Bible Study Lessons:
They That Wait Upon The Lord
Faith #1 - Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?
Faith #2 - Developing Great Faith
Faith #3 - Faith That Makes You Completely Whole
Faith #4 - The Heroes Of Faith, Yesterday And Today
Faith #3 –
Faith That Makes You Completely Whole
by Rev. Warren C. Cook
10/16/2005
Text:
Mark 5:25-34 - And a certain woman, which had an
issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many
things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had,
and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When
she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and
touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but
his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the
fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus,
immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of
him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched
my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest
the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched
me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done
this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling,
knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before
him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her,
Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and
be whole of thy plague.
Mk 9:23 – Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth.
Introduction:
Real faith is very powerful, able to dramatically change
every area of your life. John said, “This is
the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith.”
Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible
to him that believes.” Trust in God today, children of
God, take Him at His word, believe that His promises are
true and that each of His promises are for you. Walk by
faith and not by sight, stand on the sure, eternal
promises of God and be made completely whole.
1. Review: If You Are Born
Again, Your Faith Is Alive And Growing
- Luke 17:5 – the apostles said, “Lord, __________
our faith.”
- Note: You can only increase what already
exists.
- IOW, the very fact that you
want your faith to grow proves that you have faith! Before
I was saved, I never wanted my faith to grow. I had no
faith in Christ. I didn’t believe in Him. But now I have a
great desire to have greater faith. Constantly desire to
have more faith in Him and in His word. That proves that I
have
faith. Lord, let it
increase!
- would be silly for me to
say, Lord, let my tusks grow longer. I don’t have tusks. A
walrus has tusks. An elephant has tusks. It might make
sense for an elephant to wish he had longer tusks, so he
could fight and beat bigger elephants. But it makes no
sense for me to say that! But I can say, “Lord, increase
my faith, because I do have some faith.”
- Eph 2:8 – for by grace are ye _______ through
faith
- Question: Are you saved? Then you have
faith.
2. Review: God Himself Is The
Giver and Helper Of Your Faith
- Luke 17:5 – the apostles
said to _______, “Lord, increase our faith.”
- IOW,
they could see the power of Jesus’ faith, and they could
tell they didn’t have what He had, and they asked Him,
please help us!
-
Question: Who, but God, can change a man’s heart?
- Prov
21:1 – the heart of the king is in the hand of the
______.
- Phil 2:13 – for it is _____
who works in you both to will and to do of His good
pleasure
- Phil
1:6 – being confident of this very thing, He who
_______ a good work in you … will perform it until the day
of Christ Jesus (until Jesus returns)
- Question: If faith is good,
and powerful, and you need it, won’t God give it to you?
3. Review: Knowing God And
Knowing His Word Makes Your Faith Grow
4. Review: The Destructive
Power Of Doubt And Unbelief
- Various states of faith
mentioned in the Bible:
Unbelief – Doubt – Little
Faith – Weak Faith – Faith – Growing Faith – Strong Faith
– Great Faith
- Mk
6:5,6; Matt 13:58 – Jesus could do no __________ there
because of their unbelief.
- Rom
14:23 – whatever is not of _______
is _____.
- IOW, if you do something and
you don’t know in the depths of your heart that what you
are doing is all right with God, you shouldn’t be doing
it.
- Mk
16:16 – believe and be baptized and be saved. Believe
not in Jesus and be
________.
--
IOW, u(damned does not
= cursed; = judged against, sentenced)nbelief can
stop your miracle, get you in sin, or even cause you to
miss heaven!
-
Three words translated doubt:
- I would say that unbelief
should be avoided at all costs, as often as possible!
It was unbelief that kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden
of Eden, and unbelief that kept the Israelites from making
it into the promised land, and it’s unbelief that keeps
you from receiving many of the blessings God wants for
your life!
1. Matt 14:31 – O thou
of little faith, why did you doubt? (dis-tad’-zo
– to duplicate, to waver in opinion)
- emphasizes the idea that
doubt consists of holding 2 opposing
opinions at the same
time; believing
“yes” and “no” at the same time.
2. Luke 12:29 - neither
be ye of doubtful mind. (met-eh-o-rid’-zo,
as in “meteor”
– flying or floating in the air,
to raise in mid-air, to suspend, fluctuate, or be anxious)
- emphasizes the idea that
doubt makes you unstable, unable to decide
- IOW, #1 is what
doubt is and #2 is what doubt does
to you. Two opinions. Can’t decide.
