Sermon
Living By Faith
November 7, 2004
Pastor Donald Sheley

Would you take your Bibles and join with me along with your notes, and I pray that you have them. For some weeks now we have been doing some studies out of the Old Testament, because we made the observation that many of our New Testament doctrines that we hold very tenaciously to as Christians have their foundations in Old Testament stories and Old Testament truths and Old Testament events. And if we leave the Old Testament out, we're going to miss some of the exciting truths of that formulated the basic doctrines that we believe as Christians.

So what we've done, we've gone back and we started our journey some weeks ago with the children of Israel as they left the land of bondage, Egypt, and they headed for the land of promise, which was the land of freedom. And in that journey we've made some observations of things that took place which find their greater expansion in the New Testament, and we've seen and understood why they are so important in the New Testament in relation to their Old Testament setting.

Let me explain - The night that the children of Israel left the land of bondage you remember they were instructed by Moses to slay an animal, take the blood of that animal, apply it to the posts and the lintel of their home, and the reason for that is that at midnight a death angel was to pass over. And when the death angel saw the doors that had been smeared with this blood, he would not take the firstborn. But any home in Egypt were the blood had not been placed on the doorposts and the lintel, the firstborn, not only of the family but of the livestock, was killed. So the Bible tells us that night as the death angel passed over there was tremendous mourning throughout the land of Egypt.

And we took that great truth of the protection of the blood and realize that throughout the Old Testament it played such a predominant role in all the sacrifices. And God laid down a divine law that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. We took that great truth and moved it into the New Testament and now we understand why Jesus Christ died as the great sacrifice at Calvary and there to shed His precious blood for the cleansing of the sins of all mankind. We concluded the tremendous importance of the blood throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament gospel story.

Well, when we look at a map, Egypt is here and the Mediterranean Sea is up to the north, and Palestine is to the north east, and it's not too far from Egypt up to Palestine. Now the most natural route would have been...they could have left Egypt because they lived up here in the Delta, they could have followed along the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea and in a few short days, maybe six or seven days, they would have arrived in Palestine in an area which today is called the Gaza Strip. But God didn't send them that way, and the reason was, is because there in the Gaza Strip in ancient past lived a people known as the Philistines. They were a warlike people.

And God knew that these Israelites coming out of bondage unprepared for battle without warrior gear could have been devastated by those warring Philistines so they didn't take the short route. God directed their path down along what is now known as the Sinai Peninsula, and they traveled down the Sinai Peninsula down to the tip. There near the tip is a mountain called Mount Sinai, and there at Mount Sinai God calls Moses up into the mountain because He wants to give Moses the instructions and the guidelines how to govern these newly released people. And so we find in the book of Exodus and Numbers and Deuteronomy much that God gave to Moses there on the mount, instructing Moses how govern those people.

We made the observation it was there He gave them the Ten Commandments, and we have talked about some of them. It was there that God gave the instructions as to the building of a sanctuary because prior to this moment in history God had never specified a place of His own dwelling here on earth. So Moses is told to build a tent-like sanctuary, and God comes to dwell in that tent and He manifests His presence by the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. That's where God dwelt amongst His people.

Now after the events of Mount Sinai they're journeying again and they are now going back north. Up here is Palestine, and they travel north to a place in the wilderness known as Kadesh-barnea. It's a few miles south of what we know as the borderline now of Palestine, and there in that desert place is a place of decision. They stop at Kadesh-barnea and God is going to allow some spies or people to precede them and go in and check out the land that God has talked about - this land of promise. And then they're going to bring the report back and God is going to give them that land, in fact, they're only a few hours away. If they're going to obey God's word...just a few hours away they're in the promised land.

But look it what happens. Come with me to Numbers chapter 13. Everyone turn there because we're going to read a lot of scriptures today, so follow along as we read the story. There at Kadesh-barnea the Lord spoke to Moses, say, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan (that's the promised land of freedom), which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them."

In other words, there are twelve tribes that make up this nation of nearly 2 million people and what God is saying is select one man out of each tribe and he'll act as the representative, because they'll trust him if he comes back and says something they'll believe him. So you select twelve men and send them into this land of promise.

Verse 3, "So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel." They are all leaders. There are their names...verses 4 through 16; there is the record.

Now verse 17 says, "Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes." In other words, it's harvest time that these men are assigned this task of going and exploring this new land.

"So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. And they went up through the South and came to Hebron." Now if we were to look on a map today Hebron is about 26 miles south of Jerusalem. So from the wilderness down here on the Sinai Peninsula they penetrated the Promised Land clear into Hebron, just 26 miles south of Jerusalem. Now Hebron was a very important city. It was there that David, you remember, set up his kingdom for his first seven years when he became the king of Judah. So they traveled there and you'll notice other towns that they visited, and they saw the descendants of Anak.

