WALKING BY FAITH
PART ONE
Do you want your life to be exciting?
Do you want your life to be fulfilling?
Do you want your life to have meaning?
Do you want your life to have purpose?
Do you want to experience Peace?
Do you want to experience Security?
Do you want to reach your fullest potential in life?
Do you want to be the best you can be at all
That you have been called to do???
If you answered YES to any of these questions
Then you must learn to LIVE BY FAITH NOT SIGHT.
Because this is exactly what a life lived by
Genuine faith produces…
2 COR 5;7 SAYS;
For We walk by Faith not by sight…
I have found that we may say we live by faith but
We are driven by sight!!!!!
In the next few minutes I will point out to you
Just how much you are DRIVEN BY SIGHT
AND NOT BY FAITH!!!!
HEBREWS 11;1 SAYS;
Now Faith is the substance (or realization) OF
Things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!!
I’m concerned that for many believers the same
Is also true!!!
WE PREACH – LIVE BY FAITH – but
WE PRACTICE LIVING BY SIGHT!!!!
So while we talk about living by FAITH
Many of us are burning ourselves out trying
To make things HAPPEN ON OUR OWN!!
WE TRY TO MANAGE OUR OWN LIVES
WITHOUT GOD!!!
WE TRY TO MANIPULATE OUR OWN ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT GOD!!
WE TALK ABOUT GODS POWER!
WE TALK ABOUT GODS LOVE!!!
WE TALK OF HIS MERCY AND COMPASSION!
WE TALK ABOUT HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
WE TALK ABOUT HIS ABILITY TO MEET OUR
NEEDS – WE TALK OF HIS FAITHFULNESS!!
AND STILL YET – We live our lives as if HE
Doesn’t even exist!!!
THEN WE ALLOW OUR LIVES TO BE FILLED WITH:
WORRY – FATIGUE – ANGER - STRESS – TENSION
AND NOT TO MENTION SIN!!!!!!!
We talk about how God has a perfect will for us
And our lives but yet WE MAKES DECISIONS
LIKE A SINNER WOULD!!!
And without prayer and seeking God with
all our Hearts
And waiting patiently on HIM!!!
God has placed this indescribable passion in our
Hearts on how to live
BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.!!!
But I’m afraid We don’t have enough sense to
SEE IT – OR HEAR IT! But I’m stubborn too!
ROMANS 14;23 SAYS;
Whatsoever is not of Faith is SIN!!!!!!
SOMEBODY SAY IF NOT FAITH ITS SIN!!!
ARE YOU HEARING WHAT I AM SAYING???
NO MATTER WHAT WE DO! – GOOD OR BAD!
NO MATTER HOW GOOD OUR INTENTIONS ARE NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR BAD THE OUTCOME MAY BE!!!!
IF WHAT WE ARE DOING EVEN AT
THIS MOMENT
IS NOT DRIVEN BY GENUINE FAITH
Is It SIN???
HEBREWS 11;6 SAYS;
WITHOUT FAITH IT’S IMPOSSIBLE
PLEASE GOD!!!
MARK 11;22 SAYS;
And JESUS answering saith unto them
HAVE FAITH IN GOD!!!!!
Without Faith in God We don’t have anything!!
1st JOHN CHAPTER 5 TELLS US:
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world even our faith!!
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he
That believeth that JESUS is the SON OF GOD!!
This is another scripture that demonstrates the
Importance of learning to WALK BY FAITH!!!
Now let me point out more issues
Concerning a faith – walk!!! ADVANCES IN A FAITHWALK
We must Advance with prayer –
This is definitely the one place where most of us fail It is totally impossible to walk by faith without
A strong and disciplined prayer life…
Prayerlessness demonstrates self sufficiency
But on the other hand – A diligent prayer life demonstrates
TOTAL DEPENDENCE UPON GOD
TOTAL DESPERATION FOR GOD
Remember these facts about prayer-----
Don’t think that praying is an attempt to persuade
God to do or give us something (ITS NOT)
Its an opportunity to get to know GOD!!!
Don’t think that praying is an attempt to win
God over to our side! IT AIN’T!
Its an attempt to position ourselves with GOD –
TO GET ON HIS SIDE!!!!!!!
PRAYER IS OUR EXPRESSION OF LOVING GOD - SEEKING GOD – AND PRAISING GOD!!!
MATT CHAP 21 SAYS;
MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED
THE HOUSE OF PRAYER
A MAJOR CRITICAL FACTOR IN BEING
ABLE TO HAVE A WALK IN FAITH IS ---
PURITY!!
WE MUST HAVE A PURE HEART
AND ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR IN
WALKING IN FAITH IS;
WE MUST CONTINUOUSLY RECOGNIZE
AND CONFESS OF OUR SINS
Which helps us in purity!
