GETTING IT ALL Part 3 - "Finding More Faith"

GETTING IT ALL Part 3

“FINDING MORE FAITH”

INTRO: Last time: Just shall live by faith… must move to new level of faith…

Luke 17:5 (NKJV) And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

Give us more faith; add to our faith…

Reminds me of another passage…

Mark 9:23–24 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

We have all felt that way… Have a challenge and cannot seem to muster the faith to accomplish it… We read passages like…

James 1:6-8 (NKJV) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

How can we ever come up to that standard!  Today we will see how it is possible…

Remember…

II Timothy 2:13 (NKJV) If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

The Lord answered their request using both a metaphor and a parable.

First the metaphor…

Luke 17:5–6 (NKJV) So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

One of Jesus’ favorite symbols…

Matthew 13:31-32 (NKJV) Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

It doesn’t take a lot of faith… If you sow faith it grows... The seed rules over the tree…

Now the parable...

Luke 17:7–10 (NKJV) And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

What does this parable have to with faith?

Look at the context: the seed and the tree… The seed ruling over the tree

The need, the battle, the hurt, the pain is the servant. Often these things rule over us.

We are the landowner, the ruler. We do not focus on the need, we tell the need what to do!

Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

We must master things around us…

Genesis 4:7 (NASB) Sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Master our minds… doubt

Master our emotions… fear

Master our wills... Act

II Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

It all comes down to authority… Jesus has all authority!

Matthew 28:18 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Jesus and the Centurion…

Luke 7:1–9 (NKJV) Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.” 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

Faith comes from understanding authority!

Jesus was the ultimate example, “I only do; I only say.”

John 5:30 (NKJV) I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

John 12:49 (NKJV) For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent

Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.

John 14:10 (NKJV) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

How did Jesus operate?

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) But Jesus answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jesus was only moved by God!

Think about Lazarus…

Go back to Mark 9…

How do we operate?

Galatians 2:20 (KJV) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

We live by the faith of Jesus! He gives us His faith. We operate like He operated!

John 15:5,7 (NKJV) 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

We can do nothing! God works through us!

Now you may think you are all bad and ready to fight the devil…

I John 4:4 (NKJV) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Who is greater?

Jude 1:9 (NKJV) Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

If you try to battle in your own strength you will be like these guys…

Acts 19:13–16 (NKJV) Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Think about this…

Faith comes from hearing the will of God!

James 5:14–15 (NKJV) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

I have prayed for lots of people that did not get healed. Why? It was not the prayer of faith.

What’s the difference?

Logos and Rhema…

Logos says, “Pray for the sick.” Rhema says, “I want to heal Alba; go pray”!

The first my happen; the second will happen!

You may say, “Jesus healed everyone.” I would say that everyone Jesus prayed for got healed, but Jesus didn’t pray for everyone!

James 5:16–18 (NKJV) The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Why? God told him!

He prayed effectively because he knew the will of God.

I Kings 18:1 (NKJV) And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”

All we need is a word, a vision, a picture…

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Remember last time we talked about the angel’s word to Mary?

Luke 1:37–38 (NKJV) For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

This phrase used at least 100 times in Scripture…

Effective praying begins with seeking the will of God about a situation.

Remember the demon possessed boy in Mark 9? The disciples could not cast out the demon? Why?

Mark 9:19 (NKJV) He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

Mark 9:28–29 (NKJV) And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

Matthew’s account combines the two pictures…

Matthew 17:19-21 (NKJV) Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

The prayer and fasting serves to help us hear God, which produces faith!

PRACTICE

Need

Ask

Pray