>>Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children, Ephesians chapter five, verse one. Are you striving to imitate God as a faithful child of his today? Thank you for joining us this Lord's day for The Living Word program, and we're excited that we have gathered for the opportunity of studying the very word of God itself. And we're certainly glad that you have chosen this day to give this time to your creator so that we might together worship and praise his holy and matchless name. As we come together this morning, it is my hope in prayer that we will each participate and do our own part to make this time acceptable in his sight and according to his will as we collectively offer those acts of love toward God, those submitted sacrifices to show him just how much we care and how much we love him. So at this time, as we give our full attention to the very reason that we have assembled, I hope you will bow with me before the throne of God in prayer. Our God and Father in heaven, we are so thankful for this, another day of life. Father, we are thankful for the privilege that we have to be blessed in so many ways in this life. And Father, we know that we only have such because of you. And Father, we thank you for the many physical blessings and spiritual blessings that we receive from you and we know all good things do come from you and above. And Father, we also ask this day that you will help us to worship you in spirit and truth, and to give our very best as we enter into these acts of worship to again show you that we are committed to you, that we love you, that we want to obey you and do things as you have commanded. And Father, when this life is over, please give us that reward that is given to the promise or through the promise rather, to the faithful that we will receive that mansion and have eternal life. And Father, we know these things are only available, once again, through the great gift of your son, Jesus, and in his name we pray, amen. Now it's time to join together in our first song of the morning. The name of the hymn, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives."

>>As a parent, I'm reminded daily of the fact that my children are going to imitate and learn from all that I do and say. In fact, whether it be a good characteristic or a bad one, they usually pick up on it and many times, do just the same. Brethren and friends, this reminds me of just how careful I need to be to make sure that all that I do and say is proper and good so that when they imitate what I do, it will be a positive lesson and the things they do will be received in a positive way. Now think of that from the standpoint of God as our father. As a father, don't you think that God knows that his children will want to imitate him? That's why we read earlier in the text this morning the verse, therefore be imitators of God as his dear children. What a challenging instruction from God this is, and what an encouragement this should be to each of us that we might want to strive for greater perfection, to be found in Christ as imitators of God. So I might ask just how far must I go and you go to make sure that our example will be positive for all of those who are around us. Well, if you'll read with me from another verse in 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul added this: Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ. Well, how many of us can actually say that? Probably not many very confidently, at least. However, isn't this what we should be striving for? Isn't that the ultimate goal, that others might be able to look to us and even imitate what we do and thus when they do so, they would know that is the same as being one who imitates Christ himself. Finally, notice a familiar verse in Colossians 3:17, again, where Paul speaks to the church at Colossi and challenges them in a similar way. There we read: And whatever we do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, Jesus. You see, in everything we do, it must be according to not only the imitating of Christ but the teachings of Christ. So this teaches us that we now have an example or instruction to help us to know exactly what is required. Furthermore, we can be sure that we'll be found faithful in the service of our God and that we will receive the great reward in heaven when we are striving to follow what God has instructed us and shown us in his word, the Bible. And then you and I know well the results of those who are faithful. The faithful, in the end, will be given the great reward of heaven to live with God forever. So why not make sure today that you are an imitator of God. In just a few minutes, it will be time to begin our main study of the day. Our topic will again focus on a series that we've been looking at in relationship to the words of Jesus himself, there in the book of Matthew where it says: I say these things that you may be saved. The specific discussion of the morning is concerning faith saves. So please stay with us, and after our next song together, we'll be led in these thoughts from God's word. As far as our guest speaker this day, we are happy to have Brother Cory Orr with us. Brother Cory is the minister for the Bona Church of Christ. He's also an instructor at the Bible Institute of Missouri, and we thank him for joining us and leading our thoughts this morning. Now let's join together in our second song of the morning, the name of the hymn, "Seek Ye First."

