Note: Reference about the 4 Kinds of faith in from the website www.bible.ca. I used it as an introduction and lead into talk about mountain moving faith.
Bold Move!
Theme: To get people to understand the importance of faith and stepping out with the Lord.
Text: Matthew 17:14-21
Offering: Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
Mat 17:14-21 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, (15) "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic [81] and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. (16) So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." (17) Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." (18) And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. (19) Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" (20) So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; [82] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (21) However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." [83]
Introduction
This was very discouraging to the disciples. While Jesus was away there was a young boy that was brought to them. The father expected them to heal this young boy. You could imagine that they prayed and prayed. They probably did all kinds of things to no avail.
Finally Jesus arrives and is confronted with the situation. He first rebukes the disciples and the crowd, calling the people “a faithless and perverse generation” Then he turns to the boy and heals him, by casting out the demon.
The disciples are curious so privately that ask him why they couldn’t do this. Jesus said it was because of their unbelief. Their lack of faith. Then He goes on to tell them the power of this faith.
We need to look at this word faith so we can understand what he means.
Faith is . . .
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
NIV "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"
LB 'What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
Wuest " Now faith is the title-deed of things hoped for, the conviction of things which are not being seen.
substance-title deed, ground on which on builds hope.
Hebrews 11:27 "as seeing him who is invisible"
Vincent, "Faith apprehends as a real fact what is not revealed to the senses. It rests on thet fact, acts upon it, and is upheld by it in the face of all that seems to contradict it. Faith is real seeing."
1. Faith is the substance of hope
a. "Substance": Lit. Greek: "a standing under"
b. Faith "stands under" our hope, is the foundation of our hope: Rom 8:24.25
c. Faith is the "title-deed" our pledge to things hoped: Heb 3:14
2. Faith is the conviction of things not seen: Heb 11:3
a. We accept God not only exists but He created everything in 6 days
3. Faith accepts even that which appears unreasonable: Rom 4:17
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Four Kinds of Faith from bible.ca
Saving Faith: A Personal Belief, Mental Acceptance & Acknowledgement Of God's Existence:
1. Heb 11:1,6 Assurance of things hoped for conviction of things not seen
2. 2 Cor 4:18 We look at not at things seen, but at things not seen
3. 2 Cor 5:7 we walk by faith not sight
4. Jn 20:27-29 how blessed are they who have not seen but believe
The Faith: The System Of Doctrine And Morality Peculiar To Christianity:
1. Statements encouraging us to properly maintain the system of faith
a. Jude 3 contend earnestly for the faith
b. Gal 1:23 preaching the faith he once tried to destroy
c. Eph 4:5 only one faith
d. Eph 4:23 until we all attain to the unity of the faith
a. Acts 14:22 encouraging them to continue in the faith
f. Acts 16:5 strengthen in the faith
g. 2 Cor 13:5 test yourselves to see if you are in the faith
h. 1 Cor 16:13 stand firm in the faith
i. 2 Ti 4:7 1 have kept the faith
j. 1 Tit 1:13 reprove then that they may be sound in the faith
k. 1 Ti 4:1 in later times some will fall away from the faith
l. 1 Ti 4:6 nourished on the words of the faith and sound doctrine
m. 1 Ti 6:10 wandered away from the faith
n. 1 Ti 6:2021 Gone astray from the faith
2. Statements of general interest:
a. Gal 3:23 before the faith came we were under the law
b. Gal 6:10 especially the household of the faith
c. Acts 6:7 obedient to the faith
d. Rom 10:8 word of faith we preach
e. Lk 18:8 will Jesus find the faith upon the earth when He returns
To be faith ful: A trusting or trustworthiness: (pistis)
– to act out on what I believe. Time – when I am on time I am faithful. I am telling the people I work with that they are valuable. Their time is important also. This is the character of a Christian. Because we are followers for Christ then we are faithful. We follow the character of Christ in our life.
1. Mt 24:45; 25:21,23; Lk 19:17 "faithful servant"
2. Rom 3:3 the faithfulness of God
3. 1 Cor 4:2 stewards must be faithful
4. 1 Cor 15:14,17 if Christ is not raised your faith is vain, worthless
5. 2 Th 1:3 your faith is greatly enlarged
Moving Faith: A conduct or work inspired by the compete surrender to mental acceptance
Faith in Action
One man said that faith is: Forward Action Inspired Through Him
Forward is the direction of faith
Action is the proof of our faith
Inspired is the motivation of faith
Through is the power of faith. Through God not our self.
Him is the object of our faith
James “faith without works is dead”
1. Just as repentance can be seen: Mt 3:7-8, so too "faith can be seen": Mt 9:2
2. Jas 2:14-26 We show our faith by our works
3. We must have an obedient faith:
a. Obedience of faith: Rom 1:5; 15:18: 16:26
b. Acts 6:7 word kept spreading, great many priests became obedient to the faith
c. Mt 7:21-27 not only call "Lord", but obey
d. by faith, Abraham obeyed: Heb 11
4. Faith is said to do work:
a. Gal 5:6 faith working through love
b. 1 Th 1:3; 2 Th 1:11 work of faith
c. Heb 13:7 considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith
Matthew 17:14-21 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic [81] and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
Mountain Moving Faith!
Jesus says here that if we have the faith the grain of a mustard seed. This is a very small seed as you can see form the picture. If we have this small faith we can “speak” to the mountain and it has to move. In another passage he tells us we can speak to it and it will be cast into the see. He finishes by saying “nothing will be impossible for you”. Wow! We need to get a hold of this faith.
How? Peter walking on Water
Matthew14:25-32 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. (26) And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. (27) But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." (28) And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." (29) So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. (30) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, [67] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" (31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (32) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Focus
Matthew 14:30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
Hebrews_12:2 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This first key to mountain moving faith is our focus. We must keep our eyes on Christ. Most know the story of people walking on water.
Trust
(28) And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
Just Do It! Nike had it right when they boldly said just do it. Take a leap and do something.
(29) So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus
Rom 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Or as one translation reads vs. 17 “the way of faith that leads to greater faith
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Conclusion
Saving Faith – Trusting in Jesus as your Lord and savior
The Faith – Trusting God’s Word and people to teach you.
Faithful – Be consistent in what you do and believe.
Moving Faith – stepping out and fulfilling what God has called you to do.
Jesus concluded the teaching with verse 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
In other words there are some more measures to take to get the attention of God. To see more the power of God operating. These illuminate the distractions.
