“…without faith it is impossible to please Him.  Hebrews 11:6

The objective of these studies:

What can be done in our own experience to “increase our faith”? Jesus said,

“Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

If this is possible, why do we fall apart at the least sign of trouble?  There is something missing in our experience if our faith is thinner than tissue paper.

What are we missing when we raise our children in the church, but they easily forsake their “faith” after high school?  

Recently, I read the story of a young man (Luke) who was raised in the church and attended church schools; his father a pastor and mother a volunteer missionary.  But, through a series of events and random thoughts, he turned to atheism fueled by reading material of unbelievers.  In his own words:

“I went to church, Bible study, and other church functions every week. I prayed often and earnestly. For 12 years I attended a Christian school that taught Bible classes and creation science. I played in worship bands. As a teenager I made trips to China and England to tell the atheists over there about Jesus.”

His downfall began (as does many youth) around college age.  He wrote on his little-visited blog the following:

“*Around age 19 I got depressed, probably because I did nothing but work at Wal-Mart, download music, and watch internet porn. But one day I saw a leaf twirling in the wind and it was so beautiful – like the twirling plastic bag in the movie American Beauty. I had an epiphany. I realized that everything in nature was a gift from God to me. Grass, lakes, trees, sunsets – all these were gifts of beauty from my Savior to me. I thought of this every time I [saw something beautiful, and God delivered me from my depression (and my porn addiction).”

While this sounds like a very good epiphany (i.e. the contemplation of God’s goodness and creation can deliver someone from depression), it would not stick for Luke.  He goes on to talk about his doubt and dislike of “church structure” and “petty doctrinal disputes.” Soon, he was reading books to discover the historical Jesus and picked up books that brought confusion and lies. He was “shocked” by these “Christian Scholars.”  For example, the author of these books reported “The gospels were written decades after Jesus’ death, by non-eyewitnesses.”  Of course the gospels were written “decades after Jesus’ death.” They were busy taking the “gospel to the world.”  But, how are the “Christian Scholars’” claims verified against the gospel writers’ assurance, that they were eyewitness of Jesus:

 “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” 1 Peter 1:16

“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,” Luke 1:1,2

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—“ 1 John 1:1

Despite Luke’s upbringing, he had some things going against him. One is taking the word of others without investigation and use of common sense.  Based on Luke’s experience and others, there are some elements in the failure of faith.

Enemies of Faith:

Situations or condition of the life:

1. Depression.
2. Need for constant entertainment or being busy.
3. Sexual pressure and fantasies about doing anything your flesh and imagination desires.
4. Peer Pressure.
5. Not desiring or asking for faith.
6. Disasters and death.

Social and Dogmatic Religion:

1. A religious faith based on feelings alone.
2. Minimal knowledge of the Bible and experience to defend one’s faith in Jesus.
3. Confusion created by unbelievers.
4. Indulgent reading of non-believer writings. This puts the reader on the enemy’s ground similar to Eve wandering into the area God had forbidden. They become easy targets. it is in the “higher learning” environments which become a breeding ground for confusion on spiritual matters. University can talk religion with negative terms, but positive terms and evidence are not allowed in a majority of cases.
5. Relying on the faith of parents/relatives and pastoral teachings, but failing to grow in personal experience.
6. Denominationalism.
7. Human reasoning.
8. Inconsistencies and hypocrisies of Christians

Drop Out Kids

Christianity Today ( How Many Are Really Dropping Out?) reports:

“Church attendance among teens and young adults follows some important patterns. There are always some coming and some going. Yet something significant happens between the ages of 17 and 19 that accounts for the vast majority of those who leave. At age 17, the twice-monthly attendance of our study sample drops as follows”:

• 16–17, drop 10%
• 17–18, drop 14%
• 18–19, drop 13%

“Between 17 and 19 is where the drop takes place. Our study was of those who attended regularly for at least a year in high school—so our sample is not representative of all teens and young adults, but clearly something is happening in that age range.”

A Similar Personal Experience:

I have also, like many others, had similar experiences as a young person. After good influences through high school, but a minimal religious experience, I turned to atheism in college encouraged by one particular middle-eastern professor who proudly proclaimed that religion was a man-made experience. This is an easy claim to make without any proof.  It didn’t take much to turn me to atheism with all the so-called scientific claims about origins and the unpopularity of Christians on campus. Anyway, I wanted to live it up without any moral restrictions. 

If you take out an intelligent Creator, you are left to the random chance of evolution.  The thought or your origins and ancestors being lower life forms leave little meaning and purpose to life.  Your self-value is reduced to a parasite passing through the eons of time to awake in life and die shortly thereafter. Life had little meaning to me as an atheist and evolutionist. 

Then at age 25, my Christian wife dared me to study the Bible to prove her wrong.  For almost 3 months, I studied intently the claims of the Bible writers, particularly about Jesus.  I was surprised at what I found.  My own private studies blew up my pre-conceived ideas about Jesus and the inspired writers of the old and new testaments.  Soon I followed the urging of the writers to allow Jesus to come into my life.  I discovered faith (trust) in God’s word by simply reading it.  Soon, I was coming to my wife to proclaim my conversion and was baptized.  I immediately began the work of an evangelist through prison ministry, radio ministry, writing, teaching and expounding to anyone who had an ear to hear. Later, I will tell you the story about my failure-of-faith experience and how God brought me back to where I am today. This experience taught me about real faith and attacks that can occur to weaken faith.

Luke went from “believer” to “unbeliever.” I, like many others, did the opposite i.e. unbeliever to believer.  But the believing experience followed by faith is almost impossible without the word of God and the good news contained in the plan of salvation. 

“…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”  Romans 10:17

This faith journey is challenged from every angle.

Jesus told a parable to a vast multitude, which was explained to his disciples about how people react to God’s word.  In the story of the seeds and where they fell (See Luke 8: 5-15), Jesus tells the story of what happens to faith that does not sprout and the one that produces an abundance of fruit. This parable provides insight to the enemies of faith.  This we will study later. For now, we need a clear understanding of the word faith. 

What is Faith:

Faith is the core of Christian experience and also of the human experience whether you believe in the Bible or Jesus at all. Faith is exercised by every person every day.

The word faith is used 391 times in both the old and new testaments (NKJV). The bible writers had 6 words for faith (3 in Hebrew and 3 Greek). In modern life, the definition of faith in the English language has two internet definitions:

1. Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
2. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Merriam-Webster ads a typical understanding of how we use faith in the terms of religion:

• Something that is believed especially with strong conviction: a system of religious beliefs

The idea that faith requires “spiritual apprehension rather than proof” is what people often term “blind faith.”  But the Bible writers taught, for the most part, a faith that is precisely the opposite of blind faith.  The writer of Hebrews defines faith as something that has substance and evidence.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11 goes on to describe those who exercised faith.  All of them are based on “substance and evidence.”  What are the “things not seen”?  This we will review later.  As we study, we will see that the better definition for Christians is #1 above: “Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” I would add that this trust is based on evidence, experience, and something you can observe.”

Faith is something every human being that has ever lived (including atheists) has used…whether on a human or spiritual level. Everyone has put their trust in something and served it.  Like that great prophet Bob Dylan wrote:

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin’ in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Songwriters: Bob Dylan

Gotta Serve Somebody lyrics © Audiam, Inc

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