Faith is Faithfulness Series #4
Pastor David T. Elms Preached on 2/18/2025
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49:39
Summary
Pastor David T. Elms explores the Hebrew roots of faith as active faithfulness ('amuna'), teaching that rather than seeking an increase in the amount of faith, believers must exercise the faith they already have through presence, forgiveness, and obedience.
Key points
- •Faith is not merely an intellectual concept but is rooted in the Hebrew word 'amuna,' which implies active faithfulness, reliability, and support.
- •The disciples' request for 'increased faith' was met with Jesus' teaching that faith is about quality and action, not quantity; even a mustard seed of faith is sufficient when exercised.
- •Jesus issues a stern warning against spiritual offenses, particularly toward 'little ones' or those young in the faith, emphasizing the gravity of leading others astray.
- •True faithfulness is expressed through the repetitive, difficult work of forgiveness, even up to seven times in a day.
- •Faith is a performative verb rather than a cognitive noun; it requires literal presence and human connection within the church community.
Scripture
Faithfulness
Forgiveness
Community
Church Life
Life application
This week, choose one difficult area of obedience - such as forgiving someone or showing up to serve - and act on it regardless of your feelings, trusting that small actions are the true measure of faith.
Reflection questions
- How does viewing faith as a verb (action) change the way you approach your daily spiritual walk compared to viewing it as a noun (belief)?
- In what areas of your life are you waiting for 'more faith' before you act, and how can you start acting with the faith you already have?
- What does 'protecting the little ones' look like in your specific church context or family?
- Why is physical presence in the community of believers more powerful than digital or 'virtual' connection?
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Full transcript
0:00matter of which one because you reach
0:00them one by one I'm inviting your
0:00attention to the Gospel of Luke and we
0:03are going to continue this series that I
0:06have felt like has just such been a
0:10critical understanding of what faith is
0:12and I hope it has served as a
0:15reorganizing of your thoughts with
0:18regard to how to think about faith I
0:21have really tried to dissect it in a
0:23manner that you have somehow Recon
0:26stituted your ideas on what you think
0:29faith is we cannot help the ideas that
0:32we have grown up in in the Western World
0:34a western Viewpoint of things and all of
0:37our thoughts are not biblical and what
0:40we have come to decide is that we're
0:42want to restructure our thinking not to
0:44be like our culture but be a brand new
0:47culture the culture of Jesus Christ and
0:50that's not easy that's the reason we
0:51start when children are young we start
0:53when your children are young I always
0:55love carrying my children during prayer
0:58because there's some things about
1:00serving God that you cannot explain you
1:02have to experience and by getting my
1:04children and carrying them every one of
1:06them of all four and I I'm I want to do
1:08it every chance I get with my grandkids
1:10is to just get them where I want to put
1:12them to sleep but I want them to go to
1:14sleep in the atmosphere of The Passion
1:17of Eternity when you get that
1:20understanding that this life is but a
1:22means to an end then you will saturate
1:25your atmosphere Fe with the realization
1:27that it is he that hath made us and not
1:30we ourselves we are his people and the
1:32Sheep of his pasture my wife likes
1:35trinkets around the house that remind
1:37people that this is a house of God you
1:39walk up to my house and she's got this
1:41fake Little Rock that's sitting by the
1:43front door on the left hand side it does
1:44not hide a key but you can try to find
1:46one there uh but it says he is my rock
1:50in other words everybody who's coming to
1:51this house we want you to know something
1:53about us we have a rock and it is a rock
1:56that is higher than we are it is a
1:59message to whomever may come we're not
2:02of the common uh texture of this culture
2:06I am a different kind of person I I have
2:09different responses than what this world
2:11might expect and that's why uh breaking
2:14down the teachings of Jesus helps
2:16reconstitute us in our approach for
2:19living for God so I hope you have your
2:21Bibles out I do want to read it again
2:23all that we're teaching uh and um going
2:26through today um then said this is Luke
2:29the 17th chapter the first verse and we
2:32shall read through uh how long my eyes
2:35work then said he unto his disciples it
2:38is
2:45impossible oh glory to
2:48God
2:51um I need one of you young men to come
2:54read the word of God for me right now
2:57all right uh here we
3:00go I think sister Gabby can come read it
3:03come on girl come on I I saw her and she
3:06looked so beautiful tonight I figured we
3:08got to get her some camera time sister
3:10Gabby step on up she thought Alex and
3:12was over and it's not over yet uh but
3:17Kimmy you have some compassion I
3:19appreciate
3:20that no I want her to read listen we got
3:22to get her some camera Time come on up
3:26no I'm not using glasses I want you to
