Pastor Wayne Cordeiro, Pastor Jon Burgess
October 22, 2017 - W1743

PASTOR WAYNE CORDEIRO VIA VIDEO:

Good morning people. I’m so glad you could make it today.

Faith. Today, let's talk about that word. Faith has been a word that's been misunderstood and misused. It's been diluted and disputed, and even generalized. Faith has become synonymous to simplifying a person's religious preference or spiritual viewpoint even if it has nothing to do with Jesus Christ.

We are often defined by our faith, aren’t we? That’s why Matthew 9:27-29 says,

“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.”

Now let me ask you: Where did that faith come from? There must have been enough faith to stir up and prepare a condition for the miraculous to take place. It didn't come by just believing in an opinion or having a personal viewpoint. No, it came by believing in a person. They saw Him, the person of Christ. It was faith in Christ, not in an opinion. Not in what I think, but in who He is.

Obviously, since the men were blind, they couldn't really see Him. They couldn't have been eyewitnesses to Jesus's miracles, but maybe through others their faith must have been ignited.

In another example, faith is found in a Roman centurion:

“And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.”  Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.’ Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” (Matthew 8:5-10) 

Through these examples God shows us that it's not those of great status that the Lord marvels at. It's the common everyday people that know how to apply faith. When they have this type of faith, we give God the ultimate gift of believing in His power. That honors God, and He is thrilled to respond with the miraculous.

How many of us would love to have God marvel at our faith? It can be so hard for us to have that same posture of faith that these people had because, you see, we live in a society that loves to worry. In fact, did you know that one?third of all mentally?ill patients have problems rooted in worry and fear?

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life- whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” (Luke 12:22-26)

Worry is a signal that change needs to take place. Isn't that true? God never promised that we wouldn't have problems. He says here that each day will have problems of its own, but the heart with which we approach those problems cannot be a worrisome and fearful heart. No matter how long we've been a Christian, this is going to be a battle we'll constantly have to win.

Here are 3 principles to help your faith.

1. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.

The Bible says,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

PASTOR JON BURGESS:

Aren't these great words? “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith?” I am so thankful for the wisdom of Pastor Wayne, and if you think about how far we've come in six weeks ?? this is the end of our Faith Fixer Upper series. It's the last week of our small groups. There are over 600 small groups. Thousands of us are involved in the small groups. And, by the way, if you want to catch the rest of Pastor Wayne's message, yeah, you got it, go to your small group this week and dig a little deeper.

So here is the second principle on faith.

2. Keep your faith on pace through prayer.

If you want to grow your faith, pray about anything. Pray about everything. Pray through it all, and watch God begin like a stair stepper to increase your faith.

Luke 17:5-6 says, “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Show us how to increase our faith.’ The Lord answered, ‘If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,” and it would obey you!’”

Jesus is saying that when you start out, you start out with a tiny mustard seed. All it starts out with is just one prayer, and then you move from there and you begin to speak to the small things in your life and then move on to mulberry trees. You keep tripping over these shrubs over and over, again, and the Lord is saying, “You don't have to do that. I'm landscaping your soul. You can tell that thing to be removed and it has to go.” Then your faith begins to increase even more.

Also start forgiving people in your life, and you will find your faith increasing from a mustard seed to a mulberry tree to a mountain top. Nothing will increase your faith faster or quicker or higher than the power of forgiveness. Finally,

3. Put your faith in the right place.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

1. Put your faith in Jesus Christ Himself. Everyone else will fail you. No matter how much they love you, no matter how much you love them, they cannot handle the weight of your faith. There's only one who can. It's the rock Jesus Christ, the immoveable one, the shelter that we run to the high tower that we put our trust in. We can't trust in anything else. We should not put our faith in anything else but Him.

    And I feel like some of you guys right now are crushing your marriage and you're crushing your kids and you are crushed yourself. It is an impossible place because you've been putting your faith in yourself, in your family, in your relationships, in your devotion, and your finances instead of Christ alone and you're wondering why everyone is buckling around you. Fix your faith on Him.

   And I'm letting you know, everyone else is going to let you down. Maybe you're waiting for a husband or a wife. Maybe you're waiting for your kids to finally get their lives right. Maybe you're waiting for that promotion in your job. And I'm telling you don't put it off because even when you get those things, they will let you down. But there is one you can know here and now, and He has called you by name. In fact, he has laid it all down so he can lift you up for eternity. He sent His Son for this moment right here.

   Questions:

1. What is the definition of faith?

2. Why is faith so important?

3. Why are we defined by faith?

4. What are three principles to help your faith?

5. What are some examples of living by faith?