The Substance of things hoped for.
This is my paper for
Teaching the Bible Class. This is a
preface page.
Preface page: Mustard Seeds, Faith, Hope and more!
Luke 17:6
And the Lord answered, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
And the Lord answered, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
The
Parable of the Mustard Seed
30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. 32But after it is planted, it grows to be larger than all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”…
30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. 32But after it is planted, it grows to be larger than all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”…
A mustard seed.
Mustard, [sinapi,] is a well-known plant of the tetradynamia siliquosa class,
distinguished by its yellow cruciform flowers, with expanding calyx, and its
pods smooth, square, and close to the stem. Its seed was probably the smallest
known to the Jews; and though its ordinary height does not exceed four feet,
yet a species grows to the height of from three to five cubits, with a
tapering, ligneous stalk, and spreading branches.
Faith as a mustard seed, faith?
In this question and the following questions,
we will try to answer them, through stories and through scripture. Did you know Faith is written about 98 times,
and used also as Faithful too?
§ What is faith?
§ Why do we need to know it?
§ How can we get it or apply it?
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for and
the evidence of things not seen.
How can some have great faith, and some have little to
none?
Hebrews 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to
please HIM, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the
rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
In front of you, you should find a Bible, today we will be
using it because these pages speak life and life abundantly. They speak God’s whisper into your heart,
mind and soul.
Faith is a growing experience that can take you through a
lot to learn that the Lord is always with you.
But it is also trust in Him to know that He is always with you. If you have had a rough childhood, parents
were not around, it may be tough for you to trust in the Lord with all your
heart, mind, soul and all your strength.
Maybe you have been let down by someone and you no longer trust. Trust must be learned and earned, it’s not
always a given.
Faith defined in the dictionary (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/faith)
is a noun
1. confidence or trust in a person
or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on
proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in God or in the doctrines
or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4. belief in anything, as a code of
ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone
concerning honesty.
5. a system of religious belief: the
Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
6. the obligation of loyalty or
fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be
breaking faith.
7. the observance of this obligation;
fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who
proved his faith during our recent troubles.
Being a Christian, giving your life
to Jesus, requires obedience, trust, faith, hope and more. It’s like planting a seed in the ground, say
the mustard seed, it is small, but it grows very fast, it’s great for the soil
as it releases biotoxic compounds. The roots go very deep. Mustard poultice’s draw out infections, they
were used a long time ago in in-home health care. Every part of the plant can be used, eaten or
used in health treatments, none of it is wasted.
This tiny seed planted can yield a
large crop, sometimes as tall as trees.
It grows fast and deep. Think
about that, faith as a mustard seed.
Small faith, when watered with the Word of God and prayer can grow
extremely large. The yield can be shared
with others. Even when you get knocked
around, hanging onto your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, can keep you grounded
in the soil like the mustard seed. So, how do you think this seed of faith
could move mountains?
It’s not the tiniest seed but in
Palestine, it was the smallest in comparison to the other seeds sown. It is the
black mustard seed that can be used for all its parts.
If the seed planted, grows as large as some trees, it can
move the soil out of place as your faith grows it can remove your
mountains. Just like things that come up
in our lives that appear to be mountains and unmovable, by faith and prayer,
they can be moved.
What are the mountains in your life
that need to be moved?
For me, children that need to return to their hearts to the
Lord and to their family. They have gone
far away like the prodigal son and they have gotten in the muck and mire and
need to know we love them. Even when
they don’t want to hear it. That is a
mountain in our lives. We continue to
pray and let the Lord deal with their hearts, we never stop. We are believing one day, they will “come
home”.
In dealing with faith, how can we watch it grow? What are
the steps to enlarge our faith?
Why do some people have great faith and others do not? What do we want to learn from this
class?
I believe every circumstance that is
presented to us is a chance to grow our faith or to lose our faith. I think that it’s how we perceive each step. If we are a Pessimist, we will see things
differently than our counterpart the Optimist. Sometimes we can even fit into the Realist
ideals and all those will either stunt our growth in faith or grow our
faith. What are the things in your life
that cause you to grow in faith or stand back and worry and lack in your
faith? Let’s look at our life and see
where we want to grow and where we have faith to not worry about the things
that come. Worry can set you back a few
steps because faith and worry cannot coexist, they are friction and are not a
magnetic friction whereby they can be put together. No, these two do not even like each other
well.
If you are a worrier or a pessimist what can you put down
that will help you to grow in your faith?
We also grow in our faith by praying and believing that God can do
anything we ask of Him.
Nevertheless
the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who
are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ
depart from iniquity.”
And
His name, through faith in His name, has
made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes
through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you
all.
In
Matthew 7 we find this nugget…
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him
who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will
give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father
who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to
do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Way
13 “Enter
by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way
that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because[a]
narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life,
and there are few who find it.
So,
this last one, the Narrow Gate, what do you think this means?
Mt
7:13-29. Conclusion and Effect of the Sermon on the Mount.
We have here the application of
the whole preceding discourse.
