HOCF SERMON 2023

Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

May pagtuo kita kon hugot ang aton pagsalig nga mabaton ta ang mga butang nga aton ginalauman, kag bisan wala pa naton makita ang mga ginpromisa sang Dios, nasiguro ta nga mabaton gid naton ini.

This is the Word of the Lord. (PRAY)

So ang aton Word subong gikan lang sa 1 ka verse pero isa ini sa mga pinaka importante nga bagay na dapat naton ma intiendihan kay diri man natukod ang aton nga relasyon sa Ginuo.

Today the Word speaks about faith. Pagtuo.

What is faith?

If we are going to define faith, we can always refer to Hebrews 11 and find several examples of what faith looks like as displayed by some characters in the Old Testament who displayed great faith in God that's why God used them to display some of the greatest miracles in the Bible.

That's why Hebrews 11 is sometimes called the Hall of Faith. Kay dira ginsummarize ang stories sang mga characters sa Bible na may dagko na pagtuo amu nga pinaagi sa ila dagko man ang nabuhat sang Ginuo.

Hebrews Verse 1 gives us a simple definition which says:

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Pagtuo sa mga butang nga may kasiguraduhan pero indi makita.

Now, May pagtuo kita kon hugot ang aton pagsalig nga mabaton ta ang mga butang nga aton ginalauman, kag bisan wala pa naton makita ang mga ginpromisa sang Dios, nasiguro ta nga mabaton gid naton ini.

The world may say that for you to believe, you first have to see. But faith requires that first, we have to believe then we will see.

Faith requires nothing but just the plain and strong belief that something is true even when it appears far from being possible. Even when you dont see it yet, you believe that God will do what He says He will do. Also, faith is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual gift because not all people have the same level of faith.

God gives the same promises to all but not all have the same level of faith that God would really make good in HIs promises.

Pareho ang mga promisa nga ginhatag ang Ginuo sa aton pero indi tanan sa aton may pareho nga pagtuo.

You see not even Sarah believed it when God told them that she will bear a son at the age of 90. So what did she do?

She asked their servant Hagar to sleep with Abraham and they had Ishmael. However, because Ishamel was born out of God's will for the house of Abraham, Ishmael only caused conflict in the household which eventually caused Abraham to decide to send them away to resolve the conflict.

Abraham however, was the opposite of Sarah. Genesis 21:1O Sarah said to Abraham

10 and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.

You see, Abraham was very sad and distressed because he loves Ishmael as a son. Isaac was born about 13 years after Ishmael, so for sure, Abraham ang Ishmael spent so much time together as father and son. So of course, naturally, bisan sin-o na amay di gid malipay nga mawala ang iyang anak.

But, when God told Abraham to take Isaac and offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham was not distressed.

In Genesis 22:2-5