Faith in a Supernatural God I. Instructor: Dan Funkhouser

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2 Lesson 1 FAITH IN A SUPERNATURAL GOD I All Things Are Possible Lesson 1 Mark 9:23-If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth. 1. Mark 7:5-8, 9, 13 a. We need to make no apology for the Bible! I make no apology for the way people shout and praise God today. b. We cannot apologize for what God declared we ought to be receiving and enjoying today! c. The cold, dead dry modern preacher, bound by religious tradition, will never know or experience the NEW AWAKENING REVIVAL! (People Pleasers, Fear of Losing) i. They have settled for their form and ceremony and dead ritual. ii. Real miracle restoration revival can never take place in any country until tradition is broken down! d. It may not be according to your church or denomination, but it is according to the Bible. e. This is God s declared will. f. Why don t your disciples follow our tradition? Jesus is saying You dishonor the Word of God for the sake of your traditions.

3 Lesson 1 g. TRADITION-IS A BELIEF OR PRACTICE NOT DERIVED DIRECTLY FROM THE BIBLE, BUT ARISING AND HANDED DOWN WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. 2. Luke 8:43, Mark 5:26-28 a. Luke 8:43- And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any. i. Many today would call it mass-emotionalism or mass hysteria; no, it is God s miracle power available to all! ii. As long as we stay in the bondage of our natural thinking we will stay in bondage to the ways and traditions of the world. ii. We must become desperate! b. According to the tradition everything should be done decently and calmly. Let it be dignified and beautiful; don t get excited; no emotion; and if you do show emotions you are a heretic and sensationalist. 3. John 9:1-7, 11- Mud and Spittle a. This man had a testimony- He overcame by the word of his testimony and the blood of the Lamb. (We are more concerned about what people think than declaring what God did!) b. He did not do things the way that the elders did. He did not dress the way that the elders did. He didn t have the education the way that the elders did. All He had was God! With tradition we become dignified and listen to religious lectures that appeal to man s intellect, but never touch the soul or stir the spirit. Most are ashamed of what God wants to do in the earth.

4 Lesson 1 c. Jesus walked through doors, he walked on water; his disciples began to praise Him and shout. They tore limbs off of trees and borrowed a donkey for him to ride through town on; they had their own parade. d. Many today would call this emotionalism or sensationalism, but we know this today as biblical Christianity. e. Our traditions make the Word of God of none effect. f. We are so used to getting dressed up and coming to a religious lecture, an essay that appeals to man s intellect, but never touches the soul or stirs the spirit. 4. Acts 5:12-16 a. Peter had a shadow ministry! Not exactly the way we do things in the synagogue. 5. II Samuel 6: 14-16, a. King David was so blessed by God that he forgot about their traditions and began to dance before the Lord when the power of God hit him! b. If Satan can t get you to forsake the ways of God he will move to the next closest person to you to try to bring you down. i. Michal spoke sarcastically to David she rebuked him because she despised what God was doing in his heart. ii. She saw the manifestation of God in man. iii. This was not the works of the flesh, but the power of God! It was old time, heart-felt Christianity. iv. David strayed from tradition and let God do something wonderful for him.

5 Lesson 1 v. As long as you stay bound by the tradition of men, you cannot enjoy the blessing of God; neither will you have Revival with healing and miracles. c. Tradition always opposes the move of God s Spirit because it takes faith to believe. i. Because they can t do the things of God. ii. They become jealous. d. Why? Because tradition has never been born-again!! Touched and stirred by God s Spirit! 6. Mark 10:47 Blind Bartimus 7. John 11:43 Jesus broke tradition by going to the tomb of Lazarus 8. Luke 19: Luke 15 Jesus broke tradition-he got excited. Loud voices, noisy The prodigal son had a party, the older brother was offended. 10. Proverbs 11:2 Pride produces strife-anger is the demon in them. 11. Paul didn t have any trouble until he broke tradition a. II Cor. 6 b. II Cor. 4:8

