March 23, 2011
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Victory in Faith part 3 by Pastor Don Moore
This is a transcript of a sermon by Pastor Don Moore, Living Word Chapel, West Hurley, New York. What is in [brackets] is what the congregation says. I edited slightly to make it easier to read and highlighted some of the important points. I hope this sermon blesses you. Heather
You can read part one of the sermon here. Part two here.
SAY AMEN
SHOW 146
Victory in Faith Part 3
2/29/10As we look at the enemies of faith and the victory through faith. There are many things that present obstacles to faith and if we’re going to fight the good fight of faith. If we’re going to live the life of faith, these enemies and obstacles must be understood in order to be overcome. And what better place to go to understand then the Bible. In the Bible we have people’s testimonies of faith, but more importantly, we have the Lord God, Himself, responding when their faith failed and responding when their faith was successful. Telling them exactly what they did that made it work or telling them why it didn’t work… So, will you walk with me through the scriptures as we look at the enemies of faith but also the victory of faith? And I’ve got ‘em all marked out here, we’re not going to mess around. We’re going to just get this done. How many of you are ready? Huh?…
Alright, first enemy of faith [worry]. Worry. Anxious mind.
Second enemy of faith. Come on. [carnal reasoning] Carnal reasoning, trying to figure things out.
The third. [negative eyes] Seeing with negative eyes. Letting your circumstances dominate your faith.
Here’s the fourth one. Which is always prevalent as an undercurrent. Fear…Fear. Fear.If you’re writing these enemies down, when you get into a faith situation, you can just go down the list and say, “Huh, let me address these and get this out of my body, out of my mind, out of my house.” Take them item by item. I do! [amen] … Yeah, I do.
Two nights ago I woke up 3 o’clock in the morning, and the devil had leaped on me with both feet. And you know, Cynthia, I never finished telling you did I? I never finished telling you. At 3 o’clock in the morning, jumped on me with both feet and all of a sudden in my mind and in my body, I’m feeling, I’m in a full-blown gout attack. On my left foot, I just woke up an a terror, like in a sweat. Gotcha now. You have a full blown gout attack, you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. You’re going to be in pain for the next week. You know, it’s just swollen, you’re just going to be miserable. Just in the middle of my sleep. And in my mind, I could see my foot, and I could see it all swollen, and the pain. While I’m in the middle of my sleep.
You know, I didn’t even wake up. My Spirit man rose up and said, “This is a lie from the pit of hell. I don’t receive it. I don’t have it.” …[amen] Cause a spirit of fear was trying to come on me, in my sleep. And I says, “I don’t have it and it’s a lie. I don’t receive it.” … [amen] I don’t receive it. I just rolled over and went back to bed. Woke up in the morning, fine. Didn’t even think about it until about 9 o’clock and that’s when I told my wife. I said, “Remember, I said, you won’t believe what happened to me last night.”
If the devil can get you into fear, he will come in the middle of the night, early in the morning, anytime that you’re not watching the shop. [amen] You have to be diligent about watching the shop. He will sneak up on you and give you a symptom that you don’t want. And if you volunteer for it through fear, he’ll lay it on you.
