Believe

1. More than 100 times in the New Testament we find the word “believe.”

2. If we have any interest at all in Christianity believe is a key word in our vocabulary.

3. We certainly know that Jesus emphasized the word “believe.”

4. Of the 100 or so times “believe” is found in the New Testament, about 3/4^hs of these places are in Mt.-Jn.

FOR OUR SCRIPTURE READING WE HEARD 1 JN. 3:23.

1) God has a “command” for people, and this command is “belief.”

2) God wants people to have faith in Him and the spiritual system He gave (Christianity).

3) There are people in the world who think that belief is some kind of supernatural gift.

4) Stated another way, we believe because God makes us believe.

5) The Bible says believing is our responsibility; we do it because it is a command from God.

6) If we are going to carry out a command, we must first need to know what it involves.

7) When it comes to believing, God has not left us without instruction.

8) We are told what to believe (the Scriptures; God’s word or revelation).

9) We are also told how to believe.

10) Romans 10:17 says, QUOTE. This verse tells us what to believe (gospel) and how to do it (hear it).

11) When it comes to belief, God also tells us to be careful.

a) Heaven tells us that not all spiritual information is to be believed.

b) If something is not in and consistent with the Scriptures, it must be rejected.

c) The first verse to be read this morning comes from the 24^th chapter of Matthew.

d) Jesus warned His people about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

e) When this period came, there was death, disease, and false teaching.

f) People claimed to be the Messiah while numerous people suffered and died.

g) Jesus knew what would happen so He offered this warning – Mt. 24:23 – READ.

12) When we combine 1 Jn. 3 with Mt. 24, we see an important truth about belief.

13) We do not swallow every teaching that someone says is Christian doctrine.

14) It is not enough to believe something because a person claims it is in or from the Bible.

15) If we are going to be God’s people, we have to be selective in what we believe.

16) We want the truth, we want the whole truth, and we want nothing but the truth.

17) Another helpful text when it comes to belief is found a little later in Mt. 27.

a) By this time Jesus was on the cross.

b) While Jesus was dying there were people standing nearby and watching.

c) These people made an offer to the Lord – Mt. 27:42 – READ.

d) Would these people have believed if Jesus had come down from the cross?

e) Throughout the nation of Israel Jews had seen many of the Lord’s miracles.

f) Plenty of proof had already been given but many would not accept it.

g) Here is an example of people who say they will believe when they really would not do that.

18) Today many of us have had an experience similar to Mt. 27.

19) A person may have said to us, “If you can prove _______ from the Bible I will become a Christian.”

20) We offer the proof but the person does not respond as he or she promised.

21) There will be some who will not believe no matter what we do.

22) Jesus had this same problem through His life and even in His death.

23) God has given sufficient evidence to believe (have faith), but many will not accept it.

24) Since we are here today, we are surely not like the people in Mt. 27.

25) It is reasonable to say that most who come to a worship service are prepared to believe if sufficient evidence is given.

26) God has provided this evidence but this is not the subject for consideration today.

27) Today we want to ask what God wants us to believe.

28) If you turned to Mt. 27, skip over a few more pages to the opening chapter in Mark.

29) After the temptations Jesus began to preach (Mk. 1:14).

30) Here is what He told people then, and this message is still applicable.

31) Mk. 1:15 – READ

a) What are we to believe? The “gospel.”

b) A summary of the gospel is found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

c) There must be faith in Jesus (He was a real person and He was the Son of God).

d) Christ came to this earth, He lived as a man, He died for sins, and He was buried.

e) On the third day He was raised and He is now back in heaven interceding for the saved.

f) There are people who do not believe these things.

g) Some think Jesus came, but someone else (or Jesus plus others) does the interceding.

h) God says there is only one intercessor, and this is Christ (1 Tim. 2:5).

i) Others do not believe Jesus was divine (i.e. part of the Godhead).

j) Still others do not consider Jesus to be the only way to God or that He was raised.

k) We must believe the basic facts of the gospel if we wish to please God.

32) A person might say within himself, “I want to believe but I am having some difficulty.”

33) “There is something about Christianity that is difficult for me to believe.”

34) If we have ever had this struggle, we are not alone.

35) Our next passage comes from Mk. 9.

a) There was once a father who had a child that was possessed by an evil spirit.

b) It is an understatement to say the demon caused this child to have fits.

c) This child would put himself in water and even in fire because of the possession.

d) Verse 22 is where we start – READ.

e) Jesus responded to this man’s statement with the words in verse 23; we want verse 24 – READ.

f) This man had some faith but he knew there were some problems with his belief.

