Understanding How to Release Faith - Pastor Rob Urban

Welcome to Logan City Christian Church podcast where we bring God's Word to you weekly.

We pray that what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life.

Enjoy the message.

God reigns and He really does.

He has never ceased reigning from the beginning of time and that's something really worthwhile

meditating on. Good morning church, it's lovely to be with you again this morning and those

watching online, good morning.

It's lovely that we could be together and worship the Lord and come together as a church

family.

I'm going to continue from last week's message.

Last week I spoke on understanding how faith works.

Today it's understanding how to release faith and it's not hard.

I do believe that God made the gospel easy to understand and you know fishermen and tax

collectors, farmers understood it so that leaves me in good stead.

I guess it leaves all of us in a good place to be able to understand and I do believe

it's really important that we're taught right the first time if possible and unfortunately

for me I wasn't, I didn't understand what faith really is and when I got hold of it,

it just changed my entire life and faith is a rest.

I will say that faith is not a risk, faith is a rest and when we find that true place

of faith, it is a rest.

This morning we have something a little bit different that, could I ask Chantelle and

Eleanor if you could come up please, you want to bring the microphone with you, that would

be good.

We just got a few testimonies in relation to what I was speaking on last week about

how God in birth's faith and you know that Rhema word, the speaks or we read the word

of God and you go wow, this is my promise, this is my guarantee that I know this is what

God is saying and then when I release that and then we see things happen, who would like

to go first, Chantelle or Eleanor, who would like to go first?

Oh they're offering each other, why don't you both come up, that might be better.

Why don't we welcome them, let's say come up.

I'm going to go and sit down because I...

Good morning church family and thank you Pastor Rob and Pastor Chantelle, we are so, we will

always be eternally grateful that you have taught us God's word, the truth.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God and our pastor has faithfully taught us every

week the word of God.

Many years back I had some surgery which didn't concern me too much at the time, until the

day I thought I was going home and instead I was taken to the hospital office and told

that I had a cancer and that I would be needing more surgery and that the survival rate was

nine months to two years.

A nurse took me back to my room and the room was totally empty, I was in shock but I had

a calmness and I walked into the room, it was totally empty and I stood there because

it was sort of surreal but suddenly this voice almost right in front of me said, be still

and know that I am God and I knew that was the voice of God.

It was a commanding voice, a comforting voice, I can still hear it now in my mind and I will

never forget that voice, I would only need to hear one word and I would know that again

is the voice of God.

A couple of days later I was still in this room on my own, they were preparing me blood

tests and I heard the voice again but it was much quieter and the voice said, take my yoke

upon you and learn from me and that was my directions from God, take to learn from him

and I went home and I got my Bible and I put all little post-it notes, I got all the healing

scriptures, all the faith scriptures and because God knows me, he didn't say you are the healed

of the Lord or I would have said yippee, that's great and then on with life but no, I was

told to step aside and learn, learn from God.

I was fortunate to be brought up in a Christian family but I had to learn and I learned the,

I knew that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour and I knew I had a fight

on my hands and I had to hang on, I had to hang on to this, I knew I would be healed

right from when I heard the words be still and know that I am God but I didn't know when

I would be healed and I knew I would have a fight on my hands and so daily I would read

these scriptures, they would take me 20 minutes or hours if I meandered through but I would

read them six times a day because I was pretty much laid up now and I just devoured or what

word, I soaked in these scriptures and I didn't feel healed and I didn't know when I would

be healed because the Bible says that the lepers as they went they were healed but I

was doing what I could, what I felt the Holy Spirit was leading me to do.

I knew I could not allow fear to come in because fear and faith cannot stand side by side and

so when you go through something like this you do have a battle because the enemy is

always trying to get you into fear.

I remember one night I woke up, it was a hot night in February and there was a noise, quite

a loud noise and as I came awake I realised it was my teeth chattering and it was not

cold, it was hot and I was shaking in fear and you don't know what to do but I had my

weapon, I had the Word of God, I had my Holy Bible and I picked it up, that was the only

weapon I had but it was all I needed and I went downstairs and I had all my scriptures

marked out and I would walk the floor and say these scriptures and the Holy Spirit showed

me I had to speak them audibly and I had to hold my Bible, not just take them off a piece

of paper, I had to hold God's Word and declare them out loud.

So I did that for two years until the Lord said, he released me from that but I was,

I had to do, I just knew I had to do that and I never missed for two years, every day

I'd be in the car going to church and I would be reading my scriptures.

The thing was I had to learn to totally trust and obey.

Also I had to go back for a second lot of surgery and some other treatment and I didn't

want to go but my family wanted me to go and the Lord rebuked me with a ramus scripture

and the scripture was Joshua 1.9, have I not commanded you be strong and of good courage,

do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And as I read that I could hear that same tone, that same timber of the Lord's voice

as I was reading that scripture and I'm just so grateful, I'm so grateful for what I learnt

through that time.

