Building a Strong Enduring Faith

In Luke 18, Jesus Christ made the statement, Will the Son of Man find faith, really find faith, when He returns? And Jesus made this statement, not meaning that there would not be faith, but it still is made as a warning that not everyone would necessarily have faith at His return. You know, we live in very troubled times. Jesus knew that the love of many would grow cold, and that many actually would be offended, as He mentioned it, or prophesied in the Olivet prophecy. And it's a difficult time that we live in. We have been tried, we have been tested, and we have seen ones that actually have lost heart. We've seen ones to become discouraged in our own time. And even some have gone back to the churches of this world. We have ones, like back in 1995, that started going back to worship on Sunday, like they had formerly done. Well, how can we keep our faith strong and endure the times that lie just ahead? It is possible, and I want to bring out some things in the sermon today that will help us to build a strong and enduring faith. But you know, you could lose your faith. Your faith could fail. Let's notice a verse or two about that. 1 Timothy 1 and verses 18-20. Notice here some members of God's church who actually lost their faith. Their faith was shipwrecked, as it says. 1 Timothy 1 and verse 18. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. Having faith, that's what we're talking about this afternoon, a strong and enduring faith, having faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected concerning the faith, have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. That means to put them out of the church because they were blaspheming and they were put right back into Satan's world. But their faith had suffered shipwreck. You know, I don't think any of us here want our faith to suffer shipwreck, do we? To be dashed up on the shores and shattered to pieces. But I think that has happened to some in our time as well, just like it happened to these two individuals. Let's go to 2 Timothy 2 and verses 16 to 19. 2 Timothy 2, verse 16. But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Phileas are of this sort. Verse 18. Who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already passed. That's sad, isn't it? They really believed it. They said the resurrection has already taken place. They had no proof of it, but they believed it. And that's sad, but you know something sadder is that some of the members were affected. They came to them and they believed these two individuals that were saying the resurrection had already taken place. It goes on to say in verse 18, they overthrow the faith of some. Don't let somebody come along with a false teaching then and overthrow your faith. And Paul goes on to say, Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal. The Lord knows those who are His, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. So our faith certainly could fail us. Our faith could suffer shipwreck. We could go off on some tangent, some false doctrine. Our faith could be overthrown. We must not let that happen. You say, well, I would never lose faith. You know, we have to be careful and not overestimate ourselves, but always keep our bodies under subjection. There was an individual, one of the disciples of Christ, who felt so strong in his faith. Let's read about him. It's in the Bible for our benefit. John chapter 13, verse 36.

John chapter 13, and verse 36.

And this is on the very night that Jesus was taking that last Passover with his disciples, and he had just washed feet, and they had taken bread and wine.

In verse 36, Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered, where I am going, you cannot follow me now. But you shall follow me afterward.

Peter made this bold statement. Why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. He made this bold statement.

Was he able to live up to it? Verse 38. Jesus answered him, will you lay down your life for my sake? I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Peter was so confident that Jesus knew that Peter's faith was not that strong. Yet. Let's go to Luke's account on this, Luke 22.

Luke's account of the very same thing. Luke 22 and verse 31.

The Lord said, Simon, Simon, just another name for Peter, indeed, Satan has asked for you. How did Satan ask for him? Jesus just knew that Satan would like to get to Peter because Peter was the leader of the Twelve. He was the spokesman and leader of the Twelve of Disciples. Jesus knew that Satan would like to have Peter. Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat. He'd like to shred you in pieces. Brother, we need to always be aware of that, too. Satan would like to shred us to pieces. If he could do it. Verse 32, Jesus went on to say to Peter, I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail.

And when you have returned to me, when you're really converted, strengthen your brethren.

But he said to him, Lord, Peter then said, Lord, I am ready to go with you, both to prison and to death. I'll be right there beside you. They put you in jail. I'm there with you. They kill you. They kill me, too.

