Faith Must Be Demonstrated
Faith must be demonstrated in our daily lives, rather than just defined, in order to be in line with God's ideal for His church.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that faith must be demonstrated rather than merely defined, drawing from the examples of faith in Hebrews 11. He asserts that both preachers and congregants are called to actively show their faith through their actions and lives, reflecting God's love and ideals. Tozer encourages believers to lay aside distractions and sins, running the race of faith with endurance, and to seek the Holy Spirit's strength to embody this unwavering faith.
Text
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. --Hebrews 12:1
The lesson that comes to us through the many dramatic illustrations of faith in Hebrews 11 brings us back to my earlier statement: Faith in God is to be demonstrated, not defined. Just as God's church demonstrates Christian love, this demonstration of godly, humble faith is God's ideal for His church.
It is not enough for preachers in their pulpits to try to define love. The love that God has promised must be demonstrated in the lives of the believers in the pews. It must be practiced as well by the man who occupies the pulpit.
We should put the matter of faith in that same category. God wants His people, including the ministers, to demonstrate all of the outworking of faith in their daily lives and practices. Jesus, Author of Our Faith, 8.
"Lord, the pattern set forth in Hebrews 11 seems so unattainable! Strengthen me by Your Spirit to be able to demonstrate this type of unshakable faith. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- Faith Must Be Demonstrated
- The Ideal of God's Church
- The Call to Demonstrate Faith
- Putting faith into practice
- The need for spiritual strength
- The power of prayer in demonstrating faith
Key Quotes
“Faith in God is to be demonstrated, not defined.” — A.W. Tozer
“The love that God has promised must be demonstrated in the lives of the believers in the pews.” — A.W. Tozer
“Lord, the pattern set forth in Hebrews 11 seems so unattainable! Strengthen me by Your Spirit to be able to demonstrate this type of unshakable faith.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must put faith into practice in our daily lives in order to demonstrate it.
- As preachers, we must also demonstrate faith in our lives and practices.
- We need to seek spiritual strength and pray for the power to demonstrate unshakable faith.