1 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,440 Hallelujah. So we've been on a journey 2 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:20,960 talking about faith, true biblical faith, true biblical 3 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,400 faith. And we've seen through the 4 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:29,160 Scripture, through these last few services that true biblical 5 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,360 faith is not for the weak, right? 6 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,080 It's not for the casual Christian. 7 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,480 Come on, true biblical faith. He says that we are to live by 8 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,640 the righteous. What shall live by faith? 9 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,200 And he tells us that we are to what? 10 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:52,360 Walk by faith and not by sight? But so many believers, and 11 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,640 everybody in this world still lives by sight. 12 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:03,240 And he tells us that we are to live by faith, to live by faith. 13 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,640 So what is true biblical faith? We've been talking about this 14 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,760 for several weeks. And we started out of Hebrews 15 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,960 Chapter 11 and verses one through through through three. 16 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,920 It says, now faith is the substance of things. 17 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:23,600 What hope for the evidence of things not seen. 18 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,920 So true biblical faith cannot be seen, OK. 19 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,360 And we said it is out of this world. 20 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,920 That's why people think you're crazy when you do great exploits 21 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:41,000 that God asks you to do when you step out in faith because you're 22 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,360 stepping out on in the unseen. Hallelujah. 23 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:51,840 And we talked about faith is a firm persuasion. 24 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:57,680 Are you firmly persuaded for those of you that have called on 25 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,560 the name of the Lord that you are saved, that you are His 26 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,440 child? Amen. 27 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:10,039 So if you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord, then guess 28 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:13,600 what? You should be firmly persuaded 29 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,640 that you are His child and nothing should be able to take 30 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:23,080 you right away from your faith or your belief in knowing that 31 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,760 His word says those that call on His name, right? 32 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:32,040 Repent of their sin and call on His name shall be saved. 33 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,160 Hallelujah. You make Him Lord of your life. 34 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,760 You're firmly persuaded. Nobody can talk me out of that, 35 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:45,200 right? Nobody can talk you out of it, 36 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,280 right? You're firmly persuaded that 37 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,360 you're his child. Hallelujah. 38 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,920 Well, that's how we should be firmly persuaded when it comes 39 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:57,880 to doing everything else that God says in His Word that 40 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,000 belongs to His children. He says we have an inheritance. 41 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,120 Amen. There are some things, some 42 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,480 promises that belong to His children, not just when we get 43 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,480 to heaven, but right here in the earth. 44 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:16,920 He says that we can rule and reign in this life. 45 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,440 Amen. So that means there's some 46 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:24,960 things that we don't have to, you know, participate in, like 47 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,800 the world participates. We don't have to participate in 48 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:34,080 depression because he says the joy of the Lord is my strength. 49 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,280 We don't have to participate in that. 50 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,080 We don't have to participate in lack of our finances when he 51 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,920 says, my God shall supply all of my needs according to his riches 52 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,240 in glory. Amen. 53 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,440 Hallelujah. We don't have to participate in 54 00:03:53,440 --> 00:04:00,240 allowing sickness and disease to eat up our body because it says 55 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,880 that over 2000 years ago when he died on that cross and he took 56 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:10,520 on those stripes, that by his stripes I am healed. 57 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,720 Amen. We don't have to participate in 58 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:20,680 everything else that the world or unbelievers participate in 59 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,760 and welcome in their life, right? 60 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:29,200 Because if we are going to be true believers and walk by 61 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,240 faith, Amen, then we're going to have to be firmly persuaded in 62 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,680 everything that he says belongs to us. 63 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,600 So we said the biblical definition of faith is a firm 64 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,600 persuasion based on what we believe, right? 65 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:52,160 And at that we have accepted as truth, because many people can 66 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,360 hear the Word and see things in the word, but they can still not 67 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:02,200 believe it for themselves and not accept it as truth for 68 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,000 themselves. Yes, it is my truth. 69 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,920 And that's the only thing you should be saying is your truth. 70 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,720 This right here is my truth. Nothing else. 71 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,080 Come on, this is my truth right here. 72 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,240 And this is what I stand upon. And I'm firmly persuaded that 73 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,400 His word will not fail me. Amen. 74 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,680 That He says heaven and earth is going to pass away, but it's His 75 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,800 word that will remain till the end. 76 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:39,400 Hallelujah, glory to God. So we said a firm persuasion 77 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:44,480 based on what you believe, what you have accepted as truth, what 78 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:50,080 you adhere to so firmly that it actually governs your life. 79 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:54,920 That it actually governs what you think, what you say, and 80 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:59,840 what you do. This is true biblical faith. 81 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:06,960 That what His Word has said about me as His child, I adhere 82 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,960 to it. I believe it as my truth. 83 00:06:10,280 --> 00:06:16,080 I act upon it, and the result of me acting upon it is that I'm 84 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,400 going to think like he thinks. I'm not going to think like the 85 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,040 world thinks. I'm going to act like he says 86 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,840 that I should act. That is holy just as he is holy. 87 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:28,520 Come on. I'm going to talk like he talks. 88 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,200 That means when something's going on in my life and there's 89 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,920 an odd against me, I'm going to say, but it is written. 90 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:44,200 But it is written, Hallelujah. Whatever his word says, I 91 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,520 believe it. I walk by faith. 92 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,520 I live by faith. Come on, Hallelujah. 93 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:55,680 And this is true biblical faith. This is my reality. 94 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,680 It may not be everybody else's reality, but this is my reality 95 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:07,080 right here because I am firmly persuaded, Glory to God, this is 96 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:12,560 my confidence, this is my conviction, and this is what we 97 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:17,760 are to live by every day, not just on Sunday, not just on 98 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,760 Wednesday, not when things are just going good. 99 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:28,600 Every day, in the good times, in the bad times, come on every 100 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,400 day, I am to live by it, I'm to walk by it. 101 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:37,560 And I believe that what his word says will have to come to pass 102 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,240 Amen. Hallelujah. 