Building Tested Faith - Part 2

080924 Building Tested Faith Pt 2

Begins at Point #2

James 1:4-ff

Tim Franklin

Introduction:

· My last two Wednesday night messages have been about the testing of our faith. You should have obtained some very keen insights to your spiritual walk by listening to them and applying those scriptures.

· I want to change the angle of approach tonight and talk about the building of a tested faith. It is one thing to have your faith tested. It is another thing to build a tested faith.

· What are the key ingredients to a tested faith?

o The Word of God is Key. Ro. 10:17 Faith comes by hearing the message…

o Patience – James 1:4 Let patience have her perfect work.

o Authority

1. The Word of God is Key

a. The first key to building tested faith is the word of God. Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. NKJV

i. Faith does not come by opinions—Pharisees had many opinions and traditions of men.

ii. Faith does not come by information

iii. Faith does not come by the senses-the sense are, Gr. Sarx ‘flesh’ and Jesus says this counts for nothing.

b. It makes a big difference who speaks it.

i. God is the creator who spoke things into existence. He was there before the beginning. He will be there after the end. There is no shadow of turning in Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

ii. Therefore, for me His word is final. God said, that is the way it is whether we believe it or not.

c. What makes God’s Word different?

i. Heb 4:12For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. NKJV

1. Gr. Zon, zao. Living. Participle of the word zoe.

2. Energees, enérg‎(e)‎ia ‎in the sense of "activity" or "energy" occurs at an early date. ‎enérg¢ma ‎means "act" or "action," and ‎energ¢¡s ‎"active." The verb ‎energéœ ‎means "to act," "to be at work." (from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition, Copyright © 1985 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)

3. Tomooteros, Gr. Sharp—cutting.

4. Diiknumenos, Gr. Piercing. To go through to penetrate to pierce.

5. Kritikos, Gr. Discerning—this word has the manner, ability or right of a judge. All wise. The Spirit of Wisdom is upon Him, from God etc.

ii. John 6:63-64It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." NKJV

1. His words are spirit. Gr. Pneuma-spirit.

a. To cause to live or to make alive.

2. His words are life. Gr. Zoe-life filled to overflowing with vitality.

iii. 2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. NKJV

1. Theopneustos- God, breath. Or God breathed, God’s breath.

iv. The word is light.

1. Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. NKJV

2. Ps 119:130 the entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. NKJV See also Eph 1:17, 18

a. Knowledge of him –has to do with authority

b. Understanding enlightened.

d. The Word in Action—note the effect of Jesus preaching.

i. Matt 7:28-29And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. NKJV

ii. Matt 13:54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? NKJV

iii. Luke 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" NKJV

i. Luke 4:36-37 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." NKJV

ii. Note the effect of Apostles preaching

a. Acts 19:8,9 Paul in Ephesus

b. Acts 10:44 Peter with Cornilus

c. Acts 8:5 Philip preaches in Samaria

d. Acts 8:30-35 Philip teaches the Ethiopian.

2. Patience is a Must

a. Patience defined-

i. Webster 1828 Dictionary

1. The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from christian submission to the divine will.

2. A calm temper which bears evils without murmuring or discontent.

3. The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent.

ii. Greek—hupomonee

1. steadfastness, constancy(standing firm, endurance James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord — that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. NKJV

2. a patient, steadfast waiting for;

iii. Bob Sorge—“Patience is faith sustained over time in the midst of pain.”

b. Tested Faith Produces Patience

i. katergazomai‎:--Produces = to do something with success and/or thoroughness - 'to accomplish, to perform successfully, to do thoroughly. To make. ‎'having accomplished everything, to stand' Eph 6:13. (from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright © 1988 United Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)

ii. Patience produces –perfection, completion, lacking nothing. (The goal of the testing of our faith.)

iii. Remember we are talking about a tested faith. That is a faith that you possess that produces for you on a regular basis. You have done it once. You will do it again. The process will be the same. It is tested.

c. Patience is the key character trait required for tested faith.

i. Gal. 5:22 Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. To not be irritated by waiting.

ii. Patience is a producer of fruitfulness. If you get irritated by the testing chances are you will plow up the seed.

1. James 5:7-8Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. NKJV

iii. Patience is a dynamic of the Kingdom

1. Mark 4:26-29 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." NKJV

2. It is required for the word to produce fruit.

3. Again, do not dig up your seed. You must be patient and let it grow.

iv. Patience lets us posses our souls

1. Luke 21:19 By your patience possess your souls. NKJV

2. Psuchee—mind, will, emotions

3. In patience or through patience we aquire, or take possession of our souls. The word has the connotation of a man taking a wife and not harlot. The former allows the man to love himself. And it happens through patience.

v. Patience is key to end time success.

1. Lk 21:10-ff

2. James 5:7-8

3. Revelation 2. Nearly half of the churches of Rev. 2 are commended for their patience in suffering and trials.

4. It becomes the main task of the end time church. They are asking, “How long O Lord?” and He says just a little bit more. Rev. 13:10; 14:12.

d. Promise of Patience

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

1. When faith and patience team up the promises are inherited.

ii. It brings forth the life in the Seed/Word. Luke 8:15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. NKJV

1. Hear the word

2. Keep the word (patience)

3. Bear fruit—sees the words from the point of sowing to producing.

iii. Perfection, Completion, No lack. See notes from 080827

1. Perfect. teleioi-properly brought to finish, completed-master piece, done right.

2. Complete –holokleeroi-not one part missing

3. Not lacking, can’t be improved upon, in no possible way inferior.

4. At this point mountains are moving. Prayers are being answered. Things get out of your way.

e. Tested faith requires the Word of God and it requires patience to be effective.

3. Authority is Acquired PT 3

a. See point one—the word is light.

b. Acts 19 Paul I know and Jesus I know, but who are you.

c. Authority of the Word brings about the authority of the believer.

Conclusion:

Pastor Tim Franklin, 9/24/2008