Perfecting our faith

Perfecting our faith

Many times we face difficulties and crises, without having solutions, or ways of solving them. As a result we find ourselves in fear, doubt, unbelief confusion, and all kinds of other emotional responses, very scary and overwhelming.

The solution to all the above, when in trouble, Fix your eyes on Jesus?

I have heard this scripture many times in my life

Hebrews 12 v 2
looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.

This is a really powerful instruction ? With a great promise
Fix our eyes on Jesus ( Instruction)
The pioneer and perfecter of Faith. (Promise)

For the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

Jesus endured the cross, its pain its shame, its humiliation, with Joy
Because he knew what the end result would be.

The Cross purchased Salvation, and eternal life for all mankind

James 1 : 2 - 3
My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience.

The word temptations also includes facing difficulties and crises.

James uses the same kind of language as the writer of Hebrews
Hebrews
For the joy set before him (Jesus)
James
Count it all Joy
Knowing that the trying of your faith works patience
Patience translated from Greek
Cheerful endurance

We face difficulties and crises because like Jesus we know what the end result will be for us.
Jesus perfects matures our Faith through difficulties so that even when we face huge difficulties, we can face them with Cheerful endurance.

When our faith has been perfected, it is mature Faith

Mature Faith faces difficulties and crises with confidence and power instead of all the negative responses

Questions

How does Jesus perfect our Faith.

What does it means to fix our eyes on Jesus?
How to fix your eyes on Jesus ?
How can we fix our eyes on Jesus if we cant actually see him?

Scripture gives us some powerful practical examples to teach us how Faith is perfected and matured.
Jesus is both our example and teacher

We cant see him, but we can see his works in scripture ,by the way he dealt with difficulties and crises.

Our teaching today is : Perfecting our Faith by Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.

Many have the idea that if I follow Jesus I should experience a lifestyle of comfort, ease, calmness and peace.

This is the end of things not the beginning.

When Jesus first called his disciples, he spoke these words to them, Follow me
I will make you Fishers of men.

The words Make you means equip and prepare for purpose

Jesus equipped and prepared them as they followed him.

Jesus began to train his first followers, his 12 disciples, they encountered difficult situations and crises which many times overwhelmed them.

Tina read the story for us
Mark 4 : 35-41
In this account , we read of a group of 13 men, some are fishermen.

At the invitation of Jesus They get into a boat, sail out onto the sea of Galilee, where they encounter a storm.

All except one, Jesus, the other 12 men are terrified that they are going to die.
Even the fisherman among them.

Jesus is sleeping while the other 12 men are being overwhelmed with fear.

How is it that Jesus could sleep in these conditions?

For us fully understand, we must go back to the beginning of the account.
Verse 35
Jesus is inviting the disciples into the boat his classroom for this moment, to teach them what to do in crises and difficulties,

Jesus said : Lets go across to the other side

He was saying, no matter what we encounter between our starting place and our destination, we are going to arrive at our destination.

he climbed into the boat and fell asleep.
All of the disciples heard him speak, but none of them understood what Jesus was saying.

Mature Faith would understand what Jesus meant

When the storm became really bad, all the men turned on Jesus and in fear, doubt, unbelief, confusion, accused him.

Teacher don’t you care that we are perishing.

The reason that Jesus is sleeping is because he has inner peace.

He has full confidence in the words he had spoken

The storm on the outside has no impact on his inner peace.
The storm will not stop Jesus from reaching the destination.
Jesus was teaching the disciples and us this very important lesson

Philippians 4:6 -7 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The disciples were anxious about everything at that moment
They accused Jesus of not caring,
They did not understand that when Jesus said lets go over to the other side he meant it.

Inner peace was available
They didn’t know how to receive it.
Jesus gives us his peace through prayer, and request with thanksgiving

We don’t thank God for the storm, we thank him in the storm knowing that Jesus is with us in the boat, and we will always be secure
will carry us through the storm.

When Jesus was woken up
Watch what he did
The scripture says He got up, or HE AROSE
And rebuked the storm.
Understand what this means.
First HE AROSE

He recognized that this storm was not a natural one, It was demonic

He Arose into his position of spiritual authority.

He Rebuked
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea.
The word rebuke in this context
This word is used when addressing demonic spirits.
Jesus was addressing demons who were wanting to kill him.
He forbid them from further activity.
He spoke to the sea.
Peace be still.
Immediately the sea calmed down

Verse 41
Jesus turned to the 12 afraid confused men, asked them two questions
Why are you so afraid? do you still have no Faith?
Jesus was ending his class for the day,
He challenges them,
He teaches them?

We might not find ourselves in a little boat in the middle of a lake in a physical storm

Perhaps your storm is emotional, financial, sickness, relational, demonic,
in the middle of these difficulties and struggles, we feel like we are all alone and going to die.
Like the disciples The waves are so high and rough, the wind so strong we are afraid we are going to drown.
Jesus says to us
No need to be afraid, trust me, I will take you through every situation.

He doesn’t rescue the disciples from the storm, he takes them through the storm
Isaiah 43:2 

We should do Like Jesus did
We discern the origin, when we know its demonic,
we arise in the authority which has been given to us.

Rebuke the demonic in the name of Jesus
Speak peace into the sea, the conditions.

The purpose of this ?
Perfect our Faith

Our Faith is perfected by being Faithful to the ways of the faithful one

Jesus invites us into his classroom to learn Faith lessons.

When Difficulties and Crises come

We trust him , Do what he says to do.
His word, his ways, and promises are true, he will take us to the other side

When storms come

Faith will take us through every difficulty and Crises with an inner joy which cannot be explained.

In the process of facing these challenges
Our Faith is perfected and matured.