1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,280 Welcome to Logan City Christian Church podcast where we bring God's Word to you weekly. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:16,820 We pray that what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life. 3 00:00:16,820 --> 00:00:19,120 Enjoy the message. 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,920 God reigns and He really does. 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:28,120 He has never ceased reigning from the beginning of time and that's something really worthwhile 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:33,840 meditating on. Good morning church, it's lovely to be with you again this morning and those 7 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,400 watching online, good morning. 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,440 It's lovely that we could be together and worship the Lord and come together as a church 9 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,160 family. 10 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:50,400 I'm going to continue from last week's message. 11 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:55,120 Last week I spoke on understanding how faith works. 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:00,480 Today it's understanding how to release faith and it's not hard. 13 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:09,760 I do believe that God made the gospel easy to understand and you know fishermen and tax 14 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:17,560 collectors, farmers understood it so that leaves me in good stead. 15 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:22,720 I guess it leaves all of us in a good place to be able to understand and I do believe 16 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:28,000 it's really important that we're taught right the first time if possible and unfortunately 17 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:35,900 for me I wasn't, I didn't understand what faith really is and when I got hold of it, 18 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:40,040 it just changed my entire life and faith is a rest. 19 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:45,560 I will say that faith is not a risk, faith is a rest and when we find that true place 20 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,560 of faith, it is a rest. 21 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,600 This morning we have something a little bit different that, could I ask Chantelle and 22 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,920 Eleanor if you could come up please, you want to bring the microphone with you, that would 23 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,760 be good. 24 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:08,280 We just got a few testimonies in relation to what I was speaking on last week about 25 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,760 how God in birth's faith and you know that Rhema word, the speaks or we read the word 26 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:19,740 of God and you go wow, this is my promise, this is my guarantee that I know this is what 27 00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:24,720 God is saying and then when I release that and then we see things happen, who would like 28 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,600 to go first, Chantelle or Eleanor, who would like to go first? 29 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,000 Oh they're offering each other, why don't you both come up, that might be better. 30 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:41,520 Why don't we welcome them, let's say come up. 31 00:02:41,520 --> 00:03:00,120 I'm going to go and sit down because I... 32 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:08,640 Good morning church family and thank you Pastor Rob and Pastor Chantelle, we are so, we will 33 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:14,760 always be eternally grateful that you have taught us God's word, the truth. 34 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:20,440 Faith comes by hearing the word of God and our pastor has faithfully taught us every 35 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,480 week the word of God. 36 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:30,440 Many years back I had some surgery which didn't concern me too much at the time, until the 37 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:36,080 day I thought I was going home and instead I was taken to the hospital office and told 38 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:42,760 that I had a cancer and that I would be needing more surgery and that the survival rate was 39 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,640 nine months to two years. 40 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:54,600 A nurse took me back to my room and the room was totally empty, I was in shock but I had 41 00:03:54,600 --> 00:04:03,440 a calmness and I walked into the room, it was totally empty and I stood there because 42 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:13,680 it was sort of surreal but suddenly this voice almost right in front of me said, be still 43 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:25,120 and know that I am God and I knew that was the voice of God. 44 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:37,240 It was a commanding voice, a comforting voice, I can still hear it now in my mind and I will 45 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:42,560 never forget that voice, I would only need to hear one word and I would know that again 46 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,320 is the voice of God. 47 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:52,440 A couple of days later I was still in this room on my own, they were preparing me blood 48 00:04:52,440 --> 00:05:03,080 tests and I heard the voice again but it was much quieter and the voice said, take my yoke 49 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:11,920 upon you and learn from me and that was my directions from God, take to learn from him 50 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:24,600 and I went home and I got my Bible and I put all little post-it notes, I got all the healing 51 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:33,480 scriptures, all the faith scriptures and because God knows me, he didn't say you are the healed 52 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:41,840 of the Lord or I would have said yippee, that's great and then on with life but no, I was 53 00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:46,640 told to step aside and learn, learn from God. 54 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:56,080 I was fortunate to be brought up in a Christian family but I had to learn and I learned the, 55 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:03,120 I knew that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour and I knew I had a fight 56 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:10,040 on my hands and I had to hang on, I had to hang on to this, I knew I would be healed 57 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:15,600 right from when I heard the words be still and know that I am God but I didn't know when 58 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:22,920 I would be healed and I knew I would have a fight on my hands and so daily I would read 59 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:30,840 these scriptures, they would take me 20 minutes or hours if I meandered through but I would 60 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:40,000 read them six times a day because I was pretty much laid up now and I just devoured or what 61 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:48,960 word, I soaked in these scriptures and I didn't feel healed and I didn't know when I would 62 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:58,440 be healed because the Bible says that the lepers as they went they were healed but I 63 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:07,400 was doing what I could, what I felt the Holy Spirit was leading me to do. 64 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:21,280 I knew I could not allow fear to come in because fear and faith cannot stand side by side and 65 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:26,660 so when you go through something like this you do have a battle because the enemy is 66 00:07:26,660 --> 00:07:30,720 always trying to get you into fear. 67 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:40,120 I remember one night I woke up, it was a hot night in February and there was a noise, quite 68 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:47,840 a loud noise and as I came awake I realised it was my teeth chattering and it was not 69 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:56,560 cold, it was hot and I was shaking in fear and you don't know what to do but I had my 70 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:03,080 weapon, I had the Word of God, I had my Holy Bible and I picked it up, that was the only 71 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:08,920 weapon I had but it was all I needed and I went downstairs and I had all my scriptures 72 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:15,800 marked out and I would walk the floor and say these scriptures and the Holy Spirit showed 73 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:23,880 me I had to speak them audibly and I had to hold my Bible, not just take them off a piece 74 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:29,960 of paper, I had to hold God's Word and declare them out loud. 75 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:41,760 So I did that for two years until the Lord said, he released me from that but I was, 76 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:48,000 I had to do, I just knew I had to do that and I never missed for two years, every day 77 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:56,200 I'd be in the car going to church and I would be reading my scriptures. 