Victory Christian Centre, Hutt City, New Zealand

Why faith is important to us?

Hebrews 11:6 … without faith it is impossible to please Him, …

…. for he who comes to God must believe ...

1. Faith believes …

God IS in the ‘NOW’ of our lives – FAITH IS NOW!

Psalm 46:1 God IS our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear

– FAITH … believes God IS a present help … in trouble …
– FAITH … believes God IS a REWARDER …

1. Faith begins where the WILL of God is known

FAITH KNOWS …

(James 1:17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The Starting Point to GREAT Faith that pleases God is:

i. KNOWING God has only good gift
ii. KNOWING the Lord is my Refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I will trust
iii. KNOWING the WILL of God

1 John 5:14-15 NIV
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him.
3. Mark 11, Jesus demonstrated, then taught on The God-kind of FAITH

Mark 11:22-24 … “Have faith in God. 23 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. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

a) Jesus said, … we have ‘the faith of God’
b) The God-kind of faith works for …. whoever
c) The God kind of ‘faith’ has authority to speak to the mountain …
d) Whoever says … he will have whatever he says – (good or bad!)
e) Faith goes to work immediately at the ‘root’ (the unseen)
f) Faith does not doubt in the heart, but believes …
g) Faith SPEAKS – Mark 11:24 – 3 to 1 ratio

1. What does Great Faith Look Like?

a) The God operates in Great Faith
b) Faith is of the heart

1. The Centurion – Great Faith

Matthew 8:5-10, 13 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! … 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

a) Great Faith will work for ‘whoever’

b) Great Faith – is of the heart
The Centurion had compassion for his servant
Matthew 8:5-7 … a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

c) Great faith flows from a heart of honor and humility

Matthew 8:6-8 (re-read)
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

A Roman Centurion only bowed to Caesar but he recognised a higher authority and humbled himself to One who he saw had higher rank.

i. Honor humility is not weakness – it is power under control …
ii. Honor and Great Faith versus Dishonor and unbelief
– The Centurion who walked in GREAT FAITH
– People in Jesus’ hometown (Mark 6:5)

iii. Great Faith is of the heart: The heart behind Great Faith is humility
 Humble yourself under the hand of God that He may exalt …
 God resists the proud but gives His grace to the humble
 The greatest in the kingdom is a servant, …

d) Great faith positions itself under authority (Matthew 8:8-9)

i. This Centurion recognised Jesus was a ‘Man’ under authority.
ii. He recognised ‘authority’ when he saw it.
iv. Bible authority: being UNDER authority grants us the privilege
and freedom to ‘HAVE’ authority
v. Being UNDER authority is a key to operating in great faith

e) Great Faith understands the Power of the spoken Word (Matthew 8:7-9)

f) Great Faith speaks the Word only
6. By faith Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead

a) Faith is of the heart

Mark 5:22-24, 35-42
… when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea 23 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
... 35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” 40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.

a) Great Faith – flowed from a heart of honor and humility
b) Great Faith identifies the problem (mountain) that needs to be moved
c) Great Faith speaks life to the dead
d) Great faith – stands on the Word in the face bad news
e) FAITH puts the doubt out!
f) Power of Agreement

In Closing … ‘Faith is of the Heart’ … we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

As part of our worship to God, we choose to put ourselves UNDER God and UNDER the authority of His Word, as we do we will find Great Faith rise within us… to a place where the WORD IS ENOUGH …

Psalm 66:12b KJV 2000 … we went through fire and through water: but You brought us out into a wealthy place.

1. Learning to walk by Faith is essential to receive the promises of God

Whatever we receive from God is a result of faith.

1. Jesus taught on ‘faith’ & demonstrated what a life of faith looked like

1. All things are possible to him who believes … (Mark 9:23)
2. Have the FAITH OF GOD (Mark 11:23) … that can move mountains!
3. faith is like a servant … (Luke 17:7)
4. Jesus identified different levels of faith people operated in ... 

1. The word ‘faith’ can mean different things to different people

1. People ask: ‘what “faith” are you in’
2. Natural human faith believes what it can see with the 5 natural senses 
3. We are talking about the God-kind of faith.

