Weekly Sermon

2-12-12

It Is All In You

We have taken a stroll with Abraham, went fishing with Jonah, died and revived with Job, learned about personal revival, and discussed the fruits of the Holy Spirit. After we have taken this journey we should know and understand four paths that we are to take. The four words, that lead us to the path, which we should focus on are believe, trust, praise, and serve.

For us to truly be called the Christian we should be and live the life that we are supposed to live we must display each of those four words. We must look deep within ourselves and ask just how much we do believe and how much belief do we display to ourselves and to others. One of the most famous verses that describe, to us, a display of belief, or faith, is Matthew 17:20, "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Look who is talking, Jesus. Look who Jesus is talking to, You. I get so many folks that come to me for various reasons of a need, a spiritual need. Do not get me wrong, as your pastor, that is what I am here for, to assist with spiritual guidance, but if folks understood this one passage of scripture, I would be out of a spiritual job. Why is it that we do not have enough faith? Most folk's faith is dependent upon their belief system, which is also structured on their upbringing. Many folks are led to believe a certain way because their parents taught them a certain way. This has been handed down from generation to generation. What is wrong with this way of thinking or teaching? What if somewhere one generation got something wrong and then continued teaching their children wrong? Why is it that we will listen to a rumor, even if not true, and spread it faster, that believe the truth. Look, do not listen to man, listen to Jesus Himself. If we want to know the truth then we need to listen to the Author of the truth. Now that I have gone off on a tangent, let us get back to the real reason for this verse. You do not have enough faith. Why? We do not truly understand faith. Why? We do not have to use our faith. Even if we are put in a position to have to use our faith we do not use it because we do understand what it can do for us. Anything that we want or think we need, instead of using faith, we just get it. The ONLY times we ever attempt to show a true act of faith is if we cannot achieve what it is that is happening to us, like an illness that is not getting better, a family member or friend that has a terminal illness, a death that has happened in our family, or something we do not know how to find the answer to. If we look at the rest of that passage, it states that if we have faith even as small as a mustard seed. If you know anything about a mustard seed, then you know that a mustard seed is the smallest of all herb yielding seeds and yet it produces the largest plant. If we had faith, even that small, we could tell a mountain to move from one place to another and it would move. Oh pastor, come on, how many mountains have you ever seen moved? In reality, many of them. I had a grandmother who was diagnosed with liver failure and lived 10 years longer than was expected, with a non-working liver. I had a sister who was unable to get pregnant, no matter what they tried, who now has 4 children. I had an aunt, who was diagnosed with such a bad case of diabetes that she was wheelchair bound, that one day walked to her doctor to find out that she did not have diabetes any longer. These are miracles, NOT Mountains moved from one place on earth to another place! Well, what do you think a mountain being moved is called? A miracle. Did these things happen because of my faith? No, but they did happen because the folks that they happened to had a small amount of faith that they would happen. Just as Jesus said, nothing would be impossible, and they believed it, even if in small amount or even for a small amount of time. That is the thing with faith, or believing, it does not require a large amount, but it does require TRUE faith. That true faith part is where we mess up. We want to have faith and we try very hard to have faith, but we do not allow the faith to work for us. We say to the mountain, move from here to there and we expect it to move immediately because we said so. This is NOT how faith works. Faith does not work on our command; it works on the command of God. That being said leads me to where our faith should be. Our faith should NOT be in thinking, or even knowing, that the mountain will move, but our faith should be in knowing our God will make this happen. Our faith should be in God and God alone and once we understand that then God will cause our faith to work and nothing will be impossible. To be honest, I hope you all put me out of a spiritual job. Then I know that you full put your faith in God and my job is finished.

