Adrian Rogers was a motivator, an encourager, and a leader of the faith. He was also passionate about presenting scriptural application to everyday life circumstances. And you'll hear that in today's message.
Now, let's join Adrian Rogers. If there were ever time For us to have an earth shaking. Mountain moving. Devil defying faith in Almighty God. This is the time, this is the day, and this is the hour.
I don't know what you will accomplish in your Christian life. But I can tell you the measurement. that will measure what you will accomplish. The Bible says this clearly and plainly. according to your faith.
Be it unto you. Not according to your fame. Not according to your feelings. Not according to your fortune. Not according to your friends.
Not according to your fate. F-A-T-E But according to your faith. Be it unto you. Faith is the medium of exchange in the kingdom of heaven. When you go to the grocery store for groceries, You get groceries with dollars.
But we receive from God My faith. Faith is the medium of exchange. Faith is the greatest asset that we have. Unbelief. is the greatest stumbling block.
Unbelief is the chief Wickedness. Unbelief is the mother sin. The Father said, The parent sin, the sin of all sins, is unbelief. It was unbelief that caused Eve to sin against God in the Garden of Eden. She failed to believe the word of God.
It was unbelief. That locked the doors to the promised land, and the Israelites did not go in, the Bible says, because of their unbelief. It was unbelief. That tied the hands of Jesus when Jesus was there in his own hometown, and the Bible says he could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief. And the sovereign God has limited himself.
To work according to the faith, the belief of the people of God. Did you know the sin that sends people to hell today is not lying? It is not murder. It is not rape. It is not arson, it is not sexual perversion, it is not pride, it is not arrogance, it is un belief.
You see, Jesus died for all those other sins. Those sins have been paid for.
So the Bible says he that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already because he has not. Believe. It is unbelief that shuts the door to heaven.
Now folks. If you can believe... All things are possible to him that believes. And in the spiritual realm, if you do not believe, nothing is possible. The Bible says in this book of Romans that the just shall live by faith, just as you live physically by breathing.
And for nourishment that you take from food, you live spiritually by faith. Romans 1 verse 17, the just shall live by faith.
Now look here in Romans chapter 10 and verse 11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him Shall not be ashamed. That literally means he'll not be put to shame. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord overall is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 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? And how shall they preach except they be sent?
As it is written, how beautiful of the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
So then faith cometh by hearing. and hearing by the word of God. Several things I want to put into your heart today, and how I pray God the Holy Spirit will rivet these things into your soul. all the blessings of God that will come to you. If you will learn to believe God, pray, believe, and you will receive.
Pray in doubt. You do without. It is absolutely necessary that you learn how to believe God.
So, as we look at this passage of scripture, You keep Romans chapter 10 there open before you. And look at the lessons that are there that tell you how to have a biblical faith. The very first thing I want you to notice is what I'm going to call the reality of biblical faith. Look in verse 11. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth, now watch this.
On. Him. Underscore that, shall not be ashamed. Whosoever believeth on him.
Now faith must have the right object to be real faith. I'm talking about the reality of faith.
Now, you know, there's sometimes people who just say to you, oh, just have faith. Oh, only believe. When a person says to me, just have faith, the first question in my mind is, faith in what? They say, only believe. I say, only believe what?
There is no power in faith alone. Don't think there's something mystical or something magical about just believing. Your faith is no better than its object. Misplaced faith. is a dangerous thing.
It is not faith. that moves mountains. It is God. that moves mountains. The Bible says in Mark chapter 11 and verse 22, he said unto them, Have faith.
In God. Whosoever believes in him. You see, there's so many people who think of faith as positive thinking. That's what people think faith is. Faith is not positive thinking.
That it will help you to think positively. And there's nothing wrong with positive thinking. But the majority of people think there's something mystical and magical of only believing. But the reality of biblical faith is in verse 11 that we are to believe on him. Your faith is no better than its object.
Now, If you make faith just simply positive thinking, you know what's going to happen to you? You're going to get discouraged. Because there are going to come times when you're trying to think positively and you're not going to be able to think positively. Yeah. Little boy came to his dad and he said, Dad, I think I Flunked my math test today.
His dad said, Now that's, you got to be positive, son. He said, I'm positive I flunked it.
Now, I mean, if you look, into yourself. And you're trying to think positively. Actually, you're going to find that rather than encouraging you, it's going to discourage you because after a while it's going to dawn on you that you don't have what it takes in the place of discouragement. I'm going to tell you something else. If you put faith in faith, you're a sitting duck for the devil.
Now The devil will come to you and the devil will say, Well You're not good enough. to be saved. You say, well, I know it, but I don't have any faith in myself.
