Faith Blockers: Things That Hinder Our Faith

Faith is required to make your future a reality. Hebrews 11:20 “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” Faith is required to create the future we desire. However, there are some things that render our faith impotent. What are they?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

So we'll continue. Faith, faith that works. Somebody say faith that works. Say faith that works. Yes, yes. How many people want their faith to work? I want my faith to work. I don't want my faith to fail. Hebrews 11, verse 6. Hebrews 11 verse 6 says, But without faith, it is impossible to do what? To please God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. There is something you need if you intend to please God. There is a currency, a substance you need if you intend to please God. It is called faith. Faith, without faith, it is impossible to please God. If you are going to please God as an individual, you need faith. Somebody say faith. If you are going to please God as a church, if we are going to please God as a church, we need faith. We need faith. We cannot please God without faith. So last week we started talking about what is faith, and we defined some things that faith is not. Who can remind us of some things that we tell that we said faith is not? Faith is not. Faith is not assumptions. Faith is not taking a risk. Faith is not taking a risk. You see, the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 29, it says by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned. So faith is not copying the action of somebody else. Faith is not copying someone else's action, actions. So what then is faith? We said it last week that faith is acting on the word of God. Somebody say acting on the word of God. Say acting on the word of God. Yes, that's what Peter did in Luke chapter 5. Peter got Jesus spoke to Peter. He said, Cast your net into the into the deep for for a catch. And Peter said, Oh, we have toiled all night. We didn't catch anything. But at the word, but at thy word, I will let down my nest. So faith is acting based on the word of God. Faith is also obeying the word of God. And finally, we said, faith is cooperating with God. Somebody say cooperate with cooperating with God. Yes, faith is cooperating with God. So today we want to move on to talk about how do we acquire faith. How do I acquire faith? How do I acquire faith? Father, we thank you. We acquire faith through the word of God. We acquire faith through the word of God. Romans chapter 10, verse 17. So then, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So then, faith comes by what? Hearing and hearing by the word of God. Let's read that together. Everybody want to go. So then, faith comes by what? Hearing and hearing by the word of God. Hearing here is talking about spiritual perception. Hearing here is talking about spiritual perception. Just as you have physical ears, you also have spiritual ears. And just as your physical ears develop by you nourishing yourself and feeding yourself good food, in the same way, your spiritual ears and your spiritual perception is developed by nourishing yourself with the word of God. Just as you know, your physical ears develop by feeding on food, your spiritual ears and your spiritual perception grows as you feed on the word of God. As newborn babes desire the pure make of the word, that you may what? Grow thereby. That you may grow thereby. So your spiritual ears develop as you soak in the sincere make of the word of God. Hearing by the word of God, perception by the word of God. This is why it is dangerous to listen to anyone who you are not sure of the source of their inspiration. It is dangerous to listen to anyone who you are not sure of the source of their inspiration. Hearing by the word of God. For those who who consult prophets, for those who go to prophets, you have to be sure of the source of their inspiration. Are they speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost? Are they speaking by the by the prop by Jesus? Second Peter chapter 1 verse 21. Quickly, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 21. Let me drop this here. 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 21. Or from human initiative. He's saying that from verse 21. It says, Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke from God. They were moved by the Holy Spirit and they did what they spoke from God. Let me read the NKJV version. It says, Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came of the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. If you are consulting a prophet, you better know that they are being moved by the Holy Spirit. You better know that, and you see, the Holy Spirit will not move any prophet to say things or to do anything that is contrary to the word of God. It will not move them. So the inspiration of the source of their inspiration is very important. Hearing by the word of God, hearing by the word of God, perception by the word of God, not by listening to a particular type of music, not by tuning into a particular frequency, not by taking a particular pose, not by taking a particular yoga pose. No, that's not where hearing comes from. Hearing comes by what? The word of God. Not by going on a particular mountain, not by speaking to a prophet. Hearing comes by what? Come on, tell me. Hearing comes by the word of God. If you are depending on any other thing I have here, if you are depending on any