Do We Have True Faith?

SF.5.10.2013


Do we have true faith or are we only calling it faith when it is not?
Is my faith authentic? Is it original or is it fake, only a copy but not the real thing?
Many people desire goods that are authentic but there are so many good fake products out there.
The Lord desires our faith to be real.
God gives us the real thing.
He has given us the truth, but rather than take care of what was given to us, we have made it into something else.
The people around you may not know.
But who knows?
You know and so does God.
You act as if you believe, but do you truly believe in Jesus Christ?
Are you following in the Jesus that God has sent to us, or are you only pretending to do so as someone who carries around a fake product?
The person who carries around the authentic product is confident.
But the one who carries around a fake product, when you are alone you can pretend that you are confident, but when you are faced with someone who has the real product, you are not able to look them in the eye.
Why?
Because you know that you have a fake product.
What kind of faith do you have?
What kind of faith do you bring before God?
What kind of faith is it that you say you have as you confess to Him that you believe in Him and to say that this is the faith that was given to you that you cherish and maintain?
Where do you stand?
Do I truly believe Jesus according to the Word?
Do I see, hear and follow in the truth that the Spirit reveals in the Word?
Or do I do I what I want, going off slightly from the truth, following a Jesus that fulfills my demands, having a faith that is not real, as I live this life?
Where do you stand?
If you feel good today you sing hallelujah, you give thanks and say that you will follow.
But if you feel even the slightest bit unhappy, then you abandon Jesus as if He was useless.
Are you arguing, complaining and blaming God today?
Where do you stand?
What kind of Jesus do you want to believe?
Do you choose to believe in the Jesus that God has sent, or do you choose to believe in the Jesus that the world says is acceptable?
It clearly states that when you believe in Jesus that we will suffer, be persecuted and face trial and hardships but we do not want to believe in this Jesus.
We want to receive recognition from others.
We want others to know who we are.
We want others to praise us.
I too am the same.
We like that.
We do not like to be ignored, hated and unwanted.
But the Bible teaches us to not live this way.
We are told to turn the other cheek but do you offer your other cheek?
Do you offer it?
I do not.
Why?
Because I don’t want to.
When I am full of God’s grace then I do.
But when I distance myself from God, and not standing firm in the Word, and not praying, then when I am hit on my cheek then I want to go and hit the other person on both sides of their face.
Do we not have the heart that desires to hit the other person two or three times if we are hit once?
Then how can we come before God and say that this is what I did and confess that to Him?
Can we come to God in prayer and say that I was hit on my right cheek but failed to turn the other cheek.
We cry and repent.
But the moment we leave the house of God we do the same thing.
Is that repentance?
What kind of repentance is it, what kind of faith in Jesus do you have if you say you repent but the moment you are done praying you go out and the same thing you say that you have repented of?
You say you have confessed to God.
You say that the blood of Jesus has cleansed you, but does the blood of Jesus have such little power?
Is it that powerless?
Too many desire to be washed in such a kind of blood that has little value.
Jesus gave His life.
His life is more precious than all our lives.
He is the Son of God.
He is God.
What was He lacking that He would come to die for such wretched beings as us?
The blood of Jesus is priceless.
But to us that blood has little value.
We sin and then repent, and then sin and the repent again.
We keep washing ourselves with the blood again and again as if it was there for us because we are worthy to use it in any manner we please, whenever we think we need it.
This is how we are.

We assume that the blood of Jesus must wash us no matter what we may do.
No matter how evil we act.
If we assume that the blood of Jesus must wash us no matter how we act, then can the blood of Jesus truly have the power that it is supposed to have?
The blood of Jesus is not something that has little value.
That time during which God forsook His own Son Jesus on the cross, God was so frustrated that there was darkness over the whole earth.
Though we may not know that suffering we must at least try to understand.
Those of us that have children, when our children is a little sick, we get into a frenzy.
We could care less if someone else’s child is sick, but if our child is sick even the slightest, or someone says anything to correct them, or bothers them even in the slightest, it hurts us and we die on the inside.
Children, though you do not have children you have friends, siblings, those around you.
Siblings fight amongst themselves, but if someone outside the family fights with your sibling do you not get upset?
Doesn’t it bother you?
Do you feel good when your brother or sister gets scolded?
If you do then you are trash.
God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.
Jesus came to earth bearing the burden of the cross.
Are you going to believe in this Jesus or are you going to believe in a fake one that you have made to your liking?
God did not give us His Word for us to create Jesus to be who we desire Him to be, something close to the real thing but not, and then have the conviction to think that by saying we believe in Jesus we would go to Heaven.
Why would we need the Word if we are going to believe in any manner each of us chooses to believe?
Why would we need the Bible?
