The
Extension of Faith
Steve
W. Reeves
stevesermons.blogspot.com
INTRODUCTION:
A.
Have you ever used an “extension” ladder?
1. An extension ladder has adjustable
lengths. You can store it at a normal size. When
you need the additional length you
slide the two sections apart and it will double in
length.
2. The word “extension” means “to
lengthen.” An extension cord lengthens the cord.
An extension on a loan lengthens the
term of the loan.
3. Have you ever thought about the
extension of your faith?
B.
Many of the difficulties we encounter in life are the result of weak faith.
1 Rather than following God’s agenda by
faith we pursue our own agenda and end up
mired in difficulty.
2. As I view the church in the midst of
today’s western culture, I believe our greatest
need is for the extension of our
personal faith.
C.
God wants you to grow. Growth is His will for your life.
1. Most people love babies. We expect
babies to grow. In fact, if a baby does not grow
it is cause for great concern.
3. The Bible uses the word “grow” 124
times. Eighty of those are in the Old Testament.
Forty-four of them are in the New
Testament.
4. Jesus often compared a person’s faith to
the growth of a seed planted in the ground
(i.e. Parable of the mustard seed in
Mark 4:32).
5. The book of Acts contains references to
the Gospel’s growing influence throughout
the world, “But the word of the Lord
continued to grow and to be multiplied (Acts
12:24).
“So, the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (Acts
19:20).
6. In the letters of the New Testament
there are numerous admonitions for Christians
to grow spiritually.
a. Ephesians 4:15-16, “But speaking the
truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects
into Him who is the head, even
Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted
and held together by what every
joint supplies, according to the proper working of
each individual part, causes the
growth of the body for the building up of itself in
love.”
b. Colossians 2:19 – “from whom the entire body, being supplied
and held together
by the joints and ligaments, grows with
a growth which is from God.”
c.2 Thessalonians 1:3 - “We ought
always to give thanks to God for you, brethren,
as is only fitting, because your
faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one
of you toward one another grows ever
greater.”
d. 1 Peter 2:2 – “Like a newborn babe
desire the sincere milk of the word that you
may grow thereby.”
e. 2 Peter 3:18 – “Grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
D.
Why is spiritual growth difficult? It
requires change.
1. You need to change. I need to change.
2. If you say, “I’m not going to change,”
have you considered what you are saying?
3. There is only one alternative to change.
It is death.
4. A
person who is over 100 years old is constantly changing. Cells are dying and
being
replaced by new ones. If this process
stops they are dead.
5. If spiritual growth is not occurring in
your life or in the life of a church, it is not merely
stagnant. It is dead.
E.
What does the extension of our faith require?
I. THE EXTENSION OF FAITH REQUIRES
FOUNDATION.
A. In 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul wrote
to Christians who had become spiritually
stagnant. They were not being led by
God but by their fleshly lusts. In chapter 3:1-3
Paul wrote, “And I, brethren, could not
speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to
men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I
gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you
were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you
are not yet able, 3 for you are
still fleshly. For since there is
jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and
are you not walking like mere men?”
1. What was the issue? They were not
building their lives on the proper foundation.
2. Paul continued in verses 10-11, “According
to the grace of God which was given
to me, like a wise master builder I
laid a foundation, and another is building on it.
But each man must be careful how he
builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a
foundation other than the one which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
B. You cannot extend your faith if it is
not properly grounded.
1. A man in this city once told me, “It
doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you
believe something.”
2. Although this may be the consensus
of our culture nothing could be further from
the truth. The foundation upon
which you build your life is going to affect
everything you do in your life.
C. Recently, in the city of New Orleans, a
Hard Rock hotel under construction collapsed
killing several workers. There was
obviously something wrong with the way the
structure was being built. In similar
fashion, how many lives have collapsed
because they were not built upon the
solid foundation of the Son of God?
II. THE EXTENSION OF FAITH
REQUIRES FOCUS
A. You have a choice to make.
1. You can choose complacency and dry
up like straw or chaff that is blown along
buy the wind (Psalm 1:4).
2. You can choose to be like the tree
planted beside the water that bears fruit in its
season and whose leaf does not
wither (Psalm 1:3).
B. What makes the difference? It’s a matter
of focus. What are you going to set your
mind to do? What is your focus going to
be?