Now here’s another way he can lay it on you. Chapter 9. You ready? Chapter 9 Verse 1. “So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer;…” Read the next line. “...your sins are forgiven you.” Your whata whata? [sins]
An obstacle to your faith is sin. When you have sin in your life, you are afraid to go to God. Now, come on, tell the truth. You get, I’m afraid, I’m afraid to ask God for anything. Why? Cause you know you have sin in your life. You don’t expect the blessings of God to fall on a man that’s a sinner. You don’t expect that when you’re not walking right, not talking right, not acting right, you don’t believe that God is going to bless you, that He’s going to heal you. That He’s going to deliver you or do anything else. Because sin is an obstacle to your faith…
He says to this guy… He says to this guy, “Your sins are forgiven.” And then in a few more passages, a few more scriptures, He says, “Huh, is it easier for me to forgive sin?” He says, “Well, if you don’t believe the Son of Man has authority to forgive sin,” He said, “Pick up your bed and walk.” [right] Because why? Since He forgave the man’s sin, He removed the obstacle to the dude’s healing. [right] Cause sin was his problem… If you got that shake your head. [yeah] Sin was his problem. And therefore, he couldn’t get his healing until he dealt with his sin. But he didn’t even deal with it, his sin. Jesus dealt with his sin. And said, “Guess what, you’re forgiven.” In other words, the highway is now clear, you can be healed. [amen]
… Sin is an obstacle. And everybody’s not walking in their righteousness. There’s a lot more deadly sins than drinking and smoking dope…. A lot more sins. A lot more deadly sins. Your tongue and a critical mind is a greater sin than your physical act of hurting your body.… Cause with it you destroy other people. You demonstrate a weakness of character. … Moving right along. [laughter]
Let’s go to Luke 7…. I’m taking all of these, boy, and they’re no room for, you ain’t going to find an exception to these, they’re just all over the Bible. Here, Luke, Chapter 7… Jesus is in Simon’s house and a woman comes in. She’s kissing Jesus’ feet, she’s crying, she’s anointing Jesus’ head, she’s pouring out this beautiful fragrance. In verse 47, watch this. ”Therefore I say to you,…” Verse 47. ”…her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
Remember, at the beginning, what did I say you need at the beginning to receive this Word?” You need to be humble. You need to be humble. This woman is humbling herself. She’s humble. And so what Jesus is saying, is, “Your humility will permit you to go places that your pride can’t take you.” … And so, what does He say. He says, “Guess what, your sin has been a problem in your life.” And He says, “But, guess what, it’s removed now.” …
And look at verse 50. Since He removes her sin problem, verse 50 comes into play. ”…Your faith has saved you.…” Hallelujah! ”…Go in peace.” Well, what was her faith in? Her faith was in the fact that when He said her sins were forgiven, she believed Him. She believed Him! When He said, “Your sins are forgiven.” She believed that, and therefore the way to salvation opened up for her. Her faith had saved her… Sin is an obstacle. Pride is an obstacle. A critical tongue and a critical mind, they are obstacles. So we need to humble ourselves.
Yeah, drunkenness, the Scripture’s clear about that. It’s clear about pharmacia, and drug use. You know. Pharmacia, drug use, drunkenness, you know, the Bible’s clear on all of that. But what we have to understand is what is He saying? He is saying that all sin is an obstacle.
And you want to see the biggest one, that’ll block you? Go to Mark 11… Mark 11. Somebody groaned because they know which it is. You there? [yeah] Mark 11. This passage begins with God demonstrating His great power, His great faith. He curses a fig tree, the fig tree dies. Jesus, when He cursed it, He didn’t care what it looked like. He knew He cursed it. Therefore He knew the manifestation would come. Instantly after He cursed it, it looked the same. Come on somebody. Anybody here? When He cursed it, at the moment that He cursed the fig tree it looked the same. [yep] It took 12 hours, a minimum of 12 hours before the manifestation of the curse became manifested in the tree. He spoke the curse and it took some time.
Don’t look at your symptoms and wonder why they’re still there. They’re already gone. It’s just that you still see them. Don’t let what you see be a negative confession to a hold and let the devil stay. Jesus cursed the fig tree, and went about His business. When I have sickness in my body, and you know, God has done a great thing in me. You can’t, I can’t, nobody in this church can come up with a, “Pastor Don wasn’t here because he was sick.” … Come on. I’ve been preaching here a long time. How many of you remember a Sunday that I was so sick I wasn’t here? I’ve preached here many times sick. Fever running all through my body. But I believe, I receive, and if I believe I receive, I’m going to ignore the symptoms and get my behind where I’m supposed to be. On time, dressed, looking good, ready to do what God’s called me to do. And never has the symptom remained after I’ve delivered the message and done what God told me to do. [right, amen] But if I look at the symptom, I’d be down there in bed and just get worse and worse and worse. [right] … You can’t go by the manifestation, you can’t go by the symptom. You can’t go by what the devil tells you. [that's right, that's right] … Gotta hear God’s voice.
