Levels of Faith in the Life of the Believer – Dr. Charles Stanley

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male announcer: "In Touch"
with Dr. Charles Stanley,

reaching the world
with the gospel of

Jesus Christ through
sound biblical teaching.

Next on "In Touch,"
"Levels of Faith in

the Life of the Believer."

Dr. Charles Stanley: When you
face difficulties and trials

and hardships in life,
how do you respond?

Do you respond with doubt and
fear and anxiety and fretting

or do you respond by faith?

And if you respond by
faith, what level of faith?

You say, "What do you mean
by what level of faith?"

That's right,
what level of faith?

You say, "Well, how do you
know what these levels are?"

We're going to talk about it.

How do you
distinguish one from the other?

What does it mean in my life?

How does it affect my life?

Speaking of levels of faith.

Well, we all operate on
one of three levels of faith.

And the longer you live,
certainly the more faith

you and I ought to have.

And the higher up these levels
we ought to go in our faith.

But some people will stay all of
their lives on the lowest level

because number one, maybe
they don't even know that

there are levels of faith.

And secondly, too
afraid to launch out,

too fearful to trust God.

And so what happens is you go
through life and you miss His

best because you
never grow in your faith.

And that's what I want to
talk about in this message,

and that is "The Levels of Faith
in the Life of the Believer."

And it's very evident in
scripture that faith is very,

very important in the eyes
of God and He sees faith as

very important in our life.

And so, what we want to talk
about in this message is this.

How to raise your faith level.

How to get in a position where
you and your relationship to God

and the way you trust
Him will position you,

listen, to be able to be blessed
to the maximum of your potential

because the way you trust
Him determines the way

the blessings come.

You don't trust Him,
you don't get blessed.

You trust Him,
you'll get blessed.

And the more you trust Him and
the way that you're able to walk

in these levels of faith, the
greater the blessings are coming

your way.

Think about how
absolutely essential and

important faith is.

And let's think
about it in this light.

If you look at
the life of Jesus,

look at His ministry,
here's what you discover.

You discover that the theme
of faith permeated the whole

ministry of Jesus
no matter what.

And I want to give you a few
verses of scripture and I won't

have you turn to all of these
because I have enough of them

for you to turn to.

But I want you to think
about some of these verses,

for example, you find in
the scriptures concerning

His healing ministry.

Listen to what He is continually
saying when He's confronting

people, where they're
paralyzed, or they're blind,

or whatever the
situation may be.

Listen for example.

In Matthew nine, He
says to this lady,

"'Daughter, your faith
has made you well.'"

Then in Matthew fifteen,
"'O woman, your faith is great;

be it done unto you
as you wish.'"

And the fifth, second chapter of
Mark, when these fellows are

tearing up the roof of this
man's house and letting their

friend down by ropes so they, he
can finally get to Jesus and

be healed, Jesus said to him,
"seeing their faith,

'My son, your sins
are forgiven.'"

Then He says in Mark ten to
Bartimaeus, the blind beggar,

"'Go your way; your faith
has made you whole.'"

And again, He says, "Your
faith has saved you.

Receive your sight, your
faith has made you well.

Be it done unto you
according to your faith."

All through the
gospels--Matthew,

Mark, and Luke especially,
what you find is Jesus,

the theme of His
relationship to these people,

this needy people who
have a health problem,

whatever it might be,
it's always, listen,

based on their faith.

Remember He said on one occasion
he couldn't do any miracles

in a particular place
because of their unbelief.

They didn't have any faith,
they wouldn't trust Him.

And oftentimes you and I miss
out on God's best blessings

because we won't trust Him.

We don't believe
that He loves us.

We don't believe that He
will provide our needs.

We don't believe
that He'll heal us.

We don't believe that He
cares that much for us.

But if you look at His ministry,
what was He continually saying?

It was listen, it
was trust Him--faith,

faith, faith, faith, faith.

So, if that's true in
His ministry in His day.

If it were so important that he
magnified the subject of faith.

Nothing's changed.

Because you see,
in our lifestyle,

in our lifetime, in the
culture in which we live,

it makes no difference what
generation and what culture.

Faith permeates every
aspect of our life.

So either we will live on
this lower level of faith,

or we'll graduate.

And we'll, listen,
we'll grow in our faith,

and our understanding.

And what'll happen is
your life's going to change.

