| Live in Total Victory! | |
| Wiesbaden, Germany • |
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| Text: Mark 11:22-26 (KJV) Series Title: The 4 Laws of Faith Message Title: The Person of Faith THE PERSON of FAITH Over the years while teaching concerning the subject of faith, I have found that many times faith is taught to be “something”. In doing so one’s focus is rendered in that direction. I do understand that the word of the Lord does declare; “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV) “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God (person) must believe that he is, and that he (person) is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV) But I also recognize from Jesus’ statement in our text that there is more revelation to be had. In verse 6 we see that we are to seek God and not things. You can seek God for things and not get God, but when you seek God you get things. Now the bible says; “But seek ye first the kingdom of God (not things), and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33 KJV) We must understand that no kingdom can exist without a king. And when I demonstrate a hunger and a thirst for His righteousness I am increased. Not because of how bad I want or need the things but because of how much I want or need Him! To the degree that I go after Him is the degree that things manifest in my life. When we talk about the object of our faith we are not talking about the volume of our faith. We are talking about knowing God. Let’s look a little deeper. Knowing God The Apostle Paul stated that he wanted to know God in power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. I believe that Paul knew that the key to having great faith and a successful life in Christ rested in getting to know God. But in order for one to get to know God one must get to know Jesus. Understanding faith and finding the Father are all intertwined in the person of Jesus. The bible states; “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV) The above stated text reveals that Jesus is the author or archegos, which is defined as the chief leader or prince, which also is the root word for the word authority, and the finisher or teleiothes, which is defined as a perfector or one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith, and therefore holds the key to me understanding the law of the Person of Faith. In Mark 11:22, Jesus does not just say for us to just have faith. Jesus tells us to “have faith in God.” He ultimately emphasizes that faith must be placed in someone in order for it to work. Let me share this example with you. A man with great faith approached a small river of water which appeared to be frozen. The ice was thin but he did not know it. He had a lot of faith so he just walked out on the water and crashed through the ice and sank. Another man with little faith came to a small river of water that had frozen over so much so that it was fifteen feet thick, but he did not know it. Instead of just walking out on the ice he tested the ice to see if it would hold him. As he put his weight on the ice he began hesitantly to take small unsure steps. He then moved from unsure steps to walking and from walking to strutting. After he strutted for a while he stopped and began to cut down into the ice and found that it was frozen down to fifteen feet. After that he moved from strutting to running. As he moved through each stage he displayed a move from faith to confidence. One thing he did that many of us fail to do is stop and take a closer look at the object or person of our faith. The revelation of the story is that the first man did not sink because he did not have faith. The second man was not successful because he had a little faith. The failure and success of both men hinged on what they knew about the ice. Many people put their trust in something or someone that they know nothing about. The more the man knows about the ice the greater his faith becomes concerning the ice. The more we know about God the greater our faith becomes in Him. In order to know God you must trust Him. Many people know about God but they don’t know God. I know about Kobe Bryant but I don’t know Kobe Bryant. There are a lot of people that I know about, but I do not know them. Many people know about God but they do not know Him. In order to know Him you must trust Him. Sometimes when we think that we trust Him, that is the time a storm comes in our lives. Jesus told His disciples that they were to go to the other side and they boldly got into the boat. But when the storm rose they were afraid and forgot His promise that they would get to the other side. The bible tells us this relating to knowing God; “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3 KJV) When I trust God I begin to know God. When I come to know God I begin to love God. When I love God then I begin to serve God. This is the process that causes pastors to locate and identify people in the church. If a person is not serving God it is a sign that they do not love God. It is a tragedy to say and see that many people in the house of God do not know Him. It is even more tragic that they come to some churches and don’t hear His name. The scripture reveals to us that God is the only true God. This also reveals that there are false gods. I am reminded of how Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple and cursed the fig tree. He did not curse the fig tree because He had the power to but because of what He found or did not find in the house of God. When someone comes over to my home he or she should at least find me there. But many times people are coming to God’s house and cannot find Him there or not even looking for Him. Jesus cursed the fig tree because He expected to find figs on the tree just like he expected to find God’s children serving and respecting God in His Father’s house. |
