INTRODUCTION

Faith is seeing things from God’s perspective. God sees the end of things from the beginning.

Hebrews 11:1 Defines what Faith is and v3 states how God was pleased by the ancient men who lived by faith. v6 states that its impossible to please god without faith.

In Hebrews 11, faith is mentioned 24 times, by faith 19 times and dying by faith 20 times.

Source of Faith: Hearing the Good News about Christ (Romans 10:17).

Hebrews 10:38 – The righteous one will live by faith. v39 We do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”

This introduces two types of Faith:

i. Living Faith

ii. Dead Faith

Faith without works is a dead faith from a heart that is not truly changed. Saving faith is demonstrated by good works (evidence of salvation). Dead faith is demonstrated by bad works (a life of sin).

The following scriptures talk about dead faith: Matthew 7:16-23, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

**Only regenerated hearts can have a new spirit (life) – Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17

NB: Faith without good works is dead because it comes from a heart that has not been regenerated by God.

– There is no neutral ground in faith, you either have living faith or dead faith.  Faith is not trial or error, you either believe what God says or not.

James 5:15 shows the power of a prayer of faith. v17 States that Elijah was a man like us despite of stopping the rains for 3 1/2 years.

In Mark 9:14-29 Jesus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes” v24 The father who had doubled exclaimed “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief”.

NB: In this story Jesus and the three had come from the mountain to pray (probably and fast as well), while the other nine disciples were arguing and discussing with the pharisees. v29 shows that praying and fasting made the difference in casting out the demon.

a. Living Faith from the Book of Hebrews 11:

– v4 Abel

– v5 Enoch

– v7 Noah

– v8 Abraham

– v11 Sarah

– v20 Isaac

– v21 Jacob

– v22 Joseph

– v23 Moses Parents

– v24 Moses

– v29 Passing the Red Sea

– v30 Walls of Jericho

– v31 Rahab

– v32 Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel

– v33 Daniel, Shadrack, Misheck and Abedneggo

– v35 Resurrections

– v36 Jeers, flogging, chains and prison

-37 Stoning, sawing, sword, persecuted and mistreated.

b. David and Goliath

1 Samuel 17:26-31 – Here David from his elder brother who was draining his faith to someone else who BUILT his faith.

v32, 34-54 – David speaks words of faith out of the natural realm.

c. Gideon

Judges 6:14 – The angel of the Lord tells Gideon, “Go in the strength you have v34 God’s spirit clothed Gideon with power.

Judges 7:2  – “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands or Israel will boast against me, “my own strength has saved me” v3 says, 22,000 men went back, v4-8 further thinning happened from 10,000 – 300.

e. Joshua and Caleb (A Report of living Faith Versus Dead Faith Report)

Numbers 13:1-3, 18, *20*, 27-33

1. Sending of the spies (v1-3, 17-25)
2. Report of the spies (v27-33)
3. Results of the Reports (Numbers 14:1-10, 20-24, 28-30, 34, 36-38)

14:24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follow me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

v37 These men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plaque before the Lord.

NB: It’s important to note that all the spies sent were leaders (Chapter 13:3). *Compare with Noah’s Raven versus the Dove. *

e. Jeremiah 32, Lamentations 5:21

– Jeremiah buys a field at Anathoth

– Zedekiah was the king in the 10^th year, which was Nebuchadnezzar’s 18^th year.

– Babylon had laid siege to Jerusalem

– Jeremiah was in prison

Why Jeremiah was in prison: v 3-5 (1^st Prophesy about upcoming captivity)

Jeremiah’s 2^nd prophesy: v6-15 *v15* (2^nd prophesy about purchase of land)

Jeremiah’s prayer of faith: v16-25 *v17,25* (Prayer of Faith)

God’s answer to Jeremiah’s prayer of faith: v26-44 (Answer to prayer of faith)

God’s reason of why he will punish Judah: v26-35

God’s promise of restoration: v36-44

v14 – This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase and put them in a clay jar so that they will last a long time. v15 For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says, houses, fields and vineyards will be bought in this land.

v17 Ah, sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

v27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind, Is anything too hard for me?”