SERIES: STEP UP SERIES

TOPIC TITLE: Step Up: In FAITH

INTRODUCTION

* Let us begin our topic with this statistics

- These numbers are the people who profess that they want to follow Jesus and
telling that they love God and they want to obey God
- Kasama po dito yung mga nasa life group, nasa church, ano mang Christian reli-
gion.
- Ito po ay nakuha sa kabuuang bilang ng Christian sa bawat denomination
- Ito po ang statistics.
- Ayon po sa World Christian Community Organization… Approximately…

31% po sa isang religious group ang umaattend ng Sunday worship Services.

19% po ang directly involve sa church activities. (mga volunteers)
10% lang po sa isang denomination (or church) ang umaattend ng Prayer gather-
ing.
(like: Prayer power, Babad) (Siguro kasi para sa kanila boring ito.)
7% lang po ang nakatapos na ng bible. (Sino po dito nakatapos na ng buong
bible?)

- And yet normally po pag tinanong mo po ang isang Christian if he or she be-
lieve in God, definitely po ang sagot niya ay YES.
* One philosopher who is unbeliever said this quote…
 “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike
your Christ.”

* Now may problema po tayo no.

- Madami po tayong external problem na kinakaharap and we think that it is ex-

ternal in nature but it is an internal issue.
- IT IS AN ISSUE OF FAITH!

* Believe me po, what we project outside is just a result of what is happening in-
side of us

- So today, let us deal with that issue!

- Lets talk about “STEP UP IN FAITH: FAITH MODE ON!”

* Now for us to understand this topic, let me first give you things about WHAT IS
FAITH AND WHAT IS FAITH FOR…

- ….. First, Let’s define Faith.

- Ayon sa dictionary, Faith is a complete trust or confidence in someone or some-
thing.
- It is somehow synonymous to the word believe. it means choosing to believe.
- Paniniwala, Pananampalataya… That is Faith.
- ….. Second is Faith is ESSENTIAL
- meaning, KAILANGAN. Importante.
- Pag wala kang faith, hindi ka kikilos e.
- I mean, pag hindi ka naniniwala na need ang kumain, hindi kakakain e.
pag hindi ka naniwala na need ang makapagtapos ng pag aaral, hindi mo tatapusin
yan e.

- Actually, lahat tayo may pinaniniwalaan, at lahat ng actions natin ay resulta

lamang ng mga pinaniniwalaan natin. Kayan importante ang Faith!
- Lalo na sa Christian life.
 Hebrews 11:6a
“It is impossible to please God without faith…”

* Now question, mahirap bang daw i-please si LORD?

- Hindi! Hindi mahirap pero IMPOSSIBLE! Without FAITH!

- Kaya alam mo po, be excited! Kasi po FAITH talaga e!
- Masusulusyonan nito ang katamaran!
- Mabibigayan ng pag-asa ang karamdaman!
- Maaalis nito ang kadamutan!
- Alam mo kung ano ito?
- FAITH!!!!
- Kaya activate natin ito.. Sabihin mo “FAITH MODE ON!”

* FAITH MODE: ON!

- Kasi marami sa atin naka OFF ang FAITH e.

- Worry ng worry. E in control nga si Lord
- Nagmamadali ng nagmamadali, yan tuloy nagkakamali! Faith ON! Darating din
yan!
- Natatakot sumunod sa LORD, eh sabi naman ni LORD sasamahan Kita! Faith
ON!
- Come on! Sabay sabay tayo! FAITH MODE ON!!!

* WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE “FAITH mode ON?”

THREE THINGS!

1. Recognize that God has a Plan

* God has a Plan for you!

- He has a master plan and He has a game plan

- God, who had a strategy in creating the universe, the galaxies, planets, the heav-
ens and the earth, the sun, moon, stars…… also have plans for your life, for
your family, for your campus and for this nation.
- Wow! He holds the universe, the galaxies yet HE is engaged with you..........

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

[11] For I know the PLANS I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

* SO YOU NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT GOD HAS PLANS.......

- Recognize means:
- to acknowledge formally
- give the floor to
- to perceive clearly
- I-acknowledge mo na may plano Siya….
- Maniwala ka na may ginagawa at gagawin Siya!
- Sa buhay mo, sa ministry mo, sa campus mo, sa community mo, sa Bahay niyo,
at sa bansang ito…

* FAITH ON!!!

- The reason why our country is suffering because of lack of Faith in God.. we
don’t recognize God and his plans!
- The reason why YOU are suffering is because you don’t recognize GOD and his
plans!
* FAITH MODE ON!!!

- If He has the plan, ibigay mo na yung floor sa Kanya…

- If He has the plan, Have FAITH! Maniwala ka sa Kanya!
- Do not do it on your own.
- Do not run your life.
- Make Him the CEO of your life.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” de-
clares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

- His thoughts are higher than your thoughts…

- His ways are higher than Your ways...

