WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN
SERMON TITLE: HAVING FAITH IN A SAVIOR
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John
TEXT VERSE: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Paul the same man who was once called Saul of Tarsus that used to kill Christians, now stands and says he can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth him. He had a lot of confidence in that verse. Think about what he said. He said I can do ALL things. He didn’t say I can do SOME things or a FEW things. he said I can do ALL things. What’s wrong with a lot of Baptist folks is they say I don’t know if we ought to do that. I don’t know if we have the finances to do that. I don’t know if we have enough people to do that. I have news for you tonight, Paul said, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Let me tell you what confidence will do for you tonight. Whether or not you get to do anything for God or not, just having the confidence that God and that you can do all things, it will empower you. The world is always telling us that we can’t do this and we can’t do that. But we need to be more like Paul. Paul had to have a lot of trust in the savior to make that statement. He had to have a lot of confidence in his Lord and Savior. So I want to preach to you or teach to you on having faith in a Savior. Let me tell you what I mean by that. When you realize that you can’t do anything and God can do all things, that’s when you can put your confidence in him. The times when we try to do things on our own, we end up faltering or failing. All of a sudden we think it was God‘s fault when truly it was our fault. God has not shorted us but we‘ve shorted God. Any time the Bible says that they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh. But they that are after the spirit mind the things of the Spirit. Then the Bible goes on to say that those that to be carnally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. I saw three things in Romans 8 that I‘ve never seen before. I‘ll share it with you. #1 the Bible says that carnal mind is death. And it also said that the body is dead. And then it said that the flesh will bring death. But in all three of those verses it said that the spirit giveth life. If you try to please God in the flesh...it will never happen. You have to be in the will of God in the center of God’s will....then and only then can you please God. Paul had to be in the spirit when he said what he said. The flesh wouldn’t say they could do all things through Christ. I don’t believe he was talking about singing or playing the piano. I believe he was talking about going out and sharing the gospel. If you’re saved by the grace of God tonight, you ought to have a little confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. You ought to have a positive attitude and not a negative one. We’re living in a world full of Christians that are living in the negative mode all the time. My daddy used to tell me that “can’t never could do anything.” If you don’t think you can do anything for God, you never will.
Paul said this in First Timothy 4:12 “...Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” He didn’t say be an example to the non believers.
There’s a lot of people that get in that negative mode. I just can’t do anything. I don’t know why the Lord saved me or sent me here. When they get in the negative mode they try to get you in the negative mode. They’ll say, you ought not do that. You can’t be doing that. Paul said, I can do all things through Christ....Just believing that you can is enough. One thing that will kill what you’re trying to do for the Lord is.....
NUMBER ONE: A doubtful mind. Luke 12:29 “Seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.” Doubt comes from the devil. The Bible says he’s the father of all lies. He’ll start telling us we can’t do anything and we start believing we can’t do anything for God. We have a little church here and we don’t have too many that come on Sunday nights but that don’t bring negativism in my life. Paul said, when I am weak then am I strong. When the going gets tough, the tough just have to get going for Jesus Christ. If you have a doubtful mind you won’t do anything for the Lord. There’s a lot of Christians that don’t even attempt to do anything for Christ. The devil has them in that doubting mind. It’s destroying Christians and churches.
NUMBER TWO: An unbelieving heart. Hebrews 3:12 “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief...” Did you know that if you have an unbelieving heart, you have an evil heart? You get a doubtful heart and an unbelieving heart and you’re heading down the wrong road. As a child of God you’re going backwards instead of forwards. Instead of going on for God, you’re falling back for the devil. How can you stand up and say I can do all things when you have doubt in your mind and unbelief in your heart? As a child we had more strength. I did some things back then that I wouldn’t even attempt now. We’d ride bikes and jump over big hills and now there’s no way I’d do that. Children have a lot of confidence. Whether they can do it or not they believe they can. That’s the way we need to be as Christians. Don’t limit yourself in God’s will. A lot of people use sin for an excuse not to do anything. I can’t grow in the Lord because I’m just an old sinner. No you’re not an old sinner. You’re a new Saint. Forget about your past life and start worrying about your future. Start having some positive things in your attitude.
NUMBER THREE: Faithless eyes. John 20:27 “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”
You remember that Thomas said if he didn’t see the Lord after he had been crucified and risen from the dead that he wouldn’t believe. assembled together were the disciples and the door was closed and Jesus appeared in the midst with them. All were there but Thomas and when they told Thomas he didn’t believe and said except I see, I won’t believe. That’s the problem with a lot of people. If they can’t see it with their physical eyes they think it isn’t real. I want to tell you who made these physical things. The God that you can’t see. The Bible says we walk by faith and not by sight.
Galatians 3:22 “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” That’s the promise of faith. You know who he gives it to? Those that believe. It’s amazing what a positive attitude can do. Having confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You say preacher, we need to reach five thousand people in the year 2002 here from Westside Baptist Church. Now wouldn’t that be a goal for a great ministry? You make that announcement here and half the church would leave. They don’t even want to reach one. You follow God tonight and you can reach 5000. We get your confidence up in the Lord tonight and you’ll do some great things this week. I’ll do more this week than last week just by feeling like I can. I went to a doctor one time and you know how they are they hardly ever give you good news. They always give you bad news. They’re always in that negative mode. That doctor told me some things one time and I came out of that office just feeling down. I went home and prayed and the Lord told me something different than the doctor did. I said I can do all things through Christ.
