Infinite Fellowship Ministries

The Audacity Of Faith: Sermon By Deacon Sam Wachira

Audacity: Shameless boldness, fearlessness, an abnormal ambition that stems from an insatiable drive to become.

Abraham’s audacity to believe that God would give him a child, even though Sarah’s womb was as good as dead, was credited to him as righteousness. This audacious faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). 

Romans 4:19-22 (AMP)

Faith is the divine establishment, that roots us in the Word of God. It is a display of divine courage.

There are dire consequences that you will face when you do not exercise divine courage.

And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

1 Samuel 13:7-14 (NKJV)

Faith is exercised when you have a choice, but you won’t choose because God must choose for you.

God is called the God of recompense because He can restore ANYTHING, at ANYTIME, to ANY MAN!

How long are you willing to wait for God to fulfill His Word?

Do you have the divine courage to wait that long?

With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). 

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (AMP)

God is very adamant in telling us that we need to check the motivations for our actions. Is the motivation faith in Him? Are the actions as a result of faith in His Word?

The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother he must not come at all times into the Holy of Holies within the veil before the mercy seat upon the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

Leviticus 16:2 (AMP)

The Kingdom of God is about clarity. The result is final. Faith sees this finality. Faith sees this result. Faith sees the end game.

Do you have the courage?

Faith protects your purpose. Faith protects purpose. Faith brings a ring and hedge of fire around what God has given you.

Every day that God gives you is an opportunity and a chance to interact with purpose.

The knowledge that we are acting on God’s Word fills us with the joy of Christ.

Divine courage is something that the Holy Ghost fills us with when we obey His Word.

The authority that you exercise in acting out God’s Word will expose your position and function at your gate.
Service calls us to exercise faith in God’s Word.

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Mark 1:21-24 (NKJV)

The difference between my situation right now, and the manifest presence of God is a step of faith. An audacious, bold, step of faith.

Prayer and fasting, is not so that the demon can come out, but to remove the doubt in your heart.

And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:14-24 (NKJV)

When you exercise faith, you protect purpose. And not only for yourself, but for the generations to come.

Are we bold enough to say enough is enough? Do we have the bold courage to take a stand and refuse for a struggle that we are experiencing now to carry over to our descendants?

Jesus models for us this bold faith, this divine courage over and over in the Scriptures.

The mysteries of Christ are revealed to them that have a compassionate heart.

A Crisis of Faith

I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”

Numbers 11:14-15 (NKJV)

Moses was insecure about his leadership capacity.

And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

1 Kings 19:3-4 (NKJV)

Elijah, a man who exhibited great power and exploits but was ready to give up.

Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

Job 3:11 (NKJV) 

Job was a man of great assurance who was tested by calamity.

Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!

Jeremiah 20:14 (NKJV)

Jeremiah was the weeping Prophet. He had given up on God doing what He had said that He would do.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

Jonah 4:1-3 (NKJV)

Jonah considered it better to die than live.

God’s purpose is very dear to His heart. These five men were not unaware of God’s purpose.

However, they were not seeing things from God’s perspective. Their prayers, though made in faith, were not according to God’s will and purpose. That’s why God did not answer them.

These five men, though in the middle of a crisis, did not abandon their faith. And it is in this faith that indeed they cried out to God.

Therefore, do not give up on your faith. Do not surrender your faith in the face of a temporary crisis. Let us live in the realm of faith. Let us move in the realm of faith.