This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity).” For the last couple of months we studied the life of Joseph and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I trust you did as well. Yesterday I provided a message that allowed us to look back over Joseph’s life and learn lessons from one of the Bible’s most interesting characters. For years I have taught you series after series on faith. For the last two years I have taught you a myriad of series on God’s amazing grace. Today I feel led to simply share a practical message on ‘how faith works’, for us today, in the light of God’s unearned grace. I believe this message is going to be a blessing to you.
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s get into it.
1. God speaks a Word to you. It all starts with hearing from God.
a) Faith begins where the will of God is known.
b) God can speak to you as you read His Word, while you are in prayer, in a dream while you are asleep, in a vision while you are awake, through others, through circumstances, or etc.
c) You must hear from God, because faith is not you telling God what to do, faith is God telling you what to do. Faith is not you attempting to get God to put a “yes” on your plans. Faith is God attempting to get you to put a “yes” on His plans.
d) Faith is about submission, surrender, and accepting the will of God.
2. You must accept the fact that the promise came by God’s unearned grace.
a) Joseph did nothing to earn or deserve God’s dream for his life. Neither did he earn the favor he received along the way.
b) If you don’t accept the fact that God’s promise, and His overall plan for your life was developed by God’s grace, you will link it to your performance and when you don’t perform well, you will think you have disqualified yourself from receiving God’s best.
c) The devil loves it when you feel disqualified from God’s best and he uses this feeling to drive you into condemnation.
d) When you accept the fact that God’s purpose, plans and promises have all come to you by His unearned grace, you will resist condemnation, you will accept God’s grace and mercy, and you will pursue His best for your life by faith.
3. You have to get past the belief stage. You will never exercise faith for something you don’t believe.
a) God’s plans and promises for your life will be SO BIG that you may question why He wants to do something SO BIG through you.
b) You must believe that God wants to be good to you because God is good. That’s it. No other reason.
c) Once you believe God’s promises you are in position to exercise faith.
4. Faith requires action.
a) While belief opens the door the possibility of it, faith walks through the door and pursues it.
b) Faith is something you say, something you do, or something you sow (financially), because of something God promised you.
c) Faith is anything you do to access the grace of God.
d) While God does everything He does for us by His unearned grace, He requires us to access His grace with our faith.
5. You must wait on God’s timing.
a) The right thing at the wrong time becomes the wrong thing.
b) Frustration sets in when your watch is not set to God’s clock.
c) Once you know He promised it to you by grace, and you know you have done what He told you to do by faith, you must WAIT on the timing of God. It might tarry, but wait for it, it will surely come to pass.
d) In God’s realm (eternity), it is already done, in your realm (the earth), it is only a matter of time.
6. You will be tested and proven while you wait on God.
a) How you wait will impact HOW LONG you wait.
b) God will not give you what He promised you until you are ready to walk in the grace for it.
c) While you are waiting on God He actually processes and develops you to be able to handle the manifestation of the promise.
d) It’s not that God is not going to give it to you, it’s just that He is not going to give it to you before you are ready for it. So embrace the process and develop into the person God needs you to be!
e) Once you are ready… then get ready, it’s coming!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began and I am now learning how to live my life in alignment with those plans. Living by faith is about submission and surrender. Living by faith is about dying to sin and self. Living by faith is how I am determined to live. But in order to live by faith I must hear from You. Nothing happens until I hear from heaven. My faith begins where You will is known. You speak to me daily. You continually reveal to me what You want to do in my life. I accept everything You tell me. I believe Your promises and I know they come to me by grace. You want to bless me richly. Not because I am so good, but because You are so good. So I accept Your grace and I pursue it with my faith. I say, I do, and I sow (financially), based on what You tell me to do. And once I do my part, once I have exercised my faith to access Your grace, I know it is only a matter of time. While I wait on You I know I will be processed and developed. I accept the process. I embrace the development. I endure the undertaking. I become the person You destined me to be. The more I am developed and the more I look like Jesus, the more You can do what You want to do IN, WITH and THROUGH me. Not because of my goodness, but only because of Your grace. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
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