Verse 23, "Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. And they returned from spying out the land after forty days."

So the journey, the exploration, has taken forty days and they are ready to come home. "Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.""

Pause - that's a phrase 'milk and honey' which the ancient Greeks used to describe the food they gave to their gods. It was a phrase that meant plenteous and fruitful and delicious, and so the Israelites selected this as a phrase that described their promised land, a land of fruitfulness and plenty, a precious land.

Then comes that word...nevertheless. It's milk and honey but boy we want to tell you "the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there." Now who are those descendants of Anak? It is believed by historians they come from the same area where Goliath...you remember Goliath was a giant who stood nine feet tall. It was just a tribe of people that were marked by their height, and also historians tell us that they were a people that dressed with a lot of warrior gear and around their neck...and they were...they looked like they had long necks. But when the spies saw these descendants of Anak they were filled with fear.

They say, "The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan." Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said...in other, words this bad report has stirred up the people and they are really on edge. And Caleb said, just a minute, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."

Here's the word of faith. "But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants [the descendants of Anak came from the giants]; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Now you've got the report of unbelief. Yeah, it's a land that flows with milk and honey, but boy we can't take it. Those people are too strong for us.

Chapter 14: So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt."

Unbelief - let's go back to slavery. Let's go back to be victims of the land of Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, "a land which flows with milk and honey." Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them."

Tremendous words of encouragement, aren't they? I mean, you look at them as enemies, they are our bread. Their protection is gone. God Almighty is on our side. Let's go!

Look at what they get for such a wonderful report - And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. All they are doing is giving a positive report
and the whole congregation says to stone them. Unbelief.

Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. Then the Lord said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

What are the signs? I split the Red Sea. I rained food from heaven. We've had water coming out of rocks. Isn't that enough? Look at what I've done for them.

I know, "I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." God said I'm pretty well fed up with these people. Let's just get rid of them, and Moses you and I start with a whole new nation...just you and me. I mean, He's really disappointed. He's saying they need to be disinherited because of their unbelief.

But old Moses starts pleading. He's a marvelous spiritual leader. Look at what he does. And Moses said to the Lord - if You do this God, look at, "the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, "Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness."

Here's what Moses is saying - God, You've got to think this thing through. I mean, Your fame has gone abroad. Everybody around here knows that You're leading this people by a pillar of fire and a cloud, and You're demonstrating Your glory, and I mean if you kill them all You'll lose...I mean they'll all say He wasn't able to do it. He wasn't able to accomplish His task. Moses is saying, God, You can't do that.

Look at verse 17: "And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, "The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation." Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy."

You know every time I read this I have so much deep admiration for Moses. God is so put out with them. They are complaining people. God said just let them go when let's start all over. Moses said, God, You can't do that. Your name and Your glory and Your fame is at stake. I want You, one more time, to pardon these people and forgive their sin - just one more time.

You remember when Moses came off of that mountain and he had the tablets in his hands and he sees them worshiping the golden calf, he throws the tablets down and they break into a thousand pieces, and then God calls him back to the mountain to rewrite them again? But in the process of time Moses is praying for his nation. It's in Exodus chapter 32 verse 32. And here's what Moses says to God. God I know they are a rebellious lot. I know they don't deserve Your mercy and Your grace. But God, if You won't forgive them... And you'll notice in your Bible there is a long hyphen; Exodus 32:32. It means there was a long thoughtful pause.

And then Moses continued his prayer. God, if You won't forgive them, You just take my name out of Your book. In other words, God, if You're not going to forgive them I don't want to come to heaven to be with You. Just blot me out. Boy here's a man who puts his eternal destiny on the line and says, God, if You won't forgive them I don't want to spend eternity in heaven with You.

God said, listen, I'll take care of whose name is in the book you just go on and lead them. But here's a man, a tremendous spiritual leader, he is saying, God, Your name is at stake, Your glory and Your honor cannot at this moment be diminished in any way. Please pardon them one more time.

Look at verse 26: And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, "As I live," says the Lord, "just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised."

In other words, every person twenty years and younger God said I'm going to bring them in, but everybody twenty years and older you're going to die in this wilderness. "But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years."

Why did they spend forty years in the wilderness? Because for forty days they spied out the land and they came back with an evil report. God says you'll pay for it one full year for every day of the exploration, namely forty years. "And you shall know My rejection." Those forty years in the wilderness was a sign of God's rejection of them for their unbelief.