3:28read get her a mic get her a mic come on
3:31Gabby listen it is this lxm class thinks
3:36they're over with but I'm already
3:37missing them so badly come on up we got
3:40the new first class with the new new
3:42addition new iteration last night and
3:44what a great new group this is but uh
3:47I'm I'm so missing H I see that you got
3:49a little tan is that is that is that tan
3:53did you get did you get spray tan was it
3:55spray tan
3:57no it wasn't spray tan okay listen it
4:00that works good I've tried it once
4:01before it's you could put it on but it
4:04gets stained around the edges of your
4:06airline if you're not careful okay
4:09listen this is going to be their
4:10favorite part of the whole service you
4:12realize that you don't know that these
4:14are the things I know I'm always in
4:16front of people and when they get
4:18someone like you as pleasant and as kind
4:20and as gentle as you are and watch how
4:23you read can you see do you know how to
4:25read
4:27do you need some glasses here let's try
4:30these on let's see what they look like
4:32on look at that girl come on look how
4:36Sassy she looks oh she doesn't want okay
4:39all right then I'll put them on Elvis
4:41has entered the
4:44building okay read 17 through uh 11 and
4:49read it fast because it's hard okay 1
4:53through 11 yes ma' did you hear the
4:54confidence with which she just spoke
4:56alexm
5:01Works she can't even read listen I have
5:04this effect on the Alex emers for some
5:06reason go ahead then he said unto his
5:08disciples it is impossible but that
5:11offense will come but woe unto him
5:14through whom they come it is it were
5:17better for him that a milestone were
5:19hanged about his neck and that he cast
5:22into the sea then that he should offend
5:24one of these little ones take heed to
5:27yourselves If thy brother trespass
5:29against thee rebuke him and if he repent
5:31forgive him and if he trespass against
5:34thee seven times in a day and seven
5:37times in a day turned again to thee
5:39saying I Repent though shalt forgive him
5:41and the apostles said unto the Lord
5:43increase your faith and the Lord said if
5:46ye had Faith as of a grain of a mustard
5:49sea ye might say unto thee this scamming
5:53tree thou the SI tree sore
5:58tree um be thou plucked up by the root
6:01and be thou planted in the sea and if it
6:03should obbey you but which of you having
6:05a great servant plowing or feeding
6:08cattle will say unto him by and by when
6:12feeding by and by when he is come from
6:15the fields go and sit down to meet and
6:19will not rather say unto him make ready
6:21wherewith I may up and guard thyself and
6:24serve me till I have eaten and drunken
6:27and afterward Thou shalt eat and drink
6:29do he than that servant because he did
6:32the things that were commanded by him I
6:34trout not so likewise ye and when ye
6:38shall have done all those things which
6:39are commanded you say we are
6:43unprofitable servants we have done that
6:45which was our duty to do fantastic
6:49you're a good girl oh my goodness she's
6:53traumatized please get her counseling
6:54after church
6:56and I don't think I need all these those
6:59are mine oh thank you very much you see
7:02I can impress people with them right
7:05there are youall ready to word for the
7:07word of God y'all I'm GNA have fun until
7:12the day I die my dad few hours before he
7:16died looked up to the grandkids this are
7:19literally hours before he died looks to
7:21his grandkids after my wife my wife is
7:24my mom is crying and kissing him and all
7:26that he looks up and points at her said
7:28she's trying to kiss
7:32me the joy of the Lord is my strength
7:38the joy of the Lord is my strength the
7:43joy of the Lord is my strength the joy
7:49of the Lord is my
7:52strength the devil doesn't like it h ha
7:57ha the devil doesn't like it
8:02ha the devil doesn't like
8:07it the joy of the Lord is my I have some
8:13family that watches me preach okay and I
8:16received in my mail this week a card
8:19from my cousin and in that card from my
8:23cousin was a hard PL itic like a
8:26driver's license covered permanent song
8:35request can you believe it and I don't
8:38even hit all the notes
8:40right you're not stopping my
8:45joy we are going through this of
8:48faithfulness is Faith series and I hope
8:51to make sure that um it is uh impacting
8:55on your mind we started out the first
8:58lesson this is our fourth one tonight uh
9:01but our first lesson was an introduction
9:03to faithfulness being faith and we went
9:05through and talked about the Hebrew word
9:08amuna amuna which is you like the way I
9:12speak my Hebrew
9:14imuna it literally is the Hebrew word
9:18that's translated faith in the Bible as
9:21it transferred to Greek the word pisti
9:26came along p i s t s and that was the
9:30Greek edition of the word for Faith but
9:34they had because of their culture two
9:37different expressions and this word uh
9:42imuna translated faith in our English
9:45editions carries a richness and a depth
9:49that transcends our modern cultures
9:53Western understanding of faith
9:56that word for faith means to support to
10:00confirm to be firm it carries tones of
10:05steadfastness
10:06reliability and
10:09trustworthiness that word for faith has
10:12this word picture in mind if you've ever