1. Understanding faith is one of the most important subjects in the Bible

1. Without faith it is impossible to please God

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1. We are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8)

1. The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17)

1. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)

1. The victory that HAS overcome the world, is our faith (1 John 5:4)
2. Above all we are to take the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)

1. We are told to fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life 

1 Tim 6:12   Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession

1. By faith we stand (2 Corinthians 1:24)

1. 1 Timothy 1:9 talks about faith that has been shipwrecked

1. Through faith and endurance, we receive the promises (Heb 6:12)

1. The Bible describes different levels of faith people can be at

1. Strong Faith (Romans 4:20)
2. Weak Faith (Romans 14:1)
3. Great Faith  (Matthew 8:10) 
4. Little Faith (Matthew 14:24–31) 
5. Dead Faith (James 2:17) 
6. Perfect or complete Faith (James 2:22)
7. Exceedingly growing Faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

1. God’s definition of Faith

1. Faith is an attribute of God

Hebrews 11:1, 3Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so thatso that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

1. Faith is or has substance – faith is NOT nothing

1. Faith is ‘not seen’ or ‘visible’ with the natural eye. 

1. Faith is creative power

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

ESV   By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

1. Faith is NOT Future – Faith is NOW

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is …

What tense is this?  It’s PRESENT TENSE –

1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for

Hope is like a dream, a goal, a vision. Faith gives substance to the thing I hope for.(Hebrews 11:1a)

1. Faith does not look at the natural realm – it looks into the spirit realm

2 Corinthians 4:18   while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The two realms: the ‘seen’ and ‘not seen’ ­

1. “seen”, natural realm, 5 physical senses, see, hear, taste, touch, smell 

1. “not seen”,  refers to the spirit realm. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

1. Faith calls things which do not exist in the natural as though they did

Romans 4:17(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations” ) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Example 1:         God called Abraham the father of many nations

Example 2:         By faith God restored the earth

Hebrews 11:3 GNT  It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

Genesis 1:1-3  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darknesswas on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; … 

The same FAITH has been given to us to walk in … not matter how dark it looks, no matter how void of God the circumstances are, we use the creative substance called faith – God’s Word and call … it into the seen realm …

• Our physical senses may tell us we are sick

God’s Word tells us by His stripes you WERE healed

• People’s emotions may tell them they are depressed, defeated

Romans 8:37 says, we are more than a conquerors through Christ.

• The natural mind may torment believers with fears of the future

2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

God has brought us out into our wealthy place:

… healing, freedom from every bondage, blessing, favour, … promotion, are in the unseen realm … the spirit realm …

God has given us FAITH to use to bring our inheritance from His unseen realm (the spirit realm) into the natural realm. 

1. You brought us out into a wealthy place

1 Samuel 2:8a   He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap; to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory …

Psalm 66:12b NLT   … we went through fire and flood, but You brought us to a place of great abundance.

Psalm 66:12b KJV 2000   … we went through fire and through water: but You brought us out into a wealthy place.

“wealthy”  – revayah –“running over wealth, saturation”

There is a “WEALTHY PLACE” that is running over – a place of GREAT ABUNDANCE that God has for each of us. It’s a place of WEALTH that God created before the curse of SIN entered into the earth.

When we talk about OUR WEALTHY PLACE IN CHRIST – it includes but reaches beyond “money.” 

1. Money cannot buy a home in Heaven! No matter how rich a person may be!
2. Money cannot buy physical health
3. Money can’t buy peace in mind (though money can certain help)

1. God is RICH – He is NOT POOR!

One of God’s Covenant Names is:             El Shaddai – “the God who is more than enough”

Haggai 2:8NLT  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

Psalm 50:10  …for every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

Ref.  Rev 21:21

If financial prosperity and wealth is a sin – then God would be guilty. These Scripture passages let us know that possessing wealth, … having an abundance is the problem!

1. God’s abundant prosperity is a central theme throughout the Bible

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over ….

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.

“rich”– ashar –“to become rich, wealthy, (causative) to make rich…”

1. God takes pleasure in your prosperity

Psalm 35:27    Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

“prosperity” – shalom  “completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, prosperity, peace (from war), peace (in human relationships)”

There’s a KEY here:  “Let them SAY continually” – we’ve got to SAY….what God says about us…

God has the heart of a Father – He LOVES people.When He sees us doing well, succeeding, prospering, like a natural human father – He takes pleasure in His children prospering.

Isaiah 48:17b  … “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.

1. Poverty is NOT God’s plan for our lives – it is a result of the CURSE that entered the earth when Adam sinned.

Some scholars say the curse is:   “poverty, sickness, spiritual death”

1. Jesus Christ came to redeemed us from the curse of poverty

Galatians 3:13  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’

Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

2 Corinthians 8:9b  AMP  …  He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).

1. Jesus said we have an enemy (a thief) who is trying to keep us out of our wealthy place

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.

‘life’ –  ‘zoe’ – “life in its absolute fullness, excessive, exceedingly, abundant” the God-kind of life

1. Five Areas God wants us to be enriched, and abundantly supplied

Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set a liberty those who are oppressed; 19 to proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord.

3 John 1:2Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 

“prosper” – “euodoo” – “to succeed in business affairs, have a prosperous journey”

God’s prosperity includes:  the spirit, the soul (our mind, will, emotions), Physical body (health), relationships, financial

1. Psalm 66:12 gives a key to experiencing CHRIST’S ‘WEALTHY PLACE’ 

Psalm 66:12b KJV… we went through fire and through water: but You brought us out into a wealthy place.

