Living by Faith to Become Worshippers

I want to share with you this morning something very important and how we should live our life and I speak particularly to those who are the people of God, who are born again, and to those who are going to testify to the Lord in the waters of baptism this morning. It's so important that the Holy Spirit repeats it three times in the New Testament. It's nothing new, we have heard it all along, if you've been coming to this church, that how we should live our life on this earth and that is in Habakkuk in chapter 2. Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4. Habakkuk says in verse 1, I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart and I will keep watch to see what he will speak to me and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the Lord answered me and said, record the vision and inscribe it on tablets. The one who reads it may run, for the vision is yet for the appointed time. It hastens towards the goal and it will not fail. Though tarries wait for it, for it will certainly come, it will not delay. Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith. That's the word which I believe is so important, if we understand it rightly, so that we can live our life and all those of you who are getting baptized, let this be your focus. It says, the righteous will live by faith and as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him. It doesn't say all men, all believers will live by faith, but the righteous will live by faith. It's not speaking about our righteousness of our own, it's very clear as we look at that word in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit repeats three times. In Romans chapter 1 verse 16, referring to the gospel there, Romans 1 verse 16, Paul says, he turned there, I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, but the righteous man shall live by faith. So, we understand that it's not speaking about a righteousness, not self-righteousness, not a righteousness of our own, but the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith and the righteous man shall live by faith and the man or the person who does not want the righteousness of God is a proud man and that's why it says in Habakkuk, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him. If I reject the righteousness of God, I am a proud man. And you want to understand a little more of that, you look at Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, where the Holy Spirit through Paul speaks about these religious people, the Jews to whom salvation came. In verse 2 he says, verse 1 he says, Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation, for I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge, for not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. And it speaks, it goes on there, we don't have time to look at it all, but you take time to read Romans 10 and you'll understand what it means to be righteous, what it means to be a righteous man, to be a righteous woman. And it says that the righteousness based on faith, verse 6, speaks as follows, Do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down, or who will descend into the abyss, that is to bring Christ up. What does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and I believe all those who are going into the waters of baptism have done that, confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness. Do you understand that? And when we confess with our mouth and we believe in our heart, but with the heart we believe in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. So, the righteous person, the righteous man will live by faith, and that is our calling, and particularly in the last days when Jesus said, when he comes will he find faith on the earth, and if we have been made righteous by God, we are to live by faith. The gospel, that is the gospel, in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. And the second time that word comes in Galatians in chapter 3, Galatians in chapter 3 in verse 11, Galatians 3 verse 11, it says there, now no one is justified by the law before God, it is evident, but the righteous man shall live by faith. Keeping the law, keeping the commandments, I can never be justified. I am justified by faith, and the righteous man will live by faith. And then the third time that the Holy Spirit repeats that is in Hebrews in chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 38. These are important words for us to know what it means to be righteous, and how I am to live my life on this earth, not by my righteousness. I don't live by my righteousness, I live by faith. Romans 10 in verse 38 tells us this. Romans 10 38, it says in verse 37, for yet in a very little while he who is coming will come and will not delay, but my righteous one shall live by faith. And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. So, it's so important that we understand, not just understand it, that we live our life by faith. Otherwise, we will not endure to the end. And that's what Romans 10 verse 35 says, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. And how will I receive what is promised? It is by faith. If we live by faith, we will walk by faith. And that's what it says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7. We walk by faith, not by our senses, not by what we see. What we see is temporal, it says, but if we look at things which are eternal, they will endure as well. Those are the things that will endure. I was challenged by a comment that Brother Zach had made on, sent an email to many of us brothers about the message that Santos preached. I'd encourage you to read that, being sensitive to the grace of God. I wish we can hear that sometime together. But many of us have heard it, and commenting on that, he says this, and