You know what a rush of adrenaline feels like. but it's not limited to the physical realm. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah reveals the spiritual adrenaline you can receive by getting to know the faithful heroes of the Bible. As he wraps up the series, Investing for Eternity, David shares how God's blessing can be yours through obedience.
Here's David with the conclusion of The Faith of Commitment. And thank you so much for joining us. We're studying Hebrews chapter 11 with this in mind that. Faith in the New Testament in the Old Testament always involves action. Uh David believed God, but he went and fought a giant.
Noah believed God and he built an ark. Abraham believed God and he left the country where his father was and went to a place not knowing where he was going. Over and over again in the Bible, when people believed God, they stepped out. In obedience to what God said, always, it seems like, into places they'd never been before, in experiences they'd never had before. That's the way it is for us as believers.
You say, well, I've never given to the Lord before, I've never tithed before.
Well, you have to be willing to trust God and take the step of faith. Faith that's really good, faith that works is faith that acts. And I told you on Friday that the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, is a chapter full of verbs: that when you trust God, you do something. And we'll continue that discussion here in just a moment. But first, I want to do something to encourage you to get a copy of this brand new book from Turning Point called What God Promises You, a 208-page hardback gift book that outlines seven truths that will change the way you live your life.
What a great book to have at the beginning of a new year. And I hope you will get your copy of it. When you send your gift to Turning Point, simply ask for the book on promises, and we'll send it to you right away. You'll have to begin to use it as you face the rest of 2026. And now, let's finish up our discussion of Hebrews 11.
This is part two of the faith of commitment. I remember when I used to go door to door. Knocking on doors and sharing my faith back when I was a pastor in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and you could do that. And I started that church, and every day I was out knocking on doors. And one of the things I'd run into all the time is people would say, Well, I have faith.
And I read this someplace in a book, and I started using this illustration, and it went like this. Let me ask you this question: Suppose you were fishing. In the cold part of the United States where they fish through the ice. Would you rather have A little tiny bit of faith in two feet of ice. or a whole bunch of faith in two inches of ice.
And you would not believe how many people would select the latter as opposed to the former. And they would say they wanted to have a whole bunch of faith in two inches of ice because they thought that sounded more spiritual. And I always made a note never to go fishing with those folks.
Now the problem with that reasoning is this. Your faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed. And so you can go around saying, Oh, I got a bunch of faith. But the question isn't: how much faith do you have? In whom have you placed your faith?
That's the question.
So, faith is not blind optimism, it's not a leap in the dark, and it's not. Faith in itself.
Well, then, what is faith? What is the faith commitment that we talk about? The commitment of faith. is first of all Initiated by a revelation from God. Do you know that faith starts from God?
and comes here and then goes back. It doesn't start with us. We do not have anything that we can do. To initiate faith, faith starts from God. And here's the bottom line, men and women: God has spoken.
That's it, God has spoken.
So somebody says, Well, I have faith.
Well, who's your faith in? Your faith is in God.
Well, what is the content of your faith? The content of your faith is what God has said. And here in the book of Hebrews, My friend, it's everywhere. These men and women of faith who went out to do great exploits for God went out to do great exploits for God because God told them to do something. How many of you know Romans 10:17, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God?
So you read through the book of Hebrews and the 11th chapter, and every place where men and women exercised faith, it was in response to something God told them to do. You go back and read the stories in the Old Testament that are referenced here. When you see the relationship between revelation and faith, I'm going to tell you something, it doesn't make any sense if it's not that way. Can you imagine old Noah building a boat in his front yard if God hadn't told him to do it? I mean, everybody in the world thought he was crazy.
People walk by, they're saying, Noah, why are you building this boat? By the way, what is a boat? And it's going to rain. What's rain? They'd never seen rain before.
And the only answer that Noah ever could give them was: God told me to do it. And I believed him. and I'm doing it. It says in chapter 11 and verse 7. By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear and prepared an ark.
That's how it happened. And by faith Abraham was called to go out. Where he didn't even know where he was going. It says in the Word of God, by faith he went out not knowing where he was going.
Somebody said, Abraham, where are you going? I don't know.
