Experience a Faith Breakthrough

What are you praying for this new year? There are many things around that could be discouraging but I am not discouraged. In fact, I am confident that God is in control and that God is still the same today as He was yesterday, and He continues to offer the same promises and demand the same expectations tomorrow.

This does not mean that I don’t get discouraged. I have to admit that there were times last year, especially, when I was very discouraged. I’m sure that I wasn’t alone, but it was difficult to struggle with uncertainty. We sing a song titled “Do It Again” where the lyrics go like this:

Walking around these walls I thought by now they'd fall But You have never failed me yet

Waiting for change to come Knowing the battle's won For You have never failed me yet

Sometimes I’ve felt like the Israelites silently marching around the walls of Jericho, wondering what is going on. Why does there seem to be a struggle? Why is there conflict? Why did the water well go out? Why did the car break down? Why isn’t my son or daughter, brother, sister, or friend serving the Lord? Have you been expecting something wonderful to happen in your life, but you haven’t seen it happen? Fortunately, the song doesn’t end there. It reminds us that…

Your promise still stands… Great is Your faithfulness

I’m still in Your hands…

I know the night won’t last…Your word will come to pass

Jesus You’re still enough…

These are things we need to realize, because they build our faith. So, I find myself praying this year, “Lord, increase MY faith.”

We are All Called to Live by Faith

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV

For we live by faith, not by sight.

Faith is more than intellectual assent, but rather it is a turning of the soul to God. According to the Scriptures, faith leads to a change of heart. There are three elements of faith: intellect, emotions, and volition (or decision) (Kimball).[1]

1. There is an intellectual element of faith.

Faith requires believing that there is a God and that He accurately reveals Himself to man through the Word of God. Faith requires an intellectual assent to the contents of Scripture including its historical facts and doctrinal teachings. Faith is not simply a blind acceptance of these matters, but rather an evaluation based on the evidence that the Word of God is in fact true.

Romans 10:14 NIV

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Romans 10:17 NIV

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

2. There is an emotional element of faith.

When the Gospel is presented, this causes an awakening within one's soul. This awakening can cause a variety of emotions including guilt and shame regarding sin, but also happiness and excitement over the prospect of God's mercy and grace. True faith will not simply end with an emotional response (Kimball).

Matthew 13:20 NIV

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

3. There is a volitional element of faith.

If an individual accepts the truth of God's Word and is convicted of sin, he or she must make a decision to accept or reject the truth. Those who believe are born again and become children of God.

Romans 10:9–10 NIV

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10:13 NIV

for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The book of Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is substantial and in these times in which we are living we need a breakthrough of faith. I want to look at a couple of kings that did exactly the opposite when it came to faith.

The Endless Possibilities of Great Faith

King Jehoash Fails to Have Great Faith

There is an interesting story in the OT about one of the kings of Israel, Jehoash, and the threat by the Arameans who were at war with Israel. Elisha was God’s prophet at the time and Elisha was a powerful prophet. King Jehoash was not a particularly good king but he did have enough sense to go to Elisha to honor him (Elisha was on his deathbed basically). The story goes like this:

2 Kings 13:14–19 NIV

Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

I know, it is a strange story, but I want to point out just a couple things and then we’ll go to a different story.

First, notice that the prophet puts his hands on the king’s hands as he draws the bow. Now, the king isn’t a novice, and he is not weak. It is all about illustration. Elisha is illustrating to the King the God’s influence on the King and the events that will happen.

Secondly, notice that the King knows the symbolism of the 1st arrow. It symbolizes victory over Aram. So, King Jehoash is not in the dark about what is happening. Arrow = victory. More arrows would symbolize more victories and greater victories.

Thirdly, notice that the king gets rebuked when he strikes the ground only 3 times. Now, we’re talking about having a breakthrough in faith. We’ve also seen that faith is intellectual, emotional, and volitional. So, a question…Is your worship mediocre? Your passion for the Word of God? Your interest in the ministry of the Word? Is your confession sincere?

King David Crushes His Enemies Through Great Faith

My son, Jesse, and daughter-in-law, Jessica, will do this thing where she will put her weight against my son while they are walking. If he were to let up, she would fall on the ground. It is a great illustration of faith and trust. King David established a pattern of faith in his life – whether as a shepherd, guerrilla fighter, or King.

As a shepherd, David had already learned to have faith in God. He demonstrates it to King Saul and all the warriors of Israel as they trembled at the size and the words of the Philistine champion, Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:32–37 NIV

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

And, we all know the end of the story. Goliath falls with a head wound from a stone from David’s sling. The nation of Israel is emboldened, and they rout the Philistines.

As a guerrilla fighter David was given the opportunity to end his exile once and for all. After King Saul had finished a battle with the Philistines, he went into a cave to relieve himself. David and his men were in the same cave. Although urged by his men to finish Saul off, David refused:

1 Samuel 24:9–15 NIV

He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you. “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

We all want David’s faith – breakthrough faith. King Jehoash is weak. He is passionless. He goes through the motions but lacks the inner desire (that Pastor Steve talked about last week). The apostle Paul reminded Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God”. Could the “gift of God” that Paul references be the gift of faith he mentioned to the Corinthians? I believe so.

If YOU Had More Faith, What Could God Do in YOUR Life?

Salvation –

Salvation is the starting line. This is where we find Jesus to be the solution to our searches. It is the place where we realize that this life wasn’t meant to be lived along but with the help of our Creator and Friend.

Titus 3:5–7 NIV

he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Assurance

What keeps you up at night? Election results? Fear? Depression? Faith in God is the vaccine (no side-effects and eternally safe). Could you imagine the assurance and peace that the Apostle Paul had to make this statement:

Romans 8:38–39 NIV

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Or the Apostle Peter’s statement of faith:

1 Peter 1:8 NIV

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Good works

Faith produces tangible fruit in our lives. I preached a whole series (Uplift) before Christmas about how Christians can influence people in this culture through their good works. Jesus encouraged the people

Matthew 5:16 NIV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Paul encouraged his friend Titus

Titus 3:8 NIV

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

And I encourage you today, let faith breakthrough in your life through good works that glorify Jesus.

If WE Lived with Great Faith, What Could God Do?

I conclude with this question today. As a church, we benefit corporately from faith as we work toward our vision of growing families that transform communities for Christ. As individuals, faith offers personal benefits. You and I need more of it in our lives.

A.W. Tozer once said, “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.” Imagine that you are King Jehoash with arrows in your hand. You are facing the enemy, the struggles of your life. How many times will you strike the ground in faith? Let’s strike over and over until the arrows are broken. Believe for a breakthrough of faith in 2021!

[1] Kimball, D. B. (n.d.). Combat Stress Bible Study. 101.

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