, can this Faith save a man?

  130. The answer is quite simply. No, it cannot.

  131. It is impossible for this one to have a saving Faith because

  132. three times. Once in verse 17 verse 20 and

  133. verse 26, James declares and describes that faith without

  134. works is dead. So, We are not working.

  135. If we are not doing anything, if we are not going Beyond

  136. intellectual faith, we have a dead faith.

  137. And that faith cannot save more on that.

  138. As one man said, also any Declaration of faith that does

  139. not result in a changed life. And good works, is a false

  140. declaration or a dead faith. Other said that dead.

  141. Faith is a counterfeit Faith now.

  142. What's So Scary? About a counterfeit dead Faith?

  143. Unfortunately it lows a person into a false confidence of

  144. eternal life, it loans. The person to sleep spiritually

  145. as it were and that he is lowing himself and he is misguided.

  146. And he has confidence in that, which is not real false sense of

  147. Security, and a false confidence in Eternal salvation.

  148. Well, all of this being said, we need to ask ourselves the

  149. question. Do we have a dead faith?

  150. If we examine these things thus far, do the things that we have

  151. said, do they compare to our life and match up?

  152. Well, let's answer it this way. We have a dead faith.

  153. If Our walk does not measure up to our talk and our works do not

  154. measure up to our words, but you know, there's another type of

  155. faith that James describes believe it or not.

  156. And it's the faith that the Devils have would just call it

  157. demonic faith today. Demonic Faith.

  158. The faith of the devil's. You know, what's very

  159. interesting about this is we might look at the first one and

  160. say, well, I'm not guilty of a dead Faith, but then, when we

  161. compare it to demonic Faith, or the, the faith that the devil's

  162. possessed, according to James, 22, be careful because we might

  163. fall under that category. Can you imagine if all of a

  164. sudden one day coming to Idea or coming to the knowledge that we

  165. have, the same faith that the devil's had.

  166. Let me ask you this. I would just imagine that I can

  167. go into the entire world and I can ask people to question.

  168. Do you believe that Satan and the angels of heaven that were

  169. cast out of Heaven down in the pits or chains of Darkness?

  170. Awaiting the resurrection to be cast into the place that was

  171. prepared for them. Incidentally, that's gehenna.

  172. Hell. And that's the place that we

  173. will go. Go.

  174. If we don't have the faith, that the Bible teaches we must have

  175. therefore understanding that we can go out and ask anyone in the

  176. world not even amongst those religious folks in than end of

  177. the nominations all around us. And ask the question.

  178. Do you believe that Satan is going to go to heaven?

  179. I would imagine everyone would say, we're surely not.

  180. Surely not. We need to be careful.

  181. We don't possess the same type of Faith.

  182. Beginning in verse 18, James says, yeah, man may say thou

  183. Hast faith and I have Works. Show me, thy faith without thy

  184. works and I will show you my faith by my works now, believe

  185. is that there is one God thou doest.

  186. Well, the devil's also believe and tremble.

  187. Notice, this particular faith is one step above a dead Faith.

  188. Notice there was Other man in a conversion story that failed in

  189. God's word and that is Governor Felix.

  190. You remember that? Governor Felix did the same

  191. thing that the devil's do. What are the devil's?

  192. Do they believe and they tremble.

  193. What did Felix do with the Bible says that the Apostle Paul was

  194. preaching to him and what exactly word for word?

  195. We don't know, just exactly what he said.

  196. All we know is that Paul reason with him of righteousness,

  197. Temperance and judgment to come. now, I'll tell you this,

  198. whatever he said, It caused him to tremble.

  199. It caused his emotions to be involved.

  200. It wasn't just intellectual Faith.

  201. Oh, no. He believed that to the only way

  202. that he would be moved to tremble.

  203. Was that he believed in electorally to the things that

  204. Paul had said? If he had not he would have cast

  205. that aside as not important. I don't believe it.

  206. I don't agree with it and so long and so he had an

  207. intellectual knowledge or intellectual Faith.