You may think it is awful being unwell but it was so a peaceful time, it was a wonderful

time that I was with the Lord and I learnt so much and I can honestly say when I look

back now that the closeness I had with my Heavenly Father was just so wonderful and

I wouldn't change it and I had Pastor Peter and Esther, a man from their group that they

used to teach, my mother brought him around and he taught me these scriptures to speak

these scriptures out and the night I came home from hospital the first night my daughter,

Wallace in hospital I knew I had to go and be prayed for and my daughter took me to Clark

Taylor's church on a Thursday night and it wasn't Clark Taylor but that's right I was

in the presence there and I can't say to this day when I was healed but I think of the,

in Mark it gives an account of Jairus when he went to the leader of the synagogue and

he went to Jesus and said please come and my little daughter is dying please come and

lay your hands on her and she will be healed and Jesus immediately went with him but as

he was going a woman put her hand out and touched the hem of his garment and she was

healed and God knew that power had gone out of him, healing power had gone out of him

and he said who touched me and the woman was very worried because she wasn't supposed to

be out but she said she admitted it was her and he said woman your faith has made you

whole and Jesus continued on with his disciples.

Now I think Jesus would have known and the little girl had died but they continued on

to Jairus' house but as they went some men from Jairus' house said don't bother the

master your little daughter is dead don't trouble the master anymore and Jesus immediately

said to Jairus be not afraid, be not afraid only believe and they went to the house and

you know the account they put all these people that were crying and wailing outside and Jesus

would only allow the mother, the father and three of his disciples into the house.

He would not have any fear, he only wanted faith in that house and he said to the little

girl arise and she was healed from that day and the parents were amazed of course but

we serve a wonderful, he's a wonderful heavenly father, a wonderful heavenly father and if

we I think we really have to if we're when things go wrong we really have to dig in deep,

we have to it's not easy you have to dig deep you can be fighting for your life but it's

worth it you dig in deep and our little granddaughter comes and stays with us on a Friday night

sleeps over and this Friday night she was she wasn't going to sleep and she lay on the

bed and I lay on the bed with her and I said should we just count choose some of the animals

that would be going into the ark and it's amazing what a five-year-old the kind of critters

that a five-year-old creatures comes up with but we had all these animals and then I began

to think later you know God had prepared that ark he didn't want 57 elephants the boat was

not built it was prepared for two elephants a male and a female he had prepared a place

for two giraffes a male and a female he had prepared that boat perfectly as he wanted

it and and also for their food and the preparation and for Noah's family now many people had

been given the opportunity to go on the ark but people are made in the image of God but

they have their own free will now there was many animals that went on that ark God called

those animals he called them and they would have heard and two and two by two those animals

went on to the ark they has a place prepared for them but there was only eight people that

went on to the ark and then God shut the door and so Jesus has said he has gone to prepare

a place for us and he said I will return again and and bring you unto myself but he said

as in the days of Noah so will be when he returns for us so we need to be ready we are

so grateful to you Pastor Rob for teaching us we need that indwelling faith within us

and we need to hold on to God's word and know that and teach our family teach just be so

open with people because the time now is very short and I think thank you for listening

thank you Eleanor what an amazing testimony nine months to two years and how long ago

was that Eleanor? 22 years there you go our God is a good God amen amen hallelujah praise

God when Rob asked me to share this this morning I was kind of I was thinking back to this

time and it's just like Eleanor it's just amazing when you look back to see what God

has done in your life and so with me I wasn't born into a Christian family I was raised

Catholic went to Catholic school and as you do you go to mass every week so I knew about

God I think I loved God and so when I'd finished primary school I went to a state high school

I didn't go to a Catholic high school and so as I was going to that high school because

of course they're not going to have mass every week I was kind of missing that I was missing

that connection with God and one day on parade they announced that they were going to play

a movie a Christian movie and anyone who was interested they were going to start a group

it was called ISCF back in those days into school Christian fellowship and I thought

you know what I really I want to go to that because I still want to have that connection

with God so I went along to this thing played in the lunch hour and it was actually the

cross and the switchblade the original giving away my age yeah so that was and that was

just an amazing just an amazing movie amazing testimony of what God could do in someone's

life and so after the movie there were two of the high school teachers they're actually

science teachers were born-again Christians and I'd never even heard of born-again I didn't

know what that was and after the movie they invited anyone they explained about Jesus

and how he died on the cross and how we needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

I had never heard that in all my years of going to Catholic school and going to mass

and there was something in me that was drawing me to that and that day I actually gave my

heart to Jesus and I just sent such a weight come off me it was just incredible I'll never

forget that day so moving forward a few years later I met Rob we met I was 17 he was 18

but he wasn't saved and so anyway we continued to date by that point we'd moved out my family

had moved out away where I was not going to church so I really backslid I'm not blaming

Rob in any way but so I wasn't going to church so you know it's really important a fellowship

it's really important to go to church so I wasn't getting that you know weekly message

from the Lord and that fellowship and that encouragement so after that we got engaged

we got married and actually before we got engaged before we got in during we during

when we got engaged yeah there's something that happened in our family that really really

rocked my faith my dad and my younger brother in a car accident and my younger brother died

and yeah so that was pretty tough and my dad became paraplegic so I remember going to church

when I was a teenager I was told things happen God does things to teach you something and

