“Deal or No Deal?”

When watching the hit TV show DEAL OR NO DEAL people hope to win the big money. 

-         They say things like, “I believe big money is in the briefcase”

-         The genuinely believe they are going to get rich by picking the right suitcase.

Just because they believe it is going to happen, does that mean it will happen?

-         How many times have you seen tears in their eyes as they talk about all the dreams that are going to come true once they win the money?

Is this your idea of faith?

-         If I believe it enough, it will come true?

If that was the case, I’d believe myself into a life of luxury, a life where all my friends are healed, and everything goes great (The browns win the Super Bowl every year).

Let us do an object lesson on faith.

(“Pick” someone from the crowd and throw the football into someone’s stomach again and again.  Do you believe that when I throw this foot ball it will hit him?)(Remote control, light switch, chairs you are sitting on wont collapse?)

Faith is proof that something will happen and acting as if it will happen. 

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

What does it mean to hope for something?

“to wait [for salvation] with joy and full confidence” – Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon

          - It is going to happen, there is no doubt in my mind, it is just a matter of time…

As “full-proof” as my little object lessons were, can you have total faith that what should happen, will happen?  No.  (Things can go wrong.  I may make an off throw, the batteries in the remote die, the power goes out to the lights)

In reality we are still hoping those things are happing.  True faith can only be found when we know without a doubt that something is going to happen.

How can we know without a doubt that something is going to happen?

John 14:1-2.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

Two things…

1. Jesus always tells the Truth

-         Whatever Jesus says will happen, guess what…it will happen.  (If it was not going to happen, He would not have told you so).

The disciples were still having a hard time with total faith.  (They were still in the hoping it will happen phase.)

John 14:9-10

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

11a

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;

-          Once again, when Jesus speaks, His Words are Truth

If you are still having issues with faith (believing without a doubt that it will happen…

2. The Proof is in the Pudding

11b.

or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

-          Jesus can do what He says He can do

-          Jesus has done what he said He would do

-          In your life, Jesus has done what He said He would do

-          In your life, Jesus will do what He said He will do

Jesus healed the sick, turned water into wine, walked on water, cast out demons, brought the dead back to life, fed thousands with a lunchbox full of fish and bread, He died on the cross and rose again!

Matthew 8:23-26

-          the disciples lived with Jesus.  They saw the proof.  And yet they doubted.

-          Jesus gets up from His nap, seemingly irritated…

o       I can just hear Jesus saying…“What is wrong with you.  This is nothing.  I said we are heading to the other side of the lake, now we are going to get to the other side.  Why doubt me?”

§         (How many times do we doubt God after He has already proven Himself to us over and over again?)

Matthew 14:22-31.

-          Peter gets out on the water hoping he wont sink (it is almost as if Jesus lets him taste the miraculous for a moment so that He might have faith and yet he still doubts.)

-           I can just hear Jesus saying…”I told you come on out onto the water.  Don’t you trust me?   What I say will happen, will happen.”

Rev fun Picture

Turn back to John 14:12-14.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus says that we can do great things when we have faith.

How can we have faith in the great things He wants us to do?

When we ask in His name we are asking for things that He has already told us to do, things He would do, things He already approves of…as if He was doing it Himself.

The process so far:

-          God Speaks

-          We believe it is going to happen

When it happens, it does not surprise us, it blesses us (ads to our faith)

Now that we believe it is going to happen, what is next? 

1. Don’t just sit there do something!

If I tell you I am coming over to your house, you clean the house expecting my arrival.  If you are told you will receive a Christmas bonus, you make a list of how you are going to spend it before you ever see the money.

2. Live as if it is going to happen

James 2:20.

“…faith without deeds is useless”

Summary of James 2:21-24:

faith and actions work together, and faith is made complete by what we do

You can’t have one without the other.

When God tells us to do something, we believe He is going to do it, and then we live knowing and preparing ourselves for the time when God actually does it.

That is the action part.

As far as our church is concerned…

1 Timothy 1:3-4. 

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith.

What has God told us to do?

What Has God told you to do?

-          If we want to see God’s work done in our church and in our lives, we have to live by faith.

-          Faith and worry cannot live in the same house.  (When you believe without a doubt that something will happen, you don’t worry about that thing)

The storms may rage, but we will come out the other side.

It is and has always been about trusting Jesus no matter how bad it gets.

SHOW MOVIE CLIP

Closing

What has God told you to do? 

Today I challenge you to step out in faith knowing that it will work.

Don’t have faith.  The Bible says that faith is a gift.  Ask God to give you faith.

Take time to look around in your life to see the proof so that your faith can build.

Make a commitment to do something with your faith.