#9 Real World Faith

Today is week 9 in our series, 10 Things Every Christian Should Know. If you've joined me for all of these videos, you likely know that I'm just skimming the surface of topics I could mention. There's so many more. I ask a pastor friend to give me a list of 10 things every Christian should know, and his list was totally different from mine.

I say this to ask you to continue to join me each week as we look to grow together. We will finish this series next week, but the week after we'll begin a new series, More Things We Should Know. I'd love to have some feedback from you on this series. If you'd please get on my website, davidshivers.com, and contact me by pressing the contact button, I would appreciate it.

Today we're going to talk about biblical faith for the real world. You need to have biblical faith. There's preaching today that is not biblical, and therefore it's not true. It's very popular, however. Some call it the prosperity gospel.

It goes something like this: if you have enough faith, you'll have a rosy path. No problems, no flat tires, no divorce, no split ends, no cancer, no disease, no accident, no financial worries. Your kids will be perfect, and on and on and on it goes. This kind of teaching has probably caused more hurt and confusion than anything else being fed to Christians today.

Let's look at the danger of this false theology. Fairly early on in Jesus' ministry, he was teaching to his new disciples and the crowd that had gathered. We pick up the story in Mark chapter 4. Jesus said, "A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow, but the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants, so they produced no grain. Still other seed fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was 30, 60, even a hundred times as much as it had been planted."

After Jesus told this parable, his disciples asked for an explanation. We find that also in Mark 4, beginning at verse 15. Jesus said, in explaining this, "The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soul represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they didn't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who he, those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of 30, 60, or even even a hundred times as much as has been planted."

Here in Mark, Jesus himself is letting us know that there will be tough times. Today there are scores of people mad at God because of various difficulties. Their faith was shattered because it was immature and a problem occurred. It was immature because they were lied to. We need to be biblically prepared for real life.

Let me share a few warnings from scripture. In John 15, Jesus said, "If the world hates you, remember it hated me first." In John 16, Jesus said, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

The apostle Paul is a great example for us. Do you remember what was said about Paul when he became a Christ follower? You can read about his conversion in Acts chapter 9. If you recall, Paul was known as Saul before he became a follower of Jesus. He was persecuting Christians and trying to stop the movement.

One day God spoke to Saul and blinded him when he was onto his way to arrest some believers. That day Saul became a believer, a blind believer. In Acts 9, God tells a man named Ananias to go and lay hands on Saul and let him see again. Naturally, Ananias is hesitant, because Saul had quite a bad reputation with believers. God assures the reluctant Ananias that Saul is chosen to do great things.

Verse 16 of Acts 9 is most interesting. God tells Ananias, "And I will show him now how much he will must suffer for my name's sake." Paul suffered. Paul had great faith, and his path was not always rosy. "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows."

God wants us to be fully informed and to be fully prepared. When those who hear the prosperity gospel have the first sign of trouble, they often think that all of Christianity is untrue, and they fall away. The sad thing is they've not heard the truth. Today you have heard the truth. Be biblically prepared for this world.

After a life of adventure and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, and much suffering, an older, wiser Paul wrote these words found in Romans 8:18. He said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us." Paul wants us to know it will be worth it. We might suffer now, but God has a great reward.

Let us pray. Lord, I pray for these that are watching, and whatever they're going through, that you would be with them, and they would be biblically prepared, not surprised that something is going on, but strong to know that you'll walk with them. Thank you for being with us always. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, amen.

God bless you. Thanks for watching.