103 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:44,880 So it is a firm persuasion, a confident expectation with a 104 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:50,080 corresponding action. That means you will act upon 105 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,640 what you believe you'll act upon it. 106 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,080 So whatever it is that He says in His Word that you're to do, 107 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:00,960 you're going to act upon it. Amen. 108 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,120 Because this is what true biblical faith is. 109 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,080 And we said that this word substance, faith is the 110 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,480 substance. We said that substance is what 111 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,880 you build your life upon. It is the foundation. 112 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,480 It is what you are standing upon. 113 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,640 I am building my life upon the substance of faith. 114 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,200 This is the foundation of my life. 115 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,720 Amen. This is the foundation. 116 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,960 This is what I build my life of faith upon. 117 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,480 This is the substance. And we know that this substance 118 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:44,920 of faith comes from His Word. The substance of faith comes 119 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:50,240 from His word because Romans tells us what faith comes from 120 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,120 hearing and hearing from the Word. 121 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:58,240 So faith this, the word of God is the substance of faith. 122 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,680 So every time you open up the word and you read it, faith 123 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:05,840 comes alive. If you'll have ears to hear, 124 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:10,560 come on if you'll know that. Hebrews 412 says that His word 125 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:14,720 is living and active, sharper than any 2 edged store, able to 126 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,960 penetrate between Come on joy and mirror, soul and spirit, 127 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,120 glory to God, and that His word, when it's sent out, it shall not 128 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:27,000 return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I 129 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:31,560 have sent it to do. Are you firmly persuaded in His 130 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:36,200 word? Come on in His word because it's 131 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:40,360 the substance of faith. Glory to God and how believers 132 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:45,800 cannot be taking this as their daily bread blows my mind. 133 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,040 And we wonder why Christians don't even know what they stand 134 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:54,400 for, what they believe in, and can't even be bold enough to 135 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:59,440 speak it in a world that needs the Kingdom of God to eyes up 136 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:08,920 with Bold faith people, biblical faith people, Hallelujah, that 137 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:13,920 actually stand upon the Word of God is not ashamed of what the 138 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,800 Word says because it is not old, it is not irrelevant, it does 139 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:23,880 not change. It's the same yesterday, today 140 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:30,960 and forever. God changes not man may change 141 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,320 what the word is saying. They may try to get rid of 142 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,600 scriptures out of their new written Bibles. 143 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,280 But I'm telling you what His word does not change. 144 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,960 It is consistent generation after generation after 145 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:50,840 generation. Glory to God, Hallelujah. 146 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:58,560 So again, we're looking at the fact that true biblical faith is 147 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:02,680 a firm persuasion. Come on within your heart. 148 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,360 And he tells us that we are to live by this faith, build our 149 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,600 life upon this, walk in it. And we said that once we got 150 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:19,080 born again, we all were given Roman says this what the measure 151 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,760 of faith. The measure of faith. 152 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,640 Romans 12/3. Let's look at this, for I say so 153 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:30,320 through the grace which has been given to me, to everyone that is 154 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,640 among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should 155 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:38,600 think, but think to, but to think so as to be wise. 156 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:45,760 For as God has dealt to each a measure of faith, and we said 157 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:51,640 that the minute we called on the name of the Lord, that faith was 158 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:57,280 what planted within our hearts, the seed of faith. 159 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,040 The minute we called on, the minute we heard the word that we 160 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,840 needed a Savior, that we needed to be delivered, that we needed 161 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,800 to be forgiven, the seed of faith was planted within our 162 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,120 hearts. That word planted within our 163 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,400 hearts, we believed it and what did we do? 164 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,200 And we confessed it with our mouth, Hallelujah. 165 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:26,640 We received the word, we believe the word, we release the word 166 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:31,680 and it confess and through confession that He is the Lord 167 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:33,960 of my life. Hallelujah. 168 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:39,600 And once we did that, the seed of faith, I like to say, was 169 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:45,040 impregnated within you. Faith just dropped in you and 170 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:50,000 came alive. Hallelujah, the seed of the 171 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:55,280 word, Hallelujah. And we said this, that that is 172 00:12:55,640 --> 00:13:01,440 the law of faith. The law of faith is that we are 173 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:06,920 to hear the Word, believe the Word, receive the Word, act upon 174 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:13,160 the Word by speaking and doing whatever it is the Word says for 175 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:17,280 us to do. And when we do that it we see 176 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:22,280 this principle or this law of faith operating for whatever it 177 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,560 is that God says in His Word belongs to us. 178 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:30,040 So the way you got born again is the same way that you're going 179 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,960 to receive every promise of the inheritance that He says belongs 180 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,400 to you as His child. You're going to hear it what the 181 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,640 word said. You're going to believe it. 182 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,040 Come on, you're going to confess it and speak it out, and you're 183 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:48,400 going to act on that word, whatever it is, whatever it is 184 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,120 that He says in His word. So from here on out, that's what 185 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:57,520 we must do to continue to live by faith and obtain all the 186 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,280 promises of God. He's not just dropping it down 187 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:05,200 on you. People just think, oh, I'm born 188 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:06,800 again and God's got to do all this. 189 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,240 He's in control and he has to do all these things for me. 190 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:14,680 No, he does nothing without your participation. 191 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,160 Because if he could, then everybody would be born again 192 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,960 and he wouldn't be sending anybody to hell. 193 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:31,120 No, everybody has to participate in what God says belongs to us. 194 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:38,240 Everything, everything, Amen. So this is a picture of what 195 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:43,000 true biblical faith looks like. This is that spiritual law that 196 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,000 is in operation. And actually I didn't give you 197 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,480 the scripture for that, but I want you to see it. 198 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:53,240 Romans 327 says this. When then is boasting, it is 199 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,600 excluded. But what kind of law of works? 