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A People Of Faith And Expectancy Series
Contributed by William Ellis on Nov 24, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: This is the fifth sermon in an 8 part sermon series on the vision of our church.
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Mission Statement:
The Redeeming River Church is a family of believers committed to preaching the cross with conviction, reaching the lost with compassion, and equipping the saints with the Word!
Our Vison:
The Word tells us in Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. Therefore, we know that where there is a God breathed vision the people have life. It is because of God’s specific plan for us that we can clearly see where we are going.
7 We Will Be’s
· We will be a life giving church whose waters flow from the River of God through all cultures and generations!
· We will be a life sustaining church where the heartbeat of God will keep our families spiritually healthy.
· We will be a life birthing church where new ministries are conceived, delivered, nurtured, and sent out.
· We will be a people of faith and expectancy who are not moved by what we see, but stand in the God who we know!
· We will be a people of devotion who are committed to the work of the Lord through the local church!
· We will be a people of worship who honor the Lord for who He is and not what He will do for us!
· We will be a growing church whose walls will not contain us!
Before We Even Start Preaching This Morning Let Me Tell You What Faith Is Not!
· Faith is not goosepimples running up your spine when you get the Holy Ghost Jig!
· Faith is not when you are taught to Blab it and Grab it!
· Faith is not when you squint your eyes and perch your back and you can say Jesus!
· Faith is not when you scream at God and the people at the altar need windshield wipers because you can feel an abundance of rain from an excited evangelist with more zeal than Holy Ghost Power !
· Faith is not when you got a job that pays 2000 a month and you go and buy a house that cost 2500 a month
· Faith is not even when you have an ailment and you pretend it doesn’t exist while in the quiet place you are all besides yourself
I. FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR
A. HAVE YOU EVER HOPED FOR SOMETHING?
1. Have you ever hoped for something?
2. I hope that one day I will be able to make more money...won’t have anymore pain...my child won’t be on drugs
3. Hope is attached to a vision
6. I hope to make money because ...
9. Oh if the enemy could take your vision...if he could distort it
10. Oh if he could steal your hope
11. If he could get you out on the edge of defeat and then pull the hope right from under you
12. Our text tells us"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for"
13. It would be like saying "now chocolate is the main ingredient in the candy bar that I want to eat"
14. How many of you know that you can’t have a chocolate candy bar without chocolate?
15. Faith is the main ingredient to get where I hope to get to
16. Faith is the supernatural knowing that even though I cannot see what I long for it still exists and is right around the corner
17. Matthew 17:20
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
18. Somebody’s mountain this morning is not just a mound of dirt and rock but
19. I came in here this morning to talk to somebody who is on their last breath
20. The mountains too high and the valleys too wide
B. ARE YOU EXPECTING GOD TO MOVE?
1. I remember a song
2. I came here expecting God to move, to move in mighty wonders as he promised He would do...as the saints lift up His name the Spirit falls like rain...I came here expecting God to move!
3. What are you expecting God to do in your life, in your job, in your family, in your church?
4. Expectation is more than hope
5. When you hope you want it to happen
6. When you expect you have reason to believe that it is GOING to happen
7. But in the Old Testament hope means more when the bible says hope in the Hebrew it means
8. shelter, trust in, expectation
9. Psalm 31:24 - you have to hope in the Lord
24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.