6 Lesson 1 c. The miracle ministry only began when he was willing to forsake all for Christ. 12. Acts 7:54-58 Stephan broke tradition. 13. All of Jesus disciples suffered a violent death for taking their stand and following Jesus. We cannot expect to escape persecution and opposition from the same religious leaders, the blind leaders of the blind. 14. Paul was sincerely fighting for the traditions for his religion (not the Gospel or for God), when he had Stephan stoned. 15. II Timothy 3:5 From such turn away 16. Today it is a religion of mental assent to a code of ethics rather than a change of heart. Most have never had a really personal experience with God. 17. John 10:37-38 a. If I do not the works of my Father believe me not b. John 14: Why do religious leaders condemn God s works instead of doing them? They can t do them because of unbelief or doctrinal, religious tradition. True revival in our world and our own lives cannot take place until tradition is broken and the Word of God becomes our standard.

7 Lesson 2 1. Romans 6:6 FAITH IN A SUPERNATURAL GOD I Spirit, Soul and Body Lesson 2 a. Before we are born-again, the old man inside you, the one that had been captive by the devil and made a slave to sin, has died. b. The power of sin over you has been broken. c. Not only are we free from sin, but also if we ll walk in the righteousness Jesus has given us, we will rule over it. d. Then we are able to truly know the real freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Hebrews 1:8 a. Righteousness is imputed to us the moment we are born again; we then have the victory that overcomes the world, the flesh and the devil as well as every enemy that comes against us. b. This is why the devil will do everything he can to convince you that you are still under the bondage of sin. c. Everybody sins; after all we are only human. d. NO WE ARE NOT! WE ARE REBORN CHILDREN OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD. GOD HIMSELF LIVES INSIDE OF US. e. It may be normal for natural men to sin; IT S NOT NORMAL FOR US! f. The only way the devil can defeat us and keep us under his control is for us to believe that we are still natural people instead of Supernatural!

8 Lesson 2 3. James 4:7 a. He is not afraid of people who are in bondage to sin. b. But he flees from those that are living in union with Jesus. c. God has called us to salvation. That means more than just escaping Hell. It actually means health, wholeness, deliverance, well-being, safety and soundness. d. Jesus has broken the power of sin over us so that we can walk free. 4. Romans 6:8-11 a. When this becomes a revelation, you will lay down any sin and never go back to it again. b. Sin has lost its grip on you. c. It can t come back unless you decide to let it. 5. Ephesians 2:5 a. We have already experienced the greatest resurrection of all. b. You experienced it the day you were born again. c. That is when we pasted from death into life. d. That is when sin and death lost their hold over you-the day the old man died and the new man came to life. e. If you are tired of being defeated it is time to pick up your scepter of righteousness and shake it in the devil s face. It is time to kick sin out of your life and start living free.

9 Lesson 3 FAITH IN A SUPERNATURAL GOD I Renewing the Mind Lesson 3 1. John 16:13 Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. a. SALVATION IS INSTANT BUT CONQUEST OF THE MIND IS PROGRESSIVE. THE KEY TO RECEIVING REVELATIONS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT AND TO BE TRANSLATED INTO ACTION TO GLORIFY GOD IS TO CONQUER THE MIND AND BRING IT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE WORD OF GOD. b. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and He has come to dwell with us to reveal the Word unto us. c. His revealing is called Revelation and that is simply a transfer of knowledge from the Spirit to the mind. d. If our minds are continually controlled by Satan through fear, frustration, worry, confusion, disappointment, resentment, bitterness, etc., the Holy Spirit is unable to transfer the knowledge of God to your mind. e. Therefore our minds must be conquered by the Holy Spirit of God i. They must be reprogrammed by the Word of God so that when the Holy Spirit of God inside of you speaks, you will have the knowledge of the Word in your mind. 1) You then can understand what He is telling you. 2) God wants us to have this revelation from the Holy Spirit within.