10:15been camping and you had to put a tent
10:18up and you were going to camp in that
10:20tent are you going to stay in that tent
10:22during the night every tent comes with
10:25different kind of spikes or pegs that
10:28you put into the ground and depending on
10:31the kind of place where you're staying
10:33will determine what kind of winds blow
10:36in that tent if you have put a tent up
10:40uh haphazardly and you have not done it
10:42in with thoughtfulness and preparation a
10:45wind could come during the night that
10:47could take your tent away but if you
10:50have been watchful and thoughtful in
10:52putting that tent up you make sure that
10:55your tegs or your spikes or your
10:58whatever you want to call them are put
11:00into firm ground so that no matter what
11:02the wind is that blows that that tent
11:06will be held the Hebrew word for faith
11:10is like a tent Peg that is able to hold
11:15a tent in a storm it is not merely a
11:20mental word it is not a passive belief
11:23in the Unseen but it is an active lived
11:28reality a reality that manifests loyalty
11:33to those that are around it it also
11:36demonstrates Itself by
11:38obedience and this Hebrew addition of
11:42faith is something that is always
11:45attached to action it is the same word
11:49that the Bible tells us about for all of
11:52my Bible readers here when Moses was
11:55praying over the children of Israel and
11:58they had been attacked from behind by
12:01amalec and as long as his hands were in
12:04the air the Israelites were winning the
12:07battle but when weariness came and he
12:10couldn't hold his arms up we're talking
12:12about an 80y old man his arms would come
12:16down for weakness when his arms came
12:19down the battle would be lost as soon as
12:23Aaron and her saw the impact of his
12:27raised hands Aaron and her went and got
12:30on either side of Moses and they lifted
12:33his hands up and as long as they stood
12:36there with his hands lifted Israel would
12:40win the battle the support that Aaron
12:43and her provided Moses is the very word
12:48faith that the Bible speaks of in that
12:52Old Testament it's not just saying I see
12:55what what happening I know God is good
12:57no it's my actions are attached to the
13:01victory therefore I will not stand by
13:05and watch a man stand alone I'm going to
13:09step up and give action for the cause of
13:14the victory it is the same word that has
13:16been translated to the New Testament
13:18from the book of habc 2 verse4 where it
13:22says the righteous shall live or the
13:25just shall live by faith that word faith
13:29there is literally amuna which is that
13:33action faith it is the just shall live
13:37by actions of
13:39reliability actions of
13:41dependability actions of seeing the
13:44battle and not just observing it but
13:47stepping into the battle and the Grecian
13:51philosophers came along and this is what
13:53happened to the church this is why as a
13:55church we are known as Apostolic now
13:57that's not a word that is exclusively
14:00used by US so you need to be very
14:02careful and aware of who you're talking
14:04with when you say I'm Apostolic because
14:07the Catholics say they're Apostolic
14:10too when you say you're Apostolic it is
14:13not some franchise that's owned by the
14:15Pentecostal group when you say you're
14:18Apostolic it doesn't mean you're some
14:20radical addition of the upci when you
14:23say you're Apostolic it doesn't mean
14:25you're the the only one that has a
14:26franchise on that doors to heaven when
14:29you say you're Apostolic what it means
14:31is what this Bible says not what's
14:34preached at youth congress what this
14:36Bible says not what's preached at
14:37General Conference what this Bible says
14:40not what's preached at camp meeting and
14:42yes we do all kinds of making sure that
14:44what's preached at our events are Bible
14:47but there can become this all idea of
14:51what Apostolic supposed to be that is
14:53not a fixed to the Bible but it's a fix
14:56to some pseudo peer pressure that's put
14:59on by the people groups in a
15:03movement and I know it because I've been
15:05around it my whole life I know what I'm
15:08talking about and I understand the
15:11danger of both sides and that's the
15:15reason as you grow in the ways of God
15:17you better know your Bible not what
15:20somebody says about the Bible but what
15:23does the Bible say
15:26say what does the Bible
15:29say I know I'm chasing a rabbit right
15:32now but I feel compelled to for many
15:35years in this Movement we preached
15:36against facial hair on men we believe
15:39that if a man had facial hair it was a
15:41sign of rebellion this sort of come in
15:43our church group around the 50s and the
15:4660s because that was the era of a lot of
15:49L hair hippie thinking and I remember
15:53for many years as Pastor in this church
15:55church I ask for men to be clean shaven
15:58it's not just me that ask that so does
16:01the New York
16:05Yankees it's not just me that felt that
16:08way so did
16:10Disneyland you could not work for
16:12Disneyland and have facial hair this was
16:15a part of our American culture okay and
16:19because of it churches and Men I
16:22respected and admired had a press
16:25towards if this is a sign of rebellion
16:28we don't want rebellion in this
16:30house but times change God doesn't
