Faith

Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

Introduction:

In Jesus’ ministry there were a few types of people; the non-religious, the religious, the one with true faith. Jesus would in Matthew 17:17 would state the words how much longer must I be with you, a faithless generation. Jesus demands faith and faith is not only belief but it always leads to action. Today we must address the topic of faith in a sermon style I am prone to do often, but one of application. We must examine faith and the action that follows it, but to do so let us examine the people Jesus encountered.

The Non-Religious:

The Non-religious are those found inside the walls of the church and outside the walls of the church. This person we won’t spend long on. This person’s life is marked with a hatred for God or unwilling heart to repent. The situation of the unrepentant heart varies for the rich it will be their money, for the power hungry it will be their power, for the broken it will be because of their trauma. This person refuses Christ because they have lived within their nature of sin, it is not say God cannot redeem this person, but this person has by their own nature and bonding of their will rejected Christ.

The religious:

The religious are perhaps worse than the non-Religious, they are the ones that believe they know the true and living God. This person is the Pharisee, the one the one that creates law, demands law, but when faced with the very words of Christ, calls for Christ crucifixion. How dare you claim the word of God Jesus? How dare you state you are the way Jesus? We know the God of Abraham, but Jesus would reply before Abraham, I AM.

The religious are not always easy to spot as they were in the life of Jesus, they’re not all wearing robes and collars. Their members of churches, on leadership teams, and speak similar language as born-again Christians. They are your best friend, pray with you but don’t truly know the Lord. What this person knows is the theology, the words to speak, the practices of the faithful, and how to role play as a believer.

Why do they stay in the church?

Illustration:

I have been blessed to have grown-up in a covenant household, where we were taught manners and the ways of the Lord. Part of this was the America of the past, you put on your Sunday best, you pray before you eat, and you better know the KJV is the only bible to be read. Christianity the religious part was what everyone was, and if your were the non-religious you hid it with the idea of I am a seeker or did not speak of it.

Today we ask the question why is Christianity not as prevalent? The answer is it never was. It was a false image that was passed down from generation to generation. What happened is my generation finally caught on to the hypocrisy of religion and how their bibles were not born again, but simply products of the boomer generation. Have manners, pray before you eat, and I better not catch you wearing blue jeans. My generation was turned off to hearing from them their elders and rejected everything they stood for. Instead of seeking the real Jesus, they sought out social reform because the Christians were not loving their neighbors, but certainly loved their church that did nothing for neighbor.

The religious kicked out their children, so they fell into the non-religious crowd.

The one with true faith:

The Non-religious care less about Jesus and will follow a worldview of their construction, the religious will continue to play religion until they meet the Lord, and He will say I never knew you, but there is one group that Jesus will embrace with open arms. It’s the tattoo wearing hipster who heard the word of Jesus, dropped his guitar, and picked up his cross. It is the woman in the hospital who after years of cutting herself heard the chaplains’ words and surrendered her life to Jesus. It is the man who grew up in religion but after seeing children come to Christ, gave his life over to Christ to pick up His cross.

Jesus had true followers, one by the name of Peter. Peter just a fisherman (and they were not your Bass Pro shops customers) these fishermen probably had some foul mouth, certainly did not cater to anybody, spat on the ground, and was not your mom’s golden child. Peter encountered Jesus and would die for His Lord after a life of preaching the gospel.

Jesus had woman followers too, one of whom had nothing but a vile of ointment that could have been a year’s salary, she poured it over the feet of Jesus before his death. She not only poured on his feet but using her hair she wiped his feet clean.

None of these people are what the religious people want; but what Jesus wants as we see in Psalm 51 a broken and contrite heart.

Application: The True Faith

The one who has true faith has attributes that believes a seed can move a mountain.

A. The one of true faith follows Jesus.

a. This is the person who treasures their prayer life, who loves the word of God, and is filled with a broken, contrite heart.

b. This is the person who says yes to proper theology and yes to biblical social reform

c. This is the person who would give up everything if it meant the spreading of the gospel could happen. (Self-Denial)

d. This is the person who opens their door to complete strangers, and offers a place of rest

e. This is the person who visits the jails

f. This is the person who gives to orphans and cares for widows

g. Most of all this is the person whose life is for the glory of God and worships God

B. The Church of true faith

a. The church of true faith treasures their time of prayer and study in the word, is filled with a broken and contrite heart.

b. The church of true faith says yes to proper theology and yes to missional living

c. The church of true faith is the one that would say, what can we sell or die to, so the gospel of Jesus can spread?

d. The church of true faith opens their doors to complete strangers and offers a calling of Jesus who brings a place of rest

e. The church of true faith is the one that gives to the orphans, cares for the widows

f. The church of true faith is the one whose life is for the glory of God and worships God

C. The Household of true faith

a. Is all that is mentioned above and worships the Lord together each Lord’s Day.

b. Is on mission together

Highland’s Application:

The Lord has given you many ministers over the years, whose duty is to equip you for the work of ministry. Ephesians 4:12. Upon you today is the calling of what to do with Highland, as your Pastor I was asked not be in the meeting but I have every right as the minister of this church to advise you on your calling as a church from the Lord.

Highland

A. Pursue the Lord in all things, your worship of Him, Your Mission for Him, and you’re offering to Him

Worship of Him

Highland if you believe in the Lord, never forget you worship God and not the organization of Highland.

Mission for Him

Highland, I am a visionary and don’t apologize for it. I by the grace of God have offered you training in evangelism, provided opportunities such as Cru, (thou that never kicked off as planned) we walked for life and raised 300 dollars, we have given police officers meals, firefighters a cookout, and food to those in need. June 11 we will go all in in faith to raise funds for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. You are in the place where you must decide we will keep the mountain moving in the faith the Lord has given us or will simply retreat waiting for the next Pastor.

The church lives on mission together, will you live on mission for Him?

Offering for Him

The reality is church once my family leaves, numbers will dwindle below 15. You have a body of believers that can make up a strong core group, but the reality is the parsonage, the church, it is eating away slowly at the funds. You can’t make it on less than 2,000 dollars a month. Organizations need people to survive; due to age, mobility, lack of younger families joining Highland the truth is she may not be around in five years or less. I have gone to seminary, studied under top church planters, and only speak truth to you. But this does not mean your church ends, but rather offer this property to another ministry and take the funds to advance the gospel, call your own Pastor, and start afresh.

This was my desire for you because I know we could have met somewhere, and I had the faith to do it. We could have started another mission in a key location and grown our little family. You were not ready for this, and I don’t believe you are today. Chances are you will vote to call another Village Missionary, but what if you took a seed of faith to say let’s offer our property, meet in a home for a season to fast and pray. What if God has something great for this church (you the body) but you’re holding on to the past will prevent it?

Conclusion:

Christ never prayed His people would be taken away, but rather His church would remain and stand united for the sake of His cause to redeem a prodigal sheep, to bring them in as heirs of the Kingdom, to be His bride, to call us as a people of faith. The mountain is tall and wide, and mustard seed is as tiny as a baby’s toenail; that seed moves mountains. Christ died to give you faith, so will you believe?