Today’s message: Faith is an action!
Did you know the Bible said, “Without Faith it is impossible to please God” Hebrews 11:6
Not just hard, not difficult, but impossible. Faith pleases God.
Last week we learned that Jesus praised people with great faith but also he rebuked his own disciples for having little faith.
The Bible says “The just shall live by Faith” ! (Hebrews 10:38
“We walk by Faith and not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
I’ve been pastoring for more than 20 years and it still surprises me how many believers have not truly understood what faith is yet how simple it is to be expressed. Faith seems to be a mystery to some people. In this message we are going to talk about some of the basics of faith. This message will help you walk with God.
I want to start the first point with a simple question:
1- What is Faith?
Hebrew 11:1 has a biblical definition: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
So Faith, right away, deals with unseen realities.
I want to read another version, let’s read The Living Bible , What is Faith ?
“It is the confident reassurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we can not see it up ahead” Hebrews 11:1 TLT
Many translations of the Scripture use words like, “a confident assurance” or “a conviction”.
Faith is not “wishful thinking”. It has substance, it is evidence, it is a confident assurance in a Person.
It is not just a principle, it is Faith in a Person! If you take Jesus Christ away, it doesn’t work!
If you take the Heavenly Father away, it doesn’t work.
This is Faith in a Person, a confident assurance, an expectation, a conviction that a Person, our Heavenly Father, is going to bring certain things to pass in your life.
I want to give an example about human faith that can help you about our faith in God.
I’ve been married to Fabiana for 31,5 years and we dated 3,5 years , so we have been together for 35 years. And she knows me pretty well. She has a general faith in me because she knows my character, she knows my nature. I love her so much, I never ever cheated on her , I’ve always been faithful to her for all these 35 years.
She knows I will not abandon her. She knows I will do everything within my power to provide for her. She knows that I would lay down my life in order to protect her. Everything that I have she knows also belongs to her. Because of my character and how I have been acting all these years she never worries about things.
She has a general Faith in me because of my character, my nature, and it affects the way we interact, it affects the way that she lives , it affects the way that she thinks.
Also she trusts me because, when I give my word or make a promise to her I always try to fulfil it.
When I say, Honey I will go and collect you when you are finished, she always trusts me. She doesn’t ask, How do I know you are coming? What if you don’t do it? She doesn’t say, I’m not going to believe it until I see you there! When I see you there I will believe!
When I say to her: I will be there to pick you up. She says: Okay, thank you! (She trusts me)
Why? Because of our relationship, because she knows me, she knows my character and my nature and she trusts me.
We cannot have Faith in God if we don’t have a close relationship with Him!
I’ve been walking with God for 35 years and He is a great God, a powerful God and He has always been so faithful to me, this is why I trust Him and I’m teaching others about faith today.
Faith is a confident assurance in a Person – Jesus Christ
He is always faithful, He is always good. He’s always merciful, because of that I have a quiet assurance that He will provide for me, that He will protect me, He will guide me, He will care for me and He will fulfil all His promises.
So because of faith I never worry about those things. I have confidence that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know His nature. I understand His character and I’m learning more all the time.
2- Our Faith both comes from and is based upon His Word.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV
Faith comes by hearing; similarly, it goes away by lack of hearing too. Or it can leave your life by hearing something instead of the Word of God.
When there’s a deficiency in faith, you can be sure that there will also be a deficiency of the Word.
Weeks ago we had Shalom Total at Rossmore Park. We had a wonderful time there worshiping the Lord and we also had a lot of delicious food. It was delicious food but I’m no longer receiving physical strength from that food. I need to eat more food. And you know when you feed upon God’s Word… Faith comes by hearing. It gives me a spiritual strength called Faith.
“Faith comes by hearing” – this is a continuous tense, it doesn’t say that faith comes by having heard the word. It’s so important that we feed upon the Word daily.
That’s why we always challenge you to come to our Services, for you to go to our Cell Meetings, our Saturday meetings! Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and when you miss our meetings you are missing out on increasing our Faith!
As you feed yourself with the Word of God your faith will grow and be active. A deficiency in Faith means deficiency of the Word.
If you just spend time feeding on the Word… Reading it, thinking about it, pondering it, meditating on it, praying about it, saying it aloud to yourself, Faith will come!
We talked about 1- “What is faith? 2- Where does it come from?”
3- How is it expressed?
Let’s read James 2:18
“But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:18-19 NKJV
Demons have faith and believe in God. But they don’t repent, they don’t obey, they don’t respond with appropriate action.
