1131-Stepping Out in Faith#
1131-Stepping Out in Faith
(JP Text Group - Organized Life of Eagles)
John 9:1-7,
1 As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (This word means “Sent.”) So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
The topic we are sharing today is: Stepping Out in Faith
Today, the text tells a story: there was a man born blind, and the disciples faced the issue of this “blindness.” What were their thoughts? They wondered, “Whose sin caused him to be blind?”
At that moment, when the disciples saw the problem and the difficulty, they thought: what caused this issue? Could it be my sin? So they asked, “Did he sin?” Then they thought again, and realized that it couldn’t be true, because he was born blind; how could he have sinned? Perhaps it was his parents who sinned.
Many times, God's perspective is completely opposite to ours. In this matter, Jesus answered the disciples' doubts: neither this man nor his parents sinned; this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus’ meaning is simple and clear: it is not sin that caused this, but God wants to reveal His glory through this situation.
Therefore, we need to view everything with God's mindset. For example, when a person is physically ill, they might think, “I need to find a doctor, get a full check-up, and take various medications to heal.” But in Jesus’ view, it only takes a word to declare His word to receive healing. This is the word that God has given us in the Bible, and it is also a common way that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, heals people.
However, many Christians do not receive this. Why? Because there may be doubts in their hearts, wondering, “Can it really be that simple?” It is precisely because it seems too easy, too simple, that people find it hard to believe.
Do I just need to believe in Jesus Christ to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Is it really that simple? Brothers and sisters, it is that simple. At the moment a person accepts Jesus Christ, are all sins forgiven? Are they really all forgiven? Yet many people say: “No, it can’t be; God must leave some for you to acknowledge, otherwise, how can people repay God and live out good deeds?”
God's view of things is different from ours. So, brothers and sisters, when you encounter problems, do not focus on the problem; instead, look at the power of our Lord, which is greater than your problem. Our Lord surely has the power to solve your problem. Therefore, when illness is upon you, what you need to do is believe: by the stripes Jesus bore, you have already received healing. Keep this word in your heart, and then declare it in faith.
Every day, you should declare to yourself: In the name of Jesus Christ, I am healthy in Christ.
Many people who receive healing have one common point: they look to the healing of Jesus Christ. It is not that they prayed desperately and pitifully for a year before God healed them, but rather that they received healing the moment their faith was released.
We look to the faith of Jesus Christ; do not overanalyze the situation, because many of God's works are beyond our analysis. Step out in faith and believe in God's healing. We must learn to obey in front of God's word. The reason we are willing to obey God's word is that we believe He loves us and trust in His power.
Let us share the first point: Believe even when we do not understand, without doubt.
We cannot fully understand God's word. But this does not affect our belief in Him. We only need to know that God loves us, and everything is for our good. Because He is filled with goodness and love. When you do not understand, yet still choose to obey His word, that is the essence of faith. Complete obedience is only to God; it cannot be to anyone else, because humans are imperfect and can make mistakes. But complete obedience to God and complete trust in Him is beneficial for us.
In the beginning of Genesis, the world was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep. In this situation, God opened everything with His word. He thought of light in His heart, and then spoke it out, and it was accomplished.
The Bible also tells us that faith without action is dead; this is easy to understand. It means that faith without action cannot see the fruit of faith. It does not mean that faith without action cannot be saved; this has nothing to do with entering the Kingdom of Heaven. This speaks to the aspect of Christians receiving blessings.
Sometimes I expect a good outcome, and when the final result has not yet arrived, we can see it with the eyes of faith; this is hope. When we act according to God's word in faith, blessings will accompany you, because God absolutely does not deceive us.
Brothers and sisters, look at the word we are discussing today; Jesus said: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.” Who sent Jesus Christ? It is our Heavenly Father. What did He send Jesus to do? To solve the problem of human sin, and besides that, to save us from all troubles. What does this blind man need the most? Light.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Now, facing this man born blind, what he needs the most is to see, and Jesus said: I am the light. Brothers and sisters, when you have illness in your body, you should look to Jesus Christ, whom God sent; He is your healer. When people face difficulties, they should look to Jesus Christ, whom God sent; He is the solver of your problems. Hallelujah.
