Having Therefore Boldness Part 8: I’m A Believer – Ps Sharon Bendixen (WTB)

Scripture Reference: Luke 8:22-25 AMP; Matthew 14:25-31 AMP; 2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP; Hebrews 12:2 AMP; 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP; Ephesians 6:10-13 NKJV; Hebrews 3:12-17 TPT; Hebrews 4:2 AMPC

Pastor John sends his love and he’s asked me to minister to you this morning. So, you can be seated, just as the music softly plays. The title of my message now is I’m a Believer, but it’s still part of my Boldness Series, Heritage of Faith people. I’m bold in my believing. I’m bold in my believing. I’m a believer, but I’m bold in my believing.

The Lord really ministered to me personally this week and then to you with the song I’m a Believer. He ministered to me personally with scripture, giving me scriptures, bringing all kinds of scriptures to my remembrance as I was looking at this song and speaking the song, you know.

So, I’m a believer. If you had to ask me this morning; Pastor Sharon, what are you believing? What are you believing, Pastor Sharon? Well, let me start off to say, I believe in Jesus Christ. I do believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that God the Father sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for me so that whosoever should believe in Him, whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but should receive eternal life. So, let me say that from the outset. If there are any visitors here and you’ve never, you’ve never received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and you can’t say, “I’m a believer too, Pastor Sharon,” well, this is a time for you that God knew that you would be here today to hear the good news that God so loved you that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that if you believe in Him you can have everlasting life. Everlasting life is not just that you’re going to live forever. It’s the very life of Christ that comes to live inside of you where you know that you know that you know you’re a child of the Living God.

So, what else are you believing right now, Pastor Sharon? Well, I’m believing the same as many of you. Most of you, I would confidently say, I am believing the Word that we received from Brother Jerry. I really, really, really believe it. I really, really, really believe it. I will open a new door in 2020 and I will cause you to experience supernatural increase like never before and there are areas that I am wanting and desiring supernatural increase in, that I’m striking for and I’m already beginning to experience it. I began already from even before lockdown, I was beginning to experience it. Hallelujah. I’m not going to stop. In fact, this that the devil, the enemy has done, to try and steal the Word out my heart and the Light from my eyes, oh no, no, no. I’m doubling up on my faith. I’m doubling up on my believing. I am ascending. I am excelling in my faith on a level never before. Why? Because I choose to. I choose to believe. It’s my choice to believe. Hallelujah.

Why are you telling me this about yourself, Pastor Sharon? Because I’m activating you just as a believer even. Just even as a believer. Just even as a sister in Christ, telling you that I’m not striking for the things I’m believing supernatural increase for because I’m Pastor Sharon. I’m doing it because I believe God’s Word. I believe His precious holy written Word and I believe what comes through His apostles. So, I’m experiencing supernatural increase like this. It’s God. “It’s beyond anything I can think of,” is how it came from Brother Jerry. It’s beyond anything I can do. Kind of in this period of time it’s like, “I can’t do. There’s so much I can’t do.” And so, there’s so much that God is proving that He can do. Glory to God. It’s a new door I’ve not been through before. So, every day I get up and I go through the new door and I don’t limit God. Glory, glory, glory.

And what else are you believing? I’m believing all His promises that I know, and I know many promises in His Word. His promises are sure and His Word is true. Glory to God.

So, this is how He just gave this song to me and the scriptures that go with it. Let me just read it to you. I’m a believer. You’ve called me out onto the waters bidding me to come to You. Though the storm around me rages, Your Word is good. Your Word is true. The power of Your mighty Word keeps defeat beneath my feet. The howling winds and crashing waves cannot sway my belief.

Luke 8:22, 22 Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” (Luke 8:22 AMP) Jesus said, “Let us cross over.” He’d already spoken the words we’re crossing over. We’re not drowning in the middle of this boat, within this boat, in the middle of this lake. We’re crossing over. He’d already said it. So they set out. 23 But as they were sailing, He fell asleep. And a fierce gale of wind swept down [as if through a wind tunnel], this is the Amplified Luke 8:22, on the lake, and they began to be swamped, and were in great danger. 24 They came to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging, violent waves… Hmm, mm. The howling winds, the crashing waves, the storm around me raging cannot sway me. Glory to God. He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging, violent waves, and they ceased, and it became calm [a perfect peacefulness]. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:22-25 AMP)

He said to them, “Where is your faith?” He didn’t say, “Thank you for waking Me up. Ah! If you hadn’t woken Me up we would all be drowned.” He said, “Where is your faith?” Where is your faith, Heritage of Faith believer? Where is your faith in this time when there are howling winds and crashing waves? Where is your faith? Hallelujah. Where is your faith in the words that He has spoken, that supernatural increase will be the order of day, the day for your life? Glory to God. Where is your faith?

