No more devil, I belong to Jesus!
Hebrews 12 (NKJV)
The Race of Faith
12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I wish nothing more than for you to be able today to lose the weight and sin that has hindered your forward progression.
You may have made choices that have crippled your faith. Faith comes when the word of God has opened your heart, not until then.
The great problem I see today is that people go to church but have no living faith. I ask you, do you have faith that’s alive?
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
New King James Version
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
If you’re not saved, why is it good to read your Bible, go to church, and be around godly people? Maybe the Spirit will draw you to Jesus.
John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. The Holy Spirit will lead you to Jesus.
Genesis 28
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
The Spirit of God drew Jacob to this place. Jacob had some things he had to let go of too.
I want you to know you have not come today by accident; the Holy Spirit drew you to this place.
This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!
The angels are ascending and descending in this house this morning. You have found the gate of heaven.
When you find Jesus, you have found the gate of heaven. And when you climb the ladder, you can enter in.
How do you know the great high priest, the only great high priest? He’s not carrying the blood of bulls and goats.
The door of heaven is in this house this morning. Jesus is here. By faith, you’re coming alive today; you’re coming out of the grave of sin. This is the house of God.
When you leave today, I want you to leave with a living faith, not a dead faith.
Can I show you something?
Matthew 12:43-45
An Unclean Spirit Returns
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
You can receive deliverance through the faith of another, but if you do not develop real faith, the devil will come back.
When he doesn’t find real faith growing, he not only comes back but brings seven more spirits more wicked than himself.
Why? He wants to damn your soul to hell. The devil lets no one go free.
In John 5, you have the story of the man beside the pool of Bethesda. Sin had allowed demon spirits to make this man suffer for 38 years.
Repeated behavior will bring a spirit that will bring bondage to the body and soul. Jesus healed him and told him to take up his bed and walk.
That day true healing came; salvation had come. Jesus told this man in John 5:14: “Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well.
Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.’”
You can be healed through the faith of another, but if you don’t develop real faith, I believe you can lose that healing.
A worse thing can come upon you. Stop the sinning. God delivered you from pills; don’t take them again.
That demon is looking for a place to put his foot in your door.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.
Why weights? Weights not only make you a prisoner, but they are meant to carry you to depths you can never recover from.
Tie a weight to your leg and throw you in the river, and you will sink and you will die.
It’s obvious that sin will kill you. If you swim in waters where someone has thrown a fence, and you become entangled, you will die.
Are you entangled in sin? One time you had victory, but your sin has left you entangled.
Repent of your sins, lay aside your weights, stop right where you are, and lay it down at Jesus’ feet.
Put the lust of the flesh on the altar. This is the house of God; the angels are ascending and descending the ladder this morning.
Put your pride on the altar. This is the house of God; the angels are ascending and descending the ladder.
Let go of that sin, let go of that weight. So what if you speak in tongues? Let go of that weight.
Let the Holy Spirit deliver you from the snare that’s drowning you. How long have you been in this condition?
Not only does my faith work for me, but my faith will work for you.
Mark 16:17-18
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Once you’re delivered and saved, it’s time to develop real faith. A living faith.