Conclusion of the Sermon on the
Mount (Mt 7:13-27). "The righteousness of the kingdom," so amply
described, both in principle and in detail, would be seen to involve
self-sacrifice at every step. Multitudes would never face this. But it must be
faced, else the consequences will be fatal. This would divide all within the
sound of these truths into two classes: the many, who will follow the path of
ease and self-indulgence—end where it might; and the few, who, bent on eternal
safety above everything else, take the way that leads to it—at whatever cost.
This gives occasion to the two opening verses of this application.
13. Enter ye in at the strait
gate—as if hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the
difficulty of the first right step in religion, involving, as it does, a
triumph over all our natural inclinations. Hence the still stronger expression
in Luke (Lu 13:24), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate."
for wide is the gate—easily
entered.
and broad is the way—easily
trodden.
that
leadeth to destruction, and—thus lured "many there be which go in there at."
Faith is also by
believing Matthew 21:22 “And whatever things you ask
in prayer, believing, you will receive.” But that means we have to trust him more than we trust the
worry. Worry grows weeds, but Faith
grows seeds.
To grow our faith, we need to give
everything to the Lord. You say, it’s
not that easy, I like having control over all this… Some may say, Okay, I can do that. And the Realist will say, no, I can do it on
my own. All three sets, you cannot walk
with the Lord in right standing until you give it all to HIM. Your walk with him suffers, your faith does
not grow. You may say, “Are you
Serious”? “Dead on, I am!” I say in
response.
Here’s how I know Faith personally, not the person faith,
but the Faith of the Lord Jesus. We all
make mistakes, right? Some way worse
than others. My mistake was trusting someone
whom I allowed to control me and my children.
Our life was hell, pure unadulterated hell. Yet, through this hell, I learned to lean on
the Lord. I learned to homeschool my
children, my choice and not the controllers.
He did not like it at all because he was not in control of it. I got involved with church, we were there
Sunday, Sunday evening starting at 3 p.m. waiting in line. It was a 1,000 people at that time, it’s now
8,000 with smaller churches all over the Island. After 14 years of controlling me and my kids,
God finally heard my cries and gave me a job, people in my path to get out, but
so much more. I learned leadership from
being a church liaison and Children’s Pastor with so much hope and faith, I
grew in who I was and what God desired for me.
Not for the marriage I chose when I did not listen to the Lord all those
years before. I grew as a disciple and
follower in Jesus and not just a fan sitting on the sidelines hoping for a
win. I became a winner through HIM. But it was through faith I got a job working
with kids and saving money to leave.
Thankful for the bank who helped me set up my very own account, get a
credit card, having a safety net in place, and a team of people around me who
knew what was happening in our abusive home, and lastly three books that the
Lord gave me. God’s Leading Lady by T.D. Jakes, A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson , and Nickel and Dimed by Barbara
Ehrenreich, along with the Old Testament battles. The Lord showed me what faith was. I was able to save over $6,000 to leave. Our military orders were up in June and my
daughter and I had a plan. The now
ex-husband, finally relinquished all control in January, or so we thought. We left the Island with our cash, set out for
middle of nowhere Nebraska with only a plan to put daughter in college. Little did we know God had a bigger and
better plan. It took about a week to
find the right apartment, but it took 3 months to find jobs. My daughter’s faith was wavering big time,
she can hold onto fear way easier than faith.
I am the opposite. I just kept
believing that the jobs would come, 30 resumes and a few job interviews later,
we finally saw jobs come our way. She
got hers first and began to work at the local hospital in food service, signed
up at a different local college for classes that her scholarships paid for and
I worked next store to her work place until a better job came along, it was
better in that is was days instead of nights and more hours, lots more stress
but it was okay. I walked to work or
rode my bike daily. She had the car for
school and work. Life was finally
good. She married her high school
sweetheart and moved off to Germany. God
sent me someone after He told me to build specifically this time for a house
for my heart. I did as requested and
wrote down about 60 items I believed were important in a relationship. A while later, God sent this amazing man into
my life that fit every single item on that specific list. We were married later.
By God’s grace and listening to HIM
and not the worry, having enough courage to grow my faith, I saw God’s hand in
my life. I still do. Faith
is trust. Do you trust the Lord with
your life, your decisions, your walk, your heart? If you do, take a risk and lose yourself in
His Ways.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
When we really investigate
Hebrews 11, we see God’s hand in everything throughout our life and in the
lives of the Old Testament people. Let’s turn Hebrews and read it together.
Hebrews 11-
The Triumphs of Faith
11 Now faith is the assurance
(title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the
evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends
as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. 2 For by this [kind of] faith the [a]men
of old gained [divine] approval.
3 By
faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power,
wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were
framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their
intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of
things which are visible. 4 By faith
Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which it was
testified of him that he was righteous (upright, in right standing with God),
and God testified by accepting his gifts. And though he died, yet through [this
act of] faith he still speaks. 5 By
faith [that pleased God] Enoch was caught up and taken to heaven so that
he would not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found because God had taken him; for even before he was taken [to heaven], he received the
testimony [still on record] that he had walked with God and pleased Him.
