The Work Of Faith
I.
Faith works-You can’t live by faith & be
lazy; It labors to enter into a care-free place of joy & peace (Heb 4:3,10)
A. Faith
is busy working to enter into that fully persuaded, assured soul, rest
1. Labor-Exert yourself,
give all diligence, earnestness, endeavor
a. ASV- Let us therefore
give diligence to enter into that rest
2. Real/Genuine Faith that
produces results doesn’t have a care in the world
a. Real faith has no fear,
worry, or anxiety in it
b. When you’re really in
faith you don’t have a care
3. It’s going to require
diligence on your part to enter into this resting place
a. People who aren’t
diligent in the Word of God and in the things of faith will not enter into that
rest and consequently will not walk in victory
4. Cease from your own works
and labor to enter into his rest
a. It didn’t say cease from
all works
b. Stop doing what you want
to do and start doing what he told you to do
B. This is the work of faith that most
people aren’t willing to engage (2 Thess 1:11)
1. It’s time to go to work;
you’re not working to earn something, you’re working to believe something so
that you can receive it from God
2. Hebrews 6:11-Diligence
leads to full assurance and full assurance leads to victory
3. Proverbs 10:4,13:4, 20:4,6,
28:20, 19:24, 21:25, 26:13-15
4. If your faith is not
engaged, you’re not positioned to see victory manifest
C. In
the Work of faith:
1. In
the work of faith, Faith labors in the Word through study, confession,
meditation
a. John
6:27-Labor in the Word
b. John 8:31-32-Continue in
the Word
c. Joshua 1:8-Meditate the
Word
d. Hebrews 10:23-Hold fast
to the confession of your faith
2. In
the work of faith, Faith casts down thoughts (2 Cor
10:5, Rom 10:17)
a. Failure
usually begins in the form of a thought
3. In
the work of faith, Faith wins the “small” daily battles
a. Mark
4:17-When persecution comes for the Word’s sake, you don’t let it
b. The
enemy of time or an evil report comes faith wins
4. In
the work of faith, Faith works to stay in love
a. Make
the connection between your faith failures and your love failures
1) Faith
works in love; it doesn’t work in strife (Gal 5:6)
b. When
you step out of love fear contaminates and dilutes your faith
1) Love becomes the tool
that purifies faith and makes faith work
c. Make
the connection inability to rest & your love walk-1 Jn
4:18
1) One
step out of love is a step into fear and fear has torment
II. Understanding your role is key to engaging the work of faith
A. Luke 8:50-Understand your
role; It’s not your job to make this thing manifest; I have a part to play and
if I don’t play my part it will not manifest
1. The result has already
been predetermined that if you’ll do the fearing not and the believing only,
she WILL be made whole
2. The she will be made
whole is not my part, my part the fearing not & believing only
3. My job is to apply the
principles that put the law into motion; not make the law work
B. Who’s working for you
while you fear not and believe only and rest in love and faith
1. The Word will do the work
(Rom 1:16, Gen 18:14, Is 55:11)
2. Faith is will work to
manifest your victory (Luke 17:6-9)
3. The blessing will do the
work to make you rich (John 20:29, Proverbs 10:22)
4. The angels will do the
work (Heb 1:14, Ps 103:20)
5. The Holy Spirit moved
upon the face of the waters and when God spoke he worked to bring what God
spoke to pass (Genesis 1:2)
6. The Apostle and High
Priest of your confession of faith (Hebrews 3:1)