* Minsan naka Faith mode: OFF tayo kasi feeling natin mas matalino tayo kay
Lord.

- Feeling natin mas alam natin ang mga bagay bagay kaysa sa Kanya.
- We fail to recognize His plans, that is why we are doing it on our own.
* But in

Jeremiah 10:23
“For I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their
steps.

* FAITH MODE ON!!! May plano si LORD!

- Alam ni Lord ang ginagawa Niya! Magtiwala at maniwala!
- Sabay sabay tayo: “May Plano si LORD!

2. Know and Hear God’s Plan

Romans 10:17
“Consequently, faith comes only from hearing the message, and the message is
heard through the word about Christ”

* There is no other way to have Faith! It is only thru hearing the Word!

- Hear God’s word for your life, for your ministry, for your family and for the na-
tion
- You want to turn ON your Faith?
- Read your bible!
- Do not missed Life group!
- Wag pagpapaliban ang Sunday worship service!

* Pagbalibaligtarin man natin, Kaya po naka Faith mode OFF po tayo kasi hindi
natin nabibigyang halaga ang salita ni LORD!

- Sabi po jan oh… Faith comes ONLY from hearing the word of God.
- baka kaya wala kang faith kasi hindi ka nagbabasa ng bible.
- Asa kapang lalaki ang pananamapataya mo e hindi ka nga consistent pag sun-
day?
- Faith ON faith on ka diyan e baka nga next week wala ka sa Life group?

* We cannot please God without Faith and we cannot have faith without knowing
the word of God!
- Kaya Basahin mo ang bible mo! Makinig ka sa Mentor mo! Maniwala ka sa
salita ng Diyos! Simple as that!
- Remember Peter in Matthew 14: 24-29? Noong sabi ni Lord na lumakad ka sa
tubig?
- Now bakit nagkaron ng faith si Peter? Pano niya na ON yung Faith niya?
Narinig niya si LORD!

* FAITH MODE ON! Hear the Word!!!!

- Hear and know God’s idea... God’s strategy.... God’s plan.....

- (Moses, Joshua, David: the greatest men in the Bible are just ordinary men but
what made them extraordinary was that their strategies came from God!
- Moses – He prayed that the red sea will be parted…….. And it happened.
- Joshua – He prayed to God that the sun may stand sill…. And the stand stood
still until Israel won the battle.
- Elijah – He prayed not to rain and none fell for three years and when he prayed
to rain, then down it poured.
- These men of God are very powerful because of their Faith. At saan nggaling
yun?
- narinig nila kay LORD!
- Their prayers are powerful because they heard it first!
FAITH MODE ON!!!

3. Obey His Plan

* Love motivates, but true FAITH activates!

- Faith moves mountains.

- Faith moves us.
 James 2:26b
…”Faith apart from works is dead”

* James strongly believe that Faith without action is useless.

- Faith is a fact but faith is always an act!

- After recognizing and hearing the word, the next step is to act on it!

* If God asks you to get involved in a particular project, JUST DO IT!

- If He asks you to make a particular sacrifice, JUST DO IT!

- Even if it is unreasonable and illogical in human nature, JUST DO IT!

* Step Up in Faith is like building your muscles in a gym.

- You need to work for it.

- You need to use it and exercise it!

* If we want to continuously Step Up in Faith, or if we want to consistently put our

Faith Mode ON… Action is the Key!

- Baliwala po ang lahat ng narinig at nalaman kung walang pag gawa.

- FAITH MODE ON is about Faith that moves.
- It is about Faith that shows Christlikeness
- It is about Faith that has a result of good character and attitude.
- Your work and action will justify your Faith!

CHALLENGE

* FAITH MODE ON!

- Tagapin na natin, without Faith it is impossible to experience God!
- With our Faith that is in OFF mode, we cannot see God’s Movement.
- We cannot manufacture Faith. It only comes from God.
- So ask God for Faith!

James 1:5 (NIV)

If anyone of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you

* It is a gift from God. so What to do?

a. Recognize
b. Know and Hear
c. Obey! Do it!

(Lead them into this prayer)

Pray today:
LORD, forgive me for running my life, my own. I recognize that You have a plan. I
submit to that plan. You are now the master of my life! Increase my Faith thru
Anointing my ears so that I may be sensitive to hear your voice, to know more of
your plans. I want to Step up in Faith and make a difference. My Lord, I really
want to be part of what you are doing in my campus, in my family, in my commu-
nity. I want to receive this God-idea; so that I can be a campus, community, corpo-
rate transformer! Increase my Faith in You, in Your works and in Your plans.
So help me God!
in Jesus Name,
Amen!
 DISCUSSION QUESTION

1. What crazy thing, by faith, you think and believe you can do for God?
2. How can you say that you are trusting God in your studies?