How did Jesus heal this blind man? There is an interesting action; let’s look at verse 6. After saying this (I am the light of the world), He went to heal this man. How did He do it? He spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.
Brothers and sisters, would you do this action? Does everyone who does this heal people? No. Is there any special function in the saliva or mud? The key lies in the fact that when Jesus applied the mud to his eyes, He said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.”
Jesus did not tell him what the effect of washing would be. He simply said, “Go wash.” In this situation, was it reasonable for this man? Not at all!
At this moment, this man had two choices. The first choice: “Are you kidding me? Why should I believe you? I am in this condition, and you not only do not sympathize with me but also put mud on my eyes.” He could completely disregard Jesus’ words. At this moment, he needed to step out in faith.
All of us can easily listen to the word, we can sit here and hear the word, but not everyone who hears the word is willing to step out in faith and act. I want to tell you, brothers and sisters: when you step out in faith like this, you will surely see God's miracles.
The second choice is that this blind man listened to Jesus’ words, went to the Pool of Siloam, and washed off the mud from his eyes. The Bible says, “He came home seeing.” This series of actions he took before washing had to be done in faith; believing led to seeing the miracle!
Brothers and sisters, listening to the word is just the first step; more importantly, we must act accordingly. When a person acts in faith according to what they believe, they will surely see miracles in their lives. He went and washed, and when he turned back, he saw Jesus, he saw the light of the world. The focus is not on whether the water in the pool has any special efficacy, but on the words of Jesus Christ.
Today, God has written all His words in the Bible. When you read these words, if you are willing to act according to them, believe and receive them, you will see good results. Thank and praise the Lord!
When you obey God's words like this, you will see your health manifest in your body. Although others have already told you: “Oh, your illness is quite serious; don’t hold any hope!” But you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, He has already paid the price for your illness, and by His stripes, you are healed.
Every day, declare to your body: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare that I am clean; the hereditary disease in my family has been completely shattered from me; I am healthy!” You should declare this every day. Hallelujah. Because God has promised us this, thank and praise the Lord. We may not fully understand why God does things this way; sometimes God's actions do not align with our logical thinking.
Isaiah 55:8 tells us,
His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. Just believe.
The only thing we need to do is to believe that this is God's true word today, and then declare it, so that it may be accomplished in you. Therefore, we should not act based on what we see; doing so will lead you into a dead end. Faith does not become faith through our minds; faith is called faith because it is what our God has said, and so I believe it.
The Bible tells us, who could have told Sarah that at ninety years old she would nurse a child? No one dared to say that; who would dare to tell the unmarried Mary that the Holy Spirit would conceive and she would bear a child? No one would dare to say it, nor would anyone believe that this could happen. But because it is God's word, it has happened. Hallelujah. So today, you can choose whether to step out in faith. We have listened to the word for a long time; the important thing is that you must act on this word.
You must step out in faith, saying: “Lord, I am willing for Your word to be fulfilled in me today, even if it does not align with my logic, even if it seems unrealistic, but I know this is the word You have promised me.” Hallelujah! Do not try to argue with God or theorize; just believe. Step out in faith.
You see in the Bible, when Jesus healed those who came seeking Him, He healed them with just a word. Today, if you tell this to a doctor, can he believe it? Absolutely not. Because this is too difficult to accomplish. Hallelujah. Only by faith can you receive such healing.
It is not that being a Christian guarantees you will receive such healing; it is not. Even if you are a Christian, you still need to hold on to God's word and declare in faith, “Lord, I believe Your health is upon me; I believe this healing is upon me; I believe my body is in the process of recovery.” This is what we call stepping out in faith.
Do not wait for someone to say, “When I am ready, I will evangelize.” You must first step out in faith, and do not say, “When I have enough money, then I will give to the church; I am really struggling right now.” You will never know where God will open the door of opportunity for you. Amen!