  208. He had also emotional faith Cause it cars came to be moved

  209. to tremble. The question is, did it do him

  210. any good? Now, we know that James is

  211. declaring that it didn't do the devil's.

  212. Any good? What about Felix?

  213. What did he say? Was it enough?

  214. Absolutely not. The Bible says that he trembled

  215. and he said these horrible words, go thy way for now.

  216. And when I have a more convenient season, I will call

  217. for thee. When we look at his life, we

  218. don't find one passage of scripture.

  219. After that time, when this man feel makes had another

  220. opportunity to obey the gospel and did it.

  221. I would just imagine it is my opinion that if this man would

  222. have repented and this man would have come and been converted

  223. later on. I would just imagine that it

  224. would be found in divine inspiration for our knowledge

  225. and for us to see that, just my opinion.

  226. Now let's talk about something that it's not my opinion.

  227. It is the fact of Felix in his case.

  228. What did he do? He believed intellectually.

  229. He trembled showing that he believed and he had Faith

  230. emotionally, but he said go by way.

  231. And he rejected the most important thing and that's

  232. obedience to the gospel, call, notice a couple more things

  233. about these demons, you know, perhaps to shock and he

  234. complacent reader. James reminds us that even the

  235. demons tremble They have a kind of Faith.

  236. Yes, indeed, those that are demons believe.

  237. In God, we're not talking about an atheist or an agnostic, we're

  238. talking about people that know or beings that know that there

  239. is a God in heaven. But, let's notice what else.

  240. The demons know. I thought this was rather.

  241. Interesting, hopefully, you will too, but first of all, you know,

  242. that the demons believe in the deity of Christ.

  243. Oh, that's a wonderful thing. Believe isn't it?

  244. We want to believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.

  245. Hear the words that are found in Mark the third chapter beginning

  246. in verse 11, where it says and unclean spirits.

  247. When they saw him fell down before him and cried saying,

  248. Thou Art the Son of God and straitly, charged them that they

  249. should not make him known. Yes, they believe in the deity

  250. of Jesus Christ. Secondly, they believed in the

  251. existence of A place of condemnation, Luke chapter 8 and

    Luke 8 chapter mention

  252. verse number 31, but not only that.

  253. They also believed that Jesus Christ will be the judge in that

  254. last and final day. Can you imagine that?

  255. These are lost beings that believe in the existence of God,

  256. the deity of Christ, a place of condemnation.

  257. And that Jesus Christ will be the great magistrate that day.

  258. That we'll all be before that Throne, when Jesus passes formal

  259. sit-ins on the wicked and rewards.

  260. Those that have done the things that are found in God's word.

  261. Listen, folks, the devil's believe that too.

  262. How do I know? That look at a very interesting

  263. passage of scripture found in Matthew chapter, 8 and verses 28

  264. and 29. And when he was come to the

  265. other side into the country of the gurgles scenes, there met

  266. him, two possessed with Devils coming out of the tombs

  267. exceeding Fierce so that no man might pass by thy way.

  268. And behold they cried out saying what have we to do with thee?

  269. Listen Jesus, thou Son of God, here it comes.

  270. And thou come Come hither to torment us before the time.

  271. Yeah, they know that Jesus is going to take care of them and

  272. cast them from Shane's or pits of Darkness into the into the

  273. Lake of Fire one day. They knew that they know it

  274. today also. But they said, what are you

  275. doing? Jesus, thou Son of God.

  276. Recognizing God and the deity of Christ.

  277. Why are you come here? Here now to torment us before it

  278. is time. Yeah, they believe that they

  279. know that Jesus will be the judge.

  280. On that day. What kind of faith of the demons

  281. have? Well, let's look back.

  282. We saw that, a dead faith is one who has touched by his

  283. intellect, only the death, are the, Demonic Faith.