>>We do thank you today for tuning in. And at this time, I ask that you open your Bibles and open them to Hebrews, chapter 11. You know, the topic that we have been looking at, these things that allow us to be saved, in order for us to have salvation, there are certain things that we have to do. And today, our topic is faith, to look at our faith and what type of faith we have. Is it a faith that is going to be pleasing unto God, or is it a faith that is just going to be basic lip service, something that is not going to be pleasing before God? If you look with me here at Hebrews 11:1, it says now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And so faith, I want you just to think for just a moment about this substance. It is something that is substantial, something that does allow us to be able to stand upon, something that gives us a foundation. What is that foundation that we are to have? Let's look at Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, I believe is a verse that is familiar to us. But Romans chapter 10, there in verse number 17, what Paul has to say is: So then faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. And so, if we think about what we must do then to have faith that is pleasing unto God, to have faith that does allow us to be able to have salvation, our faith is then built upon the word of God. And not just, if you notice there that word "hearing," it is not just to merely hear it as white noise in the background, but instead, this is to actively listen, to participate in listening. When we think about a conversation that we have with people, as we have that conversation, and I have to remind my children of this at times, we look at one another. We are looking in each other's eyes as we're having conversations because we are listening to them to understand. We don't listen merely to respond, but we want to understand what they are saying, especially so that we can be able to communicate back and forth with them. We want to be active in our participation with that conversation we are having with someone. It should not be any different with God. When we open his word, when we study the Bible, this is upon which our faith is built. And so we need to realize and to understand that our faith is not merely a whisper glimmer of hope, but instead, our faith truly has substance to it. It has a foundation upon which we are able to stand. When we think about that foundation, again, it is not on the word of Cory. It is not on the word of Ray. And while I appreciate the opportunity today to be able to speak to you, and I'm thankful for the Kansas Expressway Congregation for allowing me to be on here, listen, it's not about us. It is not about the preacher, it's not about whoever is speaking that day. We have several men who get up here and are fully capable and thankful for their willingness to get before us and to speak God's word, but we all speak the same thing. We all speak the word of God. That's why it's so important that we understand faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Not the word of man, the word of God. And so therefore, when we think about the substance there in Hebrews 11:1 that our faith is built upon, our faith is built upon the word of God. That's the substance, that's the foundation. And what a foundation truly it is, one that is not going to shake, not one that is not going to waiver. Instead, when we think about the word of God and us being able to build our faith on it, we can know that God's word is not going to shift, it's not going to change, and therefore our faith is safe when built upon the word of God. So with that in mind today, I would ask you to turn to James chapter two. If we look here at James chapter two and we think about this faith that saves, James two, beginning here in verse number 14 says: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. We think about what James writes here. There is a faith then that does not lead to salvation. There is a faith that does not save. And notice what this takes when every speaker that has come on us, this topic that we are speaking of, these things that save or these things that allow us to have salvation, each time, have you noticed the commonality between them? There is something, an action that must take place on our part. This faith that we read about in James 2:14 that does not save, that faith is a faith that is not acted upon. And he gives the illustration there to follow it. If you see someone who is naked or destitute of food, somebody that is in need, and you say to them, go your way and be warmed and filled but you do nothing for them, you did nothing for them. You did nothing for yourself either. Your faith is not demonstrated. Your faith has not been shown. You've done nothing, nothing at all. And that's why he says there in verse number 17, faith, if it does not have action. That's what we're talking about in these works. We're talking about action. If your faith does not have action to back it up, it's dead, meaning that it's worthless, there is nothing there, there is nothing to be able to give life, and that's what salvation is, is life everlasting. And so if our faith does not have action to back it up, it is as good as dead. And this is what we see, dead faith. We need to have faith that has, excuse me, action behind it. Continuing on here in James 2:18, it says: But someone will say you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without you your works and I will show you my faith by my works. Do you see what the difference between the two of those is? You can tell me all day long that you have faith. You can say it until you're blue in the face, but until your actions back up your words, no one's going to believe you. You see, it's that way