Your Faith Has Made You Well Matt 20: 29‐34, Mark 10: 46‐52, Luke 18: 35‐43 1.
The Faith which knew Christ (“Jesus, Son of David!”) The Lord said to the blind man “Your faith has made you well”, what sort of faith should we adopt so that our problems could be solved? It is the faith which knew who Christ is. How much we know about Christ relates to our maturity in Life; how much we enjoy Christ relates to our strength in Life; how much we follow Christ relates to our crown of glory. A person’s life begins and revives from the moment when he/she knows Christ. a. The blind man Bartimaeus heard the news about the Lord – The blind could see, the lame could walk, people with leprosy were cleansed, the deaf could hear, the dead could be resurrected…; He’s heart only yearns that his eyes could be opened. Therefore, after he has heard about the Lord Jesus Christ, all that his heart could think is: “I want to see Jesus Christ; I want to know this Jesus of Nazareth”. Because of this great hope from him, that was the very important beginning / fundamental which had called him to be saved. :‐ When we truly know our problems in our life, and we knew that we couldn’t solve our own problems, or others could not help us, and after we have heard the news of Christ Jesus, “those whom have faith, will have an eternal life, the sick will be healed, their spirit will be rested and in everything they are called to be blessed…”; Therefore when we know in our hearts that “we have to know Him more” and once we have hope, this is the time when the Holy Spirit starts working in our lives. :‐ For those whom are able to see the beginning with a heart of meekness, lament, thirst for righteousness and those whom are pure in heart will be blessed. b. More importantly, Bartimaeus knew Nazareth Jesus is “The Son of David”
= Jesus Christ / Messiah = = The Great Prophet, The Great Priest, The Great King = He causes others to see the Heavenly Father / forgives sins, revives lives / causes others to obtained an eternal victorious life… = He is the solution to all problems, and the one whom could revive our blessedness. ** Faith does not depend on hypnotization, generosity, courage and strong will, but in depending on understanding and acknowledgement of evidences. i. For the faith which doesn’t know Christ are being categorized as superstition, blindness or craziness. For those who don’t know Christ and worship, they are not worshipping God but idols, demons, the world, the desires of the body, which will result in terrible circumstances. ii. When we believe in Christ, it doesn’t occur just because of a spur of strong conviction, reverentness or extremism, but it is because it goes according to the truths (aligns with the understanding of our fundamental problem / aligns with the principles of revival / aligns with the results after believing in Christ / aligns with the evidences which was proven by history…) iii. For these understandings do not come from humans’ intelligences, reverentness, but only to
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those whom are chosen as the blessed people, because they could hear, understand and accept <John 1: 12‐13>, and for all of their descendents, they will see God’s grace and God’s love will flourish in them. For Bartimaeus’ faith (a faith which knew Christ) doesn’t only call his eyes to be opened, but it also made him a disciple of Christ and receive the blessings for eternal. * * The Lord said: “Who do you say that I am?” and Simon Peter said: “You are Christ, the son of the loving God” <Matt 16: 13‐20>
:‐ The Lord said: “Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven”. i. On this rock I will build My church ii. The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it iii. The keys of the kingdom of heaven… :‐ When depending on Christ, the saints could acknowledge all things and they have the ability to construct the “Most Holy Place” in their lives and enjoy God’s love, righteousness, strength, victory, abundance anytime… In everything, our faith in Christ is build with solid foundation and principles. :‐ For the things which could not revive lives, strength, fruits of life, they do not belong to Christ; Those who couldn’t enjoy are never call to be disciples of the Lord. d.