78 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:04,120 The thing was I had to learn to totally trust and obey. 79 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:09,560 Also I had to go back for a second lot of surgery and some other treatment and I didn't 80 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:16,940 want to go but my family wanted me to go and the Lord rebuked me with a ramus scripture 81 00:09:16,940 --> 00:09:24,520 and the scripture was Joshua 1.9, have I not commanded you be strong and of good courage, 82 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:32,540 do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 83 00:09:32,540 --> 00:09:38,800 And as I read that I could hear that same tone, that same timber of the Lord's voice 84 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:46,480 as I was reading that scripture and I'm just so grateful, I'm so grateful for what I learnt 85 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:47,840 through that time. 86 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:59,080 You may think it is awful being unwell but it was so a peaceful time, it was a wonderful 87 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:05,320 time that I was with the Lord and I learnt so much and I can honestly say when I look 88 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:11,720 back now that the closeness I had with my Heavenly Father was just so wonderful and 89 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:22,240 I wouldn't change it and I had Pastor Peter and Esther, a man from their group that they 90 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:27,720 used to teach, my mother brought him around and he taught me these scriptures to speak 91 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:34,200 these scriptures out and the night I came home from hospital the first night my daughter, 92 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:39,920 Wallace in hospital I knew I had to go and be prayed for and my daughter took me to Clark 93 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:47,120 Taylor's church on a Thursday night and it wasn't Clark Taylor but that's right I was 94 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:59,160 in the presence there and I can't say to this day when I was healed but I think of the, 95 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:07,200 in Mark it gives an account of Jairus when he went to the leader of the synagogue and 96 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:12,640 he went to Jesus and said please come and my little daughter is dying please come and 97 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:19,080 lay your hands on her and she will be healed and Jesus immediately went with him but as 98 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:24,800 he was going a woman put her hand out and touched the hem of his garment and she was 99 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:30,320 healed and God knew that power had gone out of him, healing power had gone out of him 100 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:35,520 and he said who touched me and the woman was very worried because she wasn't supposed to 101 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:42,480 be out but she said she admitted it was her and he said woman your faith has made you 102 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:48,040 whole and Jesus continued on with his disciples. 103 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:53,640 Now I think Jesus would have known and the little girl had died but they continued on 104 00:11:53,640 --> 00:12:00,320 to Jairus' house but as they went some men from Jairus' house said don't bother the 105 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:07,520 master your little daughter is dead don't trouble the master anymore and Jesus immediately 106 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:22,080 said to Jairus be not afraid, be not afraid only believe and they went to the house and 107 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:27,880 you know the account they put all these people that were crying and wailing outside and Jesus 108 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:33,680 would only allow the mother, the father and three of his disciples into the house. 109 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:45,280 He would not have any fear, he only wanted faith in that house and he said to the little 110 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:52,120 girl arise and she was healed from that day and the parents were amazed of course but 111 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:58,560 we serve a wonderful, he's a wonderful heavenly father, a wonderful heavenly father and if 112 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:06,960 we I think we really have to if we're when things go wrong we really have to dig in deep, 113 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:13,000 we have to it's not easy you have to dig deep you can be fighting for your life but it's 114 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:20,800 worth it you dig in deep and our little granddaughter comes and stays with us on a Friday night 115 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:26,400 sleeps over and this Friday night she was she wasn't going to sleep and she lay on the 116 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:33,320 bed and I lay on the bed with her and I said should we just count choose some of the animals 117 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:38,880 that would be going into the ark and it's amazing what a five-year-old the kind of critters 118 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:45,360 that a five-year-old creatures comes up with but we had all these animals and then I began 119 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:53,480 to think later you know God had prepared that ark he didn't want 57 elephants the boat was 120 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:59,800 not built it was prepared for two elephants a male and a female he had prepared a place 121 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:08,320 for two giraffes a male and a female he had prepared that boat perfectly as he wanted 122 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:20,720 it and and also for their food and the preparation and for Noah's family now many people had 123 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:30,320 been given the opportunity to go on the ark but people are made in the image of God but 124 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:38,240 they have their own free will now there was many animals that went on that ark God called 125 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:45,040 those animals he called them and they would have heard and two and two by two those animals 126 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:52,680 went on to the ark they has a place prepared for them but there was only eight people that 127 00:14:52,680 --> 00:15:00,400 went on to the ark and then God shut the door and so Jesus has said he has gone to prepare 128 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:10,220 a place for us and he said I will return again and and bring you unto myself but he said 129 00:15:10,220 --> 00:15:17,840 as in the days of Noah so will be when he returns for us so we need to be ready we are 130 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:26,960 so grateful to you Pastor Rob for teaching us we need that indwelling faith within us 131 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:35,320 and we need to hold on to God's word and know that and teach our family teach just be so 132 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:46,800 open with people because the time now is very short and I think thank you for listening 133 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:52,160 thank you Eleanor what an amazing testimony nine months to two years and how long ago 134 00:15:52,160 --> 00:16:07,600 was that Eleanor? 22 years there you go our God is a good God amen amen hallelujah praise 135 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:19,280 God when Rob asked me to share this this morning I was kind of I was thinking back to this 136 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:26,440 time and it's just like Eleanor it's just amazing when you look back to see what God 137 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:36,520 has done in your life and so with me I wasn't born into a Christian family I was raised 138 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:43,720 Catholic went to Catholic school and as you do you go to mass every week so I knew about 139 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:56,360 God I think I loved God and so when I'd finished primary school I went to a state high school 140 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:04,400 I didn't go to a Catholic high school and so as I was going to that high school because 141 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:09,520 of course they're not going to have mass every week I was kind of missing that I was missing 142 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:17,640 that connection with God and one day on parade they announced that they were going to play 143 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:24,040 a movie a Christian movie and anyone who was interested they were going to start a group 144 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:29,520 it was called ISCF back in those days into school Christian fellowship and I thought 145 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,720 you know what I really I want to go to that because I still want to have that connection 146 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:40,120 with God so I went along to this thing played in the lunch hour and it was actually the 147 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:48,560 cross and the switchblade the original giving away my age yeah so that was and that was 148 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:55,960 just an amazing just an amazing movie amazing testimony of what God could do in someone's 149 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:03,760 life and so after the movie there were two of the high school teachers they're actually 150 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:08,600 science teachers were born-again Christians and I'd never even heard of born-again I didn't 151 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:15,040 know what that was and after the movie they invited anyone they explained about Jesus 152 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:19,640 and how he died on the cross and how we needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ 153 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,320 I had never heard that in all my years of going to Catholic school and going to mass 154 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:30,320 and there was something in me that was drawing me to that and that day I actually gave my 155 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:37,760 heart to Jesus and I just sent such a weight come off me it was just incredible I'll never 156 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:49,080 forget that day so moving forward a few years later I met Rob we met I was 17 he was 18 157 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:58,040 but he wasn't saved and so anyway we continued to date by that point we'd moved out my family 158 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:07,480 had moved out away where I was not going to church so I really backslid I'm not blaming 159 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:14,160 Rob in any way but so I wasn't