Participants: Tom Waters
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000311
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00:31 Welcome to Faith Chapel
00:32 I'm Tom Waters for Restoration 00:35 International, and today we're 00:37 going to' be talking about faith 00:38 now is easy to talk about faith 00:40 but the question is, are we 00:42 experiencing faith, are we 00:45 experiencing a living faith 00:47 a faith that connects us 00:49 to the living power of 00:51 Jesus Christ who is alive 00:53 for each one of us, 00:55 so we're going to talk about 00:56 what it means practically today 00:58 to live by faith, not by sight 01:01 not by circumstances, but 01:03 truly living in a connection 01:06 with a power that's outside 01:07 of us, with that power we connect 01:10 to by faith, if you have 01:11 your bibles I'd like you to turn 01:13 with me to Romans, we're 01:15 going to' be looking at the first 01:16 chapter of Romans and verse 01:18 sixteen, Romans one; sixteen 01:22 it says there: "For I am not 01:26 ashamed of the gospel of Christ 01:28 for it is the power of God 01:31 the power of who? It is the 01:34 power of God unto salvation 01:36 to every one that believeth 01:40 notice, first of all, 01:42 we don't need to be ashamed 01:44 of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 01:46 because if it really is the 01:49 power of God and if he really is 01:52 our faith that connects us 01:55 with his power, then it's going 01:57 to connects us in such a way 01:58 that it reveals his power 02:02 and it's going to allow us 02:03 to be in a relationship 02:04 that is drawing us closer 02:06 when it does the first place 02:08 that God's power reveals itself 02:11 is in the home, in the marriage 02:13 with my own family, now 02:15 I want you to think about this 02:16 for a moment because it says 02:18 that it is the power of God 02:20 unto salvation to everyone 02:23 that believeth, now this is 02:25 talking about faith, or we 02:27 can say "I believe", "I believe 02:29 in God", "I believe I have 02:31 faith, I believe God is real", 02:33 but is that faith really 02:35 connecting us to a power that's 02:38 changing us on a day to day basis 02:41 because I want us to go down 02:43 as we continue to go down to 02:45 verse seventeen, Romans one 02:48 going back down to verse 02:51 seventeen, it says for therein is 02:53 is the righteousness of God 02:54 revealed from faith to faith: 02:57 as it is written, the just 03:00 shall live by faith". 03:03 So, who's righteousness is being 03:06 revealed here? Is my 03:08 righteousness? Does my faith 03:10 make me revealed my 03:12 righteousness? To my wife, 03:14 to my children?, No, it's the 03:17 righteousness of God, it is 03:19 revealed from faith to faith 03:22 what is that mean practically? 03:23 It means that from one choice 03:26 of faith, to the next choice of 03:29 faith, when I connect my witness 03:33 with the enduring strength 03:34 of Jesus Christ, then I'm 03:37 revealing the righteousness 03:39 of God, I'm not revealing 03:40 my righteousness, because 03:42 my righteousness is nothing 03:43 is filthy rags, but when my 03:46 weak, frail humanity takes 03:49 whole of the enduring power 03:51 of God, then that faith that 03:54 connects me, connects me to a 03:56 power that is going to reveal 03:59 His righteousness, it's going to 04:01 reveal it in every transaction of 04:04 life from one choice of faith 04:06 to the next choice of faith 04:09 because it is written, 04:10 That the just, those that are 04:13 justified by God, who are 04:16 justified to Christ, those 04:18 that are just, will be truly 04:21 living by faith. Not just 04:23 talking about faith, not just 04:25 believing that there is a God 04:27 but that, That God is going to 04:30 change my life. So, let's make 04:33 this practical, I can make it 04:35 very practical, as I go back 04:37 to 1995, my wife, my dear 04:42 precious wife, was diagnosed 04:45 with cancer, ovarian cancer, 04:48 a very deadly cancer, my wife 04:50 and I, both come from medical 04:53 backgrounds prior to ministry 04:56 work with Restoration 04:57 International, and we