As It Is Written
Foundation Statement: What you’ll see in a
person with the spirit of faith is that they go to the Word for everything
because they look only to God
I.
You have somebody here
who is in a situation of great pressure, but he’s got the word regarding his
situation and this is a big time mark of a person who has the spirit of faith;
they run to the Word regarding every situation of their lives
A. You’ll find people with
the spirit of faith running to the Word saying, “What does the Word say about
this,” and this is coming from the single eye
1.
They
are in a pressured situation, surrounded by trouble, chased after, attacked by
death and notice his response was to run to the Word and we know that because
he says we have the same spirit of faith ACCORDING AS IT IS WRITTEN-2
Corinthians 4:13
2.
Apparently
he knew what was written and to know it he must have searched it and studied it
at some point and why would you do that? Because you value and honor the Word
of God and you must think the Word is important
3.
The spirit of faith
always looks from God’s perspective and to do that you have to look from the
perspective of God’s Word
B. People with the spirit of
faith find their victory in the Word-2 Corinthians 4:13, Psalm 116
1.
Okay, maybe we are
surrounded by trouble and maybe we don’t know where to go, what to do and don’t
have any resources, and maybe there are people chasing after us, and maybe we
are knocked down, and maybe death is attacking us everyday, BUT according as it
is written and they found their victory in Psalm 116; He found his victory in
the Word and he said we got the same spirit of faith and we’ll get victory they
way the guy in Psalm 116 got victory
a. 3-The sorrows of death
surround me and the pressures of hell got hold of me; affliction, adversity,
tribulation, and sorrow got hold upon me – Does this sound like 2
Corinthians 4:8-11?
b. 8-You have delivered my
soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling – Is this
what they need in 2 Corinthians 4?
c. 9-I will walk before the
Lord in the land of the living; This is speaking knowing; This is like 2
Corinthians 4:14
1)
He’s
saying we’re not going to die and where did he find it? In Psalm 116
2.
Who
else talked this “it is written” language? Jesus did because he had the spirit
of faith and people with the spirit of faith run to the Word
a. When the enemy attacked
Jesus ran to the word first, why? Because he’s got the spirit of faith
b. You go to the Word because you’re going to war with the Word
II.
God’s Word is the establishing
point of my faith in him
A. The first move of a person with the spirit of faith is always a
move towards the word
1.
Someone
not developed in the spirit of faith will have a different first move; their first move might be to yield to
wrong feelings, their first move might
be to seek the arm of the flesh (natural solution); their first move will not be towards the Word
a. Matthew 4:4-The first
move Jesus made when attacked by the devil was a move toward the Word of God
b. EX: Okay _________________
happened? What does the Word say?
c. Matthew 8:8-This guy had
great faith and his first move was toward the Word (Speak the Word only)
2.
Your first move will
expose where your faith is and who your faith is in-Jeremiah 42
a. Their first move was
toward Egypt and it exposes their unbelief-Jeremiah 41:17
B. The Word is the spark
that lights the fire of faith
1.
Romans
10:13-14-You can’t believe if you don’t hear; It’s the word that sparks faith
a. Saving doesn’t come
without calling – Calling doesn’t come without believing –
Believing doesn’t come without hearing
b. For my situation if I’m
going to believe God and have confidence in him and have faith in him and get
the victory, then I got to first know what he’s said because if I haven’t heard
what he said, then I can’t believe
1)
EX: If I’m going to call
on God to change a law, then I have to believe that he would change the law and
to believe he would change the law I’d first have to know what He’s said in his
Word about changing laws; Once I hear in his word that he has changed laws it
will spark faith to believe he’d do it in this situation
2)
EX: How are you going to
call on God where healing is concerned if you don’t believe he’d heal you and
how would you believe he’d heal you if you haven’t heard from Him that he would
heal you? But if you heard it would spark faith to call on him and get victory
3)
If
God has said it to me, then I have grounds to be confident that He’ll do it for
me, but if I’m not sure what he said it or if I don’t know that the said it,
then I have no reason to believe or be confident that He’d do it
c. That’s why a person with the spirit of faith goes to the Word
first because it’s going to spark faith in him
2.