10 Lesson 3 3) He wants us to have this knowledge so that we will be able to act and talk in order that Jesus may be glorified. ii. Josh. 1:8 this is why God told Joshua to meditate the Word of God day and night so that he could reprogram his mind to trust a Supernatural God. f. Our mind is like a computer i. A computer is programmed until it has a certain amount of information in it. ii. Every since we were born, the devil (the god of this world) has been programming our minds. iii. James 4:4, The friendship of the world is enmity with God. 1) This means that much of our programming done by the world was from Satan himself. 2) When we begin to see the truths of the Bible, which are from another world, another dimension, and another Being, they do not line up with the thoughts that have been fed into our minds by this world. iv. Romans 12:2 1) Be Not - imperative verb that forbids the continuance of an action already going on. 2) This requires an immediate shift in directions 3) This is a warning of the result of a continuation of direction.

11 Lesson 3 4) This is a plea of an all-knowing God to His beloved children who don t know. 5) Conformed to this world Spirit of the age: floating masses of thoughts. Opinions, speculations, hopes, impulses any ungodly powers of thought. v. Your natural mind cannot understand how waters can part. vi. It cannot understand how it is possible to walk on water, or how you can lay hands on the sick and say, Be healed, in the name of Jesus, and they recover. vii. It doesn t understand how you can speak in an unknown tongue that you have not learned and yet you are speaking to God. viii. Your natural mind cannot understand how the dead can be raised or how you could even have two births. 2. That computer of ours has been programmed by the world, and when you begin trying to put heavenly information into it, it fights. a. The devil has planned it that way because he doesn t want you to accept the truth, the Word of God. b. As a young Christian I started to attend F.G.B.M.F. I saw arms and legs growing out, people s eyesight was healed, and their bodies were healed. i. My computer went haywire! ii. It wouldn t accept this; I thought there had to be some kind of trick, because my mind was not renewed.

12 Lesson 3 iii. What I learned by meditating on the Word was that God s ways were usually contrary to my natural way of thinking. c. Hebrews 12:3, (10:39) i. Faint in your Minds 1) When faith is not operative we are left to cope with the situation with the power of the natural mind, which cannot stand the pressure of the enemy. 2) We then become weary, exhausted-despondentsinking in our spirit through the power of difficulty and opposition. 3) The result is the partial or complete abandonment of our vows and stand. REMEMBER, THE NEW BIRTH COMES INSTANTLY, BUT THE PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION, RETRAINING AND REPROGRAMMING OF THE MIND MUST BE DONE BY THE WORD OF GOD. The Word of God is from another world, which the natural mind cannot perceive. This is why the natural man rejects the Word of God. They reject miracles because they cannot understand them.

13 Lesson 4 Faith in a Supernatural God I Ministry of Jesus Lesson 4 1. Mark 10: 47- Blind Bartimaeus a. Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside when he heard the crowds passing by b. He had waited all his life for such an opportunity to have his eyes opened. c. If he had followed the tradition of the elders, he would have sat quietly saying, The Lord knows my need, he knows I am blind. He realizes I want to be healed. d. If he would have followed the traditions he would have thought within himself, Well, if it is the will of the Lord to heal me, He knows I m here. Not so!!! e. Bartimaeus cried out! He broke away from all tradition. He began to cry out, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 2. John 11:43 a. Jesus broke from the tradition of the elders when he went to the tomb of Lazarus. b. The Bible says, He cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. c. The Sadducees and Pharisees didn t like it when they heard shouting and a LOUD voice. They wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples because he had broken away from their tradition. (Luke 19:40)

14 Lesson 4 3. Luke 15:11-32 a. The prodigal had been down in a hog pen having spent all he had on riotous living, finally he came to himself, b. Vs. 24- The father meet him half way, Finally c. Vs. 19 The father took him into his house d. The eldest son. Who was bound by tradition got jealous, music and dancing, and loud noises? He didn t know a revival was in progress. e. Drums in the church. Rock and Roll! f. True genuine worship is called fanaticism. g. How can God move in an environment where the manifestations of the Spirit are called hysteria? 4. Acts 6:8-15, 7: The apostle Paul didn t have any trouble until he broke tradition. After he was converted and broke away from tradition, he found himself in prison being beaten, ridiculed, persecuted, hated, rejected, and considered dung and the scourge of the earth. a. II Corinthians 6 b. II Corinthians 4:8 c. The miracle ministry only began when he was willing to forsake all for Christ. d. Acts 5 - Paul was sincerely fighting for the traditions for his religion (not the gospel or for God), when he had Stephan stoned.