going to church so you know it's really important a fellowship 160 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:19,680 it's really important to go to church so I wasn't getting that you know weekly message 161 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:26,400 from the Lord and that fellowship and that encouragement so after that we got engaged 162 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:36,600 we got married and actually before we got engaged before we got in during we during 163 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:43,840 when we got engaged yeah there's something that happened in our family that really really 164 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:59,400 rocked my faith my dad and my younger brother in a car accident and my younger brother died 165 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:10,040 and yeah so that was pretty tough and my dad became paraplegic so I remember going to church 166 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:20,200 when I was a teenager I was told things happen God does things to teach you something and 167 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:26,680 I always remember that that message and so when this happened to our family I straight 168 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:33,240 away my my thought process went back to remembering what I'd heard in that that God does things 169 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:39,400 to teach you something and for the life of me I could not understand what are you teaching 170 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:46,160 me God here because all I'm feeling here is absolute pain like it was just heart wrenching 171 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:53,040 and I couldn't see any good out of it at all so for a long time I rejected God I wanted 172 00:20:53,040 --> 00:21:00,280 nothing to do with him I pretty much went about my day as though he didn't exist at 173 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:11,520 that point my mum started obviously asking questions and searching as well and just to 174 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:17,280 cut a long story short she ended up there was an ad in the paper and she ended up meeting 175 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:25,080 these born-again Christian people who were running a little church and so mum started 176 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:32,840 going to that and mum would come back and I could see that she was changed and and she 177 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:39,400 just seemed different and hopeful and she would say to me you need to come it's so good 178 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:44,800 you know and I said mom I want nothing to do with God that's done for me you know and 179 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:53,360 so she just continued to ask me and I continued to say no until one day I just thought okay 180 00:21:53,360 --> 00:22:00,160 all right mama give in I'll just go just to please her that day I went the preacher preached 181 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:08,200 on John 10 10 the thief does not come except to steal to kill and to destroy but I have 182 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:13,200 come that you may have life and life more abundantly and so it was like this light bulb 183 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:19,800 moment for me where I realized all this time I'd been blaming God for what had happened 184 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:25,760 and I didn't know that it was the enemy that kills steals and destroys and so from that 185 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:32,160 day I actually rededicated my life to the Lord and and it was a faith church at that 186 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:37,600 time but that it was great great teaching and it's what what I needed probably what 187 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:44,720 mum needed at that time too and so so I was going every week I couldn't stop praying 188 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:51,640 and reading my Bible it was just amazing and so by this time I was married and I thought 189 00:22:51,640 --> 00:23:02,080 right I'm gonna start praying for Rob's salvation yeah so but the interesting thing was there 190 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:11,600 was only one scripture that I ever got from the Lord just one and it's in Mark 11 22 191 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:17,360 and it says so Jesus answered and said to them have faith in God for assuredly I say 192 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:23,160 to you whoever says to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt 193 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:28,720 in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done he will have whatever 194 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:35,280 he says therefore I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray believe that you receive 195 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:42,240 them and you will have them and that was really the only scripture that I would pray like 196 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:47,840 I'd be doing you know I'd be at work or doing things around the house and this scripture 197 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:54,160 would I just be prompted to say this scripture over Rob's life and I would just see him 198 00:23:54,160 --> 00:24:00,320 in church raising his hands just surrendering to God and that's pretty much all I did that's 199 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:07,040 whenever I felt prompted and it didn't matter what I saw him do like he would you know come 200 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:14,040 home drunk or he would invite his cousin over and they would blow up a car in the backyard 201 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:19,160 mind you I was like eight and a half months pregnant when that happened I nearly had Megan 202 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:25,800 that night yeah so he was doing all these things but it was like well God has given 203 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:35,400 me this word and this word is far more truth than anything that I can see or feel or experience 204 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:43,680 and so I just kept claiming the scripture and then now can I just say I prayed this 205 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:50,360 for nine years so you know sometimes we're kind of in a hurry and we want God to do it 206 00:24:50,360 --> 00:24:55,680 now Lord or yesterday you know because we don't like to wait and we want to see the 207 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:01,680 things that we pray for come to pass but God has a reason I can't I don't know why it took 208 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:09,280 nine years but God has a reason and so nine years from when I started speaking this scripture 209 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:16,520 at two o'clock in the morning Rob gave his heart to the Lord and yeah so just just incredible 210 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:21,320 so don't give up I guess what I'm wanting to say to is don't give up just keep pressing 211 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:28,600 in because God will come through and the only thing that I didn't pray for was to become 212 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,800 a pastor and run a church I was just like God I never prayed that that wasn't on my 213 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:40,560 list but anyway he's a bit higher and bigger than ours amen can I just say that I absolutely 214 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:47,480 am honored to do what we do but it's certainly not something that I wanted or plan to do 215 00:25:47,480 --> 00:26:01,680 but God knows best and so yeah give him all the glory amen thank you 216 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:09,960 I'm really glad you stopped blowing up cars because it got a lot worse praise God here 217 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:15,480 should write a book one day but no one would buy it because you wouldn't believe it but 218 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:21,640 it is very important to have faith in God in spite of what all you may be going through 219 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:29,960 or seeing or experiencing have faith in God now last week I was explaining about what 220 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:38,080 scripture actually means as says about faith that faith is not something that we manufacture 221 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:45,240 and this is where I think it has gone wrong at times that we think I've got to somehow 222 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:52,800 get faith from somewhere so that I can believe God to do something but that's not how it 223 00:26:52,800 --> 00:27:03,680 works that faith is always instigated by God not by man faith always always is instigated 224 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:11,480 by God God has given to all a measure of faith and so what happens is in our life you know 225 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:16,620 last week I had some really good conversation with some of you guys about this subject from 226 00:27:16,620 --> 00:27:23,400 last Sunday it's like faith can be almost like God leading us like in other words you 227 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:30,920 may be like this particular person was saying you know I felt that God was calling me to 228 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:35,920 another country to do you know some work and he said and I followed that and next thing 229 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:41,080 you know this man has an incredible ministry over there and it started with and it was 230 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:50,380 in birth into him and when he believed what that inner persuasion was that inner leading 231 00:27:50,380 --> 00:27:57,080 God was able to lead this man on but God planted the seed in him first and the same goes with 232 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:03,080 like Eleanor thank you by the way Voni and last week Eleanor as well two Eleanors and 233 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:08,640 Chantelle thank you for sharing that because we do need to be reminded that God is still 234 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:14,800 alive and he's still doing miracles he's still healing people he's still you know bringing 235 