other thing to help you hear from God, other than the word of God primarily, you will soon fall into a trap. If you depend on any other thing, other than primarily depending on the word of God, to hear from Him, you will soon fall into a trap. If you are if you want a shortcut, I'm not hearing God, I'm not hearing God, and you want a shortcut and you are pursuing some shortcut, you start listening to some kind of music, you start listening to some kind of frequencies that they say, oh, it turns you to the realm of the spirit. You will soon fall into a trap. Hearing comes by the word of God. Hearing comes by the word of God. You cannot have faith outside the word of God. You cannot have faith outside the word. And permit me, I have to say this: faith does not come by serving in church either. Faith does not come by serving in church. Faith does not come by carrying speakers. I carry speakers. That's not how faith comes. Faith does not come by that. Faith does not come by being a worker in church for a long time. No. If you are not growing in the word of God, you are not growing in faith. If you are not growing in the word of God, you are not growing in faith. Let me say that again. If you are not growing in the word of God, you are not growing in faith. Faith grows only with our attention to the extent we give attention to the word of God. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 16. Above all, taking the sheet of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery doubts of the wicked one. You take on the sheet of faith. Somebody says, but Pastor, the Bible is such a big book, such a big book. It's that 66 books, and you know, I don't know where to stand, I don't know what to do. Well, let me tell you a few things that you must do with your Bible. A few things that you must do with your Bible. A few things that you must do. Let's go through a few things that you must do. How do you begin to do it? Number one, read it. Somebody say, read it. Say, read it, say, read it.

unknown 8:11

Read it.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Yes, first Timothy chapter 4, verse 13. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Give attention. Paul speaking to Timothy is mentee. Give attention, he says, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. You see, just as digestion starts in your mouth, physical digestion starts in your mouth, it is the same with the word of God. You read it first, you have to ingest it. And you see, reading the word of God is very important, very important because it provides us information. It provides us information about the kingdom of God. You see, when you became a child of God, you subscribed to a new kingdom. That's the paradigm shift that many of us never really make or find it difficult to make. When you became a child of God, when you say, Oh, Jesus, be my Lord and Savior, you are subscribing to a new kingdom. As a matter of fact, the genesis of this kingdom is from Abraham, he's the father of our faith. I mean, and you are not an Israelite. You are not an Israelite. You know, you are you are from a Jabu. You are not an Israelite. So the the tenets of this new kingdom is something that is alien to you. You don't know how to live the life of a Christian. You don't know it. You've never been, you've never been a Christian before, even if you were born in a Christian family. So reading the word of God begins to expose you to the tenets of this kingdom, the expectations of this kingdom, how we think in this kingdom, how we act in this kingdom, how we respond in this kingdom, how we, you know, what are the expectations of us in this kingdom? So reading the word of God, that is it's very important to give us information about the kingdom of God. And that's how transformation begins to happen. Transformation of your mind begins to happen. You begin to see things the way God wants you to see them. So you start by reading it. Number two, you study it. Somebody says, study it. Yes, you study the word of God. And just as digestion of natural food does not also end in the mouth, digestion of God's word does not stop at reading. Let me say that again. Just as digestion of natural food does not end in the mouth, digestion of God's word does not stop at reading. You have to go a step further. Somebody say, Go a step further. Yes, you go through your notes after church service. You go through your notes, you go through your notes after a church service. You know, and you make the time to go through your notes after a church service. You know, I I even try to go through my notes after the notes that I prepared for. I go through it. When I listen to a sermon and I take notes, I go through it, and I realize that the the earlier if I try to, if I go through my notes 48 hours or less after I've listened to something, it's a game changer. If I if I listen, if I listen to a sermon, I listen to a man of God preach, I take notes, and 48 hours or less after I have done that, I go back to my notes. That thing sticks in my mind. It sticks in my mind. I just look at it again, I consider it again, I look at it again, it sticks in my mind. So you study it, you create time. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15. Study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly doing what? Dividing the word of truth. So you study the word of God. You study the word of God. And we've said this before. If you don't study the word of God, you see, you say, if you don't study, you may be ashamed. You may be ashamed when you're supposed to be confident because you've not studied. Number three, let's move on. You listen, how we're we're talking about how do I, how do I, you know, go through this Bible. You said faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The Bible is so big, how do I begin to how do I approach it? We you approach it by reading it, you approach it by studying it, and then you approach it by listening to preaching and teaching by anointed men of God. You listen to preaching and teaching by anointed men of God. There are two ways whereby we ingest God's word into our lives. We ingest it through the eye gate. Somebody say eye gate. Yes, eye gate. You ingest it through the eye gate. That's that's reading the written form of the word of God, and you can also ingest the word of God through the ear gate, that is listening to the word of God in audio form, whether your Bible app or a message from an anointed man of God through the ear gate, through the ear gate, Ezekiel chapter 2, verse 2. If the presence of God is not on that teaching, it will not build faith in you. If the presence of God is not on a teaching, it will not build faith in you. Ezekiel chapter 2, verse 2. Then the spirit entered into me when he spoke to me and set me on my feet, and I heard him who spoke to me. That is, when you are listening to a message, when you are listening to a teaching, you know that it is anointed when something when something moves on your inside. When something moves on your inside, it says the spirit entered into me as he spoke to me and it sets me on my feet. Somebody says, Set me on my feet. Yes, when you listen to an anointed teaching or an anointed preaching, it should not condemn you. You should set you on your feet, it should make you stand. Haven't done all to stand, it should make you stand, not make you fall. Oh, I think I'm preaching well this morning. I said, It should make you stand, not make you fall. When you listen to an anointed teaching, you see, the Bible says in Romans chapter 8, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation, the Bible says. When you listen to an anointed man of God preach, while they will challenge you to change your ways, while they will challenge you that God expects more of you, it should still make you stand. It should still make you stand, it should not condemn you, and you now feel defeated. Ah, what am I going to do now? I don't know where else to go. Can I ever become a serious Christian? No. So you listen to preaching and teaching from anointed men of God. You listen to preaching from anointed men of God. What do you do with the word of God? What do you do with the Bible to build faith on your inside? You read books of proven authors. Somebody say, Read books. Yes, read books of proven authors, read books of proven authors. And finally, you walk with the people that have strong faith. You walk with people that have strong faith. You walk with people that have strong faith. People who have been through fire and were not burned. I said, you walk with people who have strong faith. People who have been through fire and were not burned. People who have been through the lion's den and um they were not consumed. Yes, you walk with people who have been in the fiery furnace, and when they came out, even the smell of fire was not on them. You walk with people who have used their faith to accomplish something meaningful and something significant. Are you hearing what I'm saying? You walk with people of strong faith. That's how you build your faith. You walk with people of strong faith, not people who are always going to be pulling you down. Look at what the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. Let's start reading from verse 32. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell you of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdom. Somebody says subdued kingdom, walked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lion, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness, were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the harming surveillions. Walk with people who have proven track record of their faith in Jesus. Walk with people who have proven, not people who are always going to be pulling you down, they only see the negative of things, and they never see any positive. They are perpetual pessimists. Perpetual, it's only what is wrong that they see. They never see anything that is right. Those people, they will drain your faith. They will drain your faith. They will drain your faith. No matter how much you read the Bible, if you are exposing yourself to those kinds of people, they will drain your faith. You walk with people who have used their faith in God to achieve something meaningful. All right, today that was just completing my message from last week. All right, let's get into the message of today. Today, we want to talk about what are the things that render our faith impotent. What are some things that render our faith impotent? And I'll try to go through this in the next 15 minutes. In Jesus' name. What are some things that do what? That render our faith impotent. What are some things that render our faith impotent? Number one, sin. Sin renders our faith impotent. We're talking about faith that works, faith that would work, faith that would not fail. And we're talking about what some things that render our faith impotent. You see, sin renders our