Living Trust
Matthew 17:14-20
One of the issues that we deal with on a daily basis is trust. Whether we admit it or not, we place our trust in a variety of things each day without thinking about it. We trust that the lights will come on when we flip a switch. We trust that the car will start when we turn the key. We trust that we will make it through the day when we get up in the morning. We place our trust in so many things and seldom do we really place our trust in God.
Trust is one of those areas that we often struggle in because of our past. Our past is filled with disappointments when people did not do as they promised. Our past is filled with hurt when people have done things and said things to hurt us. Our past is filled with pain from times when people betrayed us and broke our trust.
Many times broken hearts start with an issue of broken trust. Once our trust has been broken we struggle to trust people again. Our human mind often applies these human realities and pains to the person of God and we refuse to trust Him.
Jesus dealt with similar situations in His time on earth. He saw the reality of faith in His disciples and commented on the fact of faith. Even a little faith is able to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of Christ.
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
As the events leading to this unfolded, the disciples were attempting to drive out a demon from a possessed man. The disciples had seen Jesus drive out demons but they had failed. The disciples were obviously frustrated and confused because they were unable to do what Jesus was able to do. Jesus brings an important lesson on faith that would impact their lives.
When Jesus tells the disciples that their faith is so little; it is not because of unbelief. The issue was weak faith. There is a difference. It is possible to believe but to have a faith that needs exercised. The disciples were unsuccessful that day not because they did not believe but because their faith was too weak. Weak faith comes when we trust more in ourselves than we do in God.
The disciples saw the work of Jesus and believed that they could do it on their own. This same problem happens today when we try to do the work of the church in our own power and our own ability. Churches today need to place their full trust in Christ to see Him move in power. Our faith in Jesus can move mountains but we have to actually expect Jesus to do what we pray for. We have to trust that Jesus is going to work through His church in His way.
The mustard seed was the smallest of all growing seeds but it becomes one of the largest bushes. There was incredible power and potential in that seed. Even small faith, when exercised can accomplish great things. Small faith is better than no faith because small faith has the potential to grow larger and larger.
Lives are changed through the reality and power of faith. The moment that a person places their faith in Jesus, their eternal destiny is forever changed. Our faith has the power to tap the resources of heaven. Our faith has the ability to change our lives and make us more like Jesus. Our faith has the ability to see Jesus working in the lives of lost people and see them come to faith.
Faith will grow greater and stronger faith. The only way that our faith can grow is if we exercise it. Faith in Jesus has the ability to remove any problem, any issue and any difficulty from our lives. Faith is the key to unlocking God’s power in your life. All you need to do is trust Him.
Jesus has a way of doing the impossible. He does those things that we might not expect. Think about the work of Jesus and how He broke the barriers of the impossible.
Jesus cured impossible diseases such as leprosy
Jesus drove out demons that others could not
Jesus held power over nature when He turned water into wine and walked on the surface of water
Jesus forgave those who were responsible for crucified Him
Jesus overcame the impossibility of death through the power of the resurrection
Jesus makes it clear that if we live in a spirit of faith, nothing is impossible for us. We are given the opportunity to tap into the impossible power of Christ. Through faith, we gain the opportunity to live above the limitations of this life.
How do we grow our faith?
1. Study the Word
We need to be people of the Word. The Word of God has the power to guide us through daily life and daily trials. When we read the Bible, it gives us a glimpse of the purpose of God for our lives.
2. Pray more frequently
Being a person of faith means we pray and seek the face of Christ. One of the best ways that we can increase and grow our faith is to pray. Prayer is simply an ongoing conversation with Christ and through that conversation we gain a deeper understanding of faith.
3. Worship with our heart
Many times Christians will go through the motions when it comes to worship. We enter into service and just do the same thing again and again. We sing without much passion, we listen to the sermon with little interest and we fail to engage with the presence of Christ. We should worship with every fiber of our being and give ourselves completely to the act of worshipping Christ because He deserves it.
