face lift or faith lift?

Face lift or Faith lift?                                                                            Friday April 30, 2010
John 6:1-15
 

Face lift in the form of reinventing oneself, New image, Cleaner image, revitalizing brands. Buildings, organizations go for a face lift.
-Ambience is changed every two years in Luxury hotels.
-Political parties changing its image by a face lift in changing people and policy.

Beauty Industry is a Multi Billion dollar industry.
-A craze has invaded in our society. Stay younger and defy gravity.
-In this pursuit we are making a new breed of doctors extremely wealthy. Bridal makeup.
-Some have at least thought about the possibility of changing something about themselves.
-With a culture so focused on outward body, image and looks, it’s hard not to buy into the quick and easy mentality. Busy with face savings.

(A smile is a facelift that's in everyone's price range!” Tom Wilson)

Providing face lift to the miracle of feeding the five thousand. In the midst of the study it has dawned that it is about feeding 5000 which is what we are promoting today in vision church building. Call it a coincidence and give it a face lift or God directed which is faith lift.

I: Face lift to the Miracle: How to stop a miracle from happening:
Face lift – Send them away - -Face our problems but save our face.
-Remote place, late hour. Let us save our faces from embarrassment.
-Send them away to nearby villages and let them get something to eat.
-As the day is nearing end when no solution will be in site. As the deadline is approaches human solution is to let us think of an alternate plan. Let’s give up.
-Easy Solution. No risk involved in easy solutions. What would you have said?

Face Lift – Calculative risk. -It will require 8 months’ wages. It is impossible. -It is possible if we had 8 months’ wages but then you will not need faith and will not need a miracle or God. You can do it on your own. That is most plan. Own resources, own manpower etc.

Rationalize the Miracle:
-People who want miracle to be explainable.
-We cannot explain a miracle only by the evidence it produces. When one boy brought out his lunch, all the others did the same and had plenty to eat. This is those who nullify the miracles of the Bible.
-It is the same who say when the Israelites crossed the Jordan, it was in the knee deep flowing. What followed must be greater miracle then because all the Egyptians were drowned in knee deep water.

Faith lift: Faith by general definition (pistis) is a firm persuasion or a conviction based on hearing. Romans 4:21 Abraham’s faith… “Being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what he has promised.

Let us do God sized things. Bring God back again into our thinking process and planning. Let it be by faith.

The All possible and all powerful God does God-sized things? Budgets are made, giving is recorded, but where is the step out into the unknown? Historically, when God wanted to do something to show himself, it required big faith of His people. Moses stepped out in big faith and faced the Pharaoh of Egypt. Abraham followed God without knowing where he was going. Noah built an ark while everyone laughed and mocked. The disciples performed miracles that made many believe.

Faith comes from God and His Word. Romasn 10:17 We are believers who believe God and walk by faith and not by sight. At times it is the other way around. Let me see visibly what I have and who I have then I will act. This is not faith. Faith is an assurance in the all possibility of God. He is able.

When people see God at work, they then believe. Where are the God-sized events that show His greatness? Have we lost so much of our faith that we have reduced Him to a small insignificant God? Natural intervention will kill the supernatural. The God sized thing that he wants to do in and through you.

Faith Lift: You give them something to eat.
-We do not have much.
-To test their faith level, Jesus asked Philip, Where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?”
-He already had in mind what he was going to do.
-In faith lift we lift up the mind of Christ.
-His question was where, Philip’s answer was How much will it cost.
-Whenever we want to venture out for God, the cost always becomes a big factor.
-The big factor should be obedience.

Faith Lift: Make them sit down.
-Prepare to receive your miracles.
-Faith requires action. Our actions show our faith. When God calls, do we obey?
-Do we step out and take the risk of looking like a fool?

Come to God for a faith lift. While we are planning for a face lift and face saving plan, God has a faith lifting that brings miracle. (“You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list, the longer your list, the smaller your God.”  Author Unknown.)

Psalm 121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
-Breaking the habit of looking to the hills for help. God directs people who come our way to help and bless, but our help comes from him. We look to him.

Psalm 123:1 I will lift up my eyes to you whose throne is in heaven.” -We look to the God, who is in control and who is still on the throne.

When Faith is lifted up: By faith the invisible becomes visible. You begin to see God in it. Faith energizes your vision and dreams. They are born in faith and nurtured and moved in faith. Hebrews 11:27 He persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

Faith Lift is vision. Beyond yourself. Look up and see the fields. John 4
Faith lift is miracle. Whenever faith is lifted up, miracles happen.

Faith and obedience in God’s ways are not always easy. If we are to be what God asks us to be, we must step out in faith when God urges us to do so. We must step out to do the impossible, believing God will accomplish His purposes.

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

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