200 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:01,480 No, but by the law, a law of faith. 201 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:05,520 This was him in Romans talking about the law and circumcision 202 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,240 and him saying, no, this is about the law of faith in Christ 203 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:13,240 Jesus now. And so he calls it the law of 204 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,640 faith, that when we are in Christ Jesus now, we are 205 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,360 participating in the law of faith. 206 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,680 Nobody wants to hear those terms law anymore, but you better 207 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:29,000 thank God there's a law of faith because that's how you got born 208 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:34,440 again because of his law that he read in his word that said if 209 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,000 you call on my name, you shall be saved. 210 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:43,640 Amen, glory to God. And so this is a faith, law or 211 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:49,040 principles and how we are to obtain from him and what it is 212 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,760 he says belongs to us. OK, so we've got that clear 213 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,480 right now. This is the one point I wanted 214 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,720 to talk about because we're going to go from here. 215 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:03,840 So, you know, I talked about the seed of the word out of Mark 4, 216 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,200 right? The parable of the seed, the 217 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,840 sower. And we talked about the fact 218 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:15,080 that there was different places that he sowed the seed and it 219 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:19,240 was related to what we were going to do with the seed that 220 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:20,760 was sown. If we're going to let it be on 221 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,280 the wayside, if we're going to, you know, all the other things, 222 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,880 let it get choked out, the word right, all those things. 223 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:32,200 But then he goes on and says, but we are going to see a 224 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,960 harvest of either 3060 or a hundredfold return. 225 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:43,600 And that is up to us. That is up to us. 226 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:49,880 So what kind of return do you want in the earth from your 227 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:58,360 faith? Do you want a 3030 fold return? 228 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:05,000 Do you want a 60 fold return or do you want 100 fold return of 229 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,079 your faith working in the earth? You want to see all God's 230 00:17:09,079 --> 00:17:12,240 promises and everything that He said belongs to you. 231 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:14,200 You want to see it? Amen. 232 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,240 You want to walk in it? Hallelujah. 233 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:21,240 But again, it's up to us. So again, we've all been given 234 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:27,160 the measure of faith, right? So we are all on the same 235 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:32,640 playing field. Nobody's been given more faith 236 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,080 than someone else. We've all been given the measure 237 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:41,800 that each individual needs to accomplish what it is that he 238 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,200 says our assignment is or our purpose is in the earth, Every 239 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,840 single one of us. It's not more measure of faith 240 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:55,560 for the pastor, right? Or a more measure of faith for 241 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,800 whoever a business. No, we've all been given the 242 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:06,080 measure, right? And so it's up to us to produce 243 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:11,160 and allow that measure to increase within our lives. 244 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:16,360 We are responsible for the increase in our lives. 245 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:21,160 We're responsible for the increase in our life and how we 246 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:26,480 are going to work our faith. We're not getting born again by 247 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,160 works. We're working our faith in the 248 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:35,640 earth that He gave us. You see what I'm saying, right? 249 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:39,920 So I'm not talking about works, you know, to get to heaven. 250 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,560 I'm talking about the works and the things that He has assigned 251 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:45,960 every individual in the earth to do. 252 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:50,640 And we are to do it by faith. And we've all been given the 253 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:55,000 measure of faith to be able to accomplish whatever it is. 254 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:59,360 But again, we are the ones that's going to determine what 255 00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:04,680 type of return we get on our life of faith. 256 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:13,840 Amen. So let's go here to let's go to 257 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:22,120 Romans chapter one, verse 17. I want to show you that faith 258 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:29,520 should grow, is expected to grow and can grow. 259 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:36,320 We don't just get born again by our faith, through grace, by our 260 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:41,640 faith. And that's where we stay or that 261 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:43,560 that's all that God expects of us. 262 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:45,360 You got born again, you're good to go. 263 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:52,000 That's not what he expects. Anything God does, there's 264 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,160 multiplication and increase. Period. 265 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:02,960 Look at it in the Word. Everything he does or you can 266 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,160 say. Everything he puts his hand to 267 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,520 prospers. Everything. 268 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,840 Is to increase and grow within our life. 269 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,200 You know, I've already taught on the elementary principles and we 270 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:21,280 saw that we're to go from babies right from infants to, you know, 271 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:27,160 maturity. So He expects for us to grow and 272 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:32,600 we can see through Scripture where He shows us that faith can 273 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:39,320 grow and should grow. And so again, we are here in the 274 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:45,640 earth to allow faith to grow within our hearts. 275 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:50,320 So Romans 17 says, for in it the righteousness of God is 276 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:51,600 revealed. From what? 277 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,280 Faith to faith. Another scripture talks about 278 00:20:55,280 --> 00:21:00,160 glory to glory. So you are to go from faith to 279 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,160 faith, or you can say it this way. 280 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,160 You are to grow from faith to faith. 281 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,840 You're to grow from faith to faith. 282 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:15,720 Amen. Because every time you begin to 283 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:20,640 act upon His word and what you have heard for Him that He said 284 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:26,080 to you, for you to do, every time you begin to act upon it, 285 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,520 you're in faith. And He expects there to be more 286 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:37,160 and more and more accomplished. So you are to grow from faith to 287 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,520 faith. OK, We see that Scripture here. 288 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:45,120 Now look at Romans 4. We talked a whole lesson about 289 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:49,240 Abraham, the father of faith or the father of us. 290 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,080 All right? He's our example of faith. 291 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,120 OK. And Romans 420 through 21 says 292 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:00,880 this. Yet with respect to the promise 293 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:06,880 of God, He did not waver in unbelief, but what grew strong 294 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:14,120 in faith, He did not waver in unbelief, but grew stronger. 