both knew 04:59 that my wife could be dead 05:02 in 6 months, leaving me with 05:05 3 young children, I want to 05:08 ask you, How does that make me 05:11 feel? I tell you, I had a lot of 05:14 feelings and emotions that were 05:16 going through me, but I remember 05:17 the day of surgery, she was 05:19 taken into a special hospital 05:22 and she had two specialist 05:24 surgeons working on her, 05:27 her main surgeon, and then a 05:29 specialist from UCLA 05:30 Medical Center was called in 05:32 who is specializing in containing 05:35 cancer, so it didn't spread 05:37 through the body. IT was a long 05:40 surgery as I was sitting in the 05:42 waiting room, it was a surgical 05:44 waiting room, and I was alone 05:45 in there that day, and the 05:47 receptionist said to me 05:49 as I was sitting there, when 05:50 the surgery is finished, 05:51 the doctor will call me and 05:54 then I'll have you meet with 05:56 the doctor and his assistant, so 05:59 I was sitting in there for 06:00 those hours, do you think that 06:03 the thoughts of my mind 06:05 brought me temptations to anxiety, 06:07 absolutely, there were thoughts 06:10 that brought me to: What is 06:12 going to be like if my wife 06:14 dies? What am I going to do? 06:17 And there amidst those thoughts 06:19 The Lord kept calling to me 06:21 and the thought that came to me 06:23 is I would never leave thee 06:25 not forsake thee, that's the 06:27 God that we serve, I will never 06:29 leave thee, and the thought 06:31 came to me, How is your faith? 06:33 Right now, How is your faith? 06:36 Now I recognized, some of the 06:39 thoughts are bombarding me, 06:40 and I said Lord, I believe, 06:43 I believe that you have the 06:45 best, good in mind for me 06:47 I believe you're seeing this 06:48 picture, I believe that all 06:49 things truly will work together 06:52 for good because I love you Lord 06:53 and I know you love me, you love 06:55 my wife, my children and 06:58 I found peace, then I sat there 07:00 and you know what I found 07:01 in faith life it is just 07:03 at once, be faith, once be 07:06 faithful to that call and 07:08 goes away, it's a faith choice 07:10 over and over, because those 07:13 thoughts keep coming back 07:14 and we have to keep taking them 07:16 into the Lord and then 07:17 that phone rang and I tell you 07:20 the devil with my human weakness 07:22 made one more bid for me 07:24 'cause I was going to meet the 07:25 surgeons now, and the thought 07:27 came back to me again I will 07:29 never leave thee, I am with you 07:31 I am at the right hand, and so 07:34 I got it by faith I had rest 07:36 in peace in Jesus Christ, 07:38 by faith alone, the just shall 07:41 live by faith, by faith I found 07:43 myself connected to a power 07:46 that was outside of me, I found 07:49 myself connected to a God, 07:52 who says there's nothing 07:54 too hard for me, I'm the God 07:56 of all flesh, and so I went out 07:59 and I met those surgeons, then 08:00 a very amazing thing happened 08:02 the first thing that the senior 08:05 surgeon said to me was "You have 08:08 peace, your countenance has peace 08:12 How do you have this peace? 08:14 This is before he said anything 08:17 about my wife, and I praised 08:19 God in there, in that moment 08:22 in my thoughts I praised God 08:25 because it was the righteousness 08:27 of God that was been revealed 08:29 that's what the verses we read 08:31 are saying, is the righteousness 08:34 of God that's revealed, from 08:36 one choice of faith to another 08:39 then do you know what told me 08:41 He said: your wife does not 08:44 have cancer, we removed 08:47 the tumor and it was not 08:49 cancerous and I praised the Lord 08:52 but you know what I praised 08:53 the Lord for more in that moment 08:55 I praised the Lord that 08:59 in that moment, I was at peace 09:03 not because of the good news 09:06 I was at peace because of loving 09:11 Savior who already by faith 09:13 had hold of my heart, 09:16 that's what faith does, faith 09:18 connects us regardless of our 09:20 circumstances, regardless of our 09:21 difficulties, regardless of our 09:23 emotions, faith right faith 09:25 real faith, believes in God 09:27 connects us to a God that can 09:31 save us to the uttermost 09:33 if you come to Him, with the 09:34 believing that He is God 09:37 You know I want to share with you 09:38 another verse, a very familiar 09:41 verse but maybe not such a 09:42 familiar experience, it's found 09:45 in the book of Hebrews. 