[0:00] see you all again. Greet you in the name of Jesus, the one that gives us a reason to live.
[0:16] There's no place like home. You can go all over the world, but there's no place like home. Amen.
[0:28] Amen. Yes. Well, this morning, I want to bring a message on unwavering faith.
[0:41] And as a brother read here in Ephesians, we can turn to James chapter 1.
[0:52] We'll start there then. But notice what he read here in Ephesians 6. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
[1:12] How important is faith? Well, the apostle wrote here, and he said, above all, you know, this whole list, above all, faith.
[1:24] a strong faith in our Lord and Savior, a strong faith in our God, is above all needful and necessary and required if we will be faithful and if we will make it, if we will make it through the trials of life, if we will make it through the hard times of life, if we will make it through the attacks of the enemy, if we will be faithful and to the end, we will overcome.
[2:05] Then, that faith is needful above all. an unwavering faith.
[2:15] You know, James here, and we'll just read, we'll just read a few verses here in James chapter 1.
[2:26] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith wortheth patience, but let patience have her perfect work.
[2:39] that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you like wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him, but let him ask in faith nothing wavering.
[3:00] For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
[3:12] A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Nothing wavering. An unwavering faith is essential.
[3:23] An unwavering faith, a steadfast faith in our God. A steadfast faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[3:34] You know, there's many examples in the word and I mean, just think of, with me, of Peter walking on the water and everything was fine until he got his eyes off of Jesus and he looked at the waves that were so boisterous and what happened?
[3:54] He went down. The children of Israel. You know, Hebrews tells us, Hebrews tells us that the children of Israel, they came, you know, after that great deliverance out of Egypt, they came, they came to the promised land and they couldn't enter in and why could they not enter in?
[4:20] because of their unbelief, because when they got there and they heard the report of the giants and they heard of what they were going to face, they forgot all the deliverance out of Egypt and they were afraid.
[4:41] Where was their faith? That's why it's important for us to have a true faith, an unwavering faith.
[4:54] You know, it's not only in starting the race, but it is in continuing on faithfully until the end of life.
[5:10] Here in Hebrews in chapter 4, it says here, talking about the children of Israel. Well, the last verse in chapter 3 says, so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
[5:29] Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them.
[5:44] but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. You know, when we hear the word, we must receive it as truth and that it is the word of God and it is the power of God unto salvation.
[6:08] salvation. They heard the word but they refused to accept it. They refused to receive it into their heart and allow it to change them and to give them the strength to face the enemy.
[6:26] in Hebrews chapter 10. We'll start in verse 35.
[6:37] Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.
[7:03] Now the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall I have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
[7:21] The just shall live by faith if we will live for God if we will if we will continue faithful until the end we will be a man of faith.
[7:36] A man of faith is a faithful man. A man of little faith a man that his faith wavers will end up not being faithful.
[7:51] faithful. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. the substance of things hoped for.
[8:09] You know the evidence of things not seen. You know that is what faith is. When we have faith when we have faith you know we don't need faith to believe in the things that we see but it's though things that we can't see that we must accept by faith.
[8:35] It's for by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
[8:51] the worlds they were framed by the word of God. They weren't framed over millions and millions of years. It doesn't matter who says that that's how it happened.
[9:04] It didn't. But our God spoke this world into existence and everything in it. And you know men have been looking for proof.
[9:16] We don't need proof. Why? Because we have faith. we believe in God. We believe that he did this. We believe that he created this world.
[9:40] But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
[9:58] Now how much simpler, how much plainer could it be? That without faith, without faith it's impossible to please God.
[10:09] So what must we believe? Well let's see. He that comes to God, God. If we will come to God and all of us I believe have come to him.
[10:24] But how do we come to him? First of all we must believe that there is a God. We must believe that God is in heaven and he is the creator of all things.
[10:37] We must believe that. and when we believe that we must also believe if we will come to him in prayer and petition him we must believe that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him.
