The Worship of Faith

Dr. Michael Youssef: Empowered by Praise. You will experience power in praising and thanking and blessing the Lord as a lifestyle. Now the book is out. It's in the bookstores, but also we have it here at leadingtheway. LTW.org. Do not miss out on the blessing of learning how to be empowered in your life by knowing how to praise God on a daily basis. God bless you.
Guest (Male): Remember Cain and Abel from the first pages of the Bible. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s. Here’s Dr. Michael Youssef with a word about faith.
Dr. Michael Youssef: I have a hunch that Cain's sacrifice probably was greater than Abel's. Cain's sacrifice probably had been more generous than that of Abel's. You say, "Well, what's the difference? Why would God accept Abel's sacrifice but he rejects Cain's?" Ah, the difference is very simple, and it is this: Abel sacrificed in obedience. And that, beloved, what faith is all about. He gave to God what God wanted, not what he wanted to give God.
Guest (Male): Thank you for joining Dr. Michael Youssef for today's life-changing episode of Leading The Way audio. Sports teams along with many industries select Hall of Fame members—those whose skills and accomplishments greatly exceed expectations, both in performance and in impact. But beyond the workplace and the athletic field, imagine being chosen by God himself to be in the Bible's Hall of Fame, servants standing out in the eyes of the father. Well, today Dr. Michael Youssef continues his series called They Were Just Like Us. He's looking at God's list of men and women, people who were just like us and yet listed in what we often call the Faith Hall of Fame. Listen along as Dr. Michael Youssef begins today's Leading The Way.
Dr. Michael Youssef: We have begun a series of messages entitled, "They Were Just Like Us," with the list in the epistle to the Hebrews where through the years have become known as Faith Hall of Fame. Hebrews chapter 11, as we continue in the series of messages they were just like us in every way. By faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith, he was commended as a righteous man when God spoke well of his offering. And by faith, he still speaks even though he's dead. Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray that you open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to comprehend this one and only sermon that has been preached by this man thousands and thousands of years ago. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The question people have asked for the ages is this: How did Abel know what sacrifice that is acceptable to God, and why didn't Cain? And that's a great question. It really is. And the answer is this: it's very simple, but don't miss it. I want you to listen to me carefully. The answer is simple. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, disobeyed God, and then they tried to run away from God and God caught up with them, before God threw them out of the Garden of Eden, he basically slain an innocent lamb, shed the blood of that lamb, and gave them a covering for their nakedness. And from that moment on, Adam and Eve wanted to obey God. They understood several things about their sin. God wanted them to know that their sin is costly. God wanted them to know that an innocent blood had to be shed for the payment of their sins. God wanted them to know that sin has to be redeemed by the shedding of blood. Of course, God was painting a picture for the future of the coming of the most innocent lamb of all, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the shedding of his own blood on the cross of Calvary so that whomsoever might come to him may receive salvation, may receive forgiveness, may receive peace and joy. And there is no doubt that Adam and Eve learned that very important lesson of that shedding of a blood of a lamb as the only acceptable way to come to a holy and righteous God. And they taught this to their children as the only acceptable form of worship. And later on, of course, in the days of Moses, that was institutionalized and the shedding of a lamb and the day of atonement and the rest of it. Adam and Eve's boys, Cain and Abel, no doubt have watched their parents worshiping God God's way. Their boys, Cain and Abel, must have watched their parents obeying God this time God's way. These two boys watched how Mom and Dad were now more anxious to obey God, to serve God, to please God God's way, not their own way. And so one of the two sons, Abel, decided to follow Mom and Dad's example of godliness, of obedience. But Cain decided that he is going to worship God his own way, that he's going to come to God in his own terms. Today, the descendants of Cain are all those who think that all the roads lead to God, those who think that all religions are the same, all those who think that they don't have to obey the word of God in order to be acceptable to God. Those who feel that they don't have to accept Jesus as the only savior of their life in order to make it to heaven. All the descendants of Cain are those who think that they can live their life any which way they want to, and as long as they're not committing so-called big sins, they will be all right. They're the descendants of Cain. And the reason Abel was highly commended in the New Testament, the reason why Abel was praised in the New Testament, the reason why the example of Abel has been living for thousands and thousands and thousands of years is because he wanted to express his faith in God in complete obedience. He wanted to obey God fully. He wanted to come to God God's way. He wanted to come to God on God's terms. He wanted to come to God God's way. And that is why Hebrews chapter 11 verse four said, "By faith," not by feelings which dominates our culture, and not by fancy, not by fear, no, by faith, Abel, by faith. In the last message, you saw that biblical faith only expresses itself in obedience to God, total obedience. But you need to understand something here that is of vital importance. Abel was not perfect. There’s some people probably get this image that Abel was a kind of a goody-two-shoes kid and Cain was a wild boy. Listen, Abel was not different from Cain. I'm going to explain to you in a minute. Because both of them were born, both Cain and Abel, they were born after sin has entered into the heart of their parents, Adam and Eve, and therefore they were conceived like all of us by sin and born with sin. Both had the same sin nature. Both had the same inclination toward sinning and going their own way. Both had the same limitations. Both knew what is the right way and what is the wrong way. And since faith comes by hearing, Abel believed the teaching of Mom and Dad and obeyed God, but Cain didn't. That's another important thing that I don't want you to miss. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with offering God the grains and the fruit. The Bible said Abel came and offered a lamb, shed a lamb's blood, offer a sacrifice to God, and God accepted that. But then Cain was offering fruit and he was offering grains. There is nothing that is intrinsically wrong with the grains, because later on, when God communicated his law to Moses, among other things, there is what they call grain offering, grain offering. So there's nothing wrong with the gift itself. In fact, I have a hunch that Cain's sacrifice probably was greater than Abel's. I have a hunch that Cain's sacrifice possibly was more expensive than that of Abel's. I just think possibly Cain's sacrifice may have been more impressive than that of Abel's. Cain's sacrifice possibly had been more in abundance. Cain's sacrifice probably had been more generous than that of Abel's. You say, "Well, what's the difference? Why would God accept Abel's sacrifice but he rejects Cain's?" Ah, the difference is very simple, and it is this: Abel sacrificed in obedience. And that, beloved, what faith is all about. He gave to God what God wanted, not what he wanted to give God. In the epistle of Jude, one chapter, and there in verse 11, he talks about the way of Cain. He says, "What is the way of Cain that the epistle of Jude talks about?" It is the way of self-will. It is the way of religious hypocrisy. It is the way of dead rituals. It is the way of self-pleasing. It is the way of playing God. It is the way that represented in dead religion. Cain's way represented empty religious activities. Cain's way represented religious fanaticism. And it is not surprising, my beloved friends, that both Abel and the Lord Jesus Christ were both killed by religious fanatics. Religious fanaticism has been killing Christian believers all over the world. Recently we got an email from a representative of Leading The Way in a country in which I will not mention. He told us that a pastor, and all pastors in that church are all underground. A pastor came home, found his wife strangled to death by religious fanatics. You see, God's way is not religious fanaticism. God's way is obedience to the living God through his son the Lord Jesus Christ and that's it. So the question that each of us must ask is this: Lord, am I obeying you fully? Lord, am I obeying your word? Lord, am I obeying your command? Lord, am I obeying your instruction? Lord, am I walking by faith or am I walking by sight? Are my eyes fixed on eternity or am I living for today? They were just like us. Abel was like us. He had all the weaknesses and the frailties and the failures of all of us. But I have no doubt that Abel was just as sinful as his brother Cain, maybe even more so. Cain probably would be the kind of guy who would be described as a good man today by our standards. Cain probably was a likable guy, probably more likable than Abel. I mean, he was the fun of the party. Probably he was the kind of guy who was on everyone's cocktail invitation list. Cain probably would be the kind of guy who was amiable. Cain probably was the kind of guy who was admired. He was a go-getter. He was an initiator. Oh, he was the fun guy. Cain probably was the kind of guy who was a philanthropist. Remember what I told you in the last message that you can sacrifice without obedience, but you cannot obey without sacrificing? You see, it's right here. He would be probably the kind of guy who would give money to save the environment. He would probably the kind of guy who would give money to save the endangered species. And who knows? Now I have no evidence of this, but I get this picture of this guy because after he killed his brother, the Bible said he went out and built a city. Man, he was the urban dude before they ever existed. That was Cain. But these are not necessarily the qualities that God is looking for. God looked down and he saw faith that expressed itself in obedience and he says, "Abel is my man." Listen carefully, please. You know and I know, and if you don't know, I hope you know now, that you can never come to God through works. All of your works, all of my works will never get us to God. Only faith and grace of God bring us to God. But having come to God, the Bible said now prove your love for God by obeying him. And that obedience made Abel to be an effective witness for God. For how long? All of history. Thousands of years. Although he was cut down by his envious and angry brother in his prime while he was still young. Although he did not have children to carry his name. Although he did not have a monument that people can visit and remember him by. Although he did not leave a legacy for people to remember him with. Although he did not leave a fortune for his children and grandchildren to spend. Although he did not leave a dynasty to enshrine him. Although he was cut down in his prime. Oh, but the God who sees the very secrets of our hearts, the God who knows all things, he made sure that this man's obedience is testifying to him for history, all of history. God made sure that this man's obedience of faith is reserved for