『It Takes Faith Part 6 - I Believe But I Need Some Help』のカバーアート

It Takes Faith Part 6 - I Believe But I Need Some Help

It Takes Faith Part 6 - I Believe But I Need Some Help

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Send us Fan MailClick here to support Talk About It!For more information or booking details, visit www.donmsmith.comClick here to Buy us a Sweet Tea and a Little Debbie Snack CakeWelcome back to Season 11! This week, Pastor Don continues our journey through Hebrews 11 by examining the faith of Abraham and Sarah when it came to the miraculous birth of Isaac. Hebrews 11:11-12 tells us that by faith, Abraham—even though he was past age and Sarah was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered God faithful who had made the promise.But here's the encouraging truth we discover in this episode: although Abraham had great faith, he didn't have perfect faith. And that's important for us. We can look at the heroes of faith and think their faith is beyond our capabilities. But seeing that their faith wasn't perfect helps us see them as human—just like us. We don't need to have perfect faith to have great faith.In This Episode, Pastor Don Explores:1) I Believe… But I Need a Little HelpAbraham believed God's promise that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars. Yet in Genesis 15, after believing, Abraham asked God, "How can I know that I will gain possession of it?" Abraham believed but still wanted assurance. And God didn't rebuke him—He provided a sign.There's a difference between asking for confirmation and asking for proof. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were skeptics who demanded signs despite already seeing plenty of evidence. Abraham, on the other hand, already believed; he just needed a little help being completely convinced because the promise seemed so unbelievable.Sometimes we believe but don't fully understand. Sometimes we believe but things seem way out there, and we ask God to give us something to confirm what He has said. That's okay. We can have strong faith but still need confirmation regarding certain things.2) Leaning on Our Own UnderstandingGenesis 16 tells the difficult story of Abraham and Sarah's lapse in faith. After ten years of waiting with no child, Sarah proposed that Abraham have a child through her servant Hagar. Abraham agreed. The decision made sense to them—Sarah was past child-bearing age, and Hagar was younger. But it was a decision made without seeking God.This was a classic case of leaning on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Abraham believed God would do what He said, but he didn't inquire of God as to how to go about it. They were impatient. And the result? Hagar conceived, despised Sarah, Sarah mistreated Hagar, and Hagar fled. The fallout from this decision continues to this day—the conflict between Isaac and Ishmael's descendants is still playing out in the Middle East.Like Abraham and Sarah, we can believe God's word but then come up with our own plan to carry it out. We can see God doing something through a character in the Bible and conclude that it automatically pertains to our situation. But we need to seek the Lord rather than lean on our understanding. It takes faith to be patient and wait on God.3) What's with All the Laughter?In Genesis 17, when God reiterated the promise and specifically named Sarah, Abraham fell facedown and laughed. In Genesis 18, when the Lord appeared again and said Sarah would have a son, Sarah laughed to herself.Commentators believe Abraham's laughter was one of delight—joy and amazement at what God was about to do. Romans 4:19-22 confirms that Abraham did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise. Sarah's laughter, however, appears to have been rooted in skepticism. The Lord confronted her, asking, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"Sarah doubted, but God was gracious. The KJV translation of Hebrews 11:11 says Sarah "received strength to conceive seed... because she judged him faithful who had promised." Sarah became convinced that nothing was too hard for the Lord.When the promise finally came to pass, the laughter was different. Genesis 21:6 records Sarah saying, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." The laughter of doubt became the laughter of joy.4) The Promise FulfilledIsaac was born when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90—15 years after the announcement in Genesis 17 and 25 years after God's original promise. God was gracious to Sarah even though she had a bout with doubt. Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses. He rebukes us for lack of faith, but He is gracious at the same time.Abraham stayed committed to God because he believed in the promise even though it was far off. He persevered through years of wondering, waiting, and struggling. Abraham had great faith, but he didn't have perfect faith. And that gives us hope.A Word of EncouragementThe heroes of Hebrews 11 had great faith, but that doesn't mean they had perfect faith. Abraham had moments of doubt, moments of leaning on his own understanding, moments of impatience. Yet God still called him righteous because he believed.We don't need to have perfect faith to have great ...
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