And so, here, in this passage, watch this now. It goes from the fig tree to the great lesson in faith. Verse 22 “…Have faith in God.” What you say, say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” Believe in your heart. Don’t let doubt get into your heart. I’m not going to teach this message now, but you can see it’s right there. Therefore, Jesus says, “I say to you,” Verse 24. ”…whatever things you ask...” whatever you say, “…when you pray,” believe you have it, and you shall. … Then He gives us the kicker in verse 25. Let’s read it together. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you...” come on. ”…do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
An enemy to your faith is sin. And an enemy to your faith is unforgiveness. And you cannot get around it. You cannot get around it. You’re gonna have to forgive. How many times? 490 if you want to be a literalist. You’re going to have to forgive them 490 times. Do they have to repent? Yes, they have to repent. Do they have to repent to you? Who knows? They’ve got to repent to God, or somewhere. And what do you have to do? You have to go ahead and forgive them. And you say, “Well, I’ll forgive you, but I won’t forget.” [laughter] You have to say, “I’ll forgive you. And I’m working on forgetting.” [amen] If you’re holding yourself in unforgiveness, the ceiling to God is broken… But not in your favor. It’s blocked. There’s nothing in scripture that says that you can hold yourself in unforgiveness.
The Apostle Paul, he talks about his sins. He was a murderer. He put people in prison. He did vile things against the Cross and against God. But what did He say, what does the Word say? He says that He repented to God, he brought it to God. Opens the window of Heaven, opened, and God withheld no blessing from him.
So yeah, we can’t. And a lot of us suffer with that. We have unforgiveness for ourselves. You know, it’s different. You know, you can have a shame. You can be ashamed you did this, this and that. You can be ashamed that you did that. And that’s good because that’ll hold you into a sufficient amount of guilt that you will what? Hopefully, you will not do it again. That it will work you, you say, “That shamed me so much, that shamed my Father. I’m gonna, I’m not going to do that again.” Anybody like that? I got that. I won’t do that to my Father again. I won’t do that. I’m not gonna, I’m ashamed of what I did. I’m not gonna do that again. So it becomes part of your testimony.
But if you hold yourself in unforgiveness, you are in error. You’re in sin, still. Holding yourself in unforgiveness, He just said, holding anyone, doesn’t it say, “anyone?” ”Whenever you stand, if you have anything against anyone…” How many of you all are an anyone? [yep] So if you’re holding it against yourself, you also have an enemy that you’re using, or permitting to block heaven. Alright?
Now let me show you another one, like that. Matthew 15….Matthew 15…. Matthew 15. The 15th Chapter of Matthew. How are you all doing? Sometimes a Bible study like this’ll change your life, when nothing else will. [amen] Matthew 15, verse 27…
I know why the Lord has put this on my heart. Because we’re in the time period where you are going to begin to do signs and wonders. [amen] And if you don’t know these principles of faith, you will not know how to operate in faith, believing. To see these great miracles that God is going to do through you. If the Church of God in the last days is to be the Church of God, then we must see greater manifestations of healings and deliverances and salvations. Especially in the younger generation. [amen] You should be able to pray with greater faith because you haven’t seen as much failure as the adults have seen. We’ve seen generations of failure. And you’re coming up in a spirit-filled church. You should be quick to pray for the sick and see them get up off the bed. [amen]
Chapter 15, you there? [yes] Chapter 15, verse 27. ”And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Let it be to you as you desire. What am I trying to say? One of the last enemies to your faith is your feelings of unworthiness.