295 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:20,200 So every time we are in a position of faith, it should be 296 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:28,560 helping us grow stronger every time that is to produce within 297 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:35,760 us more faith, to go to faith. So it's it's for us to grow 298 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,280 stronger when we're in the middle. 299 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:43,920 And we talked about Abraham, listen, he had to believe God 300 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,080 that his wife would conceive the promised child. 301 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,600 That was a faith battle, right? And this is where we're seeing 302 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:54,080 it. He wavered not, but he grew in 303 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,760 that faith battle. He had to believe God, right? 304 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:04,560 What about when God called him to go to a place that he could 305 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,480 not see? He didn't know where he was 306 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,840 going, but God said, get up and go to Abraham. 307 00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:13,800 Get up to get up and go, and I'll show you the place that I 308 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,880 have for you. So by faith, he had to get up 309 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:21,200 and go. So his faith grew so that then 310 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:25,120 the next time he's in this situation, his faith is a little 311 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:28,560 bit stronger so that he could believe God for this promised 312 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,080 child. But then guess what else? 313 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:35,840 He tested him again and expected his faith to be even stronger 314 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,880 that he said, now you give up that promised child, right? 315 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:46,600 And put him on the altar. But his faith grew, and if he 316 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,800 saw that God was faithful then, and he saw that God was faithful 317 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:55,480 again, come on, then he had no problem trusting God again and 318 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:59,920 saying he must be able to raise him up from the dead. 319 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:04,800 His faith grew stronger every time. 320 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,280 Every, every single time God asked him to do something else. 321 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:13,680 His faith was growing stronger and stronger. 322 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,000 And you know what? When he was giving up to say, 323 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:23,240 I'm going to lay the promise on the altar and sacrifice it. 324 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:28,720 You know what God's saying, There's some things I'm asking 325 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:33,080 of you that you need to lay on the altar once and for all and 326 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:38,240 sacrifice that thing unto me so that I can take you into another 327 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,640 place of faith that I've been waiting to take you in. 328 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,680 But you're unwilling because you said, but God, I believe God for 329 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,840 this. But are you willing to let it 330 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:52,800 all go so that He can take you from faith to faith to another 331 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,040 place that he's wanting you to go to? 332 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:03,280 And how many of us are unwilling to put it on the altar even? 333 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,280 I mean, this is OK. We had to believe God for our 334 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,480 house. If he said pick and sell it all, 335 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:15,280 sell it all. I'm calling you to Timbuktu. 336 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,160 God. I believe God for this house. 337 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:24,080 I believe God for this. I believe God for this, that you 338 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:33,520 promised me this, you. But at any moment, are you 339 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,120 willing to say, I'll lay it all down because I know you did it 340 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:41,440 here, I know you did it there, I know you did it here, I know you 341 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,520 did it there. My faith is so strong because of 342 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,480 all the things you've done for me, and I've seen the hand of 343 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,360 God move upon my life. I'm willing to lay it all down 344 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:56,480 once again and step out on Nothingville, step out on my 345 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:01,240 faith to go to another place of faith. 346 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,120 But again, I said the Christianity in the United 347 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:14,720 States is there's no sacrifice. That is not true biblical faith, 348 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,800 bottom line, bottom line, that is not true biblical faith that 349 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:25,040 you would never have to sacrifice anything for God. 350 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,480 It's not true. Don't see it in the Word from 351 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:35,120 Genesis to Revelation, any time God asks anybody to do anything, 352 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:41,880 they had to be willing to let it all go, period, period. 353 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:50,000 And I still can't get Noah out of my mind because, you know, 354 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,560 and the reason why I think about Noah so much is because he says 355 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,320 in the last days, it's going to be like the days of Noah. 356 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:06,400 And so Noah's always on my mind. And I think about the fact that 357 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,520 God told him, I want you to build this ark, gave him the 358 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,880 dimensions of it and everything had never seen. 359 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:19,160 They had never seen rain before. What are you going to do with a 360 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:24,520 big old ark in the middle of a desert, right? 361 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,200 Or wherever it is. I'm not good with geography, so 362 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:33,880 whatever. Anyway, all I know is there's a 363 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:38,760 big boat and they had never seen rain, right? 364 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:44,920 So here they are here. How long did he take? 365 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,400 120 years? I don't know that it literally 366 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:55,760 took him 120 years to build it, but it was 120 years before the 367 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,680 rain came. So however long it took him, 368 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:03,120 surely it was years upon years upon years. 369 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:13,320 We know that he was mocked, he was persecuted, he was called 370 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,840 crazy. He looked like a crazy loon out 371 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:20,360 there and Sing look like a crazy man. 372 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,040 Well, they said that about, you know, John the Baptist, too. 373 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,280 Oh, you mean you get talked about when you're trying to 374 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,520 follow God? Poor little baby can't handle 375 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:37,080 any persecution. I mean, this is the society that 376 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:41,560 we're living in today. And so they don't. 377 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:46,200 So this was a sacrifice for Noah to stand out there and build 378 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:51,840 that ark for all these years, having to trust God that he 379 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,160 would do what he said he would do. 380 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,920 And while all along people were mocking him and talking about 381 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,480 him and calling him crazy. But God, did he come through? 382 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,280 And did he do it to save and deliver? 383 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:15,880 Yeah, so when he's asking things of us to do in faith, there's 384 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,840 always, always a reward in the end. 385 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,960 It's always about someone else. It's not just about you. 386 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:32,240 It's not just about you. It's not just about you stepping 387 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:36,280 out in faith to do whatever you need to do for your little 388 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,240 family. No, when God asks you to do 389 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,960 something, it's supposed to influence more than just your 390 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:49,480 family because people will see, wow, look what God is doing in 391 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:55,200 your life. Glory to God, Hallelujah. 