THE DEGREES OF FAITH 

Matthew 9:29; Hebrews 11:1

(Introduction to 7 Messages on The Degrees Of Faith)

One of the greatest chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11. We know it best as The Faith Chapter. In its 40 verses the word "faith" appears no less than 25 times. The chapter commences with...

I. The definition of faith (11:1)

Faith is the ground, the basis, the confidence for things we cannot see.

Faith that is seen is not faith at all (Rom 8:24; 2 Cor 4:18)

II. The declaration of faith (11:6)

Do you know why these men in Hebrews 11 are mentioned? Because by their faith they pleased God.

Faith is given not to perform miracles, but that we may please God. The Devil can work miracles, but he cannot please God.

Faith that pleases God...

A. Believes that God still is even when it looks like he isn't "believe that he is..."

There are times when it looks as if God isn't (Hab 1:2). The chaldeans threatening to annihaliate the people unless God intervened (Hab 1:2). God answered and told him he had done something (Hab 1:6). The very thing that made Habakah think God was doing nothing was the thing God was doing.

B. Believes that its always worth while to seek the Lord "seek him"

Jehoshaphat is a great example of seeking the Lord (2 Chron 20:1,3,12,14-17,22).

C. Believes that he is a rewarder of those who seek him (Isa 55:6-7)

III. There are degrees of faith

There is No faith (Mk 4:40), Little faith (Matt 8:26), Weak and Strong faith (Rom 4:19-23), Great faith (Matt 8:10). Here in our text verse (Matt 9:29), their is "your faith."

How would you describe your faith? Are you faithless, having no faith? Do you have little faith, weak, strong faith or do you have great faith?

There is only one way whereby we are able to increase our faith (Rom 10:17). The more we feed on the Word of God, the stronger our faith becomes. There is a work by the devil, the flesh, and the world to keep you from increasing your faith.

We see this in Matthew 13 in the parable of the Sower, the Seed , and the Soils.

The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11).

The sower is the servant of God (1 Cor 3:5-9).

The soils are the different kinds of heart responses to the word. All four hearts heard the word, but only one responded to the word.

A. The first heart is a hard heart in which the devil stole the word (Matt 13:19)

Because of its hardness did not take in the seed (13:19) "understandeth it not"

This hard heart resisted the word of God and made it easy for the devil to snatch it away! (john 10:10) "steal" The devil is a great thief of sermons.!

B. the second heart, is the shallow heart in which the flesh starved the word (Matt 13:20-21)

Note: Matt 13:5-6).

Their response to the word ( immediate) (Matt 13:20) "with joy"

Their response was emotional having no depth to it. They started out on fire, but they never finished!

Is Jesus saying they were saved and lost it? No, He is saying they never had salvation to begin with!

Their rejection to the word (Matt 13:21). It was the Word of God that offended them.

They sprung up quick and died just as quick! Why? They had no root! (Matt 13:21a) What happened? (Matt 13:21b). Verse 6 tells us it "withered away."

C. The third heart is the crowded heart in which the world strangled the word (Matt 13:22)

Note: (Matt 13:7). I want you to see the thorns that choked the good seed.

There are the cares of this world (Matt 13:22). Things I got to do.

There is the lust of things (Mark 4:19). The things I want.

there is the pleasures of this life (Luke 8:14). The things I like.

Now we understand why James said the world in an enemy of God (James 4:4). The world is a thorn that will strangle the Word.

When Jesus visited the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10). He found Mary ready to sit at his feet and hear His word. But Martha was cumbered about with "Much serving" (Luke 10:38-42) The word was choked in Martha's heart by "many things" (Luke 10:41).

D. The forth heart was a fruitful heart (Matt 13:23)

He received the word (Matt 13:23)

He retained the word (Matt 13:23) "Understandeth"

He responded to the word (Matt 13:23b; 12:33) "for the tree is known by his fruit" (John 15:5-6).

The fruitful heart pictures the true believer, because fruit, a changed life is the evidence of true salvation (2 Cor 5:17)

The other three hearts produced no fruit. Why? Because they belong to people who have never been born again!

Jesus said to the two blind men "according to your faith..."