Dave’s Monday Blast – January 16, 2017
If you want to live a life that has an impact for eternity, you must be a man of faith. Scripture is filled with stories of individuals who let faith lead their lives. In fact on Tuesday mornings our Men’s Bible Study group has been working our way through the Book of Hebrews where we are reintroduced to some incredible men of faith; let us spend the next couple of weeks examining a few of these INTENTIONAL men:
1. Faith gave Abel the confidence to GIVE: Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the Hall of Fame of Faith. The first name on that list is Abel. Here’s the scene from verse 4, “By faith Abel brought God a better offering that Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.” God approved of Abel’s offering. Why? Because it was sacrificial. The second somebody gives a sacrificial offering, they’re stepping out in faith. What do you think would happen if Christians in America really started sacrificing? Could you imagine the impact if we had faith that Abel had? But don’t forget…in the big picture Abel’s sacrifice was well received by God because he was obedient to what God required. To act in obedience is to act in faith.
2. Faith gave Enoch the confidence to CHANGE: Genesis tells us that Enoch lived for 365 years. It also tells us that he walked with God, but not until he was 64 years old. What happened then? He had a son. Something about having a child made him say, “I need God.” Some of the most destructive words in the English language are “nothing will ever change.” When you have faith, it’s like those words don’t even exist. Enoch’s life shows us that it is never too late to make a change. Is there something in your life you wish were different, but you’ve given up on? When you let faith lead your life, change is always a possibility.
3. Faith gave Noah the confidence to BUILD: God gave Noah a warning and a job to do…a flood was coming, and he needed to build an ark. The earth had never flooded before. Noah had never seen an event like that. He couldn’t fathom why he needed to pull out his hammer and nails, but his faith gave him the confidence to build anyway. The adventure of his lifetime started the second he began building something for God.
Listen…the same is true in your life my brothers. The moment you start to build something for God, three things happen:
a. You make a difference for your family
b. You make a difference for future generations
c. You make a difference at any age
When you’re led by faith to build, there’s no limit to what your impact can be!
Next week we will take a peek at three more individuals whose lives were defined by faith.