When we have everything, and then we do it, that is not called faith. If you cannot do it now, even if you have enough later, you will still find excuses not to do it. So today, let your steps of faith begin here; God will take responsibility for you. Hallelujah. The steps of faith mean that the problem has not yet been solved, but we see the outcome of the solution through faith.
In Hebrews 11, what is faith? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. You see the future today. Therefore, you can enjoy the joy that this brings you.
Let’s use a simple example: if today you have tonsillitis, brothers and sisters, is this illness difficult to heal? Very simple; even if you do not pray to God, you can still take medicine. But when you are healthy, can you praise God? But today, if the pain is still in your body, at this moment you can declare, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, I have received healing.” In this process, you can enjoy the same joy as when you are normal; this is the step of faith.
In Genesis 15, God said to Abraham: “Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield, and I will greatly reward you.” Abraham actually did not lack money. At this moment, Abraham said to God: “Lord, I have no son; what can You give me?”
Abraham meant to say, “If You really want to bless me, if You are truly my shield, then give me a son!” Is that what he meant? Very simple.
Abraham expressed what was in his heart to God. He said, “I do not need anything else; I just want a child right now!” Did God say, “Abraham, you will have a son now!”? No, God did not say that. Does God have this ability? Yes.
Do you know what God said to Abraham at that time? God took Abraham outside and said: “Abraham, look at the stars in the sky. Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.”
Then what did Abraham do? Abraham believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. Brothers and sisters, did Abraham see his child at that time? No, but with the eyes of faith, he saw his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. And he did not doubt that God was lying to him. He said: “Lord, I believe my children will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.”
God's meaning was: “Abraham, your faith in me is your righteousness.”
Today, we receive God's righteousness not because of what we have done, but because we believe that Jesus Christ is our righteousness.
When you have illness in your body today, if you can bring your sick body to persist in gathering, God will release the effect of faith through His word and through the words of faith within you. And when you believe and act accordingly, you will see God's great blessings. How to act? It is that you hear this word, and then you declare it. If the illness is indeed still in my body, I declare in the name of Jesus Christ that I am healed by God.
Like Abraham, even when he had no child, he already saw his children as numerous as the stars in the sky. With the eyes of faith, he saw it. And every time he thought of this, he looked at the stars in the sky and thought, “My children will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.” Then Abraham believed that God's promise would surely be fulfilled. Thank and praise the Lord.
Today, God is willing to bless you and heal you. First, you must step out in faith. You need to do some things that seem unreasonable to ordinary people. For example, the “declaration” we often talk about; use your mouth to declare the outcome of this matter. If you do not believe, how can you declare it? Today, for a cancer patient, saying “You are healthy; you are healthy” is quite difficult. If he does not believe, he will not declare it. But today, you believe in God, and you believe that God is restoring your body; this is what we believe. We step out in faith and then declare it with our mouths. Hallelujah!
In John 20:27, after Jesus Christ resurrected, there was a Sunday gathering. Thomas was missing, and Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said: “Look at my hands, look at my side.” The disciples said: “Wow, You are truly the resurrected Lord!” Then Thomas said, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
The next Sunday, while they were gathering, Thomas was there, and the Lord Jesus stood among them and said: “Peace be with you! Thomas, come here, put your finger into my side, and see if it is me.” After Thomas did this, he said: “My Lord, my God!” Then Jesus said: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Today, the Lord Jesus wants us to step out in faith. Today, we cannot be like Thomas, doubting, and having Jesus come and say, “Try your finger and see if it is me? Can I heal you?” Today, God has left His word for us, so that all who do not doubt His word and believe that His word will surely be fulfilled in them, when they step out in faith, will see the effects of that faith. Hallelujah.
We share the second point: We sow seeds of faith.
Only when you sow seeds will you reap a harvest. Today's Christians are the same; if you do not sow seeds, you will only reap a pile of weeds. Without faith, you cannot have corresponding actions. Without faith, we will not do anything.
Galatians 6:8 tells us: “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Today, in front of God's word, we believe in God's word and put this word in our hearts, sowing it in our hearts, and we will reap His eternal life blessings from God.
