“Undergoing Construction: Build Your Faith! pt. 4”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 09/21/24 (4th Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Message Title:
“Undergoing Construction: Build Your Faith! pt. 4”
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.
Today we’re going to finish up the series. “the words we say…
The Power of Your Command!
Learning to SPEAK things!
Last week we talked about the man of God Elisha. let’s talk about the person he served under.
1 Kings 17:1
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
This man named Elijah.
he comes out of nowhere. We know nothing about this man.
but the first records of him… mention him.
and IMMEDIATELY what he says.
As the Lord God of Israel lives…
there will be no dew NOR rain in the next few years… unless “I” say so.
He said he serves God.
and beCAUSE he serves God,
The rain would stop…
and would not come back. until HE said so!
He says this, turns and leaves.
1 Kings 17:7
7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
The water had dried up… why?
Because there was no rain. why?
because it was COMMANDED to stop!
What Type Of Faith Did Elijah Have?
he believed he could speak something. and it would happen.
If You Know God’s Will For You, You Can Command It!
If you have shown yourself to be faithful to God… and you know his will…
you can speak things!
Question:
Why Do We Say We Have The Power To Command Things?
Mark 11:22-24
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
This was after Jesus cursed the fig tree.
the scripture states that whoever says to this MOUNTAIN. you can SPEAK directly to that thing.
you can COMMAND that thing to move! as long as you don’t doubt…
it WILL BE DONE.
Proverbs 18:21
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Life - creation.
God in the very beginning said “Let there be light” light was formed.
He created everything from words… but with us…
he had to touch us.
Genesis 1:26
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…
We aren’t just created in the image of God.
we aren’t just created to LOOK like him.
We are created in the LIKENESS of Him! We have some of his attiributes!
Genesis 2:7
7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The Lord BREATHED into you!
That same breath is what you use when you speak!
Your Words Are Powerful And Can Change Things!
So after Elijah declared the drought..
1 Kings 17:8-10
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks…
Elijah is told to go at once.
The Lord commanded a widow to be there and take care of him.
Elijah listens and leaves at once.
when he GOT to the gate there was a widow.
The widow was gathering sticks.
if Elijah had not left when he did…
she would not have been there.
Having Faith Means To Act When The Lord Says So!
Elijah meets the widow
Verse 10-12
10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
She says she doesn’t have any food.
She was going to use the last of what she had so her and her son could die.
But the Lord said she would have food to give Elijah. but she doesn’t have any food!
Sometimes the situation may not look like how God said it would. That’s when you know it’s time to do something about it!
Verse 13-14
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’ ”
Elijah said the Lord said you’d have food.
so apparently you’re about to have food. We need to do the same thing with our situations.
If Your Situation Looks Different Than How God Said, It’s Time To Do Something About It!
This widow probably would have died if Elijah didn’t speak over her.
We might be missing out because we don’t speak over ourselves or others!
Are Our Lives Up To The Standard God Said? If Not, We Need To Start Commanding What God Said!
What did he say?
Faith Building Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 5:7
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
It doesn’t matter what you see.
What’s it supposed to be?
Habakkuk 2:4(b)
but the righteous will live by his faith.
What did God say it would be?? He said if you are obedient to the Lord:
You will be Blessed!
Deuteronomy 28:3-6
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock
—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
If your lives are NOT blessed right now…
If some of you are going through more trials than triumphs… some of you need to start SPEAKING UP!
Build Up Your Faith By Speaking Up!
Deuteronomy 28:7
7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
All of these things might come at you in one direction… but the Lord is going to scatter it ALL.
These things don’t come against you… they come against the Lord!
2 Chronicles 20:15
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
David told Goliath last week:
You come against me as another trial. your name doesn’t matter.
the lion didn’t have a name. the bear didn’t have a name.
it was only “finished.”
You are another trial!
Today the fight is over!
We Have To Learn To Start Speaking Things By Faith!
Remember doubt kills faith! Keep building your faith!
More Faith Building Scriptures:
Exodus 14:14 (AMP)
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.
Romans 8:37
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Remember, when you speak… learn to kill your doubt…
doubt will kill your faith.
Doubt Is “What If” Faith Is “Even With”
Your faith has to go beyond what you see… If it’s not lining up…
Speak God’s Word Back To Him!
“I’m Blessed!” (Deut. 28)
“I’m Healed!” (Isa. 53:5; Ex. 15:26)
“I’m At Peace!” (Isa. 41:10; Ps 23:4; Luk. 14:27)
“I’m Delivered From My Problems!” (Isa. 41:10; Ps. 37:17)
“I’m Financially Blessed!” (1 Sam 2:7; Gal. 6:9)
“I’ve Recovered From My Past!” (Joel 2:25-26; Jer 30:17)
“I’m Protected!” (Isa. 54:17; Ps. 46:1; 2 Thess 3:3)
In Jesus’ Name! Amen!