Well, the devil says, well They're hypocrites in the church. And you say, well, I'm not putting faith in hypocrites. I'm trusting the Lord. The devil will say to you but you don't feel just right. And you say, well, I'm not trusting my feeling.
I'm trusting the Lord. You'd think he'd go away, wouldn't he? But you know what he'll do, and this is the slyest thing of all. He'll say, well, you say you're trusting the Lord, but how do you know your faith is good enough? How do you know that your faith is strong enough?
How do you know that your faith is the real thing? And folks, if you're not careful, that's his dirtiest and most sly trick and many people will go under when he says this. And if the devil ever pulls that stunt on you, you just tell him, look, devil. I am not putting my faith in faith. My faith is in Jesus.
Now there's a difference in that. You see, The least amount of faith. and the right object. is better than strong faith in the wrong object. We are to believe in Him.
You remember what the Bible says then in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1? We're to be looking unto Jesus. the author and the finisher of our faith. Don't put faith in your faith. Put faith in God.
You see, the reality of faith is not positive thinking. It's not faith in faith. It is faith in God. Weak faith in the right object is better than misplaced faith in the wrong object. You say, will God honor weak faith?
He certainly does. If he didn't, most of us wouldn't have anything from him. Do you remember that story over there in Mark chapter 9 where there was a man who had a little demon-possessed boy? And he came to Jesus and he said, Lord, if you will, you can heal my boy. And in verse 23, Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, All things are possible to him that believeth.
And you know what this father said? And straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears. Flavor. I believe. Help thou Mine unbelief.
And you know Jesus gave him just what he needed. He had a weak faith. But you see, it was weak faith in God. I'm not saying we ought to have weak faith. Far better to have strong faith.
But Jesus said, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, be thou removed and be cast into the midst of the sea. What's he saying? The least amount of faith is greater than the greatest amount of difficulty. If it is faith in God, Put your faith in God. And by the way, if you want your faith to be strong.
Don't put faith in faith. Put your faith in God. You see, that's the way to have strong faith, to find out who God is. I've used this illustration many times. If you wanted to cross a bridge and you didn't know whether it could hold you up, let's say the bridge going across our Mississippi River here, you were afraid and you tremble and you try to make yourself believe and screw up your courage and get faith so you can cross the bridge.
That would be ridiculous. You look at the bridge. It's made of concrete and steel and semi-trucks are going over it every day. And when you see the bridge and understand what the bridge can do, Then It's easy for you to cross the bridge. When you see who God is, Rather than putting faith in positive feelings, Rather than putting faith in faith, put your faith in God and your faith will grow.
Let me use another illustration. I heard this so many years ago, but I can't get it out of my mind. Up in the northern parts near the source of the Mississippi, It was a bitter cold winter. and the Mississippi River had frozen over. And there was a man.
He didn't see anyone else out there. But he looked at the ice, it looked so crusty and so thick. He said, Well, I believe I can walk across. I won't have to take the journey down to the bridge. And this man.
began to walk across that river. On ice. When he got out there a pretty good distance from the shore, and he looked at the other shore, he said. Maybe I ought not to be out here. I mean Maybe this this ice Won't hold me up?
If I fall through, they'll never know what happened to me. I am a fool. What am I doing out here? And he turned around to go back to the other side, and it was as far to the other side as it was where he's in the middle. He said to himself, I better walk softly.
Then he said to himself, I better get down on all four.
So I won't put my weight in any one place. Then he said to himself, that's not enough. I better lie down and squirm across. I'm going through. What a fool I am.
My wife will never know what happened to me. He began to whimper and cry. Then he heard it. A roaring. cracking sound.
Oh, he said the river. The ice is breaking. Christ said, I'm a goater. He put his face down. He began to pray, God, save me, help me, Lord.
The noise got closer and closer, that rumbling, roaring. But the ice didn't seem to be breaking. He looked up. And there was a man with a team of horses. And a wagon.
loaded with logs, driving across that river. That was the noise that he heard.
Well, when he saw that, he jumped up and brushed the ice off of him and took his stroll across the rest of the river. Mal. What was the difference in these two men?
Well, the second man knew the ice. The second man knew the eyes. Friend, where does faith come from? Where does faith come from? It comes from a knowledge of God.
He that believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Do you want to have strong faith? Don't try to make yourself believe. Get to know God. Put these verses down.
Psalm 9 and verse 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee. Put this verse down. Daniel 11 and verse 32. They that do know their God shall be strong.
and do exploits.
Now, that's the reality of biblical faith. Your faith is no better than its object. You must know God.
Now, here's the second thing I want you to see: very important. not only the reality of biblical faith, But I want you to see the root. of biblical faith. All true biblical faith is rooted not only in knowing God, but in hearing from the God that you know. Look in verse 14.