  284. Or those that had this kind of Faith were those?

  285. That had an intellectual and an emotional Faith, only.

  286. And the question, can this Faith save us?

  287. Well, certainly, not because a person can be enlightened in his

  288. own mind, and a person can even be Stirred in his own heart and

  289. still be lost in a devil's hell for all eternity.

  290. True saving Faith. Involves something that is more

  291. something that can be seen and recognized.

  292. That is so important because the world does not believe that the

  293. religious World, especially does not believe that there needs to

  294. be something that people can see regarding your faith.

  295. But that is the case, though, a person that is going to have the

  296. saving faith of the Bible. To have something that can be

  297. seen by others and recognized by others as different, and that,

  298. ladies and gentlemen, is a changed life.

  299. If your faith does not change your life, then you don't have

  300. the faith that can save. You going back to verse 18.

  301. Notice what James says, he says, yeah, man may say thou Hast

  302. faith and I have Works. Show me, thy faith without thy

  303. works. And I I'll show thee my faith by

  304. my Works. A Christian involves are being a

  305. Christian involves, two things trusting and coming to in

  306. obedience to the gospel, coming to Jesus, but secondly, it

  307. involves living for Jesus. We must also understand that in

  308. becoming a Christian. We understand that we receive

  309. something that the world does not have.

  310. When we talk about life and death, and we're not talking

  311. about physical life and death, We are talking about spiritual

  312. life and death. Everyone that is not a Christian

  313. is at that time. Spiritually dead.

  314. They have to receive what they have to receive life.

  315. The Bible says in Romans chapter 6, beginning in verse 3, no, he

    Romans 6 chapter mention

  316. not. There's so many of us as were

  317. baptized into Jesus. Christ were baptized into his

  318. death. Therefore we are buried with him

  319. by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the

  320. dead by the glory of the father. Even so we We also should walk

  321. in newness of life. That's what we get when we come

  322. to Christ. You know, the religious world

  323. would say that you can have that and that'll save you one time

  324. and you have nothing else to do. That's not what James teaches

  325. here. Because once you receive this,

  326. your life has to reveal this, the things that you do have to

  327. reveal the life that you've been given as a Christian.

  328. Well, do we have the kind of faith that we talked about today

  329. as demonic? Faith.

  330. Well, we do, if we believe the right things and feel the right,

  331. things only, we also do if our Seer, if our service to God does

  332. not go beyond intellectually adhering to the right doctrines.

  333. And secondly, if it does not go beyond emotional experiences.

  334. While we attend Services, it must go farther and beyond that

  335. in summary, thus far, James introduced.

  336. Us to these two kinds of faith that can never save dead faith

  337. and demonic Faith. But there's another one though.

  338. And this will just called Dynamic faith.

  339. Dynamic faith. This is the kind of faith that

  340. will save your soul without this kind.

  341. It is not good enough because it is lacking.

  342. We're so grateful that James gives us in the next section of

  343. scriptures and verses 20 through 26.

  344. He describes what we have to do to have that beginning in verse

  345. 20 James says but wilt thou know o vain man that faith without

  346. works is dead was not Abraham Our Father Justified.

  347. I'd by works. When he had offered Isaac, his

  348. son upon the altar, seest thou how Faith wrought with this

  349. works. And by faith was Faith made

  350. perfect by works. Was Faith made perfect, and the

  351. scripture was fulfilled, which saith Abraham believed God, and

  352. it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called

  353. the friend of God. Ye see, then how that by works.

  354. A man is Justified and not by faith.

  355. Only notice the examples and I think this is very interesting.

  356. I'll spend just a few minutes on this and just a moment, but

  357. notice he gives an example of those that have a dynamic

  358. working saving Faith. He says, Abraham and Rahab.

  359. I'll tell you. Can you imagine two people that

  360. are any more different than Abraham and Rahab more on that

  361. in a minute. So the question is, what kind of

  362. faith is Make Faith. First of all, we know from other

  363. passages of scripture that such faith is based on the word of

  364. God in Romans chapter 10 and verse 17, the Bible says, so

    Romans 10 chapter mention

  365. then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

  366. Dynamic faith is different from dead and demonic Faith because

  367. this is the one that involves the whole man dead.

