Faith Comes by Hearing God

1
Faith Comes by Hearing
Gods Word.
2
Romans 1017

• So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
  the word of God.

3

• The hearing of Gods word
  is the foundation
  to faith itself.

4

• Do we truly believe this principle?
  (i.e., Romans 1017)

5
Luke 175 (NASB)

• And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our
  faith! cf. Rom. 1017

6

• Faith Comes by Hearing Gods Word,
  not the Traditions or Creeds of Men.

7
Not the Traditions of Men

• We must not become captivated by the traditions
  of men (Col. 28).
• Traditions of men can invalidate the word of God
  (Mat. 151-6).

8
Matthew 151-3 (NASB)

• Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus
  from Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples
  transgress the tradition of the elders? For they
  do not wash their hands when they eat bread." 3
  And He answered and said to them, "And why do you
  yourselves transgress the commandment of God for
  the sake of your tradition?

9
Matthew 154-6 (NASB)

• 4 "For God said, 'Honor your father and mother,'
  and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let
  him be put to death.' 5 "But you say, 'Whoever
  shall say to his father or mother," Anything of
  mine you might have been helped by has been given
  to God, " 6 he is not to honor his father or his
  mother.' And thus you invalidated the word of God
  for the sake of your tradition.

10

• To follow a practice just because it has always
  been done that way (traditional) is not walking
  by faith!

11
Not the creeds of men

• We must also beware of the dangers of creeds.

12

• Creeds of men quickly become the basis of
  authority rather than Gods word
  (2 Tim. 316-17).

13

• Creeds of men (which are
  uninspired) inevitably add to the word of God
  (Rev. 2218-19).

14

• Only Gods word can produce genuine faith
  in the hearts
  of men and women
  (Rom. 1017).

15

• Faith Comes by Hearing Gods Word,
  not Worldly Wisdom and Philosophy.

16
Colossians 28 (NASB)

• See to it that no one takes you captive through
  philosophy and empty deception, according to the
  tradition of men, according to the elementary
  principles of the world, rather than according to
  Christ. cf. Mat. 2818

17
What do you put stock in?

• The sayings of men like Aristotle and Benjamin
  Franklin?
• Or the teaching of Jesus and His apostles?

18

• Many preachers depend on the quotations of famous
  men instead of book, chapter, and verse of the
  Bible to persuade people to accept their message!

19

• Though moved by the writings of men, only the
  preaching of Gods word will generate true,
  saving faith (Rom. 1017).

20

• Faith Comes by Hearing Gods
  Word, not
  Entertainment.

21
2 Timothy 42-4 (NASB)

• 2 Preach the word be ready in season and out of
  season reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great
  patience and instruction. 3 For the time will
  come when they will not endure sound doctrine
  but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will
  accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance
  to their own desires 4 and will turn away their
  ears from the truth, and will turn aside to
  myths.

22
Not entertainment

• Instead of desiring truth, people want preachers
  that will merely make them laugh or feel good.
• Preachers that reprove and rebuke with the
  Word are rejected for negative preaching.

23

• Congregations that receive a steady diet of
  entertainment with minimal emphasis on the
  Scriptures will not be strong in their faith!

24

• Attempts to draw the lost to God through
  entertainment will not result in true conversions
  to Jesus Christ!

25

• Not by entertainment, but by
  hearing Gods word will people be
  saved, grow spiritually,
  and be faithful until the
  end (Rom. 1017 cf. 1 Pet. 22 Acts 2032 2
  Pet. 318 Phil. 127).

26

• Faith Comes by Hearing Gods Word, not
  Story-Time or Man-made Illustrations.

27

• Much discretion and wisdom must be used in using
  illustrations!

28
Modern Day Parables?

• To justify the use of illustrations, preachers
  often point to the example of Jesus who, at
  times, taught in parables in His ministry (e.g.,
  Mat. 13 cf. 1 Pet. 221).

29

• Jesus parables were inspired, whereas our
  illustrations are not!

30
John 1249-50 (NASB)

• 49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative,
  but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me
  commandment, what to say, and what to speak. 50
  "And I know that His commandment is eternal life
  therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the
  Father has told Me."

31

• Unless our illustrations come from the Scriptures
  themselves (e.g., Rom. 154 1 Cor. 1011), we
  simply cannot place our illustrations on equal
  footing with the parables of Jesus!

32

• Illustrations should only be used to complement
  the truth, not establish the truth.

33

• Faith Comes by Hearing Gods Word, not by the
  Emotional Appeals of Men.

34
Like God,
we have emotions or feelings (Gen.
126-27 e.g., Mark 35 Eph. 430).

• Thus, religion void of emotion is not true
  religion.

35

• Feelings by themselves, no matter how powerful
  they may be, are not to be the basis of our
  faith.

36

• Emotion, no matter how strong it may be, is not
  in and of itself evidence that we walk by faith
  (Jer. 1023 Prov. 1412).

37
2 Corinthians 79-10 (NKJV)

• 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry,
  but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you
  were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might
  suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly
  sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation,
  not to be regretted but the sorrow of the world
  produces death. cf. Ps. 514

38

• What else can tell us for sure that we have
  offended God or pleased God other than the word
  of God?

39
2 Timothy 316-17 (NKJV)

• 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
  and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
  correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17
  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
  equipped for every good work.
  cf. Prov. 1412 Isa. 520

40

• Faith Comes by Hearing Gods Word Because Gods
  Word Is Powerful!

41
Romans 116 (NASB)

• For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is
  the power of God for salvation to everyone who
  believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

42
1 Corinthians 118 (NASB)

• For the word of the cross is to those who are
  perishing foolishness, but to us who are being
  saved it is the power of God.

43
Hebrews 412 (NKJV)

• For the word of God is living and powerful, and
  sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even
  to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints
  and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
  and intents of the heart.

44
The Importance of Reading Scripture.

• 1 Timothy 413 (NASB) Until I come, give
  attention to the public reading of Scripture, to
  exhortation and teaching.
  cf. Acts 1315 2 Cor. 314

45

• How can a teacher be
  a Bible class teacher or a
  preacher be a Gospel
  preacher unless the reading of
  Scripture is included?

46

• Preach the Word! (2 Timothy 42a)

47

• Let us always put
  our faith in God
  and His power to save by
  the power of His Word.