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:19,480 families together he's still doing a lot of things I had a wonderful test heard a wonderful 236 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:25,520 testimony this morning about God restoring a family it's just so wonderful but you see 237 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:34,720 God he gives us he imparts into us that that substance and when we discern that see God 238 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:40,280 said he'd never leave you nor forsake you and if God before us who can be against us 239 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:47,200 so when we are faced you're facing trials in life it's then when we stop and say God 240 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,600 what are you saying are you showing me you know what are you showing me is there is there 241 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:59,880 is something you want to do here and I guarantee you that God will birth in you a faith for 242 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:04,600 that moment an inner convincing that God's saying look I'm with you and I'm going to 243 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:10,640 show you how to get through this if you just believe believe in what I've been birthed 244 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:18,480 into your spirit and follow that and believe in that and you will see it'll come to pass 245 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:24,280 I'm going to read Hebrews chapter 11 it's very very important that I do this morning 246 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:31,160 Hebrews chapter 11 from verse 1 you enjoy the testimonies this morning it's encouraging 247 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:36,680 isn't it very very encouraging God is still on the throne God is still doing miracles 248 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:43,480 God is still working he's still doing the same thing and he does it well Hebrews chapter 249 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:50,480 11 from verse 1 the Word of God reads now faith is the substance of things hoped for 250 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:57,680 the evidence of things not seen for by it the elders obtained a good testimony by faith 251 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:04,040 we understand that the worlds were framed in the Word of God by the Word of God so that 252 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:10,080 the things which are seen were not made of the things which are invisible by faith Abel 253 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:16,080 offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained witness 254 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:25,520 that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and through it he being dead still speaks 255 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:32,020 by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God 256 00:30:32,020 --> 00:30:39,720 had taken him for he was taken sorry for before he was taken he had this testimony that he 257 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:46,640 pleased God hey what a way to go how good is that verse 6 but without faith it's impossible 258 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:52,000 to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder 259 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:58,200 of those who diligently seek him by faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet 260 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:04,880 seen moved with godly fear prepared an ark for the saving of his household by which he 261 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:11,080 condemned the world and became heir of the right of the righteousness which is according 262 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:19,240 to faith verse 8 by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which 263 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:26,600 he would receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going by 264 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:34,560 faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country dwelling in tents with Isaac 265 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:41,400 and Jacob and the heirs with him of the same promise for he waited for the city which has 266 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:49,120 foundations whose builder and maker is God by faith Sarah herself also received strength 267 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:55,720 to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged him 268 00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:02,600 faithful who had promised verse 12 therefore from one man and him as good as dead were 269 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:09,920 born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude and you're innumerable as the sand which 270 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:20,480 is by the seashore faith these heroes of faith and there are many today they're heroes 271 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:26,640 of faith sitting in this room and so I'm watching online that you are here because of faith 272 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:32,920 you're here because of you know you've overcome things in life with you know God's help without 273 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:38,720 a doubt but I'd just like to go through a few verses here and as I expand it I know 274 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:44,880 it's going to encourage you a lot and verse one it says now faith is the substance of 275 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:49,800 things hoped for the evidence of things not seen remember that faith is something that 276 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:57,240 God in births into us he in births it into us and then God is waiting for a response 277 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:05,520 from us and when he in births it and we respond to it and we believe we see that our believing 278 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:12,680 believing in God's faith he's in birth persuasion that it's there and it's that that pleases 279 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:19,760 God verse six of Hebrews 11 said that without faith it's impossible to please God and so 280 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:26,880 that faith God's given to each and every one but when we respond to that faith when we 281 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:33,440 respond to that inner stirring in our spirit that really pleases God and God then is able 282 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:39,920 to do what he wants to do now faith is the substance so what does that word substance 283 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:45,860 mean I'm glad you asked I prepared it so how good is that that word substance I won't even 284 00:33:45,860 --> 00:33:51,240 try and pronounce it in the Greek it's about three miles long but let's just talk about 285 00:33:51,240 --> 00:34:01,120 what it means it means to stand or to possess it means standing under a guaranteed agreement 286 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:08,840 it means a title deed so faith is the substance safe faith is standing under a guarantee an 287 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:16,560 agreement that God has already made with us it's a title deed you know a title deed that 288 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:24,660 if you own a house or land or property and you have a title deed that that title deed 289 00:34:24,660 --> 00:34:31,120 indicates that that's yours that belongs to you and faith is the substance that substance 290 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:37,580 is what is convincing us to say the promise of God belongs to you here faith is the title 291 00:34:37,580 --> 00:34:47,160 deed the substance of it is this this very thing so figuratively it's a promise it's 292 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:55,480 a legitimate claim because it is it is literally a legal standing so when we see that when 293 00:34:55,480 --> 00:35:04,360 God inverts faith that it says here that his faith is the substance its substance it's 294 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:13,320 a legitimate claim to your promise that God has given you is that something that's that's 295 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:20,200 what it means and so it means in entitling someone to what is guaranteed under the agreement 296 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:26,360 under that agreement now it's interesting to know that God he is the one that initiated 297 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:33,700 the agreement he is the one that initiated the faith all he wants us to do is to believe 298 00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:41,080 to believe as the Eleanor said in the scripture only believe Jesus said only believe so for 299 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:46,560 me the revelation that came to me quite a few years ago now is that when I began to 300 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:53,080 understand faith is faith is not something that I had to somehow dig up or you know 301 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:59,460 that sort of and I used to try and try and try and try and realize that well maybe I'm 302 00:35:59,460 --> 00:36:04,280 just not cut out for this has anyone ever been there but faith is something that God 303 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:12,520 in births into us and God knows everything you're going through and so you know your 304 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:18,360 test or trial your needs may change from the day to tomorrow but God is always in birthing 305 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:23,720 faith into you for whatever that need may be but whatever that struggle may be so God's 306 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:30,280 always in birthing into us in a convincing saying I'm with you believe me trust me and 307 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:36,420 I'll get you through but our part is the believing God imparts the faith and I think sometimes 308 00:36:36,420 --> 00:36:40,800 it's been taught the other way around that we've got to have the faith in some way where 309 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:45,360 do I get faith from do I dig it up from under a rose bush do I you know go down the shop 310 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:52,680 and buy it from Bunnings or no faith is something that God imparts into his people for a