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Sermon of the Week
Look up the passage

5/6/05

Faith Romans 4:13-25
Matt 9:9-26

The question I'd like us to think about today is: "What is the nature of faith?" Is faith, as a young child once answered in an RE test, "Believing what you know ain't true"? Is it just an intellectual assent to certain facts that we've been told about God or Jesus? Or is it more?

Now this is an important question because, according to Romans 4, God's promise of salvation, of an eternal inheritance with the saints, is only received by faith. So what is it that constitutes true faith? How can we know that we'll receive God's promised salvation when we die?

Well let's think about the great example of Abraham. We're told he believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. So what does that mean: "He believed God"? Well in the Romans passage, that we just read, the issue is Abraham's belief that God would honour his promise to give him a son. It was the fact that he kept on believing, even when it seemed like an impossible promise to fulfill. It was the fact that he believed that God was the one who had called into existence things that weren't there and that he could do it again. Hebrews 11 takes up this question and adds that Abraham's faith was also shown by the fact that he obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.

   So there are 2 major elements in the faith of Abraham that help us in thinking about what the nature of faith might be.

   First there's the recognition that the person who has spoken to you, who has called you to do something, deserves your obedience or trust. Abraham recognised that the one who had promised him a son was the God who had created the world out of nothing and so he trusted him.

   Secondly there's the fact of his obedience in response to the command to go. He believed that it was God who was calling him to pack up all his belongings and move to an unknown land and so he obeyed. So these are the 2 elements of Christian faith: Belief in God and obedience to his word.

   Can you separate those 2 elements? Well, no. If you just have belief without obedience the belief is shown to be empty. True belief in God and his promises inevitably leads to a change of character that must affect the way we behave or our lifestyle in general. Similarly obedience without true belief is simply religious piety without a living relationship with God or Jesus Christ.

   Well let's see how this question of the nature of faith is illustrated in the encounters of Matthew 9.

   First we come across Matthew. We're told he's a tax collector. That is, he's a collaborator with the occupying forces. Therefore he's by definition, inherently, unrighteous. But what does Jesus do? He tells him to follow him. And immediately he gets up and follows. Matthew basically does what Abraham did. He leaves his livelihood behind and goes where Jesus directs. Up to this moment there's nothing in his behaviour that would indicate any righteousness, anything of merit that might commend him to God. But he sees something in Jesus that leads him to belief. And he acts on that belief by following him. In other words he shows his faith in Jesus by his obedience to Jesus' command. And by that act of faith he receives the righteousness that Jesus gives to all his followers.

   Then in v10 we see the next encounter. Jesus is having dinner with an even greater collection of disreputable types, many tax collectors and sinners, when some Pharisees walk in. They're a bit appalled that someone who calls himself a teacher sent from God would associate with such sinful people. It'd be a bit like me going down to St Kilda and going into one of the fast food joints where the prostitutes gather, having a hamburger with them and chatting about life on the streets. Some people might look on that as not quite right. But here he is, sitting with just those sorts of people and no doubt involved in a deep conversation with them about spiritual things. So the Pharisees come in, but they don't approach Jesus directly. Like so many people in this sort of situation, they attack from behind. They sidle up to his disciples and ask the obviously judgmental question, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

   This is the way people often work when they're seeking to undermine someone. They don't take their complaints to the person directly. Instead they go to others who work for them or with them or who are part of their following or, if it's a church, part of the congregation. And they ask loaded questions. Why don't we do things the way we used to? Have you noticed how the numbers are falling lately? Did you see the way she spoke to so and so? Have you seen the way she just ignores people when she's in a hurry? Have you noticed how ...? They're not actually interested in your answer. They just want to undermine the position of the person they're aiming at.

   Well, Jesus overhears them and takes the best approach in this situation. He approaches the issue head on and he answers them with simple logic and good theology. He says "A physician is sent to those who are sick." Who did you expect me to be mixing with? Of course these are the ones he'd be mixing with. After all he came to call sinners to repentance and now they've come to him. Just as Matthew had responded to his call, so these other tax collectors and sinners had recognised in Jesus someone who had something they needed. They may not have understood entirely what it was, but Jesus does. He offers them healing. Spiritual healing that is. Forgiveness of their sins and a restoration of their relationship with God.

