Time to Act on Your Faith Text
Text Outline

The following is a text outline of Dr. Pete's message. Foundational Scripture:  Mark 2:1-5

1. Our works should testify of our faith.
1. "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith BY my work." James 2:18
1. "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17
2. Jesus SAW the faith of the men who carried the paralytic man.
1. "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.'" Mark 2:5
3. What was their faith?
1. They believed if they got the paralytic man to Jesus, he would be healed.
4. How do you know that is what they believed?
1. We know of their FAITH because of their PERSISTENCE in the face of obstacles.
1. "And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying." Mark 2:4
2. That is what Jesus SAW.
3. And when Jesus SAW their faith, He responded.
   
   
2. What are our works SAYING about us?
1. Do our works TESTIFY of our FAITH?
2. Can Jesus SEE our FAITH by our WORKS?
   
   
3. Be A Doer of the Word of God and NOT a Hearer Only.
1. The Word of God commands us to be DOERS OF THE WORD.
1. "But be doers of t he word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves." James 1:22
2. OTHERWISE, we deceive ourselves.
3. When we hear the Word of God preached AND we are convicted by the Word of God, or prompted to make a change, do we obey?
4. Without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.
1. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6
2. To please God there must be ACTIONS that TESTIFY of our FAITH.
3. God wants to SEE something from us.
1. God SAW Abraham's faith when he drew back his hand to kill Isaac.
2. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?" James 2:21
3. When God SAW that Abraham was willing to go through with it, he told Abraham:
1. That's alright. Go get that ram in the bush and offer it instead.
1. "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac you seed shall be called', concluding that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense." Hebrews 11:17-19
2. Abraham had FULLY EXPECTED God to raise Isaac from the dead if he had offered up the boy.
3. God had made Abraham a promise. Abraham expected God to keep His promise, even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead That's why Abraham could and would have killed Isaac. Abraham FULLY TRUSTED God with his son Isaac.
4. God SAW Abraham's faith. Abraham's WORKS (drawing back his hand to kill Isaac) TESTIFIED of his faith in God.
5. God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac and supplied him with a ram instead. But as far as God was concerned, Abraham had indeed offered up Isaac because God knew he would have if He had not stopped him. So...Abraham believed God and "it was accounted to him for righteousness". (Romans 4:22)
6. Abraham's faith evidenced by works (drawing back his hand) was enough for God.
4. God wants to SEE something from us that gives evidence of our faith in Him.
1. It may not be something as drastic as the test he gave Abraham or as outlandish as cutting a hole in somebody's roof, but He still wants to see works that testify of our faith..
5. It is time to ACT on our FAITH.