I'll go to prison and to death. Jesus said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know me. You know, this was fulfilled that very night. Let's read it here in this chapter, verse 54. Then having arrested him, they led him and brought him to the high priest's house. And Peter followed at a distance. Oh, Peter wasn't right there beside Jesus, was he? He kind of held his distance.

When Jesus was arrested, he held a distance. Now, when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. See, he's not right there beside Christ. He's at a distance. A certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I do not know him. After a little while, another saw him and said, You also are of them. Peter said, Man, I am not. Then about an hour had passed. After about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, Surely this fellow also was with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I do not know what you are saying. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

And something else happened in verse 61. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. I find that interesting. At that very moment that the rooster crowed, Jesus looked over at Peter. And Peter looked at Jesus and their eyes met. I think that will be one moment Peter always remembered.

Jesus' eyes meeting him at that moment that he had just denied Jesus Christ the third time.

Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. This was no doubt the beginning of a deep and heartfelt repentance. He would remember this and draw upon it. It would humble him. He thought he was so strong in his faith, and he really wasn't. But you know, this is not the end of the story in Peter's life. And that's the thrust of this story is that each and every one of us have had our weak moments. We've all weakened. We've done things that showed a lack of faith. In one way or another. And I can look back in my life and see moments that I weakened in my faith. So faith is something that has to grow strong. And Peter's faith grew and grew and grew. You can see the boldness even in the book of Acts. When he was converted, when he had God's Spirit. And near the end of his life, you see that his faith had grown. And he was there beside Jesus Christ in prison, you might say. And in being martyred, being killed. Let's read in John 21, verse 18. That Jesus had foretold, or had told Peter, that he would stretch out his hands, actually.

And be martyred, actually, is what he's talking about. In John 21, verse 18, talking to Peter. I say to you that when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished. But when you were old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you, and carry you where you do not wish. He's talking about the death, verse of Peter, martyred them. Thus he spoke signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, follow me. Well, Peter did follow in the footsteps of Christ. He ultimately was taken, and he was martyred. Tradition says he was martyred upside down. Now, whether, you know, not all traditions are right, but that Peter was taken where he did not want to go, and he was martyred upside down. So, in any event, he certainly was martyred. Let's go to 2 Peter, and we see that his faith here, his faith is strong, and he knows, just like the Apostle Paul was strong when he was facing martyrdom, he knew that he was going to go ahead and he was going to carry through. His faith was not going to fail him here at the end of his life. In 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 12, Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it's right, as long as I am in this tent, as long as I live, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent. It wouldn't be very long before he would be the end of his life. It would be martyrdom, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. We read that in John 21. So, yes, Peter was strong. His faith did not fail him at the end of his life. And you see, this is a lesson for us, isn't it? Our faith, when we're younger and earlier in God's Church, there will be some times that our faith, no doubt, is not strong enough to face all the trials and difficulties. But as we remain and grow in God's Church, we are to grow stronger in our faith.

You know, it's not always that way that members of the Church, though, grow stronger in faith. Sometimes the faith, after many years in the Church, is not as strong as it should be. Let's go to the book of Hebrews. You know, the book of Hebrews is a book on faith. We many times think of Hebrews 11 as being the faith chapter, and it is, but also the book of Hebrews is talking about maintaining a strong and enduring faith and not letting our faith grow weak and fail us.

But our faith is to grow strong, so we cannot be shaken. Near the end of the book, we'll read a verse about that. We're not to be shaken. Our faith is to be strong and enduring. In Hebrews 2, verse 1, therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard. And why is he writing this? Lest we drift away. Brethren, it's possible for our faith to weaken and that we drift away.

If the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. The people being written to here, some of them had been in the church a long time. It is possible that some of these that are being written to were there on the day of Pentecost. They could have gone back to the very beginning days of the church. Certainly as possible. This was being written about 30 years, roughly about 30 years later.

