Where Is Your Faith?

Let’s begin at the beginning.

In the beginning God

God made .....

God said ‘this is very good’

God created. He made it perfect. And then, then......

God gave it all to the creme de le creme of His creation - man.  Made in the image of God. Little gods actually.  Not God, but so similar in so many ways.

He gave it [His beautiful creation] to man to enjoy.  

We are supposed to enjoy this life.

It was created for us.  It was created for us to enjoy.

Adam and Eve were enjoying it.

You look there in Genesis and you’ll find that they spent a good portion of  their time walking around in this awesome garden visiting with God - the one who made them.  

But then something happened. Something came along that destroyed paradise. What was it?

Before all of this there had been a war in Heaven.  Lucifer - had a very high position in The Kingdom. He rebelled. He and 1/3 of the angels roared against God.  Who won?

God won. He threw satan out of The Kingdom of Heaven.

Satan watched all going on during creation.  He saw the crown of God’s creation.  Decided to strike.

He used what caused His downfall - 

What caused Lucifer’s downfall? What happened in him so that  he chose to fight against God?

Stinking Pride 

Any of you have a problem with Stinking Pride?  Just feel the hairs on the back of your neck if someone says something negative about you.  Oh yes, Stinking Pride is still a problem.

He lured Eve into being disobedient.  There was just one thing - one thing - that God told Adam and Eve to not do.  There were thousands, millions of ‘do’s’.  There was only one thing that was a ‘do not’.  And they both did it.

Satan hit the Pride button and they succumb. 

Kicked out of Paradise.  Things got hard. Generations of sinners followed. So few people wanted to walk with God in the garden in the cool of the evening.  That was still the desire of God’s heart. How can you hold the hand of God if you are covered with the filth of sin?  

Holy God - Sinful Man      Sorry that does not work.

Relationship broken.  Paradise gone. Sin ruling in the earth. What to do?

Okay, you know most of the Bible stories of how God reached out to the people; how He basically started over - Noah - Then Took one man - Abraham - to start again. Took one people - Israel - to reveal Himself to the rest of the world.  

Time and time again you will find in the OT that God did or did not do things so that His name would be exalted/honored/hallowed or that His name would not be defamed.

Ps 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul

He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

People continued to fail - they just could not do it.

God clearly told the Israelites   I have chosen to bless you that others might see/know/ believe that I AM God and there is no other.

IF you obey me I will bless you and bless you and bless you. Other nations will come begging you to let them in on the secret.

IF you disobey I will bring sickness/disease/curses upon you.

You choose - it’s your choice - who will you serve? 

I put before you blessings and cursings - it’s your choice.

They made their choice - Stinking Pride won the day.  “I’ll do it my way.”

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Sooooo   God says I’ll have to go down there and do it myself.

Jesus takes off His Kingly robes, removes the crown upon His head, sets aside all the power that created the universe, and humbled [opposite of pride] Himself [the King of Glory - The Mighty God] doing just the opposite of Lucifer.  

In total humility - the Almighty omnipotent, all-knowing  all-powerful God stepped out of His Heavenly Kingdom and entered our physical world as a helpless, vulnerable, baby - the same way you entered this earth.

I believe you know that story fairly well, so we’ll move on into Jesus' time on earth.

What did He do while He was physically on the earth?

He called a bunch of guys who were hanging out to come follow Him.  He walked by, said, ‘Come follow Me.’  And they got up and followed.  Pretty amazing when you think about that.  Would you have followed?  What if He had told you I’m going to the cross. I’ll be brutally beaten before that and then I’ll die on the cross?

Do you think they would have followed then?

Would you have followed Him then?     Mark 1:16-20

Will you follow Him now?  

I’m not talking about getting saved.  Will you truly follow Jesus - even when it’s hard?

Wherever He leads I’ll go

We have established that The Bible is True - right.

Okay, so when you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you learn from eye witness accounts what Jesus did on the earth.  This is basically Jesus life story being told 4 different times, by 4 different people, in 4 different ways, yet it all lines up.

So, what do we learn from those gospels?

Jesus taught people about the Kingdom of God. He mainly taught 12 guys, but there were thousands who heard his teachings at different times.  But, these 12 guys got it again and again and again.

Jesus did miracles. He did miracles to a variety of people in a variety of places. Different people saw different miracles. Who was there watching for everyone of those miracles?

Those same 12 guys. There were others who saw more than one or two but most likely those 12 men saw every one. Or, they at least knew about them from one of the other 12.

