The Faith of the Saints (Hebrews 13:5-8)
Gary McManus, 10/29/2023Part of the Life With Jesus is Better series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
October 29, 2023 Hebrew 13:5-8
All Saints Day Sunday (All Saints Day is
November 1st.) It is a Sunday to remember the saints.
But not really to remember the saints but to remember
the faith of the saints. The saints we knew in our
lifetimes –their faith we want to remember.
Maybe too many megachurches in America are
too young? IF they have Elders, the Elders are
young. Notice my brother, the Vietnam War
and Life magazine.
The photos in Life magazine. . .
And now, the new Iphone can alter the photo
that you just took. It will not be a photo you
took, it will be a photo you made!
Are American Christians giving up on faith
or are they giving up on shallow faith?
Did those American Christians know the Jesus
who spoke, (Matthew 7:13-14) “Enter by the
narrow gate; . . .for the gate is narrow and the
way is hard, that leads to life, . . .
Some preachers still did not fully grasp part of
the problem. . . it isn’t JUST the way we go about
getting what we want in life—the problem often
is what we want in life. (Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:6)
Book title “Your God is Too Small.”
Does the book ask too many questions about God
instead of giving answers about God?
But are the answers making an “image of God”?
(See Exodus 20:4, Exodus 3:14)
So many Christians carry an image of God IN
THEIR MINDS. . .a kindly God, who would never
allow anything bad happen to us—as long as we
were good—whatever that means.
And all the while, the churches have been losing
attendance, churches have been closing. . .
Has American Christianity not produced a faith
like the saints had—even the saints of our lifetimes?
The God of the Bible will never be what WE want
God to be. . .
There are Bible examples: the destruction of Jerusalem
(TWICE) (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2). The poor always
WILL be with us but we still must be compassionate
toward them. (James 1:22, James 1:27, James 2:8)
We will not be given what we ask for in prayer
(James 4:3)—if we want for ourselves something that
our Lord does not want for us. Jesus will always tell
us to put our swords away (John 18:11).
God will only be the God of Job 42:10, (blessing Job)
AFTER Job has suffered for the first forty-one
Chapters.
As I have seen the saints struggle to be faithful,
our Lord Jesus remained faithful to them.
That is the Jesus of the Bible.
That is a faith Pastor would want to offer to
younger people. (Hebrews 13:5)
But what does Pastor read from Christian news
sources. . .
---American Professional athletes claim Jesus as
his savior.
--17 Anxiety-Crushing Bible Verses That Will
Stop Satan Dead in His Tracks
(See 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:2)
More emails: God Calls Us to Find Happiness in
Him. . .What? American happiness?!
'God Wants Me To Prosper Financially' ?
American prosperity? It all sounds shallow.
The faith of the saints is NOT shallow.
Hebrews 13:8. Amen.
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