Tests of Faith: Embracing Humility and Authenticity
Summary
In our journey of faith, we must constantly evaluate whether our beliefs align with the teachings of Jesus. If our faith leads us to pride and arrogance, we are not truly following the way of Christ. Our faith should humble us, bringing us to our knees in adoration of our Savior, recognizing that our salvation is solely by grace through faith, not by our own deeds. Jesus' teachings in Mark 9 remind us of the importance of humility, as demonstrated by His response to John, who attempted to stop someone casting out demons in Jesus' name. Jesus emphasized that those who are not against us are for us, highlighting the need for unity and humility among believers.
Life in Christ is filled with tests, and Jesus outlines three key areas where our faith will be tested: pride, performance, and passion. The test of pride challenges us to recognize that we are not the only ones serving God's purposes. We must avoid spiritual pride and embrace the humility that Jesus exemplified. The test of performance calls us to live out our faith authentically, ensuring that our actions align with our beliefs. We must strive to be genuine disciples of Christ, avoiding hypocrisy and ensuring that our lives reflect the teachings of Jesus.
The test of passion requires us to be vigilant in our fight against sin. Jesus uses hyperbolic language to emphasize the seriousness with which we should approach sin, urging us to cut off anything that causes us to stumble. This test challenges us to be passionate in our pursuit of holiness, recognizing that sin is a form of cosmic rebellion against God. We must be willing to make radical changes in our lives to avoid sin and grow in our relationship with Christ.
As we face these tests, we must remain salty, maintaining our distinctiveness as followers of Jesus. We are called to grow in our faith continually, recognizing that none of us have arrived at spiritual maturity. Surrounding ourselves with a community of believers who hold us accountable is crucial for our growth. Let us strive to make Christ known through our lives, decreasing so that He may increase, and passing the tests of faith with humility and grace.
Key Takeaways
- True faith in Christ leads to humility, not pride. Our salvation is by grace through faith, not by our own efforts. We must constantly remind ourselves that our faith should bring us to our knees in adoration of our Savior, recognizing that it is Christ's work, not ours, that saves us. [10:31]
- The test of pride challenges us to embrace humility and unity among believers. We must avoid the mindset that we are the only ones serving God's purposes and instead recognize the diverse ways God works through His people. Spiritual pride is insidious and can hinder our witness for Christ. [08:33]
- Authentic faith requires that our actions align with our beliefs. The test of performance calls us to live out our faith genuinely, avoiding hypocrisy. We must strive to ensure that our lives reflect the teachings of Jesus, recognizing that our actions can either draw people to Christ or push them away. [16:32]
- The test of passion demands vigilance in our fight against sin. We must take sin seriously, recognizing it as cosmic rebellion against God. Jesus calls us to be radical in our approach to sin, willing to make significant changes to avoid stumbling and to grow in holiness. [31:20]
- Spiritual growth requires community and accountability. We must surround ourselves with fellow believers who will speak truth into our lives and hold us accountable. None of us have arrived at spiritual maturity, and we need the support of others to grow in our faith and remain salty as followers of Christ. [39:33]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:54] - The Way of Humility
[02:28] - Salt and Fire: Testing Faith
[03:43] - The Nature of Tests
[06:19] - Three Tests of Faith
[08:33] - The Test of Pride
[10:31] - Humility in Christ
[12:05] - The Test of Performance
[15:04] - Living Out Our Beliefs
[16:32] - Seriousness of Our Actions
[19:21] - Church Hurt and Healing
[22:21] - Authentic Christian Living
[25:17] - Pleasing Christ vs. Pleasing Man
[28:33] - The Test of Passion
[31:20] - Fighting Against Sin
[39:33] - Community and Accountability
[42:18] - Remaining Salty in Faith
[47:35] - Responding to Tests
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Mark 9:38-50
Observation Questions:
1. What was John's reaction to someone casting out demons in Jesus' name, and how did Jesus respond to him? [00:54]
2. What are the three tests of faith that Jesus outlines in Mark 9, as mentioned in the sermon? [06:19]
3. How does Jesus use hyperbolic language to emphasize the seriousness of sin in Mark 9? [28:33]
4. What does Jesus mean when He talks about being "salted with fire"? [02:28]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the test of pride manifest in the actions of John and the other disciples, and what lesson does Jesus teach them through His response? [08:33]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual pride can hinder a believer's witness for Christ? [10:31]
3. How does the sermon interpret Jesus' teaching on cutting off what causes one to stumble, and what does this imply about the believer's approach to sin? [31:20]
4. What role does community and accountability play in spiritual growth according to the sermon, and why is it important? [39:33]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when pride affected your spiritual journey. How can you cultivate humility in your daily walk with Christ? [10:31]
