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Acts 8:26-39     FIVE FACTS ABOUT FAITH

 

Acts 8:

26  And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

 28  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

 32  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

 

 

Five times in the New Testament,

we find people who boldly said to the Lord, "I believe." 

 

            We have just read one of those accounts.

            We will look at the other four, and then come back

            to this one at the end.

 

            AS WE LOOK AT THOSE FIVE INSTANCES

            WHERE SOMEONE SAID, "I BELIEVE,"

            WE ARE GOING TO LEARN FIVE FACTS ABOUT FAITH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I.    Mark 9:24     FAITH CRIES OUT TO THE LORD

 

MARK 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

 

                                                            CHILD OF GOD, CLING TO CHRIST.

 

II.     John 11:27    -  FAITH COMFORTS

 

JOHN 11:

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

 

                                                 Faith reminds us that God is still in control - Rom.8:28

 

 

   III.     John 9:38      FAITH CONFESSES

 

            DOUBT DENIES, BUT FAITH CONFESSES.

 

JOHN 9:

35 ¶ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

 

2 Corinthians 4:13 

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

 

 

Romans 10:

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

 

 IV.     Acts 27:25    FAITH CREATES COURAGE

 

ACTS 27:

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.

 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

 

FAITH SIMPLY BELIEVES

THAT GOD CAN DO, AND WILL DO,

WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO.

 

ROMANS 4:

20        He [ ABRAHAM ] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

 21       And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

 

COURAGEOUS FAITH IS CONQUERING FAITH

 

1 John 5:

 4         For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 5         Who is he that overcometh the world,

but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

 

FAITH CREATES COURAGE AND CAUSES CHANGE.

 

FOUR TIMES, THE BIBLE SAYS,

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.

 

Hab 2:4

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him:

but the just shall live by his faith.

 

 Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed

from faith to faith:

as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

 

 Ga 3:11

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God,

it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 

 Heb 10:38

Now the just shall live by faith:

but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

 

 

 

 

SO, WE HAVE SEEN

 

1.         FAITH CRIES OUT TO THE LORD.  (HAVE YOU CRIED OUT TO THE LORD?)

 

2.         FAITH COMFORTS    (HAS THE HEAVENLY COMFORTER COMFORTED YOU?

 

3.         FAITH CONFESSES   (HAVE YOU MADE A FAITH CONFESSION)

 

4.         FAITH CREATES COURAGE AND CAUSES CHANGE.

 

5.         THIS IS ALL PREDICATED UPON THE FACT

            THAT FAITH CONVERTS.

 

 

            THIS IS OUR LAST POINT, BASED ON OUR FIRST SCRIPTURE,

            BUT IT COULD BE FIRST IN IMPORTANCE,

            BECAUSE WITHOUT THIS, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.

 

                        ADMITTEDLY, THEY CAN ALL BE TIED TOGETHER IN ONE PACKAGE,

                        AND HE WHO HAS THE SON HAS THEM ALL.

 

  V.       Acts 8:37     FAITH CONVERTS

 

Acts 8:

37        And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38        And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

 

HOW DOES ONE GET THIS FAITH?

 

Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Acts 8:35

Then Philip opened his mouth,

and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

 

 

 

 

THIS SIMPLE SALVATION FAITH IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE SAVED.

 

Acts 16:

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

Heb 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

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