392 00:29:55,840 --> 00:30:01,560 So where were we? He grew strong in faith, 393 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:06,640 Abraham, and had to go through this process every time the Lord 394 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,400 asked of him to do something. His faith grew stronger and 395 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:16,600 stronger and stronger every time that he stepped out and obeyed 396 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:18,640 God. Amen. 397 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,560 Hallelujah. So let's go to 2nd Corinthians 398 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,320 1015. I just want to prove to you that 399 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:28,920 faith is to grow. Not boasting beyond measure, 400 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:33,640 that is, in other men's laborers, but with the hope that 401 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:39,320 as your faith grows, we will be within our sphere. 402 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:44,960 Look at that, enlarged even more by you. 403 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:52,640 So again, he expects us to grow our sphere of influence, or 404 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,400 we've talked about this, enlarging our tent or enlarging 405 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:02,800 our capacity to be able to be a better, a greater influence for 406 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,200 the Kingdom of God. And I'm not just talking about 407 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:14,980 an influencer on social media. I won't go down that trail 408 00:31:15,580 --> 00:31:19,880 anyway. 2nd Thessalonians 1 and three. 409 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,240 It says this. We ought to always to give 410 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,400 thanks to God for you brethren, as is only fitting, because your 411 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:34,760 faith is greatly enlarged, say greatly enlarged, and the love 412 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:39,600 of each one of you towards one another grows even greater. 413 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,520 And we know in Galatians, which I don't even have time to go 414 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,280 here, but Galatians 220 I believe it is talks about that 415 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:53,520 faith worketh by love, faith works by love. 416 00:31:53,960 --> 00:32:00,680 And so when you see what God is doing and how He's asking you to 417 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:06,440 walk in faith to accomplish something so that your influence 418 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:12,040 can grow and enlarge your capacity, it's always so that 419 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:15,160 His love can be seen through your life. 420 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,480 Because without love, your faith is not going to work. 421 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,080 So he's letting them know because you've done this faith, 422 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:28,400 your faith is enlarged and your love is even greater. 423 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,880 Glory to God. So just wanted to give you that 424 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,960 little tidbit. OK, now let's go to Mark 4. 425 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:43,760 Mark 435 through 41. I want to show you where in 426 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:48,680 Scripture it proves to us that, number one, you can have no 427 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:57,240 faith #2 you can have little faith #3 you can have great 428 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,880 faith. And #4 this is even greater. 429 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:12,160 You can have full faith, full faith, no little great fool in 430 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,080 the Scripture. So here he is here in Matthew 431 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,840 625 through 34. It says, for this reason, I say 432 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:23,720 to you, do not worry about life. And I'm using Scriptures about a 433 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,760 promise that he has said. So with this, with no faith, 434 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,720 this is a promise that we aren't to have to worry about tomorrow 435 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:35,600 because God knows exactly what we need, right? 436 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:37,080 We're going to read it in just a minute. 437 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:41,880 But it's showing us a, a spiritual principle or a promise 438 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:48,440 that belongs to us in faith. But he lets us know that you can 439 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,880 have no faith. Look at here. 440 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:56,480 So he says on that day when evening came, he said to them, 441 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:58,480 let us go over to, oh, this is not it. 442 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:00,640 Oh, sorry, it's the next one, little faith. 443 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,120 OK, this is not it. So Mark is about this. 444 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:06,640 OK, So he said to them, let us go over to the other side. 445 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:11,120 Leaving the crowd, they took him along with them in the boat, 446 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:15,000 just as he was, and the other boats were with him, and there 447 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:20,120 arose a fierce Gale wind, and the waves were breaking over the 448 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,080 boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 449 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,280 And Jesus himself was in the stern asleep. 450 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:29,080 You know, he was in the bottom of the boat asleep on the 451 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,280 cushion. And they woke him up and said, 452 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,440 Teacher, don't you care that we are dying? 453 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,800 Perishing 39 says this. And he got up. 454 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:42,360 He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush, be still. 455 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,960 One translation says, peace be still, right? 456 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,639 That's better than this little translation here, Hush, it says, 457 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:55,360 this it says, And the wind died down, and it became perfectly 458 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:59,280 What calm. And he said to them, Why are you 459 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:05,000 afraid? Do you still have no faith? 460 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:11,920 Why are you still in fear? Do you still have no faith? 461 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:18,080 You're still in fear after you've seen me do miracles after 462 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:23,720 miracles after miracles? Why are you still in a position 463 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:26,880 of no faith? He calls it like it is. 464 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:33,040 You still have no faith. So there, what happened? 465 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:36,920 He had given them the word, let's go to the other side. 466 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:44,440 That was where faith then should have been received, believed and 467 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,640 acted upon. But they didn't do it. 468 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:52,720 They let the circumstance, they let the winds, the waves, 469 00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:55,720 everything, the the boat filling up. 470 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:58,640 They're standing in the middle of the boat and it's filling up. 471 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:02,760 And instead of hearing what God said and reminding themselves, 472 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:07,920 but God said, he said that we were going to the other side 473 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:16,200 instead of rising up and speaking out, it is written. 474 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,880 God said, let's go to the other side. 475 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:21,640 So he expects us to go to the other side. 476 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:27,200 It is written. Faith comes from hearing and 477 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:31,280 hearing from the Word. Jesus is the manifestation of 478 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:35,680 the Word. He is the Word. 479 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,680 So the word spoke, they could hear. 480 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:44,320 All they had to do is believe it, act upon it in the middle of 481 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,400 the circumstance, in the situation. 