PSALMS CHAP 24 SAYS;
He that hath clean hands and a pure heart;
Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
MATT CHAPTER 5 SAYS;
BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART FOR
THEY SHALL SEE GOD.
Sin, Disobedience, unholy thoughts and attitudes
Clog our tunnel of communication WITH GOD
NOTHING WILL THROW YOU OFF COURSE
QUICKER THAN SIN!!!!!
ROMANS CHAP 12 SAYS:
And be not conformed to this world; but be ye
Transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
Ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
And perfect, WILL OF GOD!!!!
REMEMBER WHAT SIN IS??? WHAT???
ROMANS CHAP 14 SAID!!!
WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN!!!
We must Have patience
Always remember and you will discover that GOD
Don’t get in a hurry with anyone’s Faith Walk…
JAMES 1 SAYS
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith
Worketh patience!!!
HEBREWS CHAP 6 TELLS US:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who
Through FAITH AND PATIENCE inherit the promises
One of our biggest mistakes in a Faith Walk is
Moving ahead of God in our own strength.
And We will quickly find out how far we can
Get without a whoppin…
ROMANS 5;4 SAYS;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
I’m sure you have heard the story of Moses in
The book of Hebrews chapter 11 for example:
He was chosen by God to lead the children out
Of Israel – He charged out of the gate in his own
Strength, Way ahead of GOD
He killed an Egyptian Soldier – Fled for his Life
And spent 40 YEARS IN EXILE IN MIDIAN
A great test of our Faith will be our
WILLINGNESS TO WAIT ON GOD!!!!!
PSALM 27;14 SAYS
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He
Shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say on the Lord.
Psalm chapter 37 says:
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth
In his way, because of the man who bringeth
Wicked devices to pass!!!!!
One of my favorite’s
ISAIAH 40;31 SAYS
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings
as Eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they
shall walk and not faint!!!!!
We are always causing a short circuit in the
Power and activity of God by Running Out trying
To accomplish things in our own
STRENGTH WITHOUT GOD
We tend to trust God and be patient with HIM
ONLY WHEN WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO!
OR BECAUSE THERE IS NO – WHERE
ELSE TO TURN!
Just think How AWESOME IT WOULD BE
If we could all learn to TRUST IN GOD AND
WAIT ON HIM FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!
Listen what chapter 21 of Luke says:
IN your patience possess ye your souls
We must be persistent
There are four main things to remember after
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A CLEAR DIRECTION
FOR YOUR WALK IN FAITH
NEVER QUIT
NEVER LOOK BACK
NEVER GIVE UP
NEVER TURN BACK
HEBREWS CHAPTER 11:13 – 16 SAYS THIS;
THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES BUT HAVING SEEN THEM AFAR OFF,
AND WERE PERSUADED OF THEM AND EMBRACED THEM AND CONFESSED THAT
THEY WERE STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS
OF THE EARTH
FOR THEY THAT SAY SUCH THINGS DECLARE
PLAINLY THAT THEY SEEK A COUNTRY
AND TRULY IF THEY HAD BEEN MINDFUL OF
THAT COUNTRY FROM WHENCE THEY CAME OUT
THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITY
TO HAVE RETURNED
BUT NOW THEY DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY
THAT IS A HEAVENLY; WHEREFORE GOD IS
NOT ASHAMED TO BE CALLED THEIR GOD
FOR HE HATH PREPARED FOR THEM A CITY!!
These people were still walking by faith when they
Died even though the promise was not yet fulfilled!
BUT THEY NEVER TURNED BACK!!!
GOD CAN’T USE QUITTERS!!!
GENUINE FAITH IS A COMPELLING CONVICTION
THAT WILL NOT LET YOU QUIT
WHILE THE SINGERS COME AND GET A SONG
DO YOU KNOW WHY JESUS TOLD THE YOUNG RICH MAN
IN THE BOOK OF MARK – YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW THE STORY…….
HE SAID GO SELL YOUR GOODS AND GIVE THEM’ TO THE POOR THE COME AND FOLLOW ME! JESUS KNEW IF HE ONLY SAID FOLLOW ME
HE WOULD ALWAYS BE DISTRACTED
THINKING OF HIS MONEY!
DO YOU KNOW JESUS TONIGHT?
WOULD YOU GIVE IT ALL UP TO FOLLOW HIM?
WOULD YOU GIVE IT UP FOR ETERNAL LIFE?
ITS VERY SIMPLE!! ITS NOT A HARD LIFE!!
YOUR REWARD WILL BE MORE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE!!
WILL YOU MAKE A DECISION FOR JESUS???