This woman comes to Jesus and Jesus basically says to her, “You’re not worthy. I’m sent to the Lost Sheep of Israel. And you don’t make the cut. You’re a Gentile woman, I’m not here for you right now. You’re not worthy.” … Hallelujah. Something rose up in her and she said, “Yes, Lord.” You spoke the truth. That’s right. You were not sent to the Gentiles. Yes, Lord. But I have something…” [laughter] Lord have mercy. “I have something that you have to respond to. I have something that is going to move you to help me. And that is, I am worthy of your anointing.” … “I’m worthy to have the anointing operate in my favor. If it has to operate as an afterthought, I’ll take the afterthought. If it has to operate as a crumb, I’ll take the crumb. But guess what, You cannot violate the Word of God. And, concerning the Word of God, I’m coming to you in faith, therefore, my faith makes me as worthy as Abraham.” [yes] ”And you have to respond to faith.”
When we allow the enemy of unworthiness to block us, to feel that we cannot go to Daddy. To feel that somehow He won’t heal us, He won’t deliver us, He will not meet our need, because we are not worthy. That somehow we missed the cut. We have to really, really remember the Syrophoenician woman, cause she said to the Lord of Lords, she says, “But I got something …I’ve got something that you have to respond to. I believe in you. I believe in your ability. And I believe you can do this. Am I unworthy? Yep. I’m unworthy. I am a dog.” She accepts it. She says, you don’t fight it. ”Yes, I’m a dog. Whoof, Whoof. Whoof.” [laughter] But guess what, even the dogs get to eat the crumbs of the Children as they fall to the floor. [amen] … pffhew I don’t know about you, but that gives my faith a chill. [oh yeah] You are worthy. You are worthy because He has made faith available. If you have faith, then that faith has to operate and the King of Kings, what? He has to come at your beck and call. [amen] pffhew. That’s good news. That’s really good news. [yeah] That’s really good news. [applause] That’s really good news.
Remember with the paralytic guy? He says, He saw their faith…. This is what… He said He saw their faith. Jesus had to respond to their faith when He saw it. They had enough faith to rip the roof off of somebody else’s house. [laughter] That’s some serious faith. [yeah, amen] Don’t try that at my house. [laughter] I got two guns, and they will greet you. [laughter] They had enough faith to know, if we get to Him, He’ll do something about it. [yes] And they ripped off a guy’s roof. I wonder, I can’t wait and get to Heaven, I want to meet this guy and say, “Did they put the roof back?” [laughter] ”I just want to know, did they put the roof back?”
Anyway, let’s look at this a little bit closer… I’m talking to you, now, about the last three things that make your faith work. First of all, you are worthy. Second of all, there is an action of faith. Are you willing to rip somebody’s roof off to get your blessing? Are you willing to say to the Lord that you are worthy? Even for a crumb? Are you worthy to do that? Are you willing to do like the woman with the issue of blood. Are you willing to push through, even though the Law demanded that a woman with an issue of blood, flowing blood, was unclean, ceremonially unclean, and that she made everyone that she touched unclean. She pushed through a crowd of people that she made ceremonially unclean. They could have taken her and stoned her to death. Are you, do you have the faith that says, if it costs me everything, I’m going to get my healing. If it costs me everything, I’m going to get my deliverance. I am prepared to act on my faith. I’m prepared to act out my faith in spite of what people may say, in spite of how they may put me down, in spite of what they think. I’m going to go get my healing…. Are you desperate? Are you desperate? Are you willing to exhibit boldness? What is the action? There is an action associated with faith.
