Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nybert. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I'm going to be reading from
John chapter 11, but the setting is when the Lord called Lazarus
out of the tomb. Lazarus had been dead four days. And the Lord said, Lazarus, come
forth. And he that was dead came forth. Now there was a crowd who witnessed
this. Can you imagine being an eyewitness
of watching this man who had been dead four days, the process
of decay had already began, and he walks out of that tomb living? Now, these people witnessed this. And we read in verse 45, Then, John 11, verse 45, then
many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things
which Jesus did, they saw him give life to this man who had
been dead for four days and walks out of his tomb. The scripture
says they believed on him. They believed on the Lord Jesus
Christ. Some of them went their ways
to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done. You need to know about this.
He actually raised somebody from the dead. We were eyewitnesses
of it. I have entitled this message, Faith That Does Not Save. Now, everybody has some kind
of faith. There is something you believe. Even an atheist has something
he believes. He believes that God doesn't
exist. Now he can't prove he doesn't exist any more than somebody
can prove God does exist. So he has a faith. He just believes
God does not exist. exists, but it is a kind of faith,
but it's not saving faith. Everybody's got some kind of
faith, but there's only one kind of saving faith. Now, the scripture
says, when these people saw Lazarus walk out of the tomb, that many
believed on him. Speaking of believing on the
Lord Jesus Christ, they saw this. It's an undeniable fact. It wasn't
hearsay. It wasn't what somebody else
told them. They watched Lazarus walk out of that tomb. And the
scripture says many believed on him. Now here's my question.
Was that saving faith? No. Because it was a faith that
was based upon sight, empirical evidence, tangible evidence that
you can see and touch and feel. They saw it take place, but saving
faith is called in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1, now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, You see, if you're hoping for
something, you can't see it. If you can see it, there's no
hope involved. Paul said in Romans 8, 24, what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for? Faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We walk by faith and
not by sight. Any faith that someone has that
is the product of something they've seen, I wouldn't say it's not
faith, but I'd say this, it's not saving faith. Because saving
faith is based upon that which is not seen. In John chapter
eight, verse 30, we read, then Jesus said to them that believed
on him, If you continue in my word, you're my disciples indeed. Now it says they believed, but
these same people who were said to believe would ended up picking
stones up to stone the Lord after this sermon that he brought.
In John 2, we read these words. Now, when he was in Jerusalem
at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name
when they saw the miracles which he did. There was no denying
this. He did these things. But Jesus did not commit himself
unto them, because he knew all men. And needed not that any
should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. They believed
in him, but he didn't believe in them. That's what that means. They believed in him, but he
didn't believe in them. You see, he knew all men. He knew what was in them. He
needed not that any testified man tell him what was in man.
He already knew. Man in his best state is altogether vanity. God
saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
He knew that. Jeremiah 17, 9, the heart is
deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. Who can know it? It's incurable. It can't be improved. He knew what was in man. They
talked about this faith based upon what they saw, but he knew
it wasn't saving faith. He knew what was in man. There's
none righteous, no, not one. That's what's in man. Romans
8, 7 says the carnal mind is enmity against God. That's what's
in man. I love the passage of Scripture, Romans 2, verse 1.
You listen to this real carefully. Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man." It's talking about me and you, all men combined. Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man, whosoever thou art, the judgest. You stand in judgment
over anybody, over anything. Thou art inexcusable, O man,
whosoever thou art that judges, for thou that judgest doest the
same things. What you're judging that person
for, you're guilty, and I'm guilty of doing the same thing. And
anytime we judge somebody, it's the basis of hypocrisy. Why? Because Christ knows what
is in man. I repeat, Paul said, we walk
by faith. Not by sight, not by seeing a
miracle, but by faith. I'm not to look to an experience
that I had. I'm not to look to some work
I've performed, some feeling I have, something in me that
proves to me I'm saved. I must be saved because I'm better
than I used to be. I've stopped doing this certain
sin and I've started reading the Bible more and praying more.
Oh, I must be saved because I see a changed life in myself. I must
be saved. Somebody else says, well, I could
believe if I, if what, if Christ died, if Christ was raised from
the dead, No, I believe that already, but I could believe
if I felt more convicted, if I had a deeper sense of my sin
and if I stopped committing certain sins, I could believe if I had
more joy in my life and more assurance, if I could see God
working in my life, if I could see more growth, if I could see
these things, then I would believe. Well, you'd believe all right.
