Overview
Our legacy of faith is the history, going back thousands and thousands of years, of men and women who believed God, and it runs from Abel to Abraham, Abraham to Jesus Christ, and everybody in between, all the way to us. Opening the Faith 2020 conference, Rico Magnelli works from Mark 11:22 to show that faith is not simply believing: faith means to believe God, and God must provide man something to believe, and then it becomes a partnership. Translating faith as merely believing removes God from the picture and turns the Christian life into me, me, me. The teaching then traces that partnership through the Gospels, through great faith and little faith, and into Hebrews 11.
Transcript
A Legacy of Faith That Goes Back Thousands of Years
Our legacy of faith. You and I have a legacy of faith. There is a history that goes back thousands and thousands of years of men and women that believed God.
It’s a legacy of faith, and that’s what we’ll be looking at as we begin this evening and into tomorrow morning. I certainly encourage individuals to listen to the faith webinar on the Oikeos website. It sets so many basic aspects of faith, and our legacy of faith includes all those who believed God.
Abel to Abraham, Abraham to Jesus Christ, and everybody in between, and all the early Christians, even to today. You’re looking at Mark chapter 11. Faith means to believe God, and God must provide man something to believe.
Faith Means to Believe God, and God Provides What Man Is to Believe
God has to provide man something to believe, and then it becomes a partnership with God. Faith is not just simply to believe. Faith means to believe God, and God provides what man is to believe, and then enters into that partnership.
The challenge with translating the word faith as believing, it removes God out of the picture. It’s very subtle, and then the focus becomes, I must believe, or I must build my believing, and that can be a mental cage that excludes God. It seems so subtle, and it is.
Life becomes about me, me, me. You know, Jesus’ example of when he cursed the fig tree in Mark chapter 11, that was not producing fruit and dried up overnight, is very significant. That fig tree represented the spiritual state of Israel, and how they had rejected God, and rejected his Christ.
Mark 11:22 – Have the Faith of God, Not Faith In God
In Mark chapter 11, in this context, they see the tree withered overnight, and they exclaim to him, wow, look at this, look at what happened, and Jesus says in verse 22 of Mark 11, and Jesus answering saith unto them, have faith in God. Have faith in God. The word in is not in the Greek text.
It could be better translated, have the faith of God. Have the faith of God. That word have means to continuously hold. Once God tells you something, you hold on to it. You hold it until it comes to pass. Have the faith of God, because faith comes from God when man believes God.
God actually does something. He’s involved, and really what the beauty of it, it takes the pressure off of us. See, when man believed God, God produced faith, and that’s really what that phrase is talking about.
What Believing Is: A Conviction, Being Fully Persuaded
God producing that faith, you hold continuously the faith that God produces, and believing, just as a reminder, what is believing? It is a conviction, being fully persuaded of something, and then action typically follows. You and I are persuaded of something, but when it comes to faith, God needed to provide something for man to believe. The world’s giving you stuff to believe all the time, right, and you have that option.
So do I, but what we want is a partnership. We want to partner with God. Faith is a partnership. Man believes, and what God provides, man something to believe, and you’ll see how significant this is when Jesus Christ actually is present on earth. We’ll get into that later on, but you can see this partnership in verse 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, God saith, shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:23 – Whosoever Shall Say Unto This Mountain
There’s the partnership. God has to provide what man is to believe, because man has free will. He can choose not to, or he can choose to believe.
See, because a person cannot remove a mountain by their word without God providing that information. The one who holds the faith, God produces, confesses what God reveals to them. That’s the partnership, and I like the way Mark 11:23 is translated in the English Standard Version.
It says, truly I say to you, whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he, and that’s referring to God, says will come to pass, it will be done for him. It’s a beautiful translation. You see, what happens is we get on our own track.
We think it’s all up to us to believe, and then God suddenly gets nudged out of our lives. Perhaps you remember from the faith webinar the first occurrence of Pistis from Deuteronomy 32:20. This is the first time this word comes up, often translated faith, in the New and the Old Testament, the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, and in its first occurrence you clearly see that Israel did not have faith, many of them, because they excluded God.
Deuteronomy 32:20 – Children in Whom Is No Faith
That’s right, they have corrupted themselves. Perverse and crooked generation, it says in verse 5 of chapter 32. It says that Jeshurun, that’s a reference to the ideal Israel, waxed fat and forsook God, lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation.
