At Christ Church 2025 is a year of renewed Faith. This is the sermon preached at Christ Church Sunday January 26, 2025.
Scripture
Romans 4:16-25 NIV [16] Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. [17] As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. [18] Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” [19] Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. [20] Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, [21] being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. [22] This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” [23] The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, [24] but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. [25] He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Sermon
Today we will explore a power that transcends the physical, a force that can reshape our reality. Today we will explore the power of unwavering faith. Unwavering faith is not a naive hope, but a deep-seated trust in the promises of God, it’s a conviction that even when surrounded by darkness, and uncertainty His light will ultimately prevail.
Our text is a scripture that we are familiar with. It is Hebrews 11:1 NIV [1] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
What does this verse really mean?
What does Confidence in what we hope for mean? It speaks to the forward-looking nature of faith. It's not just about believing in something that already exists, but also about trusting in the promises of God for the future, even when those promises are not yet realized.
What does Assurance about what we do not see mean? This emphasizes the unseen dimension of faith. It acknowledges that we cannot always see the workings of God, but we can still have a firm conviction in His presence and power.
The world around us often whispers doubts. We face trials that test our determination, hardships that make us question, and moments of despair that seem to eliminate all hope. But it's precisely in these moments that the strength of unwavering faith becomes our anchor, our lifeline to the God for which nothing is impossible.
Think of Abraham, a man called by God to leave familiar surroundings.
Genesis 12:1-5 NIV [1] The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. [2] “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” [4] So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. [5] He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abraham, whose name was Abram at the time that God told him to leave his familiar surroundings, plus his wife Sarah, whose name was Sari until God changed it, was barren, yet he believed God's promise that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him. Genesis 15:6 tells us, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."
Genesis 15:1-6 NIV [1] After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” [2] But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” [3] And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” [4] Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” [5] He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” [6] Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Abraham’s belief wasn't just intellectual agreement that God existed. No Abraham’s belief was a deep, active trust in God's character and His promises, even when those promises seemed impossible. Remember he was old and Sarah was barren; which meant that for whatever reason she was unable to conceive and bear children.
Abram put his whole being into relying on God. And God credited it to him as righteousness". In other words, God saw Abram's faith and that faith made him right in God's eyes. God reckoned or imputed righteousness to Abram. God declared Abram righteous, not because of his own perfect actions (which no human can achieve), but because of his faith. It's about having a relationship of harmony and acceptance with God. It's about living in a way that pleases God and aligns with his perfect standards.
1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV [15] But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; [16] for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (It’s written at Leviticus 19:2)
Faith is the key to that right relationship with God. It's not about perfect works or following all the rules (though those things are important aspects of a life of faith). It's about trusting in God and what he has said.
Abraham's faith wasn't simply a matter of reciting creeds or paying lip service to God. It wasn't a fleeting feeling or a convenient belief held only when times were good. No, Abraham's faith was something far more profound, something that permeated the very core of his being. It was a deep, unwavering conviction, a rock-solid assurance that God's promises were true, even when every ounce of logic and every visible circumstance screamed otherwise.
Because of this unwavering faith, this steadfast reliance on God’s promise, Abraham's life became a testament, an everlasting example of the transformative power of belief.
Abraham didn't just become a father, he became the father of nations, a patriarch whose descendants are as countless as the stars in the sky, an example of the truth that with God, nothing is impossible.
Abraham's legacy isn't just about his descendants; it's about the enduring power of unwavering faith, a power that is available to each and every one of us, if we dare to believe and trust.
Luke 17:6 NIV He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Now let’s consider the plight of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. For generations, they suffered under the yoke of oppression, their cries for freedom seemingly lost in the desert wind.
Exodus 1:8-14 NIV [8] Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. [9] “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. [10] Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” [11] So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites [13] and worked them ruthlessly. [14] They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
But Moses, empowered by faith, stood before Pharaoh and demanded their release. To read the backstory to find out how we got to the point of Moses demand read Exodus chapters 2 through 4.
When you read those chapters you’ll see that Moses made all kinds of excuses as to why he wasn’t the right person, but he finally gave in and went to Pharaoh and demanded that Pharaoh release the Isrealites.
Exodus 5:1 NIV [1] Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ”
The writer of the book of Hebrews says that Moses made this demand by faith and by faith led the Isralites through the desert all the way to the land God promised to give Abraham’s descendants.