   By the way, in case anyone suggests that Jesus' eating with tax collectors and sinners means it must be all right to live a sinful lifestyle they need to understand this. A physician's aim is to bring the person back to health, then back to a healthy lifestyle. So too, Jesus' aim was to not just restore these people to a right relationship with God but to have them continue in a life of righteousness. So his eating with them wasn't condoning their sinfulness. It was part of calling them away from it. If you remember the case of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus not only said, "Neither will I condemn you", but he then added "go and sin no more".

   In any case the point that these Pharisees needed to learn was this: God "desires mercy not sacrifice." If you want to show that you're truly a believer in God then you need to follow where God leads the way. You need to show in your character the character of God. That means showing mercy wherever possible. So again, if they want to show their faith in God, then they need to act the way God acts.

   Matthew then throws in a related question, this time from the disciples of John the Baptist about the way Jesus seems to party all the time. "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus' answer first directs them to faith in himself as the promised Messiah. He says, v15, that faith is about recognising who you're with. If you're with the bridegroom you celebrate. Plenty of time later for fasting.

   So again, we're pointed to the nature of faith. It's about recognising who it is who's come among you. It's about believing that Jesus is the bridegroom. That is, the one who was promised would come to bring God's people back to God. Now if this were John he'd say something like this: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (Jn 6:29) Or "This is ... the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day." (Jn 6:40) Or, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:69) One of John's great themes is the connection between eternal life and belief in Jesus, belief in him as God's Son, as having been sent by the Father. True faith is shown by how we view Jesus, by the fact that we recognise him for who he is.

   But then Jesus says a bit more to John's disciples. He says (vs16-17) the old way of showing your faith in God was obedience to the law - hence fasting on holy days - but now faith is shown by your response to Jesus. He's the bridegroom, the promised Messiah. In his presence the appropriate response of faith is to celebrate.

   Well Matthew then gives us 2 examples of faith in action.

   First there's a leader of the synagogue. Probably one of the Pharisees. His daughter has died but he recognises who Jesus is and despite the obvious risk to his reputation among his peers, comes to ask Jesus to bring her back to life. And not only does he have to deal with his fellow Pharisees, he also has to deal with the crowd who just laugh when Jesus says the girl is only sleeping. But his faith in Jesus leads him to trust him to bring about what he says is the case, that his daughter is just sleeping. It leads him to go with him through the laughing crowds, send them outside, and watch as Jesus brings his daughter back to life.

   Then there's the woman with the flow of blood. Again, what does she do that's important for her to be healed? She recognises Jesus for who he is. She believes that he carries within him the power of God. She believes that if she can just touch him she'll be healed. And so she comes up behind him as he's walking along and touches the fringe of his cloak and is healed. And what does Jesus say? "Your faith has made you well." Her faith is shown in her action of coming to Jesus, putting out her hand to receive the power that he bears in his very being.

   In each of these cases you can see how faith in Jesus brings life and healing. For Matthew it was life with God. It was release from the burden of a sinful life and the opening up of a new possibility as one of Jesus' disciples. For the tax collectors and sinners, I guess it was the possibility of a restored relationship with God that was their great blessing. For the father of the little girl it was a life returned and for the woman it was healing from a debilitating illness that separated her from God's people and from the worship of God.

   Finally what about you? How do you know that you have faith in God? It isn't just a matter of intellectual assent. The question is, does your faith in God show itself in the way you live? Does it affect the way you act? Does it lead to greater obedience to God. Not because that obedience will win you merit, but because you believe that God warrants your obedience, or because you believe that God is keeping his promises to you so you can trust him enough to do as he says.

   Faith and obedience you see are closely tied together. Unlike love and marriage these days these are two things where you can't have one without the other.

