You'll recall from our sermon series on the Life of Christ that God had perfectly prepared Jesus to proclaim the Gospel. As Jesus proclaims the Gospel, he gathers around Himself the most unlikeliest group of people one could imagine. He does this first because He is shifting the means through which we approach God from the Law to Jesus. He also does this because He is seeking out the people who have faith in Him. Though faith seems so insignificant compared to knowledge, abilities, or status, God takes miniscule faith and, in the right soil, grows into an unmistakable part of life's landscape.

This past week, we saw in Luke 8 how Jesus displayed both His power and authority over nature, the spiritual realm, the physical realm, and even over death itself. And then Jesus passes power and authority on to His followers so that they might go out and proclaim the Gospel to others as well.

There were two points that didn't quite make their way into yesterday's sermon that I thought I could bring up today.

Faith in God chases out fear of anything/one else or fear in anything/one else chases out faith in God. It is as certain as 1+1=2. A book I often recommend to people is 'When People are Big and God is Small' by Edward Welch. The book is a good one but the title sums it up. So often in our lives something else becomes bigger than God. Maybe it's the wind and waves, our spiritual struggles, our physical ailments. Maybe it's even death itself. Welch delves even deeper and shows how even good relationships with others can ultimately chase out our faith in God if the people become bigger than God in our life. What takes up the horizon and sky of your life? What is the air that surrounds you? If we try to make people or things do this, we will destroy them or, more likely, they will destroy us. Only God can be so all-encompassing in our lives.

The second point is a quote from Earle Ellis: "Like its younger brother, sickness, death is an enemy. But it must yield to the powers of.Jesus. In the presence of the Christ, death becomes 'sleeping,'.[finished] is transformed into [beginning]. Until [the Lord's return] its sting remains, but its ultimate threat is broken. If we 'believe,' we need not live in dread: 'Fear not!' I have nothing to really add to this.I think the quote speaks for itself.

Weekly Devotional Schedule

Monday-Matthew 8:18-34

Tuesday-Matthew 9:18-26

Wednesday-Matthew 10:1-42

Thursday-Mark 4:35-41

Friday-Mark 5:1-43

Saturday-Mark 6:7-13

4 comment(s) for “Fear and Death”

• 1. CP on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 10:22 AM

  Russell,
  In several Biblical illustrations in the sermon you referred to faith and or lack thereof. One point I was hoping you would address is the origin of faith. Will it be addresssed in future sermons in this series?
  CP

• 2. Pastor Russell on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 3:59 PM

  The series that we are doing this Fall is specifically looking at passages that are repeated in 3 or 4 of the Gospels - the events/teachings that seemed to be SO important to the Gospel writers that they are purposely repeated. I'm not sure that one of the passages that we are going to be looking at is going to touch on the origins of faith.
  
  When speaking of 'lack of faith' I hope that in its context it is clear that it is a lack of faith in Jesus. However, your comment helps me to make sure that I make that clearer in the future. Thanks!! :)
  
  As for the origin of faith...I'm probably not completely understanding you. I would understand faith as an inherent quality of humanity that God created in Adam and Eve. To be human is to have faith. The question is what are we placing our faith in? I believe that when the Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, righteousnes, and judgment, that His work in their life makes clear to them their need to place their faith in Jesus instead of anything/one else that they have up to that point.
  
  I'm not sure if that answers your question. I'm wondering reading your questions whether you think that people apart from Christ are devoid of any faith? How would you say that faith originates?

• 3. Anonymous on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 10:59 AM

  I am specifically referring to faith in Jesus but the verses such as Romans 12:3,6 speak to faith in Christ as a gift not so much as a choice to initiate a belief from our innate ability. Also,John 15:16 clearly states that our believing faith in Jesus was not our doing but His.

• 4. Pastor Russell on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 12:32 PM

  That's an interesting interpretation of Romans 12. I've always seen it as speaking about spiritual gifts - kind of a parallel passage to 1 Corinthians 12 which specifically mentions faith as one of the gifts that all believers do not have. So, there seems to be a distinction between 'saving faith' and a 'gift of faith.' Is Romans 12 speaking specifically about 'saving faith?' How can we be certain that it is not the type of faith that is being spoken of in light of 1 Corinthians 12 which seems to parallel Romans 12?
  
  If 'saving faith' is only given to us by God rather than an innate quality, then what meaning is there to God expecting people to trust in Him when He clearly knows they cannot?
  
  You can clarify this if I am missing something, but I don't see faith being mentioned in John 15:16. It states that He chose us and that we did not choose Him. By this, I understand Jesus to be saying that we are elect in Him, not He in us. Now, no doubt, all those who are elect have faith in Christ. But that does not automatically mean that choosing/election is the same as faith. If there is biblical evidence that 'choosing' is synonymous with 'faith' I'm unaware of it but would be interested in being shown otherwise.