15 Lesson 4 All of Jesus disciples suffered a violent death for taking their stand and following Jesus. We cannot expect to escape persecution and opposition from the same religion leaders, the blind leaders of the blind. Fear of persecution is the main reason that most Christians adhere so closely to the form, ritual, ceremony and religious tradition. We are afraid of what the people would say. Yet one can be blind to the things of God, unsaved and even demon possessed and thinks he is doing God a favor by speaking against you, in reality, he is doing a work for the devil.

16 Lesson 5 FAITH IN A SUPERNATURAL GOD I Opposition Lesson 5 1. II Timothy 3:5 a. Paul faced opposition from the spiritual counterfeits who opposed him with pagan idolatry and occultism. But God confirmed his teachings through powerful miracles and the release of many from evil spirits. b. Local exorcists attempted to duplicate the miracles. Their scheme backfired, however to the benefit of the gospel (Acts 19:8-20). c. Counterfeits to the truth of Christ abound today, as Paul predicted they would. That is why we must continue I the things we have learned and been assure of, basing our lives and our witness on the firm foundation of Scripture (II Timothy 3:14-17). d. Today it is a religion of mental assent to a code of ethics rather than a change of heart. Many today have never had a really personal experience with God. e. We must break away these seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. f. II Timothy 4:1-3 i. They are turning their ears away from sound biblical truth. ii. They will not accept God s Word when it comes to repentance, sin, damnation, and the necessity of holiness and separation from the world. 15

17 Lesson 5 2. John 10:37-38 iii. Professing Christians nominal believers follow their own desires to be entertained and reject the conviction of the Word of God. They seek men who will teach according to man s desires, not God. iv. They will not seek pastors according to the standards of God s Word, but will seek those who conform to their own self-seeking and worldly desires. v. They will seek pastors with gifts of oratory, the ability to entertain, and a message that reassures them that they can remain a Christian while living according to the flesh. a. The intensity of the Jews hostility against Jesus can be seen in their readiness to stone Him. 3. John 14:12 i. Stoning was an ancient method of capital punishment reserved for the most serious crimes against the Mosaic Law. iii. The men of the community usually carried it out. (Deuteronomy 21:21). a. Jesus is seeking to empower us to achieve the same results even greater than what He has achieved. b. The true leader seeks to achieve great goals more than great personal gain. c. Rather than being intimidated by His followers potential, He rejoices in their growth, development and achievement. 16

18 Lesson 5 4. Why did the religious leaders condemn God s works instead of doing them? They can t do them because of unbelief or doctrinal religious traditions. 5. II Thessalonians 2:10-12 a. They insisted upon their own way. b. Ahab rejected truth. c. It is a dangerous thing to reject God s truth. d. Lying demons will make you believe a lie. 6. I Timothy 4:1-5, a. Timothy was young in age and relatively untested as a trainee under Paul, his mentor. His pastorate in Ephesus was his first solo assignment. So Paul offered him some seasoned wisdom and perspective. i. Tough times are to be expected in a broken world (vs. 1-3). ii. We need to accept God s gifts with thanksgiving (vs. 4-5). iii. Affirm the truth with others who share your faith (v. 6). iv. Overcome the skepticism of others with the basics like love, edifying conversation, and purity. v. Work on your own skills and abilities with diligence (vs ). 17

19 Lesson 5 7. What was said about Jesus: a. John 9:24 - This man is a sinner b. Matthew 11:19 - He is a winebibber c. John 10:20 - He is mad d. John 7:43-He caused division among the people e. John 9:16-He is not of God f. John 7:12-He deceives the people g. John 8:53-He is an imposter h. John 7:15-He is unlearned i. Matthew 12:24-He does miracles by demonic power 8. II Timothy 3:5 a. God s warning to us today! 9. I Corinthians 4:18-20 a. It is not about great speeches but Power! 10. Mark 16:14-18 a. Your Faith can impact the world! b. Jesus sent his disciples into the entire world. c. Clearly he had global impact in His mind. 18