I always remember that that message and so when this happened to our family I straight

away my my thought process went back to remembering what I'd heard in that that God does things

to teach you something and for the life of me I could not understand what are you teaching

me God here because all I'm feeling here is absolute pain like it was just heart wrenching

and I couldn't see any good out of it at all so for a long time I rejected God I wanted

nothing to do with him I pretty much went about my day as though he didn't exist at

that point my mum started obviously asking questions and searching as well and just to

cut a long story short she ended up there was an ad in the paper and she ended up meeting

these born-again Christian people who were running a little church and so mum started

going to that and mum would come back and I could see that she was changed and and she

just seemed different and hopeful and she would say to me you need to come it's so good

you know and I said mom I want nothing to do with God that's done for me you know and

so she just continued to ask me and I continued to say no until one day I just thought okay

all right mama give in I'll just go just to please her that day I went the preacher preached

on John 10 10 the thief does not come except to steal to kill and to destroy but I have

come that you may have life and life more abundantly and so it was like this light bulb

moment for me where I realized all this time I'd been blaming God for what had happened

and I didn't know that it was the enemy that kills steals and destroys and so from that

day I actually rededicated my life to the Lord and and it was a faith church at that

time but that it was great great teaching and it's what what I needed probably what

mum needed at that time too and so so I was going every week I couldn't stop praying

and reading my Bible it was just amazing and so by this time I was married and I thought

right I'm gonna start praying for Rob's salvation yeah so but the interesting thing was there

was only one scripture that I ever got from the Lord just one and it's in Mark 11 22

and it says so Jesus answered and said to them have faith in God for assuredly I say

to you whoever says to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt

in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done he will have whatever

he says therefore I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray believe that you receive

them and you will have them and that was really the only scripture that I would pray like

I'd be doing you know I'd be at work or doing things around the house and this scripture

would I just be prompted to say this scripture over Rob's life and I would just see him

in church raising his hands just surrendering to God and that's pretty much all I did that's

whenever I felt prompted and it didn't matter what I saw him do like he would you know come

home drunk or he would invite his cousin over and they would blow up a car in the backyard

mind you I was like eight and a half months pregnant when that happened I nearly had Megan

that night yeah so he was doing all these things but it was like well God has given

me this word and this word is far more truth than anything that I can see or feel or experience

and so I just kept claiming the scripture and then now can I just say I prayed this

for nine years so you know sometimes we're kind of in a hurry and we want God to do it

now Lord or yesterday you know because we don't like to wait and we want to see the

things that we pray for come to pass but God has a reason I can't I don't know why it took

nine years but God has a reason and so nine years from when I started speaking this scripture

at two o'clock in the morning Rob gave his heart to the Lord and yeah so just just incredible

so don't give up I guess what I'm wanting to say to is don't give up just keep pressing

in because God will come through and the only thing that I didn't pray for was to become

a pastor and run a church I was just like God I never prayed that that wasn't on my

list but anyway he's a bit higher and bigger than ours amen can I just say that I absolutely

am honored to do what we do but it's certainly not something that I wanted or plan to do

but God knows best and so yeah give him all the glory amen thank you

I'm really glad you stopped blowing up cars because it got a lot worse praise God here

should write a book one day but no one would buy it because you wouldn't believe it but

it is very important to have faith in God in spite of what all you may be going through

or seeing or experiencing have faith in God now last week I was explaining about what

scripture actually means as says about faith that faith is not something that we manufacture

and this is where I think it has gone wrong at times that we think I've got to somehow

get faith from somewhere so that I can believe God to do something but that's not how it

works that faith is always instigated by God not by man faith always always is instigated

by God God has given to all a measure of faith and so what happens is in our life you know

last week I had some really good conversation with some of you guys about this subject from

last Sunday it's like faith can be almost like God leading us like in other words you

may be like this particular person was saying you know I felt that God was calling me to

another country to do you know some work and he said and I followed that and next thing

you know this man has an incredible ministry over there and it started with and it was

in birth into him and when he believed what that inner persuasion was that inner leading

God was able to lead this man on but God planted the seed in him first and the same goes with

like Eleanor thank you by the way Voni and last week Eleanor as well two Eleanors and

Chantelle thank you for sharing that because we do need to be reminded that God is still

alive and he's still doing miracles he's still healing people he's still you know bringing

families together he's still doing a lot of things I had a wonderful test heard a wonderful

testimony this morning about God restoring a family it's just so wonderful but you see

God he gives us he imparts into us that that substance and when we discern that see God

said he'd never leave you nor forsake you and if God before us who can be against us

so when we are faced you're facing trials in life it's then when we stop and say God

what are you saying are you showing me you know what are you showing me is there is there

is something you want to do here and I guarantee you that God will birth in you a faith for

that moment an inner convincing that God's saying look I'm with you and I'm going to

show you how to get through this if you just believe believe in what I've been birthed

into your spirit and follow that and believe in that and you will see it'll come to pass

I'm going to read Hebrews chapter 11 it's very very important that I do this morning

