Questions and Answers #27
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
October 28, 2007
We have been examining Faith
lately and especially the Faith that Jesus had from
Now, Brother Branham said
just before he left the scene that the church was just coming to Faith and a
mental recognition of what was taking place in the Ministry of Jesus Christ in
this hour. And he told us that we must lay in that Presence for our Faith to
Ripen.
GOD'S PROVIDED PLACE OF WORSHIP 65-1128.1M
40 I believe the church is beginning to hear the Message, and beginning to understand. But friends,
listen, we've got to lay in the Presence of the Son, we've got to be ripened. Our faith isn't ripe. Intellectually we're hearing the Message
that God has give us, and seeing the signs that He showed us, and proving it by
the Bible as that; but, oh, how the church needs to lay in His Presence
till it tenders up in the heart, gets sweet in the Spirit so that it can bathe
down. Sometimes in speaking the Message, you get harsh, have to break it in
like that, because you've got to clinch a nail to make it hold. But when the
Church once gets It, the Elected is called out and separated (then in the
Presence of God), I know it'll be something like the people was there when it
takes its Rapture.
Now, we have seen in our
studies on Faith that we have been given a measure of Faith. We read in ROMANS 12:3 For I say, through
the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of
himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as
God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
So if God has Dealt to each one of us a
Measure of Faith, then what does it mean for Him to have “dealt” it to us? The
word Dealt was translated from the Greek word merizo which means to divide into
parts, give out, hence to share, or to portion out. So we see that God has
shared with us something that He has, His Faith.
Therefore, Faith is a gift from God to
each of us that believe. and like any real Father, He wants us to be happy and
be blessed and be fulfilled. So He gives us gifts.
This morning, I would like
to look at this subject on Faith in a different sort of way. Faith is a Gift
from our Father. And as a gift, it is for our use and enjoyment. Now gifts come
in all shapes and sizes. We give our children gifts with many different
purposes in mind. Some gifts are for their education such as books and certain
types of games, while other gifts are given for their recreation and enjoyment
such as bicycles and skates and skis. We also give our children gifts of
clothing, and of food, and music and for various other reasons.
So you see,
Gifts are from one to another, and in doing so we want to bring forth joy and
fulfillment to the one we give the gifts too. And so is it with our Heavenly
Father. And so this morning we will examine this Gift of Faith He has given
each of us and we shall look at the many different reasons and uses that we can
use our gift of Faith for.
EPHESIANS.2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
I PETER 4:10 As every man hath received
the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God.
Brother Branham said in his
sermon, PROVING
HIS WORD 64-0816 64 You can only have
faith as God gives you faith. Faith
is a gift of God. Ever how religious you may be, yet it must take the...
well you must have faith. And your
faith can only rest, if you're a Christian, upon the proven Word of God.
So we se Faith is a gift,
and we find in Romans 12: 3,
we see that God
has given to every man the Measure of Faith. And Jesus said in Matthew 17
that if we had Faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains. Then
Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, speaks of
having All Faith so that we could move mountains, and so we see that whether
you have a little modicum of Faith or having All Faith it will do the same
thing. So why do you long for all Faith when having a little portion is all you
need. It is not the size of the Faith that is at issue then, since every man is
given a measure of Faith, and it doesn't really matter to what degree or
quantity you have. But what really matters is whether you use what you have.
So then what does it matter if I have all
faith or just that of a mustard seed. Both can move the same mountain. And so
it is not in the measure we must strive for we are all given a measure by the
same Father. I do not give each of my children the same gifts at Christmas time
or at their birthdays. I give them each a different gift, because a gift is
from the heart and as a parent you try to satisfy the desires of each of your
children. And since each child is different and may have different tastes and
different like and dislike, you them meet the desire as best you can depending
on your particular circumstances. I remember when Elisabeth was just a little
baby. Her first Christmas, I gave her a little baby doll. And as each of my
girls have come forth, They have desired dolls and so that is what I gave them.
Now with the boys it is different. One might want a dump truck and the other a
set of cowboy guns or something. Each child has different desires and needs and
we try to fulfill these needs as best we can. And in trying to fulfill their
little desires we give them gifts. This is one way we express ourselves to
them. And our heavenly Father is no different.
JAMES.1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Now, we don't usually give our children
gifts that we don't want them to use. In fact, sometimes we give them gifts
that we wish we had when we were young. My mother told me that my father had
bought me an electronics set for building an intercom system when I was 3 years
old. I don't remember it, but she said she made him take it back. He was an
Electrical Engineer before he went to night school to become a lawyer. So I
guess he had a desire for me and thus he gave me a gift to direct me . So gifts
have all sorts of uses. But the main thing is that gifts are for using. We give
gifts expecting them to be used. No one likes to give a gift knowing that it
will be put in the corner somewhere out of sight. No, we give gifts as a means
of expressing our selves, and therefore, we give them in anticipation that they
will use it. (Now remember that as we proceed in this study, because I wish to
show you many uses for your Faith this Morning.)