09:46 Hebrews 11 and verse 6, I want 09:50 you to go there with me: 09:52 It says without faith it is 09:54 impossible, it is what?, it is 09:57 impossible to please him: for he 09:59 that cometh to God must believe 10:01 that He is, and that he is the 10:04 rewarder of them that 10:06 diligently seek him. 10:09 Now we can say that we believe 10:13 in God and any Christian or 10:16 professing Christian is going 10:17 to say, of course I believe 10:19 in God but the question here 10:22 and the question that has been 10:23 brought to my mind and I never 10:26 bring a question to you, God is 10:28 not only bringing to me 10:30 and working in my heart to ask 10:32 me the same question, Do you 10:35 really believe that He is God? 10:37 he is the cometh to God 10:38 must believe that he is, 10:40 That he is what? That he is God 10:43 If I really believe and if you 10:46 really believe that He is God 10:50 That's incredible, because we 10:53 know that That God, is the God 10:57 that can do anything, He is 11:00 the God that can open the sea 11:03 and let people walk across 11:05 on a dry ground, He is the God 11:07 that can raise the dead, if 11:09 we believe that He is God 11:11 if we say we are his people 11:14 we are his children, oh I love 11:18 to see how my children, 11:19 especially when they were 11:21 very young, how they trusted in 11:23 me, how they believed in me 11:25 they could be up in a tree, 11:27 and I could say jump, and they 11:29 would jump, they believed in me 11:31 Do you really believe in God? 11:33 If we do, He that cometh to God 11:38 must believe that He really 11:39 is God and that he is the 11:41 rewarder of them that diligently 11:42 seek him, so when we come to God 11:45 believing that he is really God 11:47 that's faith, because we believe 11:49 in something we can't see, 11:50 And we believe, that he can do 11:52 whatever he says he will do. 11:55 When that happens, then 11:58 the first thing that we 12:00 believe it on is that we can 12:02 trust him with our whole hearts 12:04 we can trust him with our whole 12:06 life, we can trust him with 12:08 unconditional surrender of 12:10 myself to this God who can do 12:13 all things for me all things 12:16 in me by faith and he can reveal 12:18 his righteousness through us 12:21 I remember I was going to be 12:24 doing a series of meetings 12:26 over South Korea, a long flight 12:29 and so I had to, well at least 12:32 I thought I had a get a lot of 12:33 rest, you know, the night before 12:35 I was in a hotel, getting ready 12:38 to fly out early in the 12:39 morning, so I said to the lady 12:42 at the front desk, you know 12:43 I need a quiet place, I've got a 12:45 long over seas flight and 12:47 Can you get me a quiet room? 12:48 And she said, sure, so she gave 12:50 me this room, I was there 12:52 by myself I was opening God's 12:55 word just having some quiet time 12:58 there, all of a sudden I heard this 13:02 well it sounded like a herd 13:04 of people, not a group of people 13:06 but they were just stomping 13:08 down the hallway, loud and 13:10 frivolous and vociferous... 13:13 I don't know if you ever experienced this 13:15 but some how I had the feeling 13:16 they will going to end up right 13:17 next to me, and sure enough 13:20 the door to the adjoining room 13:22 was flung open, the handle hit 13:25 the wall against the wall where 13:27 I was sitting at the desk, they 13:29 came in there, they turned on the 13:31 television and the louder the 13:34 television went louder their 13:35 voices went, and I tell you 13:38 I start to feeling sorry 13:40 for myself, Oh lord, I need rest 13:46 I can't have people like this 13:47 next to me, and you know 13:49 the Lord called to me in that 13:50 still small voice, not audible 13:52 voice, he called to me in my 13:54 heart, Can