For us to truly have this type of faith then we must have a supernatural amount of trust. If we are going to put all of our faith in our God then we must trust that God will do what He said He would do. For us to have this type of trust then let us look at Proverbs 3:1-15, "My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. (2)If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. (3)Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. (4)Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. (5)Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. (6)Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (7)Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (8)Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. (9)Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. (10)Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. (11)My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. (12)For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. (13)Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. (14)For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. (15)Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her." If we are going to be worthy, in the eyes of God, of being called a Christian and one that will find true favor in God, then, just as it states here, we must never forget the things He taught us and store those things in our hearts. All this means is that we follow God and all the things He has laid out for us and we will be found worthy, or earn a good reputation with God and man. All of the sudden verse 5 jumps into the picture. Verse 5 causes so much spiritual warfare inside our own selves that it is not funny. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Ok, I can do that. I can put all my trust in Him. Oh wait, that was not the end of that verse. Do not depend on my own understanding? Wait, I am not allowed to understand what is going on? I like to drive, I like to be in charge, I want to know what is happening in my life. Guess what, it is NOT your life. This is a life that God allowed you to borrow for a short time and He is, and will always be, in full control. Once we understand that this life is truly His life, within each of us, and then we will put our full trust in Him and not care if we understand at all. When we were small babies, we did not worry about whether we would be taken care of or not. We are truly babies in the eyes of God and He is truly here to supply our needs. When we finally get this through our thick skulls, then we will allow our Father full control, full trust, and all or our true faith. Once this happens, and the lights finally come on, then we will have health for our bodies and strength for our bones. If we honor Him with our wealth and the best of all we produce, He will flood us to overflowing with blessings. Allow God to act as your Father, correct as your Father, and love as your Father. Why is it that we respect our dad for raising us to be great adults, but we hate God for trying to correct us when we do wrong? Is it not the same difference? It is all about trust. How much do we truly trust Him in ALL things? The best way to trust God, fully, is to understand Him. The only way to understand Him is to know Him. Get to know Him and He will take care of you and nothing you desire will compare.

When our faith and trust finally plants strong roots we will be so overpowered with so many blessings that we will want to sing praises. Look with me in Psalms 98:4-9, "Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! (5)Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, (6)with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! (7)Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. (8)Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy (9)before the LORD. For the LORD is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice and the nations with fairness." I want us to see who is singing praises to the Lord. You, me, everything in the sea, the earth, all living things, the rivers, and the hills. Sounds to me like everything that we know has been included in this symphony. Why do I bring this up? Verse 7 said, let the earth and ALL living things join in. All living things means every person, no matter if they are blessed, not blessed, well, sick, rich, poor, thin, large, great looking, not so great looking, smart, not so smart, completely healthy, or even on their death beds, should sing praises. How is it that if I have a disease that could take my life cause me to sing praises? Refer back to the first and second words we talked about. If we believe, totally believe, and if we trust, totally trust, then we will know that God is here to care for us and there should be NO reason for us not to be singing praises. Praise God I feel bad, that means I still have feeling. Praise God I do not have much because at least I have something. Praise God I am sick with a fatal disease because it causes me to fully trust in Him to become well. Praise God He has blessed me, so I can be a blessing to others in His name. We must understand that once we start praising God for ALL things then all things will be His and He will prosper all things that are His. The Bible says that nothing returns to the mouth of God void. All things that exist do because of God's voice, He spoke them into existence. Nothing that He spoke into existence will return to Him void or of no worth. All things are worthy in the eyes of God. Let us look through the eyes of God and believe that inside everyone there is some worth and we can all sing praises to an amazing God.

Once we have come to this point in our lives we have only one thing to do and that is to serve. What we must do is tell others about an amazing Father that truly does care and love us enough that He not only will supply our needs, but He has supplied a way for us to get to Him by the death and resurrection of His only Son. Turn with me to Joshua 24:14-15, "So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone. (15)But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." Why would anyone want to fear Him? If they do not live how God has told us to live, then there will be fear on judgment day. So, yes, we are to fear the Lord so that it will cause us to live the way God wanted us to live, as a true Christian. We must choose who we want to serve, the world or God. If we choose to serve the world then we will turn to dust as with the rest of the world. If we choose to serve God, then we will live the life with God that He always designed from the beginning. You want to know one of the best things about serving an amazing God? He serves back. Look at Luke 12:37, "Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." Jesus always came to serve and be a servant until He rose to become King. If we choose to serve then one day we will be brought into the house of God and be treated as the worthy. God truly does consider us that worthy, if we will only believe, trust, praise, and serve Him. This is all done out of our pure faith. Where is your faith? Prove this faith to yourself first and then you will be able to share it with so many others. After all that is our ultimate goal, bring all to the body of Christ.

Are you ready believe? Are you ready to really trust in something that will not let you down? Are you ready to sing praises because you are so cared for by an amazing Father? Are you willing to truly serve a God that will in turn serve? All you have to do to get started, on this great path, is to say a simple prayer with me.

Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.

If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.

With Love in Christ,

Pastor Stone