Sermons
So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed!
How faith comes
Faith in God and His word is very crucial.(Heb 11:1) Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Heb 11:6) The just shall live by faith and Christianity is described as a faith walk. (Heb 10:38, 2 Cor 5:7) By faith we recieve answers to our prayers (Mark 11:24), we obtain good report, (Heb 11:2), we overcome the world,(1 John 5:4) we quench every fiery dart of the devil. (Eph 6:16) God demands that we have faith (Mar 11:22). However, a believer may say that is the problem. I do not have faith. But you do not need to worry that you do not have faith because you can get faith. God has provided ways for us to get faith.
Rom 10:17. Says faith comes by hearing and hearing by God’s word. The primary way faith comes is by hearing the word of God. The bible has examples of people who heard the word of God, believed the word of God and received salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost like Cornelius and his house hold. (Acts 10:45-48) There is the crippled man at Lystra, who heard Paul preach the gospel, believed the word of God and was healed. (Acts 14:8-10) The bible even makes us to understand that faith for miracles comes by hearing the word of God. (Gal 3:5)
Jesus says we are to take heed to what we hear. (Mark 4:24) Concerning what we eat, Jesus makes us to understand that what we eat does not defile us, because it does not go into our heart. (Mark 7:17-18) On the other hand what we hear has the potential to go into our heart. (Luk 8:11-15) We should therefore surround ourselves with God’s word. Deliberately listen to the word of God on faith, fruitfulness, healing, finances, prosperity, and on being a channel of God’s blessing to others. Listen to the word of God on your radio, computer, television and join a bible believing church. Read Christian books that will strengthen your faith. Above all read your bible. Stay away from words of doubt, or fear even when they appear religious. Any word that is not consistent with what God says in his word concerning you can affect you adversely on the other hand when you constantly listen to God’s word, your faith will grow considerably.
How do you maximize what you hear to ensure that you get faith from the word? There are people who do not maximize what they hear. Concerning the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, even though they had heard the word of God, and God had promised them the Land of promise. (Num 13:1-2) They believed the spies who said they were not able to take the promise Land, rather than the word of God. (Num 13:31-33, Num 14:1-4) Because they did not believe the word of God that they heard, they did not enter the land. (Num 14:22-23) Concerning those Israelites who did not believe, the book of Hebrews says the word they heard did not profit them, because the word was not mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Heb 4:2) On the other hand Caleb and Joshua, believed God’s word that they were able to take the Land and they entered into the promise Land.(Num 13:30, Num 14:6-9, Num 14:24)
So we also need to be able to get the maximum benefit from what we hear. One way to do this is to receive the word that you hear with meekness. (Jas 1:21) That means to let the word of God have the final say on any and every issue you might face in life. The word of God says Let God be true and every man a liar. (Rom 3:4) The bible says when we receive the word like that the word will then save our souls or save us from any situation we might face in life. (Jas 1:21)
The other thing to do to receive faith from hearing God’s word is to constantly listen to the word. If you do not constantly continue to listen to God’s word, the word may slip from our hearts. (Heb 2:1) Peter by the Holy Ghost says that he will constantly remind the Church of the word of God, so that they can be established in it and will not slip. (2 Pet 1:12-13) We understand from 1 Cor 3:6 that Paul planted and Apollos waters and God gave the increase. Planting and watering are done with the word of God. And for us to receive maximum faith from God’s word we do need watering that is constantly hearing the word of God. Prov 4:20-22. Talks about inclining your hear to God’s word and constantly hearing the word of God.
Another way for you to constantly hear the word of God is by speaking the word of God to yourself. This is one way you can put the word in your heart or write the word in your heart. (Pro 7:1-5, Deut 11:18-21, Psa 19:11, Pro 4:20-21)The bible makes us to understand that the more you speak the word of God, the more you write the word in your heart and the word becomes established in your heart. Josh1: 8 says the word of God shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, and then you will be able to put the word into practice. This also means that when you constantly keep the word of God in your mouth, you will be able to believe the word and you will receive the profit of the word.
David was an expert in speaking what the word of God to himself. He had a habit of encouraging himself in the Lord (1 Sam 30:6). In Psalms 27:1 he says the Lord is my light and my salvation who shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid. In Psalm 91 he says I will say of my Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress my God in whom will I trust. In the book of Hebrews we are taught to boldly say the Lord is my helper what can man do unto me. (Heb 13:5-6) Speaking the word of God to ourselves causes our faith to grow.
Faith also comes when we act on God’s word. It is not the hearer only of God’s word that is blessed, but the doer of the word. (James 1:22-25) When we act on the word, we reap the results and we become established in God’s word. When David was going to fight Goliath, Saul, the King, told him that he was not going to be able to fight Goliath because he was youth and Goliath had been going to war from his youth. David on the other hand told about how through faith in God, he had killed a lion and the bear. He said the Lord who helped him to kill the lion and the bear will also deliver Goliath into his hand. (1 Samuel 17:32-37) The past victories that he obtained through acting on God’s word, further gave him confidence and strengthened his faith that Goliath will be defeated. The bible says the doer of the word will be blessed in his deed. The bible also teaches us that if you follow God and believe him even in difficult circumstances, then God will strengthen, settle and establish you. (1 Pet 5:8-10, Matt7:24-27) What that means is that your faith becomes strengthened and established when you become a doer of God’s word.
So we see that faith comes by hearing the word of God, and we should make sure we are listening to God’s word on a constant basis. Faith comes when we let the word of God have the final say regarding our lives and our circumstances. We do need to be hearing God’s word all the time, and one way we can do this is to be speaking the word of God to ourselves. We should also be doers of the word and not be hearers only. When we put this into practice our faith increases and grows exceedingly.
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