faith impotent. Somebody says, Ow, well, you see, faith is an action that we take based on the strength of the conviction of our inner man. Faith is an action that we take based on the strength of our inner man. So faith is based on us being confident in God. And then we act that confidence. We act out that confidence that we have in God. You see, remember, Jesus says in Mark chapter 11, verse 22, it tells us, it says, have faith in God. We talked about that last week. Our faith in God. So what sin does then is that it makes us run away from God. Sin makes us run away from God because you you can't have a confidence in a God that you're running away from. You see, faith is action that you take based on your confidence in God. But sin has this quality about it, has this has this unique thing about it that when there is sin in your life, you you just run away from God. And it's not it's not that it's not possible to have faith in a God that you are running away from. This is what happened to Adam. It happened to Adam in Genesis chapter 3, verse verse 9 to 10. Then the Lord came, the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? So he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. I hid myself, I hid my. I mean, many of us at some at one time or the other we might have experienced this where you just had something in your life that you had not resolved, an unrepented sin, and you just I heard somebody say that, you know, an unbeliever was like, if I go to church, if I go to church, my my fire, my clothes will catch fire. You know, it's because of that conviction. It's because of that conviction that you're like, I can't be in the presence of a holy God in this state that I'm in. There is something about you that knows that uh God is holy and that you're not. God is holy and you're not, and so when there is sin in our lives, it prevents us, it it it deflates our faith. It deflates our faith. Now, it's one thing for a sinner to be um afraid and to feel uncomfortable in the presence of God, but it's another thing for a believer, a saint, to feel uncomfortable in the presence of God, and that's what happens when we have unrepented sin in our lives. When we have unrepented sin in our lives, faith will not work. When we have unrepented sin in our lives, faith would not work. Let me say that again. When you have unrepented sin in your life, faith will not work, no matter how long you spend praying. So then what do we do? What do I do if I have this unrepented sin in my life? What do you do? You repent. First John chapter 1, verse 9. First John chapter 1, verse 9. If we confess our sin, it is what? Faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is faithful and is just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You can bank on that scripture, and that scripture was written to Christians, it wasn't written to non-believers. That scripture in 1 John chapter 1, verse 9, was written to Christians. So no matter what you've done, no matter the shortcoming, no matter where you've been, no matter how bad you feel, you can always go back to God. Somebody say, I can always go back to God. Yes, I can always go back to God. God is always coming, he's always a prodigal God. You see, that that uh that um story that we're called the prodigal son is actually the prodigal God, is that he's the God that is actually prodigal, he's not the son. Because God is always waiting, always willing to stand on you, no matter how far you've been, no matter where you've you've gone. So that's what number one, sin deflates our faith. Sin deflates our faith. Number two, offenses deflates our faith. Offenses deflates our faith. And I'll I will contend and say that this is perhaps the main reason many Christians have their faith impotent. This is perhaps one of the major reasons. If I had to put a percentage, I'll probably say 75 to 80 percent. Many Christians have their faith impotent because of offenses. I I heard a man of God, I think it's um Pastor Dolakway was saying that every without faith, most of the people he ministers deliverance to, when he begins to interview them, many of them have um some offense, somebody they need to forgive. And usually when they forgive that person, deliverance the deliverance is simple and straightforward. Deliverance is it just happens. Many people, many believers, you just have an offense in your heart. And we're gonna spend some time here this morning. We make our faith important when we harbor offenses in our heart. When the enemy knows that you need faith to cross a particular threshold, when the enemy knows that you need faith to launch into a new season of possibilities, when the enemy knows that you need faith to achieve something incredible, when the enemy knows that you need faith to achieve something that has not been done in your family or your lineage before, what it does is simple. It brings offenses, it brings offenses, and these offenses will not happen with people that are far from you. These offenses will not happen with people that are far from you, it will be people that are the closest to you. I'm talking about your spouse, I'm talking about your children, I'm talking about your siblings, I'm talking about your parents, I'm talking about your pastor, I'm talking about your church members. They will offend you. The enemy will fashion something, it will fashion something when he knows that you need faith, you need to stand in faith about. Something. You need to stand