In Genesis 26, there is a record of such an event. In the days of Abraham, there was a famine in the land; when his son Isaac was there, there was another famine. Brothers and sisters, in a year of famine, it is not suitable to sow seeds. It is very likely that there was no rain, so people sowed but did not reap.
Now, facing a land of famine, do you have the faith to sow seeds again? Because based on our sight and our analysis, now is not the time to sow; there are many experts who will predict that this year you should not sow; sowing will lead to loss, and the more you sow, the more you lose.
When Isaac saw the famine, he prepared to go to Egypt to escape the famine in that land. But God said to Isaac, “Do not leave this place; do not leave this place.” What should he do if he does not leave? He needs to have a harvest; if he does not leave, he needs to sow seeds in that land. So at this moment, God said to him, “Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.”
This was God's word to Isaac.
Although it seemed that there was famine in that land, God said, “Do not leave this land; I will be with you, and I will bless you.” When Isaac heard God's words, he could have said to God: “Lord, aren’t You going to bless me? Well, first send some rain!” Is it possible to ask like this? Absolutely.
But Isaac did not do such a thing; he simply stepped out in faith.
How did he do it? He sowed seeds in faith. To others, it seemed that this was not the time to sow, but Isaac sowed in faith.
So, we finally see, verse 12 of chapter 26 says: Isaac planted crops in that land, and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.
If Isaac truly believed God's word but took no action, would he have reaped? No, brothers and sisters, this is the step of faith. When we hear God's words and are willing to act accordingly, we will see the effects of faith accompany us. So, as I pondered, how did he become wealthier and more prosperous, eventually becoming a wealthy man in that land? It has a lot to do with his harvest in the year of famine.
Brothers and sisters, think about it: if the weather is good, and you plant wheat, and I plant wheat, will the price of wheat be high? No. But because there was a famine, and Isaac sowed seeds in the year of famine by faith, God gave him a hundredfold harvest. At this time, when he sold the grain, it required much less effort than usual. This is the effect of faith; he sowed seeds in faith, even though it seemed impractical and illogical, but because God told him, “I will bless you.”
Does God have such promises for you today?
God said that the blessings of Abraham will come upon all who believe in Jesus Christ. So we are also descendants of Abraham. Isaac had such blessings because he heard God's words and believed them, and thus he stepped out in faith. He sowed seeds in faith, and the Bible says, the Lord blessed him, and he became prosperous, growing more and more until he became a wealthy man. It was not a one-day affair; he had to sow seeds in faith, sow, sow, and finally God made him more and more prosperous. Hallelujah!
The question is, how many people dare to sow like this?
So, brothers and sisters, when you hear such words, you need to sow seeds against your current situation, sow seeds against your difficulties. When difficulties block your way, you should say to them, “He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world!” Amen! In the face of difficulties, you should overcome all in the name of Jesus Christ.
Isaac could have waited until it rained before sowing, waiting for the right time. But Isaac understood the principle of faith: the ability, the blessing is not in the seeds, but in God's word, because God has promised it. So he sowed seeds, and God allowed him to see the effects of faith.
Perhaps today your body is really in bad shape, getting worse, and various medical reports have told you that everything is negative. Can you say before God, “By His stripes, I am healthy”? Completely believe this word; many people have been healed this way. This is what God has given us.
Jesus not only bore stripes for me but also for you. Because of the stripes He bore, you have already received healing! So you must declare that you are healthy. Just like Isaac: “Lord, I do not understand why You want me to sow seeds in this year of famine; although it seems that there will be no harvest, but because it is Your word, I am willing to act accordingly.”
Let me give another example from the New Testament: a very experienced fisherman, who had a lot of experience. He also had some wealth. One night, after toiling all night, he caught not a single fish; his net was full of seaweed and dirty. While he was washing the net, a young preacher came to him and said: “Can I borrow your boat?” At that moment, this fisherman saw that he did not look like a fisherman and would definitely not lend his boat to fish. He said: “Alright, go ahead!”
This young preacher was Jesus. He stood on Peter's boat and began to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to the crowd. After Jesus finished speaking, Peter had been listening beside Him, but he probably wasn’t really paying attention. After Jesus finished, He said to Peter: “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.”