Once you move from level one and
you begin to operate on level

two and on level three,
your life's going to change.

What are these levels of faith?

How do we distinguish
between them?

What does God say about them?

That's what I want us
to consider primarily.

So, I want to give you, listen,
I want to give you a level,

then I want to give you a
word so you can remember it.

And the first level, listen,
the first level in scripture of

faith is little faith.

Little faith, and I
want you to remember this.

Little faith is restless faith.

Little faith is wrestling.

Little faith, for
example is saying,

I know He can, but
I'm not sure He will.

Little faith is
struggling--struggling because

it's a whole new perspective
on the way we live.

And you remember
what James said?

He that waver is like
the winds of the sea,

blowing hither and yon,
tossed to and fro.

He says, "Don't let that person
think they're going to receive

anything from God because
God does not honor

that kind of faith."

Does this mean,
watch this carefully,

does this mean that God will
never answer your prayers unless

you reach the
third level of faith?

No, it doesn't mean that.

It means that your
lifestyle is going to change.

It means that your relationship,
it means that your request,

that, it means that your, your
fretting and your anxiety and

your questions and your doubts
are going to disappear and God's

going to do something absolutely
fantastic in your life, why?

Because He wants
the best for you.

He doesn't want us living
on this particular level.

But this is level one.

Now I want you to
listen carefully.

The reason people stay on
level one--wrestling faith,

that is struggling faith,
laboring faith--is because their

focus is on the circumstances
and their focus is

on themselves.

Their resources, what
they think they can do.

And when your listen, when your
focus is on your circumstances

and your focus is on yourself,
your focus is on your resources,

you're not going to be
able to believe God for much.

It's just not going to happen.

Because all of us
have limited resources,

whether it's abilities and
talents and skills or finances.

And so as long as you're, as
long as you're asking and your

belief system,
you're on level one.

It is the level of
struggle, uncertainty,

doubts, laboring,
and what happens?

You're going to find that what
you're really looking for

in life, it's always seems to
be a little bit beyond you.

So what you have
to realize is this.

You have to ask yourself the
question where is my focus?

Listen to this carefully.

God doesn't want you
living on the level of

little faith--struggling,
laboring, wrestling over it all.

Will He, maybe He will,
maybe He won't.

Now here is a perfect
example of that and because,

if you look in the scriptures
there are all kind of examples

of how Jesus
operated in people's lives.

Well look if you will in
Mark chapter nine for a moment.

Here's a perfect
example of how this happens.

You'll recall that
in this passage,

for example, that verse twenty,
"They brought the boy to Him

when he saw Him, immediately
the spirit threw him

into a convulsion, and
falling to the ground,

he began rolling around
and foaming at the mouth.

And He asked his father,
'How long has this been

happening to him?'

And he said,
'From childhood."

Now watch these
next couple of verses.

It's been
happening all of his life.

"It has often thrown him both
into the fire and into the water

to destroy him," watch this,
"But if You can,

"this is the father speaking,
but if You can, do anything,

take pity on us and help us!'"

Now listen to Jesus's response:

"And Jesus said to him,
'If You can?'

All things are possible
to him who believes.'"

This is not what Jesus said.

Listen to the tone
of my voice.

If you can, all things
are possible to Him.

That's not what He said.

He says, "If You,
if You can help us,

have pity on us."

And Jesus said, "What do
you mean, 'If You can'?"

"All things are possible
to him who believes.'

And Immediately the
boy's father cried out and said,

'I do believe;
help my unbelief.'"

Perfect example of
what kind of faith?

Come on, what kind of faith?

Little faith, and little
faith is what kind of faith?

Wrestling faith, struggling
faith, laboring faith.

He said, "Lord, I do
believe; help my unbelief."

Now all of us have been
there at some point or,

in time, or the other.

And this is not to say that you
will never hit a circumstance

at which you won't
maybe feel that.

There are situations and
circumstances that try our faith

and God understands that.

But He doesn't want
us staying there.

We may hit one of those,
but He wants us to do what?

To move from level
number one of struggling,

wrestling, laboring
faith to level number two.

And that is a perfect
example of being there.

"Immediately the boy's
father cried out and said,

'I do believe;
help my unbelief."

What was he saying?

He was simply saying you
know, I'm believing You,

but I'm having a
hard time at it, I'm struggling.

And God honored that.

Now watch this carefully.

So I want to say again that does
not mean that God won't answer

your prayer when you are in
level number one struggling

because He
understands why you're there.

Now, the truth is
if you stay there,

then you don't
expect God's best.

That's not where He wants you.
He wants you moving up.

Which brings us, listen,
to level number two.

So think about this.

Level number two, we've
moved from little faith,

now to great faith.

Great faith is reaching faith.

Great faith is not
willing to stay on level one.

Listen, great faith is not
willing to stay down there where

you labor and wrestle and you
doubt and you fear and

you're full of anxiety.

Great faith is
willing to reach out.

It's reaching
faith--reaching faith.

Now you say, "Well,
what's reaching faith?"

Well, this is faith maturing.

Faith is
beginning to mature now.

Faith now is, listen, beginning
to stand on the truth

of God's Word.

Great faith is willing to
believe what God said

because that's what He said.

Doesn't need any proof.

If that's what God said, then
he believes that God will do it.

And this faith,
listen, is focused on God,

not on the circumstances.

Great faith is focused on God,
not the circumstances

which means whenever you're in
a situation or a circumstance,

whatever it might be, your focus
can't be on the circumstance,

how big it is,
how long it's been,

how bad it is, how deep
it is, how wrong it is.

That's not the issue.

The issue who is this
God with whom I'm dealing?

This God is bigger than
all my circumstances.

This God has the
power to, listen.

This God has the power to change
any circumstance in my life

no matter what it is.

Great faith is faith, it's what?

It's beginning to reach out.

Now let's look at, let's look at
a few scriptures here because

if you'll think about this
whole issue of great faith,

where does He talk
about great faith?

So, let's go back to Matthew
chapter eight for a moment.

Matthew chapter eight and
let's look at a few verses here.

Eighth chapter of Matthew,
and let's look if you will

at this fifth verse.

The centurion, "And when
Jesus entered Capernaum,

a centurion came to
Him, imploring Him,

and saying, 'Lord, my servant
is lying paralyzed at home,

fearfully tormented."

Jesus said to him, 'I
will come and heal him.'

Man, that's a fantastic
response, I'll come

and heal him.

"But the centurion
said to Him, 'Lord,

I am not worthy for You
to come under my roof,

but just say the word, and
my servant will be healed."

Can you say that?

Lord Jesus, just say the word.

Just give me a
verse of scripture.

Just speak to my heart.

Just make it, just say the
word, my servant will be healed,

"For I also am a
man under authority,

with soldiers under me;
and I say to this one,

'Go!' and he goes,
and to another,

'Come!' and he
comes, and to my slave,

'Do this!' and he does it.'

Now when Jesus heard this, He
marveled, and said to those who

were following, 'Truly I say to
you, I have not found such

great faith with
anyone in Israel."

He was saying, you know, these
Gentiles have more faith than

you Israelites and you're
sons and daughters of Abraham.

So He says, "I've not
seen such great faith."

Turn to the fifteenth chapter of
Matthew and look if you will

in this--let's go back
a few verses here.

This is the
Syrophoenician woman.

Let's look if you will
in verse twenty-two,

"And a Canaanite woman
from that region came,

and began to cry out,
saying, 'Have mercy on me, Lord,

Son of David; my daughter
is cruelly demon-possessed.'

But He did not
answer her a word.

And His disciples came
to Him and implored Him,

saying, 'Send her away,
she keeps shouting at us.'

But He answered and said, 'I was
sent only to the lost sheep

of the house of Israel.'

But she came and began
to bow down before Him,

saying, 'Lord, help me!'

And He answered and said,

'It is not good to take the
children's bread and throw it

to the dogs.'"

Now that's a pretty strong
statement because he was

saying, you know, I've come
for My own people the Jews,

testing her.

Look at this:
"But she said, 'Yes, Lord;

but even the dogs feed on
the crumbs which fall from

their master's table.'

Then Jesus said
to her, 'O woman,

your faith is great; it shall be
done for you as you wish.'

And her daughter was
healed at once."

You know why?
She didn't give up.

Great faith doesn't give up.

Great faith today does not
listen to people's

unwise counsel.

And Jesus was testing her.

And so oftentimes we're going
to get tested and what happens?

Either we listen to other
people or we go by our feelings,

or we go by our reason,
or we go by sight.

