Substance of our faith A

[background music] Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] The major things we said then about the matter of the kingdom, and I said we'll be moving on from there gradually, gradually, gradually until we are able to bring ourselves to where we can stop for the semester. When is exams supposed to come up? Can I hear you? [Audience] 10th of June. [Speaker 1] 10th of June. So we are supposed to be rounding up around the end of May. Normally two weeks to exams. Hey, God help us. How much would we have done by then? Now, let's look at something very, very important. Now, we said that the kingdom lifestyle, the lifestyle of the kingdom, and we have seen that Jesus came to establish a kingdom, to take us out of one kingdom into another kingdom. And today, we want to move on to look at the substance of our faith, the substance of the faith that is of the kingdom. The substance of the faith. The substance of our faith. This faith that the kingdom came to establish. The kingdom came to establish a faith. It says the just shall live by faith. For us to understand that the kingdom came to establish a faith, take your mind back to the popular scripture: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) So the kingdom operates by a belief. A belief. That kingdom that He came to establish operates by a belief. It's a belief. And when we say belief, we don't just mean belief in the sense of trusting in something. We mean belief in the sense of acting upon something. Am I very clear? It's not belief in the sense of trusting in something. It is belief in the sense of acting upon what you trust in. You are acting upon something, and that is what we call faith. Now, if you take a coin, belief and faith are two sides of the same coin. Belief, faith. They are two sides of the same coin. Two sides of the same coin. Now, what I mean is that if you take a coin, which is the coin, the head or the tail? [Audience] Both. [Speaker 1] Both. Once you remove the head, it is no more a coin. Once you remove the tail, it is no more a coin. The same thing is belief and faith. So what's the difference between belief and faith? Okay, let me help you with something simpler. What's the difference between air and wind? [Speaker 2] Air is the substance. [Speaker 1] You find that when the air moves, it becomes wind. If it moves so violently, it becomes whirlwind. If it moves extraordinarily, it becomes hurricane. And if it goes far beyond that, it becomes tornado. It is still the same air. Do you get it? When I trust in the Lord that what God said is true, what God said is real, that is I believe. When I act on it, when I act on that thing that I believe, that means I have faith. Are you seeing the difference? So they are the same side of the same coin. The same side of same coin. You cannot say you have faith if you don't believe. You cannot say you really believe if you don't act on what you believe. Until you act upon what is believed, then there is no faith. Until you believe, you cannot be acting on something. So believe is more potential while faith is kinetic. You understand? When what God said is accepted, wow, it has become a potential something. When what God said is acted upon, you say, "Wow, this is a man of faith." But you can't find a man of faith who have not believed. I hope that is clear. Now, so when we say the substance of our faith, it is good to get some things clear in regards to the kingdom lifestyle. The substance of our faith, I will treat it this week, next week, if I am able to finish it. I'm not going to be too fast with it, but I want you to get it. Turn your Bible to Hebrews chapter 11. Don't forget, what's our theme? Kingdom Lifestyle. Hebrews 11. That's a very popular scripture, isn't it? Hebrews 11. What is that book called? [Speaker 3] The Hall of Faith. [Speaker 1] No, Hebrews 11. What you are talking about is 12. Hebrews 11. Yes, you either call it the book of the heroes, the catalogue of the heroes, the chapter of the heroes. Just like you say 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is the chapter of love. You understand? Now, it's a very popular scripture, but I just want to draw your attention to some very important things in that place. Now, look at Hebrews 11. It begins with the word what? [Audience] Now. [Speaker 1] Now. Now. Now, what is now? I like the Yoruba translation. "Ni sisisiyi." Not before. How many of you read the Yoruba Bible? Good. Please read your Yoruba Bible alongside English. Honestly, it gives you—sorry, our brother from the north, don't worry—but read Hausa Bible along too. It helps you to grasp some unusual truth. That's what I've found. There are some things that English cannot translate very well from the mother tongue. But when you see it in the mother tongue, it comes home. When you say "Olorun abirabata," how will English translate that? People are already laughing at me. Don't worry. Me too I will go to school like you. Now, we are looking at from it saying, "Now." Now. Now, why is it saying now? The substance of our faith. Now. Now, so let's go back a little. Let's go to chapter 10. Are you there? I read chapter 10 from verse 32. Are you with me? "Remember those earlier days after you have received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution. At other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property because you knew that you yourselves had better lasting possession. So do not throw away your confidence. It will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come. He will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith." (Hebrews 10:32-38) Now, "He who is coming will surely come." Hallelujah. I wanted to leave the matter, but the matter keep coming back to me. Although that's not what we are discussing. But look at verse 32: "Remember those days after that you have received the light." What did he call faith? What did that place call faith? After you have received what? Light. What is he referring to as light? [Audience response inaudible] Verse 32. Other translation that did not use light? "Illuminated." That is still light. Any other one that did not use light? "Enlightened." That is still light. Do you know what he's talking about enlightened is that when they received the faith? Do you understand that? To receive faith is to receive light. Do you get the point I'm making? What I just want you to know, and I want you to constantly pray—please young people, constantly pray this prayer: Lord, let my life be flooded with light. Until you receive light, you can never become spiritual. You will remain religious. Actually, it is light that changes a life. Do you get the point I'm making? Actually, what made them to begin to suffer, to begin to agree to do all those things was that they received light. Do you get it? If you look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 15 through 17 to 18, it said, "When we heard about your faith, we did not cease to pray for you, that the God of our Father will give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of your heart will be flooded with light." Always pray for light. Until the gospel becomes a light, you will still be walking in darkness. Many people believe today, but they are still walking in darkness. It is a light. That light is actually talking about revelation. It's talking about inspiration. Until you are inspired, you cannot be spiritual. It will not become an experience in your life. And so please, let's go to what we are doing. Now, he said when they got that light, they began to suffer so many things. Is that not? Now, they were suffering so many things because of the light that they received. He now said, however, they should not throw away their confidence because He that is coming will soon come. But the just must live by faith. So talking about the substance of our faith. The just live by faith. When we say kingdom life, the kingdom life is a life of faith. The just live by faith. I'm saying the substance of the kingdom life, because the life in the kingdom is a life of faith. Once it is not by faith—he said, "He that will come is coming, but the just live by faith." Now, those people who are waiting for His coming, that are waiting for Him, that are actually just, what are they living by? By faith. It means their lifestyle is faith. The people who are waiting, who actually know that the Lord is coming and they're waiting for Him to come, they are not living by any other thing apart from faith. He says "the just shall live by faith." Now, if you are conscious of the coming of the Lord, if you are conscious of the return of Jesus, which is the only and the next most important event the earth is waiting for now. I hope you know that. That is the singular spectacular event we are waiting for. Now, He that is coming will surely come, but the people who are waiting for Him, the faithful, those who are suffering for Him, who are in the place waiting for Him, they are actually living by faith. He says "the just shall live by faith." Now, having said that, he now proceeds to make a statement. He says, "He who is coming is coming, but my righteous one will live by faith. My righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." Shrinks back from what? From faith. If he shrinks back from faith. If he lives any other life apart from the life of faith. If he shrinks back, He that is coming will come. The just live by faith. But if any man draws back, if any man shrinks back from faith, if any man doesn't follow the life of faith, my soul have no pleasure. You must look at that, compared with—look at it at Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." Are you seeing it? The just, my righteous one, must live by faith. If he shrinks back from faith, I'm not pleased with him. Because without faith, you cannot please God. Any other way you live, God cannot be pleased. Do you get the point I'm making? It's not as if you will not get result by those other life. Let me give a good example. When Abraham could no more wait by faith that Sarah will give birth, Sarah too could no more believe that she will give birth. She went to Abraham and said, "See, God has said I will be barren." That's not what God said. God said He will visit her, that Abraham will have a child. That's what He told Abraham. When Abraham said that "You have not given me a child," He said, "Look, even your son will inherit you." So there was the promise of a son. Sarah said, "You have made me barren." And then Sarah alternated. When she alternated, immediately Sarah alternated—Abraham had been having sex with Sarah all their life. Now listen. God called Abraham at 75. Abraham had been married before 75. I hope you know. So the waiting of Sarah is not 25 years as most of you normally think. Sarah had been waiting before God called Abraham. Do you get the point I'm making? She had been waiting. All that while, there had been sexual relation between Abraham and Sarah, waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for a child. The child was not coming. They were waiting, waiting, waiting until Sarah entered menopause. Not only that, Abraham entered menopause. Abraham's body was now dead. Sarah's body was dead. Then Sarah now said, "God have withheld me from having a son." Then she alternated from faith. Immediately she alternated—that same Abraham slept with Hagar and immediately there was a child. That you alternated from faith does not mean you will not have results. That a man alternate God does not mean there will not be result. He alternated. He looked for another alternative to God and immediately, only once that he