The Power of Our Faith in God

Samuel Rozolem

Moldando o Seu Destino • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented a month ago

Mark 11:20–26

0 ratings

· 5 views

Notes

Transcript

Welcome

Announcements

Intro.

Mark 11:20-26

Genuine, biblical faith is a miracle! You who Faith in God is something we do not naturally possess. Eph. 2:8 tells us that faith is “the gift of God.”

God enables us to believe in Him for salvation, so He gives each believer some “measure of faith,” Rom. 12:3. In other words, God enables His children to believe in Him, to serve Him, to glorify Him through the power of faith in Him that He gives us!

This manifestation of the faith of God’s people allowed the people in general to see demonstrations of God’s power that boggle the mind. The faith of God’s people allowed them to receive answers through prayer for things that seemed impossible. Consider the following:

• Joshua 10:12–14—Joshua commanded the sun to stand still so that Israel could defeat the Amorites.

• Isaiah 38:1–6 — King Hezekiah was told that he would die. He prayed to the Lord, and God added 15 years to his life.

• Genesis 22:1–14 — Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac, who was the son of promise. He obeyed in faith, and God spared Isaac, providing a ram in his place.

• Joshua 14:6–16 — Caleb, aged 85, believed God for power to defeat a mountain infested with giants. God gave him the mountain.

• 1 Samuel 17:1–54 — A teenager named David believed God for power to defeat a giant named Goliath. God gave him victory.

• Daniel 3:1–30 — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed God for protection from the power of a pagan king and a fiery furnace. God met them in the furnace and protected them there.

Many, many more examples could be given, Ill. Heb. 11:32–35, but these are enough to teach about the power of faith in God.

Today’s passage exposes the power of faith in God.

On Monday morning of Holy Week, as Jesus and His disciples were walking toward Jerusalem, Jesus cursed a fig tree, 11:12–14. When they passed by the next day, the fig tree was withered. Jesus uses this experience to teach His disciples a lesson about The Power of Biblical Faith.

I want to make a statement:

When we exercise faith in a biblical way, we can expect amazing results.

The key to this statement is the phrase “faith in a biblical way.”

Many people think of faith as a blank check.

They believe that all they have to do is be religious in their speech and they can ask for anything they want and that God is obligated to do whatever they ask Him to do. That is not exactly what the Bible teaches. This passage has much to teach us about The Power of Biblical Faith. That is what I want to preach about today. I want to show you, from these verses, non-negotiable truths about Biblical Faith. Let us examine these truths together.

I. v. 22 THE OBJECT OF BIBLICAL FAITH

Mark 11:22

22 Jesus answered, “Have faith in God.

(Ill. When the disciples are surprised by the withered fig tree, Jesus simply says, “Have faith in God.”

The emphasis of this command is that God’s people are to have deep, consistent, and ongoing trust in Who God is; in what God has said; and in what God will do.

He speaks of a constant prayerful fellowship with God, dependence on God, and obedience to God.

When Jesus says, “Have faith in God,” He is encouraging faith in several aspects of God’s character.)

believe…

A. In the Person of God—

If you are saved, God is your Father.

As your Father, He cares about every need in your life, 1 Pet. 5:7.

As your Father, He invites you to bring your needs, burdens, and concerns to Him, Phil. 4:6–7; Heb. 4:16.

As your Father, He desires to open the resources of His kingdom and give them to you, Luke 12:32.

(Illustration: Dr. Robert Rhom’s granddaughter…)

We are not dealing with a distant, disconnected deity with no compassion or care for His people.

Our God loves His children, and He wants them to come to Him in simple, childlike faith. Just as a child trusts his or her parents for every need.

A son or daughter of God can trust in their Heavenly Father.

You can trust in…

B. In God’s Promises—

When it comes to the matter of faith and approaching God in prayer, God’s people have some very precious promises.

God invites us to pray to Him—Phil. 4:6; Matt. 11:28; 1 Pet. 5:7.

God promises to hear us when we pray—Jer. 33:3; Psa. 10:17; 65:2.

God promises to answer our prayers—Matt. 7:7–11; Isaiah 58:9. When it comes to God’s promises, we have the Lord’s assurance that He will fulfill every single one of them, Rom. 4:21; Heb. 6:18; Num. 23:19.

God will not back down from a single promise He has given to His people!

By the way, (another statement)

You cannot hold God accountable for something for which there is no biblical promise!

Prayer and “faith in faith” are not a blank check!

Prayer and faith are an opportunity for God’s people to demonstrate their trust in God’s written Word.