all the ages to hear. This man's faith was made sure by God that his sacrifice of faith is enduring all the time. Although Abel has been dead for thousands and thousands and thousands of years, the Bible said he still preaches. He still speaks. His one and only sermon that he's ever preached has been proclaimed all the world over. His testimony is living in the hearts of millions of people for thousands of years. His example of obedience inspired millions of people for thousands of years. His life of faith has encouraged millions of people for thousands of years. His sacrificial love for his Lord is enshrined in a testimony for all ages. Though he's dead, he still speaks and he still preaches that same sermon, three-point sermon. What's Abel's three-point sermon? Here they are. You can take it and you can preach it and you don't have to give him credit. That man can come to God only by faith, not by works. That man must accept God's revelation and not his own wisdom to be saved. And thirdly, that obedience is rewarded and rebellion is judged. I think that's a great three points, don't you? And as you know, I love to give illustrations, whether it be from history or biography, whatever it may be. As I was thinking, at least or half a dozen examples from biographies that I have read through the years of the great men and women of God were going through my head. Which one do I use to illustrate my point here today? Here's on my computer popped up an email right there on my screen of live today example of obedience of faith. And as I read that email, I must confess to you I wept, and I wept, and then I said I wonder whether I can share this with you. I asked that person's permission to share it with you. I'm going to read to you parts of that email to encourage you. "As I listen to your sermon this morning, I knew that I was getting an answer to two prayers that I have been putting before the Lord for a long time. The first is what I already told you about walking by faith. The second, that the finances that the Lord has given me that are in my savings account and how to be used as he desires and not for my false security that I may have for my future. It is very possible I may not see retirement. Whether I do or not, I only share the following because I think God spoke it to my heart and I do so to encourage you. So I called the people at Leading The Way today and asked them: What is the cost of the production, just the production, for just one Arabic program for a year? It would be my great privilege to underwrite that so that the message can go to the persecuted church. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I see how much we in all our comfort need to grow from their faith and the faith of those saints. It is sweet of the Lord to let me have that amount in my savings." Listen to me very carefully, please. I did not read this to you in order to send you on a guilt trip. I read this for a reason. I want to show you that obedient faith is alive and well in this church. And I don't know what God is calling you to do today. I don't know what you've been closing your ears to the Lord about. I don't know what you're dragging your feet in. I don't know what God is saying to you, but God is speaking to you. To some of you who have never committed your life to Jesus Christ, he may be calling you to come and receive him as the savior of your life. You may come and surrender your pride and make him the savior and Lord of your life. For those of you who know the Lord, God may be speaking to you about something. Whether to be able to open your mouth for the first time and testify to your salvation, his salvation through you. Whatever it may be, you know it, I don't know it. I know what God says to me, and I know the times when I drag my heels and I know you do. Whatever he is saying to you today, say, "Lord, I want to walk of faith. I want to be obedient. I don't want to just to go around saying I'm a Christian and I'm a Christian. I want to prove my Christianity by my obedience to your command in my life." Father, it is impossible for us to do anything that will even come close to the incredible sacrifice that you, Father, made when you looked down upon that cross and saw your son bleeding to death in order that he might satisfy your justice, in order that he might pay for the consequences of my sin. He took my cross. He took my pain on that cross. And so, Father, I now come to you with these your people and we cry to you for one thing: for those of us who are in disobedience, break us that we may become obedient. For I pray that in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Guest (Male): You're listening to Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Hey, not only can you stream audio, but also video content from Dr. Youssef at ltw.org. You can also get information about all of the available Leading The Way podcasts and learn about the updated app. The website again is ltw.org. Recently, someone who listens in the UK on radio connected with the UK ministry team sharing a story of how content from Dr. Michael Youssef helped her during an especially challenging time. We want to share this with you because I know you'll be encouraged. She wrote this note to the Leading The Way office in the UK saying, "My daughter was recently hospitalized due to bipolar disorder. I found it increasingly difficult to stay positive. And today I listened to Dr. Youssef on the radio and his biblical teaching encouraged me. I was able to refocus on my and her inheritance through Christ. Thank you for the message. It lifted me when I needed it most." Oh, we are so thankful that God used and uses Dr. Youssef and Leading The Way to comfort and to encourage people each and every day. And if you'd like to learn ways to partner so that others can hear the truth of God's word, give us a call. We're at 866-626-4356 or ltw.org. This program is furnished by Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.