Today we are going start a series of message message called : The Power of Faith (it will be 4 or 5 teachings about Faith)
I believe that God has never changed, the Word of God will never change and everything that is written in the Bible, it is for us today. (Hebrews 13:8)
I also believe that all that Jesus has accomplished, and everything He taught and everything He did, you also can perform through His Name (John 14:12)
Since I was born again I have seen many miracles and God has used me to perform many miracles in Brazil and in many nations where I have preached the gospel.
Miracles have to be something natural that happens in the life of the church.
Why we are going to start this series of messages about the power of the Faith ?
- Because Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. By hearing your faith will be challenged and you will grow in Faith and you will be used by God to heal people and perform miracles.
- Because we want to be a “Living Church”, a church where miracles come “natural” and people are drawn to Jesus and are saved.
- Because miracles can be performed by any born-again Christian .
“And these signs WILL FOLLOW those WHO BELIEVE : In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.””
Mark 16:17-18
Beloved ones , Shalom C. F. is a Pentecostal church, we are a revived church and we are praying for revival !
We are a church that believes in the power of the Holy Spirit, we believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we believe that healing and miracles were not only a thing in Jesus and apostles’ time but today we can experience the same miracles.
The Bible does not say that these signs will follow the pastor of the church!
These signs (casting out demons, speaking in tongues, healing the sick) will follow those who believe!
After these teachings about faith, when someone comes to you and say: I am sick, I am in trouble, I need a miracle ….. you will say: Can I pray for you?
Today’s Word : Faith as a mustard seed
First of all let’s go to Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.”
Hebrews 11:1 ERV
Why is it that we can not see it ?
How could it be the evidence of something that you can’t see !
You know that if you don’t have enough light you can not see . You can walk in a dark room and you won’t be able to see.
“The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
Psalms 119:130 NKJV
“As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise.”
Psalms 119:130 ERV
So , it’s the Word of God that brings light . The light is in the Word , when you receive this “light” , “this revelation” , you are able to see things not seen before.
I don’t know about you , but I hope and I live for what God has given me ! Don’t you ?
2 Peter 1:3-4
“His divine power HAS GIVEN US everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you might be partakes of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
Notice He said so you might be ! So there is a condition attached to this happening.
In other words , IF you act on the Word , If you operate in faith based on the authority of God’s Word Then you will be partakes of His divine nature.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
It means that it stands in the place of things that you can not see in the natural yet !
Things that are ours , which are promised in the Word of God and that will eventually come into manifestation if you hold fast to your confession of Faith !
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV.
Hold fast your confession of faith . That means if you don’t hold fast to it, you can lose it .
It mean , we must hold fast to the confession.
When we talk about confession of faith, sometimes people don’t know about anything confession, except confessing sins .
We are talking about confessing the Word of God . I other words , What God’s Word says , If you confess it , that means we say the same thing.
If the Word of God states it , then we ought to put it in our mouth, we ought to speak the same thing . We ought to say the same thing that God said about us in the Bible .
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us .
If we hold fast our confession of faith , if we say the same thing that God said about us in the bible we are going to receive according our confession .
We are going to speak more about confession in this series of message about faith.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV
The World was made out of something that wasn’t not visible to the eye . You couldn’t see it !
This is a spiritual force ! Faith is a spiritual force !
Faith is the divine energy of God ! Is resident in His Word !
As long it’s resident in His Word , it won’t do you a whole lot of good , but if you get it inside of you , then that’s where faith works.
Faith works in the heart when you confess it with your mouth !
“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:8-9 NIV
“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
The world was framed , was made by faith , the Word of God spoken in faith .
Let’s go to Genesis 1
“The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God SAID, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God SAW that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”
Genesis 1:2-4 NIV
If you look at the first chapter of Genesis 1 you will see many times : And God Said , And God Said , And God Said !
There are 10 times in Genesis 1 that say “And God Said”
Why did God just keep saying it ?
Why doesn’t it just said “And God Said “ and then list everything that God said ?
God looked out and saw darkness and he said : “Light be” !
God was calling things that was not as though they already were !
In other words , He would “say” what He desired , what He hoped for !
For you to understand: God released His faith in His Words , spoken word. Faith was transported by his words . His faith was transported by the words He said.
There was darkness and called light into being
God Said : “Let there be light” and there was light !
Notice that God first SPOKE , then He saw it happening !
Maybe you can say : Well , pastor Marcio , I can understand that , because that was God ! It’s true!
But if we go on reading Genesis 1:26-28
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind IN OUR IMAGE , IN OUR LIKENESS, and LET THEN HAVE DOMINION over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in HIS OWN IMAGE, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. AND HAVE DOMINION over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.””
Genesis 1:26-28
How are then going to have dominion ?
The same way that God had dominion!
God had dominion through Words ! When He saw darkness, He spoke , He called for light.
That’s what we would call “calling things that are not”
When you call for something, you are releasing faith to bring into manifestation that is not yet in existence, what is not yet seen.
God operates in this way! Do you remember that the apostle Paul said :
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”
Ephesians 5:1 NKJV
“You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him.”
Ephesians 5:1 ERV
Bible says for us to imitate our Father , that means saying the same things that He said !
In other words : say what God said and act the way as Jesus acted !
It doesn’t mean that we are trying to be God !
It means that we are obeying the Word of God !
FAITH AS A SEED
When we talk about faith as a seed we are talking about planting it .
Luke 17:
“So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.””