We go about speaking boldly though some of us have barely read the Bible and only know what we have heard about it.
Maybe I am missing something or not intelligent because the more I read the Bible the less I understand.
Why?
Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to comprehend or understand the depth of God with my own mind.
When I feel like I may understand a little and dig deeper then I am left without knowing again.
When I feel like I have realized something then in the next moment I realize I haven’t.
God is too deep. He is too great. He is beyond measure.
The ocean is far beyond our comprehension but God is even further reaching and deeper than that.
The universe is vast.
Too great for us to examine thoroughly.
We cannot know this universe in its fullness.
We live on this planet and even this place we do not know fully.
This planet though great in size is but a speck in the universe.
How we think that we can understand God who keeps, and cares for all the things of this universe?
Why do we become prideful and think that we can know Him?
We say if we cannot understand God then we will not believe in Him.
We say that because I do not understand Him I will not obey Him.
That is pride.
You cannot know God.
Because we cannot know God we are to obey His commands, but rather than obey His commands we make excuses saying that we must understand in order to obey.
I have said it many time before, to understand before you obey is not obedience.
When that is the case, because you have understood then it only becomes a something that you have to do because now you know it has to be done that way.
But I have talked to many people who have said that if they can only understand then they would believe.
To understand first and then believe is not faith.
That which you understand are things that you must do and have no choice but to do.
When we teach children do they obey them because they understand the reason the parent is telling them to do something?
Do children obey because they understand?
When they do not we say that they are rebelling, it is because they do not trust the parent and therefore do not obey.
How much faith do we have in God’s Word?
How obedient are we?
How obedient are we to Him in following Him?
Our children are not born to us by our own strength, they are gifts given to us by God.
But we desire to do with them what we will.
God is the creator of this entire universe.
He is the One who opens and closes the womb.
He is the One Who gives us life and places us here.
How can we understand Him?
How can we say that we will believe Him if we understand Him, that we will obey Him when we understand Him?
How can we continue to keep making up our own Jesus?
Please do not believe in a false Jesus that you have made.
Do not follow the fake Jesus.
Do not act like you are following truth.
Follow Jesus in truth.
I am not telling you to follow me.
I teach you to read the Bible everyday.
I am asking you to read the Bible and be led by the Spirit everyday.
Everyone receives grace that is special.
If you have been deceived by the devil and led by him thinking that you are following Jesus then you have been led astray.
Why do you listen to the devil?
Why do we heed the words of the demons?
It is because we find pleasure in what they say.
It is because what they say is the same as the thoughts I have.
The devil knows all too well the things that I like.
You refuse to follow the voice of God because you claim that the devil knows you better than God and he, the devil, gives you what you want.
So that you would go in the right path, God has put before you trials, sufferings, and hardships so that you may be trained up.
But you hate it.
You think it hurts.
But the devil throws bait at you.
Like he threw it at Eve.
She ate the fruit.
He deceives you by saying, ”You know you like it.”
“You can make money this way.”
“You will be known.”
“You will have the right to judge others.”
“You can do as you like”
“You can live your life comfortably doing what you want.”
“Isn’t it difficult following Jesus?”
“I am not saying don’t believe Him, I am just saying just believe Him enough.”
“Just enough, don’t overdo it.”
In your ears this sounds like truth.
Then you pray and ask God why is the devil tempting me?
God does not allow it. It is your heart that has been given over to those things.
Then when things are not good you blame God.
When things are comfortable and then suddenly you hit a bump you question why God never disciplined you to avoid the circumstance?
No matter how many countless times God calls you to listen you never listen.
You do not follow His voice.
You say with your mouth that you will obey, you will follow.
But you go the way you stubbornly decide, according to your will, in the manner you decide which is following a false Jesus.
Believe in the true Jesus.
Remove your thought and follow God’s will.
Think the thoughts of God.
Do it God’s way.
Believe in this way.
This is the true way.
Do not believe according to your emotions.
Do you say it is difficult to follow Jesus? Then do not follow Him.
It is better for you to leave than to pretend to follow Him.
Did you not have difficulties when you lived according to the ways of the world?
When you tried to live the way you wanted were you able to so?
If so, and you found that to be good, then go do that, do not follow Jesus.
You cannot go to Heaven if you are on the fence about Him.
I have met many people and before they met Jesus their lives were not good, and they had no joy or happiness.
But when they found Jesus they were filled with joy.
There are also those who blame Jesus for making their lives difficult.
God is not making your life difficult, but He is training you up that you may be ready for His kingdom, as His bride, His servant, and His child.
Where in life is there anything that you can do without being trained for it?
In your place of work, are you there without having been trained for it?
In business, if you are not trained to do it, then you will fail.
Doctors must get an education and pass the exams to be licensed.
