This sermon is on your work of faith, 1 Thes 1:3.  To understand your work of faith, we must first understand what faith is and how it works.

Faith is belief.

You must have something to believe in.  Athletes believe in themselves.  Christians believe in Jesus Christ.  Agnostics and atheists believe in science, or what they call science.  Recovering alcoholics and drug addicts believe in god as they understand him.  And so forth.

When you believe in Jesus Christ, you should also believe in his words.  Rom 10:17.

Your faith in his words is the substance of the things you hope for, Heb 11:1.  Do you hope for eternal life, Titus 1:2?  Faith is the substance of eternal life.  That is, you cannot see eternal life, and you can’t perceive it by touch.  But when you believe in Jesus and hope for eternal life, the faith you have that comes from the words of God makes eternal life very tangible.  Faith makes eternal life substantially real.  You appropriate all the benefits of eternal life when your faith is the substance and evidence of your eternal life.

Your faith in God’s words is the evidence of things you cannot see.  We cannot see the kingdom of God yet, Jn 3:3, 1 Cor 2:9-10.  But we will one day.  In the meantime, the evidence of the kingdom of God is your faith.  That is, we need no more evidence of the kingdom of God than the faith we have from the words of God.

This is why people who don’t believe in God and the Bible have such a difficult time arguing their evidence against yours.  They don’t believe what we believe.  If they did, they would have all the evidence that they need.  Right now, they cannot “see” what we see.

When you believe in Jesus and he saves you, and you believe in his words and you begin to live by them, your faith becomes more substantial.  You start growing in the Lord and working for the Lord.  We are saved by faith and not by works, but faith that saves works.

Prayer is a work of faith.  You don’t have to convince someone, who really believes, that they need to pray.  We don’t need to be persuaded that prayer works.  We see it working all the time.  And the stronger your faith grows, the more you pray and the more effectually you pray.

Giving is a work of faith.  You don’t have to manipulate people who believe in order to get them to give.  As our faith grows, our desire to give and our understanding of giving grows.  It’s not good to coax people with weak faith to give.  It’s better to strengthen their faith, first.

Witnessing is a work of faith.  You don’t have to pressure people into witnessing who really believe in Jesus and his words.  As your faith grows, it becomes much easier to witness.  Heaven and hell become very real to you. And the thought of your loved one missing heaven and spending an eternity in hell compels you to give them the gospel.

The ministry is a work of faith, Eph 4:11-16.  The effectual working in the measure of every part is accomplished by people whose faith has grown strong.  It’s unwise to put people to work hoping that their faith will grow.  It’s much better to grow them in  faith and then put them to work.  They will be a healthy addition to the body.

Conclusion: If you aren’t saved, please trust Jesus Christ today.  If you are saved, get into God’s words and believe what you are reading.  There is much work to be done by those who believe.  May God bless your work of faith.