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Hebrews chapter 11 from verse 1 you enjoy the testimonies this morning it's encouraging

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

isn't it very very encouraging God is still on the throne God is still doing miracles

God is still working he's still doing the same thing and he does it well Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11 from verse 1 the Word of God reads now faith is the substance of things hoped for

the evidence of things not seen for by it the elders obtained a good testimony by faith

we understand that the worlds were framed in the Word of God by the Word of God so that

the things which are seen were not made of the things which are invisible by faith Abel

offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained witness

that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and through it he being dead still speaks

by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God

had taken him for he was taken sorry for before he was taken he had this testimony that he

pleased God hey what a way to go how good is that verse 6 but without faith it's impossible

to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder

of those who diligently seek him by faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet

seen moved with godly fear prepared an ark for the saving of his household by which he

condemned the world and became heir of the right of the righteousness which is according

to faith verse 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 by

faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country dwelling in tents with Isaac

and Jacob and the heirs with him of the same promise for he waited for the city which has

foundations whose builder and maker is God by faith Sarah herself also received strength

to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged him

faithful who had promised verse 12 therefore from one man and him as good as dead were

born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude and you're innumerable as the sand which

is by the seashore faith these heroes of faith and there are many today they're heroes

of faith sitting in this room and so I'm watching online that you are here because of faith

you're here because of you know you've overcome things in life with you know God's help without

a doubt but I'd just like to go through a few verses here and as I expand it I know

it's going to encourage you a lot and verse one it says now faith is the substance of

things hoped for the evidence of things not seen remember that faith is something that

God in births into us he in births it into us and then God is waiting for a response

from us and when he in births it and we respond to it and we believe we see that our believing

believing in God's faith he's in birth persuasion that it's there and it's that that pleases

God verse six of Hebrews 11 said that without faith it's impossible to please God and so

that faith God's given to each and every one but when we respond to that faith when we

respond to that inner stirring in our spirit that really pleases God and God then is able

to do what he wants to do now faith is the substance so what does that word substance

mean I'm glad you asked I prepared it so how good is that that word substance I won't even

try and pronounce it in the Greek it's about three miles long but let's just talk about

what it means it means to stand or to possess it means standing under a guaranteed agreement

it means a title deed so faith is the substance safe faith is standing under a guarantee an

agreement that God has already made with us it's a title deed you know a title deed that

if you own a house or land or property and you have a title deed that that title deed

indicates that that's yours that belongs to you and faith is the substance that substance

is what is convincing us to say the promise of God belongs to you here faith is the title

deed the substance of it is this this very thing so figuratively it's a promise it's

a legitimate claim because it is it is literally a legal standing so when we see that when

God inverts faith that it says here that his faith is the substance its substance it's

a legitimate claim to your promise that God has given you is that something that's that's

what it means and so it means in entitling someone to what is guaranteed under the agreement

under that agreement now it's interesting to know that God he is the one that initiated

the agreement he is the one that initiated the faith all he wants us to do is to believe

to believe as the Eleanor said in the scripture only believe Jesus said only believe so for

me the revelation that came to me quite a few years ago now is that when I began to

understand faith is faith is not something that I had to somehow dig up or you know

that sort of and I used to try and try and try and try and realize that well maybe I'm

just not cut out for this has anyone ever been there but faith is something that God

in births into us and God knows everything you're going through and so you know your

test or trial your needs may change from the day to tomorrow but God is always in birthing

faith into you for whatever that need may be but whatever that struggle may be so God's

always in birthing into us in a convincing saying I'm with you believe me trust me and

I'll get you through but our part is the believing God imparts the faith and I think sometimes

it's been taught the other way around that we've got to have the faith in some way where

do I get faith from do I dig it up from under a rose bush do I you know go down the shop

and buy it from Bunnings or no faith is something that God imparts into his people for a need

and when we receive that inner birthing and that witness and that inner guarantee it's

like you know it I know it and it's just like it's been mentioned this morning that it's

beyond it's not natural it's supernatural and when we get hold of this inner persuasion

and we know like Eleanor said that that voice of God I know what you're talking about it's

a firm stern authority voice but yet it's calming it's soothing and it's calm you know

it's just so good but you know it's God speaking and when God speaks these words and you hear

these words and they resonate in your spirit and then we act and we respond accordingly

to what that in birthing is that we see God begin to move and it's just so amazing how

God in heaven he sees humanity you know in so many different sorts of problems if I can

say and God from heaven looks he goes I've been birthed into you faith believe and when

you believe and your belief lines up with that that in birthed that inner convincing

that faith that you trust God and you follow if he says go here you go there if he says

go get do that if he says to whatever and if you just follow those those those little

steps that follow those promptings the good the steps of a good man are ordered by the