Luke 17:3-4 NIV
That is a hard saying! Isn’t? Suppose this person kept doing the same horrible thing to you , seven times in the same day ! In the first and second times it will be easier to forgive, but in 5th , 6th , you are ready to bust that guy ‘s lip ! You’re not ready to forgive anybody.
The apostles recognised that wasn’t easy .
“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!””
Luke 17:5 NIV
The disciples said , how to forgive someone that has wronged us seven time in one day !
They realised that they are going to need a greater faith and said : Lord increase our faith !
They knew that there were things that you can do by faith !
Because the Bible says that Faith is the substance of things we hoped for.
If we hope for forgiveness , then you must believe in the evidence of things can’t see.
So it takes faith to do that . Faith is giving substance to things not seen.
The Lord said :
“He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Luke 17:6 NIV
They asked Jesus to increase their faith !
Do you realise that it’s unscriptural, not biblical to pray for faith ?
Faith doesn’t come by praying ! Faith comes by hearing the Word of God !
Romans 10:17 the apostle Paul said :
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
In other words , God’s Word is filled with faith and the way you get that Word inside of you is by hearing !
Let’s understand what Jesus said about forgiveness!
It takes faith to forgive and if you have faith as a seed , you would plant it !
Jesus is telling you a great secret about Faith here , that faith works like a seed and you plant it by speaking it , saying it , voicing it , and that’s the way you plant the see of faith !
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Probably there was a mulberry tree in the path they were walking along , and Jesus used it as an illustration .
Jesus said : you don’t need more faith ! When they said : Lord increase our faith , Jesus said : it’s not more faith that you need !
You need to use what faith you have !
If you have faith as a seed , you would say ! “such and such” !
There is no faith without saying, that is the way you plant it.
Any farmer knows that you have to plant a seed before you can reap a harvest
You can pray over the seed , you can confess the Word over the seed in the barn , you can lay hands over the seeds and pray but you are not going to have any harvest because it must be planted.
So Jesus is telling us here – that if you have faith as a mustard seed , you would say unto this mulberry tree , be plucked up by the root , and be planted in the sea and IT SHOULD OBEY YOU.
Notice , it didn’t say it would obey God !
It’s not Gods responsibility ! You are the one with the authority here on the earth ! God gave man dominion over this earth !
He said you should speak up. Plant the seed and it should obey you !
This mulberry tree represents an obstacle in your path ! If you had faith like mustard seed , you would say what you believe!
You would say be plucked up , planted in the sea and it and would obey you !
What does this tree representing here ? Now we need to realise the context of this text.
This problem here Jesus was talking about , represented by the tree , evidently represents unforgiveness !
There is a way to forgive ! I know some of you are in unforgiveness right now and you have said for many years : you just don’t know what they did to me and I just can not forgive them.
The Lord knows that I have tried but I can’t !
Mark 11:23 said
“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.”
Mark 11:23 NKJV
If we believe, if we not doubt in our hearts , you will have whatever you says !
This is a principle, this is a kingdom principle and Jesus is using it here to get unforgiveness out of the way !
Jesus said : if you have a faith as a seed you would say – be plucked up by the root , be planted in the sea .
Notice , if you cut a tree down, an throw it in the sea , the water is going to bring it back up on shore and additionally because you have just cut it and left the roots there the tree is going to come up again.
If you root it out and plant it at the bottom of the sea it is there forever, you never have to deal with it again.
Jesus is telling us how to takes unforgiveness out of your heart !
This is a law of faith , if you release faith in every word and don’t doubt in your heart , he shall have what you’re saying .
There is power in speaking words of faith ! The power is in the Word !
Faith resides in the Word and when you act on it you get the results that you have said.
For assuredly, I say to you, WHOEVER says to this mountain (Verse 23)
“Therefore I say to you, WHATEVER things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Mark 11:24 NKJV
Notice : Whoever , Whatever things you ask !
Doesn’t say – Whatsoever your neighbour desire , but whatsoever things you desire , when you pray , believe you receive thins by faith when you pray.
In Both, Mark 11:23,24 – the mountain was not removed when He said it and he did not have it BUT IT SAY YOU WILL HAVE IT !
First you speak , that’s what means is to have faith as a seed .
If you have faith and you are willing to plant by saying it !
You have to say what God’s Word says ! Because the bible said I can have whatever I say if I believe and doubt not in my heart
If I can have whatever my words say , why not talk about I want to have , instead of talking what I already have ?
Many people are using their Words to bring them bad things ! Because they speak negative things all the times !
I think I’m going o get sick ….
Many people are planting the wrong seeds !
Where does Faith comes from ? From speak and proclaim what the Word says !
Faith comes by hearing what God said about you and the situation.
What happens to you in life , doesn’t change the Word of God !
If you hold fast to what God said and keep God’s Word in your mount , then it eventually will change what happens to you in life !
Jesus said : If you have a Faith as a mustard seed you would say to your problem go away !
In the case of unforgiveness , look to yourself in the mirror and say : unforgiveness im speaking to you , I forgive !
I may not want to , but because the word says I must forgive if I’m going to forgiven.
Then I make a decision now to forgive and I say it : I forgive (person name) then I say it in the name of Jesus and I keep saying it until I have what I’m saying.
You have to pluck up unforgiveness by the root and to plant it into the sea !
These is the way to deal with unforgiveness , this is the principle !
The principle is to say what you want to have !
Stop saying negatives things , if you have faith as a seed you have to plant it by saying and you will get the results as Jesus said you would !
It will obey you !