Dover Assembly of God
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
Faith says in the midst of a storm to step out of the boat when the world says if you do you will die.
Faith says to give all you have expecting that God will supply your needs when the world says to hang on to the little you have with all your might.
Faith says you’re well when the world says you’re sick.
Faith says your needs are met while the world has bill collectors calling you.
Faith says to put your trust in a man you’ve never met, who claimed to be the son of the God you’ve never seen and that by putting your trust in him when you die you will go to a place you can’t possibly imagine.
Does it sound like having faith is a tall order?
We are having faith every minute of every day and in every circumstance; the sad reality is that it just isn’t always in God.
We ask every week did you come expecting, but do we? And what are we expecting? This is another way of asking “what is your faith in?” What are you believing for?
According to Hebrews 11:1, by definition faith has to be specific. It can’t be faith and be nebulous. If you have a specific need, what scriptures are you using to base your belief on for the answer?
Let’s establish some ground rules:
~ First, God’s Word is just that; His Word
~ It is inerrant - without error
~ It is infallible - incapable of being wrong
~ It is unchanging - remains the same
~ It is eternal - will be around forever
~ It is Jesus
John 1:1 NKJV
John 1:14 NKJV
The world wants to sell you many “truths” today, but where they contradict God’s Word, you have to choose which to believe.
Joshua 24:14-15 NKJV
Regardless of circumstance:
II Corinthians 5:7 NKJV
Where do we get faith?
Romans 10:17 NKJV
1) UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
Hebrews 11:3 NKJV
2) FAITH SUSTAINS US
Matthew 4:4 NKJV
Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV
Psalms 118:17 NKJV
Philippians 4:19 NKJV
~ There is no healing need that is beyond God.
~ These are just 4 scriptures - the Bible contains a multitude more that covers any need you may have.
~ If you think your need or circumstance is beyond God, what you are saying is that the devil came up with something God didn’t foresee or can’t fix.
~ If you think God doesn’t care He already proved He does by sending Jesus. God’s will had to be for Jesus to die so that He could become our ram in the thicket, our 11th hour miracle. Jesus prayed His prayer in the garden as Isaac, but He wasn’t Isaac, He was the lamb that God chose as a substitute.
How many churches, pastors and theologians have said in the last 70 years something to the effect of: “this is what the Bible says, but what God really meant was….” God meant what He said. Let’s start with that.
If we believe God’s Word is the Bible, and if we claim to be a Christian, or Christ follower, then what we are saying is that we agree to live according to His Word.
If you accept Christ as your Savior and you believe, then you are in a covenant relationship with the Almighty. A covenant is a contract, and like any contract we are obligated to obey all of the contract.
In the natural you don’t sign a contract and then only do the parts of it that you like - if you sign up you are obligated to follow all of it.
God is no different. He is patient, He is merciful, but He expects us to grow, by learning more of His word and obeying it.
Never despise humble beginnings - just don’t use that as an excuse to stop growing. Search out God’ Word and learn for yourselves what God has in store for you.
When you pray, be specific
James 4:2 NKJV
God may not always answer the way we think He should; He may not answer when we think He should - but if it is in God’s Word then you need to expect that it will happen in this world.