They heard Jesus teach and preach. They watched Jesus do miracles. He told them over and over about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then He said, “Now you go and do what you have seen me doing.”   He gave them the power to do it.

And they did it.   Luke 9. Then in Luke 10 He sent out 70 more to do the same thing.   And they came back rejoicing. Why? They did the work that they had seen Jesus do. They were being like Jesus.  They were Jesus to a suffering world.  Not Jesus, but very much like Jesus.  Made in the image of God.  For what?  For His plans and His purposes to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to proclaim the Good News.  Yes, that is what is written in the Book of Truth that you say you believe.  You are to do these things.

Is it just the pastor who is to do these things?

Is it just the elders who are to do these things?

Is it just the deacons who are to do these things?

You are to do these things

Disciples struggled with this power

They struggled with this power.  At times they would not step up and act.  

The storm that was about the sink them.  [Matt 8:23-27]

A father bringing his son with epilepsy.  Son convulsed and throwing himself into the fire.  “I asked your disciples, they couldn’t do it.”[ Matt 17:14-21]

The feeding of 5,000 people with no food.    [Matt 14:13]

Jesus told his disciples ‘You do it.” 

What did Jesus say to His disciples, 

“What is it with you guys?  Are you ever going to get it?  Don’t you understand that you have the same power in you.  I have given it to you.” 

And there was at least one time they wanted to use their power to call down fire from Heaven to blitzkrieg a city that had rebuffed them.

Matt 17:14  Jesus critized disciples for lack of faith

So, that is what happened the whole time Jesus was on the earth.

He was teaching/training/showing disciples how to live on this earth.  He wanted them to pick up the ball and run with it.

They kept looking to him to do it.  Sort of like today.  The people sit and wait and expect the pastor to do it.  “You are the ‘called one’ - you do it.”  That’s the thinking in most churches. Is that the thinking here?

He taught them [specifically the 12, but also many more] through His words.

He taught them by example.

He told them to go and do it.

They did it  some times

Jesus became upset with them and called them ‘little faiths’.  

He wanted them to take what he had taught them and run with it.

They limped along and wanted to use it incorrectly at times.

They seemed to be getting it - sometimes

And then

Crucifixion

Jesus left

And then He rose again

Conquered death

Jesus was back - from the dead - 

WOW

But then He said, “I’m going away.  I have a lot of work for you to do. but wait.”

Then right before He ascended into Heaven, He said ‘wait’

What for?

Disciples were fired up now.  They are stoked. They are ready to go slay some giants.

They are gonna do some Heavenly stomping on some Hellish demons.

Jesus said   ‘Wait’

You need to ‘wait’ or you will abuse the power.  You will fail and falter and stumble and not get up unless you ‘wait’

Waiting for what?

Holy Spirit came

Are you ready to go fight some demons?

You can’t just go do some demon stomping.  You try that and you’ll get the same thing the seven sons of Sceva got.  They got their clothes ripped off and the demons rode them out of town.

You can not - CAN NOT - CAN NOT do this in your power.

And please don’t try it if you have unforgiveness in your heart.

Time and Time again we are told ‘forgive’ “I have forgiven you. You forgive”

You must forgive

Then you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit

What happened at Pentecost?

The fire came down. They were rejoicing. 120 of them came tumbling out of the upper room.  People heard this commotion, came running.  Watched these folks so full of excitement  - they proclaimed they were drunk.  They were - they were drunk on the Holy Spirit

Read Acts 2, then read it again.

So, then what happened.  They then went out.  Keep reading.  You’ll see Paul [satan’s man - killing people who walked in The Way] turned on his head.

 Paul became a follower of Jesus.

God worked through these people to proclaim the gospel

Paul was the ace but there were many others that we read about who were used to do the mighty works of God.  There are many, many, many more that we never read about who were also doing the mighty works of God.

But look at what Paul says about the ministry God gave to him:

I don’t do this in my power. I don’t do this with my eloquant words.  It is done in and through me because of the mighty power of God dwelling in me. [I Corin 2:4-5]

People see God’s power and they come to Jesus.

Where is that power today?  Where is the faith of Christians to see that power in their lives today?

Do you think God can do mighty works through you?

Do you think you can place your hands upon people, pray for them to be healed, and God will heal them.

It is a simple act of obedience.   

Theme of our church this year:

it is better to obey

How do you feel about obeying God?  

Is there anyone today who needs healing?

[Yes]

Is there anyone who needs to be delivered?

Is there anyone who has not forgiven someone? 
Forgive, be filled with the Holy Spirit and go forth into battle with the full armor of God. Know that you have been given authority by the One who has all authority - King Jesus.