  368. Faith touches only the intellect demonic faith is the intellect

  369. And the emotions, but the dynamic is the intellect

  370. emotions and the most important part of all the will, it's got

  371. to affect that. you know, sometimes folks think that

  372. there's a whole lot of gray in this world, I think there's a

  373. lot of black and white, I really do especially when it comes to

  374. obedience to God's work. I think sometimes people need to

  375. realize that our decisions are plotting out the course and

  376. where we're going to spend eternity.

  377. I believe that with all my heart because it doesn't matter what

  378. your circumstances have been in days gone by that doesn't

  379. matter. So, it causes Us in the flesh to

  380. be sympathetic and so on. But at the end of the day, when

  381. we stand before our maker, when Jesus is on that judgment bar,

  382. It's not going to matter the circumstances in our life.

  383. What's going to matter is the choices that we made?

  384. What's going to matter is this we've been given the free will

  385. to obey or disobey and what's going to be before us is, did we

  386. do it? Or did we not?

  387. That's a simple as that folks. That's what James says.

  388. Did we do it? Or did we not it leads us to

  389. action? It's not intellectual

  390. contemplation. It is not simple emotionalism,

  391. but it is that which leads to obedience in doing good works

  392. now, very briefly. Let's look at the two examples

  393. that James gives and as I mentioned, just a moment ago,

  394. you really cannot go into the pages of divine inspiration and

  395. find two people that Clash together as a character of Faith

  396. or who has been listed in the eleventh chapter in the Hall of

  397. Fame of Faith recorded, their of all of those Heroes that stand

  398. as an example to you. And I that have gone by in days

  399. gone by you will not find two people that are anymore

  400. different or opposite than Abraham and Rahab.

  401. And yet James pictures them together with a certain

  402. likeness. This.

  403. Notice Abraham as we compare them, Abraham was the father of

  404. the Jews. Rahab was a gentile.

  405. Abraham was a godly man, but Rahab was a harlot.

  406. Abraham was the friend of God, Rahab belonged to the enemies of

  407. God. What did they have in common?

  408. Then they had the saving Faith demonstrated by their obedient.

  409. X Abraham demonstrated, this Faith James says, when he

  410. offered Isaac upon the Altar and I'll just say this, we know the

  411. story, I'll not go into, great detail on either one of the

  412. stories, regarding their faith, a briefly brushed by them and

  413. I'll just say this. Can you imagine what it would

  414. have been like to be Abraham? What if God said to you, take

  415. thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, and you offer

  416. him, you take him to a place that I will tell thee and the

  417. offering as a sacrifice unto me, I would just imagine that if a

  418. person by his faith is going to be a working obedient Faith or

  419. is going to actually do what God says.

  420. Chances are he's going to at least question God and ask God

  421. Why is that? No, the Bible says he rose up

  422. early. I'm going to tell you something.

  423. He stood over his boy that day. I can't fathom such a horrible

  424. thing. And he was going to take his

  425. life. How much did a been to hear in

  426. the ears of Abraham, the words of the Sun?

  427. It says, behold the wood in the fire.

  428. So where's the letter? The faith of Abraham was

  429. described in his response, he says my son God shall provide a

  430. ladder. That's Faith.

  431. That's Dynamic to working. Obedient faith.

  432. What about rehab? This is a harlot.

  433. You remember, very briefly when Joshua had sent out those

  434. Messengers to spy the land, even Jericho.

  435. He wanted some information that was inside those, that walled

  436. City, he wanted to find out about perhaps the number of

  437. inhabitants that were there. I don't know, maybe the size of

  438. their army, or the state of their preparation and

  439. preparedness, because he wanted to know that because he was

  440. going to go in and destroy it. Very interesting though, these

  441. two Messengers find a very unlikely Ally.