Well, why are you going then? Because God told me to? I encourage you sometimes to take the 11th chapter and go through every verse and see how many times either referenced or it's so evident in the context that you can't miss it. For instance, You remember when they marched around the walls of Jericho? I mean, have you ever heard of a military strategy like that in your life?
Here are these people marching around the wall. Joshua's leading them. They're going to tear down the walls of Jericho, they're going to fall inward. And the people are throwing stones at him. I visualize this in my mind and hollering mean-spirited things at him over the wall.
What are you doing? We're marching. What for? We're going to conquer you. Right.
Somebody said, Why are you doing this? Because God told us to do it, and we're responding to God, you see. Faith is a matter of revelation. It's not just having a spirit of warmth and Back part of your head, it's not just a Feeling faith is doing In response to what God has said. Secondly, the faith of commitment is ignited by our response to that revelation.
Faith is not just mental assent to what has been revealed. How many of you know the Bible says the devil believes and he trembles? The devil believes, he believes there's a God, he knows there's a God. But just knowing that doesn't Make him a candidate for heaven, that's for certain. Faith is not just mental assent to something that's been written or something God has said, but faith goes beyond that.
Faith is responding to what God said. Faith is obedience to what God has said. It is simply saying, I am going to do what God has told me to do, and then doing it. And if you go through the 11th chapter of Hebrews, you'll notice that there's so many action words there. Faith isn't something you think.
Faith is something you do. It says, Abel offered unto God. Noah prepared an ark. Abraham offered up Isaac. Moses left Egypt.
And then, if you have a chance, read verses 32 through 36. It is just loaded with verbs, with action verbs. of things people did by faith. See, we've got this idea that faith is an attitude, but faith is an attitude that results in an action. Faith is obedience to God.
And if we're practicing true Bible faith, it will be a total response on our part.
Someone has written that, first of all, it begins with perception. The mind perceives it. and then it moves to persuasion and the emotions embrace it. And then it goes from perception to persuasion to performance, and the will undertakes to do it.
So that's how it works. I'm reading the word of God, and God says, This is my command to you, and my mind captures it. And then my heart begins to understand it, and then my will takes over, and I move forward to do it. The faith of commitment is ignited by a response to Revelation. But notice, if you read the 11th chapter carefully, you'll discover.
That the faith of commitment is intensified by the resistance that it faces. Every place you turn, there's a problem. With what these people did by faith. For instance, think about old Abraham. The Bible says he went out and God told him to go to this certain place, not knowing where he was going.
And when he finally got there, do you know what happened? They had a famine. What do you think old Abraham thought about that? God told me to come down here, and I trusted Him, and now here I am, and there's a famine. And you know, he got in a lot of trouble because he had a moment where he didn't trust God to take care of him in the famine.
And he went down there and he got involved with Hagar, and we've been paying the price for that ever since, as you know. What about Noah? God says, Noah, build an ark. I don't think Noah knew it was going to take 120 years, and he was going to have to preach every day to the ridicule of the people, but he kept preaching and he kept pounding. God kept blessing.
Sometimes we think, well, if I do what God tells me to do, then it's going to be sweet dreams from then on. My friend, If you do what God tells you to do, how many of you know that sometimes there's resistance?
Some of you made a commitment this month, you're going to start tithing. And God's going to bless you. I promise you. He's promised that. We're going to look at those promises in a moment.
But he'll probably test you in the process too. to see whether or not you really truly believe. What he's told you. But let me tell you something, whenever he tests you, it always strengthens you. When you go through the test and you come out on the other side and your faith is intact and you're still doing what God called you to do, you know in your heart.
That this is from God, and He's going to continue to help you. It's intensified. By the resistant. And then, number four, the faith of commitment is inspired by the reward it anticipates. Throughout the book of Hebrews, we learn about the reward.
Hebrews 11, 6 says it this way: But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is And that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek. Him. How many of you know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him? God always rewards those.
And you read in Hebrews 11, 10 about Abraham who looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. You look through this whole chapter, and what you see, these people are abiding in faith now because of what they anticipate God is going to do in the future. They trust God for the future and they believe that God is faithful. And that's what we do. We do what God tells us.