You can have Faith but if you don’t respond with appropriate action, you are not in a better position than the demons are. Because demons believe but they don’t respond in the right way.
“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20 NKJV
The ISV version says : “Faith without action is worthless” James 2:20 ISV
“Faith that does nothing is worth nothing”James 2:20 ERV
Another translation says : “Faith, which does nothing, is useless”
Let’s read verse 26
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26 NKJV
So Faith, in order to have any effect, must be expressed or released through action.
Faith is an action! Your faith without action is dead! It doesn’t work!
Faith without action is worthless, it’s useless, it’s dead.
Let’s go back to Hebrews 11, because there we have a list of men and women that expressed or manifested their faith. They used their faith in different ways and it’s recorded as an example for us.
The Bible starts using the life of Abel as an example of faith.
Let’s read verse 4
“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” Hebrews 11:4 NKJV
If we could ask Abel what is Faith? Abel would say, “Faith it’s easy! Faith is giving your first and your best to God”
That’s how Abel would express his faith. He valued God, he valued God’s kingdom, God was first in his life, so he gave his first and his best.
It was an expression of his faith. You can read it in Genesis chapter 4, when Abel brought his offering, he brought the very first of his flock and the very, very best.
The Bible says that he did that BY FAITH! So Faith is expressed by our giving.
Let’s see about Enoch
“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 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.” Hebrews 11:5-6 NKJV
There is very little in the Bible about Enoch and I want to quote it to you.
“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked with God – it means a lifestyle, it means fellowship. Enoch did what he did by Faith.
If we ask Enoch about faith he will say: It’s easy, Faith it’s walking with God. If you ask him : Could you feel God all the time ? No, he will answer! I walked by Faith.
Many times I’m in trouble, I don’t see and I don’t feel God but I still believe, I have faith in Him and I keep walking.
We walk with Him by Faith!
“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7 NKJV
If you ask Noah, how do you show your faith: it’s easy! Faith is making preparations, Faith is obeying God!
God said; it’s going to rain, prepare an ark and he obeyed and started building an ark.
By Faith Noah got ready! When you believe God’s Word you obey, your action is to prepare yourself. When you have faith you move, you don’t stay quiet, faith is an action.
There was no evidence of rain , but he trusted and started working and he worked for 100 years.
When God gives you a promise or when you have faith, you act upon it even if there is no evidence that confirms that it will come true.
When you believe in God’s Word you need to take action and make preparations.
Have you made any preparations for your miracles?
Are you thanking God for the miracle you will receive? Are you declaring your miracle?
Faith must be expressed! Faith must be manifested!
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 NKJV
If we ask Abraham, what is Faith ? Abraham would say : “Faith is about obedience! It’s about doing what God tells you to do, even when you don’t know what’s coming next”
Genesis 12:1-2 God said: Abraham get out of your country, from your family to a land that I will show you. I will bless you!
“Go? Go where God? Just get going. I will show you later.”
A lot of people would have said : I’m a little old for this! it’s hard to restart again! God I don’t like that Town! Monaghan It’s too small, send me to another city where there are more jobs, more opportunities.
By Faith Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going. You see, God gives you a little light, then He expects you to walk in it before He will give you more light.
Faith is to obey Him when we don’t know what’s up the road ahead. Has God said anything to you? Act on that! Have faith.
“By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11 NKJV
By Faith Sarah received strength to conceive. She judged Him Faithful, because of His character.
By Faith – the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, she received the miracle!
Faith is about receiving!
“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
I love when people come to me and say: pray for me because I will be healed today!
Marilene testimony.
She had a strong pain in her hands and also a bone was swelling up. The doctor gave her injections but the pain was still there. She came to me and said: pray for me because I’m going to be healed today! I prayed and the pain never came back again and the growing bone disappeared.
Faith is an action! Your faith without action is dead! It doesn’t work! Faith without action is worthless, it’s useless, it’s dead.
Have you made any preparations for your miracles?
How are you going to receive your miracle? By Faith! How are you going to overcome your problem? By Faith! How are we going to have a new big building? By Faith! By Faith! By Faith !
May the Lord help us to have faith, not just like the demons that believe and tremble.
We are going to believe and give like Abel. We are going to believe and obey like Abraham, we are going to believe and prepare like Noah, we are going to believe and receive like Sarah, we are going to believe and walk with God, we are going to believe and refuse and forsake and choose.
We are going to have actions that correspond and cause our faith to move towards God.
For we know that without faith it is impossible to please God!
I bless you and I declare miracles over your life ! I declare the spirit of faith over you !
May the Lord bless and keep you !