100106w Intensify Your Faith
Tim Franklin
Introduction:
· One of things that I feel this year will bring is intense faith. Tough times call for tough faith.
o Intense faith comes intentionally.
§ We intentionally build it.
§ Satan intentionally tries to destroy it.
§ The end result is great faith!
§ Great faith is made through great trials.
o I am not prophesying great trails I am prophesying great growth in your faith in 2010.
· Peter had great faith. How did he get it?
o Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." NKJV Sounds like the same way Job built great faith.
o Galatians 2:11-12 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. NKJV
· You can find in God’s word: no faith, little faith, faith, great faith. That encourages me because that tells me I can grow my faith. Lets start tonight on our journey to build intense faith.
1. Why Intensify Our Faith?
A Trouble’s Coming
1 Even a good day has adversity. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV Since Adam’s fall in the garden we have had to work by the sweat of our brown in the presence of thorns and thistles.
2 Jesus assured us of trouble. John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. NIV
3 Jesus preps us for trouble. End of the age trouble. Matthew 24:4-12 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. NKJV
B Know that difficult times are coming.
1 Don’t deny it.
2 Don’t think it won’t touch you.
3 Tough Times Require It
C We not as tough as we think we are
1 Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. NKJV
2 Shallow roots. Mark 4:17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. NIV
3 Offense Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." NKJV
2. How to Build Intense Faith
A Great Faith is built in the secret place of intimacy with Christ.
1 It was the cry of Paul’s heart as one of the main writers of the NT. Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, NKJV
2 Psalms 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. NKJV
3 Psalms 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." NKJV
B Great Faith is tested in the Caldron of Trial
1 Must be willing to walk through resistance.
a James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. NKJV
b Joseph is a prime example of faith test and built. Ps 105:19
2 Resistance builds the spirit man like resistance builds the natural man.
a James 1:3 the testing of your faith produces. Produces! There is no production without resistance. Isn’t it interesting how many faith healing ministries were born out of incredible resistance: Oral Roberts had tuberculosis, the late Lester Sumrall had had TB, Kenneth Hagin had an incurable disease, Pat Robertson-poverty—they gave away all they had.
b Trials are the secret ingredient of great faith. Il. Have you ever cooked something and left out an ingredient? Or used the wrong ingredient? Bisquick instead of flower while making xmas cookies.
3 Without resistance we atrophy. We go weak and soft. Body building plan in 2000. The pulled muscle in my arm. My right arm which is my strong arm is now 5lbs weaker than the left.
C Great Faith is built with patience and a commitment to grow it.
1 Hebrews 6:12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. NKJV
2 Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. NKJV
3. What Are The Building Blocks of Intense Faith?
A Relationship with God
1 Build an intense relationship with God-Abraham, Moses, Jesus had pretty intense relations with the Father and they did really well.
2 Set your heart to know him and not know about him.
a Daniel 11:32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. NKJV
b Shall do strong or prevail—Hebrew.
3 Know His love. John was the ‘beloved’ disciple. He was the one that Jesus trusted with His mother when He was dying. Love took John to the throne room. Love has the power to keep you.
a Numbers 14:8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' NKJV
B A measure of faith Rom 12:3-4 God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. NKJV
1 Peter had a measure of faith to step out of the boat. No one else got out nor did anyone else ask to get out. Mt 14:25-32. With his measure Peter is rebuked for having little faith.
2 He had enough to act but he was not trained to deal with the thoughts he entertained in his head.
3 Joshua and Caleb—Numbers 13:30, they had the faith to take the land. “We are well able to go and take the land.”
C Knowledge of His will
1 Faith begins where the will of God is known.-FF Boswoth Christ the Healer
a Matthew 8:2-3 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. NKJV
2 Until a person knows God’s Will they have no basis for faith.
D The Word reveals His will. It is God’s word that lets us know what we are to trust him for.
1 Romans 10:17 faith comes by hearing the message and the message through the Word of God.
2 Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV
E Meditation
1 Singing seminary. It is what David graduated from. He wrote songs about his God encounters and battles. He killed the lion, the bear, the giant. “We tell God what He tells us to tell him.”
2 Joshua 1:8—meditate and keep the Word of God before you and you will prosper and be successful.
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