6 But without faith it is impossible to [walk
with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily]
believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and
diligently] seek Him. 7 By faith [with
confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events
not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By
this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the
righteousness which comes by faith.
8 By
faith Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed by going to a place which he
was to receive as an inheritance; and he went, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the
promised land, as in a strange land, living in tents [as nomads] with
Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. 10 For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently]
looking forward to the city which has foundations, [an eternal, heavenly city]
whose architect and builder is God. 11 By
faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive [a child], even [when
she was long] past the normal age for it, because she considered Him who had
given her the promise to be reliable and true [to His word]. 12 So from one man, though he was [physically] as
good as dead, were born as many descendants as the stars of heaven
in number, and innumerable as the sand on the seashore.
13 All
these died in faith [guided and sustained by it], without receiving the
[tangible fulfillment of God’s] promises, only having seen (anticipated) them
and having welcomed them from a distance and having acknowledged that they were
strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 Now
those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of
their own. 15 And if they had been
thinking of that country from which they departed [as their true home],
they would have had [a continuing] opportunity to return. 16 But the truth is that they were longing for a
better country, that is, a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed
[of them or] to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God—the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]; for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By
faith Abraham, when he was tested [that is, as the testing of his faith was
still in progress], [b]offered
up Isaac, and he who had received the promises [of God] was ready to sacrifice
his only son [of promise]; 18 to whom
it was said, “Through
Isaac your descendants shall be called.” 19 For he considered [it reasonable to believe] that
God was able to raise Isaac even from among the dead. [Indeed, in the
sense that he was prepared to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God] Abraham did
receive him back [from the dead] figuratively speaking. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau [believing
what God revealed to him], even regarding things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of
the sons of Joseph, and bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his
staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when he was
dying, referred to [the promise of God for] the exodus of the sons of Israel
[from Egypt], and gave instructions concerning [the burial of] his bones [in
the land of the promise].
23 By
faith Moses, after his birth, was hidden for three months by his parents,
because they saw he was a beautiful and divinely favored child; and they
were not afraid of the king’s (Pharaoh’s) decree. 24 By
faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s
daughter, 25 because he preferred to
endure the hardship of the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing
pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the
reproach of the [c]Christ
[that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be
greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the
reward [promised by God]. 27 By faith
he left Egypt, being unafraid of the wrath of the king; for he endured
[steadfastly], as seeing Him who is unseen. 28 By
faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts],
so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them (the firstborn of
Israel). 29 By faith the people [of
Israel] crossed the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry
land; but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.
30 By
faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven
days [by Joshua and the sons of Israel]. 31 By
faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who were
disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies [sent by the sons of Israel] in
peace.
32 And
what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith [that is, with an enduring trust in
God and His promises] subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised
blessings, closed the mouths of lions, 34 extinguished
the power of [raging] fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were
made strong, became mighty and unbeatable in battle, putting enemy
forces to flight. 35 Women received
back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured [to death], refusing
to accept release [offered on the condition of denying their faith], so that
they would be resurrected to a better life; 36 and
others experienced the trial of mocking and scourging [amid torture], and even
chains and imprisonment. 37 They were
stoned [to death], they were sawn in two, they were lured with tempting offers
[to renounce their faith], they were put to death by the sword; they went about
wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly
treated 38 (people of whom the world
was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and [living in] caves and
holes in the ground.
39 And
all of these, though they gained [divine] approval through their faith, did not
receive [the fulfillment of] what was promised, 40 because God had us in mind and had something better for us,
so that they [these men and women of authentic faith] would not be made perfect
[that is, completed in Him] apart from us.
(www.biblegateway.com
NKJV)
So,
why should we know this, Romans 10:17
amp says it this way, “So faith
comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes
by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ. In the Geneva Bible it says Then faith
is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Because Faith is our
cornerstone and Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, faith is the substance of
things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. By believing that God has us in mind and has
something better, by faith we should believe it. This necklace is to help
remind us that faith can grow like a mustard seed if we just believe God has us
in mind and has something better for us.
Why do we need faith? What does faith do for us? How can we learn to grow our own faith? Well, let’s go into the Word for a bit and
look at Matthew 17:14 – 21
A Boy Is Healed
14 And
when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him
and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an
epileptic[a]
and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the
water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could
not cure him.”
17 Then
Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse
generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring
him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked
the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then
the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 So
Jesus said to them, “Because of your
unbelief;[b]
for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say
to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will
be impossible for you. 21 However,
this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
By
faith, we walk with Jesus and by faith we are here together in this faith
journey to grow and know Jesus better.
By
faith, we live our lives according to His ways and Word. We walk by it, we sing songs about it, we
know that through our faith we can have an abundant life.
Sometimes
we get stumped and things don’t work out the way we want it to but sometimes it
is because something better will be coming along.
What
are the things you have had a lack of faith in?
What can we do to pray about it and help you succeed in this faith
walk?
Today,
let’s walk in faith and strive to keep it above all else along with our
relationship with the Lord so we can walk in the fullness of His Grace.
Thank
you for coming today, I hope you learned something and have this gift as a
reminder of the Faith.
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