Faith Till The End (part 5)

Faith is always in the present tense.

7.31.2022

Review

Today is part 5 of this series.

We are talking about what it looks like to live by faith

Our challenges in the future will be won by living by faith.

1 John 5:4 (NLT)
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Living by faith is for people who have decided to sell out for Jesus, to give Him their all.

This is not for the person with one foot in God’s kingdom and the other foot in the world and its way of living with: sex, parties, drugs, with a life filled with the focus on yourself and what you want and like, with very little thought to what Jesus wants out of your life…

The first step into living by faith is giving your life to Jesus

I mean you give up your right to live your life outside of God’s way for you in His word.

Matthew 10:35-39 (TPT)

Because of Me, a son will turn against his father, a daughter her mother and against her mother-in-law. 36 Within your own families you will find enemies. 37 “Whoever loves father or mother or son or daughter more than Me is not fit to be My disciple. 38 And whoever comes to Me must follow in My steps and be willing to share My cross and experience it as his own, or he cannot be considered to be My disciple. 39 All who seek to live apart from Me will lose it all. But those who let go of their lives for My sake and surrender it all to Me will discover true life!

We have talked about Abraham’s faith. Abraham revolutionized his life when he left his family and city to obey God.

We talked about Jesus illustrating faith to His disciples by speaking to a fig tree.

Smith Wigglesworth quote:

There’s something about believing God that will cause God to pass over a million people just to get to you!

Dr. J. Oswald Sanders quote:

Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.

We are looking at 8 things you need to know about faith.

We have gotten through the first three.

1. Faith is a gift given to you by Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Romans 12:3

Mark 4:26-28

Mark 4:30-32

Start with small things. Forgiveness, righteousness,

He gives it.

Work on small things to begin with, and allow your faith to grow!

2. Everything exists in two realms – first the spiritual realm, then the physical realm.

Ephesians 1:3

2 Peter 2:3-4

Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)

2 Kings 6:13-17

Hebrews 11:1

Start now to exercise your faith in God for everything in life!

3. Faith can be increased by meditation and practice of the Word.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith in God is really faith in His Word. It is believing that God has or is working on your behalf right now.

Develop your faith in God’s Word.

He does exactly what He says.

I spend time every single day letting scripture revolve over and over in my mind – it’s called meditating in the word!

To believe God’s Word, I had to get over a mental kink about believing people’s Word.

Let me also mention that you can be strong in faith in one area and struggle in another area!

When I gave my life to Jesus in 1976, I learned that God’s will was healing and health. I never knew that all my life before that time! I began immediately to build up my faith in God for healing, since I was so fearful for years that I would die young.

Over the years, I found it fairly easier to believe for physical healing.

I had never really had to believe God and exercise faith for finances. I had good jobs that paid well, and always had a salary.

The Lord spoke to me in 1985, and let me know that one day I would go through a financial test. That started 3 years later when I started a church in SC.

I had never had to trust God alone for finances before. I had always had a salary. For the first time in my life, I had to believe that God had and is supplying the money I needed.

It was the same faith, but a different slant.

If you find yourself struggling in one area with your faith while finding it easier in another, take time to build your faith up and exercise it in the weaker area.

You will see it grow!

4. Faith is never future. Faith is always in the present tense.

The timing of faith is right now!

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC)

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Mark 11:24 (NKJV)

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 (NLT)

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Mark 11:24 (GW)

That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24 (NCV)

So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.

Mark 11:24 (BBE)

For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it.

Mark 11:24 (AMPC)

For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

Hope is always something in the future.

Faith takes hope, and acts as though it has it right now.

Joshua 6:1-2 (NKJV)

Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”

John 11:38-44 (NKJV)

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Example – 1981 – man in hospital

Example – Financing for building.

9 years ago ..11 banks, 9 no, 2 yes…

If you are afraid, you are not in faith; you are in hope.

Well, I hope this works. No faith there.

Faith is a confident expectation.

Dr. J. Oswald Sanders quote:

Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.

Action Points

1. You have the faith you need from Jesus to be victorious over every obstacle life brings.
2. Take time every day to build up your faith. Go to the Word of God first when problems come.
3. Faith replaces what you need or have asked for until it shows up.
4. Make sure that you are believing that right now your needs are met, and not at some point in the future. Hope is future; faith is now.