you trust me? 13:57 Can you give yourself to me? 13:59 Can you trust me enough to rest 14:01 right now that I can take care 14:04 of this, you know that's a 14:06 faith choice, it isn't something 14:08 that just happens at the 14:10 beginning of the day, when 14:11 we say I believe Lord 14:12 take my life, give me a 14:14 new heart, we need to do that 14:16 but that choice needs to be made 14:18 over and over, 14:20 the just shall live by faith, 14:22 one faith choice to the next 14:24 so I said Lord, I'm willing 14:27 to surrender this to you 14:28 I'm willing to rest in you 14:31 by faith, I know you have 14:33 the solution, and even if 14:35 it means I stay up all night 14:37 I know that I can trust you 14:39 enough, your grace is sufficient 14:41 I don't have to get upset 14:43 I don't have to get irritated 14:44 I don't have to be agitated 14:45 by this I can trust you enough 14:48 When I was in that resting place 14:51 with God, that's a faith choice 14:54 to come back rest in place 14:55 to believe God enough, 14:56 When I was in the resting place 15:00 Are you in the resting place 15:02 right now friends? Are you in 15:05 the resting place?, I don't care 15:06 what you know, I don't care 15:08 how many bibles you have given. 15:10 I don't care how much 15:11 Scriptures you memorize, 15:12 Are you in the resting place? 15:15 with the righteousness of God 15:17 can be revealed because you're 15:19 connected to a living Savior 15:21 When I found that connection 15:22 to the Lord, for right there 15:24 in that hotel room, it was then 15:28 that my mind was clear enough 15:30 and myself was subdued 15:31 that the Lord send me back down 15:33 to that reception desk and 15:36 I told them my situation, now 15:37 I want you to think for a moment 15:39 if I would have done that, in my 15:41 irritation, in my agitation 15:43 if I would have gone down there 15:46 demanding that I get a quiet 15:48 room and why am I in this kind 15:50 of room, Can you imagine? 15:52 Who would it have been revealed? 15:54 Would been the righteousness 15:56 of God, or would it have been 15:59 selfishness? Do you think 16:00 that these people in these worldly 16:03 big businesses see enough of 16:04 self reveal? But how often 16:07 are they seeing the righteousness 16:09 of Christ, the righteousness 16:11 that makes the difference 16:13 then I went down there resting 16:15 in the Lord, and I told her 16:18 the situation I said is there 16:20 any other place, she said 16:21 you know, just renovated the 16:22 whole third floor, no one 16:25 staying, she said, if you are willing 16:27 to carry the things up, 16:29 one level, she said, you can 16:31 have the whole third floor 16:32 to yourself, you can have 16:34 the whole place is quiet 16:37 You won't have to worry about 16:39 any noise. And so I went up 16:42 there, it was an interesting 16:43 thing as I got to my room 16:45 There was a beautiful view out 16:48 over the mountains, a quiet room. 16:51 Isn't that how God works? 16:54 You see, my first room was a 16:56 little room, the old room hadn't 16:59 been renovated it overlooked 17:01 the city, God has mercy, gave me 17:05 a beautiful quiet place 17:07 Now God doesn't always 17:09 work that way when we exercise 17:12 faith, but always when we 17:15 find a rest in him, we find 17:17 peace, the passes understanding 17:20 Are you finding that in the 17:23 little things of life? I had to 17:25 find it in the crisis of life 17:27 'cause sometimes is in a crisis 17:28 when your wife is diagnosed 17:30 with cancer, well the cancer is 17:32 is almost like you don't have 17:33 any choice but go to God, 17:35 but are we finding by faith that rest 17:38 in Christ, in the little things 17:41 of life, remember, it's the 17:44 righteousness of God is revealed 17:47 from faith to faith, the just 17:50 shall live by one faith decision 17:53 to another all through the day 17:56 taking hold to the strength 17:58 of Christ, calling upon him 18:01 in the day of trouble. I Peter 18:03 If you want to go there, 18:04 I Peter says: I Peter 1:5 18:09 it's a very simple verse, it says: 18:11 We are kept by the power 18:13 of