Faith of an Intercessor

Song:

 Give us the faith to follow, abundant faith to follow, give us the faith to follow, your faith is enough for us.

Introduction

14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

  19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

  20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:14-21).

29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you" ((Matthew 9:29).

Faith

Faith is trust, strong belief, and unquestioning confidence in someone. Faith is a supernatural gift from God that enables us to believe without doubting whatever God has revealed. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:17).

Salvation of the soul comes by faith: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

1. You need faith to please God - “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6). I see faith like love that binds the husband and the wife together. Take out this love, and then relationship becomes mere ‘partner’.
   
2. You need faith to see the glory of God -   40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40). The key to seeing the glory of God, the key to experiencing the life of the Spirit, the key to having God work in us and through us powerfully is faith. If we have faith, we will see things happen that are beyond human power, if we have faith, we will see God work in ways that we had not hoped for.
   
3. You need faith to overcome the world - “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:3-4).
   Faith makes us to recognise that God is with us.
   “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4).
   
   “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
   
   15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
   
     16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
   
     17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-17).
   
   “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)
   
   “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?” (Numbers 23:19).
   
   “A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14).
   
4. You need faith to understand God – faith in God brings understanding of his character, will and purposes. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:3).

Types of faith

1.  Believing faith:- this is also called doctrinal faith. Many people have this kind of faith because they accept the Christian truths. They have faith that Christ is the son of God or that there is heaven and a hell.
   
2.  Trusting faith:- is faith in God’s goodness. When people have trusting faith, they believe that everything will turn out well. God will take care of them because he loves them.
   
3. Expectant faith:- is a faith of action. Of course both believing and trusting faith are vitally important, but they are not enough for you to see God’s glory.

Case 1

24So Jesus went with him.

   A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

  30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

  31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

  32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:24-34).

1. This woman didn’t say, ‘this man is the son of God’, or ‘this man is the messiah’. Believing faith.
   
2. She didn’t say, ‘this is a good man, a man I can trust. He will see that whatever happens to me is the best possible thing’. Trusting faith
   
3. Rather she had Expectant faith; she said ‘if I touch just his clothes, I shall get well’. Expectant faith often means that we have to do something.

Song:

1. My life time, I will give God my life time, when I give God my life time, he will take care of me, he will never never let me down, I will give God my life time.
   
2. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, because Christ lives, all fear is gone, because I know, he holds my future; my life is worth a living just because he lives.

Case 2

 Jesus Comforts the Sisters

  17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

  23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

  24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

  25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

  27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

  28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

  32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

  33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?"

He asked.

      "Come and see, Lord," they replied.

  35Jesus wept.

  36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

  37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

  38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said.
      "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days."

  40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:17-40).

1. Trusting faith:- Martha said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John11:21-23).
   
2.  Believing faith:- Martha said, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John11:23).. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (John11:27).
   
3. Expectant faith:- None of them expressed this type of faith; but Jesus did: 38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said.
         "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days."
   
   40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:38-40).

Growing in faith

God does not want us to be anxious about the shortcomings in our faith but, he wants us to look to him and expect him to build faith in us.

1. Faith grows. Often God builds our faith through experiences. Our faith is fed when we see God act.
   
2. God also builds our faith through people who have faith. If we live with Christians who have faith, we will find faith growing in us vice-versa.
   
3. To grow in faith, we have to hear God speak:
   
   11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 16But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:11-17).

What to do when prayer seems to fail

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

  13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

  15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14:10-16).

Importance of personal faith

a. Borrowed axe (borrowed faith):

An Axhead Floats

  1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live."
      And he said, "Go."

  3 Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?"
      "I will," Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them.
      They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh, my lord," he cried out, "it was borrowed!"

  6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. (2 Kings 6:1-7).

b. Jesus said to the woman with the issue of blood (she had bled for twelve years): 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:34).

c. Strike the shepherd and the sheep (people with borrowed faith) will be scattered. "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. (Zechariah 13:7).

31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' (Matthew 26:31).

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10).

"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4).

Persistence faith

The faith of the Canaanite woman who met with Jesus because her daughter was terribly suffering from demon-possession. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s acknowledged her persistence and personal faith after discussing with her:

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

  23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

  24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

  25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

  26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

  27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

  28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:21-28).

Conclusion

Faith in God makes you see his invisible hand in all that you are doing or happening to you.

“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” (Micah 7:8).

  8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

  9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9).

68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69).

  1 I will stand at my watch
       and station myself on the ramparts;
       I will look to see what he will say to me,
       and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

The LORD's Answer

  2 Then the LORD replied:
       "Write down the revelation
       and make it plain on tablets
       so that a herald may run with it.

  3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
       it speaks of the end
       and will not prove false.
       Though it linger, wait for it;
       it will certainly come and will not delay.

  4 "See, he is puffed up;
       his desires are not upright—
       but the righteous will live by his faith -

(Habakkuk 2:1-4).

Pope Alexander wrote, ‘The man who expects nothing shall never be disappointed. The man who expects nothing gets just what he expects – nothing’.

God bless you

Evang. John B. Oseh