Levels of Faith In the Life of the Believer - Part 2

Welcome to the intense podcasting town Stanley for Wednesday, February 23, faith in God is born in a heart that trust long before the unshakable faith series continues on today's podcast we all operate on one of three levels of faith and the longer you live. Certainly, the more faith you all have and the horror of these levels really go in our faith, but some people will say all of their lives on the lowest level because number one baby don't even know that there are levels of faith and secondly to afraid to launch out to fearful to trust God and so what happens is you go through life and you miss his best because you never grow in your faith. One of these levels of faith.

How do we statement distinguish between them. What does God say about. That's what I want us to consider primarily so I want to give you this that I want to give you a level, give your word so you can remember, and the first level is the personal level in Scripture of faith is little faith little faith and I want to remember this little faith is restless faith. Little faith is wrestling little faith. For example, is saying I know we can, but I'm not sure he will little faith is struggling struggling because it's a whole new perspective on on the way we live little faith is is is hoping little faith is some not sure little faith has almost no confidence. Little faith is always wavering human what James said he did waivers like like the winds of the sea blowing Hitler and Jan tossed to and fro, is don't let that person think they can receive anything from God because God does not honor that kind of faith. Does this mean watch this carefully. Does this mean that God will never answer your prayers and let you reach the third level of faith Noah doesn't mean that it means that your lifestyle is going to change, it means interrelationship. It means that you requested.

It means that your your fretting and your anxiety and your questions and your doubts are gonna disappear and God's gonna do something absolutely fantastic and you live one because he wants the best for you.

He doesn't one is living on this particular level, but this is level I not the truth is if you stay there. Then you don't expect God's best bet is not where that's not where he wants to he want you moving up. Which brings us listen to level number two. So think about this memo number two we moved from little faith now to great faith. Great faith is reaching faith great faith is not willing to stay on level I labor listen great faith is not willing to state an NYU labor and wrestle and you doubt that you fear in your full of anxiety.

Great faith is willing to reach out its reaching faith its reaching out to God beyond what you see beyond what you feel beyond what your critics say beyond what your counselor says that is great faith is willing to believe God's word simply because it is the word of the living God. Great faith sees God as a trustworthy, faithful God who will never fail you and never let you down the list.

Like a few scriptures here because if you think about this whole issue of great faith.

Where did you talk about great faith. So let's go back to Matthew chapter 8 for a moment.

Matthew chapter aids and mostly review versus here, let's look if you will, at this fifth verse, the centurion and when Jesus entered Capernaum, the centurion came to imploring him and say Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearful or tormented.

Jesus said to them, and healing.

Minutes of fantastic response outcome and healing the centurion said Lord I'm not worthy of you to come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed. Can you say that Lord Jesus just say the word just give me a verse of Scripture to speak to my heart is making it, just say the word must several be healed from wholesome a man under authority with soldiers under me and I send this one go and he goes and another comment he comes into my slave do this he does it now when Jesus heard this, he marveled, and said to those who were following.

Truly I say to you I have not found such great faith with anyone is what he was that you know is Gentiles have more faith in you Israelites in your sons and daughters of Abraham, so he says are not seen such great faith, go to the ninth chapter, if you will start with the verse 18 while he was saying these things to them.

A synagogue official came and bow down before him and said my daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live real faith. Jesus got up and began to follow him and so that his disciples and a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for 12 years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. Listen what she said if I if I only touch his garment, I will get will she could've said if I can touch his garment. Maybe I'll get well if I can touch his garment. I hope I'll get well. If I touch his garment. It's possible he could heal me know. She said listen if I only touch his garment, I will get well is great faith. But Jesus turning and seeing her sick daughter, take courage, your faith has made you well you see great faith doesn't just struggle with the circumstance. Great faith is yes I will. I know that I will. I can't see my way clear know is he's on his way here to raise somebody from the dead and this man also had great faith. He said Lord you come lay your hand on her shall be raised in this woman said, touch his garment will be healed and at times has God allowed you to be in the circumstance or situation and you were struggling and you can honestly say if I can do so and so I know this is what will happen because you see oftentimes God gives us the solution, the problems you not face and then we don't take him up on because we don't really believe that some things are that simple. We don't really believe that if we do exactly what he says this will happen, and because we living down here. Maybe it will maybe it won't wrestling laboring struggling faith he wants is on the second level with the second of the second level is God oriented. The second level is God focus. The second level is not what circumstances listen other people.

The second level great faith moves and perseverance will not give up will not give in will not shut down it no matter what will remain pursuing that which you believe is the will of God for your life. Where are you are you all level I, my goodness, I hope so you'll level to thank God I've ceased to look at my circumstances and focused on him, mood, and focused on the living God.

You will not be focused on God. If you are not focused on his word. You get dust on your Bible, you will stay on level number one, your bar will be open every day reading God's word and you know what you doing programming your mind to think the way God thinks and I say this often. You sit in front of a television set, three, four, five, six, 10 2530 hours a week listening to the world.

Let them program your thinking to think you've got to do it at your resources. You do this you do that you know will happen. You think the way they think and you will stay on level I, level II is Christ centered level II is God oriented level II does not focus on circumstances. You said you said that about five times right you know why because that's what the devil wants to get you focused on your circumstances rather than on God level number one is what level little faith and that's what kind of faith level number two is what kind of faith great faith and great faith is what reaching.