482 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,600 But instead he said, why are you still in fear? 483 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:54,280 You have no faith. OK, let's go to little faith, 484 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:59,640 Matthew 6. You know this is a no when you 485 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:05,400 know, and I've said this, the opposite of faith is fear. 486 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:12,280 If fear is involved in whatever situation or circumstance in 487 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:18,960 your life, then guess what? You are not in faith because you 488 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,400 cannot have fear and faith in operation at the same time. 489 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:27,120 You can have love and faith in operation because perfect love 490 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:34,720 casts out all fear. Perfect love casts out all fear. 491 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:42,760 You see this and so you are not in faith if you are in fear, OK, 492 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:45,160 If there is fear, you're not in faith. 493 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:49,400 Now you can deal with that fear and you can get over into faith. 494 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,200 You can say no. It is written. 495 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:57,600 God said this. I take that clap, that thought 496 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,240 captive that's giving me anxiety, that's making me worry, 497 00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:05,000 or whatever the case may be. I submitted up underneath the 498 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,080 word of God. The word says perfect love, cast 499 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,880 out fear. I'm going to act upon the Word 500 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:15,200 instead of fear. And this is how you do it with 501 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:21,880 anything, with every situation, with anything and everything 502 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:26,880 that he says belongs to us. This is true biblical faith. 503 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,480 Now look at little faith, Matthew 625 and 34. 504 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:37,320 This is where we say, see this. For this reason, I say to you, 505 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:53,030 do not be worried about life. Do not be worried about life. 506 00:38:53,870 --> 00:38:57,150 And how many Christians do we know that are still worried 507 00:38:57,150 --> 00:39:09,080 every day about life? Do not worry about life, Don't 508 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:17,160 worry about life. Say it, say it again, say it 509 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,360 again. You need to say this every day 510 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:24,640 if you are what we call a worry wart. 511 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:29,920 That was my first sermon I ever had to preach. 512 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:32,920 Do you know that? Because guess what? 513 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:40,320 I was a warrior. And in Rhema to graduate, we had 514 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:46,000 to preach a sermon before our classmates before we could 515 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,280 graduate Bible school. And I preached this scripture 516 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:57,400 right here because I was learning that I didn't have to 517 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:04,280 worry about life. Do not worry. 518 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:08,960 I was not going to be a warrior, Hallelujah. 519 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:13,520 I was not going to let the worries of this life consume me. 520 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:18,560 So don't worry about your life as to what you will eat or what 521 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:22,360 you will drink, nor for your body as to what you will put on. 522 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:26,040 It is. Not life more than food and the 523 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:30,160 body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air. 524 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,200 They do not sow nor reap, nor gather into the barns. 525 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,760 And yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 526 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,600 He's fed me a many a time. And y'all have heard a few of 527 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:44,000 those testimonies in these last few weeks. 528 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:49,240 Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. 529 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:54,480 It says, are you not worth much more than a bird? 530 00:40:54,640 --> 00:41:03,080 Say I'm better than a bird, you're better than a bird. 531 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:05,800 Amen. So don't worry. 532 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:11,280 So he says this, he says look at the birds of the air. 533 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,080 Did I already read that verse 27? 534 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:20,720 Who and who of you being worried can add a single hour to his 535 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:24,920 life? And why are you worried about 536 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,600 clothing? Observe how the lilies of the 537 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,720 field grow. They do not toil, nor do they 538 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:34,280 spend. Yet I say that not even Solomon 539 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:38,000 in all of his glory clothes himself like one of these. 540 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:44,320 But if God so clothes the grass of the field which it is alive 541 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:50,800 today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, he will He not 542 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:57,720 much more clothe you. You of what little faith? 543 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:05,600 Little faith? So a warrior about these things 544 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:10,320 has little faith. Little faith just judges. 545 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:12,360 Isn't that what he says? Test and see. 546 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:16,400 Judge yourself. If you are in faith, this is the 547 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:20,600 way you can do that. Am IA person of no faith that 548 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:24,320 I've I've heard what he said, but I don't act upon it when I 549 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:28,720 circumstance or situation comes about or am IA person of little 550 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:33,200 faith that I still worry about some of these things about life. 551 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,560 See how you can measure where your faith is. 552 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:44,600 See this he says do not worry then saying what will you eat or 553 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,000 what will you drink or what will you wear for clothing for the 554 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:52,120 Gentiles eagerly seek all of these things talk about 555 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:56,200 clothing. Another testimony, you know, 556 00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:01,560 you've heard we had nothing right through 15 years of our 557 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:06,560 marriage. And so we were living with my 558 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:09,200 dad at the time in Atlanta, Marietta. 559 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:13,720 And this was before we moved over or maybe after. 560 00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:16,600 Yeah, it was after we had come back from the Roach infested 561 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:19,240 apartment, remember? And that night in the Roach 562 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:22,360 infested apt, I found out I was pregnant with Brianna. 563 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:29,400 This was 30 years ago. So anyway, so I had two boys. 564 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:33,600 So I'm like, oh, I finally get to have a little girl, you know, 565 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:37,520 I was so excited be able to dress her up in all these Pretty 566 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:39,720 Little clothes and all these things. 567 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:42,240 But guess what? I didn't have no money to buy 568 00:43:42,240 --> 00:43:48,600 baby clothes, right? So don't worry, don't worry 569 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:52,080 about what this child's going to wear, you know? 570 00:43:52,720 --> 00:43:58,720 So here is a good faith project for me once again that we're 571 00:43:58,720 --> 00:44:02,680 living with my dad and and have Brianna. 572 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:09,440 So she's being born. Well, all of a sudden we got 573 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:16,640 three big black, you know, the big black garbage bags, the 574 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:22,000 hefty ones for the 55 gallon, you know, trash cans. 575 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:29,600 We got three huge bags of little girl clothes. 576 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:34,120 So many of them still had the tags on them. 577 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:40,720 Nice clothes thanks to a sister-in-law that went into 578 00:44:40,720 --> 00:44:44,840 debt when she had her little girl and bought all these 579 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:48,040 clothes that she never even wore she gave us. 580 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:53,040 She came up and gave us 3 big bags of clothes. 581 00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:58,040 Listen to this. I did not have to buy Brianna 582 00:44:58,200 --> 00:45:01,760 clothes until she was five years old and starting school. 583 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:06,400 Didn't have to buy her a stitch of clothes. 