Laying Hold of God in Faith
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of faith and warns against the sin of unbelief, encouraging listeners to lay hold of God's promises and enter His rest.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the critical question posed by Jesus about faith's presence on earth, highlighting a concerning trend of unbelief not only in the world but also among believers. He illustrates this through the story of Zacharias, a faithful priest who faltered in faith when faced with God's promise, resulting in a divine consequence for his doubt. Wilkerson warns that unbelief was the sole reason Israel failed to enter the Promised Land, urging believers to trust in God's promises and enter His rest. He encourages the congregation to actively lay hold of God's Word, which will transform their lives into powerful testimonies for others. The sermon serves as a call to cultivate unwavering faith in God's faithfulness.
Text
"When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Why would Jesus ask such a question? It implies a lack of faith, not just on the worldly but among God's people.
Faith is one of the most talked about subjects in the church. Great works are being done and huge projects undertaken, all in the name of faith. So, what is Jesus saying by asking, "When the trumpet finally sounds, will I find any faith at all?" We find a sobering clue in Hebrews: "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12).
One of the most familiar cases of unbelief is found in the story of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. Here was a devoted, godly priest who suffered because of a single episode of unbelief. Scripture says Zacharias was "righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6). He ministered faithfully and was a respected, faithful servant, but when the angel Gabriel brought the message that he was to have a son, Zacharias was filled with doubt and he gave in to unbelief. God did not take kindly to Zacharias' doubt and he struck him dumb: "Behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time" (Luke 1:20).
Only one sin kept Israel out of the Promised Land -- unbelief! "And why couldn't they go in? Because they didn't trust him" (Hebrews 3:19, Living Bible). "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience" (Hebrews 4:11).
Our God has made incredible promises to us and he desires that we hold him to those promises. I encourage you to lay hold of his wonderful Word and enter into his promised rest. Then your life will be a glowing testimony to this generation.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to the Question of Faith
- A. Jesus' question in Luke 18:8
- B. Implication of a lack of faith among God's people
- II. The Problem of Unbelief
- A. Hebrews 3:12 - beware of an evil heart of unbelief
- B. Case study: Zacharias and his unbelief
- III. Consequences of Unbelief
- A. Israel's failure to enter the Promised Land due to unbelief
- B. Call to diligence and entering God's rest
- IV. Laying Hold of God's Promises
- A. Encouragement to hold onto God's Word
- B. Entering God's promised rest
Key Quotes
“When the trumpet finally sounds, will I find any faith at all?” — David Wilkerson
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” — David Wilkerson
“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must be diligent to enter God's rest and promises, lest we fall into the same example of disobedience.
- Unbelief is a serious sin that can keep us out of God's promises and rest.
- We can lay hold of God's promises by holding onto His Word and trusting in His goodness.