Immovable Faith Part 2

Transcription

1 Immovable Faith Part 2 Dr. Nasir Siddiki Visit to receive free teaching lessons each week from Dr. Siddiki Copyright 2010 by Wisdom Ministries

2 Immovable Faith Part 2 VII. You know you have faith when you are immovable. A. 2 Corinthians 4:13 Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak. 1. Faith is not believing for things; it is believed. 2. Believed is not wishing, wanting, hoping, or praying. 3. Mountains do not move because you speak to them; they move because you believed. 4. Too many Christians are speaking to mountains prematurely. 5. Don t speak to any mountain until you re fully persuaded, fully convinced. 6. Believed = pisteu = Past Tense (Greek) B. 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same ( identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. 1. Firm in faith = rooted; established; strong; determined; IMMOVABLE. 2. Immovable is not being tossed to and fro. C. James 1:5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. 2

3 7 For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, 1. Until you are immovable, mountains will not move. 2. Once you give your seed an assignment, do not waver. 3. He who doubts will do without. D. 2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already about to be sacrificed [my life is about to be poured out as a drink offering]; the time of my [spirit s] release [from the body] is at hand and I will soon go free. 7 I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith. E. Acts 28:1 After we were safe on the island, we knew and recognized that it was called Malta. 2 And the natives showed us unusual and remarkable kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed and received us all, since it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 Now Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and he was laying them on the fire when a viper crawled out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the natives saw the little animal hanging from his hand, they said to one another, Doubtless this man is a murderer, for though he has been saved from the sea, Justice [the goddess of avenging] has not permitted that he should live. 5 Then [Paul simply] shook off the small creature into the fire and suffered no evil effects. 1. Paul demonstrated firm faith in this situation. 2. He was not moved by his circumstances. 3. He shook off the viper and went about his business. 4. You have to shake off all adversity. F. Personal testimonies of shaking it off: 1. Flat tires on the way to a meeting. 2. Wife stricken with Multiple Sclerosis. 3. Brother dead in the morgue 4. Sister in critical condition with infection. 5. Former employee filed a claim against the ministry. 3

4 G. Mark 11:23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. Back up to Vs 12 On the day following, when they had come away from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree [covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it [ for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come. (KJV) 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. 1. This was the time of year when the tree should have been yielding the little figs that precede the growth of the large figs. 2. This was a malfunctioning fig tree that did not produce the fig-lets. 3. The fig tree figuratively said to Jesus, No figs here! Fooled you! 4. Vs 14 Jesus answered the fig tree, No figs on you ever! H. Skip to Vs 20 In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away! 22 And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. 1. Vs 20 The fig tree has died. 2. Vs 21 Peter is excited. 3. Jesus is disappointed. a. Peter s reaction revealed his unbelief. b. He should not have been surprised that the tree had withered. c. He should have celebrated the moment Jesus cursed the tree. 4. The word always works from the inside out. 4

5 a. The moment Jesus spoke, the roots began to wither. b. Jesus spoke to the roots, not the branches or trunk. c. No external change was evident at first, but Jesus was in faith. d. Peter had to see it to believe it not true Bible faith. 5. Jesus response to Peter was, Have the God-kind of faith. a. When you operate in God-like faith, your fig tree will die. b. Circumstances coming against you must dry up at the root. c. Believe first, and then decree. d. Job 22:28 You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God s favor] shall shine upon your ways. 6. Mark 11:23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. a. Jesus instructs you to decree. b. Jesus instructs you to have no doubt. c. When you are immovable, mountains will move. d. This is a fixed race we win! e. Circumstances are subject to change; when you decree, they will change! f. Vs 24 You don t believe when you see it; believe when you pray. VIII. Faith must be attached to the right seed. A. James 2:20 Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless? 21 Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac? 1. Incomplete faith will not work. 2. What is your Spirit-led seed? Attaching faith to it will complete it. 5

6 B. Hebrews 10:23 So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. 1. To be immovable, your words must hold fast. 2. Hold fast kata echo a. kata = coming down with a force b. echo = to embrace c. You have to hold fast because there is someone trying to seize your faith. d. Seize unyieldingly your confession of faith. i. Confession = homologia ii. iii. 3. Think thank! homo = one of the same; logia = written word Your words must agree with God s Word. 4. Don t ask again; if you do, your first prayer was a prayer of doubt. C. Testimony of acquisition of the Wisdom Center. 1. Several banks turned us down flat for a loan, but we stayed immovable. 2. We sowed in the right measure, and got our first million-dollar harvest. 6