Sermon Tone Analysis

WELCOME: eMember Reflections Group Thursdays @ 7:30 pm

Reflections Church Service

February 27th, 2022

“I’m Yoked to This”

“Fix This Ship” Series: Pt. 9

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Matthew 11:28-30

PARTNERSHIPS:

Takes the meaning of membership of step further, if you just belonging to an organization, or some type of movement, or club.

You can be a member of a club, or some other organization and it has a consumer mentality.

I paid to be a part of the club and I get my benefits from it.

Partnership as it suggest active participation and partnership where every individual is considered a joint in the body, designed to provide support to everyone in the body.

It is more than just coming in to get something for me for my tithe and offering.

Partners not see themselves as individuals belonging to the whole, but they are instrumental parts of the whole, that without their participation the whole is not fully whole.

In legal firms, there is a difference between an associate and a partner.

You can be simply on salary or be a part of profit sharing.

Partnership is its ability to accomplish more together, than apart.

It recognizes that a team is stronger than a lone individual.

Deuteronomy 32:30

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

ICEBREAKER:

Foundational Scripture:

Hebrews 5:12 - 6:2

The Seven Principles of Doctrine:

         Repentance from Dead Works

       Faith towards God

         Doctrine of Baptisms

         Laying on of Hands;

         Eternal Judgment

         Resurrection from the Dead

         Perfection/Maturity 

Opening Question: How do you define “faith”?

Faith towards God

Defining Biblical Faith:

 The Greek word for faith is "pistis" which means "firm persuasion, trust, or belief, total dependence upon".

To have faith in God is to trust wholly in God and to be dependent upon Him.

Therefore, we no longer focus on trying to impress God or other people, but rather our energy if directed toward trusting in God for our every need.

We need not concern ourselves with things God has already assured us He will take care of.

“Faith - Is acting as if God is telling the truth.”

- Tony Evans

Matthew 6: 25-34.

Romans 12:3,

These verses bring out important aspects of faith - We have to understand we are valuable in His sight, and as God’s children, He will take care if us providing what we need.

Also, even the ability to believe in God was given to us.

God has assigned us each of us a measure of faith, He has given us the ability to trust and believe in Him.

Hebrews 11:1-3

The Greek word for "substance", hupostasis, means "to support from beneath, a setting or placing under, a thing put under, substructure, and foundation, that which has foundation, is firm, that which has actual existence".

The word "hope", elpis, means "to expect".

So faith is the foundation of what we expect from God, things based on His promises.

Faith assures us that although the promise is not yet seen in the natural, it most certainly is coming to pass and because of that, we base our current reality in the fact that it will come to pass.

It is going to happen!

A promise is only as good as the one who is giving the promise.

2 Corinthians 5:7

God has already given every believer the ability to believe in the unseen things.

According to Romans 12:3, God has given to each of us a measure of faith.

This is how we are able to believe in an unseen God.

Though He is not visible in the natural.

Question: If you’re not walking by faith then how are you walking?

The answer is simple.

If God is not controlling your life, it's because you are not letting Him - you are in control.

You not honoring Him as Lord.

If you are not operating out of faith, you are operating out of disobedience, for whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23b).

There can be no walk with God or living for God apart from your active faith and reliance on the promises of His Word.

Our lives are not pleasing to Him if we live in fear and do not trust Him.

Hebrews 11:6

God demands that we live a life of faith.

However, when we ask God to do something for us, we must first seek His wisdom about the issue.

He promised that if we ask for wisdom, He would freely give it to us.

James 1:5

Amounts of Faith:

Little Faith – Jesus says a person that worries about everyday things, food, clothes, drink, the necessities of life, had little faith.

Little faith only believes that “God can”

Matthew 6:30; 14:28-31

Great Faith – The Centurion having natural authority recognized the spiritual authority of Jesus that if He would just speak things would happen.

This kind of faith Jesus calls “great”  Great faith comes to the resolution that “God will”.

Matthew 8:5-13; 15:21-28 (NKJV)

Perfect Faith – James is saying that faith without subsequent action is useless faith.

Even Peter, with “little faith”, put his faith in action and walked on water.

James tells us that faith is made perfect by how we respond to it (work, action).

Perfect faith is when the believer comes to the resolution that not only “God can”, and “God will”, but “God has”.

And because He has, one’s actions reflect the confidence that the promise has already come to pass.

This type of faith says, “It’s already done!”

James 2:20-22 (NKJV)

Examples: Abraham (Romans 4:19-21), Noah (Hebrews 11:7)

CLOSING: Having faith towards God, believing what He’s said in His word, putting our trust in His promises is part of our DNA as believers.

The fruit of faith is part what we get from the Holy Spirit; Galatians 5:22-24.

The gift of faith, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.

The gift of faith is a special impartation of faith on the believer for the common good of others.

Since our unbelief hinders the working of God in our lives, God then, gives us a gift of faith to believe beyond our current faith level.

Repentance from dead works, and faith towards God are opposite sides of the same coin.

You really cannot have one without the other, and working together make our Christian journey more productive and lessens the feeling of guilt, so we can be active participants, full partners if you will, advancing God’s kingdom agenda.