How to Walk in Great Faith - Part 4 - Our Wealthy place in Christ

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 …