“Who Are You Believing?”
Series Title: Still Believe Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 09/06/26 (1st Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}
New Series:
Still Believe
This series will discuss faith.
we will talk about what it really is, how to have it… and how we can grow it.
Message Title:
“Who Are You Believing?”
Let’s start this with a question:
How Many Of Us Have Faith?
Many of us have faith in different things…
and those things change depending on what they are.
Many people have faith in:
Their Experience, Education, Doctor, Spouse Their Own Ability
What They Were Told What They Can See
Not a bad thing at all.
You SHOULD have faith in your training… your spouse
the information you’re given…
or even the things you’ve seen…
but EVERY ONE of THOSE THINGS can fail.
It’s Not About If You Have Faith. What Matters Is What It’s In!
Let’s look at the biblical definition from Hebrews. So faith…
Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
Faith is being sure of the things we hope for. Faith is being certain of the things we don’t see.
We talked last year about faith.
I asked a few questions I’ll ask again:
How Many Of Us Know Where Our Home Is?
You might not be able to see your home… but you know where it is.
You might go to the store and forget where you parked… but you know where you home is.
I can’t argue with you and say you don’t know where your home is. because you know where you left it.
and after many times of leaving your house and coming back… you’ve learned to know where it is.
No one can tell you your house moved… so you’ve come to know where it is.
You have faith not JUST in your memory…but that your house will STAY where it is.
This is a form of faith.
Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Without faith…it’s impossible to please God.
Faith Is Necessary To Please The Lord
Let’s read a story here.
Mark 11:12
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
As the disciples were leaving Bethany… Jesus was hungry.
In the distance he saw a fig tree in leaf. so he went looking for fruit.
When he didn’t find any…he cursed the tree. “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”
And the disciples heard him. {written for a reason}
Mark 11:20-24
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
We see what happened.
as they went along, they saw the tree withered from the root.
It wasn’t dying…it was done.
…from the root. No more tree.
They are just now seeing something that’s already happened. Peter asks about it.
Jesus only says…
Have faith in God.
Let’s talk about this type of faith. what does it look like?
Still Believe:
When the disciples questioned Jesus about how he was able to make the fig tree wither… Jesus said to have faith - IN God.
Faith By Itself Has No Power
I told a story last year.
Story:
There is a man named McArthur Wheeler.
he was someone who robbed a couple banks in the 90s.
He didn’t wear a ski mask or some face covering.
the only thing on his face was smothered lemon juice.
He was told that because lemon juice was used as invisible ink… it would also make him invisible to security cameras.
he wasn’t worried about people looking at him…
But this guy had faith in this lemon juice.
He walked in there with no intent on hiding his identity beyond lemon juice. even smiling at the cameras.
no surprise they caught him within a few hours.
Shocked at being caught…
he reportedly told police, “But I wore the juice!” He was convinced that his idea would save him.
You Can Have Great Faith In The Wrong Thing And Still Get The Wrong Result!
This is where we see the difference between Faith in God. and faith in the juice.
But this is how misplaced faith can mess us up.
Someone Can Have Faith That A Bad Relationship Will Change
Someone Can Have Faith That Money Will Make Them Happy And Secure
Someone Can Have Faith That Another Person Will Never Disappoint Them
You can have all these things and still get the wrong result. yet Jesus told you the answer.
Have Faith - In God.
Still Believe:
It reminds me of another story I told before also.
it fits very well here.
Two men go to a frozen lake to fish.
The first guy tells the other to go ahead out to the middle… he said the ice will hold you.
when guy 2 steps out…
he is very nervous as he takes each step. falling in frozen ice can be deadly.
after making it about half way…
guy 2 decides he doesn’t trust the ice and goes back to safety. guy 1 watches him come back then goes
he walks right to the middle of the ice - boldly cuts a hole in it and begins to fish
Question:
What was it that actually supported the confident man?
Not his faith. It was actually was the ice.
his faith was IN the ice - that was the object.
Question:
What was the difference between the two men?
One had faith in the object…
the other man didn’t…and came back.
One man had a knowledge of how ice works.
the other man didn’t trust his knowledge.
What one man understood about the object… gave him the faith that it would hold him up.
The ice didn’t become strong because the man believed… the ice was already strong.
This is how it works with the Lord.
Your Faith Doesn’t Make The Lord Powerful. Your Faith Allows You To Trust In An Already Powerful God!
When you think about who the Lord already is… he doesn’t become:
a healer because I believe
a provider because I believe him a protector because I believe powerful because I believe
He is ALREADY all of those things.
Faith is trusting him to be the God he already is. back to the ice…
once you understand the Lord will hold you…
Faith Is Putting Your Full Weight On The Lord!
Using the story of the men on the ice…
the nervous one always tried to stay close to what he did believe in. one foot close to the actual ground…which he believed would hold him.
the other foot was testing…trying…experimenting.
His plan was to try the ice while ready to jump back to save himself.
Many of us do the same thing.
“Lord, I’m going to trust you…but only halfway while my backup plan is also ready.”
Still Believe:
Sometimes you’ll hear the statement.
“You need more faith.”
We read when Jesus said “you of little faith…”
and we assume we just need to believe “harder.”
When it comes to growing your faith…
it’s all about making sure you know HIM better.
Here’s an example.
Some of us know some people who when they tell you they’ll be at your house at 3.
we don’t assume the early person will be late… or the late person will suddenly be new.
why?
We learn those traits about people because we’ve spent time with them.
They’ve shown us who they are…
We know who to trust based on history.
Faith Grows Out Of Knowledge And History!
1 Timothy 1:12
12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
I am not ashamed through this suffering… why?
I know whom I have believed….and because I KNOW him.
I am convinced what HE is able to do!
What Do You Know About Who You Believe?
Has he?
provided for you before? forgiven you before? protected you before?
opened a door for you before?
If he has…why do you treat him like you don’t know what he’d do??
Don’t Let A New Problem Make You Forget Who The Lord Has Shown You He Is!
And this leaves one last thing we have to make clear.
When Peter mentioned to Jesus about the fig tree in “Mark.” Jesus told him to “Have faith in God.”
He did NOT tell him to “have faith in what you want to see.”
Too many times we’re trying to have faith in a specific outcome… not the God who can do it.
Faith Isn’t Trusting What God Will Do. It’s Trusting Who He Is!
You CAN believe in him for healing, restoration, provision, renewal… But the faith should rest in HIM…not his hand.
Because there are times we MIGHT not get that we’re praying for…
but faith is STILL trusting him…when you might not understand his decision.
Because you know HIM…
and trust that he knows better than you.
So when it comes to STILL believing… Remember WHO your God is.
And don’t let a new situation make you doubt.
