Ep 25 – Five Faith Killers Part 1

Hi tom mahairas with. It’s all greek to me today, you’re gonna be entering into another discussion with my wife and I and we are just thrilled to be able to come again and be able to share with you insights from the word of God on faith and today it’s only one piece does little faith and jesus uses this five times in Matthew’s Gospel only. Let’s go into the discussion with Vicki and I hi there, this is tom and Vicky mo mahairas and today it’s all greek to me. We’re gonna look at these five places in the new testament actually in Matthew’s Gospel where our Lord jesus christ uses this one phrase, there’s one word or lego piece does and we’re gonna talk about the five faith killers. You know how important faith is without it. We can’t please God. And the bible says that jesus is the author and finisher of our faith in hebrews chapter 12 and verse to jesus, our Lord is the author. He is the one that created it. He’s the founder of our faith, he sustains our faith and he’s the finisher of our faith. And so, but we need to understand what these attacks on our faith is all about. And there are five faith killers that our Lord jesus christ talked about in Matthew’s Gospel only. And in Matthew chapter six, In Matthew Chapter eight, in Matthew chapter 14 in Matthew chapter 16 and in Matthew chapter 17. These are the places where you find these uh faith killers, we call them. Uh and it’s the word Hollywood stars from uh or legos little in number low in quantity and peace. This faith. Uh so there’s there’s just this five these five references in the Gospel of Matthew, what do you think of that Vicky? What do you say about this? Oligopoly starts? Well, it’s so important. We know that jesus really only one time in the bible marveled and said, he was amazed at the centurions faith because all he said was Lord just speak the word and he knew that I am a man to that has authority. And so God’s word has great authority. And if we put faith in him and his word, we will see miracles in our lives to amen that actually came before this reference to little Faith. Here was a guy that had great faith. He was a centurion, an italian, who knows what part of italy, but he was a centurion and uh he and yet he respected uh jesus christ, he respected the old testament. He respected the words of jesus to such a degree and point and have faith in jesus that just a word was able to uh be so great and we’ll talk about that when we talk about great faith. So let’s look at these places In the scriptures here that deal with these five faith killers. The first one is found in Matthew chapter six and it’s talking about distraction, distraction. And uh, with every one of these references, Matthew six, Matthew 8, Matthew 14, Matthew uh 16 and 17, every one of these. It has a story has a narrative that the Lord jesus christ talks about little faith but it’s always in a different context and we need to understand the context here in the first one, distraction has to do with being just taken away in different places, being separated in our minds, being distracted by so many things. We look at that in a minute. The second one is dread Or discouragement, dread or fear that leads to discouragement. The 3rd 1 is doubts. The fourth one is dialogue and the fifth one, it happens to be involving demons. Now we all know these are basic problems in our life. You know, if you were to identify some of the greatest problems in life Vicki, what would they be? Not putting God first being so busy in your life, You have so many cares and you know that jesus said the lust of the flesh, The lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Just the daily responsibilities that we have as people, we would neglect God in his word, we would be distracted and worries anxieties. Yes, fear indecisiveness. Being uh you know, not confident in in our day in our job in our life. I mean this is what it’s talking about dialogue when God tells us to do something when we know what to do and then we’re trying to, you know human eyes or in our own minds figure out why we can’t do it, why we shouldn’t do it. And no one’s doing it. And so you know, that’s dialoguing with uh the word of God when we know what is right and then we try to bring something else into it. We’re the party. I think we have to prioritize always seeking first God and his kingdom and we won’t fall into these little pictures of distraction and dread and doubt and all these other things. The first place that we see uh the distraction is in Matthew chapter six, verses 30 31. Yeah. And it’s dealing with the worries or the anxieties of this life, You know, what about what about Matthew 6 24. What about that one? That’s the background for this whole discussion. Uh, and narrative on the cure for anxiety. Look at reverse 24. That’s so important. No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Yeah, let’s talk about that. Why is that so incredibly important and how God divided, you know, service and living and doing in two categories. Well, jesus mentions many times that he takes