All I once level number three level number three is perfect faith. Level III is resting faith not struggling in laboring, not reaching resting faith, perfect faith says it's a done deal. No more fretting no more anxiety no more worry no more, no manipulation, no more trying to work it out figured out make it happen. Perfect faith says it's a done deal with God and that what do I do I wait to watch, listen a divine promise become a reality in hands of the speak perfect. You say well you know I don't think it'll work for me. You don't think it'll work for you because you don't believe it'll work for you. Listen you been there. You'll level one so long for someplace you comfortable struggling, fretting, fuming, laboring level, number two, you got your libido that so now you are able to trust the ones he wants to live. He wants us to live in such a beautiful relationship to him.

This is the anxiety is over. The struggle is over. The laboring is over, listen is walking in the spirit, struggling, laboring in fretting and fuming and full of fear was walking in the spirit packages thank you thank you thank you dear God sent me you have no problems.

No, everything that God allows their life that stretches everything he allows not like the testers that moves our faith followed from level number one to level 3 is a blessing from God. It's reaching the place in your relationship to him in your prayers to him that listen. The struggle and the laboring cease no more anxiety and you beginning now listen to move the level, number two got his what you said. I'm gonna trust you. I'm going to believe you no matter what and level number three says father, thank you very much. Thank you that I don't fret over that I don't have to manipulate anything on the_trust or you said, I believe it is that that's a done deal. For example, a simple example, God tells us to bring our tithes and offerings to him. It is amazing to me. The people who are still downhill level I but suppose I lose my job, so I suppose I have a need. Suppose you have a big Dr. Bailey, you know what you just asking for don't bring up all that foolish stuff other words, if you really and truly a will in the trusting. You have to go through that perfect faith says, got his what you said as far as I'm concerned you said it, that's it.

The person struggles over shallot shall not, and then you come to the place if you grow in your faith as you should know what happens. You just know that he's going to supply you need. You give your money yet you offer your week and you know is your supply then you know what I was you get on the top level.

You don't even think about it it's a done deal once a done deal. If I obey God. God's going to bless me and you can take it to any level you want to in your life perfect faith says it's a done deal. Let me give you a beautiful example of Scripture back in the 22nd chapter of Genesis look at this from 22nd chapter of Genesis and the lots of examples of this is so dramatic look at this verse one of chapter 22.

Now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham incentive Abraham he said, here I am, he said, take now your son, look at this, your only son, for which you waited for whom you waited 100 years, whom you love, Isaac go to the land of Moriah offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you. So Abraham rose early in the morning and send Liz Duncan took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and he split wood for the burnt offering Roseman to the place in which God told him on the third day Abraham raises eyes and saw the place from a distance Abraham said to his young men now watch this carefully.

Stay here with the donkey and the lad will go over there and we will worship and return to you what it meant. He said I want you to go and sacrifice.

Abraham's faith through all these years of testing had reached the level. God said, and he rumored God said he remedy mounts on one €97*your descendents from the sun.

I give you, you not be able to count is just a young lad now living like the sands of the sea that come from the sun that I'm going to give you told a long time ago and now he say before the sons of a married you take him and you all from on the sacrifice to meet you killing me laboring faith would never cut and it would and never settle into darkness great faith would've said gone.

I know you going to do it.

I don't how you do it.

I'm not sure exactly what great faith would've done when he said, but in one elder is with perfect faith, said perfect face said the lad will go over there and we will worship and return and that is often sacrifice and we are both coming back exactly what that phrase is neighbor we will go under worship and we also coming back. We will return perfect faith in what he was trusting in what God had told him having watch God work in his life over and over and over again. He had no reason to doubt that even if he took his son's life. The promise of Almighty God that his descendents would be uncountable in innumerable he was when the trust God even if you killing and raising the dead.

He said we're going to offer sacrifice we we going to worship every coming back. Think about this is an insult to God not to trust you talk about sin not to trust the living God, for whom you and I could never give a single reason to doubt him. The sovereign of the whole universe as every single solitary thing on his absolute control, knows all things at all times in all circumstances loves you unconditionally never failed to keep a promise, he is faithful. Can we not move from level I to make that a thing of the past that life to level II that that's where we live, and then as these circumstances come along in life. We step up to level number three God, you said it, I believe it, that settles it. It's a done deal is what you can look for Satan will attack you with everything he's got all you think it's a done deal now let me show you what's not. Watch this if you're not careful. His what you do.

He'll throw some circumstances in front of and that's what he want you to focus on what his what you believe but look at all the things that Mac how could you possibly believe that because my father has your circumstances Satan under his control is widely I don't think I don't have the abuser. Think about the your health is affected your finances are affected your relationships are affected your piece, your joy, your contentment, your coverage every single aspect of your life is affected by your faith. He doesn't want you living listen in the rut of level I he want you walking on the highest level of your faith perfect faith. Why, he's my God, and he could not fail me father how grateful we are. You make something so simple and we just do our best to make them difficult and I think about the millions and millions of people who live on level I struggling for readying anxious have sick.

Oh God deliver them from that, would you motivate them by your love having listened to the truth to decide. I'm sick and tired of living on this level. I want God to raise my level to then when the test come the challenges, to recognize these challenges are steps to grow up. Our faith, we can walk on level III and enjoy my relationship with you on a level that is so exciting filling in so much contentment.

It's indescribable.

That's just because you who you are and we say thank you. In Jesus name, amen. Thank you for listening to part 211 levels of faith in the life of the believer. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley and touch ministries. My intent started lagging back after the presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia