Faith Is… 

Hebrews 11:1-6

The parable six blind men and an elephant

• They came upon a man riding an elephant.
• They wanted to go back and tell the other villagers what an elephant looked like.
• All the blind men touched and stroked the elephant.
• They returned to their village to report their experience.
• The first man, who had felt the animals' side, said, "An elephant is like a great thick wall."
• The second man, who had felt the elephant's tusk. "He is rather short, round, and smooth, but very sharp. I would compare an elephant not with a wall but with a spear!"
• The third man, who had touched the ear, differed with both of his friends and said, "It is nothing at all like a wall or a spear. It is like a gigantic leaf made of thick wool carpet. It moves when you touch it."
• The fourth man, who had handled the trunk. "I can tell you that an elephant is like a giant snake."
• Then, the fifth man shouted his objection. He had touched one of the elephant's legs and concluded, "An elephant is round and thick, like a tree."
• The sixth man had been allowed to ride on the elephant's back, and he protested, "Can none of you accurately describe an elephant? Clearly he is like a gigantic moving mountain!"
• The parable ends by saying that to this day, the six men continue to argue, and no one in the village has any idea what an elephant looks like.

Like these blind men, we all struggle to define concepts that are bigger than we are. We grope around in the dark in our attempts to explain things that are our five senses do not allow us to perceive. One such concept is 'Faith'.

Since we cannot please God without faith, it is vital that we as believers have an accurate understanding of what faith is.

I. Some Misconceptions About Faith.

A. Some people mistakenly define faith as some kind of magical potion or power.

1. They would have us believe that if we could just work up enough of this remarkable substance or feeling,

2. We could do anything.

3. We could heal the sick and raise the dead.

4. We could perform all sorts of amazing feats of wonder.

5. But that isn't faith!

B. Other's think of faith as positive thinking.

1. If I just think good thoughts and positive thoughts, I can change the world.

2. It is all in the mind!

3. But, that isn't faith either!

C. All of these attempts at defining FAITH fall far short of an accurate definition.

Read: Hebrews 11:1-6

II. Faith Is...Believing When I Don't See It.

A. Real faith anticipates.

1. It visualizes the future in the present.

2. It sees in advance...so it is being sure even of what you don't yet see.

B. The example of Noah. Cf Heb 11:7

1. This verse reminds us that Noah embraced this aspect of faith.

2. Remember, he was warned about an impending flood.

3. He had never even seen rain before, much less enough water to flood the world, but he was so sure of this future event that in faith He built the ark as instructed by.

Note: True faith does not SEE and then BELIEVE ....it BELIEVES and then it SEES.

C. How is it possible for us to have this much faith?

1. The answer lies in the object of our faith.

2. When it comes to genuine faith, it is not quantity that counts.

3. Jesus said you only need have the faith of a tiny mustard seed....so quantity is not that significant.

4. It is the QUALITY of faith that is important and quality of faith comes from that which faith is fastened to the object of your faith.

5. So, our faith can be strong if the object of our faith is strong and of course, God is.

6. And not only is He powerful---He is also wise and loving----and He promises to guide us through life---so we can follow even though we don't see where He is leading us.

III. Faith Is ...Obeying When I Don't Understand It.

A. The example of Abraham. Cf Heb. 11:8

1. Abraham's faith motivated him to obey God even when it meant leaving his homeland and heading off for some unknown destination----a trip that didn't make much sense.

2. But many times God's commands don't make sense.

(Prov 3:5) "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

3. The fact that God's instructions didn't make sense to Abraham's didn't stop Him from acting on his faith.

4. His example teaches us that authentic faith is always characterized by action.

B. Real faith is doing something NOW in view of the future.

1. Faith is not passive...it is dynamic...and forceful.

2. Faithful people actively obey God in the now.

(James 2:18) "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."

3. People know what we believe by the way that we behave.

4. Because genuine faith is OBEYING, even when I don't understand it.

IV. Faith Is ...Giving When I Don't Have It.

A. The example of the Macedonian believers.

1. Note: 2 Cor. 8:1-3

2. They gave even though they had very little.

3. When we give in this sacrificial way, we force ourselves to trust God.

4. These givers were paupers...not knowing where their next meal would come from and yet Paul said that "Out of the abundance of their joy...they gave beyond their power."

B. The example of the widow of Zarephath.

1. What Elijah ask may initially seem cruel and selfish, but his challenging request was actually a service to her.

2. Because it gave her the opportunity to give in a way that would allow her to see God provide.

3. And God did provide during all the years of that famine, her flour bin was always full and her oil jar never ran dry no matter how much she took from it.

4. Giving all she had gave her access to God's limitless supplies.

C. The purpose of giving is to learn to trust God on a deeper level.

1. Giving helps us learn that we can rely on God...we can lean on Him for our needs.

2. When we follow God's leading and give beyond our ability to do so then our faith grows and we increasingly learn that we can trust God.

(1 Pet 5:7) "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

3. Real faith is giving in a way that causes us to do this to be more dependent on God.

(2 Cor 9:6) "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

Faith is ...

Believing when I don't see it... Obeying when I don't understand it... Giving when I don't have it...

What about our faith tonight? Is it real? Are we living it, or just talking about it?