in faith about your health. You need to stand in faith about your finances. You need to stand in faith about your money. You need to stand in faith about your career. It will bring offenses your way. It will bring offenses your way. David was lamenting in Psalm 55, verse 12 to 14. He was lamenting. He says that it is not, it is not an enemy who taunts me. I could bear that if it was an enemy. If it was somebody far from me, it is not my foe who so arrogantly insults me. I could have hidden from them. At least I could have run from them. Instead, it is you, my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walk together to the house of God. That is the people you went to church together, they are the ones who is going to taunt you. They are the ones who are going to offend you. The people you oh my goodness, they are the ones that are going to offend you. The people closest to you, the people that can that have your number. I said the people that have your number, they're the ones that are going to offend you. Offenses are so dangerous because they trap our possibilities. Offenses trap possibilities. It hinders the fulfillment of our potentials, it hinders the fulfillment of your full potentials, offenses. You see, this happened to Jesus. The more Jesus moved towards the cross, the more he moved towards the fulfillment of his ultimate destiny on the earth. The more he moved towards that thing, the more offenses arose. Have you thought about it? The more Jesus was moving towards the reason he came here, the more he was moving towards it, the more he was marching towards that thing, the more offenses arose. And Jesus would need God to prove his faithfulness and to raise him from the dead after he died. If Jesus had aborted offenses in his heart, that could have been it could have been truncated. You see? He was denied by Peter three times before the cock rolled. Offenses. He kept saying, Father, forgive them for they do not know what they're doing. Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Even when he was actually dying on the cross, it was now on the cross, so almost dead. Offenses still came by the thief on the other side. And said, If you are, if you are if you are the son of God, uh uh, Alpha Ogar, if if you really claim that you are the son of God, deliver yourself and us now. You see, the worst thing you can tell a man to is to prove that he's a man. The worst thing you can tell a man is to say, ah, you say you are a man, or yeah, prove now, prove that you are a man. That's the worst thing you can tell a man. Because then they want they want to do everything they can to show you that they're a man. But Jesus did not fall into that trap. It was an offense, it was a to the strategy of the enemy, to the strategy of the enemy to truncate what he came here to do. The strategy of the enemy to truncate what he came here to do. So you've prayed, you've prepared for this interview, you've prayed, you've prepared for this job interview, you you're you're or you're you're writing this exam and you are trusting God for for something major in your life. You know, suddenly the night before, somebody will just offend you. Out of nowhere, you know, somebody will just offend you. Maybe your spouse. You will just say something, you begin to spiral out of control. You can't control yourself anymore. It is a strategy of the enemy, it is a strategy of the enemy. You have to know that what the enemy is trying to do is to disable your faith. And you must learn how to forgive and move on. You must just learn it. You must just learn how to how to forgive and move on. This is one of the most important skills that you can develop as a Christian in your work of faith. One of the most important things you can develop as a Christian is to forgive and move on, is to forgive and not expect them to come and apologize. I don't know if you're hearing what I'm saying. One of the most important skills you would develop in your Christian faith is to forgive and move on, and not expect them to come and beg you. I hope you hear what I'm saying, and not expect them to come and apologize. So you just forgive and you move. Because you see, forgiving someone is technically one of the most selfish things we can do. Because you are not forgiving them because of them, you are forgiving them because of yourself. You tell yourself, I don't, I, I, I, if I don't forgive this person, I'm going to be in big trouble. That's the that's the sermon you preach to yourself. If I don't forgive this person, I'm going to be in big trouble. So you tell yourself, I might just as well forgive them. Not because of you, but because I want to move on with my own life. This is the attitude Joseph had. Joseph did not wait for his brothers to come and apologize. He just forgave and move on and moved on. When you allow offenses, it traps your possibilities. It traps what God can do in your life. It traps what God can do in your life. You must maintain joy. Keep a right attitude. Don't let anything offend you. Don't let anything, don't let anyone I see. The devil will now put some people in your way. They will just be there like this. Expecting offense, shooting arrows of offense at you. Expecting offense, shooting arrows of offense at you. Expecting offense, shooting arrows. You must determine that you are not going to be offended. You must determine. You must maintain a conscience devoid of offense. You must maintain a conscience, what? Devoid of offense. At