And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; (Philippians 1:25)
INTRODUCTION: Every minute of every day each and every one of us has to make a decision. Do I walk by faith or do I walk by sight.
I. It is obvious that there is a such of a thing called the joy of faith. Paul talks about them having the joy of faith. Over in Romans the 15th chapter you’ll notice this. Paul brings up this subject with a little bit of different wording. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13). This is another way of bringing up the joy of faith. If you are in believing you are in faith.
The bible says in I John 5 that faith is the victory that overcomes the world. The thing that is going to cause you to overcome, I don’t care if you have a physical ailment, an emotional attack, a mental attack of oppression or depression, an attack against your marriage, against your children, your business, I don’t care what it is. The thing that is going to enable you to overcome and be victorious is your faith.
Your faith is the determining factor. Some people will say it is just God’s will. Well no that’s not what the bible teaches. Your faith is the factor. So many things God has already established as His will. There is so much already established in His word but you have to mix faith with what He said. You have to believe in His revealed will.
II. When the little woman with an issue of blood pressed through the crowd and touched Jesus’ clothes and Jesus stopped and said somebody touched me. And finally she stood up and told Him what she did. He looked at her and said daughter be of good comfort or be of good cheer your faith has made you whole. See comfort and cheer, peace, joy and faith. Your faith has made you whole. He could have said a lot of things. If some theologians or preachers had been writing that they probably try to say well daughter be of good cheer God and His sovereignty has chosen to heal you. That’s not what Jesus said. They could have said daughter be of good comfort, the power of God has made you whole. That’s not what He emphasized. He could have said daughter be of good comfort
my faith has made you whole. What did He say? Daughter be of good comfort your faith has made you whole. Well praise God if her faith had made her whole, your faith can make you whole. My faith can make me whole. You believe that? Somebody said, well healings been done away with. Some teach that when the last apostle died miracles seized . That’s not for us now days. I can’t imagine being a Christian and not believing in miracles. Has faith been done away with? If her faith made her whole why can’t my faith make me whole. Is God a respecter of persons? Thank God it will.
Your faith is the determining key to your victory in every area in life. It doesn’t matter how bad the situation is. It doesn’t matter what part of your life it is. If you get in faith and stay in faith you’ll come out victorious. The bible says this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith.
Sometimes people are confused about faith. They don’t know what faith is. How can I tell when I’m in faith? How can I really be sure that I’m in faith. Because this is for sure, if you get in faith and stay in faith you will be victorious. What if you don’t get in faith? or what if you get in faith and get out?
III. Here are two characteristics that tell that your in faith. Joy and peace. As you are driving down life’s road in your faith mobile. There are two gauges, on the dashboard of your faith mobile. That you need to keep a close eye on. And they are the joy gauge and the peace gauge. How many know that in your car, your natural automobile, there is some gauges you need to kind of watch. One of them is a fuel gauge. If it gets around the E you need to pay attention to it. You need to get some fuel. If you don’t , that car is going to end up on the side of the road. The same thing is true with your faith. If you run out of joy and peace it won’t be long your faith mobile will sputter to the side of the road. You will find yourself in despair. If your in faith you have joy. If you don’t have joy you are not in faith. I know it’s a strong statement. But, search the scriptures and see if it is so or not. If you get in faith you will have joy. Unbelief leads to despair and depression.
IV. The word gives faith. Faith gives hope. Hope gives joy. Joy gives strength. Strength gives victory. (Hope means expectancy.)Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. When we meditate on the word, faith rises up in our heart. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) (Greek word hoopostacis substance means a standing under or a foundation). If you are in faith you are expecting something. That expectancy gives us joy. Even though problems persist there is joy because of the expectancy of God doing something about the problem. Being in faith and not being in faith is easy to discern. It’s a lot more obvious than a lot of folks think. If you are in faith you will have joy. If you are not in faith you will not have joy. Has anyone in here prayed recently, asked God for anything recently. Are you in faith about anything. You are expecting something to happen in your life. The more you get to expecting, what does it do to you. It gives you joy. Makes you excited. Doubt and you’ll do without. Believe and be glad and you’ll receive. Faith rejoices, gives thanks and is glad. Doubt despairs , complains, and is sad.
V. EXAMPLES
A. I Samuel 1 The Story of Hannah and Peninah.
Is she in faith in the beginning? No Just because you pray doesn’t mean you are in faith. She heard from the priest. To her it was just like hearing from God. Depression is of the devil. Joy is of the Lord. The Joy of the Lord is our strength. The depression of the devil is our weakness.
B. Paul and Silas in prison. It’s enough to make you lose your joy if you’ll let it. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (Acts 16:25)
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. (Acts 16:26)
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. (Acts 16:27)
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. (Acts 16:28)
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, (Acts 16:29)
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30)
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. (Acts 16:32)
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. (Acts 16:33)
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. (Acts 16:34)
C. Paul is ship wrecked.
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. (Acts 27:21)
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. (Acts 27:22)
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, (Acts 27:23)
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. (Acts 27:24)
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. (Acts 27:25)
Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. (Acts 27:26)
But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; (Acts 27:27)
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. (Acts 27:28)
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. (Acts 27:29)
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, (Acts 27:30)
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. (Acts 27:31)
Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. (Acts 27:32)
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. (Acts 27:33)
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. (Acts 27:34)
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. (Acts 27:35)
Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. (Acts 27:36)
Which report do you believe. Do you believe the report of the Lord.
CLOSING The bible says God wants us to live a long life. He wants us to be healthy. If you study God’s word and you are still depressed and you are still sad you don’t believe it. Because if you believe it you would begin to get glad.
Did you ever wonder why God says He loves a cheerful giver.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Unless you give in faith you cannot please God with your giving. I don’t care what amount you give. You cannot please God unless you give it in faith. God is not impressed with numbers. I don’t care how many zeros you can put on the end of your number, God’s not going to say wow look at that . Now that’s a nice offering. No, does not impress God. You know what impresses God? The faith. The factor that is more important to God than the amount is the percentage. Don’t you remember what Jesus said when He spoke of the little old woman who cast in the two mites. He said she gave more than the rich guys. Why? because she gave all.
It’s the percentage not the amount. It is because of the faith that was behind that percentage. He told us over in II Corinthians 9 don’t give grudgingly, Don’t give out of necessity. Don’t give because you feel like you have to. Why? because if you give grudgingly . Your not giving in faith. And if you don’t give in faith, as far as God’s concerned, you didn’t give. How can you tell whether you gave in faith or not? Joy.
When you have faith you expect the fulfillment of God’s word. And because you expect it you have joy.
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8)
What will get you through hard times. Believing what God said. Just like Jesus.
The word gives faith. Faith gives hope. Hope gives joy. Joy gives strength. Strength gives victory.