1. The focus of Jesus’s life was to do
the will of His Father.
a. John 5:30 – “I can do nothing on
My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My
judgment is just, because I do not
seek My own will, but the will of Him who
sent Me.”
b. Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man
has come to seek and to save that which
was lost.”
c. Hebrews 5:8, “Although He was a
Son yet He learned obedience through the
things which He suffered.”
d. Jesus was passionately focused
on doing God’s will.
2. The apostle Paul was focused on
Christ.
a. In Philippians 1:21 he wrote,
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
b. Later in Philippians 3:12-14 he said, “Not that I have already
obtained it or have
already become perfect, but I
press on so that I may lay hold of that for which
also I was laid hold of by
Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as
having laid hold of it yet; but
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
reaching forward to what lies
ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus, “
C. Tom Brady is the oldest football player
in the NFL. He is 42 years old and has won
6 Super Bowls. What is it that keeps
him in such good physical condition and at
the top of his game? He is entirely
focused on what he is doing. Each day he is
focused on keeping himself in shape and
being mentally and physically prepared to
play. It’s this type of focus that
followers of Jesus must have if we want to extend our
faith.
III. THE EXTENSION OF FAITH
REQUIRES FORTITUDE
A. You have to stick with it. May I say
some things to you lovingly and plainly?
1. You will never grow spiritually if
you are a hit and miss Christian.
2. If you’re here one week and gone the
next week or two weeks or more and then
here a week and gone again, how could you expect your faith to grow?
What
would result in your physical
health if you only received nourishment a few times
a month?
3. How will your children’s faith
increase if they do not see your faith in action and
recognize what your priorities are?
B. Why has the church become stagnant in so
many places?
1. Have you compared us to the church
in the book of Acts?
2. In Acts 2:42 we read, “They
continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine,
fellowship, the breaking of bread
and prayer.” Note the word, “steadfastly.”
3. Your fortitude not only affects
others. Every time your children see you put the
world ahead of worship to God they
are going to think it is perfectly acceptable.
After all, “Daddy and Mama did it.”
When they see your faithfulness, even when
times are difficult those children
will grow up and remember the example you set.
C. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-31, Paul’s
fortitude is expressed with these words, “Do you
not know that those who run in a race
all run, but only one receives
the prize?
Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone
who competes in the games
exercises self-control in all things.
They then do it to
receive a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore
I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in
such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but
I discipline my body and make it my slave,
so that, after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified. “
IV. THE EXTENSION OF FAITH
REQUIRES FELLOWSHIP
A. It is hard to extend your faith without
the strength and encouragement of other
believers. There are aspects of
spiritual growth that come only through interaction
with others.
1. We need encouragement and strength
in difficult times.
a. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one because they have a good
return for their labor. For if
either of them falls, the one
will lift up his companion.
But woe to the one who falls when there is not
another to lift him up.
Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm,
but how can one be
warm alone?”
b. Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass,
you who
are spiritual, restore such a one
in a spirit of gentleness; each one
looking to
yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear
one another’s burdens, and
thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
c. As I watch your faithfulness I am encouraged to become more faithful
myself.
2. We need each other for accountability.
a. Did you notice how Paul said, “If one is overtaken in a fault you who
are spiritual
restore him”?
b. I need to understand that life is not all about me. I need to learn
to meet the
needs of others, to share my belongings and to care for others. I cannot
do that
without fellowship.
B. A
group of Boy Scouts were hiking one day when they came across an abandoned
stretch of railroad track. They each tried to balance themselves on the
rail to see
who could walk the longest distance. Two boys said they could walk
farther than the
others. Each of them stood on a rail, held out their arms and steadied
each other.
By doing this they walked twice as far.
1. God does not want you walking this spiritual journey of faith by
yourself.
2. This is why he established the church.
In the church we support and care for one
another as the body grows together in love.
CONCLUSION:
A.
Although I am your preacher I am also your friend, your brother and your fellow
traveler
along life’s journey.
1. May I appeal to you personally to
recommit yourself to extending your faith and
growing in your relationship with God.
2. If you have become complacent or
stagnant may I warn you about the danger of
your condition. Remember, Jesus told
the lukewarm Laodiceans that He would
“spew” them out of His mouth
(Revelation 3:16-17).
2. May I appeal to you, lost sinner, to
repent and turn to God? Will you confess your
faith in Christ (Romans 10:10) and be
buried with Him in baptism (Romans 6:3-5)?
B.
We extend to you the invitation of Jesus Christ. Please come to Him.
