Living Faith: Hope, Vision, and Eternal Reward

So God loves to reward his people. And, yes, we ought to be working for eternal rewards. You wanna make sure that what you do with your time, what you do with your money shows up in heaven one day. Can I have an amen? Amen. I did that funeral this week, and someone said they were reading from their mother's bible. And in their mother's bible, who's with the lord, said these words. We lay up treasure in heaven by laying them down on earth. Oh, that's good. That's good. Spurgeon said a little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul. [01:12:25] (37 seconds)  #HeavenlyInvestments

Here it is. If you cannot believe what God said about creation, you have no reason to believe what he said about salvation. Let me tell you there are three basic questions that have to be answered. Everybody's asking, who am I? Why am I here? Where are we going? Where am I headed? I love the story about this little boy and he asked his dad where he came from. He said, I I wanna give you a truthful answer. And so he said, listen, we came from dust and we're gonna return to dust. [01:01:46] (29 seconds)  #CreationAndSalvation

I'm just telling you things don't happen by chance. No. There's a God who's in control and no one listen. You gotta make up your mind what you're gonna believe. Are you gonna believe that no one created nothing for no reason or that a creator created everything for a purpose? People say trust the science. Well, science changes. Look at my science book when I was in elementary school. It's obsolete. Look at the science of COVID nineteen and what we know now. The science changes. Look at computer science. Whoo. You talk about something has changed. [01:04:53] (38 seconds)  #ChooseCreatorNotChance

Now without faith, it's impossible to please God. The number one goal you ought to have is to please God. If you please God, it doesn't matter who else you displease. If you displease God, it doesn't matter who all you pleased. No. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, and that's our goal. We're pleasing God. Since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exist and that he rewards those who seek him. Now look at this, Jeremiah 29. You will seek me and find me when you what? Seek me with all of your heart. Here's the question. Are you seeking God? [01:09:17] (35 seconds)  #PleasingGodByFaith

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. He went on to say in verse 14, if anyone's work that he has built survives. And he's told us what work will survive. If your works are like gold, silver, and precious stone, it'll survive. It'll be eternal. But if it's like wood, hay, and stubble, it'll all burn up in the end. You're looking at a pastor who is working for eternal rewards. Yes. Look at this. [01:10:47] (33 seconds)  #WorkThatEndures

So how do you have a relationship with God? It is by faith. Faith not optional is essential. It's like oxygen for a relationship with God. It's essential. You have to have it and it comes from God. It's a gift. It's not faith in faith. It's faith in God and it's not faith that comes from you. It's faith that comes from God. [00:41:10] (24 seconds)  #FaithIsEssential

In a little bit, there was another knock at the door and it was the milkman. He said, my carriage broke down right outside the orphanage and I need you to help me get all this milk off or it's gonna spoil. And so God provided milk and bread. Why? Because God honors faith. Alright. So there's saving faith. And then there is what we call the spiritual gift of faith. But then there's living faith and that's what this chapter in Hebrews 11 is all about. [00:43:51] (29 seconds)  #GodHonorsFaith

And she said, well, you promised her you build her a dollhouse and she just believes you. And she's getting ready for it. He said, I closed my books. I went to the hardware store. I got some lumber. I came back. I built her a dollhouse that afternoon. Not because I felt like it, not because I wanted to, not even because she deserved it, but because I saw her faith. And if an imperfect earthly father can do that, can you imagine how much more the heavenly father wants to work in your behalf when he sees your faith. [00:57:03] (35 seconds)  #FaithLikeAChild