And some of these people were drifting. They were letting things slip again and again in this book. There are warnings about what they were doing. Their faith had not grown strong as it should have. And now they were just kind of drifting along. Let's read in chapter 3 and verse 12. We can see here the warning to these people that their faith was failing them.

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, and departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily. And that is something we need to do to encourage one another daily. While it's called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if, that big little two-letter word, we've become partakers of Christ and those promises to be in God's kingdom, if, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.

That means to have a faith that endures and is strong to the end. I tell you what, this is a very important message here today. We, we must grow stronger in our faith. We must not ever let our faith grow weaker, or, and certainly not ever to lose it or become shipwrecked as far as our faith. So this is very, very important that we maintain a strong faith and a strong confidence as it says here, that is steadfast right until the end. We do not want to neglect our salvation as these people were doing. These are brethren of that time.

They're members of God's church and they were neglecting their salvation. I want to skip on ahead to the faith chapter itself. We'll come back and read some of the other verses later near the end of the sermon. But let's skip on over to Hebrews chapter 11. We notice even in the verse preceding the faith chapter, that's chapter 10 verse 39, is still talking about the need to, it was still shoring up these people and their faith. It says, we are not of those who draw back to perdition.

There are those who kind of turn their back on their calling, draw back to perdition. That means destruction. But Paul goes on, whoever is writing this book goes on to say that, of those who believe to the saving of the soul. That's what we must be. Those who maintain a strong faith to the saving of the soul. Then he gets right into the into faith itself, the faith chapter. In verse 1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And by it the elders obtained a good testimony. What is this thing of faith in it? Let's think about that just a little bit more.

Faith is the substance. The Greek word is pistis. P-I-S-T-I-S. It means absolute assurance. Total confidence. Not one little bit of doubt. The absolute assurance of what? Of things hoped for.

And what do we hope for? We hope for eternal life. Isn't that what we hope for? We hope for God's kingdom, sonship in God's kingdom. And what is faith? Faith is a commodity. It's a spiritual thing. It's real. It's not something that's ethereal or vague. Faith is a substance. It's more real than physical things that we see. It's the absolute assurance of what we hope for. So faith actually provides an absolute assurance of eternal life and sonship in God's kingdom. Faith is described as two things here. The absolute assurance of things we hope for. And secondarily, it's the evidence, the absolute proof of things that we don't yet see. The absolute proof.

And then there are many examples here of those who had this kind of strong, enduring faith. Now I tell you, faith that is a strong and growing faith is one that is going to act on God's will. You'll find here that Abel acted on God's will by faith. The absolute assurance that he should offer an animal sacrifice, as God instructed him. So he took an animal out of his flock. Cain, by contrast, did not do that. And Cain was angry when God didn't accept his sacrifice, rose up and killed his brother, as we know. Enoch is listed here as one that was strong in faith. And it says that then he was taken, he was not. What does that mean? He lived 365 years. And then, instilling this youth, back in those days, they lived to be 900 years or more. He was a pretty young man, 365 years of age. God took him. What does that mean? It says he was not, because God had taken him. Well, it's certainly possible that Enoch was martyred, because he did cry out against all the evil and the corruption that was going on in his day and time. You can read about that in the book of Jude. Enoch just cried out, and certainly possible he paid with his life for doing that. Noah, when he was told by God to build an ark, acted. He acted because he had the absolute assurance. He didn't see any flood coming.

And he built this big old ship out in a field. Took many, many years to build it. And then he gathered all the animals. There was no clouds or water coming down. But he had the absolute faith in what he was doing. It was going to happen. So, and it did. When Noah was 600 years old, then after the flood, he lived 350 more years. But he was strong in faith. He acted on his faith. Did he make... was he human? Was he perfect? No. He had to grow in faith. After the flood, he even got drunk. He planted the vineyard, made some wine, got drunk. And this sexual immorality incident happened there. That's described. So Noah had to grow in faith. He made his mistakes, but he grew. Abraham told when he was 75 years of age, leave your country. All the comfort of where you're living. Leave civilization and go and camp out and live in a tent.

