Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Pastor, what is your message about today? In a world terrorized by wars and fears, where anxiety and depression grip so many hearts, People are tempted to walk away from their faith, to abandon their faith. But this is not the time to leave your faith. This is the time to live your faith.
The Bible declares that the righteous will live by faith, that faith pleases God. Faith isn't something we merely talk about, it's something we live. It's the faith life. It's not a leap into the darkness, but a leap into the light of God's Word and His truth. Whether your faith feels mountain-sized or mustard seed small.
God has something very powerful for you today. It's not the size of your faith that matters, it's the greatness of your God, the size of your God.
So let's discover what it means to really live by faith. And how this key unlocks the door of God's treasure house of blessing in your life.
Now here's Dr. Graham with his message, the power of faith. Take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 11. How can you speak of Christian living apart from faith. And when we speak of faith, We turn to Hebrews chapter 11, which you may know if you've been around your Bible for a while as the faith chapter.
Now, the Bible is a book of faith. This is a faith. Book. And there are many great chapters in the Bible. Just think of some of the great chapters in the Bible.
Start with Genesis 1 and creation. Think about Isaiah 53 and the prophecy of the suffering servant, the Savior who would come. Think of Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. And moving over to the New Testament, Romans chapter 8.
Romans chapter 8 begins with no condemnation and it ends with no separation and all that life that we have in between. We are more than conquerors, super conquerors in Christ. Romans 8. 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, many great chapters in the Bible. Yep.
You want to speak about faith though. You would turn to Hebrews chapter 11. And so, what you have in Hebrews chapter 11 are the heroes and the heroines of the faith. Because faith is very hard to define at some levels, but it is most beautifully described. Faith is not something we say, faith is something that we live, and in these days.
In these days, when we are terrorized by wars and fears, and there's so much anxiety and depression, and many people want to give up on their faith, but this is not a time to leave your faith. This is the time to live your faith. And the Bible says the just, the righteous. says it multiple times. The righteous will live By faith.
And so we live. This faith. It is active, it is dynamic, it is powerful. And so in chapter 11, Beginning at verse 1, we're going to read the first three verses, and then we're going to scroll down to verse 6. And preach from there.
Now, faith. is the assurance of things hoped for. the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith.
We understand that the universe was created by the Word of God.
So that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. And then look at verse 6. And without faith, It is impossible. to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists, that he is.
and that he rewards those. Who seek him? This is faith. And faith is foundational. to the Christian life.
We live by Faith. And what does that look like? What does it mean right here from Scripture when it says we are to live? by faith, that faith is substantive, faith is real, faith though unseen, is not temporal, but it is eternal. I've read many definitions of faith over time.
Philip Yancey said faith means believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse.
Someone else said, Faith is trusting God in spite of the condition or the cost or the consequence of believing. I like that.
Someone else said faith is an active confidence. that God's promises are always true. We of course are saved. By faith. We receive eternal life by believing and receiving Jesus Christ by.
Simple. Faith. It is not Complicated. There are many complicated things in life and truly in the theology of the Bible, but it is not complicated. A small child, in fact, Jesus said, unless you believe and come to Christ like a small child, you'll never be converted.
So our faith can be childlike, it can be simple, it can be small, but saving faith. Paul put it this way: when asked, What must I do to be saved? He said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will. V say. Paul put it this way, if you confess with your mouth, Romans 9 and 10, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
To be saved from our sin, all of it, to receive Christ into our lives. The scripture says in John chapter 1, verse 12, but as many as received him, Jesus, to them gave he the right to be called the children of God, even to them that believe on his name. We're told here that this faith gives us hope.
Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for. It is hope. I've always defined hope as the certain, the sure confidence that our future is in his hands. The assurance That we are with him now and that we will be with him. Forever.
We have a bright hope. Faith for today and bright hope. For tomorrow, because we know that we have believed in the one who will keep what he has committed unto us against that day, the day when we see him. him. And in this time in which we face so many problems and so many pressures in our lives, not only just worldwide, but the personal problems that you're facing, problem with your kids, marital discord, strife in our streets, all this going on around us.
