Faith's Divine Order #3
We’ve started teaching on “The Divine Order of Faith” a few weeks ago and we’re going to pick up where we left off last week. Just about everything operates in a proper order. At least for things to operate correctly we have to follow the correct procedure or the correct order.
Last week we said that the 1st step in the divine order of faith is to IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.
I) We’re going to have problems. Jesus said in (John 16:33) “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 told us that we’re going to have TRIBULATION or PROBLEMS.
1) That’s not a negative confession, it’s what Jesus said.
2) But in this same V Jesus said that He has overcome the world, and through the Word of God we are told how we too can overcome the tribulations and problems we face.
B) John said under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; in other words the Holy Ghost said in (1 John 5:4) “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” KJV
1) If you want to have victory over the problems that the world offers, you have to do it by faith.
C) So in order for us to begin to operate in faith we have to take the 1st step and that is to IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.
1) Is it SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, or maybe it’s FINANCIAL?
D) Know what the problem is and IDENTIFY the SOURCE.
1) Jesus said in (MARK 4) that Satan comes immediately to steal the Word that was sown in their hearts.
2) Mark 4:14-20 offences here are things that come along that cause you to stumble by not doing what God wants you to do, & thus leads you into sin. (Sin by not obeying God.)
(a) Offence may think that they are doing right because of human emotion.
(i) James and John did this same thing in LUKE 9:52-56, when the Samaritans did not receive them. They were offended and said, “Lord consume them.” This was there human emotion were getting involved and Jesus said, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”
(b) If he can’t steal it immediately, he will come with the cares of this world, afflictions and troubles to try to choke the Word.
(c) Many times problems that we face are not our fault; they are just attacks of the enemy.
(i) There are even times when things happen to us that are not a direct result of Satan or any other demon. (Like a traffic accident, sometimes it’s just human error)
3) But there are times that we do miss it and sin, when we do we get ourselves out of God’s protection.
(a) If that happens we can confession our sins to God and He will forgive us all our sins.
(b) Once you’ve IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM it’s time to go on the next step.
II) Step 2, MAKE A QUALITY DECISION.
A) Turn to JOEL 3:14
1) After you have a handle on what the problem is, the next step is to make a quality decision to OVERCOME.
(a) And you overcome by faith.
2) But you have to CHOOSE.
(a) Either you’re going to choose to except the problem and live with it or you have to choose to overcome and walk in victory.
B) It seems like everything operates by a decision, and that’s even true for your salvation.
1) Jesus died on that cross so that you might have the forgiveness of sin and receive eternal life.
(a) But that will do you no good unless you choose to accept it.
(b) God’s not going to make a decision for you. He’s given us the freedom of choice.
2) Sometimes people say, “Well, I’m just waiting for God to do what He wants in my life.”
(a) But God says, “No, I’m waiting for you. Decide.”
(b) Do you know that God can’t move in many areas of your life, until you make a decision on which way you’re going to go?
C) Look at DEUT 30:19
1) Throughout the Word of God we can see the importance that God has placed on man making his choose.
2) Let me just read to you a few
(a) (Joshua 24:15) Says, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” KJV
(b) (2 Samuel 24:12) Says, “Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.” KJV (Prophet GAD. famine, enemy pursuit, or pestilence). David’s sin was of pride and self-sufficiency.
3) The direction that your life is moving in is a direct result of past decisions.
(a) (Proverbs 3:31) Says, “Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.” KJV
(i) And there are many more.
D) Faith’s power to change your circumstances is not going to operate in your life until you decide you are going to live by faith.
1) It takes a quality decision.
(a) It’s not an “OUGHT TO” and it’s not a “PROBABLY SHOULD.” It is a DETERMINATION THAT “I WILL.”
2) Before you’re going to see victory in your life, you have to make that quality decision that “I WILL STAND IN FAITH for my needs to be met.”
3) You have to make a decision, are you going to live with the problem and let it defeat you or are you going to MAKE A FIRM, UNWAVERING DECISION TO OVERCOME IT?
(a) Many people miss it because of a half-hearted decision or they are wishy-washy in their commitment to win.
(b) You have to say, “I’m coming out of this situation. I’m coming out by the power of God, and I’m coming out by the Word of God.”
(i) “I have made my decision to stand in faith and nothing is going to move me or change my mind.”
III) Step # 3 “GET THE EVIDENCE.”
A) Our entire system of justice is based on evidence.
1) If you’re put on trial, the prosecuting attorney will present evidence against you. If he has no evidence against you the case will be thrown out of court.
B) Well, the same can be said of your faith in the spiritual court of heaven.
1) If your going to claim that healing, provision, peace, safety, or some other spiritual blessing belongs to you, you better have some evidence to back it up.
2) Many Christians and maybe even most, pray and believe for the things that we just mentioned, they say that it belongs to them, but they don’t have a shred of evidence to back up their claim.
(a) The Devil and his crew just laugh and your case gets thrown out of court for a lack of evidence.
C) After you have made that quality decision to overcome, your next step in GOD’S DIVINE ORDER OF FAITH is to GO TO THE WORD OF GOD and FIND A PROMISE that speaks to your particular situation.
1) That promise is your LEGAL EVIDENCE to the power and provision of Almighty God.
2) But let’s take it 1 step further and turn with me to HEB 11:1
(a) 1st of all it tells us that faith is a real SUBSTANCE. We talked about that in 1 of the last few messages.
(b) But look at the 2nd part of that V, “FAITH IS ALSO THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS.”
(i) Most of the time when you are praying, you are asking and believing for a certain thing.
(a) That thing might be money to pay a bill. It might be for a car you need, or the thing you need is healing.
(ii) Whatever it is, faith is the evidence of it.
(a) You’re not going to obtain anything without faith evidence.
3) But now let’s take it just a little further (HEB 11:1) says that faith is the evidence OF THINGS NOT SEEN.
(a) The unrenewed mind says, “Seeing is believing.” Or “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
(b) But real, BIBLE FAITH IS THE EVIDENCE that a thing is his, even though he has never seen it.
(c) The AMP translation sheds some light on this.
(i) (HEB 11:1) from the AMP says, “Now, faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality – faith perceiving as a real fact what is not revealed to the senses.”
4) This is what faith is, but it is always based on the Word of God.
(a) (ROM 10:17) Says that Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
(b) If you have a need in your life go to the Word of God and find scripture that promises the answer and stand on those promises with unwavering faith.
(i) Your faith in what God says in His Word is the evidence that the promise belongs to you and that it is yours.
IV) So far what are the 3 steps of the divine order of faith?
A) # 1, IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.
1) # 2, Make a QUALITY DECISION to walk by faith.
2) And # 3 GET THE EVIDENCE from the Word of God. Find the promise you need from God’s Word.
(a) Next week we’ll pick up from there.
Word of Life Sunday, October 12, 1997 &Word of Life Sunday 12/29/02