The Power of Words: Spiritual Relativity
· Words shape and define our lives
· Words reveal the faith we have in our life
· Recap of last week…
1. OUR WORDS CAN DIRECT US AND OTHERS IN LIFE:
2. OUR WORDS CAN DESTROY US AND OTHERS:
3. OUR WORDS DISPLAY WHO WE ARE AND WHAT’S IN OUR HEARTS
4. OUR WORDS CAN DELIGHT OTHERS:
Mark 11:12-24
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 Then he said(he answered in KJV) to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "’My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ’a den of robbers.’"
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, they went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(NIV)
· Here Jesus taught us a valuable lesson not only about words, but about a principle of faith that is associated with our words
· What is the principle?
Rom 10:9
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(NIV)
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(NIV)
· The reality you live in many times is relative to the belief of your heart and the confession of your mouth
· There is a reaction when faith and confession collide
· R=FC2
· This principle is not just effective when used for the positive things in life
Rom 1:16-17
16 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.
(KJV)
Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God
Mark 11:22: “Have faith in God.”
Mark 9:23: “All things are possible to him that believes.”
Hebrews 11:1: “Faith gives substance to our hopes and makes us certain of realities we do not see.”
· And then, of course, there are the many epigrams that abound today regarding faith:
“Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible.
“A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul.”
“Faith, like muscle, grows strong with exercise.
“Faith is the outstretched hand of the soul taking what Christ offers.”
· Most of us do not question the value of faith. It is the acquisition of faith that we struggle with. Have you ever longed to have more faith but didn’t know how to get it?
· Have you ever wanted to live by faith, like those we read about in Hebrews 11? Have you ever said to yourself, “I wish I had more faith because I know that I would be a better person.” Well, right in our text is the key to opening the door to a greater faith. Let’s look at the phrase in verse 17: “faith to faith.”
· The first faith speaks of that which is primary (saving faith);
Eph 2:8
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(KJV)
· the second faith is power-giving (fruitfulness).
· We build on the first faith (it is foundational); the second one identifies us.
· The first faith is all about assurance; the second tells us what we can become.
· The first faith deals with redemption; the second deals with risk.
· The first faith is a gift; the second is all about growth.
HOW TO SPEAK TRUE WORDS OF FAITH
1. Believe that your words make a difference
Heb 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(KJV)
2. Associate with others who have great faith.
Rom. 1:12: “That I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
I Thess. 3:2: “…and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith.”
Often good circumstances and bad friends equal problems. On the other hand, bad circumstances and good friends equal victory! People we associate with are like elevator buttons—they can take you up or down!
3. Speak and believe the Word of God
The life of D.L. Moody has been a constant encouragement to me. One time he said, “I prayed for faith and thought that some day it would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith didn’t seem to come. One day I read in Romans that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” I had up to this time, closed my Bible and prayed for faith. Now I opened my Bible and began to study and faith has been growing ever since.”
4. Speak to the circumstances of your life
· Things obey words
Mark 11:
14 Then he said(he answered in KJV) to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Isaiah 53:5,
Isa 54:17
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
(KJV)
2 Cor 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
(KJV)
Rom 8:37
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
(KJV)
Exod 15:26
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
(KJV)
Jer 29:11
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
(NKJ)
Let the priciple of words and faith