We may not always see the reward immediately, but we know that God doesn't lie and that He always rewards those who follow Him. And He rewards us sometimes in a marvelous way here, and He rewards us always and completely when we stand before Him someday. He's a rewarder.
So, faith works. Let me tell you why. Let me just go through some of these verses. Faith works according to Hebrews 11 because faith believes that God is. Notice.
Hebrews 11:6. Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he. Is. Faith believes that God is. And then faith works because faith believes that God blesses.
Verse 6 says he rewards those. who diligently follow him. And then faith believes that God is faithful. Notice verse 11. in Hebrews chapter 11.
It says, by faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged him faithful who has promised. Faith believes that God is. Faith believes that God blesses. Faith believes that God is faithful. And in verse 19, we read that faith believes that God is able.
Notice verse 19, concluding that God was able to raise him up. Even from the dead. That's Abraham's rationale. For taking the life or going to the mountain to take the life of Isaac. He believed that God was able to raise him up.
And then finally, faith believes that God is present with his people. Verse 27 of chapter 11 says, By faith Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured.
Now, watch this, as seeing him who is invisible. He saw God every day in his experience. And I wrote this down. This is kind of quaint. But maybe you won't forget it because of that.
You know why faith works? Here it is. Faith works because God is. Faith works because God has. Faith works because God does.
Faith works because God can. And faith works because God will. That's why faith works. It works because he is, because he has to do what we ask him, he can bless us. He does what we ask him to do.
He can do what we ask him to do, and he's willing to do what we ask him to do. That's why faith works. Now, having said all of that.
Some of you are wondering, what does that have to do with my commitment to stewardship?
Well, let me just. bring all this back together at the end here. You see, faith has never changed. And whether it's the faith we exercise in some big challenge or it's the faith we exercise in our everyday walk by faith, faith is still the same. It's based on a revelation from God, it's based on our response to that revelation.
There's always going to be some resistance, and God has promised to reward us if we walk by faith.
Now, let's just review what we've learned. Is there a revelation from God concerning our giving? Is there?
Well, let's just cycle through these verses very quickly, Malachi 3.10. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. And try me now in this, says the Lord. Proverbs 3, 9, and 10. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase.
2 Corinthians 9, verse 7.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Galatians 6, 6, and 7. Let him who is taught in the word share in all good things with him who teaches, do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will also reap.
Let me ask you a question, class. Has God spoken about this issue? Do we need a revelation from God? Does anybody need a revelation from God? Has He not spoken?
God has spoken. David Jeremiah didn't speak. I'm just an echo. I just take what God says and bounce it off of y'all. That's all I do.
But God has spoken, and I think that's the clearest thing we can say when we come to the Word of God. Don't argue with us about this, don't argue with the church, don't argue with this preacher. If you want to get into an argument about this whole matter of stewardship, my friend, you get one-on-one with God and argue away because God has spoken. Is there a response? I think so.
I think we are asked to respond in a certain way. Deuteronomy 16, 17 says, every man shall give as he is able. 1 Corinthians 16, 2 says, on the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as you may prosper. Hebrews 13, 16 says, do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. Will there be resistance?
Oh, yes.
Some of you start this this week or you started it last week and you're tithing now. Man. And the first day it was a glorious, wonderful experience, and you just felt so warm in your heart because you've been obedient. And then something happened that day you hadn't counted on. And one of the bills that you thought your wife had paid came.
And now you gave 10% of your income away right up front to God. And the enemy's going to come and say, well, you know, you should have thought about this more. No, you know, when God speaks, you don't need to think, you need to obey. I mean, you need to see what God says and then just do it. Let me give you a verse of Scripture that will encourage you.
You're going to have some challenges, and I've got to tell you, Don and I have had our challenges as we started out doing this years and years ago. But as you go, you go from faith to faith, and God's grace continues to be so abundant. And after a while, you begin to see what God's doing in your own life and how He blesses you, and you can't hardly wait to find a way to do more. Because you believe and you see the evidence. But here's a verse for all of you that may find some resistance: it's Galatians chapter 6 in verse 9, and this is what it says: Let us not grow weary.
while doing good. In due season, we shall reap if we don't lose heart. Just hang in there. God is going to be faithful to you because. There's also a great reward, isn't there?