How can we live in this pressure cooker? of a world my mother used to cook green beans in a pressure cooker. And if you've ever seen one of those things, it's quite a contraption. And every now and then, we had a very small house, but every now and then she would put beans in the pressure cooker, and I would hear that thing start rattling. And when it started rattling, it was just a matter of time until the lid blew off of that thing, and beans were all over the ceiling.
And I always, when I think of the pressure that we're under, I mean, maybe you feel like you're in a pressure cooker right now. And of all things, you need to have faith in God. I'm not talking about faith in faith or faith in the flesh. It's not faith in me, but faith in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is only as valid as its object.
I mean, you can believe a lot of things that are fanciful and mystical and so on. But our faith is in what God's word, God's promise, has provided for us in Jesus Christ. Our faith is in Christ and Christ. How long? And so we have this hope in him.
We are saved by faith. Ephesians 2:8 and 9. is an essential passage for believers. It says For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
And so grace through faith. You know what grace is? I learned it as a small child, but grace is the gift of God. A little acrostic. God's riches at Christ's expense.
Grace is what God has done for us. We do not save ourselves. We do not earn our salvation. Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy, He has saved us. And so there's nothing that I can do to save myself, nothing you can do.
Most people on the streets of America and around the world would say, if you ask them what does it take to go to heaven, they're going to talk about good character, good works, and all these things are good and to be admired, but none of them get you to heaven. I wouldn't trust the best five minutes I ever lived to get me to heaven. Our good deeds are good works. Cannot satisfy the holy and perfect righteous demands of a loving God. And so, what God has done is provided for us the gift of eternal life.
And so, grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. He paid the price. He died. He rose again. And what is faith?
Fate, F-A-I-T-H. Forsaking all, I trust him. That's what faith is. And just picture God's hand of grace reaching down to you. And by faith, you reach up.
And forsaking all self and sin, you turn from your sin, that's repentance, and receive Christ into your life. That's when the transaction is done. When Jesus died on the cross, he exclaimed, Tetelesty. It is finished. That was not the cry of defeat.
It was the cry of victory. When Jesus said, it is finished, he wasn't nearly finished. Satan was finished. Salvation's plan was finished. to Telesta, the victory is won.
So this is faith. This is just the beginning of faith. Salvation at the start. When you receive Christ and certainly salvation, when we are glorified in His presence, but what happens in between?
Well By faith, I realize God's presence. That's why verse 1 is in chapter 11. at the start. Faith is the assurance, the conviction, the substance of things hoped for. The Evidence, the conviction of things not seen.
Words like substance, and evidence, and conviction, and confidence, and assurance, and this hope that we have in Him. You see, we know God's presence. We know God because God has given us something very wonderful. It is the faculty Of faith, the ability to believe. Animals do not have this.
The trees and the wonders of God's creation do not possess this. This is something that God, when He breathed the breath of life in us, gave to each one of us, and that is the ability. to believe. We have physical senses. of taste and touch and sight and smell and hearing.
But we have the ability, a faculty, a sixth faculty, which is the ability to believe in God. This is something God gives you. And we then have a responsibility. It's why later on, as I read verse 6, that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. We have a responsibility.
And that is to believe in God. Faith enables us to experience God. Faith helps us, enables us to know that God is real. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: the power of faith. As you're enjoying this week of Thanksgiving, we all know Christmas is right around the corner.
During this Advent Christmas season, will you join doctor Graham in preparing our hearts to celebrate the arrival of King Jesus? If you're up for celebrating the reason for the season with us, just take your phone and text the word ADVENT to 59-789. Again, text Advent to five nine seven eight nine. In a time marked by confusion, anxiety, and spiritual compromise, your support of PowerPoint helps point millions of people to the one source of unshakable hope and truth: God's Word. Through your generosity, you are helping proclaim the gospel across the globe.
And with every broadcast, more people are discovering the Bible, not as a rule book, but as a wellspring of life. To thank you for your gift of $10 or more, we want to send you Dr. Jack Graham's booklet, Breaking Free from Stress. This timely resource will help you break the power of stress and anxiety in your life as you learn to rest in God's promises. To request your copy, simply text the word STRESS to 59-789.
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Now, let's get back to today's message, the power of faith.
Now, why must we believe For God to reward us. I mean, why couldn't God just... Just say everyone is in the family. Everyone is coming home. Why must we believe?
