“WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE FAITH THAT GOD GAVE TO YOU?”
TEXT-Romans 12:3
Intro – Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith understands that the things we pray for and hope for already belong to us even though we cannot see them or touch them yet. Faith brings God toward you and take you toward God. Faith is a necessary commodity in the kingdom of God. By faith we obtain a good report. Without faith it is impossible to please God because without faith it impossible to believe Him or serve Him. We need faith to live by faith. Thank God that He gives us the faith we need to please Him and serve Him. It’s called the measure of faith. Many things have been said concerning THE measure of faith. The most common teaching is THE measure of faith is the measure or amount of faith you need to get saved. The teaching is that everyone gets the same amount of faith so everyone can get saved. The problem with THE measure of faith being designated as the measure of faith you need to get save and everyone getting the same measure is different people need different amounts of faith to get saved. Different people have come through different situations and circumstances in their life than have others. A person who has felt as though God had abandoned them in their situations in life needs a different measure and amount of faith than does the person who has been taught from birth that Jesus is the way. THE measure of faith is actually the measure or amount of faith you need to do whatever God has told you to do. How could God hold you accountable for faith He did not give to you. Jesus could ask the disciples in Luke 8:25 “Where is your faith?” because He knew he had given them the measure of faith they needed to have in God but they had misplaced it and put their faith in something else. Jesus could say in Matthew 16:8 “O ye of little faith” because He had given them a sufficient amount of faith and the amount of faith they had was less than the amount of faith He gave them. Jesus could ask “How is it that you have no faith?” because He they should have had faith because He gave faith to them. We need not get puffed up or prideful about the amount faith we have because it is a gift from God. Otherwise we could boast and brag about having faith. Faith is the gift of God in you. Faith is the power of God that worketh in you. The measure of faith you have is the measure of faith you need to do what God wants you to do. That measure of faith was given to you by God and it came by hearing and hearing (Romans 10:13-19). The measure of faith comes by hearing the Holy Ghost speak a “right now” word to you concerning your situation and your circumstance. That hearing the Holy Ghost speak to you heart comes by first hearing the preacher preach with ear. You can’t spell heart without ear and hear. You have to have an ear to hear the preacher preach in order to have your heart hear the Holy Ghost say. It’s called hearing and hearing. The preacher makes an incision and the Holy Ghost makes it precision. Hearing the preacher preach a general word for the entire congregation opens you up to hear the Holy Ghost say a specific word for you. Hearing the logos opens you up to hear the rhema. The measure of faith you need comes by hearing and hearing. The measure of faith is given to you. It’s a gift from God. But what happens to faith God gives you depends on what you do with the measure of faith God gives you. The measurement of faith is relative to the measure of faith. Little faith is less than the measure of faith God gave you. Like muscular atrophy, little faith comes from little or no use of your faith. If Jesus can say to you “Where is your faith?”, it is evidence of the fact that you don’t know where your faith is because you don’t use it. If Jesus can say to you “O ye of little faith”, then you are not exercising your faith. If Jesus can say to you “How is it that you have no faith?”, it’s because you’ve allowed fear to paralyze you so you can’t walk, talk, or live by faith. What are you doing with the measure of faith God gave you. If Jesus can say to you “O ye of little faith”, then you are not exercising your faith. If Jesus can say to you “How is it that you have no faith?”, it’s because you’ve allowed fear to paralyze you so you can’t walk, talk, or live by faith. What are you doing with the measure of faith God gave you. If you are not believe God for something, then you are not using you faith for anything! Your faith should be alive. Your faith should be active. Your faith should be growing. You should exercise the measure of faith God has given to you. Build the measure of faith God has given you up to strong faith or great faith. (Mt 8:10)(Mt 15:28)(Luk7:9)(Romans 4:17-22-Great faith or strong faith is confidence.) Faith can’t become strong faith or great faith until it first becomes “Now” faith (Heb 11:1- ). Now faith is active. Now faith does something now. Now faith moves from faith to faith (Rom 1:17). Now faith moves us from believing to knowing because of experience. Moving from faith to faith moves us from strength to strength (Ps 84:7)(Dan 11:32- ). You’ll do exploits if you turn your measure faith into now faith. Your moving from the measure of faith to now faith to great faith will move you from strength to strength and from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18). It all depends upon what you do with the measure of faith God gave to you.