And where is [your confidence in Me]?” this Amplified says, and They were afraid, saying to one another, “Who then is this? (Luke 8:25 AMP) They shouldn’t have been afraid. They should have known Jesus by now.

Here’s Matthew 14 verse 25, 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!” 28 Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat. (Matthew 14:25-29 AMP) Hmm, Peter got out of the boat. What does this song say? You called me out onto the waters bidding me to come to You. What has Pastor John been ministering to us? Get out of your boat and walk towards your miracle. It’s okay if you’re going to sit in the boat, but you can also get out of the boat! Jesus will still come to you in your boat if you have faith in your heart, but there is a boldness that you can have in faith. There is a boldness! There is a boldness that you can have in faith. There is a boldness that you can allow the Holy Spirit to let it rise up in you when you say I’m walking! I’m going to walk on this water. I’m not going to look at the howling winds and crashing waves – it’s not going to sway me. Hallelujah.

And so he got out and he walked on the water. 30 But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened. Fear. You see the fear? You see the fear? You see the fear? You see the fear? When fear comes, who allows the fear to come? Me? Me. All by myself. Oh, I’m so afraid. Or no, I believe God’s Word. I’m full of faith. There’s my choice. There’s my choice all the time. All the time it’s my choice. Glory to God. 30 But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus extended His hand, always. Always! Isn’t He kind? Isn’t He wonderful? When you’re sinking in the seas of life and in the sea of circumstances, He will always. You’ll say, “Lord, help. Lord, I’m sinking in my fear.” But just be honest with Him and say, “Help me, Lord. Give me grace. Give me the strength of the Holy Spirit now. Help me now. I’m going to start to praise You because Your joy is my strength for my faith walk. When I want to quit and I want to give up, I’m going to just rejoice, I’m going to praise You regardless of what I feel, Lord.” And Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith. (Matthew 14:30-31 AMP) You of little faith. Short, little bursts of faith. You had such great faith getting out of the boat and starting to walk towards me. Come. Come, come, come, Peter. So, Jesus would encourage us all today.

We walk by faith, it says in our song, and not by sight. Walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP) I set my eyes on him, is what the song says. I set my eyes on Him. As I walk out on the waters I set my eyes on You. You see, Peter should have just set his eyes on Jesus. How do you set your eyes on Jesus? He’s not physically here. I set my eyes on Your promise. I set my eyes on Your promises in Your Word and the prophetic word that came through Brother Jerry and the messages of the Gospel that Pastor John brings every Sunday. I set my eyes on You. That’s how I set my eyes on Jesus – is the Word. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Word. Hallelujah.

And Hebrews 12:2 says 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2 AMP) Our faith in what? Our believing in supernatural increase and an open door. Our faith in believing marvels and wonders and extraordinary manifestations of the greatness of our God such as we’ve never experienced before. Hallelujah! Let’s praise Him. Let’s just praise Him now, people. Let’s glorify Him. Hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. He’s a good God! And He does good to us! Glory, glory, glory. Praise You. Praise You, Jesus. Praise You, our Father. We thank You, Lord, glory, that You’ve got this, Father. We’re going to deal with fear. We’re going to deal with doubt. We choose to be believers today, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Fresh and new today we believe. We believe. We believe. We put the doubt of the week behind us. We put the unbelief and the fear of the week behind us. We pick up, we pick up our strength. We’re coming up in strength. We’re coming up in joy. We’re coming up in love. We’re coming up in faith, Father. Hallelujah. Glory! Glory, glory, glory. Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, Lord. Hallelujah. I do not have a spirit of fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 7 For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power. (2 Timothy 1:7 AMP) My new creation spirit, my fourth-dimensional spirit that taps the Word and taps God, is the spirit of power. It’s the spirit of power. It can overcome all fear. And then all I do; I do all to stand. Having done all to stand, I choose to stand and not to quit. Ephesians 6 says 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV) Isn’t this scripture ministering to your heart? Isn’t His Word like power coming to your spirit today? To me, I mean, as I’m reading it it’s just hitting my spirit, making my spirit so strong. When your spirit is strong because you feed it with the Word it will overcome your emotions. It’ll overcome. You’ll be able to overcome your emotions and your feelings which are in your soul. Glory to God. You need to feed your spirit regularly. Have a strong spirit. Have a strong spirit. Glory. Glory.