You'd be believing in yourself. That's what you would be grounding
your faith in, is in what you've experienced and what you've done,
and that is a false faith. Listen to this scripture. Romans
10, verse 17 says, faith cometh by hearing. Not by seeing, but
by hearing. Hearing the Word of God. I've heard people say, I'd rather
see a sermon than hear one. You know, that's just plumb-dumb. You can't be saved by somebody's
example. And do you think you're such
a fruit inspector? Oh, I can expect people's fruit,
and that's what I'm gonna be blessed by, seeing somebody's
life. You're not gonna get that kind of thinking from the scripture.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Now
in Acts chapter eight, we have a very interesting story about
a man by the name of Simon Maccas. Philip had come into the city
of Samaria or the region of Samaria preaching the gospel. Many people
believed and were saved. And we read with regard to Simon Magus, verse
12, but when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning
the kingdom of God, see, their faith came by hearing. 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 wandered beholding the miracles and the
signs which were done. He believed also. Now that word
also is a conjunction. It is found over 9,000 times
in the New Testament and over 8,000 times it's translated and. Simon believed and. Faith and is fatal. It must be faith alone or it
is not saving faith. It is a false faith. You see, we look to the scriptures
alone, not A church document that says this is what we believe,
not man's confessions or creeds. We look to the Scriptures alone. The Bible is the Word of God. We look nowhere else. We look
to Christ alone as the only grounds of our acceptance. Nowhere else. Nothing I've done. Christ alone. We believe grace alone. Salvation's
all of grace. It's not by works. It's by the
grace, the saving grace of God, the electing grace of God, the
redeeming, justifying, life-giving grace of God. Grace alone. Grace and is fatal. It's no longer
grace. We believe faith alone, looking
to Christ only. Now, what does that mean? That means the only thing that
I have is Jesus Christ. I don't have anything else to
recommend me. Jesus Christ. I look to Christ alone. Not Christ and. Christ alone. Simon Magus had this failure. His faith was he believed. And if you believe and you're
not believing at all, you're not really looking to Christ
alone. Now I've already quoted this passage of scripture, John chapter eight, verses 30
and 31. And Jesus said to those that
believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples
indeed. Faith that does not save does
not continue. Saving faith continues persevering
to look to Christ alone. In Colossians chapter one, verse
22, the believers described as holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Verse 23, if you continue in
the faith, grounded and settled and be not moved from the hope
of the gospel. Now, real faith continues. Now, that doesn't mean it continues
being religious. All kinds of folks do that, but
it continues looking to Christ alone. Nothing else, nothing
more, nothing less, nothing else. I look to Christ alone, not Christ
and my works, not Christ and my sincerity, not Christ and
my faith, Christ alone upon my dying breath. I persevered only
if I die looking to Christ alone. We're made partakers of Christ
if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Faith that is not saving faith. It graduates past looking to
Christ alone, but saving faith continues looking to Christ alone. And then in John chapter 12,
we read a very interesting passage of scripture beginning in verse
42, John chapter 12. Nevertheless, among the chief
rulers, also many believed on him says they believed on him,
but. Because of the Pharisees, they
did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue,
for they love the praise of men. more than the praise of God. Faith that fails to confess Christ
is a false faith. It's not saving faith. You see, these men believed on
him when they saw the things that he did, but they were afraid
of the Pharisees. They didn't want to get kicked
out of the church. They didn't want to get excommunicated. So
they did not confess Christ for this reason. They loved the praise
of men more than the praise of God. They were more concerned
about what men think than what God thinks. They were controlled
by what men see. And true saving faith is more
concerned about what God thinks and what God sees. You know,
the Lord said to one crowd, how can you believe which receive
honor one from another and seek not that honor that cometh from
God only? Saving faith confesses that Christ
only is all in salvation. This is not something done in
the closet. You come out, you believe, and you maintain that
Christ only is all in salvation. And if I don't confess that,
I mean confess that and identify with that publicly. Birds of
a feather. flocked together. This is what
you want to be identified with those people who look to Christ
only. That's what you confess when
you're baptized. Christ is all. My only hope is that when he
lived, I lived. When he died, I died. When he
was raised, I was raised. He is my salvation. To fail to
confess Him is to not have saving faith. Faith that's not saving
fails to confess. Now, let me read a passage of
Scripture from 1 Corinthians 2 that is very important. Paul
said, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom. That's not what I'm doing. I'm
not trying to talk you into anything or wow you with my oratory and
my wisdom. My speech and my preaching was
not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the spirit and of power. Now, if you go into a church
service or religious service. And at the end of the service,
the preacher is every knee, every head bowed. And if you want to
be saved, raise your hand. Now, if you're sincere, come
down front. Prove to us that you come down
front and confess Christ before men. You need to confess Christ
before men. That's called psychological manipulation. That's all it is.
And Paul said, I didn't use any of that. I preached the gospel
and left you alone, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit
to do his work. And here's why I did this. He
said in verse five, that your faith, should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Now, what's the origin
of your faith? Is it the wisdom of men? Is it
being psychologically manipulated to come down and make some kind
of confession? Is it from you getting this thing figured out
and you by your free will deciding to accept Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior? Is it because of your decision?
