The following is an adaptation on selected highlights of Rev Dr Kong Hee's preaching on Faith, Trust & Rest (Part 1) in City Harvest Church on 7 November 2015 for your edification.
For the full sermon, please surf to The Ink Room http://www.theinkroom.com.sg/
"Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." Romans 4:16-21 (NKJV)
By grace and through faith, and by believing with full conviction on the promises, we shall surely obtained God's promises for us. Many of us missed out on the promises of God due to unbelief. Not so with Abraham, who did not consider his old body, but kept believing the God will indeed make him a father of many nations. As with God, he calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Here then is an important principle:
WHATEVER WE CONSIDER, OUR HEART WILL BECOME OPEN TO; WHATEVER WE DON'T CONSIDER, IS WHAT WE WILL BECOME HARDENED TO.
Consider means 'think and ponder carefully, give attention to, direct our entire mind or focus on'.
In the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:30-39), Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, ".. looked up to heaven and said a blessing of praise and thanksgiving to the Father..". (Mark 6:41; AMP) Jesus did not consider the apparent lack and chose to look to the Father for heavenly provision.
After the feeding of the feeding of the five thousand, "Jesus immediately insisted that His disciples get into the boat and go ahead [of Him] to the other side to Bethsaida, while He was dismissing the crowd. And after He said goodbye to them, He went to the mountain to pray.
Now when evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on the land. Seeing the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) He came to them, walking on the sea. And [acted as if] He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out [in horror]; for they all saw Him and were shaken and terrified. But He immediately spoke with them and said, “Take courage! It is I (I Am)! Stop being afraid.”
Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased [as if exhausted by its own activity]; and they were completely overwhelmed, because they had not understood [the miracle of] the loaves [how it revealed the power and deity of Jesus]; but [in fact] their heart was hardened [being oblivious and indifferent to His amazing works]." (Mark 6:46-52; AMP)
Did you read that Jesus insisted that His disciples get into the boat while he retreated to the mountain to pray? Perhaps He already knew that a storm would be looming and it would be an opportune time to see how well they would fare this time round without Him in the boat. Earlier on in Mark 4:35-41 when the disciples encountered a storm, Jesus was sleeping in the stern of the boat before they woke Him up to calm the storm.
The storm was so severe that the disciples were straining at rowing. Straining as in 'tortured, in pain, torment'. Nevertheless, Jesus did not intervene then, and when he walked by on the water at the fourth watch, He would have walked passed them had they not cried out in terror, supposing Him to be a phantom. The disciples had seen many of Jesus' miracles, but they did not consider Jesus' deity and power in the light of their subsequent challenges.
"Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as [your fathers did] in the rebellion [of Israel at Meribah], on the day of testing in the wilderness," Hebrews 3:7-8 (AMP)
When the disciples could not cast out the boy with a mute spirit, his father brought him to Jesus. "Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.” Mark 9:23-24 (AMP)
Then, Jesus commanded the deaf and dumb spirit to come out of the boy for good.
To digress from the sermon, here is a refresher on faith. "Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." Hebrews 11:6 (AMP)
Back to the sermon. Jesus said: "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you." Mark 11:23-24 (AMP)
Even when Jarius' daughter had died while Jesus was on the way to heal her, Jesus told him, “Do not be afraid; only keep on believing [in Me and my power].” Mark 5:36b (AMP)
Abraham was fully convinced of God's ability. "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." Romans 4:20-22 (KJV)
As believers, let us remember to:-
"Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Psalm 103:1-2 (NKJV)
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