  442. In a harlot named Rahab, that's what he uses uses Rahab as an

  443. example, these men are hidden and these men had tried.

  444. I would just imagine to remain undetected but in all of their

  445. attempts, they failed and we're gets back to the king that were

  446. over at rahab's house those two spies, those two Messengers are

  447. there. What's the king?

  448. Do he sends out soldiers? He set him straight to rahab's

  449. house. I would just imagine that Rahab

  450. all the strength Must have been for her to muster up within

  451. herself to stand there and have these soldiers pressing upon her

  452. and coming out her with threats and whatever it was that they

  453. said. And all of a sudden she has an

  454. opportunity now to be looked on not down.

  455. Like she's always been looked upon but now she could actually

  456. look, be looked upon in the eyes of the king the soldiers and all

  457. of those fellow people that lived in that City in a positive

  458. and wonderful way. By doing her patriotic duty, but

  459. she doesn't, she doesn't she strong.

  460. She says, well, when it was dark, they left, I don't know

  461. where they went. Then she says go quick hurry up

  462. that you might overtake them. Here's the question.

  463. Why did she do it? Well, she answers just exactly

  464. why she did it when she got back to the roof, where the

  465. messengers were, and I want you to hear what she said to them.

  466. This is why What you got to that roof?

  467. She said, I know the Lord hath. Given you, this land passed

  468. 10th, it's already done. I know that and your terror is

  469. Fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint

  470. because of you, what we know the story, she lets them down by a

  471. cord through the window out, the window and tells them to go into

  472. the mountains and for three days hide their into the pursuers be

  473. returned, we know that. At and then she says as I've

  474. shown you this kindness show also under me, kindness as well,

  475. and spare me and my house. Well, this is what they said,

  476. they said that's a deal. Basically, our life for yours.

  477. Only upon the condition that you don't tell anybody and secondly

  478. upon the condition, you take that, that court of scarlet

  479. thread and you bind it in the window.

  480. And whoever is in the house behind that Scarlet line when

  481. Israel comes Things will be spared.

  482. She was spared because of her Dynamic.

  483. Working obedient. Faith.

  484. It's so important. In conclusion today that each

  485. professing Christian sit down and examine his or her life and

  486. his or her heart. We need to make sure that we all

  487. possess the true saving faith that James describes in this

  488. chapter. But I think it's also important

  489. that we must understand that, sometimes being honest with

  490. ourself is the most difficult challenge of all.

  491. But remember that Satan is The Great Deceiver.

  492. And one of his devices is imitation.

  493. If he can convince us that counterfeit faith is true Faith,

  494. then he's got that person in his power.

  495. Well. Here are some questions that we

  496. can ask ourselves very briefly as we examine our faith today.

  497. Was there a time when I honestly realized that?

  498. I was a sinner and admitted this to myself and to God was there a

  499. time when my heart stirred me to flee from the Wrath to come?

  500. Have I ever been seriously worked up over my sins?

  501. Do I truly understand? The gospel that Jesus Christ,

  502. died for my sins and then rose again.

  503. Do I understand and confess that I will, I cannot save myself.

  504. Did I sincerely? Repent of my sins?

  505. Making the decision to turn from them?

  506. And listen, do I now as a result hates sin and fear God, or do, I

  507. seek really love sin and wish to enjoy it from time to time?

  508. Have I trusted Jesus Christ and him alone for my salvation by

  509. responding to the commands that he has given me.

  510. Have I confess my name or my faith in Jesus Christ?

  511. And then been baptized for the remission of my sins and do the

  512. things that Jesus and his Apostles commanded has.

  513. There been a change in my life? Do I maintain?

  514. Good works for our. My good works occasional and

  515. week. Do I seek to Grow in the things

  516. of the Lord. Can others tell that I have been

  517. with Jesus. Do I have a desire to share

  518. Christ with others or am I ashamed?

  519. Do I enjoy the fellowship of God's people?

  520. Or would I rather hang out with the world?

  521. Is worship a delight to me? Or is it just a burden?

  522. And something? I would rather not do.

  523. Am I ready for the Lord's return?

  524. Am I eagerly waiting for it? Or will I be ashamed when he

  525. Comes for me. you know, far too many people even among God's

  526. people especially They've quit serving God because of

  527. circumstances, you know, it's sad to me is when somebody

  528. leaves the church. And they say we talk to him

  529. well, brother so-and-so really hurt my feelings.

