Have faith in God (2)

Good morning, CHURCH!

(Opening joke)

This morning I want to tell y’all about something that took place in a downtown courtroom, concerning the upcoming holiday season.

More specifically it’s concerning this coming Christmas season.

The courtroom started as normal. “All rise.”

When the first prisoner on his docket appeared the judge asked the bailiff what was he being charged for?

The prisoner stood up.

And the bailiff said, “He was charged for doing his Christmas shopping to early your honor.”

Since it had to do with the Christmas season, the judges mood perked up.

The judge thought about the charge and said, “There is no precedence against doing your Christmas shopping early.”

And without hearing the details, the judge slammed his gavel and said “Case dismissed.”

As they took the shackles off the prisoner the judge said, “If you don’t mind me asking, how early were you doing your Christmas shopping?”

The prisoner said, “Your honor, it was only a few hours before the store opened.”

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s go to the book of Psalm 84:11 ESV for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination Psalm 84:11 ESV

For the Lord God is a sun and shield,

the Lord bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

Why was the Psalmist bestowing the goodness of God?

He was on a journey to the temple, and he knew the presence of God was there and that meant it was the best place to be.

Question?

Now that we have God in us and we can be with Him at any time, do you feel like in His presence is the best place to be?

With the writers mindset in mind, let’s lean into what he wrote.

Many theologians believe that as a sun God enlightens and guides us.

And as a shield He protects us.

But since the word sun is not used anywhere else in the O.T. as a figure for God, it could also be that sun and shield is a metaphor for the circular shaped shields that soldiers used for protection in battle.

He also extols that God favors us.

And withholds no good thing from us.

Question?

If the Lord is not withholding good things from me, then I am either receiving good things or there is another reason that I’m not.

But it’s not because God is withholding from me.

And he mentioned walking uprightly.

In the O.T. walking uprightly referred to proper personal and societal conduct as well as attending to God in worship.

We are starting a series titled:

Have faith in God

Last week we started laying the foundation of faith in God.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

First, “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists.” Those who desire to draw near to God must have a deep-rooted belief that He is real.

This belief is not just intellectual knowledge but a wholehearted devotion to His presence and participation in every part of our life.

Without a genuine conviction that God exists, it is impossible to have an intimate relationship with Him.

Second, the Lord’s followers must believe “that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

This aspect of faith trusts in the character of God as a good, loving, generous, gracious, and merciful Father.

James 1:17 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

The Bible says good and perfect gifts come from above.

So, why is it that we have been taught to blame above for the bad things that happen in our life.

Remember last week I told you that if you don’t have faith in God, your soul (will, emotions and intellect) will fight your spirit every step of the way, when it comes to trusting God.

-Your mind will tell you that God loves others more than He love you.

-Your mind will tell you that God will come through for others, but He won’t for you.

-Your mind will keep a record of all the times you think God let you down, while at the same time forgetting all the time’s He’s come through for you.

-Your mind will have selective memory.

Remember the faith in God, we are referring to?

(Pistis) Reliance upon and trust in God.

Faith – a constant outlook of trust and dependence towards God.

Today’s message title is:

Without faith we won’t

There are some things that just won’t happen without faith.

And we’re going to talk about three of them today.

Without faith we won’t

Point #1

Have confidence when we pray.

Without faith we won't believe in God.

Without faith we won't believe He'll be there to listen when we cry out to Him.

Without faith we won't be assured that He'll answer our prayers and respond to our petitions.

Basically, without faith we won't even believe God is there – and if we don't believe in Him, how can we ever please Him?

In the same way, unless we have faith and believe that God will answer our prayers, why should we expect answers to arrive?

Even in times when we ask God for wisdom and instruction.

James 1:5-8

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind. Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways."

Without faith we’re double minded or unstable as it relates to our relationship with God.

e.g. (grab a chair and put it on stage and have someone sit in it and then get up. Then I act like i’m unsure that it will support me.)

Without faith we won’t

Point #2

Walk in the spirit.

Scripture says that it is impossible to please God through works of the flesh.

Romans 8:8 ESV

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

So, one of the ways we can be in the flesh is if we’re not born of the spirit.

Second, even if we are born of the spirit, but fail to renew our minds according to Romans 12:2.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

It’s only when we walk in the spirit will we be able to live a life pleasing to God.

Walking in the spirit is one area that as a counselor I’ve discovered that so many Christians struggle in.

For some it’s an honest struggle.

They just haven’t figured out how to stay in step with the spirit.

But for some, it’s just a matter of not being honest with yourself.

My wife always says, “As people, we lie to ourselves more than anyone else could ever lie to us.”

e.g. I had been talking to this young man about several areas of his life that he was in straight disobedience to the scriptures.

He kept telling me that it was just a matter of struggles that he couldn’t overcome yet.

Finally, he confessed that he had just been lying to himself.

Let me talk to those who are serious about trying to please God but have struggled to do so.

We need a flesh detoxification.

Detox - The metabolic process by which the toxic qualities of a poison or toxin are reduced by the body.

We’re used to this term in the space where addicts are kept away from their drug of choice for a certain period of time, to allow the body to get rid of its dependency on that drug of choice.

Often, they are advised to replace that dependency on something that is not harmful to the body.

My advice to you, if you are struggling to walk in the spirit, is to detox your flesh.

-Detox it from secular music.

-Detox it from secular entertainment.

-Detox it from secular hang outs.

We need this detox from the flesh and to replace that time with things of the spirit.

-Get dependent on spiritual music.

-Get dependent on spiritual entertainment.

-Get dependent on spiritual hang outs.

Not walking in the spirit is what keeps us in the Romans 7 cycle.

Romans 7:15-19 ESV

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Do you know that some Christians use this as an excuse to stay in this cycle.

The way out of that cycle is to walk in the spirit and not according to your flesh.

Without faith we won’t

Point #3

Trust God in our finances.

Matthew 6:31-33 ESV

Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Without faith you won’t believe that and you won’t trust God in this area of your life.

You can always tell when a Christian doesn’t trust God financially.

In their anxiety to have their needs met, they will try to do it all on their own.

God’s process is that everything we have belongs to Him.

-Bring the 1st portion/tithe into the storehouse. (Trustworthy)

-Manage properly the rest. (Stewardship)

-Give liberally to the things of God and to those in need. (Generosity)

This process brings long term financial security because nobody can take care of you like God can.

e.g. why would I cut God out of the picture in my finances just to sweat and toil and do it myself.

Our process sometimes brings temporary security.

And worse than temporary security, it often pulls us away from the things of God.

Once we are pulled away ever so slightly from the things of God, other areas in our life will start to deteriorate.

-Marriage will start to suffer.

-Mental health will start to suffer.

-Family relationships begin to suffer.

I think that the enemy really tries to attack a believer in the area of giving.

Matthew 6:21 ESV

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What’s more important to you?

Something that you don’t really need or connecting your heart to God.

The world is full of advertising executives that have board meetings strictly focused on how they are going to get your money.

And while you are falling for it, you are at the same time making it difficult for yourself to have faith in God.

(Closing illustration)

If you’re watching online or here in the room, I have a very important question to ask you.

What is Holy Spirit saying to you right now?