Expectant Faith Pt 2
Expectant faith
Who operates by faith?
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All who have made Jesus their lord.
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It comes from God, by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12: 3
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
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A continual partnership in service between us and the three persons of God.
Romans 8: 26,
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Romans 8: 17
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
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We discipline ourselves to become disciples.
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God is the same yesterday today and forever.
Hebrews 13: 8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
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God/ Holy Spirit sees and knows all things. He is omniscient.
1 John 3: 20
20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
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The Holy Spirit dwells within us.
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God cannot lie.
Hebrews 6: 18
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
What is faith?
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To be faithful is to be loyal to God, as he is to us. Self sacrifice.
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Faith is a fruit of the spirit.
Galatians 5: 22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
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Faith is a choice.
Colossians 2: 6- 7
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
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Faith is the only thing that pleases God.
Hebrews 11: 1-6
11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
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Faith is the substance of things hoped for (imagined in our hearts) and the evidence of things not seen (Expected manifestation).
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Anything not of faith is sin. It is righteous action.
Romans 14: 23
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
When is faith to be used?
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When we see (realize), what he has done, we know what he is doing.
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Faith is emboldened with his every promise/ covenant that we realize!
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When we learn/ know his nature through discipleship.
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When we see, move, and seize opportunities to do good and undo the works of Satan in the name of Jesus and with his authority.
1 John 3: 8-9
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s[a] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Where is faith to be used?
2 Corinthians 5: 17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
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we are in Christ, all things have become new all of the time!
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We are to live and breathe in and by faith. It’s like a fish swimming in water.
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Faith in action happens in places from our stillness in prayer alone with God, all the way out into the world, in the face of evil.
Matthew 28: 19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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It is to act where the weak are.
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Where the suffering lament.
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Where the oppressed languish in bondage.
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Where tyranny rules.
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Where sin dominates.
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Where hopelessness looms.
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New line where fear is in control.
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Where doubt influences.
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Where love is unknown.
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Where tribulations are reality.
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We must remember that Jesus and the early church existed in a world completely hostile to Christians. Everywhere they went people worshipped other gods.
How is faith to be used?
John 1: 1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
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The spiritual realm is the parent source of all things physical and much more powerful. Everything in the physical is driven by the spiritual, good and bad.
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We discipline ourselves to choose life
Deuteronomy 30: 19-20
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
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Study in his word daily. Meditate on it day and night.
Joshua 1: 8
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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.
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Be sensitive to the spiritual things happening around us at all times. Be Kingdom minded.
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Proclaim the power, promises of God and testify to all that you have seen.
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Speak truth to lies. The power of life and death are in the tongue.
Proverbs 18: 21
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
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It is a matter of the heart. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Luke 6: 45
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
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We must choose either faith or fear. They are the substances of our existence and the message of good and evil.
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The heart is a vessel. If it isn’t filled with the word, it will be filled with the world. Faith comes by hearing the word of God.
Romans 10: 17
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
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Our minds are the filter that all things are poured through, that go to our hearts.
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Our hearts do not have a leak. They are constantly being filled by something. If we find ourselves not filling it with the word, what little word remains will become deluded and pushed out by what the world pours in, until the word has been made void
John 6: 35
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
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Traditions and doctrines have made the word of no effect.
Mark 7: 13
13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
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Satan comes to steal the word of God from your heart.
Luke 8: 11-12
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
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Faith focuses on what is good, lovely, and the movements and actions of God.
Philippians 4: 8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
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Fear focuses on the evil around us. Perfect love (God and his word), cast out all fear.
1 John 4: 18
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
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We must consider, remember, recall what God has done.
Hebrews 11:17-19
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
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We must count our blessings daily.
Psalm 66
How Awesome Are Your Deeds
To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.
66 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b]
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
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We must rely on the faithfulness of God.
Malachi 3: 6
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
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God cannot lie!
Numbers 23: 19
19 God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
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God is omniscient. He sees all past, present, and future simultaneously. He is all knowing.
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His spirit knows all things and dwells in us.
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When we see (realize) what he has done, we know what he is doing!
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When he promises, he is telling us what he is doing.
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Jesus tells us that we are to undo the works of the devil just as God reverses evil. He does this through our obedient faith.
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We are to speak truth to the mountains in our lives. Proclaim the power of your God! Proclaim his promises and what he is doing!
Matthew 17: 15-20
15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,[a] and it[b] came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.[c] 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
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We are to be the physical manifestation of God’s will in this world. Testify!
Why is it God’s desire that we live by faith?
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He reverses all evil for his glory. The greater the evil, the greater his glory when he moves.
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Our faith is the exact representation of our love for him.
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We are here to be used by him, to serve him, to undo evil, to witness and to testify!
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Faith works by love. 1st loving God and 2nd loving the world.
Galatians 5: 6
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Mark 12: 30-31
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
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Love motivates us, empowers us with the righteousness of our Messiah Jesus, and directs us by his spirit.
Galatians 2: 20
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
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We do not act in faith to achieve a result, but out of our loyalty, obedience, and submission. The results are up to God.
John 6: 44
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
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Faith in and by love, ultimately creates the opportunity for the world to choose repentance, salvation, and the expansion of the Kingdom.
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God works through his people!
Philippians 2: 13
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
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