The Power Of Faith Part 1 Series

The Power of Faith

The Book of Mark

Mark 5:21-6:6

I. Introduction

A. How strong is your faith?

1. Jesus said that if we had as much faith as a mustard seed we could remove mountains.

2. Most of us take that to be an illustrative statement.

3. But the question still remains, how much power does our faith have?

B. Our passage today has to do with the power of Faith

C. Faith can be defined as a reliance or trust or confidence in someone or something usually something or someone greater than we are.

D. The faith spoken of in the bible is a confidence which stems from knowing God.

1. The writer of Hebrews defines faith for us in chapter 11:1.

a) The word substance means literally to stand under.–

(1) It conveys the idea of a foundation.

(2) Faith is the foundation of our hope.

(3) It was also used with regard to legal documents referring to the entire body of documents showing legal ownership of a person’s property – title deed.

b) Evidence means – convincing proof.

c) The two words are used together.

2. Faith is the foundation and convincing proof of our hope. You could say that faith is the reality of our hope.

E. The bible talks about faith in four aspects. Faith permeates every area of our lives.

1. Saving faith.

a) Ro.3:21-22, 27-28 says we are justified by faith

b) Eph.2:8-9 Faith is the only means of salvation and we receive it as a gift from God.

c) Gal.2:16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

d) Saving faith then is reliance upon the person and work of Jesus Christ on our behalf for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God.

2. Sanctifying Faith

a) 2Cor.5:7 we walk by faith not sight.

b) Our Christian life begins by faith and should continue that way day by day. Col.2:5-7 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

c) Sanctifying faith has to do with our daily walk with God – we are saved by faith and we continue to live our lives unto God by faith also.

3. Serving faith

a) In the context of serving Ro.12:3 says that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

b) This passage refers to spiritual gifts (measure of faith) vs.6-ff.

c) Every one in this room who is a believer has a particular set of gifts which enable you for the work of ministry.

d) We exercise those gifts by faith.

4. Faith the body of biblical doctrine.

a) First called that in Acts 6:7

b) 1Cor.16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men.

c) 2Cor.13:5 admonishes us to make sure that we are in The Faith.

d) Jude vs.3 talks about defending the faith.

5. So faith as presented in scripture is given to us by God as a gift and should be exercised in every part of our lives.

a) Heb.11:6 says that it is impossible to please God except by faith.

b) Ro.1:17 the just shall live by faith.

c) With this back ground let us see how this principle applies in a practical way in our passage today as we see the power of faith.

F. Jesus left the eastern shore of the lake – after having set a fire to spread the gospel in that area of the country.

II. Our passage introduces us to two very different people.

A. One was a ruler of the synagogue.

1. He was an important person.

a) He had connections.

b) He had many servants.

2. His responsibility was to supervise the services of the synagogue.

3. His name Ja-i-rus meant, “Whom Jehovah enlightens”.

4. He was a religious man whom you would expect to have strong faith.

5. His young daughter was suffering from some undisclosed illness.

6. Her condition was critical and time was of the essence.

7. He believed that Jesus could do something for her vs.23.

a) At the point of death

B. The other was an unidentified woman.

1. She had no connections.

2. There is no indication as to her religious affinity.