[10:56] That is where our faith must be. It must be in him and we must believe that he will answer and he will you know I believe it's something very prevalent in our day.
[11:16] You know we are so as long as everything goes well we're so self-sufficient. But to believe to come to God in prayer and to believe that he hears and he answers it is of utmost importance.
[11:38] in James 1 6 the verses I read is let him ask in faith nothing wavering nothing wavering a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
[12:18] You know if we if we if we waver if we if we're not sure if we're you know if we don't know then what avail is our prayer?
[12:34] But we must know the God the God that we serve and that's that's what I want to see this morning at least some is that if we will have an unwavering faith then we must know the God that we're praying to we must know him personally and we must walk with him and know his will let's go to Philippians chapter 3 here we have the apostle Paul he's writing and and he he he just lays it out some of his own history and want to look at this a little bit
[13:39] Philippians 3 starting in verse 3 for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh you know right here I see I see one answer I see one reason why people waver because it's so easy to have confidence in the flesh it's so easy to have confidence in our own abilities it's so easy especially here in our land it's so easy to to depend on ourselves until something is wrong the apostle Paul he said that he has no confidence in the flesh though I might also have confidence in the flesh you know the apostle
[14:50] Paul he was he was a man that could have had confidence in the flesh he had reason to and he goes on to explain why if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more I was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews is touching the law of Pharisee concerning seal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless but what things were gained to me those I counted lost for Christ Paul was a man that naturally speaking he had everything going for him you know in the Jews religion he was he was going to be one of their top leaders he was going to be the best of the best but what does he say yea doubtless but what things were gained to me those I counted lost for
[16:07] Christ yea doubtless I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and to count them but down that I may win Christ Paul he laid down all his all his things that he naturally had going for him he laid it all down he counted it lost why that he might win Christ that he might what does it say here for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord verse 9 and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of
[17:10] Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus forgetting those things which are behind forgetting those things that I had going for me all those things that lifted me up in society those things that lifted me up in the church those things that lifted him up in the
[18:29] Jews religion he counted them all as lost that he might win Christ that he might win Christ the apostle Paul when he was converted he didn't have one foot in Judaism and the other foot in Christianity no but he laid it all down and followed Christ with all his heart no confidence in the flesh no confidence in our abilities no confidence in you know and we see it all the time people that have confidence because they dress right they try to live a decent life they go to church every Sunday they you know they do all the things that Christians do but do they have do we have the life of Christ within us you know
[19:36] I I was challenged very much you know in Europe there's what they call the reformed churches you know they they broke away from the Catholics back in the reformation and but those people they're not necessarily born again they're reformed but the Bible demands that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind that we might live for him that we can live his will that we can prove his will you know we can reform our life we can change our life but only God can give us a new life Paul said he had everything right he was blameless he was blameless in the
[20:40] Jews religion there's many people that are going to church today they live according to the church a blameless life they don't have Christ in their heart righteousness which is the righteousness of Jesus that we receive by faith in him the apostle Paul said here in verse 10 that I might know that I might know
[21:40] Jesus that I might know him that I might know the power of his resurrection the power of his resurrection do we know do we have that power the power of the resurrection of Jesus in our life by the spirit of God the fellowship of his sufferings you know if we're called to suffer if you're mocked for the name of Christ how does it feel do we draw back from witnessing because we're afraid of opposition because we're afraid of being mocked the fellowship of his suffering you know many people have given their lives because they followed
[22:42] Christ the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the death he goes on he says not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus you know you know when Jesus when Jesus came to Paul when he came to Saul there on the Damascus road he came to him and he smote him with blindness and he had a calling for him he had a calling for him he was apprehended and now he says he desires to apprehend this calling he desires to fulfill this calling he desires to fulfill all that
[23:54] God has for him he says I press for the mark forgetting those things which are behind we reach for those which are before and we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus we all have a high calling we all have a high calling are we entering in are we giving ourselves to God that he can lead us on into that high calling that he has for us the trial of your faith Peter says is much more precious and of gold that perishes the trial of your faith the testing of your faith it's the currency of heaven and it's more precious than gold much more precious than gold
