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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - The Necessary Ingredient (Part 1)

January 16, 2025 | S25:E28

Robert Jeffress - The Necessary Ingredient (Part 1)
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#Faith #WalkwithGod #RelationshipwithGod #Lifestyle #Christianity #Religion #inActive #Dr.RobertJeffress #RobertJeffress #Christ-like #James1

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The Necessary Ingredient (Part 1) | January 16, 2025
  • ♪ music ♪
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  • [announcer] from the pulpit
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  • Of the first baptist church of dallas texas,
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  • This is "pathway to victory,"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Hi, i'm robert jeffress,
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  • And welcome again to "pathway to victory."
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  • The word faith is pervasive today,
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  • It's woven into lyrics, books, and speeches,
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  • But even though it's familiar,
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  • Most of us could use a refresher course
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  • On the true meaning of faith.
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  • Today we're beginning a brand-new study
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  • In hebrews chapter 11 called spiritual fitness,
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  • And we'll start by defining this all-important word, faith.
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  • My message is titled the necessary ingredient,
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  • On today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪ music ♪
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  • [announcer] in a world filled with noise and clutter,
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  • God invites us to look past the distractions,
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  • And connect with him on a deeply personal level.
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  • In his book called "spiritual essentials,"
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  • Dr. robert jeffress shows you how to pray
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  • And how to study god's word in a truly meaningful way.
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  • Not sure where to start reading your bible?
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  • These practical principles
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  • Are based on the tried-and-true methods
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  • That dr. jeffress uses in his own bible study.
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  • Request "spiritual essentials" when you give a generous gift
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  • To "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪ music ♪
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  • I remember at the beginning of this pandemic,
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  • The very outset of it,
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  • A reporter asked me, "pastor, what do you think
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  • The long-term consequences are going to be
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  • If this quarantine, the shutdown
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  • Goes for months and months?"
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  • And i said, "my prediction is,
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  • You're going to see divorce rates rise dramatically."
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  • And sure enough, months later,
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  • That is exactly what we have seen happen.
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  • We're seeing divorce rates go up in texas,
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  • In california, in florida.
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  • In fact, i came across an interview
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  • With a divorce attorney this week
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  • Who explained why that was.
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  • He said, "i would say the phone is ringing much more,
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  • Where it used to be
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  • That a couple was able to get away from each other
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  • During the days or in the evenings
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  • With their extracurricular activities,
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  • Now they don't have that opportunity.
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  • So now people are more acutely aware
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  • That they just can't stay together."
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  • Now, will you listen to what that attorney is saying?
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  • He is saying that being cooped up with your mate,
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  • Let me change that,
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  • Spending quality time with your beloved,
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  • (congregation laughing)
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  • Is not the cause of problems in the marriage,
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  • But it reveals problems
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  • That were already in the marriage.
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  • That's an important distinction.
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  • The fact is, pressure from the outside
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  • Doesn't always cause problems,
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  • It simply reveals problems.
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  • Think about a hairline fracture in a sidewalk
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  • Or in a road that you can't see with the naked eye,
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  • But you put pressure on that fracture,
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  • Whether it's a 4,000-pound truck
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  • Or an 18,000-pound semi,
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  • You put pressure on that,
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  • That fracture becomes visible,
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  • And it even widens because of the pressure.
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  • That's true in almost every aspect of life,
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  • Including our relationship with god.
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  • The fact is,
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  • Problems from the outside
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  • Don't fracture our relationship with god,
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  • Problems from the outside simply reveal
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  • Fractures in our relationship with god,
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  • And widens them.
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  • You know, we don't hear that often
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  • In christian teaching these days.
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  • Haven't you heard people say,
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  • "oh, problems are wonderful?
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  • You've lost your mate,
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  • You're going through an illness,
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  • You're experiencing financial difficulty,
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  • Well, you ought to rejoice in that
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  • Because that strengthens your faith in god."
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  • We even have verses we quote to say that,
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  • Like james 1:2, "count it all joy my brethren,
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  • When you encounter various trials,
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  • Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."
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  • Or sometimes that's true, but not all the time.
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  • That verse, "testing of your faith,"
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  • That word "testing," dokimion
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  • Is a word that refers to the process
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  • By which a potter forms a piece of pottery out of clay,
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  • And then he puts it in a firing oven,
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  • Turns up the temperature, hundreds and hundreds of degrees,
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  • And the heat of that oven,
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  • Sometimes strengthens that piece of pottery.
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  • But sometimes that oven,
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  • The heat reveals a problem in that piece of pottery,
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  • And causes it to shatter.
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  • If the piece of pottery survives the firing oven,
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  • The potter takes it out and he writes on the bottom,
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  • He would write the greek word "dokimion, tested, approved!"
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  • It's made it through the fire
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  • And it's stronger because of it.
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  • But if that piece of pottery would shatter in the oven,
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  • It was discarded, thrown away forever,
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  • It's the same way with our faith.
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  • When we go through fiery problems in our life,
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  • Sometimes, those problems can strengthen us,
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  • But sometimes, they can cause our faith to shatter.
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  • What's the difference?
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  • What is it that determines whether or not
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  • Problems strengthen us or destroy us?