What was Peter's reaction when he heard this? Because of his rich experience, he said, “Master, don’t you realize that it’s almost morning? The fish have already rested. I’ve been toiling all night and caught nothing!” Peter meant to say that based on his experience and judgment, this would not work.
Brothers and sisters, but this was indeed God's personal word to Peter. Just like the words in the Bible, when you read this passage, it is God's gift to you; God's promises are for you. The Bible tells us that God’s promises, no matter how many there are, are “Amen” in Christ.
“Amen” means He will not change; He will fulfill it. After hearing this, Peter finished speaking to Jesus. But what did Peter see in Jesus’ eyes? He saw that this young preacher had no doubt at all and fully believed that His words would surely come to pass. When Peter saw this young man, he said: “Alright, because You said so, I will let down the nets.”
So when we evangelize to others, when we pray for healing for others, you must first believe in God's word one hundred percent. After Peter heard Jesus’ words, he let down the nets on the right side. What happened? It was the largest catch he had ever had; the Bible says he caught so many fish that the boat began to sink. Then he called his partners to come help, and they filled two boats with fish.
Did Jesus have the power to preach? Yes. If Peter had said, “Oh, no, this won’t work; don’t bother. You don’t look like a fisherman; you’re too young. Do you have a boat? Do you have fishing experience?” If he had thought like this and was unwilling to act, he would not have seen the miracle happen. This is what we call faith.
When Peter stepped out in faith, he finally saw the effects of faith. It was not Peter’s ability, nor the net’s ability, nor that the fish were crazy. It was because Jesus’ words were spoken. So when Peter cast the net, Jesus was thinking at that moment that all the fish would swim into that net. This is the word of Jesus. Today, God has placed His powerful words in the Bible. When you read them, you must act on them in faith.
So when Peter saw all these fish, he saw the power of Jesus. The only faith we can bring to others is the faith of Jesus Christ. Today, when you come to hear the word, I can only tell you that when you look to Jesus, you will see His faith; when you look to Jesus, you will see His healing upon you. With such a gaze, you must step out in faith. Hallelujah!
Do not declare negative news anymore. Do not say, “Oh, I am weak; I am incapable; I am sick; I am impossible,” etc. Do not say these things anymore. In Jesus Christ, Jesus wants to turn your situation around. Even if it is already very bad, God still has the power to turn your situation around. Because He is the beginning of faith, He is the end of faith. He is Alpha, He is Omega; He is the beginning of all things, and He is also the end of all things. You are not, and I am not; Jesus did not say, “You are doomed,” so you should not say, “I am doomed.” This is what we call the effect of faith.
We must fully believe in God's word and sow seeds of faith. Although the environment seems terrible, although it is indeed unsatisfactory. So what? Isaac received a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine; Peter caught two boats of fish in the impossible situation; the widow of Zarephath had her oil and flour not diminished, and she kept eating until the famine was over. God's miracles keep appearing in the Bible to let us know that when we step out in faith, you will also see such miracles. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord.
So God's word is placed here. What we need to do is to declare in faith today. Step out in faith, Hallelujah, do not argue with God; this really does not make sense, it really does not seem practical, and it looks like there is no hope at all. You must believe that God's word is “Amen.” We pray for this and sow seeds of faith. You will see a hundredfold harvest like Isaac.
So follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit within you. When you read God's word every day, write down the promptings of the Holy Spirit in a timely manner. When you act on them, you will see God; His miracles will accompany you.
Mark 16 also tells us that those who believe will have miracles following them. These people do not sit at home every day saying, “Lord, give me some miracles, give me some miracles!” It is not like that. Peter, when he preached to five thousand people, many were healed on the spot. Because he was doing God's work at that time, when he acted like this, miracles followed him.
Today, when you hear such words, you must step out in faith. Enter into the blessings that God has prepared for you. God's blessings have always been there; He is particularly willing to give them to us. Do not just be a hearer of the word; use God's word in your life, so that this blessing may come upon you. Thank and praise the Lord; glory be to our Lord!