584 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:11,200 Not what I wanted to. I was like, come on, God, can't 585 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:16,040 I just go pick out something, you know, for a little girl just 586 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:21,680 to say I bought it, you know? No, she had plenty, Plenty until 587 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,800 she was five years old and started school. 588 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:30,480 God provided. Don't worry about what you're 589 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:35,440 going to wear about clothing. Listen, I've got you, I'm taking 590 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:37,800 care of you. Hallelujah. 591 00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:42,240 Glory to God. Thank you, Lord, thank you, 592 00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:44,600 Lord. And he still does it today. 593 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:46,880 Amen. He still does it today. 594 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:50,080 For those who will believe, for those who will trust, for those 595 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:51,760 who will say I'm not going to worry. 596 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:57,080 God knows I have need of this and I'm doing what He's asking 597 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:02,240 me to do. He is going to take care of me. 598 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:05,840 I'm not going to have little faith. 599 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:08,920 Amen. And he goes on and tells you 600 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:13,720 what the requirement is, right? So that you won't have to worry. 601 00:46:13,720 --> 00:46:17,000 And he goes on in verse 33 and says this, But what? 602 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:20,680 Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness. 603 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:25,440 And that's what I was doing. That's what I was doing. 604 00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:29,120 I was seeking first His Kingdom. I was seeking first doing 605 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,320 whatever His word was saying to do. 606 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:36,160 I was seeking first stepping out and going, and wherever He was 607 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:40,400 leading us to go to fulfill the call and the purpose that was on 608 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:45,200 our life that we didn't even have a clue of, but God 609 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:53,200 navigated us the whole entire time because we trust in God. 610 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:56,200 Amen. And we saw first the Kingdom of 611 00:46:56,200 --> 00:46:59,320 God and His righteousness #3 great faith. 612 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:02,200 So we saw no faith, little faith. 613 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:06,560 Let's look at great faith. This is found in Matthew chapter 614 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:11,120 8, verses 5 through 10. And when Jesus entered into 615 00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:14,760 Capernaum, a centurion, you've heard pastor, minister on the 616 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:18,880 centurion right came to him, imploring him and saying, Lord, 617 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:23,480 my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented. 618 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:25,800 And Jesus said to him, I will come. 619 00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:29,720 Here's the word here's the word for him. 620 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:37,920 I will come, I will come he says and what heal him. 621 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:41,640 This was a promise to him. I'm going to come and I'm going 622 00:47:41,640 --> 00:47:50,280 to heal him so he could grab hold of faith right there at 623 00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:56,880 what Jesus's word just spoke to him and he said this in verse 8. 624 00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:02,520 But the in the I get so excited. I'm sorry, the centurion said, 625 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:07,840 Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just 626 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:12,320 what? Say the word 1 translation just 627 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:17,360 says, say the word only and my servant will be healed. 628 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:22,440 He had such great faith that all Jesus had to do was just speak 629 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:27,240 the word of healing over his servant and he could guarantee 630 00:48:27,240 --> 00:48:30,840 that when he went back, his servant was going to be healed. 631 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:37,240 He had faith in the what word, the substance of faith. 632 00:48:37,240 --> 00:48:40,920 Come on, what Jesus has said to us. 633 00:48:41,160 --> 00:48:46,360 We have to get back to faith, true biblical faith and what the 634 00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:49,760 word says to us about our situation. 635 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:58,000 Hallelujah, so that we can walk and see how this person had such 636 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:01,280 great faith. Now verse 9, it says, for I also 637 00:49:01,280 --> 00:49:04,000 am a man under authority and this is the key. 638 00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:08,320 He recognized authority. Lots of people want to act like 639 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:11,520 they want to heal, they want to act all kinds of way, but 640 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:14,720 they're not even submitted to God in the 1st place and 641 00:49:14,720 --> 00:49:17,960 submitted to His word and they wonder why things are happening 642 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:20,720 in their life because they're really not submitted to His 643 00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:25,120 authority. But that's a whole nother 644 00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:27,600 teaching that my husband does a wonderful job about. 645 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:34,720 So he says for I am a man under authority with son soldiers 646 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:36,880 under me. And I say to this one go and he 647 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:41,560 goes and to another come and he comes and to my slave do this 648 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:45,040 and he does it. Now when Jesus heard this, he 649 00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:50,520 marvelled and said to those who were following, truly I say to 650 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:58,520 you, I have not found such what great faith with anyone in 651 00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:05,200 Israel because the man believed him at his word and he 652 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:10,760 recognized that he was in authority and he was submitted 653 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:15,760 to authority himself. Hallelujah, great faith. 654 00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:19,760 You want to operate in great faith, get submitted to some 655 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:25,560 real authority in your life. Hallelujah, the authority of the 656 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:31,000 fear of the Lord right here first and foremost, and then to 657 00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:35,720 your pastors. Let's look at this last one 658 00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:39,480 here. Great no faith, little faith, 659 00:50:41,640 --> 00:50:43,520 great faith. And now we're going to look at 660 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:49,880 full of faith, Acts chapter 6 and verse 8, and Stephen, one of 661 00:50:49,880 --> 00:51:01,800 my favorite stories of Stephen, full of faith and power, because 662 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:05,400 when you're full of faith, power will follow. 663 00:51:06,560 --> 00:51:11,160 Power will follow. Did great wonders and miracles 664 00:51:11,240 --> 00:51:14,600 among the people. He was full of faith. 665 00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:19,000 He was full of faith. And that in Ephesian tell us 666 00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:23,000 that as believers, as the body of Christ, that we are to obtain 667 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:26,840 to the unity of faith, that we are to walk in the fullness, the 668 00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:29,880 maturity. That's what He wants us to 669 00:51:29,880 --> 00:51:37,520 attain to the fullness of God, to the fullness of God, to the 670 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:40,840 fullness of God. Stephen was full of faith and I 671 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:44,120 love in the next chapter, he was so full of faith. 672 00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:47,160 He did miracles. He'd had power and we know that 673 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:50,520 the heavens opened up when he was, he was preaching God's 674 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:54,400 word, preaching talking about all that God had done and 675 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:58,440 accomplished and, and, and what they were wanting to stone him 676 00:51:58,440 --> 00:52:01,720 to death because they were gripped, they grabbed their 677 00:52:01,720 --> 00:52:05,480 ears, they screamed and they didn't want to hear. 678 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:12,080 And the heavens opened up and he had a standing ovation. 679 00:52:12,600 --> 00:52:16,400 Jesus himself stand up right there. 680 00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:22,240 This man was full of faith, full of faith. 681 00:52:23,320 --> 00:52:30,040 So we see he expects us as believers to grow in our faith. 