God Loves Faith and Requires it from Us

Dr. David Riffel Faith is required to know God Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 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. Heb 11:6 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. How do we receive faith? Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Are you hearing on a regular and continual basis, or have you heard sometime in the past? God gives us the faith we need Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Rom 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. KJV Grace is Gods part. Faith is our part. Noah remained in faith for 120 years! Heb 11:7 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. God could move immediately; he allowed Abraham to remain in faith for 25 years before he saw the first part of the promise. Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. God provided everything for us that we need, but he cant believe for us! Heb 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. Although Jesus was often surrounded by crowds, he stopped when he saw faith. Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that

had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. What did her faith look like? 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. How did she walk out her faith? 1. She heard. (Faith comes by hearing) Matt 14:35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. 2. She believed. She chose to believe what she had heard about Jesus. That is faith. 3. She spoke. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV) 4. She went James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does. (NIV) 5. She risked Lev 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. KJV 6. She pressed in with determination Notice that she touched the HEM of his garment. She had to be on her hands and knees to do so. She may have been hiding to not be seen, or it may have been the only way to press in and get close to Jesus. 7. She touched Jesus She pursued and pressed in until she made the connection! (When you grab hold of a power source and you are grounded in faith you will be energized!) What was the result of her faith? He said "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." (With the crowds around Jesus who apparently all wanted to be healed, it was only the one who demonstrated her faith that received from Jesus.) Her faith-her point of contact-was If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. We cannot take a person beyond where their faith is. Different things may produce faith in different people. When a person has faith that a prayer cloth will bring healing, it will work for them according to their faith. Others may have faith that only the doctor, medication or surgeon may heal them.

What if we pray and they are not healed? Matt 17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. We can have faith and unbelief at the same time Matt 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. How do we get rid of unbelief? Matt 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Sources of Unbelief Ignorance or lack of knowledge Wrong doctrine (miracles ceased after the 12 apostles died). Relying only on our five senses for evidence of Gods provisions. (Symptoms, Drs. Reports) Fear Doubt Uncertainty Worry Gods Will Regarding Healing John 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. John 5:30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. What did Jesus do while on earth? Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Matt 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (NIV) What is a kingdom? (Think Old English) A kingdom is not a democracy. It is a place where the king is the Lord of all. It is a place where the subjects do not do their own will, they do the will of the Lord of the kingdom. Jesus taught us to pray that Gods kingdom would come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven there is no sickness. That would mean that there would be no sickness where Gods kingdom comes on earth. Jesus taught the disciples to bring the kingdom to the people Luke 10:8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' Preaching the kingdom & healing the sick were done together Luke 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Luke 9:11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. Two things Jesus never did: 1. Jesus never refused to heal anyone 2. Jesus never put sickness on anyone Three things Jesus never said 1. The Father wants you to stay sick so that your character can be strengthened 2. We are not going to heal you so you can learn a lesson through this illness 3. We are giving you this disease so that God can be glorified through it Salvation and healing are a package Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Healing was accomplished at the cross. Its already done! 1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed.