How to Get off the See Saw of Faith

Paul Simon has a strong, good go something like this. I am a rock. I am an island and the rock feels no pain in the island never cries. In many ways he really speaks for our culture speaks for many people in our culture who do not know how to conquer fear in the lives so they mask it and the way they mask their fear is by covering it up in variety ways. Some try to appear tough others appear courageous others. They try to be strong in self-confidence all counted covering up for their inability or there may not be knowing how to conquer fear in the life. In fact I read this week about a an army officer who was doing exactly that. This guy actually got promoted to the rank of Col. His biggest fear was how I'm going to get my fears form appears to respect me how they're going to get them to respond to me in the to my new position than you basically try to cover up this interfere by blowing a lot of smoke and saw with the promotion, big office in the big desk in first that he goes into his office. There was a knock on the door and said wait a minute just a minute he picks up the phone receiver and he starts talking big time. Yes general. I'll do that for you general out the care of the general I'll brief the president for your general all of that in a loud voice so that whoever was on the other side of the door can hear him, and finally after five minutes of that he hangs the receiver and the Dells. Whoever's of the door to come in and was a private is it what you want. Is it well sir, I am really here to hook up your phone trying to cover up our fear, trying to hang tough and looked often act of really not very helpful when the word of God shows us exactly how to conquer fear and to live in freedom from fear. Now it doesn't matter what kind of fury going through right now.

And of course I hear it more now since the difficult times we going through in the economy and everything else and probably with any previous time, but you must understand that every one of us, without exception, every one of us at some point. At some time, somewhere. We have gone through fear with experienced fear. It doesn't matter. Your circumstances might be different now from somebody else but will be through and thus the first thing you need to acknowledge in many ways.

You must understand fear is a double edge sword.

It can be destructive or God can use it to fulfill his purpose in your life. It can be a corroding to your soul or it can be a blessing to you. It can hold you back in a mental prison or fear can be that sure that the ropes that are holding you back and sets you free to soar on the arms of faith.

It can be intimidating to you and intimidating you into ineffectiveness or it can help you grow in the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the last message we saw how the Lord Jesus Christ wanted to teach his disciples. First and foremost a vitally important lesson in their walk with him and that is the lesson of faith for God is interested in. We saw that Jesus is number one concern for his disciples and for all of his disciples for right here is that they grow in faith.

What does that mean we saw. That means that complete trust in him. It means ace absolute obedience to his word, it means that growing up in the faith, and total surrender to him, even if the circumstances do not make sense in your life and mine and fear is the one thing is going to hold you back from growing in the faith in Jesus knew that them illustrate what I'm talking about some time ago I learned that the reason why so many people are afraid of flying, in spite of the statistics said that overwhelming statistics that you are safe on an airplane than the audio or even in your bathtub. Believe it or not, but why is it then that people are fearful to find more people afraid of flying the root reason for that fear is that once they leave the ground they feel a loss of control, loss of control can cause you more fear and more terror than you can imagine for that same reason there are so many believers have a hard time surrendering control to the Lord. Did you get that because they want to feel in control. That is something insecure about losing control of and fear keeps them from soaring on the wings of faith, so what do they do they try to put their trust in tangible things.

The things that they can see the things that they can have with a B accumulation up or bank accounts or statement of net worth that they will place a trusting in some real us in some material and some monitor securities even want to put the confidence in their abilities or their qualifications, something that they can hold onto other than surrender control of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know the number one reason why the vast majority of born-again Christian believers never ties never give offering a double tie to the Lord, the number one reason is fear. They think that if they try and they give that market weight of the Lord. What if I lose my job. What if I lose moment what I thought, this will happen or that happens and what is happening just like the person who's mentally aware of the fact that his safe on a plane than in a car. They are mentally aware that theologically aware that God is the provider that God is there blessed that God is the protector that God is the one who gives him breath to wake up in the morning that God is the one who gives them energy to make wealth as the Scripture said but they're afraid to trust him with your money with offering the ties is something you must understand about faith.

I learned that the hard way faith works the same way and on about daily faith and am going to distinguish it from saving faith in a minute. Daily faith works the same way as you work a muscle.

