Faith’s Explosive Power
Mark 11:20-25
GOD HAS GIVEN US DIRECTIONS FOR EVERYTHING RELATING TO OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES. Whether its evangelism, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, tithing, witnessing, or worshipping, God has given us a plan. Follow His plan and have success. Leave it and fail.
He has also made available to us all that we need in this life...food, shelter, inward peace, power for service, whatever–its all available.
Its not the plan of God for any of us to live a miserable, defeated life. Such a life dishonors Him. He wants us to have peace and victory.
How are these things obtained? Through faith in God.
• Faith is looking to God for help.
• It’s the hand that reaches out to receive God’s gifts and provisions.
• Faith is resting on the Lord for the fulfillment of His promises
Illus.: “Mushrooms or Toadstools”
Dad brought home what looked like mushrooms. Some in the family thought they were toadstools. Were they edible or not? Someone remembered seeing an article in the National Geographic magazine on mushrooms. They found the article which had pictures and descriptions of mushrooms and toadstools. Convinced they had mushrooms, they cooked and ate them–-all because the magazine article said it was OK. That’s faith!
We need to put that kind of trust in God’s Word. If we do, think of the blessings that flow our way. Let’s look for a moment or two at faith’s explosive power.
1. Faith Sings
The person without a vital, active, living faith has no song. He is depressed, gloomy, despondent and blue. But the one with faith can rejoice in the midst of every trial.
H.G. Spafford lost his entire family in a disaster at sea. In the midst of his grieving, he wrote the following...
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
What ever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Fanny Crosby is another case in point. As a baby of six weeks, hot clothes were placed upon her eyes and her sight was destroyed. She never saw the beauty of nature, nor the faces of her friends, but she had faith in God and a song in her heart. Some of the most beautiful and beloved songs in our hymn books were written by her:
• Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross
• I am Thine, O Lord
• Safe In the Arms of Jesus
• Blessed Assurance
Faith sings, for it blasts away doubt and fear. Faith lets the light shine through the darkest clouds. Faith gives a lift to the heavy heart.
2. Faith Serves
□ By faith Noah built the ark. It took him 120 years, but he did it!
□ By faith Moses led his people out of Egypt.
□ By faith Joshua led Israel into the Promise Land.
□ By faith Gideon fought against impossible odds, but gained a great victory.
Faith never asks for the easy way...it goes on despite the hardships and meager results. F.B. Meyer said, “We never test the resources of God until we ayyempt the impossible.
3. Faith Supplies
Human beings are by nature, worriers. They worry about everything–food, clothing, and shelter They worry about the results of yesterday, the problems of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow.
Wrinkles your face
Overloads your circuits
Robs you of joy
Releases precious energy
Yokes you to depression and fear
FEED YOUR FAITH ON THE WORD OF GOD AND YOUR DOUBTS WILL STARVE TO DEATH
4. Faith Stands
Faith stands true to God when all the world turns against us. Look at the life of Job. He lost all that he had—his property, family, reputation, and health, but he stood true to the test.
Look at Joshua. At the end of his life he delivered a message to the Israelites: “As for me and my house...”
Look at Paul. He was hated and despised by his own people. They sought to kill him, but he stood true to God.
Faith enables us to stand firm in our convictions, even when family and friends despise us for it.
In Yellowstone National Park there are trees called “Lodge Pole Pine.” Whenever a severe storm goes through that area, they are the first to topple over. Why? Because the roots spread out close to the surface. But those whose roots go down deep may ben a little, but they do not go down.
Deep-rooted faith in God that lays upon the promises of God will enable us to stand when the winds of adversity blows against us.
When you have a temptation to quit, visit 4 places first:
1) an orphanage
2) a burn center at a hospital
3) a nursing home
4) a children’s hospital
Illus.: Wilma Rudolph
● Born prematurely–almost died of pneumonia and scarlet fever
● polio left her left leg crooked and her foot twisted inward
● six years of treatment were required
● determined to take braces off and started her own rehap program.
● became a great Olympic track star
5. Faith Saves
It saves Christians from mediocrity. The work of Christ suffers from too many ordinary Christians. The ordinary Christian worries, frets and vacillates. The ordinary Christian looks and acts too much like a man of the world.
But real faith makes men different. There should be many illustrations of mighty faith, but we have so few.
How to be saved from the sin of mediocrity:
1) Take God at His word. Believe the Bible. Rest on it.
2) Remember that God has never failed. His past performances will assure us for the present moment.
Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails.
Heaven and earth may pass away
But Jesus never fails
3) Believe that God is vitally concerned about you. He wants the best for you and is working to develop a strong faith in you.
4) Whenever you have a problem or face a difficulty, be optimistic. There is a way out. Trust God to show it to you.
God will make a way when there is no other way
5) Launch out into the deep. Get out of the shallow end of the pool. Attempt the impossible!