[25:06] Matthew Jesus said where your treasure is there will your heart be also where is our treasure are we laying up treasure in heaven are we laying up treasure on earth he says where we have our treasure that's where our heart is going to be seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you the friendship of the world is enmity with God you know we make those decisions daily we make those decisions will we will we follow after what God is giving what he is what he is asking of us and will we follow him or will we follow after our own way let's turn to
[26:13] Galatians 6 verse 12 as many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh they constrain you to be circumcised only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ you know we're not faced with this thing of people demanding circumcision but how many times do we desire to make a fair show in the flesh to put up a nice show to our fellow man to our fellow believers in the church to put up a front and to look better than we are desire to make a fair show in the flesh verse 14 or 13 talks about circumcision but desire to have you circumcised why that they may glory in your flesh you know how many things do we do to make ourselves look better to lift up ourselves among others in society but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our
[27:55] Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world God forbid that we should glory save in the cross save in the in the working of Christ and what Christ has done for us and what he's done in our hearts and notice if we will give ourselves to him and if we will allow the cross to do its work in our heart what will it do you know so many times we think that you know we're crucified to this world and we are but it's not only that it's also the other way around he says here by whom the world is crucified unto me I believe the cross of Christ it will bring a barrier between us and the world it will bring a barrier between us and the world that that will protect us if we will abide in that place if we will abide there it will it will stand there as an awesome reminder to those out there to those who hate us to those who oppose us to those that might mock us and we are bought with a price we're not the servants of men but we're a servant of
[29:23] Jesus Christ them that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit let us walk in the spirit the power of his resurrection that's the spirit living within us and his power working through us let's turn to Titus chapter two there's a lot of admonition here in Titus or we'll go down and start chapter you could read the whole chapter you know he talks about aged men and aged women and young men and so on but I believe this whole chapter is for all of us it's for all of us let's start in verse six young men likewise exhort to be sober minded it's not just the young men but it's all of us we need to be sober minded in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works in doctrine showing uncorruptness gravity sincerity sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters to please them well in all things not answering again not purloining not show but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of
[31:50] God our savior in all things you know this is what God desires of all of us that we adorn that we lift up the doctrine of God that that it's when people see us when they look at us when they observe our lives that we adorn the doctrine of God we don't bring shame to the name of Christ but that we adorn the doctrine of God for the grace of God that bring us salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world denying ungodliness denying worldly lust we should live soberly righteously godly looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great
[32:57] God and our savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us and he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works thee things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise thee that he might redeem us redeem us from what from all iniquity and he might purify us unto himself what a peculiar people you know so many times people don't want to be different they want to go out into the world and they just want to blend in but if the power of God is upon you I believe you will be a peculiar person when you go out into this world whatever you're doing working shopping wherever you go you will stand out zealous of good works you know you know there's many people that want to do good works in order to gain salvation but that's not how it works we have good works because we are a child of God chapter 3 verse 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the
[34:56] Holy Ghost the washing of regeneration what's he saying regeneration is being made new it's being made a new person if we have if we have given ourselves to to being regenerated by the spirit of God we have become a new person like that verse it says we're we're a new creation in Christ Jesus all things have passed away all things have become new and it's according to his mercy his mercy you know his mercy endures to all generations his love in coming he deserves giving his life what an awesome savior we have now let's go back to the book of
[35:59] James chapter two start in verse 14 what doeth it profit my brother though a man say he hath faith and have not works can faith save him now we're asking a very direct question can you have faith and not have faith can we have faith and not have works if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in peace be warmed and filled not withstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body what doeth it profit even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone faith without works is not true if we have true faith it will produce works in our life it will order our life we will live our life you can see the faith that a man has faith by how he walks yea a man may say thou hast faith and