Lord God's always trying to orchestrate his people because he loves us and he wants to

lead us into a better pastor into a better place that's what God does because he's our

heavenly father and he loves us and he cares for us he's always leading us he's always

in birthing faith into us you know it's what regardless what goes on in life God's always

got something ready for us to in birth into us our part is to believe I spent years trying

to dig faith up from somewhere and the reason why I was doing this is because I didn't understand

how it works God it's just the grace of God that he births this into us is saying there's

a miracle waiting inside of you there's a there's a miracle waiting act on it believe

it walk into it and we see the amazing hand of God that just works and so the scripture

says that faith is the substance of things hopeful so what are things hopeful what does

that mean it means to hope obviously actively waiting for God's fulfillment of the faith

he has in birth through the power of his love I'll say that again this is not not things

that I have made up by the way this comes directly from the concordance and the lexicon

that it explains exactly what these words mean and so let me say it again things hope

for obviously to hope but it means to actively waiting not waiting it means actively waiting

so if it's actively waiting that means that we are doing something amen so it's actively

waiting for God's fulfillment about the faith he had in birthed in us through the power

of his love so in other words it reinforces it here again the word faith it means that

in birth persuasion the substance it's speaking about this entitlement this title deed but

then things hopeful it is speaking about the reinforcing the reinforcement of the promise

as I said here actively waiting for God's fulfillment of the promise that he had birthed

in us there is so much if you were to read through if you have a concordance or a lexicon

or study this scripture that I'm speaking on to this morning and you will see how often

that it's kind of like over and over the Holy Spirit through repetition is bringing from

different angles different words that's meaning the same thing leading people to the same

outcome and basically the end of it all is trust God trust in what he's doing in your

life trust him believe God and you see great and wonderful things happen so it says that

now faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen and that

word evidence is in another amazing word it means inner conviction which same thing what

faith means but you see that the Holy Spirit as he moved upon men to write this scripture

had an intention and that was by repetition to really reinforce this message and so the

evidence the inner conviction and it focuses on God confirming his inner birthing of faith

the internal persuasion from him here it is again that's the third time in one verse

of scripture that the same message coming from different ways has been conveyed see

that to me that's telling me that God really wants us to get something here and what it

is is that God in birth faith there's an inner conviction that we are to be actively waiting

for the fulfillment of of this faith we also with this inner conviction that we're focusing

on God and when he's confirming the in birth faith in us this is an incredible thing you

see it goes on to say for by it verse 2 the elders obtained a good testimony you see by

faith there's this faith see they understood the reason why these people are in the Hebrews

11 which is also known as the the the hall of faith though you know we have the Stockman

Hall of Fame up at Longreach and and you know all the famous stockman and so forth that

did incredible things and pioneers their pictures are up there their stories and that because

they accomplished something they understood something and here we have in Hebrews 11 the

hall of faith people's names are written in there real people and the reason is is because

they came across this revelation of what faith really is and how to use it how to operate

it how to release it and how to move in it now they were not were not perfect people

they were poor people with faults just like everybody else but when they understood the

process of faith and how it worked and they walked in it it's that that pleased God so

much and verse 3 it says by faith we understand that the worlds were framed and the word of

by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which

are invisible now you know there's speculation that this is speaking about all these different

worlds and you know weird stuff this is clearly speaking about the universe and it's primarily

speaking about planet earth here as far as the worlds that were framed because it says

about the things which are seen were not made of the things which are visible it's speaking

of a tangible something tangible and so we speak about the heavens we speak about the

earth but it says here by faith we understand that the worlds were framed so what does that

word framed mean it means to be in good working order it means to to fully function so God

had fully functioned this world by faith by his by him himself by doing what he did and

but it says by the word of God by the word of God the word of God here is the word Hrama

which is the spoken word by the living voice of God is commonly used in the New Testament

and the Septuagint which is the Greek translation of Hebrew of the Hebrew Scriptures for the

Lord is speaking his dynamic living word in the heart of a believer and this is how one

of the ways how we in birth faith in us the inner persuasion and Romans 10 17 it says

so faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God and so it's a spiritual hearing

that takes place here and so when we think about it here now we may be going through

a test or a trial or not understanding things or whatever it might be just picture your

situation right now what you may be experiencing have a listen to this by faith we understand

that the worlds were framed by the word of God let's just stop there and just spend a

little bit of time here because I think it's a worthy thing to do how does the world work

earth spins at a certain speed they say that if the earth slowed down a little bit or sped

up a bit things are not going to work in balance here and there's happens to be a moon that

works the tides and we have the earth and the solar system that just works so perfectly

and the sun and everything just works so incredibly well so intricately that God he spoke it by

his word into being this is the same God that in birth faith into you and into me it's the

same God with the same capability do you think or do I think or do we can are we convinced

that the same God who created the heavens and the earth and the seas and so perfectly

and has everything working so well and in order has the capacity to birth into you the

same order the same power that if we believe what God has birthed in us that there could

be an incredible miracle in our life it's the same God it's the same faith it's the

same person it's the same process nothing has ever changed with God and then we see

that God how he spoke you know there was chaos and darkness and God said let there be light

and light came the power of God's word that God himself with that realm of work he spoke

creation into being he spoke light into being and then God in his wisdom I'll skip a few

verses and then God created the trees and he created animals and how does a seed please

how do we know we can cut a seed open and you know they say the DNA in the seed we know

that now but we still don't probably understand it how it got there unless we understand that

God created it amen so God created life God created each seed to produce after its own

kind it's an incredible thing and so we see that since the beginning of creation that

we've seen creation has continued to reproduce perfectly so then God creates man he created

him in his image and likeness he created them when we look at our fingerprints to think

there's not there's not one person in this room with the same fingerprints in fact in

this in this world with the same fingerprints that your eyes are so different to any other

human beings eyes anyone that's ever lived before yet God created you and he created

them and yet you're so different you're unique fearfully wonderfully made and so we see this

incredible architecture if I can say by God himself that created you so totally different

but unique to anybody else and he did this by intention he intentionally made you different

this is the same God that had the power of the wisdom and the ability to do that is the

same one that wants to help you through your trials today he's the same God that wants

to help you get through whatever you may be facing today he's the same God with the faith

that he used that in you to create this world that we see the things that are seen he's

the same God who in births into our spirit every time there is a need or something that

we're a place that we're in and a place of need that God saying I've already got it covered

for you here it is and we receive it I believe our focus should be a lot more on meditating

what God's doing in our lives I mean daily thinking about it wake up in the morning God

today is a new day this is the first day of the rest of my life what have you got for

me today God what are you speaking to me today what is what's your heart today and often

you'll find that God will you'll discern in your spirit that God's trying to speak to

us or show us something and we need to give God the time to relay that what it is and

for us to discern it but in this world we're always in a hurry rush rush rush the alarm

clock goes off at whatever time in the morning we get up and probably whatever do what you

do have your cornflakes and just thinking oh man I've got time for a coffee and I've

got to go then you're rustling bustle through traffic and you get to work and and people

are not happy because hardly anyone's happy in the mornings these days and you know it's

just chaos and somehow we've got to survive when we come home then you got to do this

and do that and feed the kids and do the washing and you know all these things and you sit

down the armchair at the end of the day you go I'm so tired and we go to bed and the

next day we wake up early in the morning alarm clock goes off you eat your wheat mixer your

cornflakes and the process goes over and over and over and over and somewhere we've got

to stop the clock and say hang on a minute I need some time out with God because I'm

going through some things and I am sure that He is in birth some faith in me to get me

through what I'm going through and I need to stop and take time out to hear what God's

saying to see what God's doing we get so busy I was reading I forget some time in history

I think it was the sixteen seventeen hundreds whatever that they in France they wanted to

eliminate all kinds of trace of Christianity and I think they were worked out a ten day

week and when I read this a ten day week wow could you imagine the work we could get done

in ten days and I felt the Lord say to me it wasn't me any different you'll fill it

up just like you do with eight or seven sorry you do the same and I thought yeah I know

a word but what I'm trying to say here is by faith we understand that the worlds were

framed and put in order by the Word of God so that the things which are seen were not

made of the things which are visible in other words God is awesome He's amazing and He's

not left you alone He's in birth the faith into you for today to get you through today

and when we discern that and identify it and believe God that this day is a day of endless

possibilities in you wow this is an awesome awesome experience thank you Jesus amen praise

be to God I want to quickly look at Galatians I'm going to just do a few things then we'll

close Galatians chapter 3 it's a really important passage of scripture here that it really highlights

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

this message even more so Galatians chapter 3 I will read from verse 1 to verse 5 and

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

so Apostle Paul speaking to the Galatians and you know they got born again and then

the Judea is trying to come along and take them back to the law and Paul saying come

on guys you've experienced God and why are you looking back you go forward and he says

from verse 1 of Galatians chapter 3 oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you that you should

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as

crucified this only I want to learn from you did you receive the spirit by the works of

the law or by the hearing of the hearing of faith faith is heard we hear it that God speaks

into us we heard this morning Eleanor heard Chantelle heard it God dropped that little

still small voice in there but it was enough it was enough Chantelle said I only had one

scripture but one scripture was enough and so the hearing of faith are you so foolish

having begun in the spirit you're now being made perfect in the flesh have you suffered

so many things in vain and indeed it was in vain therefore he who supplies to the spirit

sorry supplies the spirit to you and works and works miracles among you does he do it

by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith isn't that amazing within a few

verses the Holy Spirit again has used two phrases the same by the hearing of faith Romans

10 17 faith comes by and by hearing the the question is today how much time are we spending

hearing hello we need to listen to what God's saying and hear and take note of these things

amen praise the Lord let's move along very quickly and so let's have a quick look at

those who obtained a good testimony by faith acting and believing this in birth faith faith

is not a new testament principle faith's always been from the beginning of time as we're about

to see in a moment but you know these people all recorded in the hall of faith because

they understood how to release faith and it's really important to know how to release faith

there's one thing to understand like I got faith this faith is in birth to me now what

do I do what do I do and so the the when we receive it and we know it we believe it we've

got to act on it and have a listen to how these people did it really really amazing

verse 4 of Hebrews chapter 11 I better go back there Hebrews chapter 11 still with me

