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 Sermon > Sunday Morning Service |
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Title |
My Faith and God-given Faith |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Mark 2:3-12 |
Date |
2016-05-22 |
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Passage
[Mark 2:3-12]
"And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. [4] Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. [5] And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." [6] But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, [7] "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?" [8] Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? [9] "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'? [10] "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" He said to the paralytic, [11] "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." [12] And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."』
The words of the Bible are active. To believers, the miracles in the Bible are not just some written record, but they take place even today. Matthew 8:13 says, "And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment." They can experience that things are done as they have believed they would. This is privilege given to those believers who have true faith.
Some of you, however, might ask why you certainly believe but do not receive answers. In order to receive answers from God, just saying, "I believe" is not enough. Then, what do you have to do? I will tell you three things based on today's reading passage. I hope this message will become your life and strength, so you will receive whatever you ask and give glory to God, I pray this in the name of the Lord.
[Main]
Dear brothers and sisters,
Let us first look at the reading passage. When Jesus was at Capernaum, a crowd of people gathered around Him, because they had heard news about Him. There was also a paralytic man who was carried by his friends on a pallet. He had heard Jesus could heal any disease and he believed it. He had hope that he could also be healed if he went before Jesus.
But because of the crowd, he could not get into the house where Jesus was. It was more difficult for him in particular because he was on a pallet and people had to make way for him. And yet, the paralytic and his four friends did not give up and looked for a way in.
Eventually, they found a way that no one could have imagined. It was by opening the roof of the house where Jesus was and letting down the pallet! It was possible because the roofs at that time were made with clay and straw. There were many reasons why they should not open the roof. They could have thought, "Can we damage another person's roof?" "There certainly is going to be dust in the house while we are opening the roof!" But all the reasons faded away by the faith that they could receive the answer only when they went before Jesus. Such people are the ones who really long to receive the answer and who trust in Jesus.
By so doing, eventually, the paralytic man met with Jesus. But nothing happened yet. So, when did the answer come to him? Verse 5 of the reading passage says, "And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." And then in verse 11, Jesus said, "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home."
Brothers and sisters, these verses contain three spiritual conditions with which we can receive the answer.
First, we have to show faith from our side, which is to set up a 'prop of faith'.
Here, 'faith from our side' refers to general faith, which is faith as knowledge. We believe God created the heavens and the earth and all things in them with His word. We believe the Bible is the word of God. We believe God's Son Jesus was conceived in Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit and was born. Also, we believe He died on the cross for our sins, resurrected on the third day, and ascended into Heaven. We also believe, after that, the Holy Spirit came to us and dwells among us.
This is the general faith that we can have from our side. It is faith as knowledge gained by hearing sermons or reading the Bible. If we do not have this faith, we wouldn't come to church or believe in God. But this general faith in itself does not bring answers to us. It just plays the role of the prop that enables us to receive the spiritual faith which is given by God.
The paralytic man and his four friends also had this general faith. They certainly believed that Jesus could heal diseases. And they showed that their faith was true through their actions. Namely, they went before Jesus even by opening the roof.
It means they did their best to firmly set up the 'prop of faith' from their side. First part of verse 5 in the reading passage says, "And Jesus seeing their faith…" As said, they showed their faith so that Jesus could see their faith in their actions. Even today, in order for us to receive the desires of our heart, we have to show our faith. We have to show the faith we have with deeds so God can see them.
There are times when some of the sick people are almost coerced to come and receive prayer. In this situation it's difficult for them to receive answers. There is a minimum prop of faith that must be provided by the sick people themselves. They have to believe in God the Creator, and they should know why Jesus is our only Savior, and then come with faith. For this reason, I always say that you should at least learn "The Message of the Cross" for you to receive divine healing. You must listen to such basic messages and at least have faith as knowledge. And you have to come using that faith as your foothold so that divine healing can take place.
By the way, there are some believers who get involved in accidents or who get serious diseases and come to receive prayer. Then I ask a question. "Have you kept the Lord's Day holy and given tithes?" These are the two most basic commandments that all believers in God must keep. If you do not keep these two commandments, it's difficult to receive the answer by faith. It's because, as James 2:26 says, faith without works is dead.
In order for you to receive your heart's desires, you must set up a firm prop of faith by showing your faith through your actions. You don't just have to pray earnestly, but also if urged by the Spirit, you have to fast or offer all-night prayers. Depending on each one's measure of faith, you might also have to do good deeds such as evangelism, voluntary service, or charitable work by the urging of the Spirit. When you show your faith with actions, which is to set up the prop of faith from your side, spiritual faith can be given from above.
Dear brothers and sisters,
In order to receive the answer with faith, secondly, you must not have any barrier of sin.
Today's reading passage, verse 5 says, "And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Because Jesus knows the spiritual law very well, He first gave him forgiveness of sin before the healing. Even if we prepare the prop of faith from our side, it will not work if we have a barrier of sin between God and us.
Isaiah 59:1-2 says, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." Also, even if you try to set up the prop of faith, the wall of sin will shake that prop.