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The more we know Christ, the more strength we gain, the more changes we have… i. The entire life of a disciple is call only to know Christ more. According to everyday’s events, they will get to know Christ more. ii. The more they know Christ, the more they discover that not only their ability and strength to live changes, but also their surrounding, people and events. A Faith and Heart which pleads to the Lord (“Son of David, have mercy on me!”) Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”, Bartimaeus was saved because he called to the Lord with his faith, but as for the rest of the people, even they knew Jesus, but they did not plead to Him; Those whom have obtain the secrets in “calling to the Lord’s Name”, their issues could be resolved through prayer, and they could enjoy all of their eternal abundance; Therefore, those who have witness the results through prayer, their life has already been sanctified and they will become the blessing of the era. a. The most beautiful and powerful spiritual living is to know how to call to the Lord anytime… ** Bartimaeus didn’t care what others said to him, he just called to the Lord = prayer is a natural action for those who truly know the Lord. i. If a saint doesn’t pray, is it that they have not seen the results of prayer and since they have not seen the results, they are the people whom have not truly known Christ. ii. Christ has demonstrated all of His mysteries:
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Who is God Who am I How did God lived in my life (through the Holy Spirit) 4. What has God accomplished in my life, what will He do, what is He currently doing in my life? 5. The perfect will of God in everything 6. How to communicate to God 7. How to pray within God’s promises, and gain strength and victory through prayer iii. If all these are so good, why would a person couldn’t pray even if they know Christ? We have to understand the reasons that we must pray. # it is like a child seeking the mother / a couple in love / the bride is the only one in the groom’s eyes. Calling upon the name of the Lord and it will be answered; this is something beyond our comprehension. ‐ So Jesus
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stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” i. Why did the Lord perform miracles? (turning of water into wine, 5 biscuits 2 fishes, the storm, helping Peter to fish…making the blind see, the lame walk, the leprosies cleansed, the deaf could hear, the dead resurrected…); What the Lord is trying to say to us is that: “Nothing is impossible to Me, what you asked, I’ll accomplished…”. ii. Through the death of Christ on the cross, what message did that present to us? “If it is beneficial to you, to whom will I not give?” He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? iii. The Lord came to earth in the form of human to tell us the mysteries and secrets through our own language. Therefore when we ask from Him, He will tell us the perfect wisdom. iv. The Lord holds the authority in Heaven and on earth and He is seated at the right hand of the throne and asked on behalf of us, what is the reason? When we pray to Him, didn’t He expel all of Satan’s power? ** Today the Lord will ask us: “What do you want Me to do?” We as saints should examine our selves: ask even if we are not suffering; depend even if we have the strength; hope even if we have no worries. Once you’ve obtain the secrets of successful prayer, you will enjoy greater acceptance from the Lord. i. When we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ <John 14: 14, 15: 7> ‐ We are praying as a body of Christ, grabbing whole of Christ’s promises, teachings and authorities in prayer. ii. When we pray according to the conviction of the Holy Spirit ‐ we bring forth holiness, an upright heart, a heart which loves and obeys the Lord.
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Pray according to the principles which was taught by the Lord <Matt 6: 9‐15> ‐ It brings acknowledgment, examination, plead, cleansing, ability to pray for others, victory and hope. iv. In prayer it must have these: admitting our sins, repentance, turning towards the grace of God with His mercy, mercy, forgiveness, accepting others, harmony and blessing to our peers d. Things which will happen when the saints pray i. The works of the Holy Spirit ii. The works of the angels and the arc angels iii. Demons will be casted away and the Kingdom of Heaven will descend <Matt 12: 28> iv. The ability to understand the Lord’s perfect will <John 14: 26> v. We gain strength, boldness and courage <Eph 6: 10> vi. The changes of our surroundings and events vii. The people, matters and events we encounter will be different ** Therefore as we pray, we have to acknowledge the presents of the Holy Spirit, events and matters, only then we could obtain the secrets of enjoying the prayer. The faith which follows Christ (The blind received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God) Bartimaeus did not only receive healing, but straight away he followed Jesus and glorified God. The people whom have seen this glorified God as well. All those whom have the faith which knows Christ and a faith which calls upon Christ, they will follow Christ: It is not that they follow Christ but doing something of their own at the same time, instead they will throw away everything and follow the Lord diligently. They will do things for the Lord 24 hours a day and because of this, they understand what the Lord has instructed: “we shall be living sacrifice… holy and pleasing to God ‐ this is your spiritual act of worship” a. How can Bartimaeus not follow the Lord after he has seen his wish came true? i. Who are the ones who seek the Lord in all the things they do? It is those knew what they have obtained in the Lord. ii. Distinguish “the problems which I have before I knew the Lord” and “the blessings after I knew the Lord” #When we are free from death… iii. What was the impact after I was call to be born again? Were my prayers were answered, and my life gradually moved forward after I am saved? b. My road turns to the glory of God i. We see many evidences and it has a rich content; after we witness evidences, the impact to our lives will be greater and results a greater strength in us. ii. Because we obtained a new life through death and resurrection in Christ, there will be many great things in our lives, matters, relationships, living environment and things which are visible to us.
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The people saw the miracle and gave praise to God i. for those who came to Jerusalem from 15 continents, when they saw the 120 disciples filled with the Holy Spirit, they marveled… ii. <1 King 10: 1‐29> When King Solomon has received the wisdom from God, Jerusalem restored the glory within God and it has attracted many people from all over the world… iii. When a disciple of Christ truly count their blessings in heaven and on earth, it is something which will attract the people around the world, because the evidences are already visible in them, especially for those who knew the Lord more, those whom have experienced the Lord, those who follow the Lord and those who have great evidences, they will be a blessing to the era. ** For those whom have not bless their family, peers, family and friends, they need this message and evidence. The more we follow Christ, the more we’ll be like Christ, the more we could live like Christ i. Christ Jesus Himself is our role model for life time ii. Who are those who is Christ like? = Those who communicates with you and walks with you…#the story of Great Face iii. I may be imperfect, but the Jesus Christ who is perfect in eternity is with me today. Therefore, we should enjoy Him in everything we do. Without today’s enjoyment, don’t expect to enjoy for the future.