What is the origin of your faith? Now, faith that is saving faith
The origin of that faith is the omnipotence of God, the gift
of God. I love that scripture in Ephesians
2, verses 8 and 9, where Paul said, for by grace are you saved
through faith and that not of yourselves. It's the gift. of God, not of works, lest any
man should boast. Do you understand that if you
have faith it's because God gave it to you and it's the working
of His mighty power in you? You know, there's somebody who
looks to Christ only. That's the result of the omnipotence,
the mighty power of God. You know, the hardest thing in
the world to do is to do nothing and look to Christ only. Only
the power of God can enable you to do that. A false faith finds
its origin somewhere other than the omnipotence of God Almighty. Here's another thing about false
faith. We read in 1 Corinthians 15,
14, If Christ be not risen, our preaching is vain, and your faith
is vain. It's not saving. Faith that is
not grounded solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
is a faith that does not save. What is meant by that? Paul said in Romans 8, verse
34, Who is he that condemneth? I realize in myself that I'm
a sinner. I have sinned since the day I
was born. I've been a sinner. I didn't
become a sinner when I committed sin. I committed sin because
I was already a sinner born that way. I'm a sinful man. And I'm
not talking about the way I used to be. I'm talking about the
way I am right now. I am a sinful man, and yet I can say with Paul,
who can condemn me? Now, how can you say that if
you are a sinful man? How can you say, who can condemn
me? Bring it on. The law can't condemn
me. My accusers can't condemn me. No one can condemn me. How can you say that? Well, here's
his answer. It's Christ that dies. yea rather that is risen. Now here is my ground of hope. Jesus Christ paid for my sins
when he died. Now, some people, as a matter
of fact, most people believe Jesus Christ died for everybody,
made everybody's salvation possible to save everybody, but some of
those people that he died for, they're gonna wind up in hell
anyway because they didn't do their part. Now, hold on. Hold
on. If Christ was punished for my
sins, is God gonna turn around and punish me for them again?
No, they're paid for. They're paid for. It's Christ
that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. who is even at
the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
If I can find assurance of my salvation, from anything other
than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I have
a faith that is not saving faith. It's not grounded in the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Now I'm not just talking about
an understanding that Christ physically was raised from the
dead. A lot of people believe that. But why he was raised from
the dead. because my sin was paid for,
put away, made not to be, and now I stand before God justified,
one who has never sinned. That's what Jesus Christ's resurrection
accomplished. He was delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification. Now any hope any man has that
is not grounded in that, is a hope, a faith that will not save. Now, do you remember the parable
of the sower? He sowed the seed, the gospel,
on four different soils. wayside, hard-beaten path. It didn't penetrate the ground.
The fowls of the air came and gobbled them up. He sowed some
among the stony ground, and they sprang up immediately, but they
had no depth. And when the sun came out, they
were scorched. And the Lord says to us that
that's when they received the word immediately. But when trials
come because of the word, they say, I didn't sign up for this.
They're gone. And then the thorn choked here. He hears the word,
but the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, the
lust of everything, other things choke the word and he never bears
any fruit. What about the good ground here?
They hear the word, receive it. The scripture says they bear
fruit. A faith that does not bear fruit. And by fruit, we're
speaking of the fruit of God, the Holy Spirit. Now, as soon
as someone is saved, that very split instant, they have the
fruit of God, the Holy Spirit. Love. The fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, love to God, joy for how he saves, the
peace that comes from Christ's accomplished salvation. It's
long-suffering gentleness and goodness. That's how you treat
other sinners. Faith, meekness, temperance,
that's what is in you when God the Holy Spirit is in you. Every
believer has the fruit of God the Holy Spirit. And when there
is a faith that where this fruit is absent, it's not saving faith. Now, when I speak of fruit, somebody's
thinking, well, I need to look and examine myself, see how much
fruit I have to give me evidence that I'm salvation. No, don't
do that. You look to Christ. You look
to Christ, you will bear fruit. And finally, James said in James
2.26, faith without works is dead, being alone. Now, does that mean that we need
to look to our works to figure out if our faith is real? No,
that's evil. That's a works-based assurance. So what does it mean? Faith without
works is dead, being alone. Well, John said in Revelation
14, 13, blessed are the dead that die
in the Lord. From henceforth, yea, saith the
Spirit, that they may have rest from their labors, and their
works do follow them. Now, what's that mean? Well,
notice they don't come up front as the cause of salvation. They
don't walk along the side as a ground of assurance. My assurance is because I'm living
this way and I'm doing this, but they do follow them. With
every believer, there will be evidence that they really did
believe what they said they believed. Let me give you one example.
Somebody says, I believe the gospel you're preaching. I believe
salvation's of the Lord. I believe it's all of grace.
I believe exactly what you're preaching. I don't believe in
works. I don't believe in free will. I believe salvation is
of the Lord. I believe that. But if that person
attends a church where that's not preached, what do their works
say? Their works say, I don't really
believe that. I say I do, but I don't. You see, your works will give
evidence that you really believe what you say you believe. Now,
I hope this message has told us exactly what faith is. And I believe it has, but let
me leave you with one scripture. This tells us what faith is.
to him that worketh not. You are convinced that salvation
can't come by your works, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. You are trusting that God actually
justified everybody Christ died for. His faith is counted for
righteousness. May you and I be enabled to believe
the gospel with a faith that is saving faith, that faith that
saves the soul. Amen. To receive a copy of the
sermon you have just heard, send your request to todd.neibert
at gmail.com or you may write or call the church at the information
provided on the screen.