In verse 15, they provoked him, God, to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations, provoked they him to anger. Verse 16, they sacrificed unto devils, not to God. Verse 17, of the rock, of the rock, unmindful has forgotten God that formed thee.
They were unmindful of the rock that had formed them. In verse 18, the point being is that phrase in verse 20, children in whom is no faith. Why did they not have faith? They believed because they removed God out of the picture.
So clear. Look at Acts 3, please. We must include God, and when God’s involved, that’s when things happen.
How the Accomplished Work of Christ Changed the Nature of Faith
When it’s just you and I, not so much. Now, faith prior to the accomplished work of Christ involved individuals being given a certain task or series of tasks or special commissioning on God’s behalf, and we’re going to look at a number of them later on. God provided specific directed guidance to carry out what he set before each person.
These were like God-inspired missions, if you will, very specific for them. The accomplished work of Christ changed the nature of faith, because before Christ, faith was limited to a person’s potential or ability to believe God. But after the accomplished work of Christ, the person’s potential and ability to believe God became the same as Christ.
That means you can believe God as Christ did, because you have the faith of Jesus Christ, and we’ll detail this out throughout the weekend. Acts chapter 3, it says in verse 22, for Moses truly said unto the fathers, this is Peter and John teaching the people early on in the Christian church, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall you what? What does it say? Him shall you gawk at.
Acts 3:22 – Him Shall Ye Hear
Him shall you what? That’s a very important point. He said, him shall you what? Hear. That means somebody has to say something, right? You’re going to see how this develops.
Him shall you hear, and all things whatsoever he shall say unto you, and it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. He’s talking about Jesus Christ.
That’s who he’s talking about. Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our father, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
The Greatest Thing God Gave Man to Believe Was Jesus Christ
Look at Matthew 17. There’s something about God providing what man needs to believe. Let me ask you a question.
What’s the most significant thing that God provided man to believe? Jesus Christ. Now, he can tell you to go get a couch. He can tell you how to go get a job, or he can tell you all those wonderful things, and he does.
But the greatest thing that God told man, so man could believe, was Jesus Christ. That’s the greatest thing. Matthew 17, here on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus Christ is transfigured before Peter and James and John, it says in 17 verse 1 of Matthew, and after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured, or transformed.
Matthew 17:1 – The Mount of Transfiguration
Metamorpho is the Greek word. He changed form before them. And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah. Sometimes it’s spelled funny because it’s translated from the Greek as opposed to the Hebrew, but that’s Elijah talking with him. Now, they weren’t really there.
This was a vision that was showed to them, because Moses and Elijah were dead at this point. Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, here’s Peter. I love Peter.
He’s ready to jump in, but this is probably not what God wanted. Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou will, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
Hear Ye Him: Don’t Build a Monument, Hear the Words
There he goes right to works. Let’s build something. Let’s build a monument. You know who answers? God himself. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, this is my beloved son.
Look at his cool robe. Look at how he’s glowing. Look at how he’s talking to Moses and Elijah. He must be really important. What does it say? Hear ye him. Hear ye him.
That’s exactly what they were supposed to do. Don’t build something. Hear the words. Don’t get blown away by the vision. Hear the words. The words.
The words. You listen to words all day long, and very few of them reflect the truth and in the precision of God’s heart. And you know it. Why do you listen to them? Don’t listen to them, meaning to the end that you put them in your heart. I know you got to listen to stuff. Look at John.
Why the Personal Presence of Jesus Christ Affected Faith
Please, John. See, the personal presence of Jesus Christ had an effect on faith during the Gospels. Why did it have an effect? Because the Master was here.
You could see him. You could touch him. You could laugh with him. He was there in person. And what he brought was the perfect embodiment of the will of God. He was the will of God.
If you wanted the will of God, where were you to go? You go to where Jesus Christ was. That was the will of God. John chapter 3. This will make more and more sense to you, because Jesus isn’t here anymore.
John 3:34 – He Speaketh the Words of God and Had the Spirit Without Measure
And we’re going to get to that. John chapter 3, verse 34. For he whom God has sent, John the Baptist is speaking, speaketh the words of God.
For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. Jesus Christ was speaking the words of God. He was communicating God’s heart.
