Faith

     From this V we see that our faith is not our own, but it is the Lord’s. He’s the author of our faith. We need to find out what is the purpose of our faith. Is it for us to be blessed, or so that we can say we have great faith and not do anything with it, maybe it’s for our family to be blessed and have the desires of their heart? God does want us to be blessed and He wants our families blessed, but the main reason for our faith is to reach others, for salvation, healing, safety, deliverance, so that others can experience the goodness of God and His blessings. Faith should reach out in every direction. Our faith should be reaching out in every direction. We need to understand the value and necessity of the reach of faith.

     I. But the 1st thing we need is to realize who is the source of our faith. We can call it the upward look of faith.

              A. Our opening V said, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of {our} faith.”

                        1. That’s where our faith comes from and that’s who we have to put our faith in.

                        2. PSA 121:1-2 We have to remember to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s where our strength comes from; that’s where our power comes from.

                                  a. LUKE 9:1

                                           i. The word “POWER” here is the Greek “dunamis” meaning the miracle working power.

                                                     a. Sometimes the English word “power” is the translated from the Greed word “exousia” meaning “Authority”

                                                     b. But in this V He says that we Have the Power over Satan and we have the power, which comes from the Lord, to heal the sick.

                                                     c. (Matthew 10:1) “He gave them (his disciples) power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

                                           ii. (Acts 1:8) Says, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”

                                                     a. Jesus is the one that sends the HS.

                                                     b. (John 16:7) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

                                                     c. (JOHN 15:26) Says just about the same thing.

                                  b. Many times when results are slow in coming, worry sets in, sometimes fear comes, sometimes we start reasoning out God’s Word.

                                                      i. Do you know what the word “reason” means?

                                                      ii. One of the definitions says it means, “To determine or conclude by logical thinking.”

                                                      iii. Logical thinking is the natural way of thinking.

                                                                  a. Sometimes logical thinking has it’s place.

                                          c. But look at 1COR 2:14

                                                      i. When it comes to spiritual things the natural mind is at war with the things of God. (ROM 8:7)

                                                      i. (1 Corinthians 3:19) Says, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.”

                                                      ii. (1 Corinthians 1:25) “The foolishness of God is wiser than men.”

                                          d. ISA 55:8-9

                        3. Mans understanding has not arrived, that’s why (PRO 3:5) Says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (KJV)

              B. Faith always looks upward in spite of time, failures, discouragement’s, and disappointments, even in the midst of tests and trials.

                        1. 2CO 2:14 If you’re walking in faith, you have the victory. The upward look of faith always wins. Faith is the victory.

                        2. (1JO 5:4) Says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, {even} our faith.” (KJV)

     II. After you have that upward look of faith, (trusting in the Lord), then you’ll have the lift of faith. MARK 9:27

              A. Jesus took that man (boy) by the hand and lifted him up.

                        1. He’ll take you by the hand and lift you up.

                        2. In what area of your life do you need Jesus to lift you up?

                                  a. Maybe you’re sick or afflicted, if you have that upward look of faith, Jesus will lift you up.

                                  b. Maybe it’s sin that you need to be lifted up out of (PSA 40:2) Says “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, {and} established my goings.”

                                  c. All you need is that upward look of faith and Jesus will lift you up out of that miry clay, out of that sin.

                                  d. Matthew 14:28-31

                                  e. Peter had that upward look of faith and He began to walk on the water, but he got his eyes off Jesus, it said he saw the wind boisterous, he got his eyes off Jesus and The Word of God.

                                 f. Then Peter got his eyes back on Jesus, It says, “He cried, saying, Lord, save me.”

                                           i. He once again had that upward look of faith and (V 31) Says, “Immediately Jesus stretched forth {his} hand, and caught him.”

                                  g. As Peter had that upward look of faith, The Lord began to lift him up.

              B. Now we are the body of the Lord JC, we have to get our strength from Him, and when we do, we have to reach out to others.

                        1. The Word of God will not return void, but it will accomplish that what it’s been sent out to do.

                                  a. As you share Jesus with others and believe God for them, you are reaching out to them and the Jesus will lift them up.

                                  b. Jesus is still in the lifting up business.

     III. COL 2:5,7

For your faith to be effective, you have to be steadfast and established in the faith.

              A. The Word “STEADFASTNESS” in (COL 2:5) means, “STABILITY, MAKE STRONG, STABLE, STIFF.”

                        1. You need to be “Stable in the faith, strong in the faith, and immovable in the faith.”

              B. The word “Stablished” in (V 7) means, “Stable, Firm, or Sure.”

                        1. You also need to be stable in the faith, you need to be firm in the faith, and sure in the faith and of the faith.

                        2. In other words you can’t waver. James says in (James 1:6-7) “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

     IV. Once you have the “upward look of faith", “The lift of faith”, and “The life of faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7) “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”, you will be able to have the “REACH OF FAITH.”

              A. Once you have the reach of faith, you’ll begin to use the faith God gave you for what He intended it for. To meet the needs of others.

              B. Jesus said in (JOH 14:12) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater {works} than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

                        1. I don’t think that we are going to do works that are better than what Jesus did(not better in quality), but we can do more of them. (More in quantity, there’s more of us.)

                        2. But how are we going to do more works and greater works if we don’t reach out?

TFC 10/4/89 WED and WOLCC SUM AM 5/8/94