slept with Hagar like this, there was a child. Ha! You see this is God. What will you say? Everyone will say, "You see, Sarah, this is what we have been waiting for. Only once, this lady became pregnant. You see, this can be nothing but God. Somebody shout hallelujah!" Am I correct? That's what they will say. So that a man is prospering does not mean God is pleased with him. What make God to be pleased with a man is faith. Are you following? Don't forget our theme: Kingdom Life. The life of the kingdom is a life of faith. What we are actually traveling to, what we want to consider is the substance of our faith. But I'm trying to bring out this matter of faith to you. I'm trying to make you see that what God did to give us eternal life was based on "whosoever believe will not perish but have life." People must act on what God offered. They must have life. God said something: "Believe in the Son, you will have life." If you act on it, you will have eternal life. So the kingdom, the substance—you see, the kingdom operates by faith and believing. Say "He who believe will have life." You get the point. "He who does not believe is condemned already." (John 3:18) Are you following? He who believe have life. So the kingdom is about faith. So we are looking at that matter of faith. He says "my righteous one live by faith." If he draws back, if he shrinks away from faith, it doesn't mean he may not have result. It doesn't mean he may not prosper. It doesn't mean he may not make it. It doesn't mean things may not go well. It doesn't mean that God was not pleased. When Ishmael finally came through Hagar and they were busy rejoicing and they were celebrating and all of that was going on, what eventually happened? God did not speak again with Abraham from the age of 86 to the age of 99. For 13 years. When God appeared again to Abraham, what did He say after 13 years? "Walk before me and be perfect. Walk before me and be blameless." Walk before me, Abraham. You left me. You left where you were walking. He said, "Look, Sarah is going to give birth to a child." Abraham said that, "God, let Ishmael live. Just let Ishmael live." God said, "No. Sarah is going to give birth." Do you get the point I'm making? Eventually when Isaac came, what did God tell Abraham? He said Ishmael and Hagar, "Go and listen to Sarah. Send them away. Because I don't have anything to do with Ishmael. For my covenant is with Isaac." Ishmael is your plan, and until today we are still suffering that plan. When we alternate, sometimes we create eternal consequence for our generation. I believe Abraham up now will be shaking his head the way Ishmael—know what they said about him? "He will be against everybody, everybody will be against him." The way Ishmael is busy killing Isaac everywhere today, Abraham will be shaking his head. He alternated God. He alternated from faith. But what I want to make you see was that for God, God said "No, this is Isaac, my way." It is the way of faith. The one that will come by faith. Eventually Isaac came as a matter of faith, because at that time Abraham's body was dead, Sarah's body was dead. So Isaac was a product of faith. A product of promise. Now, what I'm going to show you is that if you look at that thing that we are discussing, what can we calling faith? You know God said they should wait for Him? Abraham alternated. That is how he went out of faith. So when we talk of alternating, he rationalized. He looked at it more reasonably. He looked at what is more—ah, this one cannot give birth. She has passed menopause. It's not possible again. Do you see the reason? Do you see the fact? Those are the basis for alternating. We have said that before. The other kingdom operate by fact and by reason. This one operate by what God said. Now look at that Hebrews that we are studying. Patiently follow what we are doing, please. We are going somewhere. He says if any man shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But what did he say, the last verse? "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed." Those who shrink back are destroyed. That's what I'm trying to explain something. The destroyed here doesn't mean that they die immediately. When Abraham shrink back, did he die immediately? He got a manservant. But what was the destruction? How was Abraham destroyed? He was separate. That is the destruction we are talking about. When God told Adam and Eve that in day that they will die, after they died, were they not still moving around? But what was the destruction? They were separated from God. They could no more have communion, fellowship with God. Do you get it? So when we say a man is destroyed, people normally think that he die, no money, he's in poverty. You might be bouncing in riches. You remember the rich man and Lazarus? Was that man not a dead man while he was still living? He was a dead man. Even though he was prosperous. The man that dog was licking his sores and everything, was he a dead man or a living man? He was a living man. So we are not talking about material things when we talk about faith or no faith. We are talking about God being pleased with a man and God not being pleased with a man. Are you getting? You can enter examination hall, say, "Labake, Labake, Labake, please number two, number two, number two." Say, "Okay, number two A, okay, number three C, number four D," and then you come out with A and you have first class. You say, "Ah! If God is against me, would God have made it possible?" You are laughing. I'm showing you the way of God. Say, "If God don't want it to work, some problem would have happened, some things would have come up that would have make it to be impossible. Then I would have known that yes, then there is a problem, God only want me to do that thing." But it was not like that. Please let me do something.