Sermon Tone Analysis

Gift of Faith

Last week I introduced a small series that we will be walking through entitled “The People God Uses”

We learned that we were created for His pleasure!

I listed 5 areas of concern in the preparation process for God’s service

Life in the Spirt, Words of our mouth, Service we perform, handling of our money, and the power of prayer

We saw that there is a process we must all pass through in preparation for His service

The foundation of our life needs rebuilt, the rough edges smoothed out, and our faith needs strengthened!

Our focus is the events surrounding the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-10

We see here a practical demonstration of the Word of faith in action

Jesus told His disciples that

But!

You see, when our prayers are inline with the Son brining glory to the Father, then our joy will be full as God is glorified!

Look at the event again

It was in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth that faith was exercised - “he took the man and helped him up” - that resulted in honor being given to God -

You see the Holy Spirits job is to bring attention to Jesus - Jesus’ role is to bring honor to the Father!

The father brings honor to the Son!

The Word of faith spoken here was

The action of faith was

The moment we begin to step out in faith Satan rears his ugly head and mouth full of lies!

Oh, what if he falls?

What if he doesn’t get healed, you will look like a fool!

Satan will remind us of every reason healing doesn’t exist today!

When Jesus encountered the lame man at the pool of Bethesda He asked him a simple question, “do you want to be healed”

It wasn’t complicated or a trick question, a simple yes or no would have sufficed!

Instead the man began to lost the reasons he could not be healed!

The problem is we look at the situation from our standpoint of our insufficiency

Faith looks at the situation from God’s stand point and sees every sufficiency in God’s abilities!

Jesus told His disciples

This point wasn’t about the size of the seed but rather the accomplishment of that seed over the obstacles to grow!

Pushing its way to the surface under the weight of the soil pressing down upon it!

Peter challenged them

Why are you surprised, don’t you know the God of your fathers?

If they truly knew Him then they would have expected it!

Peter then goes on to clarify that it was

Doo you see it?

“through faith in His name”

Remember - Ask anything in my name and I will respond

In Matthew 17 the disciples were unable to cast out the demon and asked jesus why

So how to we build our faith to be strong in the Lord?

Its clear!

To build our faith we must spend time in the Word of God!

The more time we spend with Him the more we are conformed to the image of Christ in our lives and our desires and motives become His!

That’s why man cannot find fulfillment outside of the will of God!

But what was the cost of their standing in faith?

You see faith isn’t for improving our lives, although God blesses us, Faith isn’t for getting a bigger car although God will provide all our needs, even faith isn’t for God healing our diseases, although He does, Faith, is the source of our strength and resolve to stay at the work to which He calls us!

Look at Heb 11:39

They didn’t see the fulfillment but trusted the One who would fulfil for a great reward

As we know

I think it takes more faith while we are waiting for the fulfilment of the promise than receiving it in full!

The people God uses have an unwavering trust in the Word of God

Let’s pray!