Grow in Faith

MP3 File: 

20101003 Sermon.mp3

Designed to Grow...Grow in Faith

A healthy church is a growing church. Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a seed that grows "all by itself" (Mark 4:26-28).

It is the nature of the kingdom to grow! In its natural state, the kingdom of God is to grow bigger and stronger—not smaller and weaker. The kingdom isn't retreating or shrinking.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Heb 10:39)

And the natural state for believers in Christ—those in this growing kingdom—is to be growing themselves. Believers should not stop growing. We shouldn't plateau or decline. We should be like the seeds of the kingdom—growing. If you're not growing, then something is wrong.

If you are a follower of Christ, you will grow in several ways. Already in this series we've talked about how we are to grow spiritually healthy and spiritually strong. Last week Fred raised the bar and showed us how to grow in impact—in our spiritual influence so we can make a positive difference in this world.

There is, however, yet another critical area where believers must grow—and that is in the area of faith!

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" ⁶ He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. (Luke 17:5-6)

If the apostles said that, it'd be good if we prayed the same thing—that our faith would increase!

Remember the time when a man brought his son, troubled by an evil spirit, to Jesus? Jesus' disciples couldn't do anything for him, so when Jesus arrived, the man explained his problem and said:

"²² ...if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." ²³ "‘If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." ²⁴ Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:22-24)

"...help my unbelief." (NASB)

"...Help me to believe more!" (NCV)

"...help me not to doubt!" (NLT)

"I do have faith; oh, help me to have more!" (LB)

How is your faith doing? Is it growing stronger? Larger? Is your faith helping you to see better? To see more clearly? To see God at work in new ways?

The boy's father had faith—but he needed more faith. He believed, but he still struggled with doubt. He knew God could do something, but he couldn't quite see how. He could see his problem better than he could see God's solution. In fact, he was focused more on the problem than on God's answer.

The more he focused on his problem, the less he could see God's power. Worrying about his problem undermined his faith. And his limited faith prevented him from seeing what God could do.

Most of us can identify with that man! We believe—we really do! We have faith in God. We know Jesus can set us free. But there's a battle going on inside our heads and our hearts! We have faith, but we also struggle with doubt. We believe, but we need help to overcome our unbelief.

We see God at work, but we also see our problem. And sometimes it's our problem that seems to grow instead of our faith! The more we look at that problem, the more we worry, the more we fret, the more we dwell on the problem, the less we see God's power to take care of the problem.

God wants us to grow in faith! God wants a church filled with people who really believe! People who have the power to move mountains because of their faith.

Jesus said, "...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt 17:20)

If you focus on the problem and obsess about what's wrong, pretty soon the problem becomes bigger than life. Pretty soon the problem becomes as large as a mountain. But Jesus said we can move mountains!

Faith like a mustard seed is faith that grows! God wants our faith to grow so we can move mountains! Not only does God want our faith to grow; he helps our faith to grow!

The Bible says God gives each of us a certain amount of faith—a "measure of faith" is how it's expressed in Romans 12:3.

Jesus is the One who begins our journey of faith—he sparks or initiates our faith! But if we allow him, he's also the One who finishes or completes our faith.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... (Heb 12:2, NIV)

...Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect... (NCV)

We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. (GW)

...Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish... (NLT)

But here's the thing about faith: it's not easy to get a handle on! Does faith mean to take action? Or does faith mean to have the confidence to wait on God?

Does faith mean that we take a risk and leap out of the boat? Or does faith mean that we hang in there and persevere under trial? What does faith look like?

God brought his people across water two times—over the Red Sea and over the Jordan River. One time Moses said:

¹³ ...Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are [stand still] and watch the LORD rescue you... ¹⁴ The LORD himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense! (Ex 14:13-14, NLT)

But another time Joshua said:

...When their feet [the priests' feet] touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will pile up there in one heap. (Josh 3:13, NLT)

Does faith mean action or waiting? One time God says, "Stand still"; the other time he says, "Step out!" Which is it? Faith can be quite confusing! Should we "hold on" or should we "let go"? Should we "rest" in God or "move" in faith?

We saw the dilemma in the skit. Mark, the husband, was determined not to worry. "Have faith," he told his wife. "God has a plan." But she thought his idea of faith seemed a lot like denial—just sticking your head in the sand and hoping your dream comes true. She wanted to see more action on his part.

So what does faith look like? Is it quietly trusting and waiting—hoping your dreams will come true? Hoping God will take action and do something for you?

Or does faith mean bold action on your part? Is faith waiting on the shore until the waters part? Or is faith stepping courageously out into the water, taking a risk to see God come through?

Is faith a bit like denial—refusing to acknowledge painful realities? Like sticking your head in the sand? If it's not, how do you take action without seeming to take matters into your own hands?

The Bible tells about people who got ahead of God—people who believed but didn't wait for his timing:

• Sarai told Abram to act on God's promise by having a child with her servant, Hagar—and she ended up sending Ishmael away because he was competing with Isaac.
• Moses tried to take matters into his own hand to save his people from Egyptian slavery—and he ended up killing a man and running away into exile to save his own life.
• Saul couldn't wait for Samuel to show up to bless the troops, so he overstepped his bounds and offered the sacrifice himself—and he ended up losing the kingdom.
• Others: [David moving the ark; Moses striking the rock; the people demanding a king; Balaam dealing with the enemy...]

But the Bible also tells about people who waited and held back when it was time to move:

• Lot's wife wasn't ready to leave her home in Sodom—and when she looked back at what she was giving up, she was turned into a pillar of salt...
• The people were afraid to enter the Promised Land because they felt like grasshoppers—and they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
• Jonah was reluctant to obey God's instructions to preach to Nineveh, so he ran the other way—and he spent three days in the belly of a great fish, rethinking his decision to run.
• [Others: Saul fought the Amalekites, but didn't kill Agag; Ananias and Sapphira gave, but held some back...]

Is faith action or waiting? We have a problem defining faith, because it's fluid. It seems to change consistency depending on what is happening or how God is working. Sometimes it means action; sometimes it means trusting and waiting.

Faith is like water. It comes in various forms depending on the circumstances. Sometimes faith seems quite tangible, quite straight-forward, something you can pick up and handle. It's like ice—solid, hard reality. You know you need to do something. Take action. It's straight-forward obedience.

Other times faith is more fluid and less solid. It flows in and around life's complex problems. It's like liquid water, flowing into a situation, filling it up. At such times faith can change shape depending on the shape of the problem or the type of challenge.

Still other times faith is more mysterious, almost intangible. It can't be explained or defined. At these times, faith is more like a cloud of mist or a vapor. Imagine water in a pot, boiling into steam. At such times, even though you can't see it, faith can build up explosive pressure and release enormous power.

All of these—solid, liquid, gas—are different forms of water. And just as water comes in different forms with different characteristics, so is faith.

Four different dimensions of faith.

1.   Saving faith. This is the faith God births in our hearts, enabling us to see his grace, bringing us to a place where we recognize our desperate need and we surrender to his love.

For by grace are you saved through faith... (Eph 2:8); For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last... (Romans 1:17); ...righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... (Romans 3:22); ...a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (Romans 3:28); ...we have been justified through faith... (Romans 5:1)

We need more saving faith so we will trust more in God and less in ourselves.

Whenever we slip into the mindset that we can somehow earn God's favor or that by being good we can improve our chances on getting to heaven, then we need to grow in saving faith—so we'll have a complete trust in God's ability to save us by faith plus nothing.

2.   Action faith. This type of faith brings about action and obedience—good works. This is when our faith to wait is suddenly sparked into something more—when faith prompts us to go, to do, to act.

...faith without works is dead... (James 2:26, NKJV); what good is it...if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? (James 2:14); ...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:17); ...to call people...to the obedience that comes from faith (Romans 1:5); ...so that all nations might believe and obey him (Romans 16:26); we continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith... (1 Thess 1:3).

We need to grow in action faith so we will step out in obedience and do what he tells us to do. We need faith to take action, to do good works, to go and to move in God's will.

3.   Persevering faith. This is the kind of faith that trusts God no matter what happens. This faith enables us to persevere through trials and unanswered questions, waiting for God's answer to come.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb 12:3); ...we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring (2 Thess 1:4); ...who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation... though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials... so that your faith...may be proved genuine (1 Peter 1:5-7); ...we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day... So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen (2 Cor 4:16-18); Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him... (Job 13:15, NKJV); You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV).

We need to grow in persevering faith so we can trust God in every situation and remain unfaltering in our commitment to him through trial or sorrow.

4.   Miracle-working faith. This is the faith that sees God intervene in exceptional, miraculous ways in our lives and in the affairs of this world. This faith invites the supernatural power of God into the natural world of mankind.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field...will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Mt 6:30); ..."You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" (Mt 8:26); "You of little faith, ...why did you doubt?" (Mt 14:31); ...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Mt 17:20).

...he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith (Mt 13:58); ...he was amazed at their lack of faith (Mk 6:6); ...he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe...( Mk 16:14)

We need to grow in miracle-working faith that can release God to do miracles, signs, and wonders.

Our small thinking—our lack of faith—can restrict what God wants to do! We limit his resources and his power to the size of our faith...

Just like the garden hose on my house limits the amount of water flowing from the water tower in town! I notice when the city workers open the taps on the fire hydrants, they get a lot more flow than I do! They have bigger pipes and bigger hoses! The water comes gushing out when they open up their lines!

WE NEED TO GROW IN ALL THESE DIMENSIONS OF FAITH! Saving, action, persevering, miracle-working faith.

Do you need a miracle today? Do you need to experience God's presence and power? Let your faith grow!

[Paul wrote to the Corinthians] ...Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand. (2 Cor 10:15)

This is what God wants to do in you! He wants your faith to grow! And he wants to expand his activity among you.

Will you let God do expand his activity in you? Will you let God do something in you today?