Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re going to *pick up* where we *left off last week*.

Last week we *started on* the *subject* of *PUTTING YOUR FAITH TO WORK*.

*Without* ever *learning* *how to put your faith to work*, *we’re* *never** going to walk in victory* on a regular basis.

*I) *We may *have* *some victory from time to time*, *but* *as** we learn to walk by faith* *we’re going to see more of God’s power* in our lives *and* *more victory*.

*A) **When I say* *more VICTORY*, *I mean* that we’re going to *see* the *answers to our problems*.

*1) *In (*John** 16:33*) *Jesus** said* *“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”*

KJV

*(a) **Jesus** pretty much guaranteed it*; *we are going to have tribulation* *or* *problems in this life*.

*(b) **But** He didn’t stop there*, *He went on to say*, *“But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

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*2) **He told us to Cheer up* *because He has overcome* the world.

*(a) **Because He has overcome* the world, *we too can overcome those trials*, *and* *tribulations* that *we face*.

*B) **In* the *1st* *epistle of JOHN*, the *Holy Ghost* *begins to tell us how** we can overcome*.

*1) *Let’s look at it.

*1JOHN 5:4*

*(a) **If you want* to have *victory* *over* the *problems* that *this world offers*, on a regular basis, *you have to do it by faith*.

*(b) **4** different times* *God declares in His Word* *that* *“THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”*

(*HABAKKUK 2:4, ROM 1:17, GAL 3:11, and HEB 10:38*)

*(c) **God is showing us the importance* that *he has placed* *on* *LIVING BY FAITH*.

*(i) **Living by faith* *has to be a life style*.

*Not** just* *something you try* once in a while, *but something you live*.

*(ii) **A simple definition of faith* *comes from Solomon* *in* *(PRO 3:5)* which says, *“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”*

*(iii) **You need to trust the Lord* *that God will turn your situation* *or* *your problem* *around* *and cause everything to work out for good*.

*(ROM 8:28)*

*II) *Turn with me to *HEB 11:1-6*

*A) **This is 1 of the best definitions of faith*, *but* so *few* *understand it*.

*1) **V 1* *tells us* *that* *FAITH** **is now*.

*This whole V* *is written in the PRESENT TENSE*.

*(a) **In other words*, *Faith operates in the realm of NOW*.

*(b) **It says that* *the promises of God are belong to me now*.

*“I am healed in Jesus name*.

*All my needs are met in the name of Jesus.”*

*(i) **But Pastor*, *my needs aren’t met*.

*(ii) **Faith*, *which says the things that you have need of are yours now*, *will bring God’s promises** **from the realm of promise** **to this natural realm* *where* *you can walk in it*.

*(a) **In other words*, *when you believe that* *what God says** in His Word belongs to you now*, *you’re going to see it and have it.

*

*(b) **Believing** comes* *1st*.

*Then the having it will come*.

*2) **The* *2nd* *thing* that *this V says* *is that FAITH IS A SUBSTANCE*.

*(a) **According to the Strong’s concordance FAITH is real stuff*.

*It has actual existence*.

*3) **The next thing that He says* here *comes from* *(V 3),* *which says*, *“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”*

*(a) **Everything* that *you see around you* *is the product of faith filled words*.

*(b) **The Bible is such an enormously* *powerful thing*.

*(i) **From cover to cover* *it contains God’s faith filled words*, *and those words* *are empowered to produce whatever you have need of.*

*4) **Jesus** said* *in* *(LUKE 8:11)* that *the Word of God is seed*.

*(a) **When you pick up your Bible*, *you hold in your hands the seeds to produce* *finances*, *healing*, *salvation** of your loved ones*, *restoration** of your marriage or* *any thing else** you could possibly need*.

*(b) **Unfortunately** not many are getting the seed out* *and* *planting it*.

*(i) **Successful** farming takes some effort*.

*(ii) **A farmer’s seed does him no good as long as it lies dormant in the sack*.

*But when he plants, he gets a harvest*.

*5) **Likewise*, *the seeds of provision in God’s Word* *will never produce for you as long as your Bible gathers dust on your shelf.

*

*(a) **Well*, *the next question is*; *HOW DO WE USE THE SEED OF GOD’S WORD TO PRODUCE A HARVEST?*

*(b) **As I said last week*, *there is a divine order** to get from the problem to the answer*.