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

good verse 4 by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through

which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and through it

being he being dead still speaks in other words his testimony is still being spoken

about today and is still valid today and there's something in his offering that he did that

is still relevant to today and this is the important part so by faith Abel so in other

words Abel was given a measure of faith when it came to the the Abel and Cain presenting

an offering to God we know that Cain he got the the fruit of the ground and you know he

prepared it now you might think well what a scallywag you know in in the in the Bible

it does teach about that they gave grain offerings to the Lord and they gave you know offerings

of the of the ground of trees and fruit to the Lord and so it's not that it is wrong

as such to give that to God but it wasn't what God was looking for so what we have the

picture here is what made Cain and Abel so different why were they why did God receive

Abel and his sacrifice and why did God reject Cain and Cain's sacrifice the sacrifice that

was offered was a result of the heart of the offerer is that a word offer it is now of

the person giving the offering so the offering is not the problem it's the person's heart

that decided what to give or how much to give that's what we're going to look at right now

so Abel he's the guy that passed the test right he's still being spoken about today

so the picture here if you were to read it carefully and go back to Genesis and you will

see something really amazing why Abel made it in the hall of faith it was simply this

if you could picture Cain and Abel side by side and it came offering time God had imparted

into both of them the same conviction the same faith knowing what to do beyond any doubt

Cain are going to do that Abel oh lord I feel that inner conviction I feel you're you're

really showing me that the offering is to do this and Cain Abel got the best of the

flock and offered it to God that's the difference it was faith inner faith that came to action

that turned to worship and also that offering was redemptive there's nothing redemptive

about grain and so that's where he went there's that time going we're almost run out let

me just go very very quickly by faith Enoch Enoch was a man of faith and he pleased God

that much that he said you're too good for this earth you're coming up here with me by

faith with Noah with Noah where's Noah over here we know the story with Noah it says about

how God said to him I want you to build an ark something that's never been seen before

and it says that Noah moved with godly fear and he did he began to build what has never

been built before because something that has never come before was coming the rain had

never fallen on planet earth at that time so could you imagine if God woke you up in

the middle of the night and said Peter I want you to build me a gum dunya because this gum

dunya is going to be really important you got to build it right because gum adue is

going to fall from the sky and this gum dunya is going to float on the gum adue and here's

the plans and I want you to build it we didn't he no one didn't know what it was he didn't

know what rain was he didn't know what the the the ground was going to break open and

he had no idea so we need to know that he had no idea what he was he had never been

built before ever and something that was going to fall on the from the sky and and come up

from had never happened before so it was it was a new thing for Noah but Noah with that

inner conviction he moved with godly fear we see that it turned to the saving of the

souls of of eight and of the animals of course praise the Lord Abraham unbelievable here

here's Abraham and Sarah they're well advanced in years and God's saying hey guess what you

guys are going to be parents and it's like are you serious I thought we'd gone past that

God says to Abraham he said Abraham I'm going to bless you and your descendants are going

to be as the stars in the sky the sand by the sea so shall your descendants be and I

could only imagine Abraham's like are you real he's getting on and Sarah's getting

on Sarah was was spoken to and she received that word and she laughed at first but then

she thought well if God is God let him be God but here's what God did I'm sure there

were times that Abraham would have thought how could this be look at my age how old was

he getting up around the hundred wasn't he he's getting about the ton on the speedo he's

starting to get old so here he is thinking life's about ready to wind up thinking about

you know the next home and God says hey guess what by the way did I tell you you're going

to be a father you what he said yeah and this is how it's going to be stars stars in the

sky sand by the sea every time that Abraham walked outside of his tent at night what did

he see he saw all the stars and he was reminded so shall your descendants be and during the

day when he's walking by and the sand everywhere what do you see Abraham I see sand so shall

your descendants be God has a way to remind you to stir up that faith to act on that faith

to keep moving God will always find a way to do this in Jesus name amen I'm just going

to close here God has given all a measure of faith so right now maybe watching online

or sitting here today you may be thinking I really don't want anything to do with God

or I'm a million miles away from God or I just want to live my own life or I'm not interested

I just just it's all right God you can be in heaven I'm here that or you may be thinking

I've done too many things that God could ever accept me I don't think I'm worthy to be accepted

by God and I think that's the big one that humanity faces today and I'll tell you why

I say that is because God has given to all a measure of faith so regardless where we

are on that spectrum on that scale from feeling so unworthy to I really don't care if God's

alive or not everyone on that scale has been given the same measure of faith to believe

everyone and what happens is when each and every one of us hear the gospel of Jesus Christ

and we hear about the goodness of God and we start believing that there that in birth

faith that God had placed in you to believe start stirring up that's what happens and

right now today I don't know if you're walking with God or maybe you know you like God you

love God but you've never made a commitment Christ that you might be thinking I don't

know if I really want to do that or I don't know if I you know there's so many I don't

know I want to tell you today that the greatest thing you'll ever do is to believe to believe

and that inner persuasion that inner conviction in your spirit right now that God is alive