And he did for 100 years live in a tent. I'm... you know, I don't mind a night or two and a tent. I'm not even... I'm not crazy about even a night. But I can do it. But 100 years, he lived in a tent. That's a stranger.

But he did it by faith. And so did Isaac. And Isaac lived 180 years kind of wandering around, living in a tent. And then Jacob lived 147 years. And of course, Joseph was done in Egypt. And apparently not in a tent, but he lived 110 years. You know, all of these individuals by faith, obeyed God. They acted on God's will in their life. And they had the absolute assurance that they should be doing what they were doing.

And that it was what God would reward them for doing. You know, our faith has to be that strong as well. They made their mistakes. Abraham told Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister. Told Abimelech also a couple of times. He weakened. Why did he not just have faith in God and say, no, this is my wife. Just let God protect them. He was afraid. So he had to grow in faith just as we do. Sarah, she was 89. She heard this announcement, this angel, or maybe the Lord talking to Abraham, saying that Sarah was going to bear. And this old 89-year-old woman laughed and didn't believe. But God made a believer out of her. When her tummy started getting bigger, she became a believer.

And her faith, no doubt, was grew because of that experience. Gave birth. She came to have faith, though, it says, that she would bear. And she did. She gave her the strength. She repented of laughing. And she had the strength she needed during pregnancy and also to deliver. So, you know, these people grew in faith, and they set us an example, then, that we too must grow in faith. Let's notice in the last two verses of the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, 39, and 40, all of these having obtained a good testimony through faith. It was through that absolute, strong assurance of faith that they did what they did and they received a good testimony. But they didn't receive the promise yet. It goes on the same because God doesn't plan for them to have that promise until they have it with us. We'll do that together.

So, the faith chapter is a wonderful chapter showing people of God that had absolute faith in God's Word.

You know, how can we have this same kind of faith? How can we grow in it?

I'd like to bring out 12 things that are very important for our faith to be strong. And you might say that these form the foundation upon which a strong faith is built. The very first thing that we must be absolutely sure of beyond the shadow of a doubt is found in our booklet, Does God Exist? That's where we begin. The beginning point of our faith is that God does exist. Of course, this has the small letters up above life's ultimate question. Mr. Armstrong, when he was angered into Bible study about over the Sabbath issue, first of all, when he began the study, proved that God does exist. He studied evolution, studied all their arguments, and then he studied the Bible, he studied creation, and he just saw right through evolution. There's no substance in evolution. Evolution always begins with an earth, with a sun, with warm ocean slime, a meba, where they come from.

They don't go back to nothing, where nothing existed, as far as the material universe, evolution doesn't go back. I've heard of only one evolutionist who went back to where there was nothing. He was an evolutionist. He didn't believe in God. But he believed that at one time, there was nothing at all. I mean, nothing. Nothing.

And so how did something come to be? And why did something come to be? You know his reasoning? And it satisfied him. He said, because it needed to happen. That's why. That's why the universe came to exist, and we came to exist. It needed to happen. Therefore, that happened. You know, this happened. That's his explanation of a universe, and we who do exist, coming into being without a God. It just needed to happen. We don't buy that. We believe that a creation, like we see, a marvelous creation. It's just everywhere you look, it's just marvel. So we believe that it requires a creator. We believe that laws that work all the time, they always work.

And we strive to live within them. There's a law giver. We believe there's a designer for all the beautiful design that we see on the earth and in the universe.

So yes, we believe there's a creator God, the very first thing upon which our faith is built is that God does exist. Look right here in the faith chapter. It says that. That's where we begin in verse 6. Hebrews 11 and verse 6. Without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is. Brethren, that's the cornerstone. That's the big building block for it all. We must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So that's where it all begins. God does exist.

Now the second foundation block that is very important is that the Bible here is the Word of God. It claims to be in the beginning God. Later, Jesus would say man is to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And Paul would write that all Scripture is inspired of God.