[37:59] I have works show me thy faith without thy works I will show thee my faith by my works thou believest that there is one God thou doest well the devils also believe and tremble but wilt thou know vain man that faith without works is dead and notice it's a very sobering thought here in verse 19 he says the devils they also believe in other words the devils they know that that Jesus is the son of God they know that Jesus came to give his life for humanity they know those things and they tremble so we can know we can know those things without experiencing have we experienced have we experienced the working of God have we yielded ourselves to the regenerating work of the
[39:10] Holy Ghost have we done that or have we just changed our life and tried and are trying to live a life that is pleasing to God wilt thou know vain man that faith without works is dead and works without faith the house you know there's many people that are trying trying to win the favor of God by their good works but it takes faith that reduces works was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar seest thou how faith brought with his works and my works was faith made perfect you know the Bible tells us that Abraham he believed that God was able to raise up Isaac again from the dead he believed that and that is why he was willing to go and he raised that knife and he was going to kill
[40:30] Isaac and the angel stopped him Abraham he was justified by his obedience his works justified him but he he did that because he had an unwavering faith in God see is thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect you know Abraham he could have said well God I believe that you can yes I believe all that but I won't go to that mountain I'll just give you my son no faith made him go he walked in obedience and sacrificed his son the scripture was fulfilled which said
[41:39] Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God you see then how that works how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only you know it's just so simple like this verse says before that we read we can say we have faith but if we don't have the works back it our faith is vain likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also faith without works is dead yes in first john chapter three verse sixteen hereby perceive we the love of god because he laid down his life for us we ought to lay down our lives for the brother but whoso hath this world's good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of god in him my little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth you know the same the same idea if we love it will affect our deeds it will affect our actions if we have faith it will affect our actions faith without works is dead we can say we love but if we have a brother in need and we don't give to him to provide for that need and we could but we don't how dwelleth the love of god in him
[44:10] I know we we live in a land that we're so self sufficient but let's remember these things let's remember these things and when there's opportunity unwavering faith James said he that wavereth let him not think that he will receive anything he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed back and forth one day he's this way the next day he's that way he doesn't know where he's at he doesn't have anything solid to stand on a a double minded man is unstable in all his ways he's trying to trust in his own works but he wants to trust
[45:13] Christ for salvation but somehow it just doesn't work for him and he's just unstable you know when we come to Christ and we give our all to him then we can come on that firm foundation and we can we can find we can find stability we can find an unwavering faith a faith that will carry us through the storms of life a man of faith is a faithful man you know there's a verse in Daniel says but the people that do know their God he's talking about the end time and he's talking about about perilous times and he's talking about impossible times yes but he says the people that do know their God they shall be strong and they will do exploits they will do they will do the supernatural why because there will be need for it in the days ahead we don't know what's ahead of us
[46:32] I believe between now and the time that Jesus returns there will be a time there will be a time for the church of Jesus to do those exploits to do the supernatural because that will be the only way through the situation that we will find ourselves in but why how do we get to that point that we can do those things we must know our God like the apostle Paul said oh that I might know him that I might know Jesus and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering if we will have an unwavering faith we must know him we must know Jesus we must know our God and walk faithfully with him a personal experience with God and commit our lives unreservedly to obedience to his word and like revelation says not love our love to him that will be an unwavering faith he overcame him by the word of their testimony he overcame him the devil by the blood of the life and they love not their lives into the death will we be among those or will we be among those we draw by let us be among those that we will come and are faithful to the day of our old
[48:30] Jesus let's pray Lord we thank you Lord that if we will you will if we will give ourselves if we will give ourselves to you you will take this song you will strengthen us you will change us you will give us that unwavering thing that we will be faithful Lord help us all to allow the cross of Christ to do its work in us the spirit of God to change us and to regenerate us into that new creation in Christ Jesus Lord that truly old things are past all things are becoming Lord
[49:31] Lord show us where we're at and help us Lord to be your your people those peculiar people in this last day help us Lord to be faithful until the day we call this name we pray in Jesus we to be always young to be tutaj was the f of the you oh here a