And it says here, 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the enemy. He comes to try to steal the Word out of my heart and the light from my eyes. No! No, no, no, no. I stand against wiles of the enemy, of the devil. It says here, 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13 NKJV)

Believer, precious Heritage of Faith saint, born-again one, powerful mighty man and might woman of God, mighty boy, mighty girl, mighty teenager of God, mighty young person, mighty mature, older person of God, because you’re born again, you’re born again, mighty are you! Mighty are you to stand. And having done all to stand, stand! Stand until you get your complete victory.

And I’m going into my promised land, is what our song says. I’m going into my promised land. I’m going to read this last scripture. From The Passion Translation Hebrews 3, 12 my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has evil unbelief hiding within you. (Hebrews 3:12 TPT) See what God calls it? Evil unbelief hiding in you. Nobody can see it. You can talk the talk and tell me, “Yay. Praise the Lord. Yes, supernatural increase.” But God knows what goes on in your heart. So brothers and sisters… Because believing is something you do in your heart because you want to. Believing is something you do in you your heart because you choose to. And only God and you know about that.

…make sure that none of you has evil unbelief hiding within you. For it will lead you astray, and make you unresponsive to the living God. Ha! 13 This is the time to encourage each other to never be stubborn or hardened by unbelief. 14 For we are mingled with the Messiah, if we will continue unshaken in this confident assurance from the beginning until the end. 15 For again, the Scriptures say, If only today you would listen to his voice. Don’t make him angry by hardening your hearts, as you did in the wilderness rebellion. 16 The same people who were delivered from bondage and brought out of Egypt by Moses, were the ones who heard and still rebelled. 17 They grieved God for forty years by sinning in their unbelief. (Hebrews 3:12-17 TPT) They grieved God for forty years. You know why God was angry with them? Because He wanted to be so good to them and they wouldn’t believe Him. That’s the only reason He was angry with them. Can’t I take you into your promised land? Can’t I take you? I promised you I would take you out of Egypt and into your promised land – houses you did not build, vineyards you didn’t plant, wells you didn’t dig. I’ll sickness from among you. He was angry with them because they didn’t believe His goodness. They were unresponsive to His goodness in their heart.

So it says here the same people who were delivered… Okay, 17 They grieved God for forty years by sinning in their unbelief, until they dropped dead in the desert. They dropped dead in the desert. The King James says their carcasses fell. So, God still took care of them because He loved them, they were His people. There was still the cloud by night. There was still manna every day and there was still the shade by day. Okay. I mean, but they died not going into their promised land. Well, I’m going into my promised land. That’s what I’m a Believer says. I’m going. I’m going. I’m going. This is not just a song I sing when I sing I’m a Believer. This is; I sing what I live. Hallelujah. But if you’re not living it, you can sing it until you live it, hallelujah, as well. Let it permeate you, let it penetrate you as Pastor John prophesied.

So it says here 18 So God swore an oath that they would never enter into his calming place of rest all because they disobeyed him. 19 It is clear that they could not enter into their inheritance because they wrapped their hearts in unbelief. They wrapped their hearts in unbelief, Pastor Garth. I just have to have a look in Hebrews, every now and again, remind myself of what unbelief looks like and how it makes my Father feel, for me to get quickly back into believing if I let any unbelief get into my heart, slip into doubt. I just have to have a look in Hebrews again. Ah. That I grieve Him, I grieve Him that He can’t be good to me because I don’t believe Him. They wrapped their hearts in unbelief and the Amplified says 2 For indeed we have had the glad tidings proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith. (Hebrews 4:2 AMPC) They did not. Not they could not. They did not. Hallelujah.