need 311 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:59,600 and when we receive that inner birthing and that witness and that inner guarantee it's 312 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:04,920 like you know it I know it and it's just like it's been mentioned this morning that it's 313 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:14,320 beyond it's not natural it's supernatural and when we get hold of this inner persuasion 314 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:19,480 and we know like Eleanor said that that voice of God I know what you're talking about it's 315 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:25,880 a firm stern authority voice but yet it's calming it's soothing and it's calm you know 316 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:31,720 it's just so good but you know it's God speaking and when God speaks these words and you hear 317 00:37:31,720 --> 00:37:37,920 these words and they resonate in your spirit and then we act and we respond accordingly 318 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:45,840 to what that in birthing is that we see God begin to move and it's just so amazing how 319 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:54,080 God in heaven he sees humanity you know in so many different sorts of problems if I can 320 00:37:54,080 --> 00:38:05,400 say and God from heaven looks he goes I've been birthed into you faith believe and when 321 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:11,840 you believe and your belief lines up with that that in birthed that inner convincing 322 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:17,600 that faith that you trust God and you follow if he says go here you go there if he says 323 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:23,520 go get do that if he says to whatever and if you just follow those those those little 324 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:29,480 steps that follow those promptings the good the steps of a good man are ordered by the 325 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:33,920 Lord God's always trying to orchestrate his people because he loves us and he wants to 326 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:39,440 lead us into a better pastor into a better place that's what God does because he's our 327 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:43,920 heavenly father and he loves us and he cares for us he's always leading us he's always 328 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:49,040 in birthing faith into us you know it's what regardless what goes on in life God's always 329 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:57,580 got something ready for us to in birth into us our part is to believe I spent years trying 330 00:38:57,580 --> 00:39:03,020 to dig faith up from somewhere and the reason why I was doing this is because I didn't understand 331 00:39:03,020 --> 00:39:10,880 how it works God it's just the grace of God that he births this into us is saying there's 332 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:17,920 a miracle waiting inside of you there's a there's a miracle waiting act on it believe 333 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:25,520 it walk into it and we see the amazing hand of God that just works and so the scripture 334 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:29,880 says that faith is the substance of things hopeful so what are things hopeful what does 335 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:37,600 that mean it means to hope obviously actively waiting for God's fulfillment of the faith 336 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:43,600 he has in birth through the power of his love I'll say that again this is not not things 337 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:48,760 that I have made up by the way this comes directly from the concordance and the lexicon 338 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:54,080 that it explains exactly what these words mean and so let me say it again things hope 339 00:39:54,080 --> 00:40:02,760 for obviously to hope but it means to actively waiting not waiting it means actively waiting 340 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:12,240 so if it's actively waiting that means that we are doing something amen so it's actively 341 00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:21,620 waiting for God's fulfillment about the faith he had in birthed in us through the power 342 00:40:21,620 --> 00:40:28,800 of his love so in other words it reinforces it here again the word faith it means that 343 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:35,240 in birth persuasion the substance it's speaking about this entitlement this title deed but 344 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:42,560 then things hopeful it is speaking about the reinforcing the reinforcement of the promise 345 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:48,240 as I said here actively waiting for God's fulfillment of the promise that he had birthed 346 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:54,360 in us there is so much if you were to read through if you have a concordance or a lexicon 347 00:40:54,360 --> 00:41:01,520 or study this scripture that I'm speaking on to this morning and you will see how often 348 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:07,080 that it's kind of like over and over the Holy Spirit through repetition is bringing from 349 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:12,120 different angles different words that's meaning the same thing leading people to the same 350 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:18,520 outcome and basically the end of it all is trust God trust in what he's doing in your 351 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:25,760 life trust him believe God and you see great and wonderful things happen so it says that 352 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:31,160 now faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen and that 353 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:38,280 word evidence is in another amazing word it means inner conviction which same thing what 354 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:44,720 faith means but you see that the Holy Spirit as he moved upon men to write this scripture 355 00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:51,960 had an intention and that was by repetition to really reinforce this message and so the 356 00:41:51,960 --> 00:42:00,120 evidence the inner conviction and it focuses on God confirming his inner birthing of faith 357 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:06,100 the internal persuasion from him here it is again that's the third time in one verse 358 00:42:06,100 --> 00:42:12,880 of scripture that the same message coming from different ways has been conveyed see 359 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:18,440 that to me that's telling me that God really wants us to get something here and what it 360 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:25,520 is is that God in birth faith there's an inner conviction that we are to be actively waiting 361 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:31,440 for the fulfillment of of this faith we also with this inner conviction that we're focusing 362 00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:38,240 on God and when he's confirming the in birth faith in us this is an incredible thing you 363 00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:46,080 see it goes on to say for by it verse 2 the elders obtained a good testimony you see by 364 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:52,920 faith there's this faith see they understood the reason why these people are in the Hebrews 365 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:59,240 11 which is also known as the the the hall of faith though you know we have the Stockman 366 00:42:59,240 --> 00:43:04,320 Hall of Fame up at Longreach and and you know all the famous stockman and so forth that 367 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:09,080 did incredible things and pioneers their pictures are up there their stories and that because 368 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:15,320 they accomplished something they understood something and here we have in Hebrews 11 the 369 00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:21,400 hall of faith people's names are written in there real people and the reason is is because 370 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:26,920 they came across this revelation of what faith really is and how to use it how to operate 371 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:31,760 it how to release it and how to move in it now they were not were not perfect people 372 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:36,880 they were poor people with faults just like everybody else but when they understood the 373 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:42,420 process of faith and how it worked and they walked in it it's that that pleased God so 374 00:43:42,420 --> 00:43:49,400 much and verse 3 it says by faith we understand that the worlds were framed and the word of 375 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:54,060 by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which 376 00:43:54,060 --> 00:44:01,720 are invisible now you know there's speculation that this is speaking about all these different 377 00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:09,200 worlds and you know weird stuff this is clearly speaking about the universe and it's primarily 378 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:16,940 speaking about planet earth here as far as the worlds that were framed because it says 379 00:44:16,940 --> 00:44:20,720 about the things which are seen were not made of the things which are visible it's speaking 380 00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:26,880 of a tangible something tangible and so we speak about the heavens we speak about the 381 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:32,160 earth but it says here by faith we understand that the worlds were framed so what does that 382 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:39,220 word framed mean it means to be in good working order it means to to fully function so God 383 00:44:39,220 --> 00:44:47,120 had fully functioned this world by faith by his by him himself by doing what he did and 384 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:54,520 but it says by the word of God by the word of God the word of God here is the word Hrama 385 00:44:54,520 --> 00:45:00,680 which is the spoken word by the living voice of God is commonly used in the New Testament 386 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:06,920 and the Septuagint which is the Greek translation of Hebrew of the Hebrew Scriptures for the 387 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:13,680 Lord is speaking his dynamic