Last week we spent some time looking at what it means to grow in faith and its importance to growing in any season. Its part of the principles Peter shared as a charge to the church that is applicable today.
This week, we want to continue where we stopped by moving into some other examples of faith and how it influenced the actions of ordinary people. We will also explore the concept of the authority of faith and its influences.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18 KJV)
There was a man sitting by the road, and he was blind. He didn’t even understand what was going on. He said to the person beside him “Let me know when Jesus passed.” And Jesus came on the scene. No one told him that Jesus was there, but he heard what was going on and he could discern that Jesus was passing by.
I want you to understand, that because of what he was anticipating to happen, he recognized when Jesus was in his presence. And he was saying, “Let me know when Jesus was near to where I am.” And the man said that when he recognized that Jesus was there, he started to cry out. He did not wait for somebody to cry out for him. When Jesus was near he said, “Son of David, have mercy upon me,” and the person beside him said “Shut up your mouth because you’re disturbing what is happening,” and the blind man started to shout even louder, “Son of David, have mercy upon me.” That sound stopped Jesus in his tracks. He recognized that something needed to happen at that space. He recognized that Bartimaeus was pulling on him strong. He recognized that there was, a grace that was pulling him to stop. It was so unusual.
Jesus said to Bartimaeus, “Son of man, what do you want from me?” And Bartimaeus said, “I want to see.” Bartimaeus’s request was not a physical request. Yes he wanted to see in the physical. He also wanted to see spiritually. He wanted a transformation in his life. He wanted access to something that will enable him to worship at a different level. He wanted something to be unlocked because that grace that he needed to move forward was missing. And he was saying, “God, give me access to that grace so that I can move to the next level.” He is saying, “I want independence from people.” He is saying, “I want independence from begging.” He said, “I want to contribute to a productive society.” I want to make a meaningful contribution. I want to ensure that my time here is not spent by the wayside begging. He is saying I want to move at a different level. He is saying I want to ensure that I understand your power at a different level. He is saying, “God, show the people that my heart’s cry is not unusual or a weird request.” He is saying, “God, ensure that I not only see but live,” and Jesus’s response to Bartimaeus was that your faith, your faith, has made you whole. So that’s an important bit of growing in your faith. When you grow in your faith, things will happen, things will change. When you grow in your faith, your anticipation of God’s power is not the same. It is very unusual. It is not a normal anticipation.
Let me tell you about a man, a centurion. The centurion had an unusual request of Jesus. He saw Jesus by the road, and he said, “Jesus, I need you to come and visit my house. My servant is sick.” And Jesus was ready to honour the request, and while he was waiting, and the centurion said, “But Master, I don’t think you’re worthy to come to my home. But I am a man of authority. If I say to this man go, he goes.” And he said, “I only want you to speak the word, and it will happen.” And Jesus said, “I have never seen this level of faith before.” And “It is done.” And that was what Jesus said. The very hour Jesus spoke that word, things changed. Why do you think that happened? It happened because of the man’s faith. He understood the authority of faith. The authority of faith is very different. It is not an unusual authority. It is a spiritual authority, the authority of faith. You just need the word to be spoken in authority, and it happened. When you see the authority of faith being demonstrated, you see things change.
I want to give you another example of a man who had an insanity problem. In our Jamaican context, he was a madman. He walked around in the tombs naked. So when you see this man, you recognize he is really mad. Not in a normal way. A very unusual man. And when Jesus gave the utterance, “Come out in Jesus’ name.” And that was what Jesus said to the man. But he recognized a very unusual spirit of insanity, very stubborn. Start to start to negotiate with Jesus. Start to ask questions. But Jesus looked at the man and recognized that you needed a different level of authority to overcome this spirit.
When Jesus spoke to the man, he asked the man, “What is your name?” The power of the name, the reputation, your identity is what gives you that level of authority to speak and to move by faith. You are representing a king and a kingdom not made by human hands. You’re walking in spaces representing the king. You’re an ambassador. Your identity ensures that you’re on official business for the king. When you step in spaces, places, and in communities, you’re walking with the authority of faith that as you step, you’re claiming it for the kingdom of God. You’re claiming it because you know that the kingdom of God should manifest in every community. Wherever your footstep, you’re ensuring that the kingdom of God is there.
So let’s tie it back to the man. It was a stubborn spirit that controlled the man’s mental faculties. It was an unusual control because he had supernatural strength. People couldn’t control him. But Jesus spoke to the man’s identity. Jesus saw beyond his problem. He recognized that the man had something to do. He understood that the man was an evangelist. Even before the people saw that the man was an evangelist. He knew that the man could do something that he could not do in that area. And it’s not that Jesus was powerless. But Jesus recognized that the community rejected him. But there was a man inside the community who is able to do the work with the power and authority of faith. So now when Jesus spoke to the man, and the demon started to negotiate. They were doing so because they had an assignment in the area. But Jesus knew that he needed somebody with a similar experience to counteract what was happening in the area. That was where the man comes into play. So, he placed the man there.
The man got deliverance from his problem by faith. The man came to Jesus for salvation. The demons were trying to prevent him from receiving what he the man wanted to do. Jesus solved the problem and the man wanted to follow Jesus and leave the community. Jesus said, “No, go home to your family.”
Pay attention to what happened after. He started to teach people about his experience. He said, “I was mad and insane. I could not control my mind. But then I saw light coming from the shore. The light of Jesus shone in my situation. He called me by name and said, “Son of man, be free.” He told him, “I’m not going to carry you where I am going. But I’m going to send you out on an assignment. Speak about your experience to your family members so they can experience the light.”
So for growth to happen, your faith needs to increase. Your faith is the push you need that God is going to do something impossible in my life. When you think that nothing is going to happen. When you hear the people talking negatively. You want to see beyond what people are saying.
It influences what you do. It influences how you pray. It influences how you speak. It influences how you read and research. It influences your ideas that stimulate what you are going to do. When you see and walk by faith, you realize that even though the storms may come, even though things may seem difficult, even though you seem like you’re pushing against an impossible force. Faith will ensure that you understand that you serve a God who is victorious. You serve a God who has never lost a battle. You serve a God who has unlimited resources. That will ensure that all your needs are supplied. You serve a God who can knock down barriers.
Conclusion:
Here are some things to think about:
- Is your faith influencing your actions?
- Are you speaking by faith or by fear?
Something to think about.