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How Your Faith Is Tested Trinity Bible Church 1/9/05
Introduction: Gen. 15:1 Have you ever built something? It may have been as small as a model car or airplane to as large as a garage or house. What was needed to start? You may think; tools, supplies, location, but one thing is greater still. A plan! What will the finished product look like?
So it is in our spiritual life, we think what we need are; tools, supplies, and a location. But one thing is greater still. A finished product! What are you going to look like spiritually when all done? If you don’t have a clue what a disciple of the Lord Jesus looks like, it will be very hard to endure the trials that come your way.
The NT calls Abraham the “Father of faith”, one author stated that his faith was tested ten times. Today we will look at three of them. It could be that you have had the same struggles he had, and maybe today you can apply some of what he learned as you walk on your spiritual journey of faith.
I. Unanswered Prayer – Has someone ever promised you something, then, not come through on the promise? How did you feel?
A. Promises. Abram had two promises every man delights to know. 1) Family; 2) Livelihood (where and how I will live). 1. Family. Vs. 2-3 *Explain Eleazer; he had promise 10 years earlier, 12:1-2, but so far had seen no fruit of that promise. 2. Livelihood/Occupation. Gen. 15: 7-8; here it is again, he had promise earlier, 13:14-17; but no answer that was tangible.
B. Patience. Can you imagine how hard it was? He obeyed God and left family, friends, and homeland to go where God told him to go. He sees his nephew Lot get married, has companions get married, his servants get married. They all start having kids, except him and Sarah. Lot takes possession of some land, but Abram still travels around like a nomad.
C. Delayed answer. Delayed answer to prayer is better title to this first section. Does delayed answer look like unanswered prayer? To the person praying it sure does!
What do you think a test of faith would look like? Wouldn’t it look like the trustworthiness of God is unable to be trusted? *I was in prayer one day and I seem to hear God tell me He was going to save the rest of my family members. My mother was the only one so far that made a profession of faith. Shortly after that, one of my sisters and one of my brothers prayed w/someone to receive Christ. Thirteen years later, my grandfather gave his heart to Jesus and was water baptized. Fifteen years later, (add them up, that’s 28 years) my father and father in law were brought into the kingdom a day apart from each other. Was there a delay from the first time I felt the promise to the answer given? Abram had some concerns, God had promised and it didn’t seem like the promise was ever going to come to pass. Have you those similar struggles? Is your faith being tested? Does it look to you like God isn’t answering your prayers? What is needed? Patience!
II. Unprotected Offering. Gen. 15: 9-11
C. This is a test/trial. Would God ever ask you to do something, and then seemingly leave you alone as you struggle w/the devil? *I heard of a man that promised the Lord a certain amount from the sale of his home but then when the house sold, the real estate vultures were flying around the net gains. The pity was, this man ended up not giving to the Lord what he promised. But not so w/Abram, if God asked for something, he was going to watch over it till it was in God’s hands. (Eccl. 5:4-7)
What do you do? I’ll tell you what to do, you do as Abram did! You get right up and rebuke the devil! James tells us, “Resist the devil” *Dr. Cho, wife snoring, started thinking “I hate my wife, I hate my life”. It was the devil! “I reshist you”, the window rattled, the wife snored, “I love my wife”.
III. Unbelievable Terror Gen. 15: 12 NIV As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
You can call it a “dry spell”, but what it feels like is confusion and even bordering on depression. It seems like, instead of the sweet counsel of God, you have doubts, fears, and darkness.
B. Three things to remember to help you through the darkness. 1. Be willing to go through it alone. Abram wasn’t independent of God, not self-sufficient, but his confidence in God was great. He was willing to wait, seemingly alone, till God came through on His promise. 2. Know that these things are temporary; 1 Pet. 1:6; 5:10. My most comforting scripture on this point? James 5:7-11 3. Rest assured the darkness is producing God’s best in you, 2 Cor 4:16-18. Every previous promise of God to Abram had this hope in mind. (Heb. 11:13-17) Daniel was delivered of the lions; Job was eventually vindicated to his friends.
Conclusion; Gen. 15:1; God came to Abram w/this promise, it was still true no matter what trials, troubles, questions, darkness he went through.
Everyone here goes through trials, difficulties. Abram lived as though God’s promise was sure. The question I leave you with is this: are God’s promises true to you too? Will you live from now on, trusting Him and His promises? God has proven His goodness to you over and over again. Will you no longer be faithless, but faithful?
Heb 11:15-16 TEV They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return. Instead, it was a better country they longed for, the heavenly country. And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them.
TLB If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world. But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them.
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