682 00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:36,120 So we've said this, that faith comes from hearing, but faith 683 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:42,920 will only grow by doing. This is very simple. 684 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:48,800 Faith comes from hearing, but your faith can only grow by 685 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:52,920 doing. That's how faith grows. 686 00:52:53,200 --> 00:52:58,200 That's how you go from no faith to little faith to great faith 687 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:03,400 to full faith because I'm hearing the Word and I am doing 688 00:53:03,400 --> 00:53:07,240 the Word, whatever it is that he's saying to do. 689 00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:13,000 Isn't that what Mary said to the servants during the wedding when 690 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:17,240 the wine ran out? This is not in my notes. 691 00:53:17,240 --> 00:53:24,960 It's the the wine ran out and he and she, you know, went to her 692 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:29,440 son and he said a few things, but he went back to the servant 693 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:36,920 and told them, the servants, whatever she says to do, do it. 694 00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:44,240 And I say, huh, right. Whatever he says to do, do it. 695 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:52,200 And I say whatever he says in his word to do, do it, Just do 696 00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:56,880 it. Would Nike support me? 697 00:53:57,240 --> 00:54:03,840 It's all you got to do. It's all you got to do is just 698 00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:06,520 do it. Whatever he says to do. 699 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:09,920 Come on. It is that simple. 700 00:54:10,800 --> 00:54:14,440 It's that simple, guys. I'm telling you, this is not 701 00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:17,040 complicated. It's not a complicated order, 702 00:54:17,400 --> 00:54:22,960 OK? It's easy. 703 00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:29,040 It's easy. You just do it, OK? 704 00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:32,840 Hallelujah. Just say I'm going to do it. 705 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:37,680 Whatever he says to do, I'm going to do it. 706 00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:42,960 Hallelujah. Glory to God, because your faith 707 00:54:43,720 --> 00:54:47,120 will not grow outside of your doing so. 708 00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:50,360 That's why you can see believers sit in church and just go 709 00:54:50,360 --> 00:54:53,720 through religious exercises because they're hearing the 710 00:54:53,720 --> 00:54:56,440 Word, but they are not acting upon it. 711 00:54:56,440 --> 00:54:59,560 They are not just doing it. They're not doing it. 712 00:54:59,560 --> 00:55:01,760 They're miserable. They have a frown on their face. 713 00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:04,600 They're always in chaos and trouble and acting just like the 714 00:55:04,600 --> 00:55:07,960 world. Instead of reigning like the one 715 00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:14,160 He says. We have a reigning spirit that 716 00:55:14,160 --> 00:55:18,200 we don't have to participate in all of those things. 717 00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:21,680 Amen. Because we're actually doers of 718 00:55:21,680 --> 00:55:25,040 the Word. Whatever His Word says to do, I 719 00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:29,720 just do it. I do it in every situation, in 720 00:55:29,720 --> 00:55:33,760 every circumstance, no matter what's going on, I'm just going 721 00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:38,640 to do the word. And when I do it, every single 722 00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:44,400 time, my faith begins to grow stronger and stronger and 723 00:55:44,400 --> 00:55:46,880 stronger and stronger. Amen. 724 00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:50,680 Hallelujah. So let's look at James real 725 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:52,760 quick. We still have a few minutes. 726 00:55:54,680 --> 00:55:57,440 Let's look at James. And this is where we can see 727 00:55:57,440 --> 00:56:00,960 this, and we've said this earlier in these lessons, but I 728 00:56:00,960 --> 00:56:07,280 want to see it again. James 214 through 26 is in the 729 00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:10,480 full context, but I'll just start reading. 730 00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:17,600 In verse 17 it says Even so faith if it has no works is what 731 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:23,120 dead being by itself. But someone may well say, well 732 00:56:23,120 --> 00:56:27,240 you have faith and I have work. Show me your faith without works 733 00:56:27,600 --> 00:56:33,880 and I will what show you my faith by my works. 734 00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:36,920 It says you believe that God is 1. 735 00:56:36,920 --> 00:56:39,920 You do well the demons I we already talked about this 736 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:43,280 scripture. The demons do well or you do 737 00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:45,440 well. The demons also believe and 738 00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:49,640 shudder, and it says in verse 20, but are you willing to 739 00:56:49,640 --> 00:56:53,680 recognize you fullest fellow, that faith without works is 740 00:56:53,680 --> 00:56:56,520 useless? It's useless. 741 00:56:57,680 --> 00:57:01,240 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he 742 00:57:01,240 --> 00:57:04,320 offered up his Isaac, his son on the altar? 743 00:57:04,800 --> 00:57:10,600 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result 744 00:57:10,600 --> 00:57:14,680 of his work, faith was what perfected. 745 00:57:14,920 --> 00:57:18,480 And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says, and Abraham believed 746 00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:23,680 God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was 747 00:57:23,680 --> 00:57:27,520 called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified 748 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:32,720 by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab 749 00:57:32,720 --> 00:57:35,920 the harlot also justified by works when she received the 750 00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:38,520 messengers and sent them out by another way? 751 00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:43,680 For just as a body without the Spirit is dead, so also faith 752 00:57:43,680 --> 00:57:50,240 without works is dead. It's dead, a lot of people 753 00:57:50,240 --> 00:57:52,000 sitting in churches with dead faith. 754 00:57:53,760 --> 00:58:00,200 So we can even say dead faith, no faith, little faith, great 755 00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:07,560 faith, full of faith. I just love the Scripture 756 00:58:07,560 --> 00:58:11,000 because it just is simple. Amen. 757 00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:16,640 It's just simple. So again, we see that we are to 758 00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:20,960 act upon the Word. And you know what our greatest 759 00:58:21,000 --> 00:58:25,720 example was? Jesus was Jesus. 760 00:58:26,520 --> 00:58:32,480 Jesus said in John, we're going to be closing John 519. 761 00:58:32,480 --> 00:58:35,400 It says, therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, 762 00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:38,360 truly, truly. I say to you, the Son can do 763 00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:42,400 nothing of himself unless it is something he sees the Father 764 00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:45,040 doing. For whatever the Father does 765 00:58:45,040 --> 00:58:49,760 these things the Son also does in like manner. 766 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:54,480 Jesus does nothing. The next scripture in John 12, 767 00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:59,080 49 does nothing. On his own initiative. 768 00:59:00,320 --> 00:59:03,640 He does nothing. He's the greatest example of 769 00:59:03,640 --> 00:59:08,360 being a doer. Though Jesus heard what the 770 00:59:08,360 --> 00:59:13,520 Father said and what acted upon it, He did it. 771 00:59:13,520 --> 00:59:18,320 And he said, I only do what I hear, the Father. 772 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:25,360 And then he also said, and I only say what the Father says. 773 00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:31,240 So again, he heard, He did, but not only did he hear, and he 774 00:59:31,240 --> 00:59:39,800 did, He spoke, He spoke. So again, true biblical faith, 775 00:59:40,000 --> 00:59:43,200 you're going to hear it, you're going to do it, you're going to 776 00:59:43,200 --> 00:59:48,400 speak it, you're going to say it because that's what releases the 777 00:59:48,400 --> 00:59:53,480 power of God in an act, the power of God for your situation. 778 00:59:55,640 --> 00:59:59,560 You have to speak it. You have to say it so that it 779 00:59:59,560 --> 01:00:04,320 releases the power of God in whatever it is that you're going 780 01:00:04,320 --> 01:00:08,040 on. And Jesus was this perfect 781 01:00:08,040 --> 01:00:11,800 example. Look at John 124950. 782 01:00:11,800 --> 01:00:16,200 I, it says, for I did not speak on my own initiative, but the 783 01:00:16,200 --> 01:00:20,240 Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to 784 01:00:20,240 --> 01:00:23,720 what to say and to what to speak. 785 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:26,760 I know that His commandment is eternal life. 786 01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:31,640 Therefore, the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has 787 01:00:31,640 --> 01:00:35,040 told me. And you know what? 788 01:00:35,120 --> 01:00:39,920 That's what we should speak. Whatever the Father has said to 789 01:00:39,920 --> 01:00:45,680 us, whatever He has told us, whatever promise He said that we 790 01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:51,800 can walk into in this life, we are to speak that, believe that, 791 01:00:51,800 --> 01:00:55,920 come on and say it so that we can then receive it. 792 01:00:55,920 --> 01:00:59,920 We are to act upon it, where to speak it, where to do it, and 793 01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:04,800 that way we can obtain the promises of God that He says 794 01:01:05,040 --> 01:01:07,360 belongs to us.