I want to share five things with you real quick. By us having faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. By us believing in him like Paul did, he will.......
NUMBER ONE: Remove rebellion out of your life. There’s a lot of Christians today that are rebelling against God, the Son, The Holy Ghost. They’re rebelling against church. They’re rebelling against what God wants them to do and to be. But if you have faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and you believe, that kind of faith removes rebellion in your life. Let me show you in Romans 4:20 Talking about Abraham “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” When he had that kind of faith in the Lord it removed all rebellion out of his life. Abraham could have easily said Lord I know you want me to go but I’m not going to go. A lot of Christians in that mode today. Lord, I know what you want out of my life but I’m just not ready to give it. I know I have to be a servant but I’m not ready to be a servant.
NUMBER TWO: It will remove restraints out of your life. Matthew 17:20 “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.”
A lot of Christians have restraints that’s holding them back from what God wants them to do. Having confidence will remove restraints out of your life. Christians get faced with a big mountain and they almost stop being a Christian. They’ll up camp on this side of the mountain and that’s just about where they’ll stay. They won’t try to find a way to go around or over it. They’ll just stop there. The devil has placed a mountain in front of them Maybe it’s a financial mountain. Maybe it’s a mountain of health. Maybe it’s a mountain where you’re family members are lost. The devil throws up a big mountain and says nothing’s being done and you’re prayers aren’t being answered. And all of a sudden you feel restrained. You feel like you can’t get to God and God can’t get to you. But if you have faith it will remove those kind of restraints.
NUMBER THREE: It will remove restrictions out of your life. I thought about that scripture where they bid all of those to come to the marriage supper and they all began with excuses. People are always making excuses for why they can’t do what God wants them to do. You know why? They have restrictions in their life. It all comes from the devil. he’s the generator of restrictions. But Mark 9:23 says this “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” That tells me there is no restrictions. There’s no way you can say this church is never going to grow. There could be thirty thousand people if we’ll just get our confidence right in what God can do and less confidence in what we can do. We need to quit doing it in ourselves and start trusting God to do it. Then we’ll see things happen.
Paul said, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Wouldn’t that have been a statement if he had just said, I can do all things? A lot of Christians are leaving Christ out and they can’t do anything.
NUMBER FOUR: It will remove rejection out of your life. The Lord will tell a lot of Christians to do things and they will reject it. You’ve seen that stamp they use when prisoners go before the pardon board and they use this stamp to reject their parole? That’s what a lot of Christians are doing to the Lord. They’re rejecting him. They are in that negative mode. They can’t go anywhere for God. There’s a lot of Christians sitting on the shelf just like their Bibles are. They’re collecting dust.
Mark 5:36 “...Be not afraid, only believe.” When people are afraid they have a tendency to reject. You get beyond that fear of the devil and start getting the fear of the Lord in you and you won’t reject God.
NUMBER FIVE: It will remove resistance in your life. Who do we usually find resisting what we’re trying to do for God? Ourselves or the devil. That’s the only two areas our resistance can come from. God’s not going to give you something to do that you’re not able to do. God’s not going to tell you to go somewhere that he himself has not already been. He’s not going to tell you to see somebody that he doesn’t already know about. God isn’t going to put you out on a limb and leave you by yourself. We need to be strong and it will remove resistance out of our lives. You have a tendency to quit when you keep coming up against a wall. But I’m no quitter. I’ve been in this way a long time and I haven’t quit yet and I never will. John 6:66 says “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” They ran up to a little bit of resistance and they quit. If you think it’s going to be peaches and roses living a Christian life, you’ve got the wrong picture from somebody. It’s going to be glorious when we get home but while we’re here, it’s going to be a hard road. We’re in the minority crowd. There’s more ungodly people than there are saved. You going to be going up against some resistance. But look at this verse in Ephesians 6:16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” No wonder Paul said I can do all through Christ which strengtheneth me. Negativism will never get you anywhere. We need to have more positive Christians. We need some that will say I’m going whether you go or not. Quit worrying about who isn’t doing and start thinking about who is doing. Quit worrying about who isn’t going and start thinking about who is going. I know some preachers and Christians that have been in the way for many years and they’re the same today as they were years ago. They’ve never quit on God. they’re still reaching out to the lost. They’re still on fire for God.
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It is impossible to please God without faith. I wonder how many of us are seeking him tonight. We need to be more positive in what God can do. The old devil will get you to thinking of those negative things and it will bring you down. I want to say this and then we’ll close. I want to give you a more plain example of what I’m trying to say. I’ve been hunting in my life and I always thought I was pretty good. There was a time when I could take a BB gun and throw a ball up in the ground and shoot it before it hit the ground. But after seeing others do it, I didn’t think I was as good as I thought. I said that to say this. I want you to look around you tonight and look at some other Christians you know and what they are doing for the Lord and maybe God will show you that you aren’t doing as good as you should be. Sometimes he shows you through other people. When you look around and you see those other people on fire for the Lord and you say, why isn’t God doing anything for me? It isn’t God’s fault. It your fault. Maybe they’ve got more confidence in the Lord than you. Maybe they said, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. We’re no experts at anything but you can feel like an expert if you’ll just put confidence in him.
Paul said but my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory. That’s why he had confidence in him because he knew all that he had come from God. It didn’t come from man. It didn’t come from earth. It didn’t come up but came down out of God from heaven.
I encourage you to have a positive attitude about you tonight. May God bless you is my prayer.
