Victory Life KY

Persistent Faith II

Episode Summary

The degree of success in our faith is in direct proportion to our conviction of what God says. Not just hearing, but doing

Episode Notes

• Luke 18:4-5,NLT- The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!
• v.8, But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?

• MSG, But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when Hereturns?

• We have to adopt a completely new way of thinking in order for us to appropriate the things of God, to live a life of faith.

• This is why Ephesians teaches us to pray, Lord, open the eyes of our soul so we can comprehend what you’ve already done for us. Help us understand living a life faith.

• Hebrews 11:1,AMP- Now faith is the assurance, title deed, the confirmation of things hoped for (things divinely guaranteed), the evidence of things not seen, the conviction of their reality. Faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses. 

• The degree of success in our faith is in direct proportion to our conviction of what God says. Not just hearing, but doing!

• This kind of faith, this unwavering trust and enduring confidence in God is the bridge to spiritual living.

• Remember last week we looked a how Peter began to drift off when he wasn’t looking at Jesus, and Jesus asked him why he doubted.

• Remember the epileptic son, Jesus told them because of your unbelief.
• Unbelief can come in different ways. Here’s a few, ignorance, distraction, and rebellion.

• God is looking for believers that will stick with Him long enough that they become unwaveringly confident in Jesus. In other words, standing in faith.

• But living a life of faith will not happen on accident. Remember, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. It’s so easy to drift. (Peter on water)

• You see, vision drift is real thing, and our enemy is a master of distraction. I honestly believe this is why Jesus asked, when I return, will I really find persistent faith on the earth?

• Hebrews 2:1,MSG- It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. 

• Hebrews tells us that faith is actually spiritual substance. It’s divinely imparted access into God’s world. Allowing us the opportunity to become all God has already told us we can be.

• The prophet Isaiah said, Wrap your mind around this. I am GOD, and from the very beginning telling you what the ending will be. Assuring you, I’m with you. Assuring you I’ll do exactly what I set out to do. I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. 

• Let’s take our faith up a notch today by simply accepting that when God tells us something, we accept Him at His word.

• Remember what God said in Jeremiah;  "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

• Here's the thing, if we're going to discover all God has for us, then we can't let challenging situations, difficulties or disappointments distract us.

• Why not expect God to actually be God?

• Think about this, you could be one revelation away from your greatest breakthrough.

• So let this talk encourage you, more importantly, let God's promises inspire your faith.

• Here’s the deal, at the end of the day, God designed us to live by faith. Unfortunately, actually living by it is one of the most overlooked spiritual realities God gave His creation.

• I’m convinced this was Jesus’ point when He said, will I find this persistent faith?

• Now when it comes to faith I believe Jesus gave us the most direct and practical instructions concerning how humans are to exercise faith.

• Mark 11:23,NIV- “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”

• Now in light of what Jesus has told us, let me say this; faith isn't magic. And it's definitely not some confession formula for getting things from God.

• But without a doubt, according to Jesus Himself, speaking Divinely inspired words over our situation is exactly what He was instructing us to do in His faith lesson in Mark.

• Once again, it's not some magic confession formula, but make no mistake about it, speaking God inspired words of faith over your situation will absolutely change the course of your life in the here-and-now.

• Jesus's instructions in Mark's gospel was in response to the disciples seeing what happened after Jesus spoke to a tree.

• And when they questioned Him about the tree, He gave this command; "Have faith in God"

• His lesson for them then, and for us today is that we would know how to exercise our God ordained authority as heirs in the spiritual world, impacting our natural world.

• Pay close attention to this, because the overwhelming majority of Heaven bound Christians are unbelievers when it comes to these truths.

• Jesus told us to speak to our mountains, not speak to God about are mountains.
• It is God alone that's the source and foundation of this kind of faith.

• Make no mistake about it, speaking God inspired words of faith over your situation will absolutely change the course of your life in the here-and-now.

• Jesus is very clear in the fact that speaking faith from our hearts effects change in our world, from His.

• Romans 1:17,NIV- ...The Righteous Live By Faith

• Because God designed our born-again lives to function a specific way, He’s actually expecting us to live by faith, live according to our new nature. To be persistent in our faith life.

• Truth is, Christianity was never meant to be a bunch of religious, legalistic traditions, but actually living our lives according to a new covenant, appropriated by what we believe, based solely on God’s promises?

• According to Hebrews, this kind of faith sees God’s promises as spiritual substance that effects our natural world.

• And God does expect us to live by this kind of faith.

• Being a Christian isn't just receiving a new life in Christ, it's actually living it!

• I honestly don't think God gave us new lives in Christ just to hang around here doing our own thing until we get to Heaven.

• But discovering, developing, actually living our new lives in Christ. 

• 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, not by sight, living our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES.
• NLT- We life by believing, not by seeing.

• All we have to do is come to the place where we follow the example of our father in the faith Abraham.

• Romans 4:20-21,NLT- Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

• Would you say you’re living like this?

• For many, the question isn’t are we? But how can we?

• According to Romans 10, the more we hear revelation from Jesus the more we experience transformation.

• The more we embrace a God inspired mindset, the more we put into practice our new life.

• Remember 2 Corinthians tells us we are to live our lives with a confident belief in God’s promises.

• Romans 3:27,NKJV- Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

• Just like placed laws in place that govern our universe, (gravity, electricity, frequencies) He also has laws in place that govern the Kingdom of Heaven.
• And this is His point in Romans, reminding us that the OT laws have absolutely nothing to do with these laws.

• God Himself cannot override laws He’s already decreed.

• Psalm 89:34,NKJV- My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips.

• God’s words are forever settled.

• We can be as sincere as we want, but if we refuse to operate within God’s already established spiritual laws, there’s nothing He can do.

• This is what Paul was talking about in Romans when he said that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith, then he went on to tell us that we are to Live By Faith.

• If our righteousness is revealed from faith, then the more we grow in our faith, the clearer we see what Jesus actually accomplished for us.

• So we’ve got to stay teachable, accepting the fact that our faith development is our responsibility.

• Understand living a life of faith doesn’t automatically happen anymore than our natural living happens.

• Think about it, they both require education, training, and development.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:3,NIV- We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

• Think about it like this, if faith is this unwavering trust and the seed of faith is plant s in every human, but it’s got to be developed.

• This is why you can’t just memorize some scripture and quote it thinking you’re in faith.

• Because God has designed us to live by faith, we’ve got to get to the place where we allow what He says to shape and strengthen what we actually believe. How we actually live.

• Luke 18:4-5,NLT- The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!
• v.8, But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?

• MSG, But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when Hereturns?

• We have to adopt a completely new way of thinking in order for us to appropriate the things of God, to live a life of faith.

• This is why Ephesians teaches us to pray, Lord, open the eyes of our soul so we can comprehend what you’ve already done for us. Help us understand living a life faith.

• Hebrews 11:1,AMP- Now faith is the assurance, title deed, the confirmation of things hoped for (things divinely guaranteed), the evidence of things not seen, the conviction of their reality. Faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses.