Topic: Daring Faith

(Matthew 9:28-29 MSG) When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” (29) He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.”

• The Bible clearly places a great importance on speaking God’s Word.

Forty-four verses in Proverbs talk about what you say with your mouth will determine your life experience.

Proverbs 18:20-21 NKJV A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. (21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:20-21 CEV Make your words good– you will be glad you did. (21) Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.

Let’s look at something Jesus said in a story in which we often place the wrong emphasis:

Matthew 8:5-10 NIV When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. (6) “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” (7) Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” (8) The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (9) For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (10) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Matthew 8:13 NIV Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

If there is ever a breakdown in the power of words in that empire it would fall apart.

Jesus says to us that great faith understands the power that words carry, the power that is backing those words and what has to happen when they are spoken. They must be carried out.

Some people believe that it is enough for you to have the Word of God in your heart.

• It is not enough to just believe what the Word says, you must speak it if you want the results of it.

Romans 10:9-10 NLT If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

• Anytime God wants to change something, He speaks to it.

Genesis 1:1-3 NKJV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (3) Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Hebrews 11:3 AMP By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 4:12a AMP For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]…

Speak the Word

We need to understand that there is speaking God’s Word unto faith and then there is speaking God’s Word by faith.

1. We speak God’s Word unto faith.

Hebrews 4:14 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Confession – (Greek: homologia) – to say the same thing

We are called to speak the same thing that our High Priest is saying over us.

What is your High Priest saying? You are strong, you are healed, you are well able, you are anointed, you are favored, you are free, you are redeemed, you are forgiven…

God created us to be able to hear our own words and build a capacity to believe them in our hearts. When you are speaking God’s Word, you are building your capacity to believe God’s Word.

Joshua 1:8 AMP This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

2. We speak God’s Word by faith.

Mark 11:12-14 NKJV Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. (13) And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. (14) In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Mark 11:20-23 NKJV Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

When you are speaking the Word by faith, change will not be readily visible, because it is happening at the root and not at the fruit.

• We are not called to be reporters; we are called to be forecasters.

Romans 4:17 AMP As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen. 17:5.]

1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV (13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Notice in his teaching on love, Paul states there are three spiritual forces that will last forever: faith, hope, and love.

• In saying it this way, Paul tells us that there is a difference in hope and faith.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 GW Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.

There are a lot of people who think they are operating in faith but they are not. However, they may be experiencing something good because they are operating in hope and hope is a very powerful thing.

Hope does have some limitations.

Faith and hope DO work together and ARE connected.

• Hope is a positive expectation of something happening in the future.

“I see good coming to me. Something good is going to happen to me this week…”

• Hope is like a blueprint.

It is not the building; it is the expectation of the building. Hope is the ability to imagine what is going to happen. This is where you start.

Romans 4:16-18 NKJV Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (17) (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; (18) who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”

• Hope is the blueprint. Faith is the construction crew.

Faith is the force that makes it happen.

Faith is like an invisible construction team; a team that works while you are at home asleep and does not want you watching them work but yet you show up each day and are amazed at how much has gotten done behind the scenes.

• Faith works in the invisible arena where God lives.

Romans 4:19 NKJV (19) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

• You will not be able to stay strong in faith if you continue to look at the natural negative circumstances.

If you look at the natural negatives, you will talk yourself out of the promises that God has made to you.

Abraham DID NOT CONSIDER his body.

Some think that God always works in measurable degrees. He may work either way: with a “suddenly” or over time. In other words you may pray, and things get worse instead of better. The news may not always conform to what God has said.

He does not deny it. He refuses to focus on it.

Romans 4:20-21 NKJV He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Who was it that fully persuaded Abraham? Did God do it? Who then persuaded Abraham? Abraham persuaded Abraham.

• You and I have the responsibility to persuade ourselves to believe what God has already said.
• Abraham grew in his faith and became persuaded by constantly giving God praise for the answer.

Mark 11:22-24 NKJV So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

• Faith reaches over into that other realm and grabs hold of the answer.

When we pray, we are tying our faith around the answer. The only thing that connects us to the things we pray is our faith.

Do I have it in my hands? No, but I have it by faith.

Hope says I will get it someday. Faith says that I have it now. Hope does not connect me to the answer but faith is my connection.

The Bible tells us that there is another force that works with faith called patience.

Hebrews 6:12 NKJV that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6:12 MSG Don’t drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.

• Patience is what pulls what we have believed for toward us. It is remaining constant during that time.

Hebrews 10:35 NKJV Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

The enemy is a master that will try and get you to let go ahead of what you have already laid hold by faith.

Have you ever realized that when someone would receive from Jesus or get healed or get their miracle that we really don’t have any record of Jesus running, shouting, or even dancing a little bit?

The reason for that is when you live the life of faith every day, you are grateful every day that God’s promise is true to you. Jesus rejoiced at His time of prayer in the middle of the night.

People on the Price is Right get so excited when they get picked and perhaps win something because they are hoping that they will get picked and it is a surprise to them that they do.

People of faith should never be surprised when God answers their prayer because we believe that it is already done. When you operate in faith every day becomes a day of rejoicing and excitement and not surprise.

When you get this way, you become a person that Satan cannot mess with and does not know what to do with you.

(Matthew 9:28-29 MSG) When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” (29) He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.”

The disciples are sent out to minister for Jesus:

Matthew 10:5-8 NKJV These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. (6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (7) And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (8) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

They return to Jesus and have been successful in their ministry:

Luke 10:17 NKJV Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

Then they were unsuccessful:

Mark 9:14-28 NKJV And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. (15) Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. (16) And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” (17) Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. (18) And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” (19) He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” (20) Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. (21) So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. (22) And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (23) Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (24) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (25) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” (26) Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” (27) But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. (28) And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

Matthew 17:20-21 NKJV So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (21) However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Notice that the disciples came to Jesus and they were surprised that they could not cast the devil out of the boy. Why were they surprised? Because they had been casting out devils successfully before. It was the first time that they met resistance and it did not work.

• Jesus did not say they did not have enough faith.
• The disciples could not cast out the demon because of their unbelief.

Again, there seems to be the misunderstanding that we simply need more faith when things aren’t working. When in reality we need to address the challenge of unbelief.

Jesus did not say in this story that the disciples needed more faith; He said that they needed to get rid of their unbelief.

It is not the size of the faith but rather the size of the unbelief that causes the faith not to work. Remember, He said that faith the size of a grain of mustard seed is enough to get the job done.

• God is the one that does the work, not your faith.
• Unbelief in your heart can tie the hands of God and keep Him from being able to work in your life like He desires.

Remember, if the faith you received from God at the new birth was powerful enough to cause you to be re-born, death unto life, and to move you out of Satan’s kingdom into the Kingdom of God’s Son, then it is powerful enough to move the mountains that may be in your life.

How did the unbelief enter their hearts?

Three Reports:

1. The report of their eyes.

Mark 9:20 NKJV Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

When the child came to them, the spirit probably responded to them by throwing the boy down in front of them just like it did with Jesus.

2. The report of their fears.

Mark 9:14 NKJV And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them…

They were trying to cast the demon out in front of a large group of people.

3. The report of their critics.

Mark 9:14 NKJV And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.

Their critics were standing right there disputing with them while they were trying to do this.

They felt the pressure and it allowed the unbelief to surpass the power and anointing that Jesus had put on them to do the work.

Jesus shows up on the scene and Jesus was not moved by the report of His own eyes looking at what was happening to the boy. He was not afraid of the people and He certainly did not care what the critics thought. He was only concerned about pleasing His Heavenly Father and doing the Word of God.

Mark 9:26 NKJV Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

Notice that the boy convulsed and even looked like he was dead, so much so that even the crowd said that he was dead.

Jesus did not respond and say, “Wow, he looks like he is dead.”

Jesus had schooled Himself in not being moved by the emotions of the people when ministering to someone.

Smith Wigglesworth had done the same thing. He said, “I am not moved by what I see; I am not moved by what I feel; I am only moved by what I believe. I believe the Word of God.”

Starve It!

How did this unbelief work?

­James 1:5-8 AMP If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. (6) Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. (7) For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, (8) [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].

When the disciples were countered with the contrary information, they allowed those doubts to enter in and became double-minded.

Think of the power of God working through us like a water hose. When the water has a clear unhindered path to flow through, then it is able to accomplish what it needs to. But if the hose gets blocked, or kinked, the water cannot flow freely though it and thus nothing gets the water.

The same is true with us. Unbelief is the clog or kink in the pipe of God’s power that He desires to have flow through us.

You are causing that hose to become unclogged and closed off and it will allow the power of God to flow through you unhindered.

• What I starve dies; what I feed thrives.

Just like faith is fed, unbelief is fed.

The way unbelief comes and grows is by listening to the reports of what you can see with your own eyes, the reports of circumstances, and the reports of people.

• If you want to get rid of unbelief, you must starve it to death.

You do not overcome unbelief with more faith, you must drive out and destroy the unbelief.

In other words, you will have to cut some things off that are feeding that unbelief in your life, but that is not enough.

You must replace the unbelief with the food of God’s Word and spending time with the Lord.

(Matthew 9:27-30 NKJV) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” (28) And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” (29) Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” (30) And their eyes were opened…

(Matthew 9:28-29 MSG) When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” (29) He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.”

Most people, even non-believers do not doubt in the power or the ability of God.

God CAN do it!

Jeremiah 10:12 NKJV He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.

Numbers 11:23 GW The LORD asked Moses, “Is there a limit to the LORD’S power? Now you will see whether or not my words come true.”

• Scholars have stated that there were approximately 3,000,000 Hebrew people.
• To feed them manna every day required 4,500 tons of manna every morning. To feed them manna over 40 years required 65,700,000 tons of manna.
• If every person ate one quail per day it would take 3,000,000 quail per day or 90,000,000 quail per month.
• To provide water for all of the people would have required 15,000,000 gallons of water every day, which He caused to come out of a rock that followed them everywhere.
• This is the same God that caused the sun and the moon to stand still for Joshua in Joshua 10.
• This is the same God that caused the clothes and sandals of the Children of Israel to not wear out in forty years – Deuteronomy 29:5.
• This is the same God that caused a stone in David’s sling to stun a giant and enable David to kill the giant by taking off his head – 1 Samuel 17:51.
• This is the same God that kept Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace in Daniel 3.
• This is the same God that stopped the mouths of lions in Daniel 6.
• This is the same God that opened blind eyes, caused the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, the dead brought back to life, every type of sickness and disease to be healed, caused missing body parts to be restored, cast out demons, fed the multitudes, calmed storms and seas, all in the ministry of Jesus.
• Most importantly, this is the same God that raised Jesus Who had paid the price for all humanity on a cross, Who was dead and buried, and experiencing the torments of hell from the dead and seated Him at His right hand forever more.

Ephesians 3:20 NKJV Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

I would have to say that the greatest hindrance to people receiving from God what they are praying for is not due to a lack of belief in His power or ability. It is really due to not being sure what is the will of God in their situation.

God WILL Do it!

Smith Wigglesworth said, “Faith begins where the will of God is known.”

Romans 4:19-21 NIV Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. (20) Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21) being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

How do I become like Abraham where I am fully persuaded?

1. Believe that God’s Word is true.

John 17:17 NKJV Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Psalms 33:4 NIV For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Titus 1:1-2 NKJV Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, (2) in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

2. Believe that everything Jesus purchased on the Cross is already yours.

Romans 10:9 NKJV that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Saved: (Greek sozo) To save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss, destruction.

3. Spend time thinking about what God says about your situation.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

You are going to have give the Word some chair time.

Build a vision of your life being lived out with the experience of what God’s Word says.

4. Fill your mouth with the Word of God about your situation.

Joshua 1:8 BBE Let this book of the law be ever on your lips and in your thoughts day and night…

5. The struggle of our faith is not necessarily in does He want to do it, but more specifically does He want to do it for me.

Mark 1:40-42 NLT A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean,” he said. (41) Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said. “Be healed!” (42) Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

Ephesians 2:8 CEV You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own.

(Matthew 17:20 NKJV) So Jesus said to them, …for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

(Luke 1:37 NKJV) “…For with God nothing will be impossible.”

(Luke 18:27 NKJV) But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

(Matthew 9:27-30 NKJV) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” (28) And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” (29) Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” (30) And their eyes were opened…

(Matthew 9:28-29 MSG) When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” (29) He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.”

Faith is actually very, very simple. We tend to complicate it.

What faith is not:

1. Faith IS NOT simply wishing for good things in our lives.

Some people have a “lottery” mindset where faith in God is concerned. It says, “If I’m lucky, God might move and do something for me.”

2. Faith IS NOT simply hoping that good things will happen or that bad things will not happen in our lives.

3. Faith IS NOT the absence of difficulties.

(John 16:33 AMP) I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

Characteristics of Faith:

1. All of us start with the same potential for great faith.

(Romans 12:3 KJV) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

2. Faith in God must be personal.

(Philippians 4:19 NLT) And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

All of us must have faith in Who our Heavenly Father is. You cannot have faith in your momma’s God or grandma’s God; He must become YOUR God.

3. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word.

(Romans 10:17 NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The capacity for faith comes as we hear and understand God’s Word.

This is hearing in a continuous sense. Not just “having heard…”

4. Faith grows as it is fed and exercised.

Faith only gets used in times of adversity.

(James 1:2-3 MSG) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. (3) You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

5. Faith is simply believing that what God says in His Word is true.

(Hebrews 11:1 NIV) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

(Hebrews 11:1 TLB) What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

Hope = Expectation

Faith in God is the assurance of the things we expect from God’s Word.

There is no hope or expectation in God without His Word. You must always make God’s Word the basis for our faith.

Bible faith is believing that what God has promised in His Word is mine even when I cannot yet see it with my natural eyes.

(Mark 11:24 NIV) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.