The Requirements of Faith (Genesis 12 & 22)
This sermon offers a practical guide to cultivating a life of faith, reminding us that it is a journey of learning and growth. Drawing deeply from Abraham's experiences, it explores foundational principles for trusting God even amid life's uncertainties and our own imperfections.
This sermon defines faith as a confident assurance in God and His promises. It outlines five essential requirements for believers to learn and practice in their journey of faith, drawing lessons from Abraham's life.
Overview
The sermon introduces faith as a confident assurance that God is who He says He is and will fulfill all His promises. It proposes that while many trust Jesus for salvation, they don't immediately grasp the full scope of a life of faith. God places believers in a "school of faith" to learn how to live for Him in a world that often opposes Him.
Dr. Stanley uses the life of Abraham, starting in Genesis chapter 12, as a primary example to illustrate the requirements of faith. He highlights Abraham's journey, acknowledging both his moments of strong faith and his significant failures. The preacher emphasizes God's "unsearchable and indescribable love" for Abraham, even amidst his faults, as God continued to work in his life.
The core of the message unpacks five requirements for learning to walk by faith: listening to God, obeying God, depending upon God, waiting upon God, and acknowledging faith failures. Each point is reinforced with examples from Abraham's experiences, such as his initial obedience to leave his country, his costly mistake of going to Egypt and taking Hagar, and his ultimate test of offering Isaac.
The sermon concludes by returning to Abraham's final, pivotal test in Genesis 22, where he demonstrates profound listening, obedience, dependence, and willingness to wait. This example illustrates the maturity of faith when one consistently applies these requirements, leading to God's provision and blessings rather than the disappointments that arise from acting independently of God.
Key points
- Faith is defined as a confident assurance that God is real and will fulfill His promises.
- God places believers in a "school of faith" to learn how to live for Him.
- Abraham's life in Genesis provides an example of both profound faith and significant failures.
- The first requirement for walking by faith is learning to listen to God's voice.
- The second requirement is learning to obey God, as obedience is evidence of trust.
- The third requirement is learning to depend upon God for every need and aspect of life.
- The fourth requirement is learning to wait upon God, recognizing His timing is always best.
- The fifth requirement is learning to acknowledge and learn from one's faith failures and disobedience.
In Charles Stanley's words
“Every time I get ahead of God, I make a mess of it.”
“If I wait, I get what God can do.”
“God does not intend for us to stay there, but to learn to move on.”
Outline
- I. Introduction to the Life of Faith
- A. Definition of Faith: Confident assurance in God's promises
- B. God places us in the school of faith to learn
- C. We learn through trial and error, study and stumbling
- II. Abraham: An Example of Faith and Failure (Genesis 12-25)
- A. God's unsearchable and indescribable love amidst Abraham's faults
- B. God works to accomplish His purpose despite weaknesses
- III. Five Requirements for Learning to Walk by Faith
- A. Requirement 1: Learn to listen to God
- 1. God intends to give us direction (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- 2. Failure to listen leads to missing God's path
- B. Requirement 2: Learn to obey God
- 1. The life of faith is a life of obedience
- 2. Obedience is evidence of trust
- 3. Abraham's disobedience in going to Egypt and its costly mistake (Genesis 12:10-20, 16:1-6)
- C. Requirement 3: Learn to depend upon God
- 1. Trusting God means relying on Him for every need
- 2. Abraham's failure to depend on God in famine and fear (Genesis 12:10-20)
- 3. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the life God desires
- D. Requirement 4: Learn to wait upon God
- 1. One of life's most difficult lessons
- 2. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him (Psalm 27, Isaiah 64:4)
- 3. Abraham's mistake of not waiting for a son, leading to Hagar (Genesis 15:1-5, 16:1-6)
- E. Requirement 5: Learn to acknowledge and learn from faith failures
- 1. God does not intend for us to stay in failure, but to move on
- 2. Abraham's ultimate test: offering Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18)
- a. Demonstrates listening, obedience, dependence, and waiting
- b. His faith that God would provide or resurrect (Genesis 22:8)
- IV. Conclusion: Staying sensitive to God's voice
- A. Repenting of faults and disobedience to continue learning
Scripture references
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Insights
Faith is a journey learned through daily experiences and moments of struggle.
Listening to God's voice guides our steps toward His intended path.
True trust in God is often shown through our willingness to obey Him.
Questions & answers
What is the sermon's definition of faith?
The sermon defines faith as a confident assurance that the God of the Bible is God, that He is who He says He is, and that He will do everything He promised to do.
Why does the preacher say God puts us in a "school of faith"?
God places us in the school of faith to learn the basic principles of scripture, how to live for Him, and how to live in a world that is in opposition to Him.
How does Abraham's journey to Egypt serve as a lesson in this sermon?
Abraham's decision to go to Egypt was a tragic mistake because he was not listening to or depending on God. It led to him acquiring Hagar, which caused strife in his family and problems for generations, illustrating the costly consequences of disobedience.
What does the sermon say about the role of the Holy Spirit in a life of faith?
The Holy Spirit enables, empowers, and equips believers to live the life God wants them to live. He helps them hear God speak and strengthens them to do what is required as they depend on God.
What is the ultimate test of faith Abraham faced, according to the sermon?
Abraham's ultimate test was God commanding him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah. This moment demonstrated his profound listening, obedience, dependence, and waiting on God.
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