Message Notes: Fight the Good fight of Faith - How can my faith be hindered?
Series begun on: July 17, 2011
1 Timothy 6:9-12
• Keeping focus and committed to the Faith of Jesus Christ is vital to the believer
• We must always be aware of the cares of this world for they can distract the believer from the purpose of God
• How much money I make, how I take care of my family and what I possess are only important in their place.
• The place that I keep these things is responsibility, but commitment, loyalty, and faithfulness belongs to my God alone
• Commitment, loyalty and faithfulness are attributes of my faith towards God
What is faith?
Faith is use several ways in the bible
1. The system of doctrine and morality pertaining to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ Acts 6:7 Galatians 1:23 Ephesians 4:5
2. Personal belief, acceptance, and acknowledgement of God’s existence Hebrews 11:1,6 2 Cor. 5:7
3. A conduct of work inspired by the complete surrender to mental acceptance James 2:14-26 Hebrews 11:7-8
4. A trusting or trustworthiness faithfulness - Matthew 25:45 1 Corinthians 15:12-14
Keeping your Heart
• The heart of man is the center of his being, it is where life flows from.
• The Heart is the mind, the will and the emotions of man
• it is where decisions and choices are made
• the decisions and choices are the source of all results of life
• whatever success or failure you have in life it can be traced back to choices and decisions
Proverbs 4:20-23
• The Heart of man is where he makes his choices and decisions
• proper choices are based on keep the word of God priority in your life
Keep thy heart with all diligence...
diligence - to place a watch over your thoughts that influence your choices
• see to it that your thoughts are governed by the word of God
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Cor.10:4-5
Fight the good fight
• The believer is to contend for mastery of the Faith, that is; someone or some thing will battle for supremacy in your thoughts for the system of doctrine and morality pertaining to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ
• The contention comes from arguments over Physical trials, mental and emotional trials (stressing over needs and love ones) ending in doctrinal doubts and struggles in your personal belief and ultimately doubting the existence of God Himself
• There is a comfort for those who go through troubles and trials and there is no trial nor test coming your way that is not common to someone
• God always provides a way that you may be able to bear the trouble
1Corinthians 10:13
• every man on this planet has his/her season of troubles and testing, when our time comes we must remember God is faithful - trustworthy reliable and He will console all who endure troubles
2 Corinthians 1:3-10
• while troubles are experienced by all believers we can be sure that God will comfort all that endure hard times
What we can see from this is we will not avoid troubles nor will we miss God’s comfort that we may be able to bear it
Death
• Death is common to all men
• we all are mortal and are subject to death
• As we grow older our love ones pass on, sleep in the Lord
• There is much hurt and pain associated with it
• While God will not keep mortal bodies here forever (we get old and die, sick and die)
• God will comfort those who are left that they may bear it
Sarah’s death
Genesis 23:1-2 pronounced Keer-yath-ar-bah
• Isaac the son of Abraham is Sarah’s only child, how hard this must be for Isaac
Genesis 24:1-4,62-67
God is the source of all comfort in the midst of troubles - Note verses 37 - 40