There’s something that you’re gonna have to do to demonstrate that you have defeated the enemies that are trying to block you. You’re stepping out of worry of mind. Come on. You’re stepping out of sin. You’re coming through fear. You’re rebuking doubt and unbelief. You’re accepting the fact that you are worthy. And you’re willing to do, what? Exert a work. It says, faith without works is what? [dead] Faith without works is what? [dead] Alright, that’s not just talking about good works. But it’s talking about doing the work of faith. And later, after that, He says, if there be any sick among you, call for the elders of the church, who’ll pray the prayer of faith and anoint you with oil, and the sick shall get well. They shall recover. Well what does that mean? How’s that happen if you don’t then pursue an elder and say, “Oil me up.” [yeah]
There should be an action associated with your faith, that has to be demonstrated. And that action, when God speaks the action, you must exhibit that action. You must go forward with it. You must have a point of contact in your mind. That you say, “When such and such happens, I’m going to release my faith, and do it.”
Now let’s go to the greatest example of faith, is in Luke 7:7… Luke what? [7:7] Matthew, Mark, Luke. 7:7. Verse 7. ”Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.” … But what? [say the word] Say the word and my servant will be healed… What overcomes everything? What overcomes the fact that he doesn’t feel worthy?
What overcomes doubt, unbelief, and everything? What overcomes all of that is you believe the Word. Your belief in the Word will overcome all the enemies of faith, all the obstacles of faith, all your foolishness, and all your pride, and all everything. Stay humble enough to say, “I believe the Word.” Look at the error, hold your finger there.
And go to 8:22. Luke 8:22…. Luke 8:22. You there? [yes] ”Now it happened on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side...” What’s the difference between the disciples and Jesus? Jesus, when He said, “We’re going to the other side,” Jesus believed it. He said no storm or nothing else is stopping us. My Word is, “We’re going to the other side.” They fell to the enemies of faith, because they didn’t put any faith in His Word. His Word was, “We’re going from here to there. And I’m gonna take a nap in the meantime.” They didn’t believe it and when all the enemies of faith, fear, doubt, unbelief, negative eyes, wrong reasoning, when all of those dropped in, doubt and unbelief killed their possibility and guess what. The waves and the roar of the sea became bigger to them than the Word of God.
Whenever the Word of God is diminished in your life, to where you can’t hold onto it, to where you can’t walk with it. To where you can’t stand on it. Then guess what? You have been defeated, but Jesus Christ, His Word is the Word. He is the Word of God. When His Word goes forth, it shall not be denied. The sea must obey. The wind’s gotta stop. The problem has to change. [applause] Everything is subject to His Word. [yea, applause] You gotta believe it.
“Well, I don’t know Pastor Don, about my circumstances. I don’t know about my symptoms. I don’t know…” Forget it, shut up! Do you believe the Word? What does God say? Find something that God said about it. Lock on to it, with a bull dogged tenacity. Lock your jaw, don’t let go. Because, if He said it, He will do it, He will perform it, It will come to pass. [yeah, amen] His Word will not return void. That means His Word will not come back empty. [amen] It will accomplish where it’s going. [yes]
Don’t be afraid to admit, I want to stay humble. I want to stay in line with God. I want to stay lined up with the truth. Faith, in the Word of God, means you have faith in the sovereignty of God… Understanding this revealed truth alone, was enough for the Centurion to have his servant healed across distance. Across time… The favor of God will not be denied you if you will believe the Word. All the excuses that we have are overcome when you believe the Word. [amen] None of the enemies can stand when you believe the Word. [that's right]
You know how powerful the Word is? It’ll make a 90 plus woman give birth to a baby. [yes] Do you believe the Word? [yes] It’ll help a murderer do what? Lead a nation for 40 years in the Wilderness and then plant them in the Land… what’ll it do? It’ll take a 14 year old girl and turn her womb into the temple from which the creator of all things will come. [amen] What are you talking about? If you believe the Word, it’ll make the blind eyes open, it’ll make the deaf hear, it’ll make the dead rise. The Word, believe the Word. If you will believe the Word, it’ll take a little black boy from the South Bronx, and make him a senior pastor up in the mountains. [whew, yeah, amen, applause] Believe the Word. [amen] Let’s pray. Let’s talk to Jesus for awhile. How are you doing?
