July 9 Sermon
Does my small faith limit what God can do for me?
If you drove into
Apparently the town of
Rather they said, “We’ve known Jesus for years
- He may speak well for someone who is really just a
carpenter. But we know his mother and brothers - they’re just ordinary people like us. Isn’t Jesus just a man?
Those who expect nothing, are rarely disappointed.
“Jesus could do no deed of power there, except he laid
his hands on a few sick people and cured them.” Mark 6:5
- He could do no deed of power - The implication
is that he wanted to, but he was
unable - Why? -
The gospel explains: “And he was amazed at their unbelief.” Mark 6:6
Because of their lack of faith,
he could do no mighty work - their lack of faith handicapped Jesus’ ability to help
them.
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Do we sometimes have the same
problem?
Does our small faith handicap Jesus?
Have we become too familiar with Jesus?
Maybe we think we have him figured out - that we’ve defined His role in
our lives. Maybe we don’t expect much from the Lord, and therefore, we don’t receive much. Like those folks in
could our
low expectations be handicapping the Lord’s ability to help us?
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Two weeks ago we heard Jesus, in the midst of the storm, ask his
disciples “Where is your faith?”
Why haven’t you grown more
in faith?
Then last week his disciples witnessed two positive examples of
faith. The local synagogue leader - a
man long faithful in worship and prayer - was confronted by a personal
tragedy. Jesus told him, “Do not
fear, but only believe.” Keep the
faith. Don’t give up, but keep trusting
in God.
Then there was a women who had suffered from hemorrhages for 12 years - but
who continued to wait on the Lord. She
believed Jesus could heal and boldly touched the hem of his garment. Jesus told her, “Your faith has made you well.”
She is the opposite of those
folks in
She believed he had the power and wanted the best for her - and her
faith released that power.
There is power in faith - in trusting God.
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Some of us are not willing to take that leap of faith - trusting wholly
in the Lord - without a push.
Think about a time when you
have experienced spiritual growth - a shift in priorities - an increase
personal strength - s deepening of relationships.
Have these
improvements been the result of smooth sailing and easy living?
Hardly. These kinds of
growth come from trauma
- stress,
struggle and suffering.
Two kinds of growth often result:
First a traumatic experience moves
us from isolation into community.
Second, trauma shifts us from
self-reliance to God-reliance.
Times of stress and struggle
can force us to turn to each other and rely on each other, while others are
moved to serve - sometimes in sacrificial ways.
In the life of our church, what binds us together as members of
Christ’s body? Of course, there’s
worship and study, fellowship and shared activities. But also the caring for one another in times
of need - the sharing of burdens like illness or
grief, struggle or adversity, confusion or crisis. We learn that we are here for each other - we
learn to listen to each other - to extend the helping hand.
Whether the challenge is
raising teenagers or managing money, adjusting to the loss of a loved one or
copping with a long term illness, it can draw us to our brothers and
sisters. We gather and talk honestly
about our struggles, and share insights gained from successes and
failures. We learn that we don’t have to
go through this alone - we have brothers and sisters to walk with us.
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The second point about a traumatic event is that it can move us from
self-reliance to God reliance.
When life disappoints us --- a diagnosis, a death, a disruption.-- throws cold water on our happiness, -
punctures our balloon and destroys the illusion that we’re
doing just fine on our own power --- we finally turn to the Lord
and begin
to rely on His guidance and power.
We seek help from God.
We want God to ease the pain and remove its source – help us overcome
the problem and move beyond it.
Sometimes deliverance and victory will come by removal of the source of
suffering.
But not always. God does not always answer our prayers in the
way we want. And Paul would remind us
it’s not that we haven’t got enough faith – it’s not we haven’t prayed hard
enough.
In our second lesson, Paul begins by telling us about a vision - about being raptured up into the third heaven
-- to paradise.
Having told us how he has been especially favored by God - rewarded by the Lord with an ecstatic experience, he then says that it’s not always that way. In spite of being favored by God, Paul doesn’t
always get an answer to his prayers -- at least not the answer he
wants.
He had a particular problem --
one that hampered his ministry
-- and he had frequently prayed, asking the Lord to remove the problem. Paul
calls it a “thorn in the flesh” -- a physical ailment of some kind -- that tormented him emotionally and
spiritually.
Despite persistent prayer, the tormenting continued.
I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from
me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:8,9
Paul didn’t get the answer he wanted - that thorn
was not removed. Rather,
the Lord said he would give Paul the power to endure - and even to triumph
over that malady.
It was a reminder that Paul would have to rely on the Lord - on
His mighty power --
a reminder that God’s grace is sufficient.
So Paul continued his ministry, with that thorn
in the flesh -- that weakness -- so that Christ’s power may rest on me...
For when I am weak, I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9.10
It is something that we can
learn as well, as we discover the power of God’s grace in our community of
faith, and in our increasing reliance on the Lord.
Reliance on God moves us from
weakness to strength, from cross to resurrection. God’s gift of himself is
enough - enough to overcome any obstacle.
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It should not have to take traumatic experience to lead us to grow in
faith.
Jesus gave his disciples simple exercises to strengthen their faith
before they had to face traumatic experiences.
His point is simple - your
faith is like a muscle - it strengthens as you exercise it.
So he sends them out to strengthen their faith - their
trust – saying, “Take nothing for the journey
except a staff; no bread, no bag,
no money in your belts... Mark 6:8
How are we going to eat?
Where will we stay?
Jesus answer: Trust those whom you will serve. Trust God for your needs. A real leap of faith - trust Jesus word.
They would have to depend on the hospitality of those to whom
they brought the message about Jesus and the Kingdom. Somehow that Word from Jesus - spoken with the authority He had given them
- would inspire some
people to share with them... invite them to dinner - even
give them a place to stay.
Trust God - Lord forgive my
fears, but I’d be afraid of not
having what I need. If he expected that much faith
in God, I’m not sure I’d make a good disciple. I have an illusion of self sufficiency. Maybe I have to learn to depend on God -
to trust Jesus more.
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Does my small faith limit what God can do for me?
If I don’t ask, I won’t receive - so am I missing out on what the Lord
might give me if only I would trust him - seek His way and rely on Him?
Maybe we’re being too cautious, unwilling to make that leap
of faith - to really trust Him with our lives.
If you don’t rely on the Lord, how will you learn of His power for and
in you?
Like those first disciples,
Jesus encourages us to undertake small steps that would lead to growth in faith
before we face some crisis.
Step out in faith so you have to rely on the Lord –
and learn to trust his guidance and strength.