- IOW, Doubt is
having two concurrent, contradicting opinions. Doubt
makes you stuck in the middle, unable to
decide, straddling the fence, half of you hanging off each
side.
3. Mt 21:21, Mk 11:23 –
if you have faith and
doubt not (dee-ak-ree’-no –
to discriminate,
decide, separate thoroughly,
withdraw from) you can
say to this mountain … and it will obey you. –
doubt separates you
from God
- Mt 16:3 – you can
discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern
the signs of the times?
- Acts 11:2 – they that
were of the circumcision contended with him.
- IOW, to mentally judge and
decide that there is a difference and therefore to
withdraw from. To think through, draw a conclusion, and
act upon that conclusion, causing you to stand on one side
and withdraw from the other side.
- IOW, #3 is how God
views doubt, and where doubt puts you in relation to God
on that issue. Separated from God.If you’re not for
me, you’re against me. If you’re not with me, you’re
against me. God says, if you continue to waver, unable to
make up your mind, you’ve chosen the other side. If you
don’t believe me, don’t agree with me, you’re agreeing
against me, withdrawing from me, agreeing with the flesh,
the devil and the world.
- Little faith: Matt
14:31 – thou of little faith (ol-ig-op’-is-tos;
puny, small and feeble faith), why did you doubt?
- Note: if you have even little faith, puny,
small, feeble faith God rescues you,
takes care of you,
helps you – Mt 14:31
- Peter’s little faith almost
sank him. But it was faith. Puny, small, feeble – but it
was faith. It was enough faith to get him over the side of
the boat and out there with Jesus, walking on the water!
And when he tried and succeeded, and then a few moments
later began to fail when doubt crept in, he lost the flow
of the miracle power, but he didn’t lose his life. He lost
the ability to walk on water, but Jesus showed him His
love, Jesus reached out and took him by the hand, and
saved his life. When you have little faith, even
puny faith, weak faith, feeble faith you may not get every
miracle you’re praying for, but God will take care of you
and He’ll make sure you make it through the storm alive!
He’ll make sure you live another day to grow in your
faith, to fight new battles, to learn new lessons, and
grow to new heights in faith!
5. Review: What Will Faith Do,
and How Much Faith Does It Take?
- Matt 15:28 – great is thy faith; be it unto thee
even _______________.
- Mk 9:23 – if you can believe, ____________
are possible to him who believes.
- Mt 17:20 – if you have faith like a grain of
mustard ______; nothing will be impossible
to you!
1. Faith Is An Anybody Kind Of Thing – An
Individual Thing – Any
One Person Thing
- Mk 5:25 – and a _________ – a little individual –
when _____ heard
- IOW, the power of faith will
work for anyone. It’s an anybody
kind of thing.
- why do people play the
lotto? They know that anybody can win. Not everybody,
but anybody. Rich or poor, young or old. If you pay your
dollar or two, you have a chance to win millions. And
maybe you will win. That’s the thrill. But in Christ it’s
not a maybe, it’s a sure thing. The promises of God are
“yes and amen.” The promises of God are eternal. It’s
never too late to believe in Christ. The promises of God
are sure. Somebody might rig the lotto, it could be
“fixed” where somehow they cheat you out of winning. But
if you can believe in God’s Word, if you have faith in His
promises you can receive the power of God in your! If you
have faith as a grain of mustard seed, mountains will
move! If something in your life is broken or missing, the
power of faith can fix it and restore it! Faith works for
anybody. This woman was sick and broke and alone. But
faith made her completely whole.
- Mk 5:27,28 – when
she heard, she came, she
touched, because she
said, she believed and
she received, she had faith and she
was healed – because faith is an individual thing!
- if everyone in the world
doubts God’s Word – you can still believe it!
- if the doctor says it’s
impossible, you can still believe
- if your parents
doubt, if your friends doubt, if your children
doubt, if your co-workers doubt, if your
neighbors doubt, if your boss doubts – you can
still believe
- when I started my own
business my former boss said I wouldn’t last a year – it’s
been 14 years and still counting, praise the Lord!
