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Book: Matthew
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Matthew 17:20 The Potentials of Faith
I. What is faith?
A. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen.
1. It is trusting in God.
2. It is the confidence that comes from knowing that God
is in control, and is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that you could ask or think.
3. It is thus resting in the love and ability of God.
4. The psalmist tells us to rest in the Lord, and fret
not.
5. Worry, fear, anxiety, fretting are all indications of
lack of faith.
B. Faith is a quality that God has built into each of us. "God
has dealt to us a measure of faith."
1. Trusting is natural. We learn not to trust.
a. How difficult it is for us when someone proves
to us that they cannot be trusted.
b. Once trust has been destroyed, it is almost
impossible to rebuild.
2. Relationships are built on trust. Relationships are
destroyed when one proves that they cannot be trusted.
3. Our relationship with God is built on trust, or faith
in Him.
a. He that cometh to God must believe that He is
and that He is a rewarder of those that
diligently seek Him.
b. God has certainly proved Himself to be
trustworthy yet many seem to have difficulty
trusting in Him.
4. The things that are promised to those who trust in Him.
a. He will be their buckler.
b. He will be entreated by those who put their
trust in Him.
c. Blessed are they that put their trust in Him.
d. None that trust in Him shall be desolate.
e. He will deliver those who trust in Him.
f. He is a shield to them that put their trust
in Him.
g. They shall be as Mount Zion that cannot be
removed.
f. They shall be safe.
C. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
1.In the story here we see how disappointed Jesus was
with their lack of faith.
a. As He came down from the mountain of
transfiguration with Peter, James and John,
a man came from the crowd kneeling at His feet
and begging for mercy for his demon possessed
son.
b. He had brought his son to the disciples and
they were unable to help him.
c. Jesus then sort of groaned in His spirit, and
said, "O faithless and perverse generation,
how long shall I be with you, how long shall
I suffer you?"
d. Jesus then commanded the demon to depart and
the child was cured from the very hour.
e. It was the disciples lack of faith that
troubled Jesus.
2. I wonder how many times we must trouble Him by our
lack of faith that is manifested by our worry and
anxiety over our situations.
3. At this point the disciples did a wise thing, they
came to Jesus and inquired why they were unable to
cast the demon out.
a. The answer was, "Because of your unbelief."
b. Then Jesus spoke to them of the potential of
faith.
II. Just a little faith can accomplish great feats.
A. If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed you could say to
this mountain, remove from this place and be settled over
there and it would move. And nothing shall be impossible unto
you.
B. It is important first of all to note who Jesus was talking to.
His disciples had take Him apart for their question. So He is
talking to His disciples.
1. What constituted being a disciple"
a. If any man come after Me, let him deny himself,
take up his cross and follow Me.
b. He is talking to those who have denied
themselves, they are not looking for things for
themselves.
C. What does He say to them? Faith as a grain of mustard seed can
move mountains.
1. I never read this but what I am troubled.
a. The mustard seed is very small, and if that
much faith could move a mountain, how little my
faith must be.
It would take an electron microscope to find
it.
b. It makes me feel like I don't have any faith at
all.
2. I also wonder what could be done if I have faith as a
coconut seed.
C. Let's look at what has been done by men of faith.
1. By faith Enoch was translated into heaven without
dying.
2. By faith Noah escaped the judgment of God that
destroyed the earth.
3. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.
4. Kingdoms were subdued.
5. The mouths of lions were stopped.
6. The three Hebrew children survived the fiery furnace.
7. Out of weakness they were made strong.
8. The armies of the aliens were put to flight.
9. Women received their dead to life.
D. Look what has happened to men of faith.
1. They have been tortured.
2. They have had trials of cruel mockings.
3. They have been scourged.
4. They have been imprisoned.
5. They were stoned.
6. They were sawed in two.
7. They were slain with the sword.
8. They wandered about in sheepskins, destitute,
afflicted, and tormented.
E. What does this tell us concerning faith?
1. Faith does not always deliver us from adverse
circumstances.
a. Faith did not keep Daniel from the den of
lions, but it did sustain him in the den
that they did not harm him.
b. Faith did not keep Daniel's friends from the
fiery furnace, but it preserved them in the
furnace.
c. I will not escape the walk in the valley of
the shadow of death, but He will be with me
when I must take that journey.
ISA 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
2. I think that we make a great mistake when we think
that if we just had enough faith we would not have
any problems.
3. A great mistake is also being made by the faith
teachers who declare that faith is a way to gain
personal riches and power.
a. There is not a single case in the scriptures
where faith was used for personal gain.
b. Faith is not an instrument to get my will
done, but to get God's will done.
4. It may be that it is God's will that I should suffer.
a. It was surely His will that His Son should
suffer.
b. Peter speaks of us suffering according to the
will of God.
5. The greatest faith is not manifested in my escaping
all suffering, but to trust the keeping of myself to
the will and purpose of God if it should call for
suffering.
6. Faith may not always provide an escape, but it will
provide acceptance.
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