THE FAITH OF GOD IN ME. Bible reading: Mark 10 vs 46. Main text: Hebrew 11 vs 6, John 4 vs 4
When I was preparing for this message, I was wondering what can of example to use for is sermon, while i was meditating on it, then Holy Spirit gave me an analogy of a phone and it battery. If you have observed, a phone is something that you can not do without especially in our new world now, it is the most essential accessory that is part of your life. Now, a phone is useless and worthless without a fully charged battery. Lets use a phone as an analogy for this explanation, we have four sets of battery diagrams, which indicate the battery life of each phone.
First in line is the green one which is fully charged, and can last all day, while the second yellow battery is almost full, the orange color one is half full, and the last color which is red, is empty.
Your battery life determines how long your phone will last, be it in hours or in minutes.
WHAT IS YOUR BATTERY LIFE? SIMPLY MEANS, THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUR WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith” appears in the New International translation of the Old Testament and New Testament 458 times. Many of the verses use the FAITH?
The higher the percentage of your battery is, the more advantage you have, and subsequently the lower the percentage of your phone battery is, the higher the disadvantage you are, as soon as your phone shows a low battery, that means your phone is in danger; and if you refuse to charge your phone after the dangerous signal; then the battery will shut down automatically and it will no longer function and will become totally useless. So brothers and sisters, it is good to let you know that, when your faith percentage is low, you cannot receive or accomplish anything. In Romans 14 verse 23 it says, ‘ And he that doubted is damned if he eats, because he eat not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin’.
word to describe a trust in God, even when he can’t be seen. Faith is a strong conviction, a religious hopefulness, complete trust and loyalty to someone or something. It is trust, assurance, and freedom from doubt in God, knowing all things come from Him. Living faith is demonstrated by service and obedience to God.
In the Bible contest according to Hebrew 11:1 ‘Now Faith is a substance of things hopeful, the evidence of things not Seen. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- Faith is total obedience to the word of God.
- Faith keeps you in relationship with God.
- The faith of God makes you outstanding.
- For every action in your life you need the attraction of God faith for you to function.
- It is only a man or a woman that is full of faith that is fit for the job we are talking about achieving your goals.
HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR FAITH?
- By the scriptures: Romans 10 verse 17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. what you are connected to, determines what you collect or receive.
- By meditation: Pondering on the word of the Lord. Joshua chapter 1 verse 8 ’This book of the law shall not depart from my mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success’. Psalm 119:105 ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my part’.
- By action: Daniel 3:19. By putting your faith to work just like the three Hebrew men Shadrach Meshach , Abednego.
EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE OF FAITH IN THE BIBLE
- Blind Bartimaeus. Mark 11:45 to 52.
- He received his sight by acting on his faith when he shouted Jesus Son of David have mercy on me, in spite of people telling him to stop, he kept on shouting and eventually Jesus noticed him, and he received his sight.
- The woman with the issue of blood for 12 years: Mark chapter 5 verse 26 to 34 Read
she acted on her feet by touching the hem of Jesus' garment, and she was made whole again.
- The Centurion: Luke 7: 3 to 10. It shows the centurion approached Jesus from the standpoint of humility and exhibited so much faith that left Jesus marveled.
- Abraham: Genesis 12, 13, 14, 15, 17. Abraham is the father of faith who stood firm even in the face of barrenness. Romans 4:20. ‘ He staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God’.
Other examples are;
David: 1 Samuel to 2 Samuel
Daniel: Daniel 2
Job: The book Job
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR THINGS THAT KILL YOUR FAITH
- UNBELIEF: It means our absence of faith. it is a state of not believing especially in matters of religious faith. Unbelief is also a condition of an unbeliever, which is a spiritual blindness and resistance to God.
- FEAR: This means to be afraid of something or someone. In Matthew 14:23-33, Jesus was walking on water towards the boat of his disciples when they all immediately became terrified; thinking he was a ghost and cried out in fear.
{a } Fear is an enemy to our destiny.
{b} Fear moves us away from trusting God, 2 Timothy 1 verse 7. ‘ for God has not given us the spirit of fear but power, love and sound mind.
{c} Fear sinks you, why Faith keeps you afloat.
- DOUBT: This is not the absence of faith, but the questioning of faith. Doubt is a struggle that believer's face.
Until the intensity of your power is measured by the word of God in you, the mountain can not be removed. Matthew 17:20 says ‘because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall see unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you’.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE THAT THEIR PHONE PERCENTAGE WAS FULL. OR IN ANOTHER WORD WHO IS A PERSON OF FAITH?
- A person of faith is someone that dwells in the secret place of the Lord most high. Psalm 91:1.’ He that dwells in the secret place of the most high God, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
- A person of faith is driven by confidence: 1 John 5:14 ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth .
- A person of faith is like a soldier, who does not retreat, no surrender. An example is King David, Psalm 18:27, ‘I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back on till they were consumed’.
- A person or Faith is that person that prophesies upon himself or herself.
- A person of faith is the person that commands authority against the kingdom of darkness.
- A person of faith is like King David who was full of boldness, to be able to cut off the head of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17: 46.
- A man of Faith or a person of faith is a man of total obedience to the word of God.
- A Person of faith is a man full of Prayer, a man that knows how to pray, and when to pray.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ONES WHOSE BATTERY PERCENTAGE IS LOW OR IN DANGER. IN OTHER WORDS, WHO IS A FAITHLESS PERSON?
1. A faithless individual lives a life of intersection that has no direction or purpose. I call it a life of roundabouts. Which simply means that such a fellow is living a life of confusion.
2. They fight themselves because of physical flaws which makes them stagnant.
3. They dwell in the past, while others have moved on. They are always questioning themselves giving excuses that always causes their downfall just like Adam in the Bible when God was asking him why did he ate the forbidden fruit; and he replied, it is the woman that you gave me. Excuses are for Destruction and failures of lives. Isaiah 43 : 18 - 19b. ‘Remember you not the former things, neither consider things of old, behold I will do a new thing’.
4. A Faithless person can be considered as a fool, who said there is no God. Psalm 14:1 ‘A fool says in his heart there is no God’. They are corrupted, they have done abominable works, there is no doubt good.
5. A faithless person is also a failure by the way he or she thinks towards a particular thing without considering the plans of God towards it.
6. A faithless person is always driven by fear rather than faith. In summary, Mark 11:23. “For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be that remove and be thou cast into the sea I shall not doubt in his heart, they shall believe that those things which he saith Shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he saith”.
Prayer 1: Father help me to be a carrier of your presence in Jesus Name. 2: My father answered me today, deliver my enemies into my hands in Jesus Name,