- Michael Jordan’s high
school coach cut him from the team, but Michael Jordan
still believed in himself and went on to be the greatest
basketball player that ever lived
- Walt Disney’s first
boss fired him, and said you have no talent, but Walt
Disney still believed in himself and built one of the
greatest entertainment empires the earth has ever seen
- if the whole world rejects
Jesus Christ, still YOU can believe on Him and be saved
- if no one else in the church
believes in the promises of God, YOU can receive them by
faith and by made completely whole! In your body, in your
mind, in your finances, in your relationships, in your
soul. You can be holy, filled with the spirit of God,
healed, financially whole, mentally whole, socially whole.
Paul said, “I pray your whole spirit, soul and body be set
apart to God.” You can be blessed in your spirit, blessed
in your soul and blessed in your body, you can be blessed
going out, and blessed coming in, blessed rising up, and
blessed sitting down. All the promises of God are yes and
amen to the one who believes and receives them!
- John 21:21,22 – Peter said, “what about him?”
Jesus said, “what is that to
thee? _____ follow Me!”
- Mk 9:23 – if ye can believe, all things are
possible to _____ who believes
- Josh 10:12 – ________ spoke to the sun and the
moon, and they stood still
- Joshua didn’t have to have
25 friends pray for him. Joshua had enough faith all on
his own to get the job done. It helps to have other people
agree with you, but you don’t have to have other people
agree with you. Jesus said, “I’m never alone. The Father
is always with Me.” If you can’t find anybody else to pray
with you about something and exercise faith, remember
Jesus ever lives to make intercession for you. Agree with
God’s Word and you’re agreeing with God and you’re not
alone! Faith is an anybody kind of thing. An any one
person kind of thing. If you can believe, you can receive,
even if nobody else believes with you!
- Ex 9:23 - _______ stretched
out his rod toward
heaven and the Lord sent thunder and hail
- Mk 4:23 – if _________ has ears to hear, let him
hear.
- Matt 16:24 – if _________ follows Me, let him
take up his cross and follow Me.
- Jn 6:51 – if _________ eats this bread he shall
live for ever.
- Jn 7:17 – if
_________ does God’s will he will know if My teaching is
from God.
- Jn 7:37 – if
_________ thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink.
- Jn 9:31 – if _________ is a worshipper of God and
does His will, God hears him.
2. Faith Is An Everybody Kind Of Thing
- Mt 14:36 – and _________ as touched were made
whole. IOW, each one.
Everybody.
- John 1:12 – and _________
as received Him had the right to become sons of
God.
- Acts 10:34 – Peter said, “I know that God is
______________ of persons.”
- IOW, what God does for one He will do for all.
It’s an everybody kind of thing.
- Mk 9:23 – all things are possible to him that
___________.
- to whom? Any one who
believes. Young, old, black, white, red, yellow, brown,
rich, poor, brand-new Christian, faithful saint of God,
male, female, anyone who believes! It’s an everybody
kind of thing. For God so loved the world … that
whoever believes
- IOW, not everybody without
qualification, but everybody who has faith.
- Acts 2:4 – they were ____ filled with the Holy
Ghost and they ____ spoke with tongues.
3. Faith Is An Every Day Kind Of Thing
- Rom 1:17 – the just shall ______ by faith.
- 2 Cor 5:7 – for we ______ by faith, not by sight.
– It’s a walk, not a moment.
- Psa 119:11 – thy Word have I _____ in mine heart
(hide, hoard, reserve = memorize)
4. Faith Is A Spiritual, Supernatural Kind Of Thing
- Rom 10:9 – confess with mouth and believe in your
_______ and you will be saved
- Jn 6:63 – the spirit gives life, the flesh
profits _________; My words are spirit and life
5. Faith Is A Violent, Warfare Kind Of Thing
- 1 Tim 6:12 - fight the good _______ of faith –
it’s called a fight for a reason!!!
- 2 Cor 10:3-5 – the _________ of our warfare;
casting down
- OT examples: David and Goliath; Daniel and lions;
Samson; Elijah
- Eph 6:10-18 – the Christian’s armor: shield,
helmet, sword, etc. – for battle!
6. Faith Is An Amazingly Powerful Kind Of Thing
- Mk 5:34 – thy faith hath made thee _______, go in
peace and be whole of thy plague
- whatever is plaguing you,
whatever torments you, whatever drains you and disables
you, whatever pushes you under – you’re to be the head,
not the tail, above and not beneath, more than a conqueror
– what holds you back? Faith can put you over!
- Mk 9:23 – if you can believe, ____ things are
possible – amazingly powerful promise!
·
Verse To Memorize: Mark 5:34 – And he
said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole;
go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