16:35change Jesus still had a beard when we
16:38wouldn't let him on our
16:41platform and anybody who tells you I'm
16:43wrong they're
16:46lying I know my Bible and I'll deal with
16:51him they plucked his beard and I've
16:54heard some
16:55Apostolic so
16:57ridiculous it's not even intellectually
17:00honest say it was a one day's growth
17:03that they plucked from his
17:06faith I want to know something I'm about
17:08to use a word are all the kids out
17:10they're
17:11not I wanted to use the St
17:15word that's
17:19that it's for
17:23dummies what other word I describe it's
17:27ignorant it doesn't even stand the test
17:30of any kind of
17:32scrutiny yet I know people very close to
17:35me that literally sent me articles
17:38thinking that because we had facial hair
17:41coming in our church that I was
17:44backsliding well God bless you
17:47sir I'll see you at the Judgment
17:51seat because you're adding to the Bible
17:54what is not in the Bible and you will be
17:57judged for that my hands are off May the
18:00mercy of God be upon you but as we go
18:04into this world of chaos where the
18:06information age is overwhelming us and
18:09people are checking what you say and
18:12checking if you're telling the truth and
18:14years ago the smartest person in town
18:16was the preacher nowadays we got to the
18:18place where everybody's checking snoops
18:20and snoops comes with an agenda ladies
18:23and gentlemen but I know some people
18:25that have told stories to bring a
18:27response that were built on a lie and
18:30when I found out later were later on
18:32that it was built on mistruth or untruth
18:36then it discredited that individual to
18:38me and I wondered are you trying to
18:40manipulate me because I was called to be
18:44intelligent I did not check my brain
18:46into the door when I came into church I
18:48want to live in the truth I want to
18:50abide in the truth and all I want is
18:52truth and I love the truth and the Bible
18:55said if you don't receive a love for the
18:57truth that the Lord will send you strong
19:00delusion some people that's just thinks
19:02that's a truth of of of a certain side
19:05no truth is
19:07truth it's not the truth of the 20s and
19:10the truth of the 40s and the truth of
19:12the 90s and the truth of the 2020s truth
19:15is truth and because they receive not a
19:19love for the truth who sent them strong
19:22delusion you know your Bibles your Bible
19:25people know you know what I'm saying who
19:27sent them a strong
19:28delusion the Lord sent them a strong
19:31delusion and you know how many times
19:32I've heard people say God told
19:35me God did tell them but because they
19:38wanted it their way be it right or left
19:41because they wanted it their way God
19:43said I hear you you won't walk in truth
19:47because you think you've got a certain
19:49scale system whereby you measure into my
19:53body and I've come to tell you whether
19:55it's low or high if it's not God's
19:58measuring system then who are
20:01we I want faithfulness in my life that
20:05means faithfulness in prayer
20:07faithfulness in assessing my thinking
20:10faithfulness in assessing am I being
20:12honest faithfulness and assessing who am
20:14I walking
20:18with and so that's why we continually
20:21look and behold oursel as in a mirror
20:25and see Lord how am I walking today am I
20:28am I walking honest with you am I
20:30walking in Integrity the Lord is not
20:32going to make a deal with sin God said
20:36sin will never enter there you may call
20:39your sin just this or that but if God
20:41calls it a sin it's not going to heaven
20:44and that's why continually as a church
20:46we've got to assess our assessment or or
20:49a judgment of the truth and when you
20:51look at this uh process of being
20:54Apostolic the problem with this
20:56continuing Revelation Doctrine that's
20:59out there that says well the Lord has
21:02added to the Bible since it was written
21:05and these new adjustments we have
21:07adopted these are why people baptized by
21:11sprinkling now instead of baptism by
21:14immersion because supposedly years later
21:17a new revelation came along that said
21:19it's okay to be baptized by sprinkling
21:22it was never modeled in the New
21:24Testament and I'll never sanction it I
21:26hope those that are sprinkled go to
21:28heaven I really do I I don't have a
21:31spirit to saywell if you got sprinkled
21:33bust hell wide open hogwash with all of
21:36you that feel that way but I want to say
21:39in this day I've only got the authority
21:41to preach what the word of God
21:44says therefore if we baptize we're going
21:46to baptize him all the way under and
21:49guess how else we're going to baptize
21:50them not in the titles father Son and
21:52Holy Ghost we're going to do it EXA
21:54exactly the way it was modeled in the
21:57Bible we baptize in the name of Jesus
21:59Christ for the remission of your sins
22:02and ye shall there's an expectation
22:06that's on everybody who comes to serve
22:08the Lord that you will speak with
22:10tongues not you might get around to it
22:13not someday somewhere in the Far Far
22:15Future you're going to get it no blessed
22:16are they that do hunger and thirst after
22:20right doing rightdoing is getting filled
22:23with the Holy Ghost
22:25and so uh But as time moved from the
