The Pillars of the Church
We’ve been talking about the pillars of the church. If you have your Bible, we love the Bible here at The Roads Church! Come on, all of our locations—Roads family right here in North City—get your Bibles out and open them to Mark Chapter 11.
We’ve been building off Acts 2:40-42. This passage talks about the disciples and how 3,000 people were added to the church. They decided to continue steadfastly in four things. These are the four pillars of the New Testament Church, and we want them to be the four pillars of our church as well:
- Apostles’ Doctrine – Teaching from the Word of God according to the apostles in the New Testament, particularly in the Book of Acts.
- Fellowship (Koinonia) – Vertical koinonia (relationship with God) and horizontal koinonia (relationship with others). This means gathering together, partnering with one another.
- Breaking of Bread – Eating together and also taking communion.
- Prayers – A foundation of prayer in our church and personal lives.
We’ve been focusing on prayer and will continue to talk about praying today.
The ABCs of Prayer
Last week, I introduced the ABCs of prayer:
- A stands for Always – Always pray, at all times, for all things.
- Ephesians 5:20 says, “always at all times for every occasion.”
- When do we pray? Always.
- When do we stop praying? Never.
Always is about priority—we pray first. Never stopping is about persistence—we never give up.
- B stands for Believe – When we pray, we must believe.
- Mark 11:20-24 tells us that faith and belief are essential.
Understanding Faith in Prayer
In Mark 11:20-24, Jesus and His disciples are traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem. Along the way, they pass by a fig tree that Jesus had cursed the previous day. The tree is now withered from the roots.
Peter, noticing the tree, says, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
Jesus responds with a profound teaching about faith:
- Verse 22: “Have faith in God.”
- Verse 23: “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”
- Verse 24: “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
What Does “Have Faith in God” Really Mean?
The phrase “Have faith in God” in Greek is actually “Have faith like God” or “Have God’s kind of faith.”
This is not just faith in God but faith that operates like God’s faith. The Greek word “pistis” (faith) means:
- To be persuaded or convinced
- To have certainty that results in actions that match belief
When Jesus says, “Have faith in God,” He is saying:
- Possess or hold on to the persuasion that causes your actions to align with belief.
- Have faith that mirrors God’s faith!
The Three Key Elements of Biblical Faith
1. Firm Conviction or Persuasion of God’s Truth
- Romans 3:4 – “Let God be true, and every man a liar.”
- John 17:17 – “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
Faith starts by recognizing that God’s Word is the ultimate truth. Any contradiction to God’s Word is a lie.
Faith requires filling yourself with truth until it becomes a firm conviction in your heart.
2. Personal Surrender to God and His Truth
- John 1:12-13 – Those who believe in His name have the right to become children of God.
- Faith is directly proportional to surrender—the more you surrender to Jesus, the more of Him you experience.
Surrendering means:
- Yielding to what God says, even when it contradicts emotions or circumstances.
3. Conduct Inspired by Surrender
- James 2:17-18 – “Faith without works is dead.”
- True faith always looks like something—there must be corresponding actions.
Illustration: The Tightrope Walker
Imagine a tightrope walker crossing a gorge. He then asks, “Who believes I can push a wheelbarrow across?”
Everyone says, “We believe!”
Then he asks, “Who will get in the wheelbarrow?”
Faith is getting in the wheelbarrow.
It’s not just believing God can—it’s believing God will and acting accordingly.
Faith in Action: How to Pray with Belief
- Believe that you receive
- Mark 11:24 – “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
- The Greek word “lambano” means “to seize, to take hold of, to grab.”
- Faith is not passively waiting—it is actively receiving.
- Speak in agreement with faith
- Mark 11:23 – “Whoever says to this mountain…”
- Faith-filled words align with God’s truth, not with circumstances.
- Doubt not in your heart
- Mark 11:23 says, “and does not doubt in his heart.”
- The heart is where faith operates.
- Fill yourself with truth so you start doubting the lies!
Why Do Many Struggle with Faith?
- We pray for results instead of praying for truth.
- We want shortcuts instead of digging into the Word.
- We try to “receive” (lambano) the outcome rather than the promise.
Example: Healing
Instead of saying, “I’m believing God for my healing,”
we should say, “I’m believing God’s promise that by His stripes, I am healed.”
The shift is from receiving an end result to receiving the truth of God’s Word.
Closing Thoughts: The Power of Faith-Filled Prayer
- A – Always pray for all things.
- B – Believe when you pray.
- C – (Next week’s message!)
When you pray, believe that you receive (lambano).
- Not when you see it.
- Not when you feel it.
- But when you pray!
Faith is not about what we want—it’s about receiving what God has already offered.
Final Prayer and Invitation
Let’s pray:
“Father, I thank You for the reading of Your Word. Let it be life, health, and revelation to us. Holy Spirit, teach us the deep things of faith in a way we can understand and apply. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
If this message has impacted you and you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior, text NEWLIFE to 618-243-9090. We want to celebrate with you!
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