Aggressive FAITH
PRESSING IN
The Olympics
What does it take to be a winner? We all want to be winners. But are we willing to pay the price?
If they were runners it didn't matter what the weather conditions were outside they still practiced. They refused to stop training. They made up their mind years earlier that no matter what it took they were going to be in the Olympics competing for the gold medal.
Always pushing forward, using their old muscles building new muscles, straining and stretching, trying to continually to do better.
These athletes really impressed me.
a. Heavyweight wrestler
b. gymnastics -- young girl in pain
c. shot put - I'll be back.
All these were determined to be winners even though every thing wasn't perfect with them or around them, they pushed forward with a force that would overcome any obstacle that got in their way
And to be a winner that is the kind of force that you need, physically or spiritually.
That is what Jesus said in Matthew 11:12,
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
The word suffereth means,
971 biazo {bee-ad'-zo}
from 979; TDNT - 1:609,*; v
AV - suffer violence 1, press 1; 2
1) to use force, to apply force
2) to force, inflict violence on
When Jesus said this He wasn't talking about going to heaven, He was talking about taking hold of the kingdom of God in this earth. He meant possessing the promised belssings here and now. But it is not easy, you have to take them by force.
I am talking about using the force of faith. Most people don't see faith as a force but it is. Paul said,
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith,
Faith is aggresive, and not passive. Faith takes the Word of God as a weapon and brings down every stronghold of unbelief and every obstacle that the powers of darkness puts in your way.
Aggressive faith is what moves the mountains in your life.
When you are having difficult times in your life, you can't just sit around and wait for the Lord to rescue you.
Robert Schuller advertises his church on television, and They show him preaching, saying, "Don't just sit there do something." so fight the good fight of faith.
God expects you to do your part.
God has already give us the weapons to fight with.
The name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
For some of you that are new, when you come up to be prayed for it may be quite different for you.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; {imaginations: or, reasonings}
If you want to see changes in your life then start using aggressive faith.
Example
Caleb and Joshua
Numbers 13
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. {men...: Heb. men of statures}
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
The other ten men saw themselves as grasshoppers because they had small faith, but Caleb was not afraid of big men because he had giant faith, aggressive faith. He was ready to press in.
1 Samuel 17
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {lamb: or, kid}
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
David had aggressive faith.
1. These men had faith in their heart and in their mouth.You have to have it in both places.
If it is only in the heart and you don't speak it then you are not being aggressive with it.
Dont speak the problem speak the answer.
Joel 3:10 Let the weak say, I am strong.
2. It cant just come from your mouth , it has to be in your heart as well. There will be no power behind it if it doesn't come from the heart. Faith comes from the heart.
What can weaken your faith and even stop it?
Feeding on worldly things.
Computers
Galatians 6
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Take in God's Word.
Phillippians 3:14
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Luke 16:16
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Press In -- Be determined to .
Phillippians 3:10 The Amplified Bible
The KJV
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Press In -- Grass in sidewalk
Don't give up, just give it all you've got.
Faith doesn't save us from trials, but it does take us through them.
Remember God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you.nto captivity every thought to the obedience of Chr€w because they had small faith, but Caleb was not afraid of big men because he had giant faith, aggre Palatia was ready to press in.
1 Samuel 17
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and the