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:'''''"We don't have to understand it, that’s where faith comes in.”
:'''''"We don't have to understand it, that’s where faith comes in.”
=The Bible requires us to think=
==Jesus wants us to think!==
Jesus indicated many times that he wanted people to think.  For example:
:'''''What do you think?''' If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Mt 18:12.</ref>
:''Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” <ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Lk 10:36.</ref>
There are many other times where Jesus asked people to think.  Why?  '''He was challenging them to think about what He was saying so that they could come to faith!'''
==Paul made the Jews think==
:''So '''he reasoned in the synagogue''' with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ac 17:17.</ref>
:''And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, '''reasoning and persuading''' them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, '''reasoning daily''' in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ac 19:8–10.</ref>




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:''We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 10:5.</ref>
:''We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 10:5.</ref>


:''We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.  
:''We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), 2 Cor 10:4–5.</ref>


Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), 2 Co 10:4–5.
'''The Bible clearly does not say to "cast down reasoning".'''


The Bible clearly does not say to "cast down reasoning".
=How does faith start?=


=How does faith start?=
:''So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Romans 10:17.</ref>


Faith always starts with information. It starts with thinking.  
Faith always starts with information. You hear the Word and then you start thinking about it.  


How do you develop your faith? You develop your faith through thinking, through reasoning it out, through getting the evidence.  
How do you develop your faith? You develop your faith through thinking, through reasoning it out, through getting the evidence.  
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=How does one lose faith?=
=How does one lose faith?=


Is faith the opposite of reason and thinking? Absolutely not. You lost faith because you stopped thinking, because you stopped reasoning, because you stopped looking at the evidence and you listened to your emotions and you listened to your fears. It’s silly to think faith is the opposite of reason.
In order to get faith enough to have an operation, to have faith in the doctor and in the procedure, you study it. But say on Saturday morning, if you wake up and you say, “''Oh my. I agreed to have this surgery, but now I just can’t.''” You call in sick, or you say, “I can’t do it,” or you postpone it or something like that. You’ve lost your faith.
Here’s a good quote. You know the famous passage we used in the confession of sin this morning (Matthew 6) where Jesus says, “If you’re worried, have no anxiety, but think about the lilies of the field. God takes care of them. Think. Have no anxiety, but think about the birds of the air. God takes care of them.” He says, “… o ye of little faith?” If God takes care of the birds and the grass, and you’re more valuable than they, won’t he take care of you? What is Jesus doing? He says, “O ye of little faith? You’re not thinking.” He doesn’t say, “If you want to have faith, stop thinking, and just believe.” That’s not faith. That’s not what the Bible calls faith.
 
Well, how did you lose your faith? Did you get new information that shows you it wasn’t a good idea?
 
No.
 
You lost your faith because you stopped thinking and you started reacting. You see that? You stopped thinking. You didn’t get new information. You stopped thinking. You just got up and said, “O''h, it’s going to be painful. It’s going to be hard. I’m going to be off work for three days.''”
 
If instead you say, “''Wait a minute. If I don’t do it now, this is going to happen later. I’ve studied all this.''” Then you will have the operation.  Faith starts by thinking, and when you lose your faith, it’s because you stopped thinking.
 
Is faith the opposite of reason and thinking? Absolutely not. You lose faith because you stop thinking, because you stop reasoning, because you stop looking at the evidence and you listen to your emotions and you listen to your fears. It’s actually silly to think faith is the opposite of reason.
 
Look at Matthew 6 where Jesus says, “''If you’re worried, have no anxiety, but think about the lilies of the field. God takes care of them. Think. Have no anxiety, but think about the birds of the air. God takes care of them.''” He says, “''O ye of little faith? If God takes care of the birds and the grass, and you’re more valuable than they, won’t he take care of you?''" 
 
What is Jesus doing? He says, “O ye of little faith? You’re not thinking.” He doesn’t say, “If you want to have faith, stop thinking, and just believe.” That’s not faith. That’s not what the Bible calls faith.
 
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in his great sermon on this passage that Jesus Christ insists that the whole trouble with people of little faith is that they do not think. They don’t gird up the loins of their minds. They allow circumstances to bludgeon them. Think about this. They allow their feelings to collar them. The Bible is full of reasoning. We must never think of faith as something purely mystical. Faith progresses through thinking, Jesus tells us.
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in his great sermon on this passage that Jesus Christ insists that the whole trouble with people of little faith is that they do not think. They don’t gird up the loins of their minds. They allow circumstances to bludgeon them. Think about this. They allow their feelings to collar them. The Bible is full of reasoning. We must never think of faith as something purely mystical. Faith progresses through thinking, Jesus tells us.
Jesus says, “Look at the birds. Think about them. Draw your deductions. Look at the flowers. Do the same.” That is the essence of worry. Instead of letting reason control your thoughts, other things have control of them, and you go round and round in circles. That is not thinking. Worry is the absence of thinking. Unbelief is the absence of thinking. And for the Christian, a lack of faith is a failure to think. “… gird up the loins of your mind …”
 
Jesus says, “''Look at the birds. Think about them. Draw your deductions. Look at the flowers. Do the same''.”  
 
That is the essence of worry. Instead of letting reason control your thoughts, other things have control of them, and you go round and round in circles. That is not thinking. Worry is the absence of thinking. Unbelief is the absence of thinking. And for the Christian, a lack of faith is a failure to think. “… gird up the loins of your mind …”
 
Not only that, the Bible tells you that you can’t grow in holiness unless you’re willing to let God take over your thinking. It says in Ephesians 4:22–24 to be renewed through the renewal of your mind. That’s the place where it says, “… put off your old self … put on the new …” and be renewed in the renewal of your mind. Please listen carefully to this. You can’t bifurcate this. Jesus Christ demands all of you. This means many of us come to Christianity wanting something emotional, wanting something personal.
Not only that, the Bible tells you that you can’t grow in holiness unless you’re willing to let God take over your thinking. It says in Ephesians 4:22–24 to be renewed through the renewal of your mind. That’s the place where it says, “… put off your old self … put on the new …” and be renewed in the renewal of your mind. Please listen carefully to this. You can’t bifurcate this. Jesus Christ demands all of you. This means many of us come to Christianity wanting something emotional, wanting something personal.


Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
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Lastly, friends, some of you are Christians, but you’re not very consistent Christians because, really, so many people come out of fundamentalism or come out of liberalism or out of all these different churches I told you, and they all really do bypass the mind. Don’t you dare. You need to study the Word of God. You have to let the Word of God sink in. You have to let your mind be completely bathed in the authority of God. “… gird up the loins of your mind …” Let’s pray.<ref>Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).</ref>
Lastly, friends, some of you are Christians, but you’re not very consistent Christians because, really, so many people come out of fundamentalism or come out of liberalism or out of all these different churches I told you, and they all really do bypass the mind. Don’t you dare. You need to study the Word of God. You have to let the Word of God sink in. You have to let your mind be completely bathed in the authority of God. “… gird up the loins of your mind …” Let’s pray.<ref>Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).</ref>


=How are we supposed to think?=
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,


The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Co 10:5.




=What William Branham thought=




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