2. Consider your current actions and lifestyle. Do they align with your professed beliefs? What changes might you need to make to ensure authenticity in your faith? [16:32]
3. Identify a sin or temptation that you struggle with. What practical steps can you take to "cut it off" and pursue holiness more passionately? [31:20]
4. How can you actively seek out and engage with a community of believers who will hold you accountable in your faith journey? [39:33]
5. Think about a situation where you might have caused someone to stumble in their faith. How can you seek reconciliation and ensure your actions reflect Christ's love? [19:21]
6. In what ways can you ensure that your life remains "salty," maintaining your distinctiveness as a follower of Jesus? [38:00]
7. How can you decrease so that Christ may increase in your life, making Him known through your actions and words? [49:02]
Devotional
Day 1: Humility as the Foundation of Faith
True faith in Christ leads to humility, not pride. Our salvation is by grace through faith, not by our own efforts. We must constantly remind ourselves that our faith should bring us to our knees in adoration of our Savior, recognizing that it is Christ's work, not ours, that saves us. This humility is not just an attitude but a recognition of our dependence on God’s grace. It is a call to live in a way that reflects the humility of Christ, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. Instead, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. In our daily lives, this means acknowledging that our achievements and righteousness are not our own but are gifts from God. [10:31]
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself taking credit for what God has done? How can you practice humility today by acknowledging His work in your life?
Day 2: Embracing Unity and Humility
The test of pride challenges us to embrace humility and unity among believers. We must avoid the mindset that we are the only ones serving God's purposes and instead recognize the diverse ways God works through His people. Spiritual pride is insidious and can hinder our witness for Christ. It can create divisions and a sense of superiority that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Embracing unity means celebrating the different gifts and callings within the body of Christ, understanding that each person has a unique role to play in God’s kingdom. This unity is not uniformity but a harmonious diversity that reflects the multifaceted nature of God’s work in the world. [08:33]
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many."
Reflection: How can you actively promote unity within your church community? Is there someone you can encourage or support in their ministry this week?
Day 3: Authenticity in Faith and Action
Authentic faith requires that our actions align with our beliefs. The test of performance calls us to live out our faith genuinely, avoiding hypocrisy. We must strive to ensure that our lives reflect the teachings of Jesus, recognizing that our actions can either draw people to Christ or push them away. This authenticity is about being real and transparent, acknowledging our struggles and imperfections while striving to live according to God’s standards. It involves a commitment to integrity, where our private lives match our public declarations of faith. By living authentically, we become credible witnesses of the transformative power of the Gospel. [16:32]
James 1:22-24 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where your actions do not align with your beliefs? What steps can you take today to live more authentically?
Day 4: Passionate Pursuit of Holiness
The test of passion demands vigilance in our fight against sin. We must take sin seriously, recognizing it as cosmic rebellion against God. Jesus calls us to be radical in our approach to sin, willing to make significant changes to avoid stumbling and to grow in holiness. This passionate pursuit of holiness involves a daily commitment to examine our hearts and actions, seeking to align them with God’s will. It requires a willingness to let go of anything that hinders our relationship with God, even if it means making difficult sacrifices. By doing so, we demonstrate our love for God and our desire to live in a way that honors Him. [31:20]
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Reflection: What is one sin or habit that you need to address in your life? How can you take a radical step today to remove it and pursue holiness?
Day 5: Community and Accountability in Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth requires community and accountability. We must surround ourselves with fellow believers who will speak truth into our lives and hold us accountable. None of us have arrived at spiritual maturity, and we need the support of others to grow in our faith and remain salty as followers of Christ. This community is a source of encouragement, correction, and strength, helping us to persevere in our walk with God. By being part of a community, we learn from others’ experiences, share our burdens, and celebrate our victories together. Accountability is not about judgment but about mutual support and encouragement to live according to God’s standards. [39:33]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Reflection: Who are the people in your life that hold you accountable in your spiritual journey? How can you strengthen these relationships to foster deeper growth and accountability?