*And if we follow God plan* *or* *His divine order* *we’re going to rise up in faith* *and* *see our situation change*.

*III) **The* *1st* *step* *that we need to take* *is to IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM*.

*A) **Before you can expect to get from the problem to the answer*, *you must* *1st* *clearly define** and understand the exact nature of the problem* you’re facing.

*1) **Is it SPIRITUAL*, *PHYSICAL*, *EMOTIONAL*, *or* maybe it’s *FINANCIAL**?*

*2) **Before** you can conquer this problem* *you need to face it head on* *and* *identify it for what it truly is*.

*(a) **This might sound kind of simple or basic*, *but so many believers launch out* *in search for a solution* *never knowing** the source of the problem*.

*B) **1 of the* *1st* *things* *that you’ll notice* *when you** start getting serious about getting God’s Word into your heart* *and mind* *is an INCREASE IN PROBLEMS*.

*1) **That’s surprising to many believers*.

*(a) **Most think* *that when they get into the Word of God* *the problems are going to stop*.

*NO** THEY’RE GOING TO GET WORSE*.

*2) **What the Word does* *is give you* *the power to overcome any problem*.

*3) **We’ll look at the scripture in just a second*, *but* *Satan’s # 1 OBJECTIVE IS TO STEAL THAT WORD FROM YOUR HEART*.

*(a) **If he can’t do that* *HE WILL USE PROBLEMS TO TRY TO CHOKE IT OUT*.

*C) *Turn to *MARK** 4:14-17*

*1) **Notice* the *1st* *phrase*.

*“The sower soweth the Word.”*

*(a) **We saw earlier* *that* *the Bible contains seeds of answers for every problem you face*.

*2) **Then Jesus said*, *“And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard…”*

*(a) **Hearing** the Word* *is vitally important*.

*(b) **If Satan can stop you from hearing** the Word* *concerning a certain subject*, *he’s** on the way to defeating you* *in that area* of your life.

*3) **Notice the last ½ of (V 15**) “But when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”*

*(a) **Who** is it that comes?* *SATAN*.

*And* *when** does he come?*

*IMMEDIATELY*.

*D) **As long as you ignore God’s Word*, *you’re no threat to Satan.*

*1) **But when you start planting God’s Word** in your heart*, *he flies into action*.

*(a) **He doesn’t want you to put the awesome creative forces* *of faith filled words to work in your life*.

*(b) **Those* *faith-filled words* *in your heart* *will undo everything* *that the Devil has been working for*, where you’re concerned.

*2) **If Satan fails in stealing the Word* *from your heart as soon as you receive it*, *he will come at you with trouble and cause you to be offended*.

*(a) **Jesus said* starting *in* *(MARK 4:16)* *“When they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”

*

*(i) **Sometimes** people are offended* *at God* *and* *sometimes* they are offended *at man*.

*(ii) **Offended at me* *for not coming up to them to say hi*.

*But remember if offence comes*, *it is Satan coming** to steal the Word that was sown in your heart*.

*IV) **But notice something else* that *Jesus said in* *(MARK 4:17)* *He said*, *“When affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake…” *

*A) **AFFLICTION** and PERSECUTION* *are* *troubles* *that we face*, *and Jesus said* *that they come to steal the Word*.

*1) **Satan comes bringing problems* *to try to choke out* *the seed of God’s Word*.

*2) **But problems can come another way*, *they can be SELF-INFLICTED*.

*(a) *Look at *1st part of 1PET 2:20*.

Also look at *1PET 4:15*

*(b) **These 2 Vs* that we just read *show us* *that* *the problems we face* *may not** be an attack of the enemy*, *it might be caused by our own action*.

*(i) **BAR and FIGHTS*

*B) **Your* *1st* *step in having God’s divine order of faith* *is to **identify* *the source and nature of the problem*.

*1) **Is it the result of sin or a past mistake**?*

*If so simple repent*.

*2) **Or* *is it an** attack of the enemy to try to stop you from going on with God and walking in victory.

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*(a) **Once you’ve identified the problem* *get prepared to attack** the problem* *with the weapon of faith*.

*(b) *Next week we’ll get into STEP 2