He was declaring God. That’s why his presence on earth is so significant. And he had the Spirit without measure.
That means because he was a sinless man, he had no sin to preclude or to bar him from accessing the fullness of the Spirit that God had originally created during the time of Adam and Eve. He had no preclusion, basically had no boundaries in terms of what he could access. Why? Because he had no sin.
John 5:38 – They Wanted to Kill the Answer
Perfect, perfect, believing God, if you will. Look at John 5, John chapter 5, in verse 38. And ye have not his word abiding in you.
For whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. He’s talking to the religious leaders that in the context, you can read it in John 5, want to kill him because he healed a man on the Sabbath day and that he said that God was his father. So they want to kill him.
They want to kill the answer. They want to kill the solution to every problem that man has. They want to snuff out the extension of God’s grace and mercy to mankind in the embodiment of Jesus Christ, because he didn’t do it the way they wanted.
He says, for whom he, God, has sent, him you believe not. They didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. And you have not his word abiding in you. For whom he hath sent, him you believe not. Search the scriptures, Jesus said, for in them you think you have eternal life, for they and they are they which testify of me. Absolutely.
John 6:29 – This Is the Work of God, That Ye Believe on Him Whom He Hath Sent
Look at John 6, John chapter 6 in verse 28. Then said they unto him, Jesus, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? And the same question is today. What do you want to do? What is it that you want to do? Well, Jesus answered verse 29, said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on whom? Whom he hath sent.
He’s standing right there, and they just couldn’t, they couldn’t put it together. What he looked like? No one knows. Doesn’t make any difference, because God doesn’t tell us.
But there was something about Jesus Christ that was so significant and so overwhelmingly powerful that it changed the entire course of humanity. And he was to be believed. See, while Jesus was on earth, he was what man was to believe.
Jesus Christ Embodied the Perfect Will of God on Earth
Where he was, you people should have gone. What he said, people should have acted on. They should have followed him.
Jesus Christ was in person fulfilling the Mosaic law. He was administering the kingdom of heaven, which is the will of God brought down to earth. That’s all the kingdom of heaven is, is the will of God brought down to earth and executed by the master himself.
He was ushering in the age of grace, preparing his apostles and disciples. He embodied the perfect will of God on earth. Whatever he said, whatever he did was to be believed.
When obstacles got in the way of people believing Jesus, he would sometimes use the phrase, O ye of little faith. You know why it says that? It’s because he was right there. He was right in front of them.
Great Faith and Little Faith Are About Obstacles, Not Amounts
Look at Matthew 8, please. Just want to point this out for a second, because it will help us to shape our understanding of the legacy of faith that we have. We’re going to see records that our wonderful teachers are going to present to us regarding some of the great pillars of faith throughout the Bible, but they all bring us and they all culminate to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And when he was here on earth, it wasn’t like people didn’t know he’s right in front of you. These phrases, great faith or little faith are not dealing with amounts. They indicate obstacles.
When great faith was noted, that means the individual overcame quite a few obstacles to believe God. With little faith, that means the person did not really overcome those obstacles, because you don’t see that phrase anywhere else. It only appears in the Gospels, and it’s only used of Jesus Christ himself when he’s present.
It’s not used in the book of Acts. It’s not used in the epistles, because it underscores, emphasizes, and highlights that faith is centered on Jesus Christ. The Old Testament believers were looking towards his first coming, and then when they had him right there, those individuals in Judea, they could accept him or reject him.
Matthew 8:5 – The Centurion Who Understood Words and Authority
Let’s look at Matthew chapter 8. This is dealing with a centurion. Matthew chapter 8 verse 5. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion beseeching him. Now there’s a similar record in Luke 7, but that’s a different centurion when you look at the details.
So I’m going to focus in on this one. And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
I will come and heal him. And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I’m not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I’m a man under authority, having soldiers under me.
And I say to this man, go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh. And to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he what? There’s only a few places in the Bible, I count three, where Jesus actually marvels.
Why the Centurion’s Faith Was Called Great Faith
That means his mind was blown. How do you blow the mind of the Messiah? That’s a figure of speech. He marveled. He marveled at the unbelief when he was in his hometown of Nazareth, and he marveled at the centurions. Watch what he says. And said to them that followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found what? So great faith, no, not in Israel.