living word in the heart of a believer and this is how one 388 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:22,160 of the ways how we in birth faith in us the inner persuasion and Romans 10 17 it says 389 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:29,980 so faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God and so it's a spiritual hearing 390 00:45:29,980 --> 00:45:36,160 that takes place here and so when we think about it here now we may be going through 391 00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:42,320 a test or a trial or not understanding things or whatever it might be just picture your 392 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:49,480 situation right now what you may be experiencing have a listen to this by faith we understand 393 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:54,760 that the worlds were framed by the word of God let's just stop there and just spend a 394 00:45:54,760 --> 00:46:06,960 little bit of time here because I think it's a worthy thing to do how does the world work 395 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:12,280 earth spins at a certain speed they say that if the earth slowed down a little bit or sped 396 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:18,800 up a bit things are not going to work in balance here and there's happens to be a moon that 397 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:25,640 works the tides and we have the earth and the solar system that just works so perfectly 398 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:36,040 and the sun and everything just works so incredibly well so intricately that God he spoke it by 399 00:46:36,040 --> 00:46:46,760 his word into being this is the same God that in birth faith into you and into me it's the 400 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:53,760 same God with the same capability do you think or do I think or do we can are we convinced 401 00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:59,640 that the same God who created the heavens and the earth and the seas and so perfectly 402 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:06,200 and has everything working so well and in order has the capacity to birth into you the 403 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:12,680 same order the same power that if we believe what God has birthed in us that there could 404 00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:18,360 be an incredible miracle in our life it's the same God it's the same faith it's the 405 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:25,920 same person it's the same process nothing has ever changed with God and then we see 406 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:33,160 that God how he spoke you know there was chaos and darkness and God said let there be light 407 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:41,720 and light came the power of God's word that God himself with that realm of work he spoke 408 00:47:41,720 --> 00:47:47,720 creation into being he spoke light into being and then God in his wisdom I'll skip a few 409 00:47:47,720 --> 00:47:56,080 verses and then God created the trees and he created animals and how does a seed please 410 00:47:56,080 --> 00:48:00,920 how do we know we can cut a seed open and you know they say the DNA in the seed we know 411 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:07,000 that now but we still don't probably understand it how it got there unless we understand that 412 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:16,560 God created it amen so God created life God created each seed to produce after its own 413 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:23,240 kind it's an incredible thing and so we see that since the beginning of creation that 414 00:48:23,240 --> 00:48:35,000 we've seen creation has continued to reproduce perfectly so then God creates man he created 415 00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:42,160 him in his image and likeness he created them when we look at our fingerprints to think 416 00:48:42,160 --> 00:48:47,440 there's not there's not one person in this room with the same fingerprints in fact in 417 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:56,320 this in this world with the same fingerprints that your eyes are so different to any other 418 00:48:56,320 --> 00:49:03,160 human beings eyes anyone that's ever lived before yet God created you and he created 419 00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:12,120 them and yet you're so different you're unique fearfully wonderfully made and so we see this 420 00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:21,720 incredible architecture if I can say by God himself that created you so totally different 421 00:49:21,720 --> 00:49:32,040 but unique to anybody else and he did this by intention he intentionally made you different 422 00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:37,640 this is the same God that had the power of the wisdom and the ability to do that is the 423 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:43,520 same one that wants to help you through your trials today he's the same God that wants 424 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:48,960 to help you get through whatever you may be facing today he's the same God with the faith 425 00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:54,520 that he used that in you to create this world that we see the things that are seen he's 426 00:49:54,520 --> 00:50:00,560 the same God who in births into our spirit every time there is a need or something that 427 00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:05,440 we're a place that we're in and a place of need that God saying I've already got it covered 428 00:50:05,440 --> 00:50:13,120 for you here it is and we receive it I believe our focus should be a lot more on meditating 429 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:19,400 what God's doing in our lives I mean daily thinking about it wake up in the morning God 430 00:50:19,400 --> 00:50:24,080 today is a new day this is the first day of the rest of my life what have you got for 431 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:30,760 me today God what are you speaking to me today what is what's your heart today and often 432 00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:36,160 you'll find that God will you'll discern in your spirit that God's trying to speak to 433 00:50:36,160 --> 00:50:42,440 us or show us something and we need to give God the time to relay that what it is and 434 00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:48,480 for us to discern it but in this world we're always in a hurry rush rush rush the alarm 435 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:53,240 clock goes off at whatever time in the morning we get up and probably whatever do what you 436 00:50:53,240 --> 00:50:57,560 do have your cornflakes and just thinking oh man I've got time for a coffee and I've 437 00:50:57,560 --> 00:51:02,400 got to go then you're rustling bustle through traffic and you get to work and and people 438 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:07,240 are not happy because hardly anyone's happy in the mornings these days and you know it's 439 00:51:07,240 --> 00:51:12,000 just chaos and somehow we've got to survive when we come home then you got to do this 440 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:16,040 and do that and feed the kids and do the washing and you know all these things and you sit 441 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:20,600 down the armchair at the end of the day you go I'm so tired and we go to bed and the 442 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:24,920 next day we wake up early in the morning alarm clock goes off you eat your wheat mixer your 443 00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:30,000 cornflakes and the process goes over and over and over and over and somewhere we've got 444 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:35,240 to stop the clock and say hang on a minute I need some time out with God because I'm 445 00:51:35,240 --> 00:51:41,080 going through some things and I am sure that He is in birth some faith in me to get me 446 00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:46,040 through what I'm going through and I need to stop and take time out to hear what God's 447 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:54,860 saying to see what God's doing we get so busy I was reading I forget some time in history 448 00:51:54,860 --> 00:51:59,640 I think it was the sixteen seventeen hundreds whatever that they in France they wanted to 449 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:04,700 eliminate all kinds of trace of Christianity and I think they were worked out a ten day 450 00:52:04,700 --> 00:52:11,880 week and when I read this a ten day week wow could you imagine the work we could get done 451 00:52:11,880 --> 00:52:17,800 in ten days and I felt the Lord say to me it wasn't me any different you'll fill it 452 00:52:17,800 --> 00:52:23,720 up just like you do with eight or seven sorry you do the same and I thought yeah I know 453 00:52:23,720 --> 00:52:29,320 a word but what I'm trying to say here is by faith we understand that the worlds were 454 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:34,920 framed and put in order by the Word of God so that the things which are seen were not 455 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:42,560 made of the things which are visible in other words God is awesome He's amazing and He's 456 00:52:42,560 --> 00:52:47,960 not left you alone He's in birth the faith into you for today to get you through today 457 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:54,200 and when we discern that and identify it and believe God that this day is a day of endless 458 00:52:54,200 --> 00:53:02,240 possibilities in you wow this is an awesome awesome experience thank you Jesus amen praise 459 00:53:02,240 --> 00:53:07,120 be to God I want to quickly look at Galatians I'm going to just do a few things then we'll 460 00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:14,440 close Galatians chapter 3 it's a really important passage of scripture here that it really highlights 461 00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:22,920 this message even more so Galatians chapter 3 I will read from verse 1 to verse 5 and 462 00:53:22,920 --> 00:53:28,280 so Apostle Paul speaking to the Galatians and you know they got born again and then 463 00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:33,480 the Judea is trying to come along and take them back to the law and Paul saying come 464 00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:39,360 on guys you've experienced God and why are you looking back you go forward and he says 465 00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:45,520 from verse 1 of Galatians chapter 3 oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you that you should 466 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:51,280 