22:28faith understanding of the Bible day
22:31Grecian philosophers started being saved
22:34and getting the church and people who
22:36had background in Gentile discoveries
22:38and learning got in the church well
22:40after a while they begin to filter and
22:43flood the thinking of what faith is with
22:45this philosophy that was established
22:48long before Jesus ever got here
22:50faithfulness from a Grecian point of
22:52view was spoken of by Plato and
22:55Aristotle and it more or less meant pce
22:58meant abstract reasoning or intellectual
23:01contemplation or thought over deed and
23:04this was the way the Greeks imagined
23:06life they thought maybe there was even
23:08two realities there was the high reality
23:10of standing at the Aurora and they're
23:13discussing the high sounding words of
23:16men's wisdom but when the Sun set down
23:18there was a more beastial part of them
23:20that they sanctioned and that's the
23:22reason Greek Greece fell and that's the
23:24reason Rome fell because they had these
23:26two realities there was who they were in
23:28the day and then there was who they were
23:30in the dark and God said no no there is
23:32no dark you are children of the day and
23:35not of the night you are the light of
23:37the world if it's dark outside you're
23:38still light if it's light outside you're
23:41still like you don't have two
23:44realities that's good
23:48preaching but what happened was that the
23:50church adopted these a Grecian
23:53philosophies and their are permeated
23:55when you follow church history this is
23:57what happened later on 10020 years after
24:01the apostles had lived they begin to
24:03imagine that faith is not faithfulness
24:06but faith is thought it's an abstract
24:09intellectual contemplation Faith ceased
24:12being performative and it started being
24:15cognitive it became more about accepting
24:19ideas than having actions and this is
24:22where we get this flawed idea have you
24:24accepted the Lord as your personal
24:27savior that is not the question has he
24:30accepted you that's right I don't care
24:33how much you've accepted somebody just
24:36because you've accepted me doesn't mean
24:38I've accepted you who is the high spot
24:41here I want to do what pleases the lord
24:44it's not about him pleasing me and
24:46that's how things get turned upside down
24:49how can he please me you got to get
24:51adjusted to what I like God you got to
24:54look what I like to be like and how I
24:56like to talk you got to get used to the
24:58fact that I like to say this cuss word
25:01and get used to it because it's just
25:02doesn't mean what all these people say
25:04it means and so you start saying well I
25:07get this and I get that and all of a
25:09sudden it's like you think it's up to
25:11God you accepting God no no
25:14no it's not about you accepting God
25:19faithfulness is Faith right by the time
25:23the church fathers Augustine and the
25:26fourth and fifth centuries Common Era
25:28Faith was increasingly just mental
25:32assent toward God rather than an earthy
25:36action oriented response to the presence
25:41of the
25:42Lord and the Hebrew Bible and the Bible
25:46mind and the Hebrew mind sees faith is a
25:50verb a doing a Greek mind mind a secular
25:55mind a changed from the original thought
25:59process mind reframes Faith as a noun
26:04it's a belief it's a thought process
26:08it's a project of aent and the gravity
26:12of the word shifted to where faith
26:16became a philosophy that was debated or
26:20contemplated and the faith that was once
26:23delivered to the Saints that Jude talked
26:25about he said
26:28earnestly contend oh Lord help us listen
26:32you know I'm not a preacher that likes
26:34War I am not a preacher that wants to
26:36stir up fussing I don't create false
26:38narratives of the devils in the house to
26:40get you worshiping if you want me to
26:42tell you I saw the devil over here to
26:45get you worshiping it will
26:47work it will work I feel like two demons
26:51just walked in this house all of a
26:53sudden every one of you ready to go
26:55aren't you
26:58Hallelujah and I know some pastors that
27:01use that and maybe they do see two
27:04demons but
27:05listen in South
27:09Florida demons come to every
27:13service it's not special that two demons
27:16just walked in the door so you're here
27:19you're
27:21late we thought you would be here
27:23earlier but you're not high enough to
27:26get attention because I'm not even
27:28started praising the Lord like he ought
27:30to be
27:32praised see the most powerful praise is
27:35not a praise of War but it's a praise of
27:38love and
27:41affection oh I Sing Because I'm happy I
27:45sing because I I'm free His Eye Is on
27:48the Sparrow and I
27:51know I know I know he's watching me so I
27:56have to sing I have to play I have to
27:59worship I have to thank him I have to
28:03love because he
28:05[Applause]
28:08loves earnestly Jude said contend for
28:13the
28:14faithfulness that was once delivered to
28:17the Saints the Bible Faith belongs to
28:20the dusty roads of living in Covenant
28:23with the Lord so that was our
28:24introduction I spent 25 minutes on our
28:29introduction I'm I don't know that I'm
28:34sorry the second one is the
28:37millstone the Lord has no patience or
28:42Mercy for those that will hurt the