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  • In a word, faith.
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  • Faith is the necessary ingredient
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  • That allows us to survive and even thrive in problems,
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  • Rather than be shattered by them.
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  • Whether or not problems draw us closer to god
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  • Or drive us away from god,
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  • Depends upon faith.
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  • And faith is the subject of our chapter we've come to
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  • In our study of the book of hebrews, hebrews chapter 11.
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  • Today, we're beginning a new series
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  • Based on these final three chapters in the book of hebrews.
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  • I'm calling this series spiritual fitness,
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  • Strengthening our faith in troubled times.
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  • Now, you probably are familiar with hebrews chapter 11.
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  • It has many names,
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  • People have called it the westminster abbey of christianity,
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  • God's hall of honor, the roll call of faith.
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  • But the problem with hebrews 11 is,
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  • Sometimes we become so familiar with it,
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  • We miss the teaching of it.
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  • Like psalm 23, or 1 corinthians 13,
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  • We get caught up in the beauty of the language,
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  • Rather than the meaning of the text.
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  • When the writer of hebrews sat down to write hebrews 11,
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  • He wasn't trying to write the most eloquent treatise
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  • On the subject of faith ever created,
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  • Instead, he was addressing a very real problem
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  • Among the hebrew christians.
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  • These new christians who had come out of judaism
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  • And embrace christianity,
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  • Were starting to feel the heat for their decision.
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  • They were facing pressure,
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  • Testing from the roman government
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  • That was beginning an empire-wide ban on christianity,
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  • But they were also feeling the heat
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  • From their own family members,
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  • Jews who didn't understand
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  • Why they would abandon tradition and their families
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  • For this new religion called christianity.
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  • How were these hebrew christians reacting to that pressure?
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  • Some were allowing it to shatter their beliefs,
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  • And they were considering going back into judaism.
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  • And so the writer of hebrews says,
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  • "don't lose your confidence,
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  • Don't give up your faith in jesus,
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  • That superior priest who offered the superior sacrifice,
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  • To obtain a superior salvation,
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  • Why would you let go of what you know to be true?"
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  • And so he says,
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  • "the key to holding onto your beliefs is your faith."
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  • How can you as christians today,
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  • Living in the 21st century,
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  • Make sure that you endure rather than buckle
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  • Under the problems you're facing?
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  • What is the key to holding onto your beliefs,
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  • Rather than letting go of them in difficult times?
  • 00:09:00.696 --> 00:09:04.634
  • What is it that will preserve your relationship with god
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  • Until christ returns one day?
  • 00:09:07.870 --> 00:09:10.539
  • Again, in a word, it's faith.
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  • And today, in these first seven verses of hebrews 11,
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  • The author's going to do three things.
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  • First of all, he's going to define faith.
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  • Secondly, he's going to give us two examples of faith,
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  • And then third,
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  • He's going to explain the two requirements of faith.
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  • First of all, let's talk about a definition of faith.
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  • When we're talking about faith,
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  • What are we talking about?
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  • I think the best way to explain faith
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  • Is to begin by explaining what it's not.
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  • Today, there is a lot of fuzzy thinking about what faith is.
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  • You know, i remember reading a book
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  • By the late robert schuller,
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  • And robert schuller had some good things to say,
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  • But also some not so good things to say.
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  • He was america's premier possibility thinker,
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  • And i remember reading a paragraph in one of his books
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  • And he said, "the greatest threat to the world today
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  • Is not thermonuclear war,
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  • It's not environmental disaster,"
  • 00:10:15.104 --> 00:10:18.040
  • No, this is what he said the greatest problem was,
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  • Quote, "the greatest problem is that the human being
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  • Will lose faith
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  • That he can manage to overcome those problems.
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  • What is the solution to the biggest problem?
  • 00:10:30.386 --> 00:10:33.322
  • I am, and i can.
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  • Powerful, positive self-esteem is what we all need."
  • 00:10:36.425 --> 00:10:41.764
  • By the way, when you hear people say,
  • 00:10:42.531 --> 00:10:45.067
  • "oh, i'm a person of faith,
  • 00:10:45.067 --> 00:10:47.403
  • Or, "he or she's a person of faith,"
  • 00:10:47.403 --> 00:10:49.271
  • We're going to hear that a lot in the next few months.
  • 00:10:49.271 --> 00:10:52.074
  • "oh, they're a person of faith."
  • 00:10:52.074 --> 00:10:53.743
  • You always need to ask the question, "faith in what?
  • 00:10:53.743 --> 00:10:57.346
  • Faith in what?"
  • 00:10:57.713 --> 00:10:59.515
  • Faith in yourself like schuller says,
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  • "i am and i can."
  • 00:11:01.383 --> 00:11:03.452
  • Faith in other people,
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  • Faith that somehow everything's going to turn out okay,
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  • Faith always demands an object,
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  • And the only worthy object of our faith is god himself,
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  • That's what faith is about,
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  • It's not faith in me or faith in circumstances,
  • 00:11:16.332 --> 00:11:19.135
  • It is faith in god.
  • 00:11:19.135 --> 00:11:21.604
  • No, faith is not positive thinking.