Because God has given us this capacity to love Him. and to believe in him, to choose him. It's not automatic. You must become a believer. You get that?
It comes when you put your faith. in God personally, for God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten son.
So the unseen happens, the powerful thing happens, we realize God's presence by faith. And then by faith we release God's power. That's what verse 2 is about. For by it the people of old received their commendation. And when you read chapter 11, the heroes of the faith, you meet these one by one, Old Testament saints and believers.
Did you know Christians were called believers before they were called Christians?
So these are Old Testament believers. And one by one, We meet them in the scriptures. It's a walkthrough. The Bible. And whether starting with Abel, who offered by faith a more acceptable sacrifice, or by faith, Enoch was taken up as he walked with God, or by faith it was Noah being warned of God, constructed an ark, who by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called out to a place out of the Chaldees.
He received the promise from God. That is the beginning of the Jewish nation. By faith, Sarah. And read the scripture one by one: from Abraham and Isaac to Jacob to Moses to the great champions that we meet here in Hebrews chapter 11. All of them did one thing.
They lived by faith. They were activated by faith. And because of it, God Released. Power. in their lives.
Wonderworking power. Miracle-working power. And did you know that same God, who is all-powerful, who can do anything but fail, is still able? to release his power. In your life and mine?
I mean, God's not older, cannot do what he used to do. He's eternal. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And when we believe God. When we trust in him.
Then God begins to work in ways that we can't explain. Call it a miracle. Call it a manifestation. Call it a great movement of God in our lives, but God works in response to faith. When we take God at His word.
When we believe God. And I would simply ask you a very personal question. What are you believing God to do in your life right now? Are you believing God? and trusting him.
With all your heart. To do what only He can do. Faith releases the power of God in our lives, and it's a wonderful thing when it happens. And so Your children aren't too far gone. God can do a miracle in their lives.
You start believing God for your children. You say, Can I believe God for someone else? Absolutely. We find that in the gospel accounts: people coming to Jesus on behalf of someone else. Is your marriage breaking apart.
It's going to take a miracle. For God to restore your marriage. Yes, God. Can restore your marriage, but you must believe and trust God and His Word. You're financially broken and insecure, fractured.
Will God take care of you? Yes, he will. And you can believe God for his provision in his life, in ways, in your life, in ways that you won't even expect. I showed up here today just to remind you that when you believe God, when you pray and ask and trust in God, that God does wonderful things in our lives, wonder-working things in our lives that we cannot explain. And just read what happened in the Old Testament.
Read what happens in the New Testament because faith comes by hearing Romans 10, 17 and hearing by the word of God. I'm here to preach God's word and to pour some faith into your life today. to encourage you and equip you. To start trusting God at a whole new level in your life. Yes, faith.
By faith we realize God's presence. By faith we We release God's power. And by faith, By faith we recognize God's purpose. our lives. Verse 3.
We understand that the universe was created by the Word of God so that what is seen was not made out of the things that are visible. And when God created the earth, when God made his purposes fulfilled and are being fulfilled. You know, Jesus made it all. Jesus paid it all. He also made it all.
Because in the book of Colossians, it says that he is the Christ of the cosmos, that by him all things consist, everything holds together. Jesus is in control, he is our creator, God. And so he has a purpose for this world. That's what that verse is saying. And not only does he have a purpose for the world at large, he has a purpose for you, he has a plan for your life.
And when God's power is released in you, you begin trusting God and walking in His Word and in His will, then you begin fulfilling God's purpose. You are giving understanding. We have an understanding here that the worlds are made. We have a biblical worldview. It's not science.
Science can't do this. Philosophy can't do this. Only God can do this. By faith, we believe the creation was made by the Word of God. An awesome wonder.
By faith, we recognize God's presence. By faith, we realize God's power. By faith, we We understand and realize God's purpose and one other thing, by faith we receive God's reward. By faith we receive God's reward. Because Without faith, it's impossible to please God.
Verse 6. But God rewards those who diligently seek Him. That's another verse, by the way, about our choice. And our connection with God, we choose, we seek God. And he seeks us, he comes after us, and we respond.
in faith. He rewards those who seek him.
Now, very quickly, in closing down this message, just by way, you say, how can I get more faith in my life? What's the takeaway here? If by faith We Recognize God's presence. We know that He is, that He's the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, that He's real. By faith we release God's power in our lives.