Why is this great faith? It’s great faith because the man was a centurion. That means he was responsible for a hundred Roman soldiers. They were an occupied Judea by the Romans. He was a Gentile, not of Israel. There’s a deep divide between the Judeans and the Romans. The Judeans hated the Romans, hated them.
He had an allegiance to Caesar, yet he called Jesus what? Lord. This man had a lot to overcome. Not only that, he understood something that very few people understand, the power of words and authority. He understood authority. He understood that God was sovereign over all things, that nothing is more powerful than God himself. And Jesus Christ was his agent.
Jesus Christ was his sent one. Israel crucified Christ. Do you see why it’s great faith? It’s not in amount. It’s the obstacles the person had to overcome. Unbelievable. Fantastic.
The Words You Speak Carry the Same Weight Jesus Christ Had
Look at another one. Look at Matthew 15. Look at Matthew 15. See, to believe God, Jesus Christ is highlighting how significant it was when someone that wasn’t of Israel believed who he was. See, for someone to speak that word like that, you have got to be so convinced. And you and I can be that convinced.
By the end of this weekend, you’re going to be even more convinced that the words that you speak carry the same weight that Jesus Christ had when he spoke. There’s no difference. And they are because they are both backed by the almighty himself. That’s right. Matthew 15. Look at this one.
Matthew 15:21 – The Canaanite Woman Who Would Not Be Deterred
This is the Canaanite woman. In Matthew 15, it says, verse 21, then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a woman of Canaan, Gentile, came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord! Thou son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with the devil.
Her daughter was possessed with the devil. Grievously vexed. And she besought him. Look at the respect she paid him. This is a Gentile. I don’t have enough words to emphasize how significant this is.
And he answered her, not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. Perhaps he was considering what’s going on here. This is interesting. Doesn’t say anything. But he answered and said, verse 24, I’m not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
What Jesus was looking for, his mission, was to find those that still had a belief in God of Israel. Of Judea, there was just a few remnant left. That’s what he’s looking for. And then here comes this woman that just doesn’t fit the mold. And Jesus is paying attention. Then came she and worshipped him, saying the second time, Lord, help me.
Lord, help me. She was not to be deterred for her daughter. You find very few places where Jesus changes his course or his mission. Very few. This is one of them. I can’t think of that many.
Not Meet to Take the Children’s Bread: The Puppies and the Crumbs
Where anybody actually moves him in a direction that he doesn’t seem to want to go. Well, this is one of them. But he answered and said, it is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it to dogs.
The word dogs here is actually puppies, because in the east, the little puppies would eat the crumbs off the table. He’s not calling her a dog. It’s just puppies. It was part of that culture. Grown up dogs were not handled like this. This is puppies.
And she said, truth, Lord, the third time she calls him Lord. Yet the dogs, the puppies eat of the crumbs which fall from the master’s table. Wow. How many times do you see an exchange like this? Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great, great, great is thy faith. Great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.
And her daughter was made whole from the very hour. There’s no other significant record where Jesus changes course and focus like this. Must have really got his attention. She was a Canaanite. She was a Gentile. And we know the divide between them.
She was also a woman in that culture. And she is pressing this man, this holy man, to do this. And not even Jesus can talk her out of it. And she calls him Lord three times. Why am I making this point, you ask yourself? Because the master is present and Israel rejected him. She didn’t.
Where Is Jesus Now? Christ in You Carries That Same Power
Let’s look at little faith. Look at Matthew 8. Matthew chapter 8. Let me ask you a question. Where’s Jesus now? He’s at the right hand of the throne of God.
He’s not on earth anymore. But because of what God created within us, the faith of Jesus Christ and that Christ within you, that same power resides within you. Yet we don’t give the credence to each other’s words.
That’s right. We don’t. We think, oh, well, if Jesus told me. Oh, yeah. Well, I’m his ambassador. So are you.
I was not sent by some secular organization. Either you and I were sent by God, given of God, or we weren’t. So it’s time to make up your mind. That’s right. It’s time to make up your mind. You are what the word says you are, because the world’s going to cut you no slack. None. I love you. I’m not angry or anything.
Matthew 8:24 – Why Are Ye Fearful, O Ye of Little Faith?
