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Faith + Works = Miracles
Galatians 3:9 (KJV)
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
James 2:17-18 (KJV)
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
I want to show you a spiritual equation this morning that will change your life, if you allow it to.
Faith + Works = Miracles
No Faith + Works = No Miracles
Faith + No Works = No Miracles
If you want God to move in your life in a new way, then you need to be willing to do new things for Him through your life. Your blessing isn’t dependent on God, because He’s promised that the faithful will be blessed, and that faith without works is dead. If you faithfully follow God’s instructions your miracle will come!
Two things are necessary to produce change: information and application. How many know doing the same things in the same ways will produce the same results? That means doing new things will produce new results!
Let’s look at a practical example:
How many of you have ever flown in an airplane? How many of us wouldn’t get on one if you were paid to? That’s what I thought.
Did you know that if someone didn’t decide to do things differently, we wouldn’t have airplanes today?
Orville and Wilbur Wright, two courageous men, produced a never before seen result on December 17, 1903; the first “powered and controlled” flight.
Charles Dollfus, a man who lived during Orville and Wilbur Wright’s era, made this statement, “It is therefore incontestably the Wright brothers alone who resolved, in its entry, the problem of human mechanical flight. Men of genius, exact in their reasoning, hard workers, outstanding experimenters, and unselfish. They changed the face of the globe.”
Do you think we could learn anything spiritually from the Wright brothers? Let’s see if we can.
- 1. The Wright brothers had a vision of doing things differently.
- a. How about us? Do we have a vision of doing something different than just having ‘church’ as usual? Do we envision worshiping the Lord in spirit and truth? Do we envision reaching the lost?
- 2. The Wright brothers made the decision that it was time to do things differently.
- a. How many of us believe it’s time to do some things differently? Some of us have been stuck in a rut for too long. We need to get out of it.
- 3. The Wright brothers believed that they had the ability to bring change in the air, of human flight.
- a. Through Christ, we have the ability. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. By the anointing, God can use us to bring change.
- 4. The Wright brothers made the decision that they were the ones to bring the change.
- a. God has chosen you to bring about spiritual change in this city.
- 5. The Wright brothers were determined to work until man was flying in the sky.
- a. Do we have anybody that’s willing to act here today? There are three kinds of people in this world; those who are ignorant to what’s happening, those who watch things happen, and those who make things happen.
- 6. The Wright brothers were determined not to give up, no matter what.
- a. It doesn’t matter what we are facing this morning, we are not quitting. The devil might turn us around, but we will turn back around. The devil might push us over, but we will rise again!
- 7. The Wright brothers were ready to do whatever was necessary to achieve their vision.
- a. What about us? Are we willing to pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow the Lord? Are we willing to sacrifice, pray, fast, and seek the Lord?
How long did the first flight last? 12 seconds. How far did the plane fly? 120 feet. It’s not much, but it proved it could be done!
Today, we think nothing of flying 10 hours to get to the other side of the world, but it all started with 12 seconds. Amazing, isn’t it?
Things done differently produce new results. Faith + Works = Miracles.
Matthew 14:29-31 (KJV)
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
There’s a whole boat load of people in this world that appear to be ‘God’s finest,’ but I wonder how many of them would get out of the boat. There’s a lot of people that talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Remember, Faith + Works = Miracles.
People who truly believe God’s word are few and far between. So many say they do, but the truth is, most of us are just like the disciples, we don’t want to leave our comfort zone.
How many know that God knows how to stir up our nest? He got the attention of the disciples with a storm. If you feel like you’re in a storm today, like the waves are crashing over your ship and you feel like you’re sinking, then you need to take a step out of your boat in faith, and trust God!
The whole problem is we won’t get out of the boat! The boat is our comfort zone, but it’s sinking into the depths, we must trust God and get out of the boat!
Has the Lord ever rocked your boat?
During the disciple’s calamity, Jesus came walking across the water. How many know things start changing when Jesus shows up? How many know that the Lord is always on time?
One thing is for sure, if you don’t step out of the boat, you’ll never personally experience what the Lord has for you.
What do you think Peter did? Do you think he ran to the front of the boat and did a high dive off it? No?
I believe peter lifted one leg of “faith” and put it over the side of the boat and then he lifted his other leg of “works” over and began to walk outside of his comfort zone.
With each step of “faith” and “works” it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between the two, because they start to become one.