  530. Or sometimes people say, well, you know, I'm just angry right

  531. now, I'm just angry. I'm discouraged.

  532. Circumstances in my life have caused me to be.

  533. So sometimes folks say I just can't do more and I can't have a

  534. dynamic working Faith, because I just don't have the ability that

  535. others have. Some say, you know, I'd like to

  536. do more. I'm just too tired.

  537. I don't feel good. Let me just leave you with a

  538. little story. It's a true story and maybe, you

  539. know it, perhaps you do. I think the movie was made after

  540. this man's life quite recently. What is the meaning, Bill

  541. Porter? I want you to think about this

  542. when you think you're too tired. Bill Porter was born with

  543. Cerebral. Palsy now we know what all that

  544. entails. He could barely walk, he could

  545. barely speak. He went from job to job trying

  546. to find someone that would employ him.

  547. But Social Services said, no, you will never be fit to work

  548. any day of your life. You will be on government

  549. assistance, all the days of your life.

  550. But you know, this fellow didn't let that happen.

  551. He didn't let that occur where he would take government

  552. assistance, you know what he did, he kept going out until

  553. finally. Somebody hired him.

  554. And finally, that company was the Watkins company a sales

  555. company and they hired him as a Salesman.

  556. Now that sounds like a Triumph, doesn't it?

  557. It sounds like he's finally got his chance, doesn't it?

  558. Here are the conditions though his employment.

  559. Anybody that's ever sold anything.

  560. You'll know exactly what I'm saying.

  561. Right here, you got to take the territory that nobody wants.

  562. And no celery. No, training, salarino,

  563. training, bonus. Oh no, you're on your own in

  564. that territory. Door-to-door with yourself and

  565. nope and no salary just commission's only.

  566. I understand that this crippled man.

  567. Walk 10 miles every day. He knocked on door after door

  568. after door. when he got an order, he had to ask the

  569. customer to fill out the order form because he's right-handed

  570. and work. He could barely speak things

  571. that you and I take for granted. He struggled with what happened

  572. to this man? How could a man like that ever

  573. succeed? You know what happened to him?

  574. He became the number one salesman in the country.

  575. That's amazing to me. You know why?

  576. That's the best part? Reason why he never had sidered

  577. himself, nor branded himself as one that had a handicap.

  578. He never branded himself as one who had these challenges around

  579. him, he never gave himself a disability.

  580. You know, what's even better when he became extremely

  581. successful. He never considered himself to

  582. be special, either. You know what he did is what he

  583. I hear he got up every day. And he went to work.

  584. He was interviewed one time. You know what he said?

  585. He said people ask him. How could you do it?

  586. What drove yet? He said, oh nothing special.

  587. I had a job to do and I had to do it with her.

  588. I felt like it or whether I did it.

  589. Could it be that the Christian today can learn from that

  590. attitude? I got a job to do.

  591. I have a job to do and living my life with my Dynamic, working

  592. faith. And I don't care how I feel

  593. about it. I don't care if I feel sick

  594. today, I don't care. If I'm tired.

  595. I'm going to get up and do it and I might suffer in this life.

  596. Physically, I might have elements and problems.

  597. I'm going to tell you something. You get to heaven.

  598. You get all the rest. You'll ever need.

  599. Well it all the rest. That's what heavens for.

  600. Let's not rest. Now let's work now.

  601. And wrestling. We thank you for listening to

  602. our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

  603. Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

  604. information, or you would like to receive a free Bible

  605. correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her

  606. Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

  607. Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

  608. Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

  609. We would love for you to be our honored guest.