And so then the
real issue we must consider is this. Faith is worthless unless it is being
used. It is given to be used. And when it is used it will produce in you the
very thing it was intended to do. So then Faith has a goal. As we said before,
Faith is the assurance of things we earnestly expect. And so if it is the
assurance of things we earnestly expect, then it has to do with expectations.
So then Faith has a goal. Whether your Faith is just a little tiny seed like
faith or whether you possess all faith. Both will bring forth the same result.
Then we can say that Faith has a result, an expectation, a goal. And so we must
focus our Faith on the Goal at hand. For Faith without an earnest expectation
is worthless. And since Faith is placed within us for our own use, then it must
be used. Now if God places the Faith of His Son in our hearts to move us and
motivate us then surely when we are not operating in the realm of Faith we can
not be pleasing to Him. He is child training us to see what we will do with our
Faith. Didn't Jesus Himself say, "I surely will do nothing until my Father
reveals it to me first"? Isn't that why brother Vayle has preached
diligently on passive Faith all those years? So that we might come to the place
that we will wait upon the Lord. You see passive Faith waits for the promise.
Passive Faith is patient, and thus it is Mature. Faith takes over for you, and
you rest in that Revelation, knowing that He which made the promise surely will
finish what He has started to do.
James 1: 3
Knowing this, that the trying of your Faith worketh Patience. But let patience
have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting noting."
And there's your key.
Faith is to work a maturity into us
through patience. Patience is the one true characteristic of the mature person.
They are willing to wait because they have faith, confidence in the promise.
And thus when we wait patiently for the promise, this waiting is actually an
act of Faith. It then is a passive which has gone to the active. Now, God has
given us each our measure of Faith and it doesn't matter what our measure is if
it all can move the same mountains. So what is important is that we keep our
Faith active. That we learn how to use this Faith, this gift which we have been
all given., Jesus said, He surely can't even do anything Himself unless the
Father shows Him first." Therefore, we must use our Faith only in what God
has shown us to use it for. And then if He is the One who has given us our
measure of Faith, then won't He be the One Who shows us how to use it and when
to use it?
Then it is up
to Him to help us to exercise this Faith that He has given us. Not that I am
trying to tell you that we are to be lazy with our Faith, but let's face the
reality tonight. He gives us the measure of Faith we possess. He allots to each
a certain measure, yet it doesn't really matter what measure we have because it
all does the same thing. It all has the same backing, and thus the same power.
I Peter 1: 7 - 9 'That the Trial of
your Faith (Revelation), being much more precious than gold that perishes, that your
Faith may be found after scrutiny to result in praise , honor and Glory at the
Appearing of Jesus Christ:"
So we see there is to be a
trial or a testing of your faith. Your Revelation. And the result of this
testing will actually produce in you, praise, honor and Glory. So then the
testing will as James said, bring forth Patience, and when patience has it's
perfect work, it'll produce a fully mature son of God in the very image of the
Father just as His First born was. Remember, Jesus Himself, God's firstborn,
learned obedience to God's Word by the things that He suffered.
Now this word
suffered is a word which means to under go mistreatment or to be maltreated on
account off the Word sake. So we see that the trial of your Faith is exactly
that. Your faith is put to the test. God places you in situations because of
your faith to see how you will utilize your Faith. Remember Daniel in the Lion
den and the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. They all possessed the
revelation of their hour and so God tested them by it. The Revelation you
possess is your Faith. And thus in order to get you to use it, and to apply it,
God allows affliction and suffering to come your way because of your stand for
your faith. Thus the suffering is a result of your already possessing Faith and
puts you into the place of having to rely only upon your Faith to see you
through. That is exactly what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went through. And
Daniel & Moses, Abraham and all God's prophets Each had to go through a
trial of His Faith, A trial of His Revelation. The trial came because of the
Revelation and thus he learned to wait upon God and in due course when God
brought forth His Faith for testing again, it caused the Revelation to energize
his own faith.
You Faith is given you to be used. But
you can't just use it for any purpose. It must be of God's choosing and
according to His timing. But believe me when I tell you this, If God has given
you this measure of Faith, then He will just as surely as He gave you this
Faith, He will test it and cause it to be of use to you. So when you enter into
the trials of your faith, just Let go and let God.
KJV HEBREWS 11:
1 Now Faith is the Substance
of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen (Now in examining
this scripture we see the word substance means assurance and in Hebrews 1:3 it is
used also as the very Nature of God. So we see then it is not only and
assurance to you mentally, but it is the very nature of being confident. In
other words it takes over your whole disposition and changes you from a
confused creature of circumstances to one who is sure and confident. You no
longer are reactionary in your Christian endeavor, but you become proactive.
You have purpose behind what you do. You have a plan that is laid out for you
and you simply follow it.
AMPLIFIED Faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed ) of
things we hope for or earnestly expect, being the proof of things we do not see
and the conviction of their reality - faith perceiving as real fact what is not
revealed by the senses.
And according to HABAKKUK 2:4 the just shall live by his faith.
