Matthew 9:27 says, 27 …two blind men followed (Jesus) crying and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. 28And when He was come into the house… Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 29Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you. 30And their eyes were opened; (Matthew 9:27-30 KJV). Notice the phrase, according to your faith, be it unto you. Everything that God has for us is received by faith. There’s no other way to obtain it. That’s the reason why the Bible says, 38The just shall live by faith (Hebrews 10:38 KJV).
Let’s look at verses talking about everything God has for us: 10I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10 NKJV). The TPT says, 10But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! (John 10:10 TPT). Jesus came not only to redeem us from the enemy and to give us eternal life, but also to give us life in the overflow.
I say: I intend to live in the overflow.
Now, 2 Corinthians 9:8 (TPT) says, 8…He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do. The Message translation says 8God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways. But the way you experience it is through faith. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God. The just shall live by faith.
I say: I am the just. I live by faith. It is a command. The just shall live by faith.
Hebrews 10:35 (KJV) says, 35Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, or your faith, which hath great recompense of reward. 36For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. That tells me that it is possible for people who have learned to live by faith to draw back. I’ve seen that time and time again, over my 52 years in the ministry. I’ve seen it all over the world, where people who have been taught the basic principles of the life of faith, and eventually let go of them, or they draw back from it. And one of the primary reasons I believe, is because they allow themselves to fall into the temptation of listening to things that sound good but are not quite accurate.
I don’t know why people are always looking for a new message. I’ve been living this way for 52 years. I’m not looking for a new message. And then I’d get sleepy and I’d go back to sleep and it seems like the moment I close my eyes, the devil will straddle my head and say, “It’s not going to work, it’s not going to work, it’s not going to work. It will never happen, it will never happen, it will never happen.” I have to get up and engage in warfare again. Anybody ever been there? Inactive faith does not producing anything.
Complacency is when you have become satisfied with where you are and what you’ve experienced and refuse to reach higher and further.
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV), 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. The Amplified Bible says, 13 …reaching forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13 AMPC). See, everything God has for us is not behind us. It’s ahead of us. I’m going for what He wants me to experience today and tomorrow and the days ahead. And that includes abundant overflow. The Passion Translation says, 13 …I fastened my heart to the future (Philippians 3:13 TPT). Then verse 14, the Message Translation says, 14…I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back (Philippians 3:14 MSG). To turn back simply means to stop going forward or to stop advancing. Satan is going to do everything he can to prevent you from going forward because he knows what God has for you in the days ahead. And if you keep pressing forward, then it’s highly probable that you will obtain what God has for you.
Most of the time, if we’re not going forward, it’s because we’ve listened to a lie from the devil that says, “You’ve gone as far as you’ll ever go. You’ve seen all that you’ll ever see. You’ve experienced all that God has for you.” If you listen to those lies, then you will not press as the Apostle Paul said, you will not demand out of yourself to keep going forward. This is why the Apostle Paul said, we must be 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV). The Message translation says we have to tear down barriers erected against the truth (2 Corinthians 10:5 MSG). The Passion Translation says we must demolish every deception. According to the Apostle Paul, God has prepared things that our eyes have not seen, our ears have not heard about. Our hearts have not even conceived yet. And He’s prepared them for those that love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9, paraphrased). And I happen to be one that loves God
I say: I can live in the overflow. That’s God’s plan. That’s God’s dream; that’s God’s desire for me.
Hebrews 10 talks about drawing back or shrinking back. To shrink back implies to show reluctance, particularly as to avoid pressure or confrontation. True Christianity is a fight. Fight the good fight of faith. If everything that God wants us to have came easy, every Christian would already be enjoying it. But why aren’t most enjoying it? Because they’re not willing to fight the good fight of faith. They want a comfortable Christianity. Paul never lived ‘comfortable Christianity.” saw it. This man experienced more adversity than any person you will ever know. And yet, his attitude was, “None of these things move me. I will finish my course.”
I say: I will never withdraw from my life of faith regardless of the difficulties that I might face.
Paul is in prison, facing death. And he says to this adversity that he’s going through, 19I’m going to keep that celebration going because I know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Christ, everything He wants to do in and through me will be done. That is a bold statement. He is in prison, facing death. 20I can hardly wait to continue my course (Philippians 1:19-26 MSG). Sounds to me like he planned on getting out of prison.
Now, once again, complacency is when you have become satisfied with where you are. And when you refuse to reach for higher and better. That’s not the way Paul approached his life of faith. He said, “I press.” Never giving up, never allowing yourself to become satisfied.
Another definition of complacency is a feeling of contentment. Especially, when the thought of confrontation and opposition is present. In other words, “I’m happy with where I’m at. I don’t want to go any further.” Proverbs 1:32 (NIV) says 1The complacency of fools will destroy them. If you allow complacency to come into your life, then eventually you will be soundly defeated. The Passion Translation uses this phrase in place of complacency; self-satisfied (Proverbs 1:32 TPT). Complacency is like a stream of water. It follows the easiest course. A lot of people are always looking for the path of least resistance. Someone once said complacency – this is powerful – complacency invades areas in our lives that once were occupied by passion. Complacency brings progress and achievement to a complete standstill. It prevents us from being willing to continue to fight the good fight of faith.
Now I don’t know who said this, but I heard it a long time ago – comfort zones are where dreams go to die. Comfort zones cause us to miss out on miracles, wonders, signs, abundant overflow.
So let me challenge you this morning; A lot of people are hurting, a lot of people are suffering, a lot of people would just like for all of this to go away – “Leave me alone, just let me live in peace.” The Bible tells us that in the latter days, and we are in the latter days, things will get tougher. There will be perilous times, times of great stress and times of great trouble. And our only solution in the midst of all that is the just shall live by faith.
I say: I choose to live by faith. I refuse to get into a comfort zone. I want everything that God has in store for me.
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