A Bridge of Faith - Pastor Craig Winnington

• 14/06/2018
• SLC Stuart Price

 

 

 

A Bridge of Faith - Pastor Craig Winnington

 

Recently Mike Lyons shared a great message of Faith called ‘Against all Odds.’ During his message Mike said ‘Faith is the bridge between the declaration and the manifestation.’ It was this statement that prompted me to share this message.

What is a bridge? A bridge makes something possible to cross that would otherwise be impossible. Bridges are built to give easier access to places that would often be inaccessible.

In Romans 4:12-25 we see 4 steps of Faith that Abraham built into his life and achieved the impossible based on the promises of God.

V12 - States that we are to ‘walk in the steps of the Faith of Abraham, Not the steps of Abraham.’ Just like a bridge - Faith must be built in our lives.

Romans 12:3 says ‘each one of us has been given a measure of Faith.’

In Luke 17:5 the disciples asked Jesus to ‘increase our Faith.’

To increase means to ‘give more’, to ‘proceed further’ i.e. Faith needs to be developed in our lives. Faith is tested and developed in the crucible of circumstances.

What is Faith? - Faith in its simplest form is to believe. God has given us the promises in His word to believe what He has said, and see the fulfilment outworked in our lives.

The 4 ‘steps of the Faith of Abraham’ or pillars of Faith in Romans 4 are

1. He believed the Promise - v17

2. He conceived the Promise - v18

3. He pursued the Promise - v19-20

4. He received the Promise - v21

Let us look at the ‘steps’ individually:-

1. V17 He BELIEVED - the Promise - ‘I have made you a father’ V17 says that Abraham believed God! Who calls the things that be not as though they are’ It is God that calls into reality the things not seen - Not us, our responsibility is to believe that God will do according to His word for us.

2. V18 He CONCEIVED the Promise - ‘So he became a father’ - One meaning of conceive is ‘to grasp’ to ‘take into the mind’ i.e. let the promises of God become so a part of our lives - imbedded in us until they become a reality. ‘According to what was spoken’ - Speak the Promise! Declared them in the face of adversity and see God fulfil destiny and purpose it your life - ‘He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think’ Ephesians 3:20

3. V19-20 He PURSUED the Promise - How? Two Keys:-

a. He did not consider the problem

b. He did not waver at the promise

Weak Faith considers the circumstances and if not checked will cause us to waver or stagger i.e. to separate or withdraw from the Promises through unbelief Abraham became strengthened in Faith as He glorified God. That’s Faiths focus.

4. V21 - He RECEIVED the Promise - ‘Fully convinced’ i.e. - to ‘entirely accomplish’ what God had promised. God was able to bring to pass in Abrahams life. Romans 5:1-2 - THEREFORE! - ‘These things being so!’

Being justified by Faith we now have access by Faith or a bridge of Faith through the Promises of God to accomplish ALL He has for us as He did for Abraham.

Pastor Craig Winnington.

 

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