CAN FAITH REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
Matthew 9:20-22
Intro: This is a very familiar scripture about the encounter of the woman with the issue of blood and Jesus. We know by reading the parallel text in Mark 5 she had spend all of her money on physicians and was none the better but grew worse. But there came a time in her life when she her about a man named Jesus and that He was the one that could heal her and change her life forever. Perhaps, she had seen the miracles in times past but she never really believed that she could be helped. She lacked an element that was hindering her life from being changed and that element was faith. I want to preach this evening on the subject “CAN FAITH REALLY CHANGE YOU LIFE?”
In the New Testament when Jesus would heal someone He would tell them “Thy faith, hath made the whole.” Before a person could experience that change they had to be expecting a change. There had to be some faith exhibited somewhere.
I. FAITH CAN SAVE THE SICK
A. (James 5:14) Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord
B. (James 5:15) And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him
C. I really believe these verses are dealing with or at least in part the sickness that was brought about by the sin of a saved person. I do not think this applies to every case
D. Some people are sick simply so God can manifest his great work in them. You can find one example in John 9,
E. I certainly think the judgment of God can be placed on a backslider and that he can allow sickness to settle in on someone as a means to bring them back to God
F. But it is the prayer of faith that can turn things around.
G. The verse does not imply you have got to be bubbling over with faith or that your faith has got to be overwhelmingly strong
H. But it did say that prayer had to be prayed in faith.
II. FAITH CAN SAVE THE SINNER
A. (Ephesians 2:8) For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God
B. (John 3:15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life
C. (John 20:29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas; because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believe
D. Faith believes that Jesus was born in a manger and that he died on the cross and that he did resurrect on the third day and that he is coming back very soon for those who love him and have remained faithful.
E. These are elements of faith.
III. FAITH CAN STIR THE CYNICS
A. One of the attributes of Stephen was that he was a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6:5)
B. (Acts 6:8) And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people
C. (Acts 6:9) And there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen
D. The Libertines and the Cyrenians and they Alexandrians were all a bunch of Hellenistic Jews that was trying to overthrow the world with there culture. Stephen was a threat to them
E. The more that contested him the more the could not resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
F. They conjured up a bunch of lies and false witnesses against him
G. (Acts 6: 12) And they stirred up the people, and the elders and the scribes and came upon him, and caught him and brought him to the council
H. Stephen preached so hard to them they plugged their ears and fell on him biting him
I. But as they sentenced him to death by stoning his faith unplugged him from this world into another
IV. FAITH CAN SETTLE YOUR SOUL
A. (Romans 4:20) He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
B. (Romans 4:21) And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform
C. Abraham has his mind made up to follow the promises of God
D. Every promise God has made we can hold him accountable to and I guarantee you he will keep his word
V. FAITH CAN STIR YOUR SERVICE
A. I believe that when we come to church if we would come expecting God to do something we could see more happen
B. I also know that when we pray if we prayed if faith and expected God to do something we would see more happen and I can prove that
C. (Matthew 21:22) And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive.
Closing: How many of you here want to please God? Let me go back to what verse 6 says “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.