the junction of your biggest breakthrough, the enemy will station people to bring offense into your life. And if you let it, that negative prophecy may come to pass. I want you to fight offense like you fight a demon. If you fight offense the same way you fought demons, maybe your life will be better than it is right now. If you fought offense the same way you fought demons, you fought offense the same way you fought demons, maybe your life will be better than it is right now. So I want you to have that attitude. Fight offense. Fight offense. Fight offense. You have to tell yourself, as long as it lies with me, I am going to be at peace with all men. As long as it lies with me, I am going to be at peace with all men. You have to be able to say that I am at peace with everyone, and I have nothing against every anybody. Look at Mark chapter 11, verse 25. Mark chapter 11, verse 25. Mark 11, verse 25. And then we're going to make a confession together. Remember, it was in Mark chapter 11, verse 22 that Jesus tells us to have faith in God. Jesus tells us in verse 22, have faith in God. Then in verse 25, look at what it says. And whenever you stand praying, if any, if if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. That your father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. That your father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. I want us to say this confession together, everybody. In the name of Jesus. Oh, you say it louder. He said, In the name of Jesus. I decree and declare that Satan will not be able to ensnare me. In his trap of offense, I said Satan will not be able to ensnare me. In his trap of offense. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I am empowered to disallow any root of bitterness to spring up in my life. I said, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am empowered to disallow any root of bitterness to spring up in my life. My heart is free from my heart is free of offense. Hunger and unforgiveness. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, I decree and declare that my eyes are open to see and understand the true condition of my heart always. I said, My eyes are open to see and understand the true condition of my heart always. And I am free from any hidden offense. I am free from any hidden offense in the name of Jesus. That I am harboring in Jesus' name. I said, I am humble and gentle. I am patient in all my relationships, especially with those in opposition to me. When the trials of life encompass me, and the genuineness of my faith is tested with fire. I said, when the trials of life encompass me, and the genuineness of my faith is tested with fire, the character of God, which is more precious than gold, will be visible in my life.

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Oh, I like that one. I said, by the power of the Holy Spirit, when the trials of life encompass me, and the genuineness of my faith is tested, when the genuineness of my faith is tested with fire, the character of God, the character of God, which is more precious than gold, will be visible in my life. Turn it into a prayer for two minutes.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

In the name of Jesus, I read my heart of every offense. I read my heart of any eating offense. In the name of Jesus, I read my heart of any eating offense. In the name of Jesus. I read my heart of any eating offense. When the pressure of life comes, when the when my faith is tested, the trap oh God, the character of God will be visible in my life. In the name of Jesus, the character of God will be visible in my life. In the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' mighty name, we are praying. Offense would deflate your faith. Offense will deflate your faith like more than anything. Offense will deflate your faith. You must run away, you must fight offense like you are fighting the demon. You have the same attitude to offense that you have. You reject it. Number three, we're talking about the things that deflate our faith. We said sin deflates our faith. We said offenses deflate our faith. Number three, foolish arguments deflate our faith. Foolish arguments deflate our faith. Foolish arguments. Colossians chapter 2, verse 8. Colossians chapter 2, verse 8. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. Foolish arguments will cheat you out of your faith. Foolish argument will cheat you out of your faith. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 23 to 26. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 23 to 26. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. Have you ever been in an argument and you at the end of it you are all worked up, you are sweating and everything, and you're not okay. What was that about, really? Ah you are you are looking you are fine, you are looking for the top and bottom of the argument. You can't find it. Maybe with your spouse, maybe with someone at work, maybe, maybe with somebody on the on the street. He says, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient in humility, correcting those who are in opposition. If God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having their having been taken captive by him to do his will. Are you do you see that? That's such a beautiful verse. I wish we had time. It says, and a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, a servant of God must be patient, and it says, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition to you. It says, if perhaps, if perhaps, if if if it's in the heart of God to grant them repentance so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses. That is, if you cannot correct them in humility, if you feel like you have to shout, if you feel like you have to raise your voice, if you feel like your temper is being raised, if you feel like your BP is being is rising, then you have no business engaging in that argument. You have no business engaging in that foolish argument. Things that that don't that don't edify. How does this contribute to our life moving forward? How does this argument contribute to my life? You ask yourself. Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 5. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 5. Look at what it says. Having a form of godliness, but denying its power. And from such turn away. There are people you will encounter, they have a form of godliness, they speak the right language, they they speak the right Christianese. But when it comes down to it, you see, like you notice that they are denying the power of the gospel. We went for evangelism yesterday, and of course, we met different types of people. You know, people that want to major on the minor. People that want to major on the minor that want to tell you that, oh, Jesus is not God. But Jesus is not God. The Bible says that Jesus is not God. So so so that's why I'm not going to give my life to Christ. People that want to major on the minor, people that look for fringe ideas and they put it before you. You don't you avoid what? Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. Why? They will deflate your faith. They will deflate your that is you don't want to go for evangelism and you're the one that was evangelized. You go for evangelism and then you when you get back home, you begin to question everything you have believed. Why? Because you engaged in a foolish argument, you engaged in the foolish argument, in ignorant disputes. How can there be three gods in evangelism? All I came to tell you, brother, is that Jesus came, he died for you, and on the third day he was raised from the dead. He did that for you, accept him or not. That's the gospel. Not to start proving points, avoid ignorant argument because there are people who have gone on evangelism and they were the ones that was evangelized. Engaging in foolish arguments will wreak your faith. You begin to question everything. Okay, let's quickly round up. Let's quickly round up. So we've said sin deflates our faith, renders our faith impotent. What's the second thing we said renders our faith important? Offenses renders our faith impotent. What's the third thing? Foolish arguments. Foolish argument deflates your faith. And finally, pride deflates our faith. Pride deflates our faith. You see, it's important to acquire skills, it's important to acquire the right skills, it's important to become sound and even world-class in whatever we do. It's important, it's important. God wants us to be excellent. He wants us to be excellent. And we see that in the in the story of in the scriptures. We see it in the life of Daniel, we see it in the life of Joseph. God wants us to be excellent. But we must never forget that victory is of the Lord. Proverbs chapter 21, verse 31. The us is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord. You must that is you can you can you can prepare, you can, you can put your finances in order, you can save and invest, you can do everything. But guess what? One sickness can throw off all your finances and all your savings. You must never forget that it's not of him that that wheels, it's not of him that runs, but it's of the Lord that shows mercy. You must never forget. We always, when they tell you that you are doing a good job, or you've done a good job in that presentation today, or oh great, or you said ah, people are commending you about your how your life is in order. You must go back to your house, kneel down, and give God the praise. Because the horse is prepared for the day of battle for deliverance, is of the Lord. Anytime people send accolades our way, we must be quick to return the glory and praise to God. Because without Him, we will not have the breath in our lungs to even use the talent and the skills that we have been praised for. Let me conclude. So we've said, How do you acquire faith? You acquire it through the word of God. If you're dependent on any other thing to help you build your faith, to help you build your perception other than the word of God, that is a trap of the enemy. And how do you approach the word of God? You read it, you study it, you listen to proven, you read books from proven authors, you listen to preaching and teaching of anointed men of God, and then you walk with those who have proven results of their faith. You walk with those who have used their faith to achieve something significant for God or in their own personal lives. And I can share more examples with you on that next week. Concluding, you will need faith to please God, as we read in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6. And you will also need faith for a glorious future. Faith is required to make our lives, our future a reality. And faith is required to create the future that we desire. Faith is required to create the future that we desire. I want us to pray. Let's be on our feet and pray from 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 9. Let's be on our feet and let's pray.