November 4, 2012
Matt 17:20
Introduction
- As I was growing up, I was intrigued by the word "faith"
- I wondered what it was like to have faith
- I wondered about moving mountains
- I wondered about what God could do if I had enough faith
- Later in life I read and listened to people on TV, who had faith, and saw how God did marvellous things through them
- So what is faith? What is the basis for my faith?
- Matthew 17:14-20 Setting a person free from demonic oppression
Definition of faith
- Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- This means that faith has to do with things that are hoped for, it is things that we desire, but they have not yet become reality
- In this example, the disciples wanted to see this person set free, but it was not yet a reality, something they could see
- We may have faith for different things
- We may have faith for getting a particular job
- We may have faith for finding the right person God has intended for us to marry
- We may have faith for all kinds of things
- But ultimately, having faith means we have not yet received what we are hoping for
- On the other hand, faith is the evidence that we are going to receive that thing!
- When we have faith, we will receive an answer
- If we have faith as a mustard seed, Jesus says, nothing will be impossible for us
What does this mountain represent?
- In the Greek, the word literally means a mountain
- A mountain seems invincible
- Nothing could ever move that mountain
- But Jesus tells us in this verse that we will be able to move it out of our way
- That mountain is stopping us from moving forward
- God says, nothing is impossible, that mountain can be moved out of the way
- So what is this mountain for you?
- For the disciples here in Matthew, this mountain represented a demon that did not want to be dislodged
- Some demons leave easier than others
- This was a tough one, and Jesus says, "You didnt have faith that it would go"
- He says, if you only had a little faith - God can work with that
- But they looked at the obstacle and it seemed so tough they lost all faith
- Sometimes our situation seems so hard, we despair of ever getting past it
- Jesus says, have faith
- Even a tiny bit of faith is sufficient - faith like a mustard seed
Faith is like a faucet
- We sometimes think, I havent got enough faith for this thing to get out of my life
- We may be talking about a sickness, or a family situation, or a depression or fear about something
- But Jesus says, if you have faith as a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible to you
- In other words, either we have faith or we dont
- In the parable about the talents, the king gives talents to his servants
- Some of them trusted him and worked with the talents to varying degrees
- But one of them was afraid of his master and went and hid his talents
- Either I trust God or I don't
- When I dont trust in God I may still do the right things, but trusting in myself
- God asks us to trust him
- Just like a dad and his son - either I trust him or I don't
- Doesn't mean he is perfect, but as a child I chose to trust my dad
- God wants us to trust him, just like a little child trusts his parents
- Friday morning in the Bible study at Crossroads, we discussed Jesus blessing the children - anyone who does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it
- Heb 10:38 - the just shall live by faith
- We live this out moment by moment
- "Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again -- until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other." - William Booth in The Founder's Messages to Soldiers, Christianity Today, October 5, 1992, p. 48
- That faith is expressed in our actions
- James 2:26 - faith without works is dead
Conclusion
- Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace - Oswald Chambers in Run Today's Race.
- Like Daniel's three friends who decided to trust God whether he would rescue them from the furnace or not
- We trust God because he loves us and will do only what is right and best for us
- When we trust Him like this we can step out in obedience when he gives us direction
- Either we trust in God or we trust in ourselves
- There is no Mr In Between
- We have been called, we have been sanctified, we have been justified
- We have been called to live by faith, step by step, all the time
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