Fully Persuaded: Four Things That Activate a Promise

Sermon outline

Like Abraham, every believer has to generate their own fully persuaded faith from the Word, with a clear image of the promise, a burning desire, assurance and action, and protect it from the people who laugh at it.

1. You need your own fully persuaded faith

   Abraham was called out of his family and given a promise of a son when he and Sarai were past childbearing, though they were wealthy and had many staff. There are things money, medical aid and savings cannot solve, such as a person depressed in their spirit. If your first response to every crisis is to look for somebody to pray for you, that is not a good place to begin. Scripture tells the sick to call the elders, but in your personal life you must be able to stand on the Word alone at home, and you cannot do that casually, any more than you can breathe casually.

   Illustration: In South Africa we use rands and overseas dollars; in the kingdom faith is the currency, and it works anywhere.

   “See, nobody breathes casually because you will die.”

   • James 5:14-15

2. Faith speaks what faith believes

   Behind every written word is a God, and the Pharisees searched the Scriptures without knowing the One they spoke of. After Ishmael, when Abraham and Sarah had put the cart before the horse, God showed Abraham the stars and changed their names to father of many nations and mother of nations. They went home and called each other by the new names in front of their household, before there was any child, and the more he spoke his new name the more the image of his new nature was birthed inside him.

   Illustration: Sarah calling across the house, "Hey, Abraham, can you get me something to eat?" while the staff look around wondering who the father of nations is, since he has no children.

   “Faith speaks what faith believes.”

   • John 5:39
   • Genesis 17:5
   • Genesis 17:15

3. Without weakening, without wavering, fully persuaded

   Abraham faced the fact that his body was as good as dead without weakening in his faith, and faith is weakened by doubt, unbelief and fear. He did not waver, like the man James describes who is tossed to and fro, but was strengthened and gave glory to God, fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness: an empty account moved from minus to plus. Faith is not in the mind or the senses; it is generated in your spirit from the Word.

   Illustration: A woman toys for weeks with dyeing her black hair blonde while friends try to persuade her either way, until she decides, goes to the salon and walks out with a blonde bob. That is fully persuaded.

   “Be fully persuaded that God is well able to take you out of debts.”

   • Romans 4:19-22
   • Hebrews 11:6
   • James 1:6

4. The four elements that activate God's promises

   First, a clear-cut image of the promise: know exactly what you want, because faith does not work in vagueness. Second, a burning desire that consumes you, so you think about it and speak it. Third, assurance that God will come through whatever you are facing. Fourth, act on what you believe. He then reads Proverbs 4: attend to my words, let them not depart from your eyes, for they are life and health to all your flesh, and keep your heart with all diligence, because what you deposit in your spirit is what projects out into your life.

   Illustration: Promise your child a reward for a good school year, and he says he wants a PS5. Bring him an old Tetris game and he will ask what this is.

   “Don't be vague because faith does not work in vagueness.”

   • 2 Timothy 2:15
   • Proverbs 10:24
   • Proverbs 4:20-23

5. Jairus and the woman: faith acknowledges the problem and confesses the answer

   Jairus fell at Jesus' feet, named the problem, that his daughter was at the point of death, and in the same breath made his confession that if Jesus laid hands on her she would live. Faith does not deny the facts; it names them so you know what to pray against. The woman with the issue of blood had spent everything on doctors and grown worse, and she kept saying to herself that if she touched His garment she would be made whole. Jesus told her it was her faith that made her whole. Unbelief is not having no belief; it is believing the wrong thing.

   Illustration: At a hospital he prayed with a woman who was bleeding and told her that her faith would heal her; she told him that was where he lost her, because it made her responsible for her own healing, and then phoned family to talk about her death. A colleague's medical aid ran out, one month's bill came to 600,000, and her mother had to sell a house.

   “Faith does not deny the problem.”

   • Mark 5:21-34
   • Romans 10:17
   • Mark 11:23-24
   • Mark 9:23-24

6. Put the mourners out: protect your faith promise

   While the woman was testifying, messengers came to say Jairus's daughter was dead, and Jesus said do not be afraid, only believe. He narrowed those with Him to Peter, James and John, told the wailing crowd the child was not dead but asleep, and when they laughed He put them all out before He raised her. Some of your dreams are not dead but asleep. Avoid close relationships with those who do not respect your faith dreams, because if Jesus could put people out, so should you.

   “If Jesus could put people out, so should you.”

   • Mark 5:35-43

7. How to activate your faith

   Invest time writing down your scriptures and a clear, personal vision of what you are trusting God for. Let go of an old dream that no longer excites you, because God is doing a new thing. Own your faith vision and never leave it at the mercy of somebody else; where there is no vision the people perish. Seek the Lord before you seek man, and go to the doctor with God's word. Place your promise where you can see it, because faith is the title deed of things not seen. What you see is what you become. Make your faith goal your joy, and include the Holy Spirit, the incubator of the Word, in every faith dream.

   Illustration: You do not carry a piece of land around to prove you own it; you carry the title deed, and you can stand on it in court.

   “Faith is the image of things hoped for, the title deeds of things not seen.”

   • Isaiah 43:19
   • Proverbs 29:18
   • Proverbs 16:3
   • Isaiah 55:11
   • Hebrews 11:1
   • Numbers 23:19
   • John 1:14

In this message