  • 00:11:21.604 --> 00:11:24.607
  • It's not conjuring up this emotion that,
  • 00:11:24.607 --> 00:11:27.009
  • "oh, i believe, i believe, i believe,"
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  • That if you believe something hard enough,
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  • You can will it into existence,
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  • That's not faith, that's presumption.
  • 00:11:33.349 --> 00:11:35.518
  • No, he tells us exactly what real, biblical faith is.
  • 00:11:35.518 --> 00:11:39.221
  • First of all, by words, look at verse 1,
  • 00:11:39.221 --> 00:11:41.891
  • "now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
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  • It is the conviction of things not seen."
  • 00:11:46.428 --> 00:11:50.032
  • Underlying those words, "assurance and conviction."
  • 00:11:50.032 --> 00:11:54.737
  • Look at that word assurance,
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  • It's the greek word hupostasis,
  • 00:11:56.572 --> 00:11:59.108
  • It comes from two greek words, actually,
  • 00:11:59.108 --> 00:12:01.043
  • Stasis, which means a concrete pillar
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  • That holds something up.
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  • Hupo means underneath, below,
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  • It refers to the foundation
  • 00:12:08.317 --> 00:12:09.919
  • That holds those pillars into faith.
  • 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.488
  • In other, hupostasis, assurance,
  • 00:12:12.488 --> 00:12:15.124
  • Isn't some mystical hope that something might happen,
  • 00:12:15.124 --> 00:12:19.128
  • It is the concrete assurance that something is going to happen,
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  • And what is our concrete assurance in?
  • 00:12:25.234 --> 00:12:27.169
  • Again, it's not that what we want to happen will happen,
  • 00:12:27.169 --> 00:12:30.539
  • Faith is the assurance, listen to this,
  • 00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:32.808
  • That god will do what he has promised to do.
  • 00:12:32.808 --> 00:12:38.447
  • It's not that god will do what i want him to do,
  • 00:12:39.415 --> 00:12:43.886
  • It's that god will do what he has promised to do.
  • 00:12:43.886 --> 00:12:46.856
  • So many christians get mixed up on this,
  • 00:12:46.856 --> 00:12:49.525
  • They think to pray in faith
  • 00:12:49.525 --> 00:12:51.060
  • Means to just get this positive attitude that says,
  • 00:12:51.060 --> 00:12:54.463
  • "god's going to do what i want him to do,
  • 00:12:54.463 --> 00:12:56.232
  • And if i believe it long enough, hard enough,
  • 00:12:56.232 --> 00:12:58.167
  • And say it often enough,
  • 00:12:58.167 --> 00:12:59.501
  • God will be forced to do what i want him to do."
  • 00:12:59.501 --> 00:13:02.504
  • I say it's like that, "the little engine that could",
  • 00:13:02.504 --> 00:13:05.641
  • Remember going up the hill?
  • 00:13:05.641 --> 00:13:06.942
  • "i think i can, i think i can, i think i can."
  • 00:13:06.942 --> 00:13:09.678
  • A lot of people think that's what faith is.
  • 00:13:09.678 --> 00:13:11.413
  • "i think god will, i think god will, i think god will."
  • 00:13:11.413 --> 00:13:14.550
  • And somehow, if you say that long enough,
  • 00:13:14.550 --> 00:13:16.752
  • God will be forced to do it,
  • 00:13:16.752 --> 00:13:18.053
  • That's not faith, that's presumption!
  • 00:13:18.053 --> 00:13:21.790
  • Faith is believing
  • 00:13:21.790 --> 00:13:23.092
  • That god will do what he's promised to do.
  • 00:13:23.092 --> 00:13:25.027
  • Well, what does he promised to do?
  • 00:13:25.027 --> 00:13:27.062
  • Listen, god never promised to spare you from illness.
  • 00:13:28.130 --> 00:13:31.533
  • He never promised to spare you from heartache.
  • 00:13:31.533 --> 00:13:35.504
  • He never promised to spare you from death,
  • 00:13:35.504 --> 00:13:38.707
  • But what he has promised to do
  • 00:13:38.707 --> 00:13:40.709
  • Is to redeem you when you die,
  • 00:13:40.709 --> 00:13:42.711
  • And take you with him forever,
  • 00:13:42.711 --> 00:13:44.480
  • That is what you can know for sure
  • 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:46.949
  • That god has promised to do.
  • 00:13:46.949 --> 00:13:49.685
  • I remember talking to a couple a while back,
  • 00:13:49.685 --> 00:13:53.522
  • They were suffering
  • 00:13:53.522 --> 00:13:54.857
  • In the pain and heartbreak of infertility,
  • 00:13:54.857 --> 00:13:57.793
  • They had prayed and prayed and prayed
  • 00:13:57.793 --> 00:13:59.795
  • That god would give them a child.
  • 00:13:59.795 --> 00:14:01.964
  • They'd gone through expensive treatments, nothing worked.
  • 00:14:01.964 --> 00:14:05.734
  • And i remember what they said to me, they said,
  • 00:14:05.734 --> 00:14:07.136
  • "you know, pastor, we believe,
  • 00:14:07.136 --> 00:14:10.606
  • That whether or not god gives us a child,
  • 00:14:10.606 --> 00:14:13.609
  • God is going to use our experience
  • 00:14:13.609 --> 00:14:15.711
  • To help and encourage others
  • 00:14:15.711 --> 00:14:17.146
  • Who are going through this problem."
  • 00:14:17.146 --> 00:14:18.714
  • And they ended up leading the support group in our church
  • 00:14:18.714 --> 00:14:21.350
  • For those who go through infertility.
  • 00:14:21.350 --> 00:14:24.720
  • You see, they exercised faith,
  • 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:27.856
  • Not the faith that god was going to give them a child,
  • 00:14:27.856 --> 00:14:30.292
  • In fact, he never gave them a child,
  • 00:14:30.292 --> 00:14:32.561
  • But faith that god could use their pain for good,
  • 00:14:32.561 --> 00:14:36.532
  • Faith that like 2 corinthians 1 says,
  • 00:14:36.532 --> 00:14:38.600
  • "god comforts us in our affliction,
  • 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:41.470
  • That we can comfort others with the same affliction
  • 00:14:41.470 --> 00:14:45.641
  • Or the same comfort
  • 00:14:45.641 --> 00:14:47.142
  • With which we are comforted in all of our affliction."
  • 00:14:47.142 --> 00:14:50.846
  • That's what god has promised to do.
  • 00:14:50.846 --> 00:14:52.748
  • He hasn't promised
  • 00:14:52.748 --> 00:14:54.016
  • To take you out of your problems right now,
  • 00:14:54.016 --> 00:14:55.884
  • But he's promised if you're willing,
  • 00:14:55.884 --> 00:14:57.553
  • To use you as an encouragement to others as well,
  • 00:14:57.553 --> 00:15:01.523
  • That's what biblical faith is,
  • 00:15:01.523 --> 00:15:03.559
  • It's an assurance that god will do what he's promised to do.
  • 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:06.895
  • But notice the second word,
  • 00:15:06.895 --> 00:15:08.297
  • It's not just an assurance, it is a conviction.
  • 00:15:08.297 --> 00:15:12.001
  • It's a conviction of the things not seen.
  • 00:15:12.001 --> 00:15:16.138
  • Verse 2, "for by it, that is faith,
  • 00:15:16.138 --> 00:15:18.741
  • The men of old gained approval."
  • 00:15:18.741 --> 00:15:20.809
  • Conviction has the idea of doing something
  • 00:15:20.809 --> 00:15:24.813
  • As a result of your faith, it refers to obeying god.
  • 00:15:24.813 --> 00:15:29.818
  • As we look at hebrews 11 in the next few weeks,
  • 00:15:30.753 --> 00:15:33.522
  • We'll discover one thing
  • 00:15:33.522 --> 00:15:34.790
  • All of these men and women had in common is,
  • 00:15:34.790 --> 00:15:37.760
  • They believed god
  • 00:15:37.760 --> 00:15:39.294
  • And they acted according to their belief in god,
  • 00:15:39.294 --> 00:15:42.331
  • They did something as a demonstration of their faith,
  • 00:15:42.331 --> 00:15:47.269
  • That's what conviction is.
  • 00:15:47.269 --> 00:15:49.505
  • And that leads me to the definition of faith
  • 00:15:49.505 --> 00:15:51.774
  • That i want us to use throughout the study,
  • 00:15:51.774 --> 00:15:54.176
  • Faith is believing,
  • 00:15:54.176 --> 00:15:56.545
  • Faith is the assurance that god will do
  • 00:15:56.545 --> 00:15:59.982
  • What he's promised to do and acting accordingly.
  • 00:15:59.982 --> 00:16:04.887
  • Faith without works is a dead faith.
  • 00:16:04.887 --> 00:16:07.222
  • Faith is the assurance
  • 00:16:07.222 --> 00:16:08.924
  • That god will do what he's promised to do
  • 00:16:08.924 --> 00:16:11.326
  • And acting accordingly.
  • 00:16:11.326 --> 00:16:13.228
  • Notice the illustration he gives
  • 00:16:13.228 --> 00:16:15.064
  • Of what it means to believe,
  • 00:16:15.064 --> 00:16:17.866
  • To be convicted of things not seen.
  • 00:16:17.866 --> 00:16:20.436
  • Look at verse 3.
  • 00:16:20.436 --> 00:16:21.670
  • "by faith we understand
  • 00:16:21.670 --> 00:16:23.505
  • That the worlds were prepared by the word of god,
  • 00:16:23.505 --> 00:16:28.343
  • So that what is seen
  • 00:16:28.343 --> 00:16:29.711
  • Was not made out of things which are visible."
  • 00:16:29.711 --> 00:16:33.115
  • In other words,
  • 00:16:33.482 --> 00:16:34.983
  • The first thing you have to believe,
  • 00:16:34.983 --> 00:16:36.618
  • The first example of faith is the first verse of the bible.
  • 00:16:36.618 --> 00:16:39.655
  • "in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth."
  • 00:16:39.655 --> 00:16:43.459
  • We didn't see that happen.
  • 00:16:43.459 --> 00:16:45.060
  • We didn't see how god did it,
  • 00:16:45.060 --> 00:16:46.595
  • But we believe that by faith.