Mountain moving power. Doesn't take a lot of faith, just a little faith. You say up. A little faith will get your soul to heaven, and a great faith will get heaven to your soul.
So to release great faith. And then to realize God's purpose and to receive God's reward. How do we get there?
Well, one, exercise the faith that you have. Start there. It may be small, but start working on that. Faith is like a muscle. It needs to be exercised in order to grow.
So activate your faith. Use the faith you have. And then elevate your prayers. Faith is a gift, and if it's a gift, we can ask for faith. If you need more faith, ask God to give you more faith.
A man came to Jesus and he said, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. And so when you have questions. Come to the Lord with your questions and ask Him to give you the gift to believe. Stop doubting your faith and start believing your faith. Doubt your doubts.
And believe your beliefs. We do that by faith.
So elevate your prayers and then saturate your mind with God's word. As I said, faith comes by hearing and God's... Word. And so if you want to be a man, a woman of faith, Get into the Word of God and let the Word of God get into you. Because God's word is the tool that builds our faith.
and then dedicate yourself completely to Christ. Right on the heels of chapter 11 in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2, it says, Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, looking away and unto Jesus. That's commitment to Jesus Christ, that you would completely trust him. him. Because when you do your faith is going to go and it's going to grow.
All the way to glory. And one day. It will be worth it all. When you see Jesus, to live by faith. One day we're going to see it by sight.
Peter said, though we haven't seen him, We love him. I don't mind telling you, you're looking at a man who loves. Jesus. I love him. And one day We're going to see him.
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: the power of faith. It's easy to get caught in the cycle of always trying to do more, be more, and carry it all by yourself. As a result, so many people battle stress and anxiety, especially around the holidays. But that's not God's heart for you. And in his booklet, Breaking Free from Stress.
Dr. Jack Graham speaks directly to the anxious heart. Offering biblical hope to those who feel weighed down and wrung out by stress. Drawing from Psalm 23 and real-life stories, he reminds you that while stress is inevitable, living enslaved to it is not. Breaking Free from Stress is our thank you for your gift of $10 or more to help proclaim the gospel through PowerPoint.
And when you give, know that your support helps take God's word across the airwaves, into homes, prisons, and hearts all over the world. To request your copy of Breaking Free From Stress? Text STRESS to 59-789. That's STERS. to 59-789.
As you're enjoying this week of Thanksgiving, we all know Christmas is right around the corner. During this Advent Christmas season, will you join Dr. Grant in preparing our hearts to celebrate the arrival of King Jesus? If you're up for celebrating the reason for the season with us, just take your phone and text the word ADVENT to 59-789. Again, text Advent to 59789.
Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? Satan wants you to believe the lie that your circumstances, what's going on around you, defines your destiny. He whispers that your past failures disqualify you from God's best. And he tries to convince you that the giants in your life are just way too big. that the walls are too high, that the valley is too deep.
But I'm here to tell you that faith rewrites that story. Faith takes the pen from fear's hand and authors a brand new chapter.
Some of you are carrying burdens and fighting battles that have bent your back and even broken your spirit. You've been rehearsing your problems, thinking about them, obsessing over them way too long. You've forgotten how to remember and rehearse God's promises. But today God is calling you to a much higher frequency. to tune your heart to Heaven's Station where Hope broadcasts 24 hours a day.
Faith doesn't pretend problems don't exist. But it declares that God is bigger, greater than any problem. Faith doesn't deny the storm. but it dances in the rain, knowing that the same God who calms the waves lives inside of you. every sunrise, every new day, Is God's invitation for you to trust Him with something brand new?
His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. Every challenge is an opportunity for your faith to grow, to mature, and every victory is the evidence that God, the God you serve, specializes in doing the impossible. He wants to do miracles in your life. You serve a God who keeps his promises, who never fails, who has already prepared everything you need for whatever lies ahead.
So go in his strength. Live in his power. Walk in his purpose. The God of Hebrews 11 is still writing his story, and you're a part of it. And that is today's PowerPoint.
Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you a copy of Dr. Graham's booklet, Breaking Free from Stress, as Our Thanks. Just text the word stress to 59-789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about what makes a truly amazing church in God's eyes.
That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