it really spoke to my heart. What came home to me afresh, because quoting what Brother Zach wrote there, was a greater blessedness of living by faith, not seeing, capital not, n-o-t, not seeing, not hearing, and not feeling anything with our natural senses. As Jesus said in John chapter 20 verse 29, it is more blessed to be blind in this way, not living by what we see, so that he can turn our darkness into light, as promised in Isaiah 42 16. I will lead the blind by a way which they do not know, and I will make darkness into light before them. We have to choose to be blind, if we are to be led by God, and to see his light. This will free us from all anxiety. You know, John 20 verse 22, and Thomas said, unless I see with my eyes, then only will I believe. And Jesus, you know, fulfilled his request. And he said, Thomas, see, you know, put your fingers into the nail prints, put your hand into my sight. But then Jesus said that, he said, because you see you believe, but blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed. That is what brother Zach refers to, the man who is blind, that he does not see, but yet we believe. And that is what it means to live by faith, my brothers and sisters. But we have to choose to live by, but not by what we see, and what we feel in our natural senses. He says, choosing not to live by what we see, hear, or feel in our natural senses, will lead us into a life of constant rest that comes to living by faith. Not what we see. What we see is temporal. What we don't see is eternal. And that is why we should fix our eyes. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed. And not just referring to Jesus, but many, many things that we face in this life. And God confirms what he has promised in Isaiah 42, 16, that he will lead, he'll turn darkness into light. He will lead the blind, the one who chooses to be blind by what he sees, or by what he hears. And God says in Isaiah 42, verse 16, you can look at it, these are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone. What will he do? He will lead the blind. He will turn darkness into light, who choose not to go by what they see, and what they hear. And a great example of this kind of faith is Abraham. We have heard often, Romans chapter 4 speaks much of this kind of faith. He believed, it says, in a God who calls into being that which does not exist. You turn there, very interesting to see what the margin says there. Romans chapter, this is the faith that Abraham calls into being the things which do not exist. And it says in my margin, if you have a margin, there's called the things which do not exist as existing. That was the faith that Abraham had. Even when he took Isaac to offer him up to God in obedience to what God said, he's willing to put that knife into him, because he believed in a God who could raise him from the dead. He chose to believe in a God who calls the things which do not exist as existing. I hope that is the God you and I believe in. In all these trials and situations that we face in life, to believe in a God who calls the things which do not exist as existing, that is our God. It says, against hope he believed, and without becoming weak in faith, even though he was a hundred years old and his body was as good as dead in the barrenness of Sarah's womb, but in respect to the promise, it says, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. That is what it means to live by faith, that whatever we might see with our natural eyes, and we hear with our ears, whatever it is, whatever situations we may face, whatever trials, whether in the office, or whether regarding our health, or some problem we face, we don't go by what our eyes see. We don't go by what our ears hear. It doesn't mean that we become zombies. No, we believe in a God who calls the things which do not exist as existing. In hope, against hope, it says, Abraham believed, and without becoming weak in faith, in respect to the promise of God, it was not something, you know, that is not wishful thinking. In respect to God's promise, to God's word, that is what he held on to. It's good to have a word in the different situations that we face in life, and to hold on to that. In respect to the promise of God, he did not grow, he did not stagger in unbelief, but gave glory to God, believing that God was able to fulfill what he had promised. And to have this kind of faith, my brothers and sisters, a righteous man will always have a good conscience. I cannot have this kind of faith if I don't seek to maintain a good conscience, like Paul says, before God and man, not in our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 24 and verses 14 and 15, Paul testified, he says, in view of this, in view of what? That there is certainly going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. I do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience, both before God and man. A blameless conscience, I do my best, that is the righteousness which comes by faith. And only the Holy Spirit can help us to maintain a good conscience. There are many good people who are not Christians who believe in God, and a lot of people who can have a good conscience, but a conscience that's awakened by the Holy Spirit is quite different from a man who can... Paul was like that. According to the law, he said he was blameless. He had a good conscience, but the righteousness which comes from God by faith to help us to maintain a good conscience, only the Holy Spirit can do that. And that is why Jesus immerses us, baptizes us in the Holy Spirit. And all of you dear brothers and sisters who are testifying to the Lord in the waters of baptism, I hope you will seek for the power of the Holy Spirit so that you can have this testimony that Paul has. You and I are called to always maintain a good conscience, both before God and before man. You cannot live by faith if you have a bad conscience. You cannot be a righteous man or righteous woman if you don't seek to keep your conscience clear. That is our calling, and that is what Paul could stand boldly and proclaim and testify. He said, I do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience before God and before man. Then we can truly be righteous. Then we can live our life on this earth by faith. And that's something that we need to really be gripped with, that when we have testified, those of us who have testified to the Lord in the waters of baptism, and those of you who are going to testify to the Lord this morning in the waters of baptism, there's a word there I want to leave with us to keep before you, 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 21. Baptism in water is an appeal to God for a good conscience. All of us here, many of us have been baptized in water, I hope, even though you may not understand anything about baptism, about what it means, the meaning of baptism, of being buried with Christ and risen again, even though if you don't understand that, just this one thing, if you understand, I'm appealing to God for a good conscience. I want to maintain a good conscience all the days of my life on this earth. That is a righteous man, that is a righteous woman, and you can live by faith no matter what happens, what problems, what trials, what difficulties we may face, the righteous man will live by faith. And there it speaks there. We turn to 1 Peter in chapter 3. Particularly all of you who are getting baptized this morning, 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 21, corresponding to that, corresponding to what? We go back to verse 20. He talks there that Jesus went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Noah was a righteous man. Noah found favor in before God. In a world, in a perverse generation that did not believe in God, that turned away from him, Noah stood there as it says he was a herald of righteousness. That's how he lived on this earth. And not just himself, he influenced his family, his three sons, and his daughters-in-law. Eight persons were brought safely through the water because Noah chose to be righteous in God's sight. Noah found favor with God. And it says, corresponding to that, verse 21, listen to this carefully, corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience. And those of us, I want you to think back to the day when you were baptized. Why did you get baptized? What did you get baptized for? To join the church? To be accepted? To break bread? Is that the reason you wanted to be baptized? Even though I was not in CFC, CFC was not born then, but as I think back, I know that's what I wanted. I didn't understand everything about baptism, but I wanted to keep a good conscience. I wanted to live my life with a good conscience. I wanted to please God. And that's why I got baptized. It's corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. Not the removal of dirt from the flesh. The only thing that happens is some dust from your clothes and your body stays back in the water. But the sin in your flesh will still be there. But then when Jesus came out of the waters of baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon him. The power of the Holy Spirit, he lived his life, the 33 and a half years through the power of the Holy Spirit. And I want to say to all of you who were being baptized this morning, and all of us who have been baptized, I trust that when you got baptized in water, you also sought the Lord for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And I trust that it was not just a date, but ever since then, every day you've sought to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And as I think back on my life, that's what I've desired, and that's what I've sought for every day, to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can keep a good conscience, so that I can be righteous, so that I can live by faith my life on this earth. That is what God calls us to. And I hope that that will be your appeal. Those of you who are being baptized this morning, Lord, I want to have a good conscience all the days of my life on this earth. Such a man, such a woman, and all those of you who are being baptized can live the rest of your life by faith, no matter what happens. We don't have to fear. We don't have to get discouraged or despair. The righteous man shall live by faith. As I said, that I keep a good conscience. I don't know how many of us see the need that keeping a good conscience is not doing, you know, this is not good, this is bad. It's much more than that. Have you ever thought of this in Hebrews chapter nine? I want you to look there. Hebrews chapter nine. This is nothing new, but I don't know how many of us have really seen the need here. Hebrews chapter nine, verse 13 and 14. It speaks there of the blood of, if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh. How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works? You thought of that? You say, what is that? Keep a good conscience means I don't lust, I don't go and commit murder, I don't get angry, and if I get angry at my wife, I apologize. But what about this? The blood of Christ not only cleanses us from sin, when I slip up and fall, when I have a bad conscience, I can repent and turn to God and get a clear conscience again. But what about our conscience being cleansed from dead works? The blood of Christ cleanses our conscience from dead works. What are those dead works? In fact, it says, if you turn back in Hebrews chapter six, the Holy Spirit says, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, verse one, let us press on to perfection, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Do