And Jesus said that thy Word is truth. We have a booklet on that as well. Is the Bible true?

So you know, these are the two most basic things that we begin with. And that is, God does exist and the Bible is the Word of God. Now we have something upon which we... something solid that we can build on. We can build our faith, our life, our hopes and our dreams. So those are the... That's the beginning point. That God does exist and the Bible is his word for mankind. After that, the third block, a very important foundation block, is our purpose, the purpose of human life.

And the Bible reveals... Now we have a place to go to to find answers to some of the other things we need to know upon which our faith is based. What is our purpose? Why were we born? The Bible reveals that man is made in God's image. We find out what man is and his potential in the Bible. And the purpose of human life is to prepare for eternal life in God's kingdom.

Because God wants us to become his children. Many, many verses on that.

And those who do overcome are going to become the sons of God. Many, many verses bring this out.

Number four is that there is a way of life for man to accomplish his purpose. Jesus said, if you will enter into life, keep the commandments. So number four is that we believe that we are to live by every word of God. We believe that we are to obey and to keep the commandments of God. We believe the commandments are a way of life, the Ten Commandments. We have a whole booklet on the Ten Commandments explaining them.

We read so many verses in the Bible about that uphold the laws and the commandments of God. And then even human logic proves the Ten Commandments. What's wrong with each and every one of them?

Each and every one of the Ten Commandments is holy and righteous and good. Each and every one. So it is the way that points us to word life in God's kingdom. It points out love to word God and also love to word fellow man. So man then lives by the Scriptures. We have that absolute faith that this is the way of life that we should be living. Number five is that we want to extract out the Sabbath, the Fourth Commandment, because it is so important. The absolute trust and faith that the Sabbath and Holy Days are to be kept by us today, that they're vital to our salvation and to learning God's way of life.

So of course we have booklets on the Sabbath and the Holy Days. And we have a basic foundation, a part of our foundation of faith. You know, there have been those, including in 1995, when we had false doctrines to come in that rejected the Sabbath and went back to worshiping on the first day of the week. But our faith, our proof of the Sabbath, needs to be absolute, that this is what God wants us to do.

The Sabbath is a sign between God and His people forever. Number six is, as we come to understand God's laws, we understand that we have sinned. We've fallen short. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And so we come to see our need for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And we have faith that that sacrifice is sufficient, that the blood of the Lamb of God has been placed there for us so that our sins truly can be forgiven. We can be cleaned up.

And that's a definite part of having a strong faith toward God, because we need forgiveness for our sins that we even yet commit after repentance and after baptism. Number seven, another basic building block is our need for the power of God's Holy Spirit. We recognize that we're human. We're weak and puny. And we need God's Spirit very, very much if we are to be an overcomer.

If we are to attain to the purpose for which we are here, we can't make it on our own. We need the power of God's Spirit working in us. So number seven is understanding how the Holy Spirit is available after we repent and are baptized. God has promised to give us the Holy Spirit to help us. It empowers us, then, to have the nature and the character of God and His laws written upon our hearts and minds.

That's very basic to our faith to come to realize our need for God's help. Number eight is the understanding of where the of the church, a good understanding of the church of God. You know, are you strong in knowing exactly where the church is? You know, we know the church is really not an organization itself. The church is actually those who are led by the Holy Spirit of God. We could have ones to come to services. They could sit in chairs and each week who are who are not members of the church of God because they don't have God's Spirit. It takes requires the Spirit of God in us to be a part of the church of God.

A good understanding about the church is necessary in realizing that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. This is not an organization of men. It's a spiritual organization that Christ is the head of. And there are human leaders that God chooses. Clearly in the early church there were human leaders. Those humans were not perfect, but they were men of God and they were sincere in striving to do God's will. They did fall short. Maybe that's why Paul wrote, follow me as I follow Christ. We can all do that, can't we? Follow then the human leadership as it follows Christ.