28:43little ones and that's not just little
28:47ones like sister Roa is holding right
28:51now she is just all she's had that baby
28:54dancing and
28:56shouting that baby was walking on the
28:58backs of the Pew
29:00chairs he's already a
29:03worshipper little ones has to do with
29:05people young in the Lord our church is
29:08full of them on Sunday
29:09morning but they're coming they're
29:11coming some I wish would come faster but
29:14they're coming we have some that are
29:16slowly backsliding but you know what I
29:18look at them I look at them and I know
29:19they're slowly backsliding and they know
29:21they're slowly backsliding I wish I
29:23could tell them you and I both know
29:25you're slowly backsliding but you know
29:27what I'm going to do we're going to open
29:28the doors of the house and know that one
29:30day God's going to speak to them and
29:32that heart that they have so shaken is
29:35going to wake up and they're going to
29:37say you can take this whole world but
29:39give me
29:41Jesus come back what hell thought would
29:44do to me I can't let it happen it's not
29:47going any further than
29:51this so you've got to be gentle with the
29:54young woe Jesus said to the one woe be
29:57unto the one by whom one of these little
29:59ones is hurt it would be better for you
30:03and I've preached enough on that if you
30:05had a cord tied around your neck and a
30:07millstone attached to it and you were
30:09thrown over the side of a boat by a rope
30:12on your neck and you pull to the Bottom
30:14of the Sea that's your best
30:17option that's your bonus option that's
30:21your winning the lottery option that's
30:24your cruise booat option that's your
30:28trip to the spa option that's your
30:31Thanksgiving dinner option your best
30:35option is if you had a rope tied around
30:37your neck that's why our church is
30:39always going to love those that seem
30:41unlovable we're always going to reach
30:43those who hell has written off and
30:46Heaven is still reaching for we're never
30:48going to stop call us what you may but
30:52I'm going to always reach knowing god is
30:58greater Hallelujah the third lesson was
31:01forgiveness may have been the hardest
31:03one thus far both personal forgiveness
31:06and sacred forgiveness and it's a
31:07command we all Traverse both the
31:10tranquilities of life and the
31:12tempestuous times of life and the Lord
31:15said it doesn't matter if you're in the
31:16middle of a storm or in the middle of
31:18Tranquility you've got to forgive and
31:21forgiveness that he asked for has steal
31:23and it has strength in it and do you
31:26notice that the fruit of the spirit does
31:27not include forgiveness the fruit of the
31:30spirit as I closed my message last time
31:32is the pics and the shovels of how to
31:35forgive Joy love peace patience kindness
31:40goodness faithfulness gentleness
31:43self-control but the hijacking and I've
31:45got to finish this message in 10 minutes
31:47okay I'm going to do it the hijacking of
31:50Faith's action has introduced greater
31:53devastation upon the church than the
31:55fiercest enemies ever could when
31:57faithfulness is reduced to hollow
31:59rituals and shallow sentiments the power
32:03of faith is drained away no demonic army
32:07or Wicked ideology can do what the
32:10erosion of faithfulness has done to the
32:14church this is the engine of the church
32:17it is the power of the church is the
32:19Practical glory of the church not that
32:22we can speak great words words but that
32:25we have great
32:27actions the disciples asked the Lord
32:30Lord increase our faith and it was a
32:33Biblical Instinct for them to ask the
32:36Lord to do so he has just instructed to
32:39them that they are to forgive seven
32:41times on the same day and it was
32:44overwhelming to them this forgiveness
32:46demanded something that seemed
32:48superhuman to them it was an action they
32:51could not imagine and so the disciples
32:54prayed the prayer that I desperately
32:56have prayed throughout my life Lord I
33:00need
33:02more and Jesus shocks us all when he
33:07said you don't need
33:09more you've got
33:12enough just act with the size of a
33:16mustard seed and you will have the
33:19result of being able to say to the
33:20sycamore tree be thou removed and
33:24planted in the sea and it would be done
33:27the Greek word for increase here
33:30increase our faith means to add to
33:33something which already exists they were
33:37saying whatever I have I acknowledge but
33:40I need more of it to do what you're
33:43expecting it was a
33:45quantitative understanding of Faith Lord
33:48if I had Sunday morning Faith then my
33:51Tuesday nights would not be so slow and
33:54the Lord was saying no all you need is
33:58Friday night kind of Faith you don't
34:00even need church service night kind of
34:03Faith you don't need conference Faith or
34:06youth congress Faith or
34:08youth you don't need choir singing faith
34:12and praise sing Faith you don't need
34:14prayer meeting Faith you need faith when
34:17you think you have all you need is what
34:19you've got you've got enough just act on
34:23what you
34:26he uses the smallness of a mustard seed
34:29and this smallness was the essence of
34:31what he was saying it was so small that
34:34a mustard seed could be lost in the