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	Sermon of the Week	Look up the passage
	5/6/05
	Faith	Romans 4:13-25 Matt 9:9-26

	The question I'd like us to think about today is: "What is the nature of faith?" Is faith, as a young child once answered in an RE test, "Believing what you know ain't true"? Is it just an intellectual assent to certain facts that we've been told about God or Jesus? Or is it more?
	Now this is an important question because, according to Romans 4, God's promise of salvation, of an eternal inheritance with the saints, is only received by faith. So what is it that constitutes true faith? How can we know that we'll receive God's promised salvation when we die?
	Well let's think about the great example of Abraham. We're told he believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. So what does that mean: "He believed God"? Well in the Romans passage, that we just read, the issue is Abraham's belief that God would honour his promise to give him a son. It was the fact that he kept on believing, even when it seemed like an impossible promise to fulfill. It was the fact that he believed that God was the one who had called into existence things that weren't there and that he could do it again. Hebrews 11 takes up this question and adds that Abraham's faith was also shown by the fact that he obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.
	So there are 2 major elements in the faith of Abraham that help us in thinking about what the nature of faith might be.
	First there's the recognition that the person who has spoken to you, who has called you to do something, deserves your obedience or trust. Abraham recognised that the one who had promised him a son was the God who had created the world out of nothing and so he trusted him.
	Secondly there's the fact of his obedience in response to the command to go. He believed that it was God who was calling him to pack up all his belongings and move to an unknown land and so he obeyed. So these are the 2 elements of Christian faith: Belief in God and obedience to his word.
	Can you separate those 2 elements? Well, no. If you just have belief without obedience the belief is shown to be empty. True belief in God and his promises inevitably leads to a change of character that must affect the way we behave or our lifestyle in general. Similarly obedience without true belief is simply religious piety without a living relationship with God or Jesus Christ.
	Well let's see how this question of the nature of faith is illustrated in the encounters of Matthew 9.
	First we come across Matthew. We're told he's a tax collector. That is, he's a collaborator with the occupying forces. Therefore he's by definition, inherently, unrighteous. But what does Jesus do? He tells him to follow him. And immediately he gets up and follows. Matthew basically does what Abraham did. He leaves his livelihood behind and goes where Jesus directs. Up to this moment there's nothing in his behaviour that would indicate any righteousness, anything of merit that might commend him to God. But he sees something in Jesus that leads him to belief. And he acts on that belief by following him. In other words he shows his faith in Jesus by his obedience to Jesus' command. And by that act of faith he receives the righteousness that Jesus gives to all his followers.
	Then in v10 we see the next encounter. Jesus is having dinner with an even greater collection of disreputable types, many tax collectors and sinners, when some Pharisees walk in. They're a bit appalled that someone who calls himself a teacher sent from God would associate with such sinful people. It'd be a bit like me going down to St Kilda and going into one of the fast food joints where the prostitutes gather, having a hamburger with them and chatting about life on the streets. Some people might look on that as not quite right. But here he is, sitting with just those sorts of people and no doubt involved in a deep conversation with them about spiritual things. So the Pharisees come in, but they don't approach Jesus directly. Like so many people in this sort of situation, they attack from behind. They sidle up to his disciples and ask the obviously judgmental question, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
	This is the way people often work when they're seeking to undermine someone. They don't take their complaints to the person directly. Instead they go to others who work for them or with them or who are part of their following or, if it's a church, part of the congregation. And they ask loaded questions. Why don't we do things the way we used to? Have you noticed how the numbers are falling lately? Did you see the way she spoke to so and so? Have you seen the way she just ignores people when she's in a hurry? Have you noticed how ...? They're not actually interested in your answer. They just want to undermine the position of the person they're aiming at.
	Well, Jesus overhears them and takes the best approach in this situation. He approaches the issue head on and he answers them with simple logic and good theology. He says "A physician is sent to those who are sick." Who did you expect me to be mixing with? Of course these are the ones he'd be mixing with. After all he came to call sinners to repentance and now they've come to him. Just as Matthew had responded to his call, so these other tax collectors and sinners had recognised in Jesus someone who had something they needed. They may not have understood entirely what it was, but Jesus does. He offers them healing. Spiritual healing that is. Forgiveness of their sins and a restoration of their relationship with God.