If you see the human leadership do what happened in 1995 and say the Sabbath you can work on that and the holy days and tithing is not necessary and you can eat unclaimed meats, you know that you're not to follow that kind of teaching. So, you know, we have to have the absolute assurance of where the true church of God is that Christ is the head of it and just how we are to be a part of that church and follow the government and the human leadership that has been established as it follows Christ.

Very, very important. Number nine is that this church will be busy doing a work and as a part of our faith or building a strong and growing faith then we should be also very much involved in doing the work of God. As Armstrong often said that we're only as converted as our hearts are in the work of God. God is set before us open doors, tremendous open doors to preach the gospel.

Let's walk through them and pray for them and ask for God to be with us every step of the way as we strive to do the commission He's given to the church. Number 10 is the absolute assurance of the world to come, the millennium and the understanding of the resurrection, the first resurrection, the second resurrection and the third resurrection. Understanding the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth, what we call the millennium. Understanding the day of salvation that follows the millennium for those who have never understood.

Now these are basic cornerstones too, this knowledge. That's very much a part of the gospel message we preach and encouraging people to pray, thy kingdom come. God's kingdom will be set upon the earth and our hearts we look forward to that time when Christ will come and He will bring the times of restoration of all things. We pray for that time and our work is preparing the way for the millennium, the coming of Christ.

Number 11 is faith in God's plan for Israel. The promises to Abraham. We know that the promises are twofold to Abraham, spiritual through Christ. Christ was the seed of Abraham and we have salvation through him. All of mankind has salvation through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ. But we also know that there are national promises to Abraham that came on down to the sons of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh. We need to be very strong in that as well. And it's a part of a faith that has a solid foundation of faith that is solid.

And the last one, you know, there are so many other building blocks. I'm sure you could go over our fundamental beliefs and come up with many, many others. But the last one that will help our faith to grow and to increase is that we are walking with God and striving to do his will, striving to live his way of life, to come out of the world and this evil society in which we are living. You know, if we have these fundamental building blocks upon which our faith is built, we're not going to be shaken or wash away. The book of Hebrews here in, you know, even brings out that we are to have that kind of faith that cannot be shaken. Look at chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 27. The kind of faith that we want is one that cannot be shaken.

We just can't be shaken. Our faith is strong, enduring. It will not fail in times of trial and trouble and difficulty. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 27. Now this, yet once more, indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Rather, we want to be among those who cannot be shaken from God's truth and God's way of life. We want our faith to remain strong and steadfast all the way to the end. Just a few things as we come on toward the latter part of this sermon. We do have a booklet that will be very helpful to us in growing stronger in faith. You know, the Bible mentions those members of the church that are strong in the faith. It mentions those who are weak in the faith. Which do we want to be? We want to be among those who are strong in the faith, not weak. This booklet, You Can Have Living Faith, is one that I recommend that we all read. Now, the last chapter is especially good. The last chapter has the title, Growing in Faith. Let me read just a few excerpts from the last chapter. Don't be discouraged if you think you lack faith. Sometimes people who profess belief in God are deeply ashamed when a crisis occurs and they find their faith is weak. This may happen to you, but don't despair. The Bible shows that even men and women of powerful faith struggled at times with faith-testing challenges. The Bible relates to their anguish as they wrestled with their trials. It says, out of weakness they were made strong. These men and women grew in faith through the crucible of challenges and at times setbacks and failures. So you see, your faith and mine will grow in the same way. Sometimes we'll fail, we'll fall short, but get up and keep going and ask God to help you do better next time. God expects us to grow in faith. Faith is one of our most precious possessions. I like that. It's a possession you and I have. Faith, this absolute assurance in things hoped for. This absolute evidence and proof of things not seen. One of the most precious possessions we have. Keep it strong and healthy and growing.

We began our journey to living faith by asking God for it. Prayer. There's a section here on the vital importance of prayer. That was number 12 of prayer, Bible study, that relationship with God. That's how we can grow stronger in faith. And then Bible study. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So Bible study come into services every Sabbath.