in life, it's that way in everything that we do. When we go to our jobs, we can tell people how much stuff we have to do but if they see us doing our work, they know how much that we need to do. They know how busy we are and how much we have to get done. We need to be those people who are people of action. Our action is going to demonstrate the faith that we have. We need to make sure that people see our faith and the manner in which we live our life. That's why it's so vital here, is James is telling us what saving faith looks like. He wants to make sure that we have an active faith, a faith that I don't need to tell you, I shouldn't have to tell you, that I believe in God and that I'm a follower of God. My life should live it. My life should demonstrate it. The manner and the action of life should demonstrate it and show it and bear that out. Continuing on in verse 19: You believe that there is one God, you do well. Even demons believe and tremble. So if faith only would save us, do you understand that this verse would tell us that demons would be saved as well? And you would say, well, demons are not going to be saved. I don't disagree with you. But do you notice here that those who have a faith that is only spoken and not acted upon have the same faith as a demon? They believe, they even tremble. It causes them to quiver, but they don't have a faith that will save them because they do not follow after it. We need to make sure we have a faith that is followed. And he gives a couple of illustrations here with Abraham and with Sarah, and even goes in verse 25: Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead. Even so, faith without works is dead. Faith takes action. Faith takes us doing something. Look with me again at Hebrews chapter 11. And I want us to notice here in the time that we have left, the examples of what faith truly looks like. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Do we see there that without faith, what type of faith, active faith, faith that is backed up by our actions, the things that we do and the manner in which we live. Without that type of faith, it is not possible to please God. We have to believe that he is and we believe that he is, again, through the manner in which we live our life. And we notice there the second type of person, not only that we have to believe that he is, but that he is also a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. There's the action of life. That's the manner in which we live our life. That's the substance of life. Our faith built upon the word of God and thus, that is demonstrated then in our life. If we say all day long that we believe in God, that we believe in Jesus and we believe that we'll be able to go to heaven when this life is over but we live contrary to his word, what good is it to us? I'll give you this example. Once I was in an antique shop and I saw a T-shirt there. It said, I love Jesus, but I cuss a little bit. Do you see the manner of life they have? I love Jesus, but I'm gonna live how I want. I'm going to do what I want. Our faith in Christ should cause us to be motivated to live for him. In verse seven of Hebrews, chapter 11, we see what this looks like. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, verse six. But in verse seven, there we see by faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. The heir of righteousness according to faith, that right living according to the standard of God. It caused Noah to move and to prepare. It caused action. That should cause it in us as well. When we read God's word, when we see the expectations that he has for us, when we look at those things that we must do in order to be saved, it should cause us as well, to take action in our life, to show and demonstrate the type of faith that God expects us to have. If it's possible for us to have faith that is dead, it is also possible for us to have faith that leads to life everlasting. We must ask ourselves then, what type of faith am I demonstrating in my life? Am I demonstrating the type of faith that says, I believe in God, thus I live in a manner in which he expects me to. You see that hope in verse number one? Hope is where desire meets expectation. If I desire to go to heaven, then I need to live in such a way that God would have me to live. And the expectation when I die is that I'm going to spend eternity in heaven with him. Is that the expectation that you have? Is that what people are able to see in your life? If it's not, then I would encourage you to do something about that today. Change your life, allow God's word to lead you and to show you what you must do in order to be saved.

>>Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us this day, and what a glorious time we have had together before God's thrown itself. We invite you every Lord's day morning at 7:30 to join us that we might again assemble and worship our creator. But for now, let me ask if you have any questions or comments about today's lesson. Maybe you'd like a free transcript or free CD or DVD of the program, or possibly we could assist you with free Bible materials or free Bible correspondence courses. No matter what your need is, please feel free to contact us at the following address: The Living Word, 2540 N. Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Missouri 65803. Many of these items are also available on our website. That address, TheLivingWordProgram.com. Or if you prefer, you may call us at 869-2284. What a privilege it is to know that we are saved by the grace of God. But furthermore, we are to have faith in him in order to be recipients of that grace. The question then is, do you have faith in God today and are you demonstrating that faith in order that God might give you salvation as well?