Matthew 7:13-14

Hebrews 11:6 and without faith it is impossible to be well-

pleasing unto Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after Him.

This passage says two things a person coming to God must have:

1.Believe that He is2.Believe that He is a rewarder of them that

seek after Him

Definition of FaithAt the beginning of Chapter 11, it gives a

definition of faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith then is not based upon our sight, but upon our confident understanding that something exists beyond what our eyes can perceive.

According to God, we must have faith if we want to be well pleasing to Him. In fact, it is impossible otherwise.

Verse 2: For by it the elders obtained a good report.

How is faith created?Begin by first hearing or

reading about who God is in His word.

(Romans 10:17) This is true of other

things in the world as well.

When you hear about something, if we haven’t seen it first, there is a opportunity for us to believe it is real.

Ball LightningBall Lightning

Belief begins with wordsExo 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD,

that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Even Pharaoh had to first hear and be given the chance to believe in who God is.

Pharaoh recognized that he first needed to believe in God to then obey His voice.

Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.

Is it worth believing?We often assess the

worth of believing in something when we hear about it.

The Bible claims to answer who God is, the meaning of life, how we were created, and what will happen to us when we die.

1 Million Dollars

Do you believe it?Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven

and the earth. Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of

the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.

We act upon our faithBible calls us to act upon our faith if we want

to prove that we really believe it. If we have confidence and trust in God, then we will obey Him.

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Genesis 6:13-22•Notice that Noah was not given a time when it would start, and he did all that was commanded him, regardless of how long it took to build the ark, gather the food and during that time, preached the message to others, hoping they would believe as well.2Pe 2:5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;•Noah believed and did what God asked Him too, following the pattern and didn’t try to reason that things could not have been the way God said.

Abraham believed…Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was

called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God

Where is our faith today?Do we have confidence and trust in God when

we read what He says in His word?Do we act upon it with the belief that it must

go the way He says and not our way?Do we obey without complaint?

1Pe 4:18 And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

Seek GodHebrews 11:6…He that cometh to God…

rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.Matthew 7:14 …few there be that find it.

We must be seekers of God and there is work we need to do in studying to know God’s will and how to please Him.

Begin your faith in GodAct 22:16 And now why tarriest thou?

arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

Paul in recalling his own conversion, said time was important in becoming a follower of Jesus.