As you regularly read the Bible and pray, you will grow in faith in two ways. First, you'll learn what God promises. He makes promises you can claim. Second, the inspiring stories of the Bible will reassure you and help strengthen your faith. Like Daniel, some of the trials he went through, his three friends. Those are faith-building stories in the Bible.

Then another thing is just obedience to God. As we keep this commandments, this helps to build our faith as well. The way that we live. If you live a life of prayer, studying the Bible, and obeying God, you will develop a close relationship with Him. As you walk with Him, your faith will grow. When you live a godly life walking with God with a pure heart, you grow in faith. Faith is a byproduct of godly living. So just daily prayer, daily Bible study, walking with God, keeping the Sabbath, coming to services each week, keeping the Holy Days, tithing, these things that we all understand. As we do those things, faith is a byproduct of living God's way. Faith increases over time. I like that statement here. We develop and enrich our faith through frequent, regular contact with God. So be sure to read this booklet in the last chapter, Growing in Faith. Our faith will be stronger, and our faith will be an enduring faith that cannot be shaken. I want to read a couple of concluding scriptures here in the book of Hebrews.

Let's go back to Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9. Brethren, I hope that today's sermon will help all of us to grow and increase in faith, mine and yours. In Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9, but beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you.

Yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. You've been warning them and warning them. It's a pretty straight from the shoulder warnings, in fact. He says we are persuaded of better things. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown to word his name, and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.

And we desire. I mean, these people have done some good works. These people have done some good things, but they were letting down. They were letting these things slip. Wouldn't it be kind of bad to have a good, strong faith at the beginning and be busy doing many good things and then let them slip? That's what they were doing. They were losing their faith. So this book is shoring them up.

Verse 11, we desire that each one of you, each and every one, we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. Keep your faith strong until the end. Build a strong, enduring faith. Verse 12, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Brother, we need the patience. The word in the Greek is long suffering, and we certainly need that strong, enduring faith.

Let's go to Hebrews chapter 10. We'll read a few final scriptures here in this chapter. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Draw near to God. Keep our eyes on God's kingdom. Seeking his kingdom first. Full assurance of faith.

Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast a confession of our faith without wavering. Wavering is the opposite of faith. Doubt. Being on the fence. Not quite sure. All that. You know, we've been tried and tested in many ways.

Could that cause you to be somehow just a little bit less confident? Nothing spiritual has changed because of trials and tests or what human beings may have done. We should not let that affect us. Hold fast a confession of our faith without wavering. For he who promised is faithful.

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. We can help each other. We can help each other to grow in faith. Not forsaken the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some. Some of the people's faith had grown so weak they weren't even coming to services. They were forsaking the assembling together, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching and we really see it approaching today, don't we?

He mentions the willful sin in the next few verses. And that is in verse 31, a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God is still warning them that they better get back to growing in their faith and not grow weak and let them these things slip. Verse 32, but recall the former days. Sometimes it is good to go back and recall when we first came into the church.

Recall the former days in which after you were illuminated you endured a great struggle with sufferings. He mentions the reproaches they went through and others and how they had had compassion on me in my chains. Verse 34, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven, which Christ will bring at his return. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence. Don't let your faith fail. Don't grow weak in faith. Keep growing stronger instead. Do not cast away your confidence. Again, that's your faith which has great reward. You have need of endurance so that after you've done the will of God you may receive the promise.

For yet a little while and he who is coming will come. We're so close to that now. Will not, Terry. The just shall live by faith, a faith that is growing and that is enduring all the way to the end. But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

So will the Son of Man find faith on the earth when he returns? He can, and he's going to, I think, in a lot of people. But I think what Jesus is saying there, because he knew the love of some would grow cold, and you'd be difficult times here at the end. Some would be offended. He's warning us that we not let that happen to us. So when Jesus Christ does return, he can find in us, if we grow and develop and stay close to God, he can find in us a vibrant and growing faith.