  • 00:16:46.595 --> 00:16:50.699
  • In fact, if you can believe genesis 1:1,
  • 00:16:51.567 --> 00:16:53.669
  • You don't have any trouble believing in the resurrection,
  • 00:16:53.669 --> 00:16:55.904
  • Or the incarnation,
  • 00:16:55.904 --> 00:16:57.206
  • Or any of the other miracles in the bible,
  • 00:16:57.206 --> 00:16:59.108
  • That's the most basic miracle,
  • 00:16:59.108 --> 00:17:01.076
  • By faith, we understand that these things happen.
  • 00:17:01.076 --> 00:17:04.113
  • Now, it's true that there's a lot of evidence
  • 00:17:04.113 --> 00:17:07.449
  • That god created this world,
  • 00:17:07.449 --> 00:17:09.184
  • That it didn't just happen.
  • 00:17:09.184 --> 00:17:10.986
  • I think about the 18th century minister, william paley,
  • 00:17:10.986 --> 00:17:13.989
  • He used this analogy,
  • 00:17:13.989 --> 00:17:15.524
  • He said, "if you're walking through a field
  • 00:17:15.524 --> 00:17:18.193
  • And you stumble upon a rock, a large rock,
  • 00:17:18.193 --> 00:17:22.264
  • You can assume
  • 00:17:22.264 --> 00:17:24.133
  • That that rock is there by chance,
  • 00:17:24.900 --> 00:17:27.703
  • And it's just a sliver of a larger mineral deposit
  • 00:17:27.703 --> 00:17:30.772
  • That just ended up there.
  • 00:17:30.772 --> 00:17:32.741
  • But if you walk a little further,
  • 00:17:32.741 --> 00:17:35.010
  • And you see a gold ornate pocket watch there,
  • 00:17:35.010 --> 00:17:38.313
  • And you open it up, and you open it,
  • 00:17:38.313 --> 00:17:40.015
  • And inside see that intricate mechanism,
  • 00:17:40.015 --> 00:17:43.252
  • You know that watch isn't there by chance.
  • 00:17:43.252 --> 00:17:46.922
  • There is a designer, an intelligent designer,
  • 00:17:46.922 --> 00:17:50.659
  • Who made order out of chaos,
  • 00:17:50.659 --> 00:17:52.895
  • Who put that watch together."
  • 00:17:52.895 --> 00:17:55.297
  • It's the same in looking at the creation,
  • 00:17:55.297 --> 00:17:57.900
  • You can look around this creation,
  • 00:17:57.900 --> 00:17:59.535
  • And know it didn't happen by chance.
  • 00:17:59.535 --> 00:18:01.670
  • That's why the bible says, "the fool has said in his heart,
  • 00:18:01.670 --> 00:18:04.273
  • 'there is no god.'
  • 00:18:04.273 --> 00:18:06.074
  • Only a fool would believe
  • 00:18:06.074 --> 00:18:07.543
  • That all of this happened by chance."
  • 00:18:07.543 --> 00:18:11.046
  • We believe that god created this world.
  • 00:18:11.046 --> 00:18:14.116
  • Do you remember the name carl sagan, the astronomer,
  • 00:18:14.116 --> 00:18:17.719
  • Who spent his life studying the cosmos?
  • 00:18:17.719 --> 00:18:22.457
  • Carl sagan died when he was 62,
  • 00:18:22.457 --> 00:18:24.826
  • But before he died, he said to a religious friend of his,
  • 00:18:24.826 --> 00:18:29.164
  • He said, "you're so smart, how can you believe in god?"
  • 00:18:29.164 --> 00:18:33.969
  • And she replied, "carl, you're so smart,
  • 00:18:33.969 --> 00:18:36.738
  • How can you not believe in god?"
  • 00:18:36.738 --> 00:18:39.441
  • She then asked him, "carl, do you believe in love?
  • 00:18:39.441 --> 00:18:42.177
  • You've never seen it, but do you believe it?"
  • 00:18:42.177 --> 00:18:44.746
  • He said, "well, yes. i love my wife with all my heart."
  • 00:18:44.746 --> 00:18:49.484
  • She said, "can you prove love exists?"
  • 00:18:49.484 --> 00:18:52.387
  • He said, "yes, i can prove it."
  • 00:18:52.387 --> 00:18:55.290
  • But then he agreed, he really couldn't prove love exists.
  • 00:18:55.290 --> 00:18:59.795
  • The fact is, we believe in things all the time
  • 00:18:59.795 --> 00:19:02.164
  • That aren't visible to us,
  • 00:19:02.164 --> 00:19:04.199
  • But we believe in them.
  • 00:19:04.199 --> 00:19:05.934
  • I think about vance havner who said one time,
  • 00:19:05.934 --> 00:19:08.637
  • "i have never seen electricity, i don't understand it,
  • 00:19:08.637 --> 00:19:11.607
  • But i don't plan to stumble around in the darkness
  • 00:19:11.607 --> 00:19:14.109
  • Because of that."
  • 00:19:14.109 --> 00:19:15.510
  • I mean, you believe in the things you haven't seen,
  • 00:19:16.511 --> 00:19:18.247
  • It's the same way in our relationship with god,
  • 00:19:18.247 --> 00:19:21.216
  • But ultimately, it's a matter of faith.