not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as 467 00:53:51,280 --> 00:53:57,720 crucified this only I want to learn from you did you receive the spirit by the works of 468 00:53:57,720 --> 00:54:09,160 the law or by the hearing of the hearing of faith faith is heard we hear it that God speaks 469 00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:17,480 into us we heard this morning Eleanor heard Chantelle heard it God dropped that little 470 00:54:17,480 --> 00:54:23,720 still small voice in there but it was enough it was enough Chantelle said I only had one 471 00:54:23,720 --> 00:54:32,000 scripture but one scripture was enough and so the hearing of faith are you so foolish 472 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:37,160 having begun in the spirit you're now being made perfect in the flesh have you suffered 473 00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:43,040 so many things in vain and indeed it was in vain therefore he who supplies to the spirit 474 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:48,840 sorry supplies the spirit to you and works and works miracles among you does he do it 475 00:54:48,840 --> 00:54:54,120 by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith isn't that amazing within a few 476 00:54:54,120 --> 00:55:03,440 verses the Holy Spirit again has used two phrases the same by the hearing of faith Romans 477 00:55:03,440 --> 00:55:12,320 10 17 faith comes by and by hearing the the question is today how much time are we spending 478 00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:28,000 hearing hello we need to listen to what God's saying and hear and take note of these things 479 00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:32,520 amen praise the Lord let's move along very quickly and so let's have a quick look at 480 00:55:32,520 --> 00:55:38,600 those who obtained a good testimony by faith acting and believing this in birth faith faith 481 00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:43,640 is not a new testament principle faith's always been from the beginning of time as we're about 482 00:55:43,640 --> 00:55:49,100 to see in a moment but you know these people all recorded in the hall of faith because 483 00:55:49,100 --> 00:55:54,240 they understood how to release faith and it's really important to know how to release faith 484 00:55:54,240 --> 00:55:58,320 there's one thing to understand like I got faith this faith is in birth to me now what 485 00:55:58,320 --> 00:56:05,880 do I do what do I do and so the the when we receive it and we know it we believe it we've 486 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:11,720 got to act on it and have a listen to how these people did it really really amazing 487 00:56:11,720 --> 00:56:21,840 verse 4 of Hebrews chapter 11 I better go back there Hebrews chapter 11 still with me 488 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:34,320 good verse 4 by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through 489 00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:40,200 which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and through it 490 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:46,720 being he being dead still speaks in other words his testimony is still being spoken 491 00:56:46,720 --> 00:56:54,120 about today and is still valid today and there's something in his offering that he did that 492 00:56:54,120 --> 00:57:00,560 is still relevant to today and this is the important part so by faith Abel so in other 493 00:57:00,560 --> 00:57:10,160 words Abel was given a measure of faith when it came to the the Abel and Cain presenting 494 00:57:10,160 --> 00:57:15,480 an offering to God we know that Cain he got the the fruit of the ground and you know he 495 00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:21,160 prepared it now you might think well what a scallywag you know in in the in the Bible 496 00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:25,640 it does teach about that they gave grain offerings to the Lord and they gave you know offerings 497 00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:31,160 of the of the ground of trees and fruit to the Lord and so it's not that it is wrong 498 00:57:31,160 --> 00:57:37,560 as such to give that to God but it wasn't what God was looking for so what we have the 499 00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:45,520 picture here is what made Cain and Abel so different why were they why did God receive 500 00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:56,400 Abel and his sacrifice and why did God reject Cain and Cain's sacrifice the sacrifice that 501 00:57:56,400 --> 00:58:07,080 was offered was a result of the heart of the offerer is that a word offer it is now of 502 00:58:07,080 --> 00:58:15,880 the person giving the offering so the offering is not the problem it's the person's heart 503 00:58:15,880 --> 00:58:21,800 that decided what to give or how much to give that's what we're going to look at right now 504 00:58:21,800 --> 00:58:29,880 so Abel he's the guy that passed the test right he's still being spoken about today 505 00:58:29,880 --> 00:58:35,720 so the picture here if you were to read it carefully and go back to Genesis and you will 506 00:58:35,720 --> 00:58:42,520 see something really amazing why Abel made it in the hall of faith it was simply this 507 00:58:42,520 --> 00:58:51,200 if you could picture Cain and Abel side by side and it came offering time God had imparted 508 00:58:51,200 --> 00:59:02,360 into both of them the same conviction the same faith knowing what to do beyond any doubt 509 00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:15,800 Cain are going to do that Abel oh lord I feel that inner conviction I feel you're you're 510 00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:22,920 really showing me that the offering is to do this and Cain Abel got the best of the 511 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:31,000 flock and offered it to God that's the difference it was faith inner faith that came to action 512 00:59:31,000 --> 00:59:36,280 that turned to worship and also that offering was redemptive there's nothing redemptive 513 00:59:36,280 --> 00:59:41,400 about grain and so that's where he went there's that time going we're almost run out let 514 00:59:41,400 --> 00:59:47,440 me just go very very quickly by faith Enoch Enoch was a man of faith and he pleased God 515 00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:51,600 that much that he said you're too good for this earth you're coming up here with me by 516 00:59:51,600 --> 00:59:59,560 faith with Noah with Noah where's Noah over here we know the story with Noah it says about 517 00:59:59,560 --> 01:00:04,760 how God said to him I want you to build an ark something that's never been seen before 518 01:00:04,760 --> 01:00:10,240 and it says that Noah moved with godly fear and he did he began to build what has never 519 01:00:10,240 --> 01:00:17,120 been built before because something that has never come before was coming the rain had 520 01:00:17,120 --> 01:00:23,480 never fallen on planet earth at that time so could you imagine if God woke you up in 521 01:00:23,480 --> 01:00:33,680 the middle of the night and said Peter I want you to build me a gum dunya because this gum 522 01:00:33,680 --> 01:00:38,240 dunya is going to be really important you got to build it right because gum adue is 523 01:00:38,240 --> 01:00:45,800 going to fall from the sky and this gum dunya is going to float on the gum adue and here's 524 01:00:45,800 --> 01:00:53,440 the plans and I want you to build it we didn't he no one didn't know what it was he didn't 525 01:00:53,440 --> 01:00:58,360 know what rain was he didn't know what the the the ground was going to break open and 526 01:00:58,360 --> 01:01:06,160 he had no idea so we need to know that he had no idea what he was he had never been 527 01:01:06,160 --> 01:01:13,360 built before ever and something that was going to fall on the from the sky and and come up 528 01:01:13,360 --> 01:01:19,080 from had never happened before so it was it was a new thing for Noah but Noah with that 529 01:01:19,080 --> 01:01:23,640 inner conviction he moved with godly fear we see that it turned to the saving of the 530 01:01:23,640 --> 01:01:30,600 souls of of eight and of the animals of course praise the Lord Abraham unbelievable here 531 01:01:30,600 --> 01:01:35,400 here's Abraham and Sarah they're well advanced in years and God's saying hey guess what you 532 01:01:35,400 --> 01:01:48,040 guys are going to be parents and it's like are you serious I thought we'd gone past that 533 01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:54,480 God says to Abraham he said Abraham I'm going to bless you and your descendants are going 534 01:01:54,480 --> 01:02:05,560 to be as the stars in the sky the sand by the sea so shall your descendants be and I 535 01:02:05,560 --> 01:02:12,360 could only imagine Abraham's like are you real he's getting on and Sarah's getting 536 01:02:12,360 --> 01:02:19,160 on Sarah was was spoken to and she received that word and she laughed at first but then 537 01:02:19,160 --> 01:02:27,040 she thought well if God is God let him be God but here's what God did I'm sure there 538 01:02:27,040 --> 01:02:30,840 were times that Abraham would have thought how could this be look at my age how old was 539 01:02:30,840 --> 01:02:35,720 he getting up around the hundred wasn't he he's getting about the ton on the speedo he's 540 01:02:35,720 --> 01:02:44,040 starting to get old so here he is thinking life's about ready to wind up thinking about 541 01:02:44,040 --> 01:02:50,160 you know the next home and God says hey guess what by the way did I tell you you're going 542 01:02:50,160 --> 01:03:00,920 to be a father you what he said yeah and this is how it's going to be stars stars in the 543 01:03:00,920 --> 01:03:09,960 sky sand by the sea every time that Abraham walked outside of his tent at night what did 544 01:03:09,960 --> 01:03:18,280 he see he saw all the stars and he was reminded so shall your descendants be and during the 545 01:03:18,280 --> 01:03:23,640 day when he's walking by and the sand everywhere what do you see Abraham I see sand so shall 546 01:03:23,640 --> 01:03:30,320 your descendants be God has a way to remind you to stir up that faith to act on that faith 547 01:03:30,320 --> 01:03:37,760 to keep moving God will always find a way to do this in Jesus name amen I'm just going 548 01:03:37,760 --> 01:03:48,760 to close here God has given all a measure of faith so right now maybe watching online 549 01:03:48,760 --> 01:03:55,960 or sitting here today you may be thinking I really don't want anything to do with God 550 01:03:55,960 --> 01:04:02,040 or I'm a million miles away from God or I just want to live my own life or I'm not interested 551 01:04:02,040 --> 01:04:11,080 I just just it's all right God you can be in heaven I'm here that or you may be thinking 552 01:04:11,080 --> 01:04:19,080 I've done too many things that God could ever accept me I don't think I'm worthy to be accepted 553 01:04:19,080 --> 01:04:23,680 