Let’s go to Hebrews 11:24-29 NIV [24] By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. [27] By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. [28] By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. [29] By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
Moses' unwavering faith in God's promise of deliverance led to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, a powerful demonstration that with God, even the impossible becomes possible.
Exodus 14:21-28 NIV[21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, [22] and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. [25] He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” [26] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” [27] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. [28] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
Abraham and Moses are just two examples from scripture and as we are seeing in Bible Study there are many many more examples of people with unwavering faith from which we can draw strength.
When illness strikes, or when financial burdens weigh us down, or when grief threatens to overwhelm us, we can choose to cling to our faith. We can choose to believe that God is with us, even in the storm.
As our text Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." It's not about having all the answers; it's about trusting the One who does have all the answers.
The path of faith is not a straight, unwavering line; it's often a winding journey, marked by peaks of certainty and valleys of doubt. It's human to wrestle with questions, to struggle with uncertainties, to feel overwhelmed by the complexities of life and the seeming absence of God in the face of suffering.
We may even find ourselves questioning God's plans, wondering if He truly hears our prayers, or even doubting His very existence. These moments of doubt are not signs of weakness or a lack of faith; they are an intrinsic part of the human experience.
Tough times and situations are like a furnace in which our faith is tested, refined, and ultimately strengthened. To deny that we struggle, to pretend that we never experience doubt, is to deny our humanity. It's in these moments of vulnerability, when we feel lost and confused, that we can find comfort and strength in scripture.
Following the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus' glory on the mountaintop, they descended to find a distraught father pleading for his demon-possessed son's healing. The disciples had tried and failed. For the full account of the transfiguration and the encounter with this distraught father see Mark chapter 9.
This father who was faced with the seemingly hopeless condition of his child, cries out to Jesus, at Mark 9:24 NIV…“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
This is one of the most honest and relatable expressions of faith in the entire Bible. It's a cry from the heart, a plea for help in the midst of doubt. The father acknowledges his belief, however fragile, and at the same time, confesses his struggle with unbelief. He recognizes his human frailty, his inability to fully grasp the divine, and humbly asks for divine intervention.
This very act of asking, this open admission of doubt, is itself an act of faith. It's an acknowledgment that even in our weakness, even in our confusion, we can still turn to God. It's an invitation for God's divine strength to fill the gaps in our understanding, to illuminate the darkness of our doubt, and to bolster our wavering faith. It's a recognition that faith is not about having all the answers; it's about trusting in the One who does have all the answers. And in that trust, even in the middle of doubt, we can find the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Unwavering faith is not a passive acceptance of doctrine; it's not a quiet, internal assent to a set of theological principles. It's not something we can simply possess and tuck away, like a treasured keepsake. True, unwavering faith is active; it's dynamic, it forces us to action. It demands more than mere intellectual agreement; it requires us to translate our faith into tangible acts of love, compassion, and justice. It's not enough to simply say we believe; we must live like it. Faith leads to a transformed life.
It means living our lives in accordance with God's word, not just reading it, but internalizing it, allowing it to shape our thoughts, words, and deeds.
It means extending compassion to those in need, not just feeling sympathy, but actively reaching out to comfort the afflicted, to care for the vulnerable, to be a voice for the voiceless.
It means standing for justice, even when it's unpopular, even when it's difficult, even when it means challenging the status quo.
It means choosing love, not just the easy, comfortable kind of love, but the radical, transformative love that embraces our enemies, forgives those who have wronged us, and seeks the best for all, even those we disagree with.
Two weeks ago our text was
James 2:14-17 NIV [14] What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [15] Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
A faith that does not manifest itself in action is not true faith; it is merely an empty shell, with no life and power. True faith is a verb, not just a noun; it is a call to action, calling us to live out our beliefs in the world, making a tangible difference in the lives of others and reflecting the love of God in everything we do.
Let’s work to cultivate this unwavering faith in our daily lives. Let it be our foundation and our guide through life. May it guide and sustain us through all of life's challenges.
Let's fix our eyes not on the storms around us, but on the one who calms the storm. Let’s trust in the promises of God, because He is faithful and true.
Hebrews 10:23 NIV [23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Prayer
Lord, we have heard today about the power of unwavering faith. It's not just a feeling, but a way of life. Empower us to live out our faith, to act on what we believe, even when it's difficult. Help us to be bold in our trust, knowing that you are with us always. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
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