  • 00:19:21.216 --> 00:19:24.553
  • Now, to give us an example of what it means to be assured
  • 00:19:24.553 --> 00:19:28.624
  • Of what god has said in acting accordingly,
  • 00:19:28.624 --> 00:19:31.026
  • Notice the two examples of faith,
  • 00:19:31.026 --> 00:19:33.161
  • Beginning in verses 4 and 5.
  • 00:19:33.161 --> 00:19:35.497
  • First of all, he takes us back to the story of abel.
  • 00:19:35.497 --> 00:19:39.635
  • "abel, who demonstrates a faith that saves."
  • 00:19:39.635 --> 00:19:44.039
  • Faith is integral, it is basic to salvation.
  • 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:47.809
  • Look at verse 4,
  • 00:19:47.809 --> 00:19:49.411
  • "by faith, abel offered to god a better sacrifice than cain,
  • 00:19:49.411 --> 00:19:54.449
  • Through which he obtained the testimony
  • 00:19:55.250 --> 00:19:56.818
  • That he was righteous,
  • 00:19:56.818 --> 00:19:58.253
  • God testifying about his gifts, and through faith,
  • 00:19:58.253 --> 00:20:01.290
  • Though he is dead, he still speaks."
  • 00:20:01.290 --> 00:20:04.026
  • Remember, cain and abel were the first two children
  • 00:20:04.026 --> 00:20:06.495
  • Of adam and eve?
  • 00:20:06.495 --> 00:20:07.763
  • By the way, adam and eve had other children,
  • 00:20:07.763 --> 00:20:10.198
  • Sons and daughters, the bible says,
  • 00:20:10.198 --> 00:20:12.467
  • Which answers the old question,
  • 00:20:12.467 --> 00:20:13.869
  • Where did cain get his wife,
  • 00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:15.304
  • Have you ever heard that before?
  • 00:20:15.304 --> 00:20:16.905
  • It was from the other children.
  • 00:20:16.905 --> 00:20:19.408
  • I know you're thinking,
  • 00:20:19.408 --> 00:20:20.575
  • "ew, that is so gross and disgusting."
  • 00:20:20.575 --> 00:20:22.344
  • But if you think about marrying your sister,
  • 00:20:22.344 --> 00:20:24.880
  • But the fact is,
  • 00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:26.748
  • That's how they procreated in those early days.
  • 00:20:26.748 --> 00:20:29.651
  • But cain and abel
  • 00:20:29.651 --> 00:20:30.986
  • Were the first two children of adam and eve.
  • 00:20:30.986 --> 00:20:33.288
  • And remember god said to them,
  • 00:20:33.288 --> 00:20:35.123
  • "i want you to bring a sacrifice to me."
  • 00:20:35.123 --> 00:20:37.826
  • And he prescribed the kind of sacrifice he wanted,
  • 00:20:37.826 --> 00:20:41.630
  • And abel brought a sacrifice, he was a shepherd,
  • 00:20:41.630 --> 00:20:46.968
  • And so he brought one of his animals,
  • 00:20:47.803 --> 00:20:49.471
  • And offered a blood sacrifice to god.
  • 00:20:49.471 --> 00:20:52.974
  • Cain decided that he would try to offer
  • 00:20:52.974 --> 00:20:55.444
  • His own sacrifice to god,
  • 00:20:55.444 --> 00:20:56.978
  • And he brought some of the produce that he had raised,
  • 00:20:56.978 --> 00:21:00.816
  • And the bible says that, "god accepted abel's offering,
  • 00:21:00.816 --> 00:21:04.119
  • But he rejected cain's offering."
  • 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:06.555
  • And cain was so despondent
  • 00:21:06.555 --> 00:21:08.323
  • Over the fact that god rejected him,
  • 00:21:08.323 --> 00:21:10.826
  • That he became enraged at his brother abel
  • 00:21:10.826 --> 00:21:14.029
  • And killed him, the first murder in the bible.
  • 00:21:14.029 --> 00:21:17.332
  • Why is it that god accepted abel's sacrifice
  • 00:21:17.332 --> 00:21:21.536
  • But rejected cain's offering?
  • 00:21:21.536 --> 00:21:25.207
  • I've heard pastors speculate about that,
  • 00:21:25.207 --> 00:21:27.275
  • I've read bible commentators who said,
  • 00:21:27.275 --> 00:21:29.177
  • "well, it was in their attitude.
  • 00:21:29.177 --> 00:21:31.713
  • Abel brought his sacrifice as an act of love,
  • 00:21:31.713 --> 00:21:36.485
  • But cain brought his to satisfy a religious ritual,
  • 00:21:36.485 --> 00:21:41.923
  • And it was their attitude that made the difference."
  • 00:21:42.991 --> 00:21:44.593
  • That sounds so good, but it's so wrong.
  • 00:21:44.593 --> 00:21:47.028
  • I mean, the fact is the bible tells us exactly
  • 00:21:47.028 --> 00:21:49.998
  • Why god accepted abel's sacrifice and rejected cain.