God wants us to go by His Word.

Great faith doesn't give up.

Great faith hangs in there no
matter what and great faith

gets the answer.

Level two is Christ-centered.

Level two is God-oriented.

Level two does not
focus on circumstances.

You said, you've said
that about five times.

Right!
You know why?

Because that's what the devil
wants to do--get you focused on

your circumstances
rather than on God.

Level number three, level
number three is perfect faith.

Level number three
is resting faith.

Not struggling and laboring,
not reaching--resting faith.

Perfect faith says
it's a done deal.

Well you say, "Oh,
now wait a minute,

that sounds rather
presumptuous."

No, it's not.

I want you to turn if you will
back to Mark chapter eleven.

Mark chapter eleven.

What's happening here is that
Jesus cursed this fig tree

and the next day they came by
and the disciples were

absolutely amazed.

And verse twenty says, "And they
were passing by in the morning,

they saw the fig tree
withered from the roots up.

And being reminded,
Peter said to Him,

'Rabbi, look, the fig tree which
You cursed has withered.'

And Jesus answered and said to
them, 'Have faith in God."

Does, isn't it amazing
how Jesus has these short,

terse, pointed, unforgettable,
inescapable answers to something

that we have these
big problems with?

What did He say?
Said, "Have faith in God."

Look at this thing.

This thing is cursed
from the roots up.

What's happened?
Have faith in God.

Now watch this:
"Truly I say to you,

whoever says to the mountain,
'Be taken up and cast into

the sea,' and does not
doubt in his heart,

but believes that what he is
saying is going to happen;

it'll be granted him.

Now watch this next verse.

You listening?
Say amen.

"Therefore I say to you, all
things for which you pray and

ask, believe that you have
received them," past tense,

"and they will be
granted to you."

Now you say,
"Well, that doesn't--

maybe that's a mistake."

It's not a mistake.
Here's what He says.

Level three is resting faith.

Not struggling and laboring,
not reaching--resting faith.

Level three brings you
to the level in your life where

you ask Him and you have--
you can stand on His Word

in absolute assurance.

You know God's will about that.

And you know what it is?

Perfect faith says this.

Not only can He, it's a done
deal, it's already done.

No more fretting,
no more anxiety,

no more worry, no more--
no manipulation,

no more trying to work it out,
figure it out, make it happen.

Perfect faith says it's
a done deal with God.

Where does God
want our faith to be?

Struggling, anxious,
trying to feel better,

getting over depression,
is that where He wants you?

No, it's not where He wants you.

I'll tell you
where He wants you.

He wants us moving from level
one to level two to level three.

Will you start out
with level three?

Most of the time, not,
but here's what happens.

You don't stay on level one
but a very brief moment of time.

You move to level two.

And then as you
grow in your faith,

you know what happens?

You'll be living on level
three most of the time.

You know why?

Because here's what,
here's the reason.

Because you have accepted
that He is who He says He is.

He is as wise as
He says He is.

He is as powerful
as He says He is.

He loves you unconditionally
like He says He does.

And therefore, you have
no reason to doubt Him.

And you think about this.

You may not be a Christian.

Do you realize what you believe
about Jesus Christ is going to

determine your whole eternal
destiny where you're going

to spend eternity.

Nothing else but
that determines it.

That's why it is so serious that
you and I consider our faith.

And for all of us
who are believers,

our reward's in Heaven.

You know where they, what
they're going to hinge on?

Our faith.

Did we trust Him
enough to believe Him?

Did we trust Him enough
to take that decision?

Did we trust Him
enough to follow Him?

Did we trust Him enough to
take this challenge here?

Did we trust Him enough to be
obedient when it was difficult?

Our, all of our rewards are
going to come ultimately by our

faith, because our actions
are a result of our faith.

That's why it is so important
that you and I examine

our faith.

Look at ourselves.

Have I trusted Jesus Christ
as my Savior?

Am I walking in faith?

Am I struggling down here,
cheating myself out of the

blessings that God has
already stored up for me,

simply because I've
never passed the struggling,

wrestling, laboring faith.

Oh God, take me
to level number 2.

God, take me to
level number three.

And you know what He'll do?

Here's what He'll do.

He'll give you enough
tests to grow up your faith.

And then one of these days,
most of your decisions will be

perfect faith,
if you'll trust Him.

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