Imitation Faith

Acts 19:13-16  (ESV)

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”

14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 

15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 

16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Faith in God is not a formula.  It is based upon knowing God and building your life upon Him.

Jesus's own disciples failed in casting out a demon.  Did their failure prove that deliverance by faith in Jesus is not real?

Mark 9:14-29 (ESV)

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 

15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.

16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 

18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 

19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 

21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 

23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 

28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”  

There is a pretend faith.  The disciples were imitating someone else's faith, but they didn't have it themselves.  

Personal faith wasn't in them. Imitating someone else's faith is not real faith.  Faith is of the heart. 

Romans 10:10 (ESV)

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

When it doesn't work, don't call it faith. Is it God that came up short, or was it you?

Don't imitate someone else's relationship with God.  Have a relationship with God yourself.  

John 1:12 (NKJV)

12 But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

It's not all up to God.  It's up to you, too!  You must receive Him and have faith in Him.

John 4:39-42 (NKJV)

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He (Jesus) told me all that I ever did.” 

40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 

41 And many more believed because of His own word.

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

The Samaritans weren't content to just hear about a woman's relationship with Jesus.  They had to have a relationship with Him themselves.  

Hebrews 11:29 (NKJV)

29 By faith they (Moses and the Children of Israel) passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

The Egyptians imitated Moses faith, but had none, so they drowned.   How does faith come?  Moses had heard from God first. 

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Exodus 14:15-16  (NKJV)

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 

16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

God did not tell the Egyptians to cross the red sea.  He told the Egyptians to "let my people go" (Exodus 5:1).

Exodus 14:28 (NKJV)

28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 

Trying to do what God has told someone else to do will get you drowned.  They had a different word from God than what Moses had.  You must hear from God first for you.  

Here is a word from God that is for everybody including you. After you have done this, God will begin to speak to you.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 For God did not send His Son (Jesus) into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.    

Romans 10:9-10  (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

John 10:27 (NKJV)

Jesus speaking: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Keith Moore, Faith Life Church

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