36) Did Jesus understand the struggle that some can have with belief? Yes.

37) When a person has that struggle, does God just cut them off? This account says “no.”

38) Mk. 9 shows us that God allowed this man to receive help and this strengthened his faith.

39) Today there is still help available to strengthen our faith.

40) For instance, God has provided evidence in a wide variety of ways.

41) If we search or ask, that evidence can be found, studied, and used to increase a frail faith.

42) When we think about belief and Christianity, something said in Lk. 8 merits our attention.

a) Luke is one of the writers who speaks about the “parable of the sower.”

b) There was a man (perhaps about this time of the year) who went out and began to plant seed.

c) His seed fell upon four different types of ground.

d) One type of soil was “rocky” (a little soil and a lot of rock).

e) In this dirt seeds sprang up quickly but they also died.

f) Here is the exact thought – verse 13 – READ.

g) When we think about “belief,” there are those who “believe for a while.”

43) Here “belief” does not refer to a mental acceptance of certain facts.

44) “Belief” is a metonymy (it stands for being a Christian).

45) In the Bible “belief” is sometimes synonymous with being a child of God.

46) Luke’s parable tells us that not every Christian stays a Christian.

47) A person’s “belief” (obedient life) may not last.

48) When we therefore think of “belief”, we want to also view it as describing our faithfulness.

49) We must “believe” in the sense of acceptance and obedience for the reason in Jn. 8:24.

50) Jesus said without “belief” (in the sense of acceptance), we will die in our sins.

51) Belief (which includes obedience) is an important key to avoiding destruction.

52) Without it we will perish.

53) Belief in Christ is important for many reasons, another of which is comfort.

54) Many who are here can recite some or all of the opening verses in Jn. 14.

a) It is Jn 14 that Jesus spoke of a house with “many mansions.”

b) He said He was going to prepare a place and would come again.

c) As this chapter opens, the words say, “Let not your heart be troubled.”

d) “Believe in God, believe also in me.”

e) There is a connection to believing in God and freeing ourselves from anxiety.

55) At the very core of becoming, being, and staying a Christian is “belief.”

56) Anyone can say “I believe in Jesus.”

57) It takes a truly committed person to let this belief control and guide every part of their being.

58) An illustration of what I mean is found in Acts 27.

a) Paul and others were on a ship for Italy.

b) Many days were spent on this ship and finally the voyage became dangerous, verse 9.

c) Verse 10 tells us that Paul issued a warning, but his words were not heeded.

d) Items on board the ship were tossed overboard (verses 18-19).

e) Then it was dark for several days (verse 20) and a storm raged.

f) This ship was eventually lost but all the people were saved.

g) Paul told these people, “I believe God” (verse 25).

59) Here is Bible faith. In spite of a raging sea, there was faith.

60) There is darkness on this sea day after day, but faith did not die.

61) A ship and the materials on it sank into the sea, but faith persisted.

62) God saves them who believe, 1 Cor. 1:21.

63) Heaven tells us there are those who want to believe lies, 2 Thess. 2:10-12.

64) Christians know and believe the truth, 1 Tim. 4:3.

65) Our belief leads us to eternal life, 1 Tim. 1:16.

66) One of the things that strengths my faith is Satan’s helpers.

a) I am encouraged by the forces of hell. Demons encourage me, and they should encourage you.

b) If we have read much of the Bible, we have come across a little statement in Jas. 2.

c) James was able to make an important observation about demons.

d) He said demons believe. He said they also do something else.

e) Jas. 2:19 – READ.

67) Notice that demonic belief is coupled with their “shuddering.”

68) Why are these two things joined together?

69) Demons know something about God’s nature.

70) They know He keeps His word.

71) They know that He has promised to one day punish them in Hell forever, and they are terrified of that fact.

72) If God were not a God of His word, demons could have hope for a different fate.

73) Satan’s helpers know this is not possible so they quake with fear.

a) I’m afraid that sometimes Christians have less faith than Satan’s helpers.

b) God doesn’t want this to be the case.

c) Our final text comes from 1 Jn. 5:13.

d) John wanted his readers to have the most solid kind of faith (belief).

74) Here is what he said – 1 Jn. 5:13 – READ.

75) We are saved by faith. Not faith only, but faith.

76) Paul told the Galatians we have a faith which “works”.

77) Faith without works is dead. We are not saved by faith alone.

78) Our faith is the most important thing we will ever have.

79) Today how is our faith? Is it weak and in need of strengthening?

80) Is it strong but not yet an obedient faith?

81) Has it waned with the passing of time?