I know from first-hand experience. If I don't work, my muscles, atrophy all the time and he got to be added to go at it.

Some people make a decision. Being a workout big and really torn up and they're going to really look good so they don't work out in their first day, second day Saturday is nothing happening in the give up. They think they wanted up with the grow muscles overnight doesn't work that way. It takes long hard work day in and day out, and day in and day out before you even begin to experience a result, Matthew chapter 8 beginning at verse 23. I'm going to show you Jesus's primary concern for every one of his children.

Verse 26, particularly in a few get nothing other. This message is that one verse will be blessed.

Verse 26 I explained to you in the last message.

How we all would've loved Jesus to stop the storm first and then teach the disciples a lesson I want to stop the storms of my life first, then teaching the lesson of the real, only that but he didn't for a reason and here's what he said you of little faith, why are you so afraid little faith so afraid little faith. So if right the word little is to faith is the same word so to fear because when there is little faith there is much fear of little faith, why are you so afraid of them illustrate this another way as kids we all played on the seesaw you do that the fear okay because whenever faith is down. Fear is up and when you reverse it. Faith is up. Fear is now whenever faith arises. Fear falls I whenever fear rises faith because it's that simple little face versus much fear ye of little faith, why are you so afraid memorize that it works that way in everyday life. When faith is not 100% fear is that what 0%, whether faith is at 80% and fear is what you pass mass when faith is a 20% fear is at 80%, you get the point. The word little relates to faith as the word so relates to fear the good news is this even in those precious words and from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, that is an implication that fear can never dominate faith that fear can never undercut faith that fear can never overwhelm faith that fear can never use faith that fear can never demonstrate that no matter how frightening your situation may be, no matter how terrifying your circumstances are, no matter how alarming your surrounding conditions may be you can never destroy faith. The only power that fear has for a child of God for a daughter of the living God and the son of the living God. The only power that fear has visited able to shine the light on the condition of your faith that some people don't want to hear that, but that's reality. By faith the Lord Jesus meant a complete trust in him. A complete surrender to him. A conviction of his trustworthiness and the trustworthiness of his promises a confidence in his loving purpose in your life.

A complete resting on him in the middle of the storm a total trust in his sovereign control of your life. That's what Jesus meant by faith is what he meant by trusting trust him that no matter what happens in your life. He is never sitting up in heaven and looking desert. Whoops.

How did that happen. How did you get here.

The way no one you trust him to them. Knowing so confidently. Every moment of every waking moment of every day here in Nevis as well. How did that slip by me.

How did this happen to you goodness what what none and I just got an email from a partner of leading the way in Chicago literally brought tears to my eyes in this faithful brother was explaining to me and I'm telling you he has been faithful in the theft, and then the in the heart, and the good times is always been faithful. He said I lost my job as a huge job and is in my goodness. I'll never be able to find a job like this, not trusted God within two weeks he had a better job with a higher pay and better hours and everything else and somebody in this church. Same thing happened with loss of job was eliminated better job. But then, within two weeks God provided in the way this wonderful steward of God never imagined better times, better hours, but okay. Everything else brother. This is not a sales start this is a confidence in the God who keeps his promises and never goes back to his word.

In fact, I am personally convinced the weather gets a far harder or not we going to be seeing more and more testimonies of the faithfulness of God for his faithful children are we going to see it over and over and over again. I don't know if all of these precious faithful people that I heard from in the last few weeks have always had faith up 100%. I don't know. I doubted I doubted personally. Most likely was not why because for all of us in our daily faith our daily faith ebbs and flows. Our daily faith grows weak and waxed strong our daily faith cools down and heats up.

I don't know anybody who has his daily on her daily faith that 100% level all the time. Remember I told you in the last message how it was dark in the middle of the night in the middle of the waters in these disciples were caught by surprise when the faith was down he say what what what was in the faith, why should what you have had their faith very simply. I pointed to Mark chapter 4 verse 35 when Mark was recording this incident.

He said Jesus said to the disciples.

