Dare To Beleive Series

“DARE TO BELIEVE”

Ephesians 1:15-19

“...& what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us

who BELIEVE, according to the working of His mighty power.”

INTRODUCTION:

To “BELIEVE” & to have “FAITH” are so intricately connected one cannot hardly work without the other. Notice I said “HARDLY WORK W/OUT THE OTHER!” The only difference I can find between the two is that one is a “CHOICE” & one is an “ACTION!” I can “BELIEVE” & not “ACT” on it but I can’t “ACT” on it without “BELIEVING!”

If I were to ask each of you this morning if you “BELIEVE” I dare say that every single one of you would say “YES!” Along the same lines, if I were to ask each of you this morning if you have “FAITH” I dare say that each & every single one of you would say “YES!” as well. IT’S THE SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY LEARNED TO MESH THE TWO TOGETHER!

I look around this auditorium this morning & think about how it could & should be filled. I face our finances every week & know how difficult it is to make ends meet. I could & some times do become discouraged.

I’m human & made of flesh like each & every single one of you are this morning. I have wants, desires & wishes as we all do. I have dreams of what I believe & feel should happen but I work hard at not becoming discouraged. I’m not always successful at it. I do sometimes get discouraged & pity party myself but I know that’s not what God wants out of me.

You see, it’s EASIER TO GIVE INTO SELF PITY than it is to “BELIEVE!” When I do, sometimes it takes me a day or two, I get on my knees & get in His presence & my discouragement begins to wane & fade away.

The other day I spent most of the day in God’s Word & on my knees & I got up the next morning & nothing had changed, in fact gasoline was even higher than it was the day before. News was even worse, than the day before, Groceries were higher & bills still came in & my bank account or the churches had not changed.

But there something was different where it mattered! I FELT BETTER! I COULD SEE BETTER! I KNEW IN MY SPIRIT THINGS WERE GOING TO BE ALRIGHT IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE I HAD BEEN WITH MY GOD, IN HIS PRESENCE & HE HAS IT ALL UNDER CONTROL! & BEING WITH HIM STRENGTHENS MY BELIEF & MY FAITH!

I’m reminded of not looking at what I see but what I don’t see! I can’t trust in what my eyes always see. I can always trust in what God’s word tells me every single time I read it. I can always trust what He speaks to my spirit & my heart. I know what that word says about trusting in Him & Believing in His Word.

Hebrews 11:1, we all know that passage but it works well here, says,

“FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR & THE

EVIDENCE OF THINGS...” WHAT? “NOT SEEN!” EXACTLY!

“FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD BUT

BELIEF WITHOUT FAITH IS JUST AS DEAD!”

I meet with a group of Pastors every Tuesday morning. The other day some of us were sharing with one another & during the conversation a thought came to me almost as a challenge. I’ve thought & prayed about it all week long & I want to bring to you the same type of challenge that God has dealt to me.

Lest you think I’m preaching to Choir, well maybe I am, but I’m preaching to the Preacher as well! Sometimes we need to be challenged again & sometimes we need a challenge to be renewed in our Hearts, Spirits & Lives.

I remember as a kid somebody would always “Dare” me to do something. This morning I want to “DARE YOU” to do something again. I say again because I know you’ve been, in so many words, “DARED” before but I want to DARE YOU AGAIN!

I. DARE TO BELIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE!

In Mark 9:23 Jesus tells us...

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him that BELIEVES.”

It can become easy for us, even as Christians, to Believe without the addition of “FAITH” to that “BELIEF!” We say we believe but without the addition of “FAITH” then our “BELIEF” is only lip service to God.

FOLK, WE SERVE THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE! WE SERVE THE SAME GOD WHO ROLLED BACK THE RED SEA, WHO SENT FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO CONSUME THE SACRIFICE & THE ALTAR, WE SERVE THE SAME GOD WHO LED PETER TO WALK ON THE WATER, WHO TURNED THE WATER INTO WINE, WHO SPOKE TO THE LAME, DEAF & DEAD TO BE HEALED, WHO FED THE FIVE THOUSAND & WHO ROSE FROM THE GRAVE!