This weeks message is a good one! I think it’s a good one, because it’s something that we all can relate to. Our faith affects the way we live. A non-believer’s faith is self-directed while a believer’s faith is God-directed. We can progress to a level of great faith so our Christian life will take on a stronger, more exciting purpose.
When you face difficulties and trials in your life, what do you do? How do you respond? Are these times, when you allow, doubt fear to ruin enter into the equations. The correct answer is: Pastor Jay, respond by faith!
Faith in God is vital to our relationship with Him. It determines whether we have peace or anxiety and can mean the difference between courage and fear. Trusting God impacts every aspect of life. Even the way we handle minor, everyday decisions is closely connected to what we believe. Faith can be a struggle because we naturally react according to what we see and feel. But when we respond by trusting God, He blesses us.
God offers the gift of faith to every person, Christian or not. In fact, we all exercise faith every day!
For example, we exercise our faith when we turn on a faucet, because be believe it will produce a flow of water. We also exercise our faith when we go to the office, because we expect to have a job there. In addition, I as Christians, we pray, because we trust that God hears and answers His children. The believer’s faith is God-directed while the unbeliever’s faith is self-directed. The non- Christian simply chooses not to exercise faith in the Lord.
Faith in God is vital to our relationship with Him. It determines whether we have peace or anxiety and can mean the difference between courage and fear. Trusting God impacts every aspect of life. Even the way we handle minor, everyday decisions is closely connected to what we believe. Faith can be a struggle because we naturally react according to what we see and feel. But when we respond by trusting God, He blesses us.
This week, the Holy Spirit has broken down faith to me. He showed me how there are different levels of faith.
All of us operate within the three levels that the Holy Ghost revealed to me. I found it sad that some Christians will stay on level one for various reasons. Maybe they don’t know there are levels of faith, Maybe they were too fearful to trust God, or Our faith is very important in the eyes of God.
The first level of faith is called Little Faith. A word that would remind us of this level is wrestling. Having a little faith in God is saying: I know God can, but will God? James 1:6–8.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways
As you grow in your walk your Christian lifestyle is going to change, and your relationship with God will change. How will it change? As you grow in acceptance, and in trust of God. In this first stage of say, Your fretting, your anxious, your doubting, your fears overwhelm you at times, but as you grow in your faith, this all will all be cast off. God wants the best for you; therefore, something amazing is going to happen with just a little bit of faith.
Mark 9:17-29 gives a clear example of wavering faith. In verse 24, the father of a demon-possessed boy cries out, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” He was simply saying, “I’m believing You, Jesus, but I’m having a hard time of it.” God understood his struggle and honored the faith that he had. The Lord is aware of our struggles, too, but He wants us to move to a deeper faith level, where we will expect—and receive—His best.
Level number two of faith is called Great Faith. It is above wrestling faith or struggling faith. Great faith is not willing to stay around where you doubt, where are you fear, where you question, and where you have anxiety. Great faith is ready to reach out and reach up. This is where Faith is growing. This kind of faith stands on the promises and the truth of God‘s word. Great faith is believing what God says, because you know the God who said it.
This faith is focused on God, not man, and not the circumstances that we face. This type of faith is not concentrated on how big the problem is, what the problem is, or where the problem is. This type of faith is focused on how great our God is.
This type of faith is reaching out and expecting God to interact, because scripture says that he will.
This faith realizes our God is bigger than any problem that we have in our life.
So, where do we find great faith in scripture? Let’s go back at Matthew chapter 8. The fifth verse.
Matthew 8:5-10 (New International Version) “The Faith of the Centurion”
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
So, in other words, Jesus just say the word for Jesus, just give me the scripture, and it shall be done.
Now let’s turn to the 15th chapter of Matthew and look if you will?
The Faith Of A Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to Him and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel.”
We see in this example that great faith does not give up. This Faith is very persistent. Great faith reaches out. Jesus was testing her, and we do not listen to the council of me. So great faith does not go by reason. Great faith does not go by circumstances. Great faith does not go by what other people say. Great faith goes by what the scripture say. Great faith never gives up and it hangs in there. Level two faith is Christ centered.
Great faith is willing to wait. On level one, people fret and fume when things don’t turn out as hoped, and then they give up. Be aware that it is not a sin to struggle with your faith. However, to give up is sin because it expresses pure unbelief. Great faith is willing to persevere. It says, “I’m not giving up” and trusts God with full expectancy that He will do exactly what He has promised.
Faith level number three: is Perfect Faith! It is resting faith. Resting faith does not labor and it does not struggle. Resting Faith says: it is a done deal!
Now, let’s turn back to Mark chapter 11 and see what the scripture reveals about this kind of faith. Remember, this scripture talks about the fig tree; so, let’s start in about verse 20.
Level three is resting faith. It does not struggle!
Perfect faith is a position in your life where you ask God, and then you wait upon him. You simply can rest. There is no anxiety, there is no fretting, there is no worrying, there is no wandering, and there is no questioning.
A person operating at this trust level knows he has what he requests, because he stands on God’s Word in absolute assurance (Matt. 21:22).
Perfect faith says: not only can God, but it is a done deal. There is no more trying to figure it out or trying to work it out. Perfect faith sees the situation as complete. Perfect faith sees the victory over the problem or circumstance.
So where does God want our faith to be aligned today? Does he want us on level one, how about two, or three? Does he want us anxious, struggling, or wrestling? No! That’s not where God wants you.
He wants us to move from level, one, to level two, and then he wants us to rest and level three.
Most of the time I see people moving through levels one and two quick but then there are those few who remain at level one.
The reason why they struggle is because they have not accepted who God is who he says he is. Once we accept that, once we believe that, once we know that. We know that God is wise and that God is powerful. God is above all and we know that God loves us. Therefore, he proves his self over and over again, and pretty soon we have no reason to doubt him. He always comes through and he’s always there for us. Those are shouting words today.
Perfect faith is the goal for every believer. In Mark 11:14-20, the disciples noticed that the fig tree Jesus had cursed (v. 14) was now withered from the roots up. Jesus’ response was, “Have faith in God … all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them [past tense], and they will be granted you [future tense]” (vv. 22-24). Perfect faith knows what God says and doesn’t question it, but confidently assumes it is as good as done.
Little faith frets because circumstances look bleak and assumes that God must not be listening. Great faith reasons, “Father, You said You would supply my need, and I am trusting You to do it.” Perfect faith says, “You have promised You would supply my need, and I know You have already prepared the provision You have in mind. What is a struggle for me is no struggle for You at all—You have it all worked out.