In MATTHEW 8:26
Jesus let us know that if we have faith we will not have fear. And he saith unto
them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the
winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. ( Faith lacks fear.
Fear is caused by not being sure. )
When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water
he had faith to step out of the boat and walk on water to Him, but then his
eyes drifted from Jesus and became fixed on the circumstances of the waves
crashing all around him, and he lost his faith and sank. MATTHEW 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his]
hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And
notice that Jesus rebuked him for doubting. Doubt is the enemy of faith. For
doubt looks at the circumstances whereas Faith looks at those things that are
not seen, merely God’s Eternal promises, His Word.
MATTHEW 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O
woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her
daughter was made whole from that very hour. (Just like Haddie Wright, whatsoever you say. Speak to this mountain
and do not doubt and you can move it. You Faith can be used for just about any
purpose)
MARK 4:40
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? Again in this scripture we see that Fear is a lack of
faith.
Jesus showed no fear of the storm,
neither a lack of trust in God’s word whwen he spoke to the disciples in the
boat that was being tossed around in the storm. LUKE 8:25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith?
And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is
this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. (And what
about creating squirrels? And didn't this same faith stop a storm in
Time after time we see
jesus pronounce healing based upon he persons faith…LUKE 17:19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy
faith hath made thee whole.
ACTS 3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath
made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath
given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
We even purify our hearts
of unbelief through Faith. ACTS.15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith.
And we are sanctified through faith. ACTS 26:18 To open their eyes,
[and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto
God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
The following Scriptures
all speak of Faith and the many benefits we receives from Faith in God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our God and Father also. ROMANS 1:17 For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just
shall live by faith.
ROMANS 3:22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no
difference:
ROMANS 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
ROMANS 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
GALATIANS 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the
works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
ROMANS 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
ROMANS 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir
of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but
through the righteousness of faith.
ROMANS 4:16
Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to
that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
ROMANS 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet
the deadness of Sara's womb:
ROMANS 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God
through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
ROMANS 5:2 By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of
God.
ROMANS 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
ROMANS 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat,
because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.
I CORINTHIANS
2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God.
1 Cor 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these
three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
II CORINTHIANS 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
II CORINTHIANS 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the
faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
GALATIANS 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me.
GALATIANS 3:2 This only would I learn of
you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of
faith?
GALATIANS 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the
Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, [doeth he it] by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith? ( Brother Branham taught us that even Christ
wouldn't of had a ministry if there was no one who had faith to believe. So
your own faith pulls on the gift, what ever that gift is. Whether it be the
Five fold ministry or even God's prophet or even the Holy Spirit Himself.)
GALATIANS 3:7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel
unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So
then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
GALATIANS
3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on
the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith.
GALATIANS 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. 26 For ye are
all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
GALATIANS
5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith. 6 For in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love.
GALATIANS 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,
EPHESIANS 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
EPHESIANS 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with
confidence by the faith of him.
EPHESIANS 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
EPHESIANS 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ: 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
6:23 Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
PHILIPPIANS 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
COLOSSIANS 1:21 - 23 And you, that were sometime alienated and
enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body
of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled,
and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and]
which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am
made a minister;
COLOSSIANS 2:7
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been
taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
I THESSALONIANS 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith,
and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight
of God and our Father;
II THESSALONIANS 1:3 We
are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that
your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward
each other aboundeth;
II THESSALONIANS 1:11
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of
[this] calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of [his] goodness, and the
work of faith with power:
I TIMOTHY 3:13 For they that have used the office of a
deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
I TIMOTHY 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of
these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in
the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
I TIMOTHY 6:12 Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
II TIMOTHY 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the
holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
PHILEMON 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may
become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in
Christ Jesus.
HEBREWS 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as
well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in them that heard [it].
HEBREWS 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of
them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
HEBREWS 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water.
HEBREWS.10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is]
faithful that promised;)
HEBREWS 11:3 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. 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By faith Enoch
was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had
translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he
pleased God. 6 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. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not
seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by
the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is
by faith.
HEBREWS 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received
strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age,
because she judged him faithful who had promised.
HEBREWS.11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid
three months of his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they
were not afraid of the king's commandment.
HEBREWS 11:27 By faith he forsook
HEBREWS 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher
of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
HEBREWS 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you,
who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the
end of [their] conversation.
JAMES 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your
faith worketh patience.
JAMES 1:6
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave
of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
JAMES 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he
hath promised to them that love him?
JAMES 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is
dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me
thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
JAMES 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his
works, and by works was faith made perfect? teleioo {tel-i-o'-o} from 5046;
TDNT Ä 8:49,1161; vb make perfect (12)perfect finish fulfill be perfect
consecrate 1) to make perfect, complete; to carry through completely, to
accomplish, finish, to bring to the end (goal)
JAMES 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him.
I PETER 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I PETER 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
I PETER 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the
salvation of [your] souls.
I JOHN 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.
EPHESIANS 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
I PETER 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, [even
so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God.