David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of active faith in recognizing God's faithfulness during trials and impossible situations.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that true faith begins with a complete surrender to God's care, requiring active trust in His ability to perform the impossible. He illustrates this through the story of Abram, who learned to trust God in dire circumstances, affirming that faith reveals God's faithfulness even when situations do not change. Wilkerson points out that often, God allows us to remain in challenging situations to transform us and deepen our trust in His power. He highlights the experiences of the three Hebrew children and Daniel, who encountered God's miraculous power only in the midst of their trials. Ultimately, the sermon teaches that faith is not just about escaping difficulties but recognizing God's unwavering presence and faithfulness through them.
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Faith begins with a total abandonment of oneself into God's care, but our faith must be active, not passive.
We must have full confidence that God can and will do the impossible. Jesus said, "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). "With God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). In short, faith says, "God is enough!"
The Lord was making Abram a man of faith by leading him into an impossible situation. He wanted to hear his servant say, "Father, you led me here, and you know best. So I'm going to stand still and believe you to do the impossible. I'll put my life in your hands, fully trusting that you won't allow me or my family to starve. I know we'll be preserved because you promised I would have a seed!"
Our faith is not meant to get us out of a hard place or change our painful condition. Rather, it is meant to reveal God's faithfulness to us in the midst of our dire situation. God does at times change our trying
circumstances. But more often, he doesn't - because he wants to change us!
We simply can't trust God's power fully until we experience it in the midst of our crisis. This was the case with the three Hebrew children. They saw Christ only when they were in the midst of the fiery furnace. And Daniel experienced God's power and grace when he was thrust into the lions' den. If they had suddenly been pulled out of their circumstances, they never would have known the full grace of God's miracle-working power. And the Lord would not have been magnified before the ungodly.
We think we're witnessing great miracles whenever God ends our storms and crises. But we can easily miss the lesson of faith in such times -- the lesson that says God will remain faithful to us through our hard times. He wants to raise us above our trials through faith, so we can say, "My God can do the impossible. He's a deliverer, and he's going to see me through."
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Faith requires total abandonment to God's care. - Active faith versus passive faith.
- II points: - God's ability to do the impossible. - Scriptural affirmations of God's power.
- III points: - The example of Abram's faith. - Trusting God's promises in difficult situations.
- IV points: - Faith reveals God's faithfulness. - Understanding God's purpose in trials.
- V points: - Experiencing God's power in crises. - Lessons from the three Hebrew children and Daniel.
- VI points: - Recognizing miracles in the midst of storms. - God's faithfulness through hard times.
Key Quotes
“With God all things are possible.” — David Wilkerson
“Our faith is not meant to get us out of a hard place or change our painful condition.” — David Wilkerson
“My God can do the impossible.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Trust God fully in your current circumstances, knowing He is with you.
- Look for God's presence and lessons in the midst of your trials.
- Share your experiences of faith with others to encourage them in their struggles.