34:36creases of the callous Carpenter's hand
34:40you wouldn't even find it because it
34:41stuck down somewhere amidst the hardness
34:45of the hand but he said that's all you
34:47need because what you have is enough he
34:51said if you have that you can root out a
34:54sycamore tree in other words nothing is
34:58impossible for you if you'll just act on
35:02what you got you don't need an increase
35:04of Faith you need an exercise of Faith
35:08you don't need the attitude of Faith you
35:10need the action of faith it doesn't
35:12matter how you feel it's are you acting
35:16it out faith is not an amount it is an
35:19action so Point number one the crushing
35:22weight of the Divine
35:24expectation is these rugged fishermen
35:27are shaken they are asked to forgive
35:30seven times on the same day that sounds
35:36unacceptable and yet Jesus stares them
35:38down and says that is my command and
35:42they said it's too much for us he said
35:45no what you have seems small it might be
35:51lost it might seem like you need more
35:54but the swelling of your faith is not
35:56what you need you just need not quantity
36:01but action no matter how small you think
36:05your thought of loving God is act on
36:09that little small thought that
36:13faithfulness commands the Sycamore
36:16Israel had regulations that prohibited
36:19planting sycamores within 50 Cubit feet
36:23or cubits of a neighbor's sstn these
36:26were regulations passed by the rulem
36:29makers the sages of Israel you could not
36:32plant a sycamore within 50 cubits of a
36:35neighbor's sister because the root
36:37system was so robust that it was going
36:40to go down and out and it would travel
36:43and break through concretes and cements
36:47and rocks to make sure it established
36:51its presence and the Lord picked the
36:53most rooted tree he could say and he
36:55said all you need is a little faith and
36:57you can say to that sycamore tree even
37:00if you say to this sycamore tree be
37:03uprooted and planted in the sea it would
37:07obey you I have a sneaking suspicion
37:11that the Lord was giving us a peak into
37:13the future when we will command and
37:15judge Nations when all the universe will
37:18be ours to police and to guide when all
37:21the planets and all the unknown
37:23universes in the far away galaxies are
37:27given to us each one and I believe we
37:30will be able to let me speak in my Folly
37:34I believe we'll be able to on that day
37:36say I want a tree there and the tree
37:39will move over
37:45there I believe it you need to come see
37:48my
37:51Galaxy so the second the the third point
37:54is that it's called
37:56action not an attitude sister Elms
38:00come disciples needed the exercise of
38:03faith not size but
38:04action not the semblance and posture of
38:08ownership but the
38:10Walk of Faith doesn't matter what you
38:14think doubt may be swirling all through
38:16your brain if you step in faith step
38:21that's all that matters you may have
38:24fears haunting you like dogs on a trail
38:28but it doesn't matter you
38:31step the faith that was once delivered
38:34to the Saints
38:36earnestly contend for it faith is not an
38:40idle treasure to be
38:42held or an attitude of
38:45admiration faith is a
38:48force an electrical current if you will
38:52that touches what we touch and goes
38:56where we go to forgive without limit
38:59just means action even when you don't
39:02feel it it's action we're not called to
39:06beg for
39:07increase but exercise the act of
39:13faithfulness I started by telling you
39:15why I love all of you precious people
39:18that come on a Tuesday
39:20night did y all see the sky tonight
39:24I know they're having major cold up
39:26north you know why I know because I read
39:30about
39:33it I've Got Friends that called me and
39:37literally want to take me to play a very
39:40night nice golf golf course next
39:44Wednesday and I agreed to let him so
39:48I'll be playing in Dural next
39:51Wednesday my ball may go all kinds of
39:55places but because of this friend who's
39:59caught in global
40:05warming
40:07not I believe in climate change I'm not
40:10going to chase that road he is caught in
40:12this cold he said David I got to get out
40:15this is
40:18horrible it's miserable
40:21[Music]
40:23and I said
40:26well it's 79 here
40:33today but if you looked in the sky on
40:35the way to church it looked like we were
40:36about to have the biggest hurricane in
40:37all the
40:38world that dark heavy low Cloud told
40:44every one of you it's to dangerous to go
40:49to church tonight
40:56and I was alone at this church and I
40:59looked at this those clouds but you know
41:00what I told them I said there's a City
41:03full of people that are saying to you
41:07you can't stop
41:10me I will not
41:12stay away from the
41:16practice of the people of
41:19God you plowed through the weather and
41:22you push through the traffic to get here
41:25and when we sang tonight I heard you
41:28sing I saw you praise it was not
41:32virtual it was
41:34literal the very essence of
41:37relationship demands
41:40presence the church is not here to
41:44transmit data or to share
41:50pixels it's here for profound
41:54communion no digital screen can replace
41:58the warmth of the presence of God with
42:02the people of
42:04God the sacred dance that you saw in
42:07this
42:08place
