Increase Our Faith
To obtain increased faith, one must put on the garment of patience and serve Jesus, then come to his table and sup with him in intimacy.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of truly knowing Jesus, as illustrated by the disciples' fear during the storm despite their close relationship with Him. He points out that many Christians today, like the disciples, may serve alongside Jesus but lack an intimate understanding of who He is. Wilkerson encourages believers to seek a deeper communion with Christ, highlighting that increased faith comes from spending time in His presence and learning from Him. He references the disciples' request for increased faith and Jesus' response, which calls for patience and a willingness to serve and commune with Him. Ultimately, the sermon challenges Christians to move beyond mere service to a genuine relationship with their Master.
Text
Mark 4 relates a story of Jesus and his disciples in a boat, being tossed about on a stormy sea. As we pick up the scene, Christ has just calmed the waves with a single command. Now he turns to his disciples and asks, "How is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40).
You may think this sounds harsh. It was only human to fear in such a storm. But Jesus wasn't chiding them for that reason. Rather, he was telling them, "After all this time with me, you still don't know who I am. How could you possibly walk with me for this long, and not know me intimately?"
Indeed, the disciples were astonished by the amazing miracle Jesus had performed. "They feared exceedingly, and said to one another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (4:41).
Can you imagine it? Jesus' own disciples didn't know him. He had personally called each of these men to follow him and they had ministered alongside him, to multitudes of people. They'd performed miracles of healing, and fed masses of hungry people. But they were still strangers to who their Master really was.
Tragically, the same is true today. Multitudes of Christians have ridden in the boat with Jesus, ministered alongside him, and reached multitudes in his name. But they really don't know their Master. They haven't spent intimate time shut in with him. They've never sat quietly in his presence, opening their hearts to him, waiting and listening to comprehend what he wants to say to them.
We see another scene regarding the disciples' faith in Luke 17. The disciples came to Jesus, requesting, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). Many Christians today ask the same question: "How can I obtain faith?" But they don't seek the Lord himself for their answer.
If you want increased faith, you have to do the same thing Jesus told his disciples to do in this passage. How did he answer their request for faith? "Gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken" (17:8). Jesus was saying, in essence, "Put on your garment of patience. Then come to my table and sup with me. I want you to feed me there. You happily labor for me all day long. Now I want you to commune with me. Sit down with me, open your heart, and learn of me."
Sermon Outline
- I. The Disciples' Lack of Faith
- A. Despite being with Jesus, they still didn't know him intimately
- B. They were astonished by Jesus' miracles, but still didn't understand him
- II. The Importance of Intimacy with Jesus
- A. Christians today often ride in the boat with Jesus without truly knowing him
- B. Intimacy with Jesus requires quiet time and listening to his voice
- III. Obtaining Increased Faith
- A. Jesus' answer to the disciples' request for faith was to serve and commune with him
- B. Patience and intimacy with Jesus are key to increased faith
Key Quotes
“Put on your garment of patience. Then come to my table and sup with me.” — David Wilkerson
“I want you to feed me there. You happily labor for me all day long. Now I want you to commune with me.” — David Wilkerson
“Sit down with me, open your heart, and learn of me.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- To increase our faith, we must be willing to put on the garment of patience and serve Jesus.
- Intimacy with Jesus is essential for spiritual growth and increased faith.
- We must come to Jesus' table and sup with him, opening our hearts to learn of him.