• To enter God’s WEALTHY PLACE we have to …come out of where we are … out of the fire and the flood … 
• Not everyone is WILLING to come out of where they are … 

1. We need to leave the OLD life behind ­ – Jesus said: you must be BORN AGAIN

1. We need to leave the OLD mind sets of fear, defeat, poverty lack behind

Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world. We cannot rise above the image we have on the inside of us.

Proverbs 23:7a      For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

How do you see yourself?  Do you see yourself as a victim or a victor?

Romans 12:2 NIV  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

‘transformed’ – ‘metamorphoo’ – transfigured, transformed

1. Speak and agree with WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE

… THE CHOICE IS OURS TO LIVE IN OUR WEALTHY PLACE in CHRIST …

We live in the last of the last days before the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The need for believers to depend on the Holy Spirit has never been greater.

Deception is running rampant. We must stay firm with the Word of God, and keep close to the Spirit of Truth to keep ourselves from falling prey to clever lies and sophisticated schemes.

John 14:15–20 (NLT) If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

• In John chs. 12 & 13 Jesus told His 12 disciples that His hour had come to be crucified
• In John chs. 14, 15 & 16 He began to teach them about the Holy Spirit and His function in their (our) lives
• After Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, He again emphasised the need for believers to be baptised with, and empowered by the Holy Spirit

• I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate … 
• another - Gr. ‘allos’ – another one of the same kind 

(as opposed to ‘heteros’ - another one of a different kind)

• Advocate Gr. ‘parakletos’ - One who draws alongside to help
• KJV –   Comforter
• NKJV – Helper
• Ampl. - Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby
• Msg. - Friend 

• He will never leave you … 
• Jesus said: I am about to leave you to go back to my Father, but when the the Holy Spirit comes, He will never leave you

• He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth
• We cannot grasp any truth without the help of the Holy Spirit
• Anyone wishing to grasp deeper truths from the Word of God must develop a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit

• The world cannot receive him
• We must be born again before we can receive the Holy Spirit
• (to be born again means to surrender our life to Jesus Christ)
• Only a ‘forgiven’ human spirit can be indwelled by the Holy Spirit

• But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you
• We only understand this phrase if we understand the tri-une nature of God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit = Trinity)
• In vs. 9, Jesus said: If you have seen Me you have seen the Father
• In Jn. 10:30 Jesus said: I and my Father are one 
• All three Members of the Trinity are:
• “allos” (same) in nature and in character
• “heteros” (different) in operation
• but “ONE” in unity

• No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you
• I will come to you – on the Day of Pentecost, Jesus came to us in the power of the Holy Spirit
• Today, Jesus is with us “by the power of the Holy Spirit”

John 14:25–26 (NLT) I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

• I am telling you these things now while I am still with you
• Jesus taught His disciples for about 3 ½ years while He was physically present with them
• On the Day of Pentecost, the Father sent the Advocate – the Holy Spirit, as Jesus’ Representative:
• To teach the church everything
• To remind the church of everything that Jesus had told them

• The Holy Spirit is the true Teacher of the church!
• Any believer who wishes to understand truth needs to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit

John 15:26 (NLT) But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.

• Jesus said: I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth
• The Holy Spirit is also called “the Spirit of truth”
• The Holy Spirit always leads us in line with the truth of God’s Word
• The Holy Spirit will never contradict or circumvent the Word of God

• He will come to you from the Father
• On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came from the Father 

• He will testify all about me
• Testify – speak well of, commend
• GNB – he will speak about me 
• The more the Holy Spirit moves, the more Jesus Christ is lifted up

John 16:7 (NLT) But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.

• It is best for you that I go away 
• It was good when Jesus was with His disciples
• But He said it would be better after His departure when the Holy Spirit would come 
• When Jesus was present He was with them
• But after his departure the Holy Spirit was in them

John 16:8–11 (NLT) And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

• The Holy Spirit’s main function in the life of the believer is to lead us and empower us
• The Holy Spirit’s main function in the life of the unbeliever is to convict them of sin, of righteousness and of judgment

John 16:12–15 (NLT) There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

• When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth
• We don’t end up in truth by ourselves of by accident
• We are guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth 
• The Holy Spirit is the Spirt of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17)
• It is He who opens the eyes of our heart to see truth (Eph. 1:18)

• He will tell you about the future
• KJV – he will show you things to come
• One of the functions of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to reveal future events to us
• David Yonggi Cho said: The language of the Holy Spirit is visions and dreams
• Acts 20:22 … the Holy Spirit testifying in every city that chains and tribulation awaited Paul … 
• Acts 11:28 .. the prophet Agabus foretold by the Spirit that a great famine would come