	By the way, in case anyone suggests that Jesus' eating with tax collectors and sinners means it must be all right to live a sinful lifestyle they need to understand this. A physician's aim is to bring the person back to health, then back to a healthy lifestyle. So too, Jesus' aim was to not just restore these people to a right relationship with God but to have them continue in a life of righteousness. So his eating with them wasn't condoning their sinfulness. It was part of calling them away from it. If you remember the case of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus not only said, "Neither will I condemn you", but he then added "go and sin no more".
	In any case the point that these Pharisees needed to learn was this: God "desires mercy not sacrifice." If you want to show that you're truly a believer in God then you need to follow where God leads the way. You need to show in your character the character of God. That means showing mercy wherever possible. So again, if they want to show their faith in God, then they need to act the way God acts.
	Matthew then throws in a related question, this time from the disciples of John the Baptist about the way Jesus seems to party all the time. "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus' answer first directs them to faith in himself as the promised Messiah. He says, v15, that faith is about recognising who you're with. If you're with the bridegroom you celebrate. Plenty of time later for fasting.
	So again, we're pointed to the nature of faith. It's about recognising who it is who's come among you. It's about believing that Jesus is the bridegroom. That is, the one who was promised would come to bring God's people back to God. Now if this were John he'd say something like this: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (Jn 6:29) Or "This is ... the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day." (Jn 6:40) Or, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:69) One of John's great themes is the connection between eternal life and belief in Jesus, belief in him as God's Son, as having been sent by the Father. True faith is shown by how we view Jesus, by the fact that we recognise him for who he is.
	But then Jesus says a bit more to John's disciples. He says (vs16-17) the old way of showing your faith in God was obedience to the law - hence fasting on holy days - but now faith is shown by your response to Jesus. He's the bridegroom, the promised Messiah. In his presence the appropriate response of faith is to celebrate.
	Well Matthew then gives us 2 examples of faith in action.
	First there's a leader of the synagogue. Probably one of the Pharisees. His daughter has died but he recognises who Jesus is and despite the obvious risk to his reputation among his peers, comes to ask Jesus to bring her back to life. And not only does he have to deal with his fellow Pharisees, he also has to deal with the crowd who just laugh when Jesus says the girl is only sleeping. But his faith in Jesus leads him to trust him to bring about what he says is the case, that his daughter is just sleeping. It leads him to go with him through the laughing crowds, send them outside, and watch as Jesus brings his daughter back to life.
	Then there's the woman with the flow of blood. Again, what does she do that's important for her to be healed? She recognises Jesus for who he is. She believes that he carries within him the power of God. She believes that if she can just touch him she'll be healed. And so she comes up behind him as he's walking along and touches the fringe of his cloak and is healed. And what does Jesus say? "Your faith has made you well." Her faith is shown in her action of coming to Jesus, putting out her hand to receive the power that he bears in his very being.
	In each of these cases you can see how faith in Jesus brings life and healing. For Matthew it was life with God. It was release from the burden of a sinful life and the opening up of a new possibility as one of Jesus' disciples. For the tax collectors and sinners, I guess it was the possibility of a restored relationship with God that was their great blessing. For the father of the little girl it was a life returned and for the woman it was healing from a debilitating illness that separated her from God's people and from the worship of God.
	Finally what about you? How do you know that you have faith in God? It isn't just a matter of intellectual assent. The question is, does your faith in God show itself in the way you live? Does it affect the way you act? Does it lead to greater obedience to God. Not because that obedience will win you merit, but because you believe that God warrants your obedience, or because you believe that God is keeping his promises to you so you can trust him enough to do as he says.
	Faith and obedience you see are closely tied together. Unlike love and marriage these days these are two things where you can't have one without the other.


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