"I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation." Now here we have a beautiful vivid description or an illustration. God says I've given you the land, but you can go up and look it over and see what a wonderful land it is. They come back with an evil report of unbelief even though God said I'm going to give it to you. And the result is, because of their unbelief, their judgment is they die in the wilderness. They're not allowed to go in.

Now ladies and gentlemen put that equation on paper. Over 2 million made up the number of people who walked out of Egypt. Two enjoyed the promise of the Promised Land other than the new generation that had come on the scene - just two out of 2 million. And another thing, even Moses didn't get to go to the Promised Land. You say, he didn't? No.

You're in Numbers now; just flip over a few pages to Numbers chapter 20. Look at this - verse 6 of chapter 20 of Numbers: So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and to their animals."

Remember, just speak...just speak to the rock.

So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod."

Now God said all I told you to do was just speak to it. You dishonored Me in the presence of this entire congregation. You're yelling, you're venting your anger and you're hitting the rock, and I only told you to speak to it. God allows the water to come out of the rock but He takes old Moses to the woodshed for a spiritual spanking. And He says, Moses, because you've dishonored Me you're not going into the Promised Land.

Now we've got their leader who's been set aside, a nation whose carcasses are going to fall in the wilderness. Why? Because they just didn't believe God and do what He told them to do.

So we've got Joshua and we've got Caleb left. What happens to Joshua? Well when Moses dies Joshua gets the job of leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Well what happened to Caleb? Well go with me to Joshua. Look at what happens to Caleb. He's the other guy of faith. It's Joshua 14:6 - look at what happens.

Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: "You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God."

Now there's the promise of faith. You're going to get the land you spied out. Verse 10: "And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day."

So his reward is where he had walked. It took forty-five years, but faith was rewarded and he got the land that he walked on - Hebron. Now you see the vivid illustration? Unbelief vs. belief. Unbelief brings its judgment...God says something, they turn against it, and they die in the wilderness. Belief says God can do it and so Joshua ultimately leads them in and Caleb takes his land - the reward of faith.

Now when we turn to the New Testament, if we were to go through the pages of the New Testament the word faith or believe appears 200 and 70 odd times. So I know that the subject of faith which has its illustration of faith and unbelief in the Old Testament is a very important part of our New Testament faith. We talk about it all the time - faith. What is it and how does it work?

Well come with me to Hebrews chapter 11, and it's an entire chapter on the subject of faith. Look at what it says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

And now we come to the heart verse of this whole subject of faith. Look at what it says: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is." So that's how important our subject is, faith.

Now let me depart from the notes for a while. You know in thinking through this whole subject of faith; it's a word that's used in so many different ways that oft times it's a little confusing. So let me try to clarify it for you. Oft times people are asked the question, what is your faith? What's your faith? And when they are asked they are implying, what particular religious group do you identify most comfortably with? You say well, I'm Protestant or I'm Catholic, whatever it is, I'm Presbyterian, or Baptist. That's my faith.

So they use the word faith to identify a particular group of people which we religiously feel most comfortable with. That's our faith. Now when asked what is our faith as a Christian? Every Saturday evening we read from our bulletin we have an affirmation of faith which we read. It reads: We believe in Jesus Christ the Lord, Who was promised to the people of Israel, Who came in the flesh to dwell among us, Who announced the coming of the rule of God, Who gather disciples and taught them, Who died on the cross to free us from sin, Who rose from the dead to give us life and hope, Who reigns in heaven at the right hand of God, Who comes to judge and bring justice to victory.

We say, what is our faith? We believe that the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, that He was born of the Virgin Mary, that He lived a sinless life, that He died a vicarious death, that He was placed in that tomb, that He came out of that tomb, He ascended back into heaven, He is our great high priest today, and one of these days He'll come back again - that's my faith.

Of course it has a lot of ramifications, but that's the heart. That's my faith.

There's another thing interesting about faith. It has to have an object, and the object of the Christian's faith, it's God. Look at what it says: without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is. So the object of our faith as a Christian is the God of the universe and the God of the Bible. The God who manifested His love and His mercy towards us as men and women and He came took upon Himself human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, a God who has manifested Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and who gives to us the divine instructions to live by. This is the object of our faith, the God of the Bible who has manifested Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and has left His revealed word for us. This is the object of our faith. The God of the Bible, the God of the universe.

I must believe that He is. He is the creator God. He rules the universe. He sets nations up. He takes them down. He's the God of mercy. He's the God of grace. He's the God who has chosen to be my wonderful heavenly Father. He's my God. That's who God is to me. I must believe that He is. I don't question His existence. He has always been. He will always be forever the ruler and the God of this universe. I believe that

Now there's another step to faith, and that is if I've got an object and there are certain facts about that object, which is God, then I must believe everything about that object. When I come to the Scriptures this describes the God that loves me the God that is merciful, and I must believe everything about that, about the Scriptures, and about the God of the Scriptures.