When God says something in God’s Word, we can have absolute faith that He will do what we ask. (Jer.1:12)

When we pray outside of God’s Word, we cannot pray with absolute faith because we do not know what God’s will is in that matter.

Faith is always based on a clear word from the Lord, Rom 10:17.

So while it is right to pray about every matter in your life, it is wrong to expect God to do everything you want Him to do.

God honors faith, but genuine, biblical faith is always based on God’s Word! Always!

believe…

C. In the Power of God —

It is one thing to make a promise; it is another thing to have the power to fulfill that promise.

God’s children can have absolute confidence in God’s power to do whatever He has promised to do.

He has the power to do anything we ask Him to do.

He has the ability to do anything He pleases.

We serve an amazing God who has all power in heaven and on earth, Matt. 28:18; Eph. 3:20; Jer. 32:17; Job 42:2; Luke 1:37; Isa. 40:12.

All I am trying to say is that our heavenly Father can do anything!

believe… trust with all your heart…

D. In the Purposes of God —

When it comes to faith in God, we must always remember that He has an eternal plan—good, perfect, and pleasing—that He is working to bring about.

He has a purpose, and EVERYTHING in the universe, even our prayers, are subject to His will.

He will do nothing that is outside the bounds of His eternal purpose.

He will do nothing that is not part of His plan.

He will not do everything we ask, just because we ask.

He will do the ALL Things HE wants to do, and He will Accomplish all the things He has desired to do.

(Here are some verses to support what we have just said…)

Isaiah 46:10 NIV

10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

Ephesians 1:9–11 NIV

9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

next..

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

the Lord’s purpose prevails!//

Our greatest goal in this life is to

know God,

discover His will, and join Him in carrying out that purpose.

Many people believe that they can ask for whatever they want, and that God has to do what they want Him to do.

WRONG!!! XXX

Prayer is never about getting what we want from Heaven.

Prayer is always about aligning our will with God’s will so that His will may be done on earth.

#1 The Object of Biblical Faith is God

II. v. 23–24 THE OPPORTUNITIES OF BIBLICAL FAITH

Mark 11:23–24 NIV

Biblical faith helps you…

A. Believing the Impossible —

From where Jesus and his disciples were standing, they would have been able to see the Mount of Olives and the Dead Sea.

Jesus was giving them a very graphic illustration. He was also using a familiar Jewish proverb to teach them a deeply spiritual truth.

The Jews commonly spoke of moving a mountain to refer to something that was absolutely impossible, or something that would be a long task.

There are so many situations in life that seem hopeless.

There are people who seem so far from the ways of the Lord that it seems they will never be saved.

There are needs so great that it seems they will never be met.

There are problems so great that it seems they will never be overcome.

Faith in God and in the promises found in His Word allows us to trust God in the impossible situations of life.

I can trust God for the salvation of that lost soul because of what He has said in His Word,

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:4 NIV

4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Matt. 6:25–34; Phil. 4:1–3. Phil. 4:19.

I can have faith that I am saved—Rom. 10:13; 10:9.

I can have faith that I am secure in Jesus. John 6:37; 10:28.

I can have faith in a place called Heaven, John 14:1–3.

I can have faith that He will never leave me alone, Heb. 13:5.

The list could go on and on…

Faith in God and in His promises enables us to believe Him for those things that seem impossible to us!

Biblical faith not only helps you believe…

B. It Enables Us to Receive the Impossible—

Jesus said that if we would believe in Him, we could have what we ask for.

Faith has the remarkable ability to enable us to hold in our hands things that have not yet been seen, Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The word “substance” … the certainty that we will have the things God has promised us.

The word “evidence” means “conviction.”

Biblical faith is the absolute confidence, given by God, of a future reality.

It is the conviction that what we believe by faith is already ours, even though we cannot yet see it.

This kind of faith is not based on what the eyes can see, but on what God has promised!

The faith mentioned here gives us assurance of God’s promises for our future.

What Do We Hope for With Certainty?

The Return of Christ — Titus 2:13 “13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The Resurrection of the Dead — 1 Peter 1:3 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His abundant mercy, He has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Our Future Glorification — 1 John 3:2–3 “2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we will be. But we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

That We Will Reign With Jesus — 2 Timothy 2:12 “12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him…Revelation 22:5 “5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light; and they will reign forever and ever.” Faith in God and His Word makes these future promises present realities.

Heaven is real to me today.

The resurrection is real to me today.

My future glorification and eternal change are real to me today.

These things are real, not because I have seen or experienced any of them, but because God has promised them to me and He has given me the faith to believe them!

All of the things I have mentioned, and many more, seem impossible to our minds.

Yet they are real because God has given them to us by faith!

Thank God for the power of genuine, biblical faith!

