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Believe the Message, Not Just Believe
Romans 10:8-11 – But what saith it? The word is nigh
thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we
preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Ø We must place our emphasis on the message, not on
whether people accept that message or not.
Ø It is important to believe in Christ to be saved,
but when there is too much emphasis placed on believing and not enough
importance placed on what a person believes, that is easy
believism.
Ø When a person has trusted what they have done, or
are doing, they are not trusting in what Christ has done for them. The lost must
trust what Christ has done for them, believing they are saved because of his
actions, not because of their actions.
Ø The emphasis in the scripture that teaches about
believing is what that person believes, not on their believing.
Ø Many today place more emphasis upon believing than what
they are believing.
I. The early church was more interesting in preaching about Jesus than there
were in trying to get people to believe.
A. They were more interested in the message than the result.
Today, it seems many are more interested in the result than the message.
1. Acts 2:21 - Peter placed the scriptures alongside the events on the
day of Pentecost to prove what had happened.
2. Acts 3:22-26 - Peter preached this same way to the people concerning
the healing of the lame man.
3. Acts 4:4 - Howbeit many of them which heard the word
believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
4. Acts 8:12,13 - But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning
the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,
both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was
baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and
signs which were done. A follow through of these two verses is found in
verse 14 in that the Bible says they received the word of God when
they believed.
5. Acts 8:37 - And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine
heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. This shows that Philip was more interesting in preaching
about Jesus than he was in trying to get the Eunuch to believe.
6. Acts 9:42 - And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many
believed in the Lord.
7. Acts 10:43 - To him give all the prophets witness, that through his
name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
8. Acts 11:17 - Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he
did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could
withstand God?
9. Acts 13:12 - Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed,
being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
II. Paul persuaded men to believe the words of Christ, not to trust in
their trusting or to believe in their believing. Talk to
many today, and they will tell you they remember when they did something, not
what Jesus did for them.
A. Scriptures that show Paul persuading men about Christ.
1. Acts 16:25-40 - When the Philippian jailer was saved, there was an
explanation of the Word of God.
a. Paul and Silas didn’t immediately press upon him to believe, but
waited until he had called for a light, sprang in with trembling, and fell
down before them; then he brought them out of the cell (at least).
b. Paul and Silas didn’t say anything to him at all until he asked,
then they told him the bottom line.
c. They didn’t say anything because they didn’t know what was on
his mind.
d. The jailer could have been scared, emotionally upset by the
earthquake, or something else.
e. Paul and Silas were careful not to cast their pearls before the
swine.
2. Acts 19:26 – "Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at
Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and
turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with
hands:"
3. Acts 26:28 - Agrippa said, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian." Notice that Paul spoke to Agrippa about knowing
Christ, then about believing about Christ.
B. I Cor. 2:1-5 - Paul so preached the gospel so their faith was in the
power of God, not in the wisdom of men.
1. Acts 14:1 - And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both
together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great
multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. How did Paul
"so speak" that he was able to persuade many people to believe?
The following scriptures will show that Paul was very fervent in declaring
the truth about righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.
2. Acts 14:7 - And there they preached the gospel.
C. Acts 17:2 - Paul reasoned. Isaiah 1:18 - Come now, and let us reason
together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
1. Acts 17:3 - Paul Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have
suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach
unto you, is Christ.
2. Opening means to open throughly, as presenting it for the very first
time.
3. Alleging means to place along side of. To reach a conclusion based on
the facts presented.
4. Acts 13:26 - Paul and Barnabas preached Christ, not just believing at
Antioch in Pisidia.
D. Acts 17:17 - Paul disputed.
1. Definitions:
a. Disputed means to say throughly, discuss, argue, reason with.
b. Persuaded means to convince by argument. To so present the
evidence that the proper conclusion is reached.
c. Testify means to attest to earnestly, to make a charge, to
witness.
d. Reasoned means to dispute.
2. Acts 18:4,5 - Paul reasoned and persuaded and testified.
3. Acts 18:19 - Paul reasoned.
4. Acts 18:28 - Paul convinced.
5. Acts 24:25 - Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, temperance,
and judgment to come.
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