Doubts and Weakness: What is a Saving Faith?

Me

Intro

Tell the story of the mission trip

Light context

Worship on the floor

Brett says, “I hope I can have a faith as strong as yours one day.”

Truth of the floor

Brett thought I was strong in my faith (maybe he thought I was having a God moment)

We

Comparing our faith to others

Like Brett, we often compare our faith to others

It is a wonderful thing to want to have a strong faith

We are always so worried about the strength of our faith. Maybe this is the wrong focus

God

Having Faith

The New International Version Chapter 17

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21]

Explain Parable

Christian faith is not about your faith, its about Christ

It is not the quantity of faith that matters. It is the quality of the One who we place our faith in

This is why the faith that’s the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. It’s not because it can actually move mountains. It’s because it’s placed on the One who made the mountains and can move them.

It is all about Jesus…

— Jesus is the founder and perfecter of faith Heb 12:2

— Jesus is the keeper of our faith 1 Cor 1:8-9

— Jesus is the completer of our faith Phil 1:6

The New International Version Chapter 1

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Don’t you see? We have it flipped. All too often we act as if we have to have faith before we approach God. Instead, we ought to recognize that it is Christ who grants us grace. Jesus is the founder, keeper, and completer of our faith.

Your Weakness is actually your strength

We often see the struggle to “have faith” as a weakness.

The New International Version Chapter 20

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Explain

You

Maybe you feel a little like Thomas. Maybe you feel a little like I did as I kneeled on the floor.

If you only take away one thing from this message, I hope that it is this. All of your doubts, fears, anxieties, temptations, sin — all of your weakness should drive you to God.

We