Some people here are holding the unseen things of tomorrow in their hands today through the awesome power of faith.

God has confirmed His promises in your heart and you are just waiting for Him to fulfill them all in His timing!

Some don’t believe, but God guarantees them through faith.

Trust Him, friend! Hold on to His promise and in His timing, He will bring it to pass!

III. v. 23–26 THE OBSTACLES OF BIBLICAL FAITH

Mark 11:23–26 NIV

23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

(Ill. While Jesus points out the great Object of faith and reminds us of the Opportunities of faith, He also mentions some Hindrances to faith.

Although faith in God is powerful and enables us to experience the incredible and receive the impossible, such faith can be hindered.

There are other hindrances to prayer in the Bible which are not mentioned, but I want to focus on the three which are mentioned here.)

A. v. 23 Unbelief —

“not doubting in your heart..” —

Doubt is deadly to effective prayer.

The word “doubt” means “to be divided in your thinking; to waver; to be swayed.” back away.”

When we pray with a heart of doubt, we are backing away from God’s Word.

We are saying, “I know what God said, but I don’t believe it in this matter.”

Doubt questions God’s character and ability.

Doubt says, “God may have promised it, but I don’t believe He can or will do it.”

The skeptic’s prayer will not be answered, James 1:6–7.

B. v. 23–24 Selfishness —

“Whatever you ask” …

It sounds like a blank check. It sounds like you can ask for anything and receive it.

I just want to remind you that this verse says nothing of the sort! There is not a single verse in the Bible that contradicts any other verse.

The Bible is very clear that answers to prayer come when we pray according to God’s will. 1 John 5:14–15 “14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God. God: If we ask anything according to God’s will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Prayer should always be based on what he wants, not what we want.

Ill. John 14:13–14 “13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do.”

When we pray “in the name of Jesus,” we are not using a magic formula that guarantees that God has to do what we ask Him to do.

We should not just end our prayers by saying “in the name of Jesus” and then believe that God has to do what we tell Him to do.

Using the name of Jesus is praying for the things that Jesus Himself would pray for. It is praying for His purposes and will to be accomplished, not for our own selfish reasons.

It is petitioning God based on Christ’s righteousness, not our own.

It is praying for His glory alone.

(Ill. Matthew 6:9–10) “9 Pray then: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.’”

It’s Like a “Power of Attorney” When you are given a “power of attorney” over someone’s business, you are given the right to make decisions on that person’s behalf.

This does not mean that you can do whatever you want with the things that you do. their resources.

It means that you act in their best interests, always remembering that their name and reputation are at stake.

When we pray selfish prayers based solely on what we want in a situation rather than on His will, we can expect those prayers to go unanswered.

James 4:3 “3 They ask and do not receive, because they ask amiss, that they may spend it on their pleasures.”

Joshua, Caleb, and all the others who received great answers to their prayers of faith did so because they were asking for things that God had already promised them in His Word.

Does God ever answer the prayers of His children when they ask for things that He has not explicitly promised? Yes! But we have no right to demand anything from Him; we must always condition our prayers according to His will!

C. v. 25–26 Unforgiveness—

Jesus commands His disciples to forgive those who have wronged them.

On the surface, there seems to be no connection between faith and unforgiveness.

I think the connection is found in the matter of prayer.

Just as faith connects us to God and allows our prayers to be answered, unforgiveness stands as a barrier between us and the Lord.

An unforgiving spirit puts us out of harmony with the Lord.

He has forgiven us of all our sins and expects us to forgive others for their sins against us, Ephesians 4:32 “32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

When we possess an unforgiving spirit, our prayers will be hindered and God’s forgiveness will not be realized in our daily walk. In other words,

Conclusion

Biblical faith is a powerful weapon.

Mountains bow to its power.

Sin, Satan, and sorrow must all bow before its authority.

Faith is among God’s greatest gifts to His children.

In light of what we have heard today, how is your faith?

Are you walking in faith, trusting God for the unseen?

Are you waiting for Him to move some big mountains in your life?

Are you seeking His will for every situation you face?

If this describes you, keep praying, keep trusting; in His timing, He will make it happen in your life!

Does your faith need help? The Lord is here to help strengthen your faith if you ask Him. Have you been struggling with the Lord’s will?

Resisting the goad will only bring you pain!’ (Acts 26:14)

You need to come to the altar and say, “Here I am, Lord, make me a vessel for your praise in this situation…

Trust the Lord to do what is right, because that is exactly what He will do!

Do you have a mountain that needs to be moved?

Come and talk to Him about it! Do you need to be saved?

Come to Jesus and ask Him, He will not reject you!

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.