God, by the power of who? 18:16 the power of God through faith 18:19 unto salvation, that's how 18:24 we're kept, we're kept 18:26 by what power? The power of God 18:29 as we're kept by the power of 18:32 God it's only through faith 18:34 that connects us to that 18:36 power and if we keep choosing 18:39 by faith to connect to this 18:42 power it would be a decision 18:44 that leads us moment by moment 18:47 in salvation and it will lead us 18:51 ultimately to the full 18:53 salvation that we're looking 18:54 forward to in the coming of 18:56 Jesus Christ, but you know 18:58 I have found it as we live by 19:00 faith, as our faith truly 19:03 connects us to the power of 19:06 Jesus Christ, we are tasting 19:09 heaven here, heaven begins 19:11 here by faith and as we learn to 19:15 trust him with a whole heart 19:17 as we learn to hold on by faith 19:20 we're experiencing a power 19:22 that's outside of us, that 19:24 lifts us above the present 19:26 circumstances that we deal with 19:28 You know, faith is really not 19:31 our Savior, I think it's evident 19:34 that faith is for one thing 19:37 faith is to connect the human 19:40 weakness, the human fearful 19:41 heart the frail weak human being 19:44 faith connects that weakness 19:47 to the enduring strength of God 19:50 That's what faith does, 19:52 I remember one day we were sitting 19:55 in our home up in the mountains 19:56 of Montana, was a very cold 19:58 wintery day, low and behold 20:03 a lady came walking by, now we don't 20:06 generally see people just 20:08 to walk by when we live up in 20:09 the mountains, and she did 20:11 not looked like she was dressed 20:12 for the winter, she did not look 20:14 prepared and my immediate 20:16 thought was, this lady 20:17 is stuck somewhere, she is 20:19 walking and she didn't have a 20:21 warm coat, she didn't have 20:23 warm boots, so invited her into 20:25 our home and warmed her 20:27 a little bit there by the fire 20:29 she told us of her plights 20:31 and then we got her old Betsy 20:35 old Betsy is, an old pick up 20:39 that old Betsy was a powerful 20:41 four wheel drive used for 20:43 collecting wood, gathering fire 20:45 wood, and that old Betsy I knew 20:49 without a shadow of doubt had 20:51 that power of the four wheel drive 20:52 to get this lady out of her 20:55 predicament. So we went 20:57 down there, she was really stuck, 21:01 now, how we're going to get the 21:04 power of old Betsy, connected 21:08 to the weak and frail situation 21:11 of this car stuck deep in the 21:13 snow bank, cause all the power in the 21:15 world, that old Betsy had, 21:18 was nothing if it didn't some 21:20 how that connected to this 21:22 car who was stuck in the deep 21:25 snow ditch, well we had a strap 21:29 one of this nylon straps 21:32 that's real heavy duty 21:35 and I hooked one under that 21:36 strap, old Betsy, and the hook 21:39 the other under the strap to 21:40 that disabled vehicle, and the 21:43 power of Betsy connected 21:45 to the weakness of that vehicle 21:49 you know what happened? 21:51 That power connected to that 21:53 weakness pulled that vehicle 21:56 right up out of the ditch 21:58 like nothing. Now I'll 22:00 ask you a question, here is 22:02 this lady she's really excited 22:06 really thankful, and now 22:09 I want to ask you, do you think 22:11 she got out of her car and came 22:14 and started telling this truck 22:19 "How wonderful the truck was" 22:21 Do you think that she came 22:23 to this strap and said: 22:25 "Oh this strap what a wonderful 22:28 strap you saved me from the 22:30 situation, you see faith 22:33 connects us to power this 22:35 strap represents the faith 22:38 that connect us to the power 22:40 we are trying to reveal the 22:42 power, we're not trying to 22:44 brag about power, we're not 22:45 to brag about what connects us 22:47 to power we want to reveal 22:50 God, and that's what faith does 22:54 Faith connects us, faith 22:57 connects us to a power that is 23:01 above beyond anything that 23:03 we have and so when that lady 23:06 got out the car she was 23:07 profusely thanking me for 23:10 pulling her out of the ditch 23:12 Well, obviously