You do not become a pianist without practicing.
A singer who does not give all to practicing their skill will never get to the place where they want.
We are foolish to think that without any effort we can stand in faith before God.
When it comes to the things of this world, we have heard many famous actors who have confessed to giving up so much in their lives to get to where they are now.
Famous vocal artists talk about giving up everything in life to do what they do.
But you, how will you have both this world and Jesus too?
An Olympic athlete gives up everything for a chance to win a gold medal.
What have you given up?
What have you given up that is so great that you complain to God about how difficult it is?
Is it easy to give up the things of this world to attain the position that these people have attained?
The things we speak make no sense.
Yet, we say we truly believe in Jesus?
I believe in Jesus.
I only have eyes for God.
I will obey.
Then the very next day you are living in disobedience and say that you are not happy with things.
You say that things don’t make sense.
This is how you follow the fake Jesus.
What you decide to think for yourself is not faith.
God is God.
You do not believe in something that you understand.
You are believing in God who created the entire universe.
Stop believing in the manner that you think is right.
Even today God has spoken to me and has said that He is searching all over the earth to find those whose heart is one with Him.
Though He searches He says there are very few.
Though He searches for those who are obedient to Him, He says that there are very few.
He says that many speak with their lips and say they do.
Many speak with their lips and say that they believe in Jesus.
He asks why did Sodom and Gomorrah perish?
He says because there was none righteous in that place.
When we face destruction do we not claim that we are righteous and it is because others that God has brought down His wrath?
If you and I were true believers and truly righteous what would be the outcome?
Do not look at others.
Do not say that that person needs to be a better believer.
I must be a true believer.
If you want to stand firm in the Word of God in obedience, then you must go through the trial by fire.
How did Abraham become the father of our faith?
What did he do?
Did he do nothing?
Did he do nothing?
Then why do you not obey?
How hard and difficult it was for him.
We have the Bible and have been given everything and yet do not believe.
During the time of Abraham, men did not know God.
To have heard the voice of God and to follow in obedience is what makes him the father of our faith.
He is great.
But we only focus on the mistakes made by Abraham.
We say,” Oh, if had only obeyed. If he had not have Ishmael.”
Yet we commit sins far more serious than that.
We have the Word and testimony of the death of Jesus that has been given to us for 2000 years.
And we still do not believe.
When he knew nothing of God, he heard the voice telling him that he would be led by Him.
Would you follow?
Think about it.
God tells you today to leave but do you obey?
God is calling us today as He has called Abraham.
Do you each follow in obedience?
You say it is difficult.
You cause a commotion.
You say foolish things like, ”I didn’t know following Jesus would be so difficult.”
Think about Abraham.
He was told to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
He was told to kill his son with his own hands.
We read that and it means nothing to us.
We get upset if someone says something we dislike to our own child.
He was not told to have someone else kill his son, but to offer his son as a sacrifice with his own hands.
Isaac was a young man and Abraham was old. Do you not think that Isaac could have overcome his father?
No matter how I think about it, Isaac could have overcome his father easily.
Are you obedient like Isaac?
Are you staying on the altar as a sacrifice?
Then miracles will happen.
Too many of you have the wrong idea because you see that God provided the ram as a sacrifice. You think that as soon as the test is over you can claim back what was once yours.
There are too many things that you do not understand correctly.
For example, you say that God wants you to offer up your house, and so you say Lord I give my house to you, and because you have said it you think that now you do not really have to give it to Him.
I am not telling you to offer up your homes.
This is only an example.
I am saying that this is the way that you believe.
If you say that you have offered God something then you are to give it to Him.
Isaac was dead.
Abraham had already killed Isaac.
Do not misunderstand this.
This is why Abraham became the father of our faith.
Due to his obedience, because he had given up his life in obedience, we see that Isaac was blessed, but we question, ”What did Isaac do to be blessed?”
He became a living sacrifice.
I too must be a living sacrifice.
Do not make for yourself a false Jesus and believe in that.
Believe in the true God and the one true Jesus.
Though it may be 99 percent authentic if even .01 percent is fake then it is a fake, is it not?
The fake and the authentic are now being made by the same company.
That is why much of the products are nearly the same.
They even have the same labels.
But if the company does not verify its authenticity, then it is a fake.
It is the same before God.
God wants true gold.
He does not want fake gold nor gold that is mixed with something else.
It must be 100 percent real gold.
God desires that you are true believers.
He desires that you truly believe in Jesus.
Do not be a false believer.
Confess with truth that Jesus is your Lord.
And do not say that it is difficult.
Living in this world is difficult.
Living in the Lord is much easier.
I pray that you will be victorious in faith.


Sermon by Pastor Joy Y. Lee
Translation by Miguel Park