Fortified Faith!!!
Romans 5:1-11
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11 RSV)
Subject: Your relationship with God determines your Faith In God.
Proposition "Trust that the scripture I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me is indeed true."
To be fortified means that something has been added to make it better or secure. Cereals are fortified with the essential vitamins so that they are healthier…. Buildings are fortified with bearing walls so that they can withstand various stresses…. We fortify our plants with various plant foods to help them grow…. Fortification allows a particular item to be improved. A faith that is fortified simply means that it has been made better. However many of us as Christians have the blessing of God’s initial gift of faith that He has given, but we have not taken the necessary steps to increase or to fortify our faith.
We become content and complacent in our relationship with God (or lack thereof) so that when trials come we forget where our help really comes from and we get nervous! We stress, we worry…. We weep… we wail… we shut off from the world… we become depressed…. Distraught…. We get angry….and upset…. All because our faith is at that same mustard seed size when God planted it – and since we only call on Him in time of trouble – we never get the chance to fortify our faith – and instead we just tend to shake what little faith we have. But the song writer said that faith allows us to see the invisible… feel the intangible… Faith allows us to conquer anything….
But you must desire a relationship with God to obtain this faith that is fortified with the essential stuff. So my question to you is, “If God can do anything, what’s missing? Why do we worry, why do we fret…why do we argue…why do we complain… why do we lose sleep… why does every ache and pain cause us to moan and groan…. Why does every trial cause us to fall out… why does every day life depress us….. what’s missing…. What’s lacking…. What is the cause for most of our distractions – dysfunction…and defunk attitudes….
A Fortified FAITH is only achieved with an active relationship! God works with our wills He created us to fellowship with Him not to control. That is why it is imperative when we pray the desires of our heart…we have a close enough relationship with God we understand if our desire aligns with His will that our prayer will be answered…. And because our prayer will be answered there is no need for us to be concerned about the outcome…because we are confident not in what we see but in what we hope for……. Many of us know the familiar Hymn – My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness --- but when trials arise we fret – I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name – but in time of trouble our response is What Am I Going to Do……. There is a need for fortification……But when our prayers line up with the will of God – our fortifying begins …. Even Jesus prayed within the will of God === Luke 22:40 in fact the Lords prayer – the model prayer says Thy will be done… so when God says pray the desire of your heart – He is waiting for our faith to become secure enough in him through our relationship with him for our desires to actually be what he wants for us anyway – because he has a plan that has been mapped out for us… struggles already with our name on it… problems already laid out to help strengthen us….. trials already planned to prepare us…. But without a faith that is fortified… these things that come to pass will only cause us to become severely stressed instead of wonderfully blessed…..
Why is “faith” so important?
No faith gives you no hope ---- little faith gives you little hope Much faith gives you much hope….. how do you build faith --- by knowing the word of God so that you may speak the word of God so you can stand on the word of God…..
What do I say Lord……
Psalms:71:8: Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
Have mercy and restore me
Psalms 51:7-13 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee
How do I ask for forgiveness??
Isaiah 1:18 ’Come now, let us think about this together,’ says the Lord. ’Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are dark red, they will be like wool.
How do I get direction
Psalms:119:133: Set my steps in Your Word. Do not let sin rule over me.
But if we are not in the word – we cannot believe the word…. If we cannot believe the word….we cannot pray the word… If we cannot pray the word …. Our faith cannot increase because we are really uncertain of the one we are supposedly leaning on….. And if we can’t lean on Him totally our faith cannot increase…. If our faith cannot increase…. We cannot decrease…. If we cannot decrease…. We can’t have power…. And without power we remain unfortified…..
Faith is the currency of God. It’s how we obtain the blessings because we are going to Him believing in Him. It’s how we get what He has for us…..
Faith is the Access Key to Eternal Life – you cant get in unless you believe and the only way you can believe in something is to have faith in something…. John 3:16
I Timothy 6:12 tells usFight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, …
Faith Enables Us to Receive Forgiveness and Live in it
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Faith Justifies Us and causes us to Feel like it
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Faith Brings Us Peace and enables us to enjoy it
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Faith Gives us Patience (endurance)
James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith gives patience.
Faith is a Spiritual Shield
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, where with you shall be able to drench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Faith Stops Us from Being Shipwrecked - hopeless - helpless
I Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
Faith Makes us More than Conquerors
Romans 8:35-39
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[a] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Faith Makes Healing Possible
Luke 17:19 And he said unto him, get up, go: your faith has made you whole.
Faith Brings Victory (Make “everything” possible)
Mark 9:23 ’If you can’?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for the one who believes."
Faith Enables Us to Please God
Hebrews 11:6 A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.
A true faith fortified with a true relationship with God allows us the ability to believe and trust totally in God. So that when trials come we just say… My faith looks up to thee, though lamb of Calvary…savior divine…
In times of trouble we will simply say – Father I stretch my hands to thee… no other help I know……
In times of need we will be able to say I trust in God… I know he cares for me… on mountain tops or on the stormy sea….
When storm clouds come we can still say the Lord will make a way somehow……
When our pillows become wet with tears we will be able to say weeping may endure for a night but Joy comes in the morning….
When we lose our job we can still say…. Praise God from whom all blessings Flow
When tragedy strikes we will still say God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
When heartache comes…. Why should I feel discouraged…why should the shadows come…why should my heart feel lonely and long for my heaven on home… because Jesus is my comfort… a constant friend is he… His eye is on the sparrow… and I know he watches me….
Conclusion
Because my faith is fortified…when I have been talked about I can still sing because I am happy. Because my faith is fortified… when my children don’t do right I can still sing because I’m free. When Satan tries to tell me I’m nobody…. I can tell him Since my daddy’s eye is on the sparrow, I know He watches me! Fortified Faith…. Fortified with the essential relationship of God. Built upon a trust. Based upon belief. Supported by the word. Increased by worship. Sustained by conversation. Maintained with praise. Fortified Faith