  • 00:21:49.998 --> 00:21:53.435
  • Look at verse 4,
  • 00:21:53.435 --> 00:21:54.569
  • "by faith, able offered to god
  • 00:21:54.569 --> 00:21:57.706
  • A better sacrifice, then cain."
  • 00:21:57.706 --> 00:22:01.710
  • Apparently, in words we don't have recorded,
  • 00:22:01.710 --> 00:22:04.112
  • God told both men exactly what he wanted.
  • 00:22:04.112 --> 00:22:07.916
  • He prescribed a blood sacrifice,
  • 00:22:07.916 --> 00:22:10.519
  • A blood offering of an innocent animal
  • 00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:13.155
  • That would foretell the coming many years later
  • 00:22:13.155 --> 00:22:16.558
  • Of the lamb of god, jesus christ,
  • 00:22:16.558 --> 00:22:18.527
  • Who would take away the sins of the world.
  • 00:22:18.527 --> 00:22:20.896
  • And abel, although he didn't understand why god said that,
  • 00:22:20.896 --> 00:22:24.699
  • He couldn't see down the corridor of history
  • 00:22:24.699 --> 00:22:26.835
  • To jesus christ,
  • 00:22:26.835 --> 00:22:28.370
  • It made no sense to him to kill an innocent and good animal,
  • 00:22:28.370 --> 00:22:32.140
  • He obeyed god,
  • 00:22:32.140 --> 00:22:34.075
  • He believed what god said and acted accordingly,
  • 00:22:34.075 --> 00:22:37.879
  • But not cain,
  • 00:22:37.879 --> 00:22:39.381
  • He thought he could come to god any way he wanted to.
  • 00:22:39.381 --> 00:22:42.918
  • In fact, did you know in the new testament, jude verse 11,
  • 00:22:42.918 --> 00:22:46.822
  • The writer says, "avoid the way of cain,"
  • 00:22:46.822 --> 00:22:52.227
  • You know what the way of cain is?
  • 00:22:52.961 --> 00:22:54.396
  • It's trying to come to god on your own terms.
  • 00:22:54.396 --> 00:22:57.132
  • And the world today is filled with people who say
  • 00:22:57.132 --> 00:22:59.334
  • They can come to god any way they want to.
  • 00:22:59.334 --> 00:23:01.603
  • It doesn't matter what you believe,
  • 00:23:01.603 --> 00:23:03.738
  • It's like you can approach god any way you want to,
  • 00:23:03.738 --> 00:23:06.308
  • From any direction,
  • 00:23:06.308 --> 00:23:07.609
  • And still go up the same mountain of truth
  • 00:23:07.609 --> 00:23:10.145
  • And approach the same god.
  • 00:23:10.145 --> 00:23:11.880
  • God says, "no, you cannot come to me any way you choose,
  • 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:16.251
  • You must come in my way."
  • 00:23:16.251 --> 00:23:18.220
  • And for us today,
  • 00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:19.621
  • It means believing in jesus christ to be our savior.
  • 00:23:19.621 --> 00:23:23.492
  • ♪ music ♪
  • 00:23:23.492 --> 00:23:27.195
  • We're off and running in this new teaching series
  • 00:23:28.129 --> 00:23:31.366
  • About spiritual fitness,
  • 00:23:31.366 --> 00:23:33.301
  • And i'm hoping you'll make an appointment
  • 00:23:33.301 --> 00:23:34.870
  • Every day at this time,
  • 00:23:34.870 --> 00:23:36.338
  • As we move our way
  • 00:23:36.338 --> 00:23:37.606
  • Through several chapters in the book of hebrews.
  • 00:23:37.606 --> 00:23:40.509
  • Together, we'll discover
  • 00:23:40.509 --> 00:23:42.043
  • What it means to strengthen our walk with god through faith.
  • 00:23:42.043 --> 00:23:45.714
  • And i want to take this opportunity to remind you,
  • 00:23:45.714 --> 00:23:48.783
  • That you're watching this bible teaching program right now
  • 00:23:48.783 --> 00:23:52.320
  • Because someone gave a generous gift to "pathway to victor,"
  • 00:23:52.320 --> 00:23:56.491
  • In doing so,
  • 00:23:56.491 --> 00:23:58.026
  • They enabled us to deliver today's teaching on television,
  • 00:23:58.026 --> 00:24:00.862
  • Radio, and the internet,
  • 00:24:00.862 --> 00:24:02.831
  • And we invite you to step forward
  • 00:24:02.831 --> 00:24:04.699
  • And give a generous gift as well.
  • 00:24:04.699 --> 00:24:06.935
  • God will use your investment
  • 00:24:06.935 --> 00:24:08.904
  • To bring courage to someone
  • 00:24:08.904 --> 00:24:10.505
  • Who needs to walk in faith today.
  • 00:24:10.505 --> 00:24:13.508
  • Thank you in advance for your generosity.
  • 00:24:13.508 --> 00:24:16.478
  • Now, please stay right there,
  • 00:24:16.478 --> 00:24:17.679
  • I'll be back in just a moment
  • 00:24:17.679 --> 00:24:19.180
  • With a preview of what's ahead on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:23.919
  • [announcer] when was the last time
  • 00:24:24.686 --> 00:24:25.987
  • You heard god speak to you from his word?
