Champions Assembly May 2024: Hindrances to Faith and How to Overcome Them
Champions Assembly May 2024 (Speakers Note)
Hindrances to Faith and How to Overcome Them
Matt 14
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
- The first thing is to obtain faith from the Word. Rom 10:17.
Hear the word of faith, and be fully persuaded and convinced that it is God’s word to you. Because situations will come to test that word.
When the seed faith is released, Jesus said mentioned some things that happen to the word of faith that was sown:
Luke 8
5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
- The birds came to steal it.
- It fell on rock
- It was choked by the cares of life. The enemy sowed evil seeds. Matt 13:25
- The seed of faith reached the maturity of harvest
In summary: Hindrances to faith and how to overcome them.
- Offence: Life of sin, guilty conscience (Forgiveness). When you release your faith deal with offences and forgive otherwise it becomes an obstacle to faith.
Mark 11
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
1 Pt 3:7
2. Fear and worry. (Trust in God )
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
John 14:1
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
3. Lust for the world and the cares of life make you lose sight of the word of faith. (Focus your eyes on the revelation from God.) They choke the word. Luke 8:14
4. Lack of knowledge of the word. Obtaining the wrong information. Negative advice, subjecting God’s word to your reasoning or opinions of others whether from the internet or experts. (Keep meditating on the word to be fully persuaded.)
5. Lack of boldness to speak and act. (Practice speaking and acting out your faith and grow in it)
Matt 17 :19
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
6. Pressure from the devil and situation. Obstacles and oppositions, time lapse, distractions from the word. (Take time out to be with God in prayer and His word and fellowship. Apply fasting if necessary, pray in tongues to strengthen your focus on the word of faith).
Next week’s topic: Overcoming faith
Prayers