Mark
5:27-When she heard of Jesus it sparked faith in her for Jesus to heal her
a. 25,26-At this moment is
this woman believing that Jesus will heal her? No. Why? Because she hasn’t
heard yet
b. 28-In this verse she is
speaking knowing and that reveals to us that genuine faith is there – How
did faith get there?
c. 27-Faith got there
because when she heard the Word it sparked faith in her
3.
Psalm
116 sparked faith in them that God would deliver them in 2 Corinthians 4 and became
the establishing point of their faith in God
a. What’s the establishing
point of your faith in God?
C. I need grounds upon which
to approach God with confidence and trust him and depend on him and the Word
gives me grounds to do that
1.
1
John 5:14,15-My confidence begins with me knowing God’s will (Word) and then
approaching him on the basis of His will (Word)
a. When I go to God I go
already knowing what He wants to do and when I go to him my request is in agreement
with what He wants to do for me and that gives me confidence that he hears me
and if he hears me I know that I have what I desire of Him
2.
2
Corinthians 4:13-According as it is written; He knows they have grounds upon
which to stand and expect God to deliver them
III.
Matthew 4:4-Because the
Word is the establishing point of my faith and faith is my victory that
overcomes the world, I live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God
(that’s the only way to win)-Romans 10:14,17, 1 John 5:4
A. The word of God is the
establishing point for my faith so to live by faith is to live by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Romans 10:14,17, Galatians 3:11, Matthew
4:4)
1.
I
find out what this Word has to say about everything
a. EX: A good night’s rest, My kids aren’t behaving, I need new
clothes, weeds growing in the lawn, my marriage is in shambles, a law was
passed in the land that disagrees with the Word, a politician got elected that
is for evil things, okay what does the Word say about this
b. We are to live by this
Word and living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is how you
would enjoy real life, blessed, strong, successful and effective-Joshua 1:8
c. Some Christians try to live by prayer and ignore the Word and
ignore faith and that doesn’t work; We don’t live by prayer, we live by the
Word, we live by faith and if our prayers aren’t prayers of faith based on the
Word they won’t produce
1)
If
you exalt prayer above the Word and above faith you’ll got things out of order
and chances are your praying will be off
2.
This
word is my source for everything
a. Proverbs 4:22-They are life
(LIVE PROSPEROUSLY) to those who find them and health to all their flesh
b. Jeremiah 15:16-Your words were found and I did eat them; thy
word was unto me the joy and
rejoicing of mine heart
c. Psalm 107:20-He sent his word and healed them and delivered
them from their destructions
d. Psalm 119:50-Thy word has quickened me (To revive from sickness, from discouragement, from
faintness, from death)
e. 1 Peter 1:23-You were born again by the Word of God
f.
Psalm 119:165-Great peace have they which love your law (Completeness,
Soundness, Safety, Soundness in body, Health, Prosperity, Peace, Quiet)
g. John 8:32-The truth will make you free
h. Psalm 119:105-Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light
unto my path
i.
Psalm 91:5-His truth is a
buckler and a shield
j.
Joshua 1:8-This word is
my success
k. Revelation 12:11-We overcome by this Word
B. You need to practice
running to the Word for everything and allow that word to spark
faith/confidence in God and then rely on God and look only to him regarding
that situation and that is “the just living by faith” and that is “living by
every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”
1.
The just are supposed to
live by faith and a big part of living by faith is to depend on God for
everything
2.
Most
Christians don’t live by the Word of God, but rather they look to other things
IV.
People who have the
spirit of faith place a great value on the Word of God and show the Word great
honor
A. Every believer they would
say they value the Word greatly, but most by their actions demonstrate they
don’t
1.