20 Lesson How does Faith Impact the World? a. Through followers of Christ who live out the gospel and proclaim it to the world. i. This is why the lifestyles and relationships of believers are so important. ii. People are watching to see how we as Christians handle our responsibilities and resources. iii. Another way is through Christian institutions such as local churches, parachurch organizations, and the Christian media. 19

21 Lesson 6 FAITH IN A SUPERNATURAL GOD I Healing Lesson 6 1. I Peter 2:1-2 a. If our minds are not renewed with the word of God, it will side with your flesh and dominate your spirit. b. But if your mind is renewed, your spirit through your mind, will dominate your body. c. Give the Word of God first place in your life. By doing so, you are putting Jesus first in your life. d. Let this Word govern your life. e. Let this Word be the Lord of your life. f. Let the Word have domination over you, and by doing so, you are letting Jesus dominate you! 2. Genesis 3:1-5 a. From Adam to Noah we have no record of sickness. b. In man two natures are combined. He is at the same time spirit and matter. c. Heaven and earth, soul and body; for this reason on one side man is the son of God and on the other side he is doomed to destruction because of the fall. d. Fact one; Adam and Eve had divine health when they were in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Sickness came only as a result of sin. Hence, redemption which redeems us from sin and also from the curse that follows (sin and sickness); it s a double cure for a double curse. 16

22 Lesson 6 e. The origin of sickness and disease and death. When Satan became the god of this earth the result was the curse. f. It is not the creator, but the usurper, Satan, who is the source of evil. g. There are two divisions of evil: pain and sin. Sin is a disease of the spirit; sickness is a disease of the physical body. 3. Exodus 15: a. This covenant was more than a covenant of healing. It was a covenant of health. b. II Corinthians 5:2 - Jesus takes the sin upon himself that is ours. Jesus also has born our sickness. c. God gave three conditions: (1) Hearken to my voice and hear me. (2) Do that which is right in my sight. (3) Give ear to my commandments and keep my statutes. d. God s will in healing is revealed in four main ways in scripture: i. Exodus 15:26 - God s own pronouncement ii. Jesus ministry; healed all that were sick and oppressed by the devil iii. The provision of Christ s atonement Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17, I Peter 2:24 e. Jesus atoning death was sufficient for redeeming the whole person-spirit, soul, and body. f. Sin and sickness are Satan s tools, but forgiveness and healing are Jesus tools which are gotten by humility and faith. 17

23 Lesson 6 g. Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. God is inferring that if his people possess knowledge of who they are and who God is, if they know their rights, their privileges, and their dominion, they won t be destroyed! 4. The ongoing ministry of the church a. Luke 9:1-2 - He tells us to heal the sick and cast out devils. b. Luke 10:8-10, Mark 16:15, James 5:14-16, I Corinthians 12:9 5. Exodus 23:24-26 a. They would be exposed to other trials; they need bread and water, they had mighty foes, and encountered great dangers. b. Intimate relationship exists between obedience and health; between sanctification which is the health of the soul, and divine healing which ensures the health of the body. 6. Isaiah 53:4-5 a. There are three different attitudes toward healing today: i. Healing is not for us today ii. God heals in answer to special prayer or a single act of faith, and that according to his own will. iii. Healing for the body is the legal right of every child of god. b. Sickness comes from two sources: (1) It is a result of the fall of man (2) It is the result of specific sin area. Arthritis, heart problems, aids, and lung cancer. 18

24 Lesson 6 c. If disease is the will of God, Heaven will be filled with disease and sickness. d. Acts 10:38-Jesus was the expression of the father, he went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed by the devil. e. I John 3:8, Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. God hates sickness, poverty, fear, sin. 7. Matthew 8:16-17 a. It was the fathers will to break the power of disease over man s body and set him free from pain and suffering. b. Matthew 8:13-god can only bless us in the measure in which each yields himself to him. c. Faith in God-is nothing more than the full opening of the heart to receive everything from God, we receive according to our faith. d. The body and soul have been created to serve together as a habitation of God. 8. Matthew 9:1-6, 35 The pardon of sin and the healing of sickness, complete one another, God see s sickness and sin as united as the body (sickness), and the soul (sin). 9. Matthew 11:1-6 The blind receive their sight and the lame walk and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 19