Faith + Works = Miracles
Now I must ask, what held Peter up? Did the water suddenly freeze? Did Jesus turn gravity off for Peter? It couldn’t be, he would have floated away.
So, what held him up? The same thing that holds us up in these perilous times; faith.
When everything is falling apart around us, there is something we can stand on called faith. How many know this as fact personally?
Somebody hear this good news today! No matter what is wrong, Jesus can fix it. Faith + Works = Miracles
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Can we see faith? Taste it? Hold it? Smell it?
What is holding Peter up as he walks on the water? A substance. What is that substance? Faith.
Are you with me?
Is water a substance? Yes. What is it made of? H20. Is water a celestial or a terrestrial substance? It’s celestial.
Is faith a substance? Hebrews 11:1. What is it made of? Hope. Is faith a celestial or a terrestrial substance? It’s supernatural; it’s terrestrial.
Let’s dig a little deeper…
Does water always react the same way to temperature? Does it freeze and boil and the same temperature? Does it always react the same way? How long has this substance been acting this way? Since the beginning of creation. Is there ever a time when water doesn’t act the way it always has?
Well what about faith? Does it always produce the same results? How long has it been acting the same? Since before creation.
Is there ever a time when faith does not act the way it is supposed to? Has faith ever let a man or woman of God down?
So, when water meets faith, who wins? When our problems and sicknesses meet faith, who wins?
Faith + Works = Miracles
IF WE WANT GOD TO WORK IN NEW WAYS, WE MUST BE WILLING TO DO NEW THINGS.
Let’s get back to Peter… Where was he walking? To church, to work? No! TO JESUS!
Anybody here headed towards Jesus? Is anybody going to take a step of faith toward your miracle during this service?
But something happened to Peter after he took that first step… The water began to splash into his eyes, he couldn’t see clearly. His circumstances stressed him out. He lost connection with His Master.
I wonder if any of us have ever stepped out for God, and the when things didn’t happen as fast as we thought they should, we became afraid? I have.
It wasn’t gravity that was dragging Peter down. It was his fear and doubt that was causing him to sink.
Understand, when you start to sink in your storm, God is only one whisper away.
When we need Him, He’s here for us. When we are sick, He’s our healer. When we are broke, He is our banker. When we are facing a crisis, He is our lifeline. Does anybody feel the presence of the Lord today?
In desperation, Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Psalm 86:7 (KJV)
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Call unto me. Have you ever done that? Jesus, Jesus.
Faith + Works = Miracles
Genesis 18:14 (KJV)
14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Is there? Is there anyone here that is experiencing something that is too hard for the Lord?
And the Bible says, “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Let me ask you a question: would you rather have a 911 operator or Jesus on the other end of the line? That’s what I thought.
So why was Peter sinking? He started out so good. He applied Faith + Works = Miracles and it worked. What happened to Peter is what happens to every one of us. Peter’s doubt overcome his faith.
You know what else our doubt does? It magnifies the size and force of the waves and the wind. Our doubt makes our obstacles and difficulties look bigger than they are.
What are we going to do folks? Things are in a mess and we haven’t even seen anything yet. Are we going to look at our circumstances, or are we going to look to God’s provision? We must make a choice.
I believe each higher level of faith we climb to requires a higher level of works.
I believe the Lord desires to show us greater things. Does anybody else believe that today?
Jesus moves in behalf of those who are willing to do things in a new way.
God made all things dependent upon faith. If we have faith, we have all things. If we don’t, we have nothing.
Most Christians are not willing to allow the Lord to bring change into their lives, because they are fearful of something new. Are you still with me?
Faith + Works = Miracles
Remember what God told Abraham?
Genesis 12:1-2 (KJV)
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
God can only use us after we leave what is familiar to us.
Romans 4:20-21 (KJV)
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Abraham did not let doubt control him. His doubt was not bigger than his faith.
Do we want to give glory to God? Then we need to quit our staggering.
We need to know that what God said He would do, He will do. At the place where God leads us, God also provides for us.
I wonder if somebody here is going to have the nerve, the spiritual courage to step out by faith with me? Are you willing to leave the safety of the boat, willing to leave your comfort zone, willing to be completely surrendered to our Master?
We have no boat here today to leave or water to walk on, but if God has spoken to your heart that this is your time, stand to your feet.
Lift both hands towards Heaven and tell the Lord, “I am coming, I am coming. I am stepping out of my boat. I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I am believing you.”
I wonder who needs a miracle the most? Who needs something done for you that no man could do it for you?