42:11no screen can take away from that human
42:16connection that is Holy the hugs that
42:19are going to have happen at the church
42:21and the touch and the smile smileing
42:24eyes which are not just
42:26interactions they are holy
42:28experiences literal nourishment for the
42:32soul you will never teach a child to
42:35swim by showing them videos of
42:40water they
42:41must get in the
42:44water they must feel the
42:48flow they must know how to interact
42:52breathing above
42:54above and
42:56below holding it in breathing and
43:00catching it going back under until
43:03they're just as Brave underneath the
43:06surface as they are on top of the
43:09surface because they've understood the
43:12feel and so it is with
43:15church you got to get in it you got to
43:19feel it you got to feel the Breath of
43:22God and breathe in the the presence of
43:25God back to the practice of
43:29faithfulness you got to see people
43:31worship on a regular day give offerings
43:35in the middle of their grind and
43:38loss they share glances with one another
43:41at church in the midst of hardship they
43:44offer Comfort my banker today I was
43:46making the church deposit and I have a
43:49sweet Banker that's always waited on me
43:52and sister Pam knows her very well and
43:55uh I've been missing her just because of
43:57the way it's been going so I I got there
43:59and she was there today but I had a
44:00different tell her but uh she walked up
44:03and gave me a hug she says Miss Pam
44:06that's who you are you know that you
44:08must be a celebrity over there something
44:10Miss Pam told me that your dad went she
44:15gave me a big
44:16hug I said Thank You
44:20Chrissy and when I was about to leave a
44:22man asked her how her day was going and
44:24I overheard her say well I lost a family
44:27member this past week it was a tough
44:30week and I sat there and I thought you
44:34walked up and gave me a
44:36hug because I've lost somebody and I
44:40accepted it not knowing that you just
44:44lost somebody this weekend that's what
44:46the church is all
44:48about people in the middle of
44:51trauma come and give other people a hug
44:55of
44:56affection people whose children are in a
45:00mess come and love other people's
45:03children because that's the
45:06practice of the presence of
45:11God
45:13my phone failed me last
45:18night
45:20because my children are no longer living
45:23in my
45:25house my
45:28Vienna and my
45:31River have relocated to their Home in
45:33Carl
45:35Springs and uh River come up here Bubby
45:40come up here so I was missing him last
45:44night I got
45:46video of my
45:49grandson playing football with a bunch
45:52of boys is twice his
45:56size he wasn't
45:59afraid that's his daddy's
46:02boy your daddy wasn't
46:05afraid you're not afraid are
46:08you I saw that and I just
46:11atch it's been too long since I rode the
46:14snow train with him it's been too long
46:17since I read Little House on the Prairie
46:19to
46:19him so I tried to call their house
46:24not normal calling
46:28FaceTime you know
46:33that that doesn't go to an answer
46:36machine I love it it just rings and
46:37rings and rings and rings and Rings till
46:39the
46:41[Music]
46:43depressing I called your mommy last
46:47night she didn't
46:50answer I called your daddy last night
46:54and he didn't
46:55answer and pop
46:58pop didn't get to see
47:05you virtual
47:08love doesn't
47:10work virtual
47:13Church doesn't
47:15work virtual
47:17marriages do not work they're good
47:21tools of affection if I could have seen
47:23him last night his dad would be in less
47:25trouble than he is right
47:28now your dad's not in
47:33trouble but after church I don't know if
47:35I'll get to see them because they play
47:37so hard you were probably already asleep
47:39when I called last night did you go to
47:42bed early last night
47:45no how late did you stay up
47:507:30 he stayed up late
47:56y'all don't know what I need right here
47:58and all of you guys know exactly what
47:59I'm talking about if you don't the
48:01Lord's going to bless you to know this
48:04is just holy this isn't neat it's
48:07holy it's wonderful hell hates it hell
48:11wants there to be a severance between
48:13you and your love he wants to tear it
48:15apart but you know what this is why we
48:18have joy University this why we have
48:21church this is why what is about to
48:23happen after church when these kids come
48:25up here and make way too much
48:27noise and you wonderful parents are
48:29going to keep them
48:31calm and keep them off the platform
48:33aren't you
48:36yes because you're going to do that it's
48:38all
48:40beautiful to me and it's even more
48:43beautiful to the one who said if you
48:45hurt one of these little
48:47ones
48:50trouble give me a kiss but
48:53[Music]
48:56go back go hug Melly she's jealous hug
48:59Melly she's
49:01jealous very very
49:04jealous shall we all Stand
49:07Together
49:10faithfulness love the people God
49:12assigned to you love them for
49:16eternity love them for
49:19time and you will
49:21fulfill the law of Christ Christ I think
49:24it'd be a good time to pray a little bit
49:25don't you I think that's the perfect
49:27introduction for a little time of prayer
49:30let's find a little spot in his presence
49:32to hang around and and just love him a
49:34little while right now