  • 00:24:25.987 --> 00:24:28.423
  • Dr. robert jeffress believes that growing closer to god
  • 00:24:28.423 --> 00:24:31.359
  • Begins with reading your bible
  • 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:33.094
  • And spending time in prayer.
  • 00:24:33.094 --> 00:24:35.030
  • And to help,
  • 00:24:35.030 --> 00:24:36.398
  • He's written a book called "spiritual essentials."
  • 00:24:36.398 --> 00:24:39.000
  • In my very practical book,
  • 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:40.702
  • I share three simple ways
  • 00:24:40.702 --> 00:24:42.837
  • You can make god's word a part of your everyday life,
  • 00:24:42.837 --> 00:24:45.907
  • Including an actionable plan
  • 00:24:45.907 --> 00:24:48.243
  • To help you get started.
  • 00:24:48.243 --> 00:24:49.978
  • These principles are deeply personal,
  • 00:24:49.978 --> 00:24:52.581
  • And based on my own tried and true bible study strategy.
  • 00:24:52.581 --> 00:24:56.851
  • [announcer] whether you've been a christian
  • 00:24:56.851 --> 00:24:58.153
  • For a lot of years or just a short while,
  • 00:24:58.153 --> 00:25:00.422
  • The principles found in "spiritual essentials"
  • 00:25:00.422 --> 00:25:02.958
  • Will help breathe new life into your walk with god.
  • 00:25:02.958 --> 00:25:06.227
  • Ready to get back to the basics of your christian faith?
  • 00:25:06.227 --> 00:25:09.197
  • Request your copy of "spiritual essentials"
  • 00:25:09.197 --> 00:25:11.766
  • When you give a generous gift
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  • To support the ministry of "pathway to victory."
  • 00:25:13.368 --> 00:25:16.171
  • And when you give $75 or more,
  • 00:25:16.171 --> 00:25:18.873
  • We'll also send you the complete
  • 00:25:18.873 --> 00:25:20.442
  • "spiritual fitness" teaching series on dvd and audio disc.
  • 00:25:20.442 --> 00:25:24.646
  • We'll discover one thing
  • 00:25:24.646 --> 00:25:25.914
  • All of these men and women had in common is,
  • 00:25:25.914 --> 00:25:28.883
  • They believed god,
  • 00:25:28.883 --> 00:25:30.452
  • And they acted according to their belief in god,
  • 00:25:30.452 --> 00:25:33.455
  • They did something as a demonstration of their faith.
  • 00:25:33.455 --> 00:25:38.259
  • [announcer] thank you for giving generously
  • 00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:40.028
  • To support the ministry of "pathway to victory."
  • 00:25:40.028 --> 00:25:42.731
  • Your giving empowers this broadcast ministry
  • 00:25:42.731 --> 00:25:45.333
  • To proclaim the practical, applicable,
  • 00:25:45.333 --> 00:25:47.402
  • Life-changing truth of the gospel to a world in need.
  • 00:25:47.402 --> 00:25:55.010
  • Just as christians in the early church
  • 00:25:55.844 --> 00:25:57.879
  • Faced enormous pressure,
  • 00:25:57.879 --> 00:25:59.881
  • You and i are facing daily pressures as well,
  • 00:25:59.881 --> 00:26:02.917
  • And our response to those problems
  • 00:26:02.917 --> 00:26:04.819
  • Can either strengthen our faith or destroy it,
  • 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:08.256
  • The choice is up to you.
  • 00:26:08.256 --> 00:26:10.558
  • Well, today, we started our "spiritual fitness" series
  • 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:13.895
  • By defining the word faith.
  • 00:26:13.895 --> 00:26:16.164
  • And next time,
  • 00:26:16.164 --> 00:26:17.465
  • I'm going to show you a real-life example,
  • 00:26:17.465 --> 00:26:19.668
  • His name was enoch.
  • 00:26:19.668 --> 00:26:21.569
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next
  • 00:26:21.569 --> 00:26:24.005
  • In our series "spiritual fitness."
  • 00:26:24.005 --> 00:26:27.575
  • All of the men and women
  • 00:26:28.076 --> 00:26:29.377
  • We're going to look at in the days ahead,
  • 00:26:29.377 --> 00:26:31.012
  • Had one thing in common,
  • 00:26:31.012 --> 00:26:32.947
  • They obeyed god and they died
  • 00:26:32.947 --> 00:26:36.117
  • Without fully seeing and realizing the promises of god.
  • 00:26:36.117 --> 00:26:41.089
  • Nevertheless, they kept on obeying god.
  • 00:26:41.089 --> 00:26:43.992
  • [announcer] set your dvr and join us next time
  • 00:26:44.926 --> 00:26:46.895
  • For part 2 of the message, the necessary ingredient,
  • 00:26:46.895 --> 00:26:50.265
  • Here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:50.265 --> 00:26:52.834
  • ♪ music ♪
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  • Join dr. robert jeffress on "pathway to victory's"
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  • Where god's word was written
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  • And seek the one who sought us first, in his creation
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  • [announcer] experience world-class accommodations
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