by God and I think that's the big one that humanity faces today and I'll tell you why 554 01:04:23,680 --> 01:04:29,300 I say that is because God has given to all a measure of faith so regardless where we 555 01:04:29,300 --> 01:04:36,840 are on that spectrum on that scale from feeling so unworthy to I really don't care if God's 556 01:04:36,840 --> 01:04:42,080 alive or not everyone on that scale has been given the same measure of faith to believe 557 01:04:42,080 --> 01:04:52,800 everyone and what happens is when each and every one of us hear the gospel of Jesus Christ 558 01:04:52,800 --> 01:05:00,640 and we hear about the goodness of God and we start believing that there that in birth 559 01:05:00,640 --> 01:05:08,720 faith that God had placed in you to believe start stirring up that's what happens and 560 01:05:08,720 --> 01:05:16,640 right now today I don't know if you're walking with God or maybe you know you like God you 561 01:05:16,640 --> 01:05:22,320 love God but you've never made a commitment Christ that you might be thinking I don't 562 01:05:22,320 --> 01:05:25,520 know if I really want to do that or I don't know if I you know there's so many I don't 563 01:05:25,520 --> 01:05:36,760 know I want to tell you today that the greatest thing you'll ever do is to believe to believe 564 01:05:36,760 --> 01:05:43,080 and that inner persuasion that inner conviction in your spirit right now that God is alive 565 01:05:43,080 --> 01:05:56,680 Jesus is alive that Christ is risen from the dead always remember that these famous philosophers 566 01:05:56,680 --> 01:06:04,840 in life that try and explain away the existence of God and I say they need to get a life a 567 01:06:04,840 --> 01:06:11,260 born-again life because their arguments go round and round and round in circles and end 568 01:06:11,260 --> 01:06:17,920 up nowhere that at the end of the day when we all lay our head on the pillow at night 569 01:06:17,920 --> 01:06:24,080 and we begin to wonder what happens after I die where do I go do I just cease to exist 570 01:06:24,080 --> 01:06:30,680 no you don't you're a living eternal being and every living eternal being when they die 571 01:06:30,680 --> 01:06:36,720 they go somewhere and the Bible makes it very clear that there is a heaven and there is 572 01:06:36,720 --> 01:06:45,840 a hell and people don't make it to heaven by accident it's by choice and today let me 573 01:06:45,840 --> 01:06:52,320 encourage you that God himself I believe if you're not with God today or you've fallen 574 01:06:52,320 --> 01:07:01,160 away from God I pray that the Spirit of God would be just moving on your spirit and identifying 575 01:07:01,160 --> 01:07:06,080 with this faith that God has given you because the first thing you'll realize that God is 576 01:07:06,080 --> 01:07:16,840 good he is so good and God is not against you that God is for you he's always for you 577 01:07:16,840 --> 01:07:24,200 and so today the Bible says that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth 578 01:07:24,200 --> 01:07:31,640 the Lord Jesus it says you will be saved for out of it says about that whoever calls on 579 01:07:31,640 --> 01:07:40,320 the name of the Lord shall be saved but what does it mean that if you believe in your heart 580 01:07:40,320 --> 01:07:48,280 it's meaning believing that inner conviction and understanding that God is reaching out 581 01:07:48,280 --> 01:07:54,920 to you even right now God's reaching out to you you're watching online God is reaching 582 01:07:54,920 --> 01:08:04,280 out to you to know that this inner birth faith came from God and God wants to stir that faith 583 01:08:04,280 --> 01:08:13,840 up inside of you to a place that we take notice of it and maybe even begin to start learning 584 01:08:13,840 --> 01:08:21,280 more about the things of God or the Bible and as we start to read it all makes sense 585 01:08:21,280 --> 01:08:31,160 it all comes together that we go wow this is truth and when we believe when we believe 586 01:08:31,160 --> 01:08:38,440 in our belief comes and meets with that in birth faith that God has placed in us the 587 01:08:38,440 --> 01:08:45,160 greatest miracle that will ever happen to any human being will happen and that is the 588 01:08:45,160 --> 01:08:53,160 born again experience born from above once we were lost in darkness we were without God 589 01:08:53,160 --> 01:08:59,120 but when you and I came to Christ that those of us that are born again sitting here today 590 01:08:59,120 --> 01:09:05,600 or watching online that we know this side of the cross what salvation is what it does 591 01:09:05,600 --> 01:09:12,120 how wonderful it is but to those of us who still yet have not made that decision know 592 01:09:12,120 --> 01:09:19,240 this for sure that the greatest thing that happened to you is to give your life to Jesus 593 01:09:19,240 --> 01:09:25,800 to believe believe that God sent his only son to die a horrible death for you so that 594 01:09:25,800 --> 01:09:34,440 you may live and if we believe that and we join our believing with that in birth faith 595 01:09:34,440 --> 01:09:39,680 that's where the miracle happens see many of us as Christians and maybe Christian for 596 01:09:39,680 --> 01:09:46,240 years to say I've never really seen a miracle you born again yes you're a miracle I don't 597 01:09:46,240 --> 01:09:52,440 know if I've ever been able to use faith are you born again yes you have released faith 598 01:09:52,440 --> 01:09:58,560 you believe you believe the promise you believe God's promise and you are a result today as 599 01:09:58,560 --> 01:10:04,480 a child of the living God it doesn't get better than that I want to just this morning just 600 01:10:04,480 --> 01:10:10,520 give an altar call here that if there's anyone here this morning that you're sensing that 601 01:10:10,520 --> 01:10:17,040 and knowing that inner conviction and knowing I know God does love me I want you to understand 602 01:10:17,040 --> 01:10:25,560 this we don't have to clean ourselves up so that we can come to God he wants you to come 603 01:10:25,560 --> 01:10:33,240 just as you are I mean look at me you heard some of the testimonies from what I did before 604 01:10:33,240 --> 01:10:38,560 I was a born-again Christian some of the but I remember the night that I got saved I had 605 01:10:38,560 --> 01:10:48,040 been drinking and smoking things that I shouldn't have and I was still influenced by this substance 606 01:10:48,040 --> 01:10:54,800 or substances but I remember that night at 2 a.m. in the morning when Chantelle led me 607 01:10:54,800 --> 01:11:01,920 to Christ I knew that was the end of the road for me for my old life because nothing was 608 01:11:01,920 --> 01:11:10,280 really working but I remember saying to Chantelle maybe tomorrow because I've you know affected 609 01:11:10,280 --> 01:11:17,600 by substances she says no you're here now let's do this now and I understood something 610 01:11:17,600 --> 01:11:26,440 about God he doesn't want us to clean ourselves up so we can come to him that's religion he 611 01:11:26,440 --> 01:11:36,080 wants you to come just as you are and you may feel today I'm so unworthy I don't deserve 612 01:11:36,080 --> 01:11:44,300 it I've done too many wrong things so what that's what grace is about I've made so many 613 01:11:44,300 --> 01:11:50,200 mistakes yet if you were to hear the story of most of us here today you would understand 614 01:11:50,200 --> 01:11:56,680 you're in the site where you're in good company but it's about the saving grace of God he 615 01:11:56,680 --> 01:12:02,880 gives this to us because we don't deserve it it's his love for us praise the Lord now 616 01:12:02,880 --> 01:12:10,840 I'm gonna ask if we can all bow our heads and close your eyes if you wish now I'm just 617 01:12:10,840 --> 01:12:18,720 going to lead you through a prayer very similar to similar to what I prayed a bit over 30 618 01:12:18,720 --> 01:12:27,520 years ago now and if you truly from the depths of your heart believe what I'm about to lead 619 01:12:27,520 --> 01:12:35,920 the prayer lead you in if you believe it you will experience such a great work of God in 620 01:12:35,920 --> 01:12:41,920 your life this morning it'll be enormous it'll be life-changing forever it'll be an eternal 621 01:12:41,920 --> 01:12:49,560 work that'll take place in your life now in the name of Jesus just believe but the Bible 622 01:12:49,560 --> 01:12:55,600 says believe in your heart and confess with your mouth come on let's do this together 623 01:12:55,600 --> 01:13:00,660 if this is what you desire it's what I know it's what we all need would you follow me 624 01:13:00,660 --> 01:13:10,200 in this prayer this morning Father God I come to you in the name of Jesus I believe in my 625 01:13:10,200 --> 01:13:21,360 heart and I confess with my mouth that you Jesus are the Son of God that you died for 626 01:13:21,360 --> 01:13:33,040 me and you raised him from the dead for me this day I'm sorry for all the things that 627 01:13:33,040 --> 01:13:48,280 I've done wrong and I turn to you Jesus I ask that I be born again born from above received 628 01:13:48,280 --> 01:13:56,360 into the family of God in the name of Jesus now if you have prayed that prayer for the 629 01:13:56,360 --> 01:14:03,000 first time don't be shy I'm not going to ask you to come out the front but just acknowledge 630 01:14:03,000 --> 01:14:08,440 your confession would you just raise your hand up please just be bold just raise your 631 01:14:08,440 --> 01:14:13,840 hand up maybe you've made a recommitment this morning I see one up the back is there anyone 632 01:14:13,840 --> 01:14:19,760 else hand up just nice and high very quickly up and down please just very quickly I won't 633 01:14:19,760 --> 01:14:26,080 be too long here but this is very important for you amen last time is there anybody else 634 01:14:26,080 --> 01:14:33,320 here just your hand straight up amen praise the Lord well you know what there's salvation 635 01:14:33,320 --> 01:14:41,200 in the house of God today and I thank God for that that in birth faith has done at work 636 01:14:41,200 --> 01:14:48,000 now I'll go I'll be going to see a couple a little bit later after the service but some 637 01:14:48,000 --> 01:14:52,260 of the leaders may come and see you but I want to congratulate you for the decision 638 01:14:52,260 --> 01:14:57,640 you've made this morning that is just just wonderful and we thank the Lord for what he's 639 01:14:57,640 --> 01:15:04,880 done church as I've closed as I finish here right now have faith in God no matter what 640 01:15:04,880 --> 01:15:13,460 you're going through have faith in God he's in he's deposited in you faith and take time 641 01:15:13,460 --> 01:15:25,200 to hear the hearing of faith hear it discern it understand it believe it then walk in it 642 01:15:25,200 --> 01:15:44,720 amen God bless you guys God bless you amen thank you for joining us we pray God's richest 643 01:15:44,720 --> 01:15:46,600 blessing on your life if you haven't already make sure to join us on Facebook Instagram 644 01:15:46,600 --> 01:15:52,200 and YouTube you can also find us at Logan City Christian Church dot com see you next 645 01:15:52,200 --> 01:15:56,960 week