Let's get in the boat and go to the other side. That in itself should be a ironclad assurance and confidence building, knowing that they will have a safe arrival. That in itself should be securing to them assuring to them that he who began a good work is able to bring it to completion now and explain to you the difference between saving faith and daily faith. Now they work the same way but they are different.

How did you become saved. How did you become saved. If you are not saved. Let me tell you how to become saved you come to the Lord Jesus and say Lord I'm a sinner, heading straight for judgment but you the Savior who died on the cross and shed your blood so that whomsoever would come to you will receive salvation and whoever comes to you receive forgiveness of sins. Whoever comes to receive eternal life, and by that you have exercised faith in the living God. And at that moment you receive peace you receive confidence you received assurance that you are saved eternally.

That whenever you close your eyes and death.

You will see Jesus face-to-face. What gave you that confidence would give me that assurance.

Trusting in the promise of God and the word of God overcomes delay Jesus that I'll never let go, the father gives me. I lose none, and you can with confidence you filled with confidence and hope God came to dwell on you on the inside of you in the person of his Holy Spirit and you begin living your daily life. Now in your daily life.

You walk by faith. You are saved by faith. What would you walk by sight and so what happens when you need daily faith where every single one of us needs daily faith to walk by trust in the same God who eternally saved you the same God who eternally redeemed you the same God who paid with his precious blood so that you can be eternally saved that same God is going to take hold of you to protect you, to walk with you until your time is up. So when you go through a fearful time you go through a frightening time you will immediately take hold of the promise of God, Lord, you promised your word said in that moment, you are filled with peace in your heart that moment you have put your trust in the trustworthiness of God, who keeps his word, and that trustworthiness fills your heart. Why, because you trusted in his promises. You've honored him by trusting him. I know when faith is up feelers down and when faith is done feelers up. Proverbs 29, 25, Solomon understood this seesaw principle of faith and fear. Listen to what he said.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Solomon is saying faith or trust in God is a trigger mechanism that activates God's blessings in your life that activates God's working in your life that activates God's gift of faith in your life.

Listen to be very careful truth will not become operative in your life in my life until we appropriated truth will not become operative until we believe it is nine years old. I believe it but have you acted upon it. Have you taken a step of faith.

Have you taking a risk of faith have is a God.

I trust you and I'm going to do something to prove my trust in you, whom illustrated this way. If I have a rich uncle and he is a trustworthy person keeps his word and he says to me Michael you ever need something all you need to do. Just pick up the phone and call me. Well I get into a situation I need something from him and I know that is the only one who can meet that need. What I do I can pick up the phone and call or I can speculate I can sit back for hours, maybe days week, maybe years. I wonder what he really meant that I would know that he really intended for me to call.

I wondered if he I wonder if he would II did you really mean that that you really intend for me to call him or is he just saying that and I would never pick up the phone and I never exercised faith in his word. Now the to be sure there's a risk taking and me to picking up the phone because in my mind all of his gonna say yes or no why I wouldn't pick up from what I speculate. Many Christians do that deep down deep down I don't believe that he's going to do this skull unbelief, but until I pick up that phone and call. I will not experience the truth of his progress. Truth will not be operative until I believe it listen to what God said in Isaiah 2816 this seesaw faith fear all over the Scripture is right here. Isaiah 2816 C. I lay a stone in Zion at tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, the one who trusts in him will never be dismayed. Will never be dismayed. Jeremiah 17 78, but blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him and he does not fear. You see the trust and the fear of the confidence, faith and fear. He has no worries.

In the year of drought. When Jesus sensed that his disciples were in more than just fear. There were really in a state of panic, knowing that he's about to go to the cross, he said to them, in John 14 verse one freight don't be afraid. Trust in God, trust in me and asked, 27, when Paul was shipwrecked. He said don't be afraid why I have faith in God. Romans 1423 Paul said everything that does not come from faith is a sin. Listen to be very careful when the spirit of fear leaves. He leaves a vacuum and that vacuum has to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Bible called the spirit of faith, moment by moment, day by day, you have to continuously be filled with the spirit of faith the Holy Spirit of God. Isaiah 779. If you do not stand firm in your faith will not stand at all. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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