Honor
for a thing is not show in how much you say you honor a thing, but rather your
honor for a thing is revealed by how you treat it
B. Ways that people with the
spirit of faith honor the Word
1.
The
first way people with the spirit faith value the Word and show the Word great
honor is that they make it the final
authority in their lives
a. That means that in their
life The Word has the final say regarding all situations (other things can be
saying stuff, but we roll with the Word)
b. That means the Word of God carries more weight and means more
to you than any other voice or report
1)
Numbers
13,14-The didn’t honor God’s Word; The evil report meant more to them and
carried more weight in their lives
c. When you have the Spirit of faith the Word of God is King
1)
The
spirit of faith is built on the foundation that the Word of God is final
authority
2)
If
faith is going to be the predominant influence in your life then the word must
be final authority
2.
The
second way people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show the Word
great honor is that they seek the
Word of God
a. That means you go to the
Word to find out what the Word has to say about your situation and that shows
the Word great honor
1)
Some
believers don’t even value God’s Word enough or honor it enough to go to it and
seek it regarding their situation
2)
Do
you even value God’s Word enough find out what He has to say about your
situation?
b. Psalm 119:45-And I will walk at liberty: for I seek your
precepts
c. Psalm 119:155-Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek
not your precepts
3.
The
third way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show the Word
great honor is they desire the Word
a. Psalm 119:131-I opened my mouth and panted (with eager
desire): For I longed for your commandments
b. You do not desire what is
not valuable to and more valuable something is to you the greater your desire
for it will be
4.
The
fourth way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show the
Word great honor is they meditate
the Word
a. Psalm 119:15-I will meditate your precepts and have respect
unto your ways
b. Psalm 119:97-Oh how I Iove your
law, it is my meditation all the day
c. That means that you think
about the Word, you ponder it
1)
You’re
going to think about what’s important, what’s valuable and what carries weight
in your life
2)
Psalm 119:113-I hate vain
thoughts, but your law do I love
5.
The
fifth way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show it great
honor is that they talk about the
Word
a. Psalm 119:172-My tong shall speak of your Word
b. You talk about what’s
important to you and what you value
6.
The
sixth way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show it great
honor is how they respond to the
Word
a. Psalm 119:171-My lips will utter praise when you have taught
me your statutes
b. Psalm 119:162-I rejoice at your Word as one who finds great
spoil
c. Psalm 119:103-How sweet are your words unto my taste! Yea
sweeter than honey to my mouth
d. Psalm 119:129-Your testimonies are wonderful (marvelous)
e. Psalm 119:111-Your testimonies have I take as an heritage
forever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart
7.
The
seventh way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show it
great honor is in their attitude
towards the Word
a. Psalm 119:174-Your law is my DELIGHT
b. Psalm 119:117-I will have RESPECT unto your statutes
continually
c. Psalm 119:167-My soul has kept your testimonies; and I LOVE
them exceedingly
8.
The
eighth way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show it
great honor is in they value the
Word above all else
a. Psalm 119:14-I rejoiced in the Word as in all riches
b. Psalm 119:72-The law of your mouth is better unto me than
thousands of gold and silver
c. Psalm 119:127-I love your commandments above God, yea above
fine gold
d. Psalm 119:148-My eyes anticipate the night watches and I am
awake before the cry of the watchman, that I may meditate on your Word
e. Psalm 119:69-I will keep your precepts with my whole heart
9.
The
ninth way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show it great
honor is they pay attention to the
Word
a. Psalm 119:16-I will forget not your Word (I won’t ignore it)
b. Psalm 119:30-Your judgments have I laid before me
10.
The
tenth way that people with the spirit of faith value the Word and show it great
honor is they do what it says
C. The value and honor you
give to the Word will be a key determining factor in whether or not you
experience victory and success-Proverbs13:13
1.
Psalm
119:92-If he wouldn’t have valued the Word and honored it he would have been
defeated