Walking by Faith

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." 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. 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." When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. (Matthew 8:5-13, NIV)

REVIEW:

We have seen that Scripture tells us that God expects that we live by faith. We're told that "the just shall live by faith." We saw how Romans 14:23 tells us that "whatever is not of faith is sin," and that Hebrews 11:6 informs us that "without faith it is impossible to please Him." We also saw that faith is the substance of the things we anxiously anticipate with expectation and the proof of the things we cannot perceive with the senses (cf. Heb.11:1). Scripture also tells us "we walk by faith not by sight (perceptions)."

Walking by faith and living by faith are synonymous. "Walk" means to ambulate, to get around, to move. We are to move by faith, or in other words, perform (do) everything by faith. Faith is an act of obedience to God's Word, acting in accordance with what God has revealed of His will. Walking (living) by faith means to obey God's Word without any shade of doubt. It means to act in accordance with God's revealed will, despite what "physical realities" seem to reveal as perceived by our senses. It means to trust completely in God's Word despite the perceived absence of any physical evidence. Faith is the evidence. Faith turns hope into assurance, conviction, and reality. Faith takes belief and enables us to say, like Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12).

! A Word of Caution !

Many confuse faith teaching with New Age theology, and unfortunately, many sincere Christians pervert true faith into New Age beliefs.

What IS New Age theology?

First of all, New Age is not truly new; it's been around for thousands of years.
New Age theology is broad, with various teachings and ideals, but there are some basic characteristics of beliefs:
- We are gods
- God is "Eternal Mind"
- We get in touch with our godhood by getting our minds in touch with the mind of God
- Sin does not exist, but man's "problem" is his failure to realize his godhood
- By faith or positive affirmations, based on positive thinking, we can bring positive things into existence
- We are, therefore, masters of our own fate and destiny

How the faith message is confused:

There are closely related Christian principles that are perverted and/or misunderstood
But there are also principles totally antithetical to New Age teaching, but are generally somewhat of a departure from traditional church teaching:
- We are spirit beings, created in God's image to have God's nature
- God is Omniscient (all-knowing)
- Spiritual living is by getting our spirits into obedience and conformity to God's Spirit
- Sin is missing the mark of what God intends for us to be and how He intends for us to live. It's failing to live up to our intended nature
- By genuine faith, which is total agreement and obedience to God's Word, we obtain all that God promises to those who believe
- God is in control, but we shape our destinies by our beliefs. God will not force His will on us; we must bring our will into line with His will so that He can work out His will in us

So What Is Wrong With Traditional Church Teaching?

The traditional teaching of the church has been that we cannot know all the will of God and cannot claim anything by faith because:

Many promises are no longer true for today
We must pray according to God's will, that His will be done, since we cannot know what God's will is.

Traditional church teaching has, by erroneous teaching, caused people to miss out on much of what God has promised to provide for His people!

The Bible does not teach that certain promises were "temporary"
The Bible does not teach that we cannot know God's will; in fact, the Bible is the revelation of God's will to man!

The Bible does not teach an "iffy" faith!

satan has fooled God's people for too long, causing them to question God's Word and His will. It was the very same technique he used to deceive Adam and Eve, and he's still using it today. Unfortunately, often satan uses the voice of church tradition!

satan brings opposition to faith teaching because he doesn't want us to operate in faith!!!
- A Christian operating in faith is a formidable foe for him,
- A Christian operating in faith can resist and even defeat satan's attacks!
If satan can keep Christians in the dark, believing traditional teaching, he can keep them from tapping into the real power of God!
satan wants to keep us in disbelief and bring disunity in the church by causing people of God to make false accusations against those who teach faith as being heretic or New Age teachers. As we saw, there is a difference!
Don't forget, the Bible tells us that satan and the demons also believe -- and tremble!
- They tremble because they know what the power of faith does in accessing God's power and blessings for His people.
- They tremble because they know that Christians operating in faith are a force to be reckoned with!
- They tremble because they know that Christians acting in faith are Christians acting in OBEDIENCE!
- They tremble because they know that God responds to faith with action!
- How do they know this?
  - Don't forget, satan was once called Lucifer, the Anointed Angel
  - Since he was anointed, he knew -- and he still knows
  - He led the fallen angels to follow him in his rebellion, so they, too, know who and what their enemy is!
Traditional church teaching is one of satan's most effective and powerful tools for keeping Christians in doubt and powerless!

Will He Find Faith?

In Luke 18:8, Jesus asks a probing and provocative question: when He returns, will He find faith in this earth?

If we stick to the traditions of church teaching, He will not! The traditions of church teaching are today's equivalent of the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day. But, if we stick to the pure, undefiled teachings of the Word of God -- and act in obedience to it -- then, He will find faith.

He will find people who walk in faith...
He will fins people who talk in faith...
He will find people who stand in faith...
He will find people who pray in faith...
And He will find people who fight the fight of faith.

We have seen that to walk by faith means to walk or act in obedience to God's every Word, trusting with absolute confidence and assurance that ALL He has promised is revealed to us so that we might believe and receive -- despite and in spite of what physical "realities: seem to dictate, and in spite of what satan would have us believe through traditional church teaching!

Remember Paul's words in 2 Timothy 1:12? "I KNOW whom I have believed and am PERSUADED that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day."

Do you know whom you have believed?

Do you believe God ,or satan?
Do you believe the Word of God, or traditions of the church?

Are you persuaded that God is able? If so, why don't you believe? If so, why don't you act like it? If so, why don't you respond with obedient action to God's Word?

Are you walking by faith, or by sight?

When Jesus returns, will He find faith?

Will YOU be walking in faith?

What about talking in faith? (go on to Pg 3)

SERMONS INDEX