I’m just trying to arrest your attention. Matthew 8. Well, let’s look at little faith. Matthew 8, verse 24. So they’re out on the ship. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves. But he was asleep.
Jesus sleeping on the job there. And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us. We perish. And he saith unto them, Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm. Why are you fearful? I’m right here.
Now, let me ask you a question. Do you have the authority and the power of Christ? You’re right here. You start putting this together. You’ll see exactly what I’m saying. Look at Matthew 14. Look at the next one.
Matthew 14:29 – Peter Walked on the Water to Go to Jesus
Matthew 14, verse 29 and Matthew 14. You know, Jesus is walking out on the water in the middle of the night to these guys that are out in the water. Verse 28 says, And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, What? Come. He didn’t say, Well, let me think about it. I don’t know if I could hail you and me at the same time. What did he say? What’s the difference between what you say and I say if it’s Christ within you? Unless we just haven’t made up our mind. There is no difference. Not according to God.
He said, Come now, watch this. And when Peter came down out of the ship, he walked on the water. He walked on the water to go to Jesus. Now, if he’s going to Jesus, he’s probably looking at Jesus because it was windy and boisterous and it was night. There was no spotlights. Oh, probably looking at him.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, O thou of what little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Why? He was right there.
And that was before he was glorified. This is before he is far above all principality, power and might and dominion in every name that is named, not only this world, but in that which is to come. This is before that. He hasn’t even been glorified yet. He hasn’t been crucified. He hasn’t been resurrected yet.
Matthew 16:5 – Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees
One more. Matthew 16. You guys doing OK? Need more coffee? Can you hear me? Matthew 16. Now, pay close attention to this record. Listen to how God describes it by way of Matthew. In verse five of Matthew 16.
And when his disciples were come to the other side, had forgotten to take bread. So they forget to take bread. They don’t bring their lunch. Then Jesus said unto them, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. So he’s trying to teach them. Leaven is a thin strip of dough that ferments the entire loaf and then infiltrates the entire thing and permeates the whole thing.
And it can be used negatively or positively in the word. Here he’s saying, listen, be aware of what the Pharisees and the Sadducees, what they teach, their doctrine, because it infects everything. And he says in one place that that the leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy.
Watch this. And they reasoned among who? Did they ask Jesus? He’s right there. And they reasoned among who? Their own little clique. And he’s right there saying, it is because we have no bread. We’ve taken no bread. That’s what it is.
That’s what he means by the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It’s because you, Matthew, didn’t bring bread. No, it was you, John. You didn’t bring bread. Oh, it was you, Andrew. You didn’t bring bread. No, it was Peter. Peter ate the bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little what? Why reason you among yourselves? Why don’t you ask me? Because you have brought no bread? Do you not understand? Neither remember the five loaves and the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? You had five loaves and two fishes.
I was right there when that happened. Remember? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, how many baskets you took up? Look at the abundance you had because I was here. How is it that you do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, but that you should be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Matthew 10:1 – He Gave Them Power Before He Was Even Exalted
Amazing. Look at Matthew 10. Why am I making such a big point about this? Because Jesus was present. Jesus was present. Now, since Jesus is not present, does the impact of Christ’s life lessen or is it greater? It’s greater because he’s up from the dead, never to die again. Don’t you see the impact we have? It’s Christ within you.
It’s Christ within me. We should believe the words that we speak to each other. Matthew chapter 10 verse 1, And when he, Jesus, had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast out, catch them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
And he wasn’t even exalted yet. He wasn’t at the right hand of the throne of God. And look at the power that he’s giving them.
Matthew 6:30 – Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
What kind of power do you have in the faith of Jesus Christ? Matthew chapter 6 in verse 30. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast out into the oven, or cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe ye, O ye of little faith? Why? What was tripping them up? They were concerned about what they were going to eat, what they were going to drink, and what they were going to wear, when Jesus Christ is standing right in front of them. Does this make sense? It’s very powerful.
But these are the things, the impediments, that have to be removed. Jesus Christ tells them, Therefore take no thought, no anxious thought. What shall we eat? What shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, that’s his sovereignty and care over all things and all time. And his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you.
In other words, you don’t seek the stuff. Seek God and you get the stuff, whatever you need. And many here can attest to that.