the illustration 23:16 breaks down very quickly there 23:18 but the point is it was the 23:20 strap that make the connection 23:23 with power, it was old Betsy 23:28 it is the powerful Betsy 23:29 that got out her, I couldn't 23:30 pull her out even if I had 23:31 the strap I don't have enough power 23:34 but I tell you she was thankful 23:36 to me that I took the time 23:39 to get her out, she wasn't 23:41 thanking the strap, she wasn't 23:43 thanking the truck, she was 23:44 thanking me, and I tell you 23:46 friends today, that when 23:48 we connect our weakness by faith 23:51 to the power of God, people will 23:55 be thanking God for the 23:57 difference that He makes 23:58 in his life, in their life 24:01 if we really want to see 24:04 a difference, that difference 24:06 will only come through Jesus Christ 24:10 if we really want to make 24:13 a difference, and I believe 24:16 it's my personal conviction 24:19 and is my first evangelistic 24:22 outreach, I believe that right 24:25 faith, real faith in God 24:28 connects me to a God that is 24:31 able to save me to the uttermost 24:35 and when He does, and when He is 24:37 because this is an ongoing 24:39 process, when He does the first 24:42 person that faith and that power 24:46 that power of the Gospel, 24:48 the power that we read there 24:50 we shouldn't be ashamed of the 24:51 power the Gospel of Jesus Christ 24:54 because it's the power of God 24:55 unto Salvation, the first 24:57 place of that power should 24:59 reveal itself, is in my marriage 25:02 my wife should be the first 25:06 recipient of the living life 25:09 changing power of Jesus Christ 25:11 and you know, a very interesting 25:13 thing happen in our home 25:15 we begin to understand 25:18 the simplicity, the power 25:21 of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 25:23 I began to make my wife, my dear 25:28 wife my first evangelistic 25:31 outreach. You know, I used to be 25:34 involved in so many outreach 25:36 opportunities, and I tell you 25:38 that wouldn't be a part of this 25:40 Ministry Restoration 25:41 International if we did not 25:43 believe in the life changing 25:45 restoring power of God 25:47 But you know, I used to be 25:49 involved in so many things 25:50 they were out there out there 25:52 and my poor wife and my poor 25:54 children didn't have what 25:56 they needed from me, I tell you 25:58 God wants us to work first 26:00 the Gospel needs to work first 26:02 in our homes and when it's 26:04 working there I tell you 26:05 it will work any where in the 26:07 world because it is the power 26:09 of God unto Salvation, to everyone 26:13 that believeth. Do you believe? 26:17 The question is: Do you and 26:19 Do I really, believe today? 26:21 Because if we do, then our faith 26:25 would be a living faith 26:27 would truly believing by faith 26:30 a faith that connects us 26:33 to Jesus Christ not just 26:35 at the beginning of the day 26:37 but all through the day we will 26:39 be coming to him in every 26:40 circumstances, situation 26:42 will be saying, Lord 26:43 I need you, and right now 26:45 I'd like us to, just bow our 26:49 heads where we are, as we come 26:51 to the Lord by faith, will you pray 26:54 with me? Father in heaven 26:57 we come to you because we're not 26:59 ashamed of the Gospel 27:01 we're not ashamed to admit that 27:03 we need a power outside of 27:05 ourselves, we need a living 27:07 connection with your power 27:10 Father, if we're going to be 27:11 living Christians we need to 27:13 living connected by faith, 27:14 and we want to live by faith 27:16 do we want to give ourselves 27:17 to you to surrender whole 27:20 heartedly, that you will work in us 27:22 to will and to do a good pleasure 27:24 and we thank you in Jesus name. 27:27 Amen. I hope that as you go to 27:32 the rest of today, wherever you 27:34 find yourselves, whatever your 27:36 circumstances, whatever your 27:37 difficulties that has the spirit 27:40 the Lord calls to your heart 27:42 that you would be willing 27:45 to live by faith not by sight, 27:48 Jesus wants to be your Savior 27:51 and mine today, by faith. |
Revised 2014-12-17