The Anatomy of Biblical Faith - Part 1 - CrossCulture Inductive Bible Study Series

After lots of discussion, exegesis and hermeneutics and the corresponding blessings of delving and soaking on the Word of God on The Lord's Model Prayer as well as analyses of Biblical examples of answered prayer, we are launching into a new series at CrossCulture in Covina.

The Covina Church of the Nazarene has been kind enough to offer their place to us as a venue for these studies and discussions.

We invite you to attend, learn, discuss with us at the main sanctuary every Sunday at

                          260 E. College St, Covina CA at 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. 

We entertain further questions and sincere inquiries into the Word of God after 4:30 pm at the Fellowship Hall.

This Sunday we continue our discussion on the Anatomy of Biblical Faith hoping that a true understanding of true bibilical faith will result in unexpected miracles and changes in the lives of those who benefit.

Following is our outline for discussion:

The Anatomy of Biblical Faith 

Motivation: Hebrews 11:6; Romans 10:17

Goal:     How does my FAITH compare?

Matching the right FAITH with the right PRAYER

Introduction to Biblical Faith:

The Jesus Version (2 types of FAITH):

Mark 2:1-12 Visible vs. Invisible (Our Blessed HOPE)

Also Matthew 9:2-7; Luke 5:17-26

·        1. Jesus SAW their faith v.5: Can we describe their faith?

o   What are the evidences of their faith? v.1-4

Faith demonstrated requires effort. The four men who carried the paralytic demonstrated that. The effort to go through the roof shows not just determination but confident faith that should the paralytic be seen and touched by the Christ's healing hands, something miraculous would happen.  We are sure that they believed some level of cure but we are not sure if that expectation included full healing such that the man could actually walk again. But that is why all the parallel passages declare that Jesus SAW their FAITH!!!

·         2.How did Jesus illustrate the concept of FAITH? v.8-11

o   Cf: Hebrews 11:1-3

Jesus asked the question, "Which is easier (to demonstrate)?". Forgiving sins is abstract and invisible that anyone can claim to forgive sins. But letting a paralytic rise and walk is so much harder to demonstrate for someone who does not have that power.

Jesus made clear in no uncertain terms that if He can accomplish what is much more difficult to demonstrate, then it follows that he can accomplish the other thing(s) (i.e., forgiving sin(s)).

We believe that we will rise again because Jesus promised that and He Himself rose from the grave.

We believe that Christ is God because such is His claim and proved it by His resurrection!

True biblical faith is founded on TRUE KNOWLEDGE. Without that, faith is a figment of one's imagination and can be called plain STUPIDITY.  Most people, including Christians have faith in faith ("believe hard enough"). But if that faith does not exist, then it is faith in nothing and will not work.

Matthew 17:14-20 (21); Mark 9:14-29 Small vs. Big (Moving Mountains)

Also Matthew 21: 18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24

·         1.Why does faith work no matter how small? v.20
     

The size of faith does not matter. It need merely to exist and be "seen".  What really matters is the OBJECT or BASIS of that faith.  The basis of true faith is a BIG, AWESOME, ALMIGHTY GOD. Now that OBJECT must be the CORRECT object. If that object were other than the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob made know through Jesus Christ His Son, then that faith still fails even if one says that the basis of faith is "God". There are just too many versions of the true God, even in the Christian world. Only the True God can honor true faith.
We MUST know the CORRECT God, not a caricature of God. We MUST know the CORRECT Jesus Christ, not a caricature of Christ or our own personal version of Christ.  We can only truly know the CORRECT God by searching the Scriptures.

·         2.Hermeneutics: Can we literally move mountains?
     

If such is the claim of Christ, then it has to be TRUE. There is no record of Christ literally moving mountains but the Bible shows He walks on water and calms the stormy sea by a word of His mouth!

o   The element of Necessity (Matthew 8:26; John 11)

1. Matter of life and death? In the passages above, this seems to be the case making it a matter of necessity.
2. Special revelation of God, about God, by God. In these same passages and others, Jesus wanted His disciples to learn more about an important or key aspect of Who He really is.