I see that I cannot get faith if I don't also repent of dead works? We repent of sin, we repent of the things where we defile our conscience, but what about what about dead works? Do I see that dead works defile my conscience? I need that cleansing. I need the blood of Jesus to cleanse my conscience from dead works. You know, coming to a Sunday meeting can be a dead work if you don't come in faith. You know that when you, your quiet time in the morning, if you have one, it's good, and reading your Bible and praying can be a dead work if it is not of faith. If something doesn't happen to you in your time of prayer and when you meditate on God's word, that you do it because you think, you know, I have to read the Bible today before I go to work, otherwise my day will not be good. That's a dead work. I have to go to the meeting today so that, you know, I am marked present there. That's a dead work. Oh, it's breaking of bread the first Sunday. I've got to be there, you know, because I keep a tag on those who break bread. That's a dead work. You see that my brothers and sisters, many believers, many of God's people do not see the need to repent of dead works. Putting money into the box can be a dead work. Fellowship can be a dead work. I fellowship because I want to get a name that I fellowship. That's a dead work. That's something that we need to really ask God to give us light, that we see the need to have our conscience cleansed from dead works. So, how much more, how much more, that's verse 14, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Lots of things we can add to that list I mentioned. Serving in the church, cleaning the hall, cleaning the toilets can be a dead work. Do you know that? If I do it out of faith and love, that is something that's living. Anything that I do for God must come out of love for him and out of faith. A righteous man will live by faith. A righteous woman will live by faith. And what will that result in if we live our life in this way? I want you to see something. If you turn to John chapter 9, here's a man who was born blind from birth and the disciples asked Jesus, you know, is it because he sinned or his parents sinned, you know, in the beginning of that chapter. This whole chapter is amazing. Just one man, chapter 9, John chapter 9, speaks about this one man. We learn a lot of things from him. And Jesus said, it's neither, verse 3, that this man sinned nor his parents, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me as long as it is day, as night is coming when no one can work. And then Jesus, you know, spat on the ground and not many times Jesus did that. One time, you know, when he opened a deaf man's ears, a man who couldn't speak, who couldn't hear, he spat on him. He spat and put his fingers into his ears and that man was able to hear and speak. And here he made clay from the spittle and put it on this man's eyes. And he told him, go wash in the pool. A lot of things we can learn from that if you meditate on it. Go wash. And he went and washed, it says in verse 7, came back seeing. And then there was a big controversy that arose. The Pharisees were incensed, not because this man was just able to see, but that Jesus did this on the Sabbath day. And so they called his parents and we don't have time to look at it and said, you know, is this your son? He said, yes, this is our son. Now, how is he seeing? This man had already told them that Jesus had put clay on his eyes and told him to go and wash. And he went and washed and he saw, but they were so incensed. And it says there in verse, you can look there at verse 25, second time, verse 24, they called the man who had been blind and said to him, give glory to God, we know this man is a sinner. He then answered, whether he is a sinner, I do not know. But one thing I do know, once I was blind, now I see. All of you are getting baptized. I hope that's your testimony. Once I was blind, I hope you're not getting baptized, because you know, to belong to this church, I need to be baptized in water. To break bread, I need to be baptized in water. I hope my dear brother, sister, none of you were getting baptized and none of us who have been baptized, that has been our intention. It is a dead work that you need to repent of. If your testimony this morning, those of you who were being baptized, is this, once I was blind, but now I see. And I can say that 52 years ago, I was blind, but God opened my eyes and I repented of my sin. And I appealed to God for a good conscience when I got baptized. And so, they said to him, what did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? And there was, you know, the whole, all this whole chapter that speaks about this man. And he said, you know, do you want to be, in verse 28, they reviled him and said, you are his disciples. We are disciples of Moses. In verse 27, this man asked, you do not want to become his disciples too, do you? He said, no, we are disciples of Moses. That's enough. They are proud. The proud man, his soul is not right within him. They rejected the righteousness of God. That's all proud people, reject the righteousness of God. They refuse to humble themselves and accept the righteousness of God and let God make us righteous. And it goes on to say, you know, the result of it, they put him out of the synagogue. And verse 35, I like this. Jesus heard that they had put him out. Some of you who have been baptized, who come from non-Christian backgrounds, you have suffered much from non-Christian families. Some of you have been thrown out of your family. Some of you have been thrown out of society, you've been despised. I want you to be encouraged by this, verse 35. Jesus heard that they had put him out. Finding him, he said, do you believe in the Son of Man? He answered, who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? Jesus said to him, you have both seen him and he is the one who's talking to you. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. You see, not just living by faith. If I live by faith, I will become a true worshipper. I don't desire anything else. I don't want to have a ministry. I don't want to do anything in the church. I want to be, that doesn't mean that I don't do anything, but I become a worshipper of God, a true worshipper. And Jesus reveals himself to such people. He sought him out. And all of you who have paid a price to become disciples of Jesus, I want you to be encouraged by this. Jesus seeks you out. He will reveal himself to you. He says that. The Father in him will come and make home within you. And so that you can live your life, not just serving God, but being a worshipper. That is what God wants. My brothers and sisters, that's what he seeks for, those who will worship him in spirit and truth. We see that also in the life of Jacob. He is another man who lived by faith. Hebrews 11 speaks about him. Hebrews 11 is about all the heroes of faith. We know about his encounter with God at Peniel, and how the Lord had to break him, broke him in his strong place. He wrestled with an angel. And then you know the story in Genesis in chapter 32, verse 31. And how he said, I will not leave you till you bless me. That's how it is. That's the righteous man who lives by faith. I will not leave you, Lord, till you bless me. I don't care what pain, what suffering you have to take me through, but I will not leave you till you bless me. And God answered him, but he had to break him. And if God is to bless you and me, my brothers and sisters, he has to break us. And he knows where to break us. He knows what it takes to break us. If we will just yield to him and let him do what he wants to do so that his blessing, his power will flow through him. And the end of Jacob's life, you know, after that night, he wrestled with the angel. The sun rose, it says, in Peniel, and Jacob was limping on his thigh. The sun rose on his brother Esau. There's a different story there. You read that also. But when the sun rose on Jacob that morning, he was limping on his thigh. He was a broken man. That's what God wants to do with every one of us. And those of you who are being baptized this morning, I hope you will submit to God, yield to God when he seeks to break you, the different situations and circumstances that he may take you through. And the end of it, I like this, among all the heroes of faith, I'd like you to turn there, in Hebrews, in chapter 11, speaks about all those ones who live by faith. And you see what it says about this one man. Hebrews 11, you know, it says, faith is the assurance of things, hope for the conviction of things not seen. By it, the men of old gain God's approval. You know, they please God. Many, all those, Abraham, Noah, Moses, all these ones. But we read here about this man, Jacob. After God had finished with him at Peniel, and I like to end my life this way, in Hebrews 11 and 21, this is my only desire, says, by faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. What a beautiful picture. I wish I can get a painting of that. That same staff that he used to lean upon after Peniel, was the same staff that he leaned on to worship God, after blessing all his sons. You want to end your life like that, my brothers and sisters, or to become some great preacher, or to do something great? I tell you, I desire nothing else. If I could end my life, blessing others and leaning upon God and worshiping him, that is what God has called us to. That is what it means to live by faith. Not I do some great and mighty things. You may not do any mighty things, you may not see miracles, but if you can seek to be a worshiper, to lean upon God, to lean upon the Lord, lean upon the Holy Spirit and worship him, that is how God calls us to live our lives. And all of you who are being baptized this morning, I hope and pray that that will be your desire. You want to be a worshiper, not one who wants a ministry, to be a worshiper of God. And one last word in Isaiah 43 verses 1 to 5, I want to say that to all of us who are righteous, who are living by faith, I want to encourage you and those of you who are going to be baptized. Isaiah 43 verses 1 to 5, a very blessed favorite word of mine that has spoken to me recently, particularly the different situations we have faced. It says, and I'll read it to you from the Bible, but now God's message, the God who made you in the first place, put your name there. Jacob, put your name there. The one who got you started, Israel, put your name there. Jacob, deceiver, supplanter, now Israel, a prince with God. Don't be afraid. I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I will be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end because I am God, your personal God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you. All of Egypt with rich cush and seba thrown in. That's how much you mean to me. That's how much I love you. I'll sell off the whole world to get you back. Trade the creation just for you. So don't be afraid. I'm with you. May our hearts be encouraged and all of you who are going to testify to the Lord in the waters of baptism. We pray to God that you will be a righteous man, a righteous woman that will live by faith and finish your life on this earth worshiping God like Jacob did. Let's seek to end our lives, all of us, to live by faith, particularly in these last days. Blessing others, not wanting a ministry, not wanting to do anything else, just blessing others. Maybe just a word, maybe just a smile to bless others and end our life worshiping God, leaning upon Him, the one we have leaned on all through our lives. Amen.