Now I've got my object. I know who He is, and I know that as a man of faith I must come to him totally excepting everything the word of God says about him. Now I come to the practical aspect of faith, and if we were reading it in the original language it would be a word like faithing or believing or trusting in or relying upon. In your Amplified Bible you have those various words that describe the act of believing. That's the act of faithing.

So let me get this straight...I've got my object and He's God of the Scriptures manifested in the person of Jesus Christ and that word, the Scriptures, is what He has to say to me, and then I must believe it with all my heart, and now I must do some faithing. I've got to put those facts into action to get the results. How is that done?

Well go with me quickly to Romans chapter 10 and look at what it says. I'm trying to make faith just as practical and understandable as possible. Here are the Scriptures, Romans 10:6, "But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' [that is, to bring Christ down from above] or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' [that is, to bring Christ up from the dead]. But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart [that is, the word of faith]." Now this is faithing. This is believing. This is trusting. This is acting upon what I know about God. Okay? What happens?

Verse 9: that if I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus. In other words, if I honestly say Jesus You are the Lord of the universe. You are my Savior. You died on the cross for me and I want to invite You to be the Lord of my life. I want You to rule my heart. I want to You to be my Savior. I'm confessing Jesus as Lord; He's my Lord.

And then what it says, I must believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the dead. So I confess with my mouth, I declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord, and I believe without question in my heart that 2000 years ago Jesus came out of that tomb and He rose triumphant over death. I believe that. It says if I confess Him as my Lord, and I believe Him in my heart (that's faithing, that's trusting). What are the rewards of faith?

Look at the next phrase - you will be saved. That's the reward of faith. That's why we ask you from time to time to put your trusting Jesus, declare that you want Him to be the Lord of your life, and believe with all your heart what the Bible says that He came out of that tomb 2000 years ago. That's faithing it, and the reward of faith is salvation.

Look at verse 10: For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." So that's my object about Him - He died to be my Lord. I confess Him. I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ went to that tomb and came out of it, and I confess it. That's faithing it. Now I get the reward of faith.

The question is...look at verse 17...how does faith grow? Look at what it says. Verse 17: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Now there's nothing mysterious about faith or growing in faith.

You say I really want to be a strong person of faith. You can! It says faith cometh by the word of God, and the more of the word of God that I know the more I'll know about the God the object of my faith, the more I'll love Him, the more I'll want to serve Him. Where does faith come from? Right from here. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Ladies and gentlemen we have people who in our congregation, I'm sure in any church, they've come to that place in their spiritual journey where they have made the confession - yes I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I believe that He's the Lord of life - but that's where their journey ends. I mean, they just come nonchalantly and week after week just kind of don't take their Christianity very serious and they are still spiritual babes. I mean they are 15 years along in their journey and they are still spiritual babes. They haven't grown in their faith.

Why? Because they haven't taken this book serious. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You read your Bible day after day, and some people read it out loud - I read it out loud for an hour everyday and I read those Scripture verses. I may not understandable them all. I'm not required to understand them all, but I want to know what my God is like. I want to know what He's done in the past. I want to know what He's promised for the future. And what happens, the more I know about God, there settles in my soul a deep peace, a tranquility. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt if this was the last day of history I know where I would be, in His presence. I know that He loves me. I know that He promised never to leave me nor forsake me, and the more I know about Him the more I love Him, and the more I love Him the greater my faith shall be. That's faithing it.

Think -if that congregation just a few hours from the Promised Land would have not listened to those 10 negative guys and listened to Caleb and Joshua, they would have all enjoyed the land of promised. They didn't. They died in the wilderness. They missed all the promises. But old Caleb and Joshua said we're going to in, God is in charge.

And the walls of Jericho fall apart, the river Jordan splits asunder, I mean, God continues to demonstrate. When we are people of faith we say, this is God's word. There's a verse that I give to You in your notes. God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Hath He not said, and will He not do it? Now that follows just a few chapters after the lesson we talked about today.

God is not a man. He's not going to lie to us. If He has said it, and the very nature of God is truth, nothing can change. And if I believed it, rely totally upon it, His peace, and His presence, and His joy floods my heart. Those are good rewards in a very complex world. Amen? Let's pray.

Father, we've seen a very vivid illustration of what it means to believe and what it means to not believe. We just want to be people who believe Your word. We want You, Lord Jesus, just to fill our hearts with a deep sense of love for Your word and may it become so very much a part of us we'll be people growing in our faith every day; learning more about You, loving You with greater intensity, and serving You with greater joy. Make us people of faith, in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you all.