Lesson 1 What is Faith?
Lesson 1 What is Faith?
Mountain Movers Series Introduction “What is faith?” “How do I get faith?” “Do some have more faith than others?” and “How do I get more?” “Are faith and hope the same?” Have you ever asked these questions?. Through our Mountain Movers theme and study of the building of the walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah we will address these queries as we follow Nehemiah’s journey of faith.
Outcome of Lesson You will understand what faith is and its dependence upon the Word of God.
Introduction Read: Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith; it is the only thing that can please God. It can do extraordinary things. Faith accesses the power of God to heal, cast out demons, feed multitudes, bring the dead back to life and can even remove mountains. Faith is essential for all who believe in Jesus as their Saviour because you cannot believe unless you believe with faith. Without faith how can you please God?
Faith Read: Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Read: Mark 11:22-33 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Q: What is faith? A: Faith is a substance, it is the evidence of what we cannot yet physically see. Jesus said if you ask, don’t doubt and believe it is done, it will be done. Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
For example: if you are having financial difficulties, you might see your bank balance and in prayer ask God to help in that area. You would probably believe that He will help. Or you could know that God has already blessed you in the area of finance and that your bills are already paid. In this case, you won’t pray to God and ask for help because God has already helped you, but you will thank Him for what He has done, even though you cannot yet see it.
Abraham’s definition of faith Read Romans 4:18-20 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God , but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised . Q: Had you been in Abraham’s shoes would your stance of “faith” have been the same? What two things characterised Abraham’s faith. 1. 2.
He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God Was fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised
Differences Between Natural Faith and Spiritual Faith Read: Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
People operate in two different types of faith - “natural faith” and “spiritual faith”. Natural faith is the type of faith that lives in the mind. You can pray and pray but fail to see any results. You can believe in God and that His word is complete truth, but only believe in your mind and not in your heart. This kind of faith asks God for help over and over again, but can never see past the circumstances or blockages in your way. This type of faith does not see prayers answered or calls fulfilled. This type of faith will believe only when it is received. Spiritual faith is the type of faith Jesus told us to live by . He said to ask without doubt and believe it is done. Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
This type of faith believes first and then receives. This faith believes that what you have prayed for is already done. This faith sees past the circumstances and blockages and sees the outcome. This faith does not repeatedly ask God for help but thanks Him for what He has done. However, you can ask God and thank Him and still not believe it is done (natural faith). Spiritual faith thanks God because they believe it is done already and that is why they are thanking God. So real faith is spiritual faith . Let’s look again at Abraham’s and other examples, identifying if they are believing through natural faith or spiritual faith. Read: Genesis 15:5-6 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord , and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Q. What sort of faith is this, natural or spiritual? A. Spiritual faith Read: John 20:24-29 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Q. Natural or spiritual faith? A. Natural faith Q. What was the difference between Abraham and Thomas Faith? A: Abraham believed before he received. He didn’t see the obstacle before him which was his and Sarah’s age, and that they were reproductively dead, but believed God’s Word. Thomas received before he believed. Even in Thomas’ account Jesus reiterates the type of faith we should be living by when He said Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’. Believing before seeing is spiritual faith.
Faith and Hope Another area we sometimes struggle with is Faith and Hope. They are different from each other. The way we use the word “hope” today is very different to the way it was used in the Bible. Today hope is used in the same context as wish. You might say “I hope I get the money to pay this bill soon”. It means the same thing when you say “I wish I had the money to pay this bill soon”. Hope in its original Biblical meaning is a belief that a future event will come to pass. You might say “I have a hope of Jesus’ return”. We know this will happen in the future, and so we have a hope for that. That might sound similar to faith but it isn’t. *Faith believes now; in the present. Hope believes in the future. If you are believing God will do something, you are believing in hope (future event). If you believe God has done what you asked for, you are believing in faith (present). If you always believe in hope, it will always be in the future. But if you believe in faith, you already have it now. Let’s review the following examples, Q: What is “God I know you will get me the money to pay this bill”? A: Hope Q: What is “Thank You Father for the car that I needed”? A: Faith Q: What is “Jesus You are great. Thank You that you have already provided the money to let me go on the mission’s trip”? A: Faith Q: “Jesus I believe Your word that by your stripes I am healed. I know You have healed me”? A: Hope
Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
How Do We Get Faith? Read: Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
By now we should know what faith is, but how do we get it? It comes by hearing the Word of God. Hear with our ears, and hearing and believing with our hearts. Church, Life Groups and reading our Bibles build our faith because that is where we hear the Word of God. To build our faith we follow the diet of faith: -
Speak Scripture out loud; Hear with your ears; Visualise it; and Then put it to action.
Q: What is included in the diet of faith? (Get the group to speak back the points)
We will learn more about these four important points as we go through Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem by faith. In the narrative of Nehemiah, we are given evidence that faith is based upon the Word of God. When God made His covenant with Abraham, His plan for our restoration to relationship with Him was already in place. God’s covenant was anchored in the future promise of Jesus. Nehemiah building the walls of Jerusalem, gives testimony of the goodness and faithfulness of God in His Eternal mindedness. God promised that because His people had worshipped idols and sinned against Him that He would punish them and they were taken captive into exile. He also gave His Word, that after 70 years they would be restored to Jerusalem and back into relationship with Him. When He spoke this Word through the prophet Jeremiah, He was ensuring the ongoing covenant with His people. When Nehemiah, the descendant of the exiled Jews, heard his people had returned and were “in great trouble and disgrace”, he accepted the conditions of the covenant were just, and understanding the will of God, he aligned himself to fulfil God’s plan of restoration even though he had never lived in Jerusalem. Understanding the Word of God, he says in prayer in Nehemiah 1:7, “We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
you gave your servant Moses”. Accepting God’s punishment was just, Nehemiah asks God directly to grant him favour as he steps out in faith ,
Discussion Do you think it matters to God how we ask for something? Surely He knows we need it and will give it to us.
Role Play Have 2 people stand up. Explain to your lifegroup that both people have been diagnosed with lung cancer. Both people will then pray using the following samples. Let the group pick which one prayed by spiritual faith and ask why they think that. Person 1 : Father, You are a healing God and I know you can heal me. I ask right now that You heal me. Thank You Jesus. Amen Person 2: Father, You are a healing God and I thank You that you have healed me. Thank You that the cancer is gone and I praise You for my healing. Amen Q: Which person prayed in spiritual faith? Person 2
Conclusion In this lesson we have learnt ● Faith is a substance. ● There is a difference between natural and spiritual faith ● Faith and hope are different Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. He taught us how to pray through spiritual faith by believing that what we ask for is already done, or that we have already received it. Hope is believing for future events and faith is believing now, in the present. In next week’s lesson, you will learn what happens when Nehemiah lined up with the Word and will of God, how by faith and prayer, he set things right and stood in the gap, positioning himself to fulfill God’s plan.
Feedback on the Lesson How will you change your prayers to God when you seek something promised in his Word?
Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
Application of the Lesson in Your Life If you have been praying for something and have not seen an answer yet, or you know you have been praying for it with natural faith, change your prayer and pray with spiritual faith. Bring a testimony next week.
Prayer Jesus Your Word is truth and I ask that what is taught reflects Your truth and that each person has learnt how to truly pray with real spiritual faith. You are a God who hears and answers our prayers. I thank You and give glory to You for all the testimonies that come from this series as we learn how to live in spiritual faith. Amen
Reference Pastor Greg Cumming, “How to Get Faith”
Mountain Movers Lesson 1 What is Faith?
