The knowledge of God is in every one of us, and so, man does everything that he possibly can to suppress that voice of God.  Do you understand, then, what force comes forth when we come and speak of the goodness of God, the mercies of God, the wisdom of God, the ways of God, the kingdom of God?  They’re as flabbergasted by us as we are by them.  Who are these people?  “How did you come to know that?”  When you begin to unfold to them the gospel of Jesus Christ, do you understand where most men are?  “What you’re opposing, what you hate, is not God as much as it is religion.”  All religion, the prophets say, if man’s hands have created it, whether it be an ideology, a philosophy, or an actual image, is in the image of man, not God.  Somewhere along the line, your littles gods have failed you: your ideologies, your philosophies, your parents, religious people.

God is not a god that requires performance, because your righteousness is as filthy rags.  He’s not a god that establishes any order that man can achieve, because His ways are above our ways.  He is holy.  He is separate.  He is perfect.  He is almighty.  He is loving and He’s kind and He’s merciful and He’s just.  Being a son of Adam, you were born into sin.  One man, Adam, entered into the world, and then we give them the Good News.  And by one man, Jesus Christ (amen?) came and, through a perfect life, redeemed us, paid the price, bought us unto Himself, delivered us from the power of sin and death, and has called us the sons of God.  It’s unattainable in ourselves.

God’s love for you is what caused the people of God to intercede for you.  Most of us are here, born again, because somebody prayed for us; amen?  When they did, God will move heaven and hell to affiliate back and reconcile back to His beloved creation, His man.  What was prayed for us?  I still remember as that little boy, eight years old, when Mrs. Cole invited in a group of us kids walking by her yard to come in for some milk and cookies, and I would never pass on that.  I heard the Gospel for the first time and that Jesus was that sacrifice and paid for my sin.  I can remember as that little eight-year-old, remembering that.  I can remember going home that night for the first time and laying my head on the pillow, and in that child’s mind with no knowledge beyond those little facts that were shared, I was able to access the presence of the Holy God.  So few words just to say, “Thank you God for loving me.”  That simple faith will get us a long way; amen?

In our prayer lives, how simple faith is.  We make faith too difficult.  Faith is so simple.  We all know the Scriptures, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence…the proof, the title deed,” the Scripture says in Hebrews 11:1.  The reality is, we carry the title deed around with us to prove that we own that car, even though nobody can see it.  We tell them, I have such and such a car, et cetera.  This is the model and this is whatever, some of the options, as we’re excited sharing these things.  “You don’t have a car.”  Yes, I do.  “Show it to me.”  Well, I don’t have it with me.  “I knew it, you don’t have a car.”  Yes, here it is, I have the title.  This is proof.  Well, faith, being that title deed of what we’re believing God to do, should work in our hearts an assurance; amen?  When we pray, are we assured; are we believing that we have that which we’re declaring at this very moment?  Faith must be acted upon; amen?  There is no faith without action.  “Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works,” the apostle says (James 2:18).