A Mountain Moving Faith
Faith that Pleases God
Mt 13:31-32 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Mt 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Introduction:
Most of us has a different view with regards to faith – Many preachers and TV evangelist - and I call them false prophets taught that if you have faith just come to your TV set and pray and believe and you will be healed with all of your sicknesses.
Mike Velarde, preacher of one of the largest cults in our country - suggest that if you wants to go abroad, just come to one of his crusade together with your passbook, jumps 3x and have faith and next month you’ll get there.
That’s all fake and that’s what the devil wants us to believe.
Faith is not crossing in EDSA - blind folded and expecting that nobody will hurts you. – That is blind faith. And most people believes that is faith.
Many people say that their religion is true because they were healed – they experience extra ordinary things.
And some even demonstrate faith this way - that if you cannot move Mt. Makiling to Laguna Lake in an instance with you prayer you really don’t have faith.
Is that really faith and is that really the interpretation of this passage in Matt. 17:20 and in Luke 17:6 and in any other passages?
…The plant referred to here is generally considered to be black mustard, a large annual plant up to 9 feet tall,[3] but growing from a proverbially small seed.
The fast-growing nature of the mustard plant makes it a "malignant weed" with "dangerous takeover properties". …. It grows entirely wild, and when it has once been sown it is scarcely possible to get the place free of it, as the seed when it falls germinates at once.
So, we can see then that faith does not happen instantly. Faith is not a miracle of the hour. It is not an instant experience, Or an instant performance. But it is a character or a characteristic. Faith is a characteristic that all of us needs in order to be victorious, triumphant and useful children of God.
So, what is that mountain moving faith – the faith that pleases God is all about?
1. Waits
- It abides.
- It Stay - The grain of mustard seeds won’t grow that big that eventually changes the landscape of the field and will take over the land and literally moves mountain if it does not stay there.
Faith that moves mountain, the same faith that pleases God simply means stay. Bloom where you were planted. And wait upon God –
Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.But tarry ye here until…
- Never gives up, Persevere – expound the text above about casting of demons…
- It Abide:
1Co 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
1Co 7:24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
Somebody said: Only those who stay in the will of God are assured of success.
- If you quit you'll regret it forever." - Rudy Ruettiger
Winston Churchil one of the greatest leader this world has known was very famous in this quotation: Never, never, never give up!"
One of Winston Churchill’s greatest speeches was given at a graduation ceremony at Oxford University. He had worked on the speech for hours. When the moment finally came, Churchill stood up to the cheering crowd, and in a strong, clear voice shouted just three words, "Never give up!" He paused a few seconds and shouted the words again, "Never give up!" He then reached for his hat and slowly walked off the podium, satisfied that he had told the graduates the messages they needed to succeed.
– the Bible say If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Wait, abide, stay, fix that’s the character of faith, Faith that pleases God the kind of faith that moves mountain.
You will experience difficulties, hardships, discouragement as you wait, as you stay, as you abide – but the Bible says 1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
The Bible talks about the trial of your faith – God will test if the faith that you have is genuine…
The seed of the mustard seed just stay in that place until such a time that it becomes a tree and germinates – and eventually it moves mountain - maybe after several years.
2. Works
- It abounds
- It does not stay as a seed but it grows until 9 feet tall, then it germinates, until they fill the land, until they moves mountain. It does not happen overnight - it took years. It means faith is not a performance of an hour or a certain miracle that happens out of nowhere. But it works until it grows.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
- It grows, It continue, it germinates until all the land will be filled with a mustard tree.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
- Faith without works is dead. It must grow!
The grain of mustard seed becometh a big tree because it just not stay as a seed but it grows, it continues, and it germinates, until it abounds.
- It is wild and malignant weed - dangerous takeover properties
- Salvation is not by works. Salvation is by faith - Workout your own salvation - Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Faith that moves mountain – and faith that pleases God –
Not only waits, not only works but it also –
3. Wins
- It accomplishes
- It prevails, succeed, triumphant, prevailing.
Faith is the victory that overcomes the world..
- As I look our Pastor I can’t imagine how many lives he touch how many preachers he help to revive and how many churches he helped to established – and where does he started?
- Does it started because his family is rich and famous? Does it started because he graduated in the best school? Or some any other things?
- Does it started from great and influential people that come to make him what he is today? No… What he has is just a faith as a grain of a mustard seed. But he continue, he stay and now he has that dangerous takeover properties – malignant and wild
- And that’s the kind of faith that moves mountain – a faith that pleases God!
…And nothing shall be impossible unto you.
- Mountain moving faith – the faith that pleases God never stops until it wins…
- Faith that pleases God doesn’t stop in adverse circumstances. – Matt. 15:21-28 Tells about the story of a Canaan woman whose daughter was sick
Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God – William Carey
- By faith we can accomplished great things for God.
- Just don’t’t quit. Stay. Just like the grain of a mustard seed…
- If you have such kind of faith you know what – you will take over your family to Christ. Not only your family but your community and even the whole country if you will just continue.
Conclusion:
The Faith that moves mountain. It is a faith that pleases God.
It waits, It works, & It wins. Abide, abounds & accomplishes.
Ark Bible Way Baptist Mission
reydalde@gmail.com
1 comment:
Absolutely....
Keep on preaching🙏🙏🙏
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