How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not what's that next word? Heard. And how shall they hear? Without a teacher, or how shall they hear?
Without a preacher. And then look down, if you will, please, in verse 17.
So then, faith cometh by hearing. and hearing By the Word of God. In order to have faith, you must hear from God. Did that sink in? Did that sink in?
In order to have faith, you must hear from God. You cannot know the will of God by guessing at it. This verse says, verse 17, that faith comes. You don't generate it. It comes.
God gives faith. Ephesians chapter 2. And verses 8 and 9 says this, For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It what? Faith.
is the gift of God. Grace is the gift of God. And so is the faith to receive. The grace. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 29, for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.
Now that verse tells us two things. I'm going to choose one of them. It is given to us to believe. God gives faith. No one can believe God unless God enables him to believe.
Did you hear that? No one can believe God unless God enables him to believe. And how does God enable you to believe? God gives you His Word. God gives you a word.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, you don't name it and claim it. God speaks and you believe it and receive it. Do you hear that? You don't name it and claim it.
God speaks. You believe it and receive it.
Now. Hebrews 11, 1, put it in your margin right by verse 17. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen.
Now the word hope, what does that mean?
Well, today it means maybe. It means strong desire. That's the way we use hope today. But friend. The word hope in the Bible does not mean what our modern word hope means.
Hope in the Bible, please listen. It means Bad. Rock assurance. based on the promise of God. That's what hope is.
It means assurance mingled with anticipation. That's the reason the Bible calls the second coming of Jesus the blessed hope. That doesn't mean it's the blessed maybe. It's the blessed hope. He's not here yet.
But we know he's coming. That is the blessed hope, not the blessed maybe. We know. He is coming. How?
Because he has said so.
Now, listen to this: faith is the substance. of things hoped for. Look at the word substance. You know what the word substance means?
Well, it could be guaranteed. But actually, the Greek word is very much like our English word: sub stands, something beneath you can stand on. When you're living by faith, you're not walking around on eggshells and jello. Friend, faith is substance. Why?
because it is the substance of things hoped for, things that God has said. Do you see that? That's where faith comes from. The root of faith is the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Now how does God communicate this word? We said you cannot have faith unless God speaks.
Well, how does God speak?
Well, there are two words for the word word. in the Greek language. One is Lagos. Jesus, you know, is called the Lagos, the Word of God. The Lagos we could say is the Bible.
The written word that tells us of the living word. Jesus is the Lagos. The Bible is the Logos. That just simply means the word. The Word, the revelation of God given in Christ revealed in the Bible.
That's the Logos. But there's another word that is translated word and it is rhema. Raymond. And that's the word that is used here in verse 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Rhema.
of God. The Rhemah of God, not the Lagos. But the Rhaymon.
Now what does that mean? What does the word rhema mean? It means an utterance. It means a spoken word. I guess we could call it a word.
From the word. You take the Bible, that's the Lagos, and you're reading the Bible, and God begins to speak to you out of the Word of God. You get a Rhemah from the Lagos. You get an utterance from God, and God speaks to you, and you hear in your heart, you hear from God. Because, friend, in order for you to have faith, you don't have to hear from Adrian.
You've got to hear from God. You've got to hear from God. You see, all I can do is be the Western Union boy, but it is God that gives the message. It's not enough to hear a sermon. Look, if you will, in verse 14: How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Now, look if you will. in that phrase of whom. And the new American standard gives it this way. How shall they believe In him whom?
They have not heard. Not of whom, but whom? You must hear God. You must get a ramah from God. How does God speak?
You're reading the Bible, or you're praying, and God puts that portion in your heart. God says, This is from me. You say, Well, He never speaks to me that way. Are you listening? Do you have a quiet time?
Are you saturated with the Word of God? Are you ready to do His will? Do you want to hear Him? Are you reporting for duty? The root of faith is the Rhema of God.
The reality of faith is faith in God, not faith in faith. The root of faith. You must hear from God.
Now, here's the third thing I want you to see quickly. And that is the release of biblical faith. What does faith do? What does biblical faith do? What is the purpose of faith?
Listen carefully. Faith is not getting man's will done in heaven. It is getting God's will done on earth.
Now, the result of faith is the will of God.
Now, notice I said you cannot have faith unless you hear from God.
Well, do you know what you're going to hear from God? You're going to hear the will of God. When God speaks, God is going to say, This is what I want done, and therefore I want you to believe it.
Now You cannot have faith for anything that's not the will of God. If it's not the will of God, there's no possible way that you can have faith for it. Why? Because faith is the gift of God. Faith comes from hearing the word of God, and God's not going to give you a word on something that's not His will.
And that's wonderful because that keeps God in control. Don't think that you can just believe for whatever you want and have it. For example, if I had enough faith, could I turn this building into solid gold? Not unless God wanted it turned to solid gold. Do you understand what I'm talking about?
And that keeps God in control. Do you remember hearing about the man who had the king Midas, who wanted the Midas touch? He wanted the touch that whatever he touched would turn to gold. He just loved gold. And so he got his wish.
He said, Now I'm going to be very wealthy. Whatever I want will turn to gold. But when he went to eat his food, it turned to gold. He couldn't eat it. When he kissed his beautiful daughter, she turned to gold, and she was no longer a daughter that he could love.
And what he thought would be a blessing became a curse. And if you had unlimited faith, it would become the same curse to you. If you could just say, well, I can believe and have whatever I want.
Well, you'd make a mess of things. It would put you in the driver's seat rather than God. You see, the result of faith is That the will of God is done. And you say, oh, that means fewer blessings for me. No, it means more blessings for you.
Because, friend, the will of God is not something that you must do, it is something you get to do. 1 John 5 and verse 14. And this is the confidence that we have in Him. If we ask Him anything according to His will, He hears us. What is the reality of faith?
It is faith in God. What is the root of faith you hear from God? What is the result of faith? The result of faith is that God's will is done.
Now, how do you release faith? What do you do? How does it get down into personal experience? How today are you going to release your faith?
Now true faith, listen to me. does more than merely believe It obeys. If what you say you believe does not translate into action, you do not really believe.
Now notice in verse 16, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. Wait a minute, I thought we were to believe the gospel. That's right. When you believe it, you obey it. Let me tell you what faith is.
Faith is belief with legs on it. What do you say, Pastor Rogers? If I can't believe... Then it's not my fault, it's God's fault. Because God didn't give me faith.
You said no one can believe unless God speaks to him. And maybe God didn't speak to me, and it's not my fault. I've got word for you. Look, if you will in verse 16, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
See, not everybody here is a believer.
So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing... By the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes. But they didn't obey.
God spoke, but why didn't they obey? Why didn't they believe? Look in verse 21. But Israel, he saith, all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient. and gain saying people.
God. He's speaking. God brought you here today and God said, I love you. But not everybody will obey the gospel. Not everybody will release their faith.
God stretches out his hand, but there are people who are disobedient. And gainsaying. Do you know what the word gainsaying means? It's not a very pretty word, is it? The word gainsaying means obstinate.
You debate. You hear the word of God. And God speaks. The Holy Spirit says, yes, that is true. But you parade it past the judgment bar of your mind.
You say, I don't think I'll believe that. I don't think I'm going to obey that. God says, I love you. God stretches out his hands. All day long have I stretched out my hands to a gainsaying and disobedient.
people. They've not all obeyed. The gospel. Oh, friend, listen. You must.
Release Your faith. By obedience. Men dreamed of a railroad. that would span the continent. Coming from the West Coast, toward the east coast.
And coming from the East Coast, to the west coast. Obviously, they called it the Trans Continental Railroad. They began on the west coast. to build those rails. They began on the east coast.
And they came to a place out west. Where the rails met. They got the governors. of two states there. And they were going to connect those railroads.
And when they came to the place where they were going to connect those rails, They brought a steam engine this way and a steam engine that way. And they were there to blow the whistles and There was a great fanfare and bands and other things, I imagine. But one of the things that they did, they took a golden spike. and a silver hammer. And when the railroad was almost complete, except for one spike.
They took that golden spike and drove it with a silver hammer. And when they did, The people gave a shout. Because the East And the West We're united. Friend, when Jesus Hung on Calvary's cross. He did more than unite East and West.
He united God and man. With one hand he took sinful man. And with the other hand, he took holy God. And as they drove those spikes into his hands, The only silver that was there was the silver of his tears. The only gold.
The gold of his blood. And on the cross. with his blood. Jesus. Reconcile.
God And man.
Now, listen to me. If you go to heaven. And I hope you will. You're not going to get there on the wagon of works. You're not going to climb up there on the ladder of logic.
And you're not going to ride there on the rocket? of reason. You're going to get there on the railroad of redemption, the old TNO. Trust and obey. Trust and obey.
For there's no other way. to be happy in Jesus. But to trust. and obey. The release of your faith.
Is you say, God, I believe it. And therefore I obey it. I give you my heart. And I promise you this on the authority of the word of God if you'll trust him. He'll save you for the scripture that I'm reading from says, for whosoever.
shall call upon the name of the Lord. shall be saved. If you would pray a prayer like this, God, I'm a sinner. I'm lost. I need to be saved.
I can't save myself. Jesus, you died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you right now. Right now, like a child, come into my heart.
Forgive my sin. And save me. Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683.
Thank you.