What does it mean? Satan can make sinful people have thoughts of doubts and other fleshly thoughts. Then, the prop of faith will be shaken. It can cause doubts blocking the possible answer, and then they may even lose their faith as knowledge. They might even consider other people's testimonies or their own past experiences as coincidence. With a barrier of sin, Satan can cause negative thoughts so that the prop of faith can't be set up firmly. Eventually, it'll be difficult to receive the answer. Therefore, in order to receive the answer with faith, we must not have a barrier of sin before God.
Now, is there anybody who loses heart thinking that God will not give you an answer because you committed sins? Is there any one on this earth who is without any blemish or spot? We wash our faces, take a bath, and wash our clothes because we get stained every day.
It's the same in spiritual sense. Before we cultivate the heart of spirit and whole spirit, we must always try not to commit sins, and if we do commit sins, we have to repent. 1 John 1:7 says, "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
According to this verse, if there is a wall of sin, first, we have to honestly confess our sins before God. And if we turn from sins and walk in the Light, we can be forgiven of all sins by the blood of Jesus. Having no sin in this way, if we set up a prop of faith well, it means we have finished the preparation to receive the answer.
Brothers and sisters, now, the third and last condition to receive the answer is to receive the gift of spiritual faith from God.
No matter how well we have prepared, we can't receive the answer as long as God doesn't give us spiritual faith. In verse 11 of Today's reading passage, Jesus said to the paralytic man who was on a pallet and let down from the roof, "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home."
This was not words from faith of the paralytic man or the faith of his friends. It was profession of faith of Jesus. The paralytic man and his four friends set up the prop of faith, and Jesus put spiritual faith on it.
Then the miracle took place. The paralytic man stood up on his own, picked up his pallet and walked back home. If spiritual faith, with which we can believe from heart, comes down from above, the change can take place instantly. Worries, concerns, anxiety, nervousness, and despair will disappear. You will gain the conviction that your heart's desire will be answered. And you have to wait until you receive such faith.
Some people, however, do not understand this spiritual principle and act presumptuously. This is an accord of something that happened in the 1960's. There was a divine healing meeting at Mt. Sam Gak, and it rained hard during the meeting. The valley was soon filled with a rapid current of water. Two of the attendants set off first, and they were stuck because of the current.
They remembered Peter walked on water and prayed, "Lord, Peter walked on water, and there is no reason we can't do the same. Lord, I believe." Obviously, they were swept away by the torrent and drowned when they walked down into the valley. This is a pitiful incident caused by spiritual ignorance. They didn't show true faith. They needed to wait until God gave them spiritual faith, but they didn't. They acted according to the kind of faith they thought was true.
Peter's walking on water didn't happen through his own faith. Peter believed that a miracle could take place if he was with Jesus. That is why he said to Jesus, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." It means he laid the prop of faith.
And it did not mean Peter now had the power to walk on water right away. He could walk on water only when Jesus told him to come. Peter could walk on water only when Jesus gave him the spiritual faith to be able to walk on water.
But then, while Peter was walking on water, he became afraid of the wind and he began to flounder. Namely, when Peter's prop of faith began shaking and eventually fell, the miracle of walking on water also ended. This is the spiritual principle which you should understand very well.
In your business or for divine healing, or any plan in the Lord, the same principle is applied. You have to set up the prop of faith with your best effort, and you should pray that the Father God will give you the spiritual faith from above on top of your own faith.
You shouldn't just act recklessly or presumptuously according to your own ways and thoughts saying that you prayed and fasted. And when difficulties come your way, you shouldn't say things are not working out even though you prayed and fasted. If you really believed in God the Father with your heart, you should also wait until spiritual faith is given from above.
That is why there is patience and self-control among the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. The answer is given at the time when God gives you the gift of spiritual faith. Just like dry land is soaked with rain, when your heart is filled with the faith given by God, any kind of problem will be solved.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In this message, I talked about three conditions for you to receive answers.
First, you should show your faith from your side, which is to set up the 'prop of faith'.
Second, you must not have a barrier of sin.
Third, spiritual faith has to come from above.
Those who do not have any wall of sin can skip the second step, thereby speeding the answer. When we set up the prop of faith, God will put spiritual faith on it. These two things combine together and the work of God will take place like lightening.
And those who have cultivated heart of spirit and whole spirit have already prepared the prop of faith not to mention having no wall of sin. So, 1 John 3:21-22 says, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." This verse is realized in their lives.
They've already prepared the prop of faith, and they always pray for God's kingdom and they are faithful. So, they can receive whatever they ask in prayer. It's like whenever it is necessary, we can withdraw and spend money that we saved in a bank. If a person has established a prop of faith well and then prays, "Father, I need this," then He will say OK and give him the answer immediately.
The prayers of the ones whose souls are prosperous will be answered by God right away as necessary. They do not have to offer vowed prayers or fast to receive the answer, but if they just pray once, or just by having the desire in heart the answer will be given.
On the contrary, for big answers for the kingdom of God, it cannot be done by one person's individual effort. If it's for a department, all the members of the department should set up the prop of faith together. If it's for the whole church, the whole church has to put up the prop of faith together. I pray this in the name of the Lord that you will understand this spiritual principle well, so that you can receive answers to all your prayers and give glory to God. |
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