Hebrews 10:38 – The Just Shall Live by Faith
There’s tremendous testimonies that we’ll be hearing later on about all this. Hebrews chapter 10. This is our legacy of faith. Hebrews chapter 10. All these wonderful individuals in chapter 11 lead to the founder and perfecter of faith, which is Jesus Christ. Verse 37.
It says, For ye have a little while, and he that cometh will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith. The essence of this means shall continue living all the way on into eternity. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. All these wonderful people in chapter 11. Look at chapter 11.
Hebrews 11:38 – God Having Provided Something Better for Us
Verse 38. Of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all having obtained a good report through faith. They believed God in every situation that God gave them to believe. And we’re going to hear about them starting with Noah.
Received not the promise. God having provided something better, something better for us. We have the faith of Jesus Christ. We have the household faith. We have eternal life with no judgment in our future at all. This is all ours.
And it’s a great time to move forward from the past. It’s a great time to leave things behind forever and live in the moment. And God will provide whatever you need in terms of understanding and insight. He’s already done it in your life, but he’s going to do it even greater this weekend. That they without us should not be made perfect. All these men and women build towards the author and finisher of faith.
Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses and Rahab: Where Faith 2020 Is Going
We’re going to hear about Noah and his conviction. Abraham, how he just blazed a path of faith for so many to follow. We’ll hear about Sarah and how she judged God faithful in a physical challenging situation.
And Moses, how he measured. The whole world was at his feet and yet he pursued the greater riches of the coming of Christ. And we’ll see Rahab and how she identified herself with God and his people even though she was not of that lineage. She would not go with the culture of her day and get afraid. She decided she was going to believe God. That’s you.
That’s me. That’s why you’re here. Because you do believe God. And not only that, you now have the capacity of Jesus Christ himself to believe God. So ladies and gentlemen, this is where we’re going in the faith conference 2020. And we sure are glad you’re here. God bless you.
Key Takeaways
- Faith means to believe God, and God provides what man is to believe, and then enters into that partnership. Faith is not just simply to believe.
- In Mark 11:22 the word in is not in the Greek text. It could be better translated, have the faith of God. That word have means to continuously hold.
- Believing is a conviction, being fully persuaded of something, and then action typically follows.
- The greatest thing that God told man, so man could believe, was Jesus Christ. While Jesus was on earth, he was what man was to believe.
- Great faith or little faith are not dealing with amounts. They indicate obstacles. The phrase only appears in the Gospels, and it’s only used of Jesus Christ himself when he’s present.
- After the accomplished work of Christ, the person’s potential and ability to believe God became the same as Christ, because you have the faith of Jesus Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does have faith in God mean in Mark 11:22?
The word in is not in the Greek text. It could be better translated, have the faith of God. That word have means to continuously hold. Once God tells you something, you hold on to it. You hold it until it comes to pass. Have the faith of God, because faith comes from God when man believes God. God actually does something. He’s involved, and really what the beauty of it, it takes the pressure off of us.
What is the difference between great faith and little faith in the Gospels?
These phrases, great faith or little faith are not dealing with amounts. They indicate obstacles. When great faith was noted, that means the individual overcame quite a few obstacles to believe God. With little faith, that means the person did not really overcome those obstacles. It only appears in the Gospels, and it’s only used of Jesus Christ himself when he’s present, because it underscores, emphasizes, and highlights that faith is centered on Jesus Christ.
How did the accomplished work of Christ change the nature of faith?
Faith prior to the accomplished work of Christ involved individuals being given a certain task or series of tasks or special commissioning on God’s behalf. Before Christ, faith was limited to a person’s potential or ability to believe God. But after the accomplished work of Christ, the person’s potential and ability to believe God became the same as Christ. That means you can believe God as Christ did, because you have the faith of Jesus Christ.
Scripture References
Mark 11:22; Mark 11:23; Deuteronomy 32:20; Deuteronomy 32:5; Deuteronomy 32:15-18; Acts 3:22; Matthew 17:1; John 3:34; John 5:38; John 6:28; John 6:29; Matthew 8:5; Luke 7; Matthew 15:21; Matthew 15:24; Matthew 8:24; Matthew 14:28; Matthew 14:29; Matthew 16:5; Matthew 10:1; Matthew 6:30; Hebrews 10:37; Hebrews 10:38; Hebrews 11:38