There's a reward for what God has asked us to do. And I'm going to go through these verses so quickly, but I want you to get the impact. Just let me read them, just a little phrase at a time, and you hear what God says He will do for those who will take the step of faith and make the commitment that He's asked them to make. Proverbs 3, 9, and 10, honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase, so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. Malachi 3:10, in the middle of the verse, it says, The Lord will open for you the windows of heaven and pour out you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
Luke 6:38 says, Given it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, he will put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured to you. 2 Corinthians 9:6, This I say, He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, but he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:8, and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that you always, having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Ephesians 6:8, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he's a slave or free. Philippians 4:19, my God shall supply all. Your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. All of those are in financial context where God has promised the reward to those who take the step of faith. And I need a breath.
Yeah. I love to staccato the word of God just like a rapid machine gun fire because sometimes I think it takes that to get through. to some of y'all. Is God faithful or is He not? Yeah, will he reward those who honor him?
Yes, he will. That's the good blessing. And that's the promise. And so, say, this year, I'm going to take that step of faith. I'm going to make that commitment to God.
All you're doing is what we do at the core of our faith. To walk with God and to trust Him for the future and say, This year, Lord, you've been so good to me and you blessed me so much in the past, I'm going to trust you for more. I'm going to take another step of faith. And walk out into the future knowing that God's already there. And he's going to be there to supply your need.
If you go back to the book of Hebrews, It's almost a shame. In fact, I don't think it should have happened. How many of you know the chapter divisions are not inspired? And they made a chapter division at the end of chapter 11 and at the beginning of chapter 12. And I just want you to read the first few verses of chapter 12 with me.
Can you read them out loud? Let's do it. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. And let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. What the writer of Hebrews is saying is this. Look back over this chapter. This is the cloud of witnesses. I hear people sometimes think that's a cloud of witnesses up there that's watching us, but the cloud of witnesses we just read about in chapter 11.
And let me read it to you. As we close, let me read it to you from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, because this is really, this is really good. Listen to this. Do you see what this means? All those pioneers who blazed the way.
All those veterans cheering us on. It means we better get on with it. We better strip down, start running, and never quit. No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.
Study how He did it, because He never lost sight of where He was headed. That exhilarating finish in and with God, he could put up with anything along the way, cross, shame, and whatever. And now he's there in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, Go over that story again, item by item. That long litany of hostility he plowed through.
That will shoot adrenaline into your souls. I'll tell you what. You read Hebrews 11. And you read Hebrews 12, 1 to 3. And that's spiritual adrenaline for your souls.
You get discouraged, you just remember this whole matter of walking by faith was initiated long before any of us came along. That's God's plan for us. And the reason it's so exciting to teach it is because God blesses His plans. He doesn't bless ours, He blesses His plan, and His plan we've been discussing these days. When you get in on God's plan, you're going to be surprised what God will do.
It's an exciting and exhilarating experience. Amen. Amen. I hope that you have been taking notes. maybe not just on paper, but in your heart, and that God has been doing something in your life to move you in a direction of more faithfulness to Him in the way you steward your resources.
Tomorrow We're going to talk about generosity. You know, it's one thing to give as God tells you to give, but what about generosity? You know, I've always prayed in my heart that as I got older, I would become a generous older man. I didn't want to be a grouchy old man. I want to be a generous old man.
And I think most of you would have the same goal. But generosity starts in your heart. It starts not just in what you do with your money that goes to the church, but the way you respond to other people. And uh we're gonna take two days. And talk about generosity.
What does it mean? How does it work? What can we do to become more generous people in the sight of God and in those. people around us who depend on us for example and structure. I hope you'll be with us tomorrow as we begin that two-day series.
Our message today originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Reach out and tell us how this ministry helps you grow by writing to us at TurningPoint, PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. Visiting our website at davidjeremiah.org/slash radio. or calling 800-947-1993.
Ask for your copy of David's new book, What God Promises You, 7 Truths That Will Change the Way You Live. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also view over 1200 of Dr. Jeremiah's sermons on any screen anytime you like. On our Turning Point Plus streaming service for a monthly gift of any amount, visit turningpointplus.org for details.
This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow for a special message on generosity on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.