·         3.How did Jesus describe the size of faith of the disciples vs. the size of the grain of mustard seed v.20

Christ described the faith of the disciples as "little faith". How does that compare with the grain of mustard seed? Based on what we have been propositioning, the grain of mustard seed is visible. Apparently, the size of the disciples faith is not even visible, a rhetorical way of stating that the disciples had no faith of the kind that can command demons.

·         Note: Nothing will be impossible for you! v.20

How does this statement connect with the fact that with God NOTHING is impossible? (Luke 1:37)

Definition of FAITH

Hebrews 11:1-3
"God SAID it, I BELIEVE it, that SETTLES it!"
  I can SEE it and it is SET on STONE.
The evidence does not have to be VISIBLE. I just KNOW it.

Necessity of FAITH

Hebrews 11:6
Without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to PLEASE God! That is a strong statement.

To draw near or approach God, there are two pre-requisites:

1. We must believe He is as REAL as can be.
2. We MUST believe that He REALLY responds!

Analysis of FAITH Models (Visible vs. Invisible): Hebrews 11

·         Abel’s faith (Genesis 4:1-7)

·         Enoch’s faith (Genesis 5:21-24)

·         Noah’s faith (Genesis 6ff)

·         Abraham’s faith (Genesis 12ff)

·         Sarah’s faith (Genesis 18:9-15)

·         Note on FAITH:  v.13-16

·         Abraham’s faith (Genesis 22)

·         Isaac’s faith (Genesis 27)

·         Jacob’s faith (Genesis 49)

·         Joseph’s faith (Genesis 50:22-26)

·         Faith of Moses’ parents (Exodus 2:1-10)

·         Moses’ faith (Exodus 2:11ff)

·         Israel’ Judges 11-12s faith (Exodus 14; Joshua 6)

·         Rahab’s faith (Joshua 2)

·         Gideon’s faith (Judges 6-8)

·         Barak’s faith (Judges 4-5)

·         Samson’s faith (Judges 13-16)

·         Jepthah’s faith (Judges 11-12)

·         David’s faith (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles )

·         Samuel’s faith (1 & 2 Samuel )

·         Women and other examples of faith.

·         Peter’s Faith (Luke 22:31-34)

Analysis of FAITH that moves mountains (Small vs. Big):

·         The Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30)

·         The Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)

·         The Disciples (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

·         The Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31)

·         Peter (Matthew 14:22-33)

·         Bartimeaus (Mark 10:46-52)

·         The Woman with bleeding (Luke 8:43-48)

·         Disciples request (Luke 17:5) Faith, Hope and Love paradox

·         Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

·         Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)

·         The Blind Beggar (Luke 18:35-43)

·         The New Peter (Acts 3:1-16)

·         The Cripple of Lystra (Acts  14:8-11)

  The proper place of Submission to the Will of God

When it comes to the demostration of faith, we submit to the will of God AFTER we get the answer to our prayer or God's response to our faith, NOT BEFORE.
We explore ALL the occasions where God's people exercised or demonstrated faith and we see no mention of submission to God's will.
Only Jesus at Gethsemane is recorded to include submission in His prayer but only AFTER He was convinced that there was no other alternative to the cross in the plan of redemption.
The incorrect placement or improper emphasis on submission to the will of God in prayer or the demonstration of true faith actually KILLS our faith instantly and makes our prayers impotent or powerless. This is why we rarely see excited Christians today when it comes to sharing answers to prayer. In fact, we see mostly depression and defeat in the church!!!
In church we should see "sick" people, even failures, but we should never see defeated people!
To be REALLY CANDID about what our proper mindset should be when we go to prayer, it is asking that OUR WILL BE DONE until we get God's response. When we get God's response, whatever it is, then we accept GOD'S WILL BE DONE.

Conclusions (and Applications):

1.       The OBJECT of faith is more important than the SIZE of faith

2.       Familiarity of OBJECT enhances SIZE of faith

3.       Objective Knowledge is the foundation of Subjective Faith

4.       Bottom Line: Knowing God = Pleasing God and enhances the SIZE of Faith.