Sermon: Faith is Trust in God

Homily: 27 October 2024

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

MARK 10:46-52

What message is GOD giving us in Sunday’s Gospel?

Key verse:

Jesus tells Bartimaeus.

Your faith has saved you.

What is Faith?

Not just a belief in GOD.

Faith is trusting in GOD.

Our Lord’s Prayer tells us:

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We are told to trust GOD.

But, so often life takes over and we become anxious, and we worry about things.

In the New Testament we are told to love more than 50 times, to be humble more than 40 times and to trust in GOD in all circumstances more than 13 times.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

If it is a command of GOD not to worry, why do we?

This is a faith issue, because the more faith we have in GOD, the more trust we have in his divine righteousness and his sovereign will.

How do we get more faith?

We have all been given the Holy Spirit, do we tap into this magnificent source of GOD’s power?

Do you have the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life?

If not, pray for it.

The first three aspects:

LOVE 

JOY 

PEACE 

Are for our personal benefit.

Once we accept GOD as the divining force in our lives, that he has control in all circumstances, our anxiety should lift.

The key point is Faith will give us eternal life.

My favourite verse:

JOHN 10:10

The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

What Satan will do is try to undermine our faith, try to make us doubt that God truly loves us, that GOD is there to take our burdens.

The other aspect of this beautiful story of Christ’s work is that this man was healed. It doesn’t mean that if we have faith we will be healed. It means that this man’s faith made Jesus notice him. This man’s faith made Jesus ask him what he wanted and Jesus graciously healed him.

GOD doesn’t heal everybody, and what happens when GOD doesn’t heal us? 

What does that do to our faith?

How can we accept GOD’s Will?

If we spend time in the Bible, we more and more understand that everything GOD does is for his glory. And although we can’t see the good in his decisions, he can, because GOD can see everything.

What do we do when our faith is tested in times of hardship? Do we turn more to GOD and believe and trust that God has our best interests at heart? Or do we turn away from GOD in pain and anger?

My friend Manjula Shah was born in Kenya in 1950. Her family were Hindu and Manjula had polio. When Manjula was 10 years old her mother saw an advert for a Christian meeting. They promised healing. So she took Manjula. After that Manjula gave her life to Christ and every day she prayed for healing.

When Manjula was in her 20s she felt God leading her to India. She bargained with God and said,  I cannot go without my whole family and  my father has a house in India with tenants in, we need that house. Apparently, it was impossible to evict tenants in India. Altogether Manjula had a list of 14 things God needed to make happen for her to go to India.

God followed through, Manjula and her parents and 7 siblings moved to India and Manjula worked in mission there for many years. Whilst in India, Manjula’s 17 year old sister, Hansa, got on a tourist bus and there she met her future husband… an Italian… a Catholic no less.

Manjula was then called to England, and yes she brought her whole family with her. She worked tirelessly for a church bringing Hindus to Christ.

She said she woke up one day and decided to stop blackmailing God about her leg and healing. She said she found peace with God and the life he had chosen for her.

Manjula passed away in May this year aged 74. God never healed her. But her parents and 7 siblings and their spouses and children have all found salvation in Christ. God uses every circumstance for his glory and Manjula’s life is a wonderful testament to this. Without her polio none of her family would have been saved.

If you are struggling right now, I want to pray for you. 

I will read from the magnificent Psalm 23 and call on our Father in heaven to comfort you right now:

YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL FOR THOU ART WITH ME, THY ROD AND THY STAFF COMFORT ME.

In Jesus’ mighty name  we pray. AMEN