Quotes
1. "If your faith makes you prideful and arrogant, it's not the way of Jesus that you're following. Our faith in Christ should drive us to our knees. Instead of puffing us up and saying, I have arrived, it should cause us to fall on our face and adore our Savior because we understand it's only by grace through faith that we have been saved. It's not anything that we've done. It's not anything that we do. It's what Christ has done." ([00:00:00] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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2. "You know, tests are always difficult because they aim to determine just what level of progression that we have made in a certain discipline. That's the whole point of taking a test. The teacher wants to gauge how you have progressed in that discipline, whether it be math or whether it be science. Now, the last few verses that we read together this morning are kind of cryptic and mysterious, aren't they? He starts talking about salt and fire, and it doesn't seem to have much to do with what he said in the previous verses that we had read, but actually it makes perfect sense." ([00:04:14] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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3. "Life is filled with tests, and so is your life in Christ. If you have been a disciple of Jesus for mere moments, you are going to start to encounter tests. And these are not tests that you will pass one time and never be tested in that area again. These are tests that you will encounter over and over and over and over as you grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now, one day we're going to stand face to face with Christ. Who's ready for that day? And in that moment, our test will be over. We will have graduated into the presence of God." ([00:06:34] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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4. "You see, John had a mindset that we are the only ones, who were doing this the correct way. John evidenced here a spiritual pride that was not present in his Lord. You see, one of the things that Jesus showed his disciples every day was his humility. Jesus said that the Son of Man didn't come to be served, but to serve, and to give himself a ransom." ([00:08:39] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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5. "Jesus demonstrated over and over and over to His disciples the place of humility in following Him. And here we see John not expressing that humility, but seeing Him express an insidious form of pride, spiritual pride that says that we are the only ones. Everybody else who's not following along with us is wrong and needs to stop. If your faith makes you prideful and arrogant, it's not the way of Jesus that you're following." ([00:10:06] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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6. "When I say that Jesus is going to test your performance, Jesus wants to see if you are going to live out the what you say you believe. I was speaking with someone this week and we were talking about this phenomenon that we see sometimes in the church. We see people who have absolute pristine doctrine and right belief they are orthodox in their faith but then when you look at their lives you don't see the type of practice of their faith that you would anticipate with someone who has their faith and they are orthodox in their faith and this perfect great doctrinal belief you see it's possible to have right belief but yet that belief not impact how you live you know what we call that person we call them a hypocrite right someone who says they believe something but yet when you view their life you don't see that belief impacting their life what we want to see coming out of our lives as followers of the gospel is to see what we want to see coming out of our lives as followers of Jesus we want to see our actions we want to see our actions being affected by our belief." ([00:12:23] (79 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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7. "But, friends, we need to do everything within our means to not let that happen. We need to care enough about the people in our lives that we want them to know Jesus as we know Him. How many of you know some mean Christians? Anybody? Why are you all looking at me? Why are you all looking at me? I mean, in the day of social media, and Facebook, and Instagram, and TikTok, and you name whatever app is going to come out next week that's going to replace them all. I've seen some mean Christians. Haven't you?" ([00:18:03] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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8. "Jesus has called us to not fit in. As followers of Jesus, we're not going to fit in to this world system. You know why? Why? Because this is not our home. You were created to live in His kingdom. And increasingly, as you grow in Christ, the values of God's kingdom and the values of this world are going to be at odds with each other. And you're going to experience some criticism. You're going to experience people pointing you out, ridiculing you. You're going to experience that. It's okay." ([00:24:01] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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9. "We must balance the grace of God with the judgmental edge. With the judgment and justice of God. We must understand that God above all things is holy. And He says, be holy because I am holy. So we should strive for holiness. But at the same time, we miss that mark and we will. Isn't it good to know that God's grace is sufficient for us? And where our sin does abound, grace does far more. If you really want to make grace really good, hold it in tension with the judgment and justice of God." ([00:27:17] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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10. "Friends, we in the church, we've got to spur one another along in the faith. Faith. We've got to take responsibility for one another. We've got to love one another enough to be willing to call each other out when needed. We've got to do that. Because this passage of Scripture, this is a clear call to discipleship. Jesus is telling His disciples, guys, this is not just about showing up on Sunday. This is not just about showing up on Sunday and hanging out with Me. This is about life. This is about a transformed life where people are seeing Me in you." ([00:47:41] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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