Jesus is alive that Christ is risen from the dead always remember that these famous philosophers

in life that try and explain away the existence of God and I say they need to get a life a

born-again life because their arguments go round and round and round in circles and end

up nowhere that at the end of the day when we all lay our head on the pillow at night

and we begin to wonder what happens after I die where do I go do I just cease to exist

no you don't you're a living eternal being and every living eternal being when they die

they go somewhere and the Bible makes it very clear that there is a heaven and there is

a hell and people don't make it to heaven by accident it's by choice and today let me

encourage you that God himself I believe if you're not with God today or you've fallen

away from God I pray that the Spirit of God would be just moving on your spirit and identifying

with this faith that God has given you because the first thing you'll realize that God is

good he is so good and God is not against you that God is for you he's always for you

and so today the Bible says that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth

the Lord Jesus it says you will be saved for out of it says about that whoever calls on

the name of the Lord shall be saved but what does it mean that if you believe in your heart

it's meaning believing that inner conviction and understanding that God is reaching out

to you even right now God's reaching out to you you're watching online God is reaching

out to you to know that this inner birth faith came from God and God wants to stir that faith

up inside of you to a place that we take notice of it and maybe even begin to start learning

more about the things of God or the Bible and as we start to read it all makes sense

it all comes together that we go wow this is truth and when we believe when we believe

in our belief comes and meets with that in birth faith that God has placed in us the

greatest miracle that will ever happen to any human being will happen and that is the

born again experience born from above once we were lost in darkness we were without God

but when you and I came to Christ that those of us that are born again sitting here today

or watching online that we know this side of the cross what salvation is what it does

how wonderful it is but to those of us who still yet have not made that decision know

this for sure that the greatest thing that happened to you is to give your life to Jesus

to believe believe that God sent his only son to die a horrible death for you so that

you may live and if we believe that and we join our believing with that in birth faith

that's where the miracle happens see many of us as Christians and maybe Christian for

years to say I've never really seen a miracle you born again yes you're a miracle I don't

know if I've ever been able to use faith are you born again yes you have released faith

you believe you believe the promise you believe God's promise and you are a result today as

a child of the living God it doesn't get better than that I want to just this morning just

give an altar call here that if there's anyone here this morning that you're sensing that

and knowing that inner conviction and knowing I know God does love me I want you to understand

this we don't have to clean ourselves up so that we can come to God he wants you to come

just as you are I mean look at me you heard some of the testimonies from what I did before

I was a born-again Christian some of the but I remember the night that I got saved I had

been drinking and smoking things that I shouldn't have and I was still influenced by this substance

or substances but I remember that night at 2 a.m. in the morning when Chantelle led me

to Christ I knew that was the end of the road for me for my old life because nothing was

really working but I remember saying to Chantelle maybe tomorrow because I've you know affected

by substances she says no you're here now let's do this now and I understood something

about God he doesn't want us to clean ourselves up so we can come to him that's religion he

wants you to come just as you are and you may feel today I'm so unworthy I don't deserve

it I've done too many wrong things so what that's what grace is about I've made so many

mistakes yet if you were to hear the story of most of us here today you would understand

you're in the site where you're in good company but it's about the saving grace of God he

gives this to us because we don't deserve it it's his love for us praise the Lord now

I'm gonna ask if we can all bow our heads and close your eyes if you wish now I'm just

going to lead you through a prayer very similar to similar to what I prayed a bit over 30

years ago now and if you truly from the depths of your heart believe what I'm about to lead

the prayer lead you in if you believe it you will experience such a great work of God in

your life this morning it'll be enormous it'll be life-changing forever it'll be an eternal

work that'll take place in your life now in the name of Jesus just believe but the Bible

says believe in your heart and confess with your mouth come on let's do this together

if this is what you desire it's what I know it's what we all need would you follow me

in this prayer this morning Father God I come to you in the name of Jesus I believe in my

heart and I confess with my mouth that you Jesus are the Son of God that you died for

me and you raised him from the dead for me this day I'm sorry for all the things that

I've done wrong and I turn to you Jesus I ask that I be born again born from above received

into the family of God in the name of Jesus now if you have prayed that prayer for the

first time don't be shy I'm not going to ask you to come out the front but just acknowledge

your confession would you just raise your hand up please just be bold just raise your

hand up maybe you've made a recommitment this morning I see one up the back is there anyone

else hand up just nice and high very quickly up and down please just very quickly I won't

be too long here but this is very important for you amen last time is there anybody else

here just your hand straight up amen praise the Lord well you know what there's salvation

in the house of God today and I thank God for that that in birth faith has done at work

now I'll go I'll be going to see a couple a little bit later after the service but some

of the leaders may come and see you but I want to congratulate you for the decision

you've made this morning that is just just wonderful and we thank the Lord for what he's

done church as I've closed as I finish here right now have faith in God no matter what

you're going through have faith in God he's in he's deposited in you faith and take time

to hear the hearing of faith hear it discern it understand it believe it then walk in it

amen God bless you guys God bless you amen thank you for joining us we pray God's richest

blessing on your life if you haven't already make sure to join us on Facebook Instagram

and YouTube you can also find us at Logan City Christian Church dot com see you next

week