A Reordered Faith Paradigm

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 3 views

Belief drives behavior. Believe God for best results. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Notes
Transcript
Mark 11:22–24 (KJV)
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Faith and Fruitfulness

Fruit is expected in season

Psalm 1:1–3 (KJV)
1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Fruitfulness in season is a blessing to be expected for the faithful
In season: not all seasons are fruit-bearing. But some are. (Respect the rhythms.)
Alignment with God will produce prosperity

What isn’t fruitful is under judgment

But the fig tree in our text was not fruitful
Mark 11:12–14 (KJV)
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Most translations: “It was not the season for figs
Perhaps too early, but more likely according to commentators (ie. WBC), the season for figs had passed. After having run its season, and had its opportunity, it had not produced results.
In context, this event shapes the temple cleansing, where Jesus judges the money changers and invoking Is 56.7 and Je 7 regarding judgment from abusing the house of prayer.
There was a faith system in place, but it wasn’t producing fruit toward God.

Have faith in God

Remove obstructions

Mark 11:22–24 (KJV)
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

What it means to have faith in God

Mk 11.22 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Have faith - put your absolute confidence (WBC)
In God - not traditions, politics, economics, or anything else. All other hopes are idolatry.
God must be the object of our total trust.

Belief Drives Behavior

Faith drives understanding

Understanding fits within a framework, or a ‘worldview’

Hebrews 11:3 (KJV)
3 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.
Our understanding usually follows from a priori beliefs.

Misinformation is facts that don’t fit beliefs

Because we tend to filter facts according to our beliefs.

What do my behaviors tell me about my beliefs?

James 2:18–26 (KJV)
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Action proves and perfects faith.

Core beliefs psychology that affect us all

We all face what psychology calls ‘limiting beliefs’. Limiting beliefs are directed toward self or others.
I am a failure. I am worthless. I am inadequate.
People are malicious. People cannot be trusted.
The world is unfair. The world is dangerous. The world is scary.
Limiting beliefs are faith statement
Faith in your abilities or your limitations is ultimately fruitless, and an obstacle to the open life of faith in God.

Replace Core Beliefs with Faith in God

Faith belongs in the power of God, not the wisdom of men

Faith should stand in God’s power

1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (KJV)
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

We believe; therefore we speak

2 Corinthians 4:13–14 (KJV)
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

Reprogram your faith to center on Christ

God empowers the faithful

Zechariah 4:6–10 (KJV)
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, Saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: And he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; His hands shall also finish it; And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.
10 For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; They are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Power of the Spirit
Mountain moves - says God
His hands finish the work (fruitfulness)
Who hath despised the day of small things? Sometimes the mountains fall by degrees.

Fruitless Beliefs, and Mountain Moving Faith

The fruitless beliefs have run their course; let them wither. Put your faith in God.
Mark 11:22–24 (KJV)
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Cast away the limiting beliefs that obstruct your faith
Faith in God is what makes room for fruitfulness and prosperity
God is greater than my limitations
God is greater than my fears
God is greater than my enemies
God is greater than my world
The mountains may move all at once, or one stone at a time, but they will move.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more