care of the birds of the air, He tells us. Don’t be anxious about your life, what you’re gonna eat, what you’re gonna wear. I know you need these things, I’m going to take care of you, I’m your father. And he goes through all of these passages here from verse 25 down to the end. Don’t even worry about today anything and don’t worry about tomorrow. And that really stops us. We have to control our thought life And listen to these principles and know that this word and anxious is used in verse 25 in 28 into 31 and 34. So five times. He says, don’t be anxious, Don’t be many mau. Don’t be drawn away in pieces. Don’t be divided in what you know is the priority of your life, seek me first in my kingdom. It’s interesting this word met him now and what it comes from a part or as opposed to the whole, it’s to be drawn away or divided into parts. Uh Robertson says uh to go to pieces because pulled apart in different directions, like like a force this way, a force that way. Uh an idea that way. And we become distracted and we can’t focus and talking about clothing. Let me take off my hat. Uh the the uh distraction in this life and anxiety. Uh you know, my clothes, what I’m gonna eat, my food, my my drink. Uh Am I sick? What kind of medication do I need? What kind of vitamins do I need? The doctor said this and uh the health experts said that and the physical therapist said that, I mean, our minds could be distracted in so many different directions. And yet there might be truth in in all of these areas. So how do you actually know what to do by reading God’s word? Because he tells us a house divided, cannot stand our life. I’m an administrator. And if I don’t focus on one project at a time, I get nothing done. Throughout the day, I start one project, I put it down, I don’t finish it. We have to focus in our life, fixing our eyes on jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. It’s also interesting here in this definition, in the middle here, 33 08 marina anxiety is dis funk, dis unifies personality, robbing a person of God, continuously granting peace. His gift of wholeness. Now, it’s interesting. So, distraction. Met him now, which is to have my mind separated in different directions is the opposite God says of what piece. All right, this is really important. We want peace. Then we can’t tackle. You know, people love to say, well, I can multitask Well, you really can’t about really serious and important things. You need to focus and you need to really prioritize and then you need to be able to do it and finish it and then go to the next project. Yes, we may be able to multitask, you know casually in some areas, but when it comes to God, when it comes to my heart, when it comes to my marriage? When it comes to my Children, we have to be focused and when it comes to faith, jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. We need to fix our eyes. That word is a for a which means to focus and fix my eyes on him and blur everything else in my life. This is why he speaks of these five distractions and notice the solution at the end of Matthew Chapter six, he talks about, you know, he says seek first My kingdom and my righteousness and all these other things will be added on to you. And then verse 34, why don’t you read verse 34 honey and uh explain that a little bit. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow. For tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own ga Kia trouble pressure. Uh you know, all kinds of challenges every day. Do not bring tomorrow’s trouble into today. Do not bring tomorrow’s pressure and burdens into today. God did not create us like that. He wants us to live one day at a time and to be satisfied with accomplishing that this day. Now there are other things we need to look at in terms of this wonderful word. There are verses of scripture like Matthew 1322 and the one whom seed was sown among the thorns. This this is the man who hears the word of God and the medina of the world that cares the worries of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth and that will choke the word. And it becomes unfruitful mark 4 19. But the but the worries made him not of this world. And this is in the synoptics again in Luke 814 the seed which fell among the thorns. These are the ones who who have heard the word and they go on their way. They are choked with worries, made him not and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to maturity. Listen the enemy, spiritual enemy of our soul, he wants us to produce no fruit. And when we allow all these distractions and we don’t focus and sit down at the feet of jesus christ, we’re not gonna be productive spiritually as we can say something. Absolutely says that in all three of these synoptics, I just noticed it says choke choke choke. When we worry, we actually choke us accomplishing God’s will for our lives. That’s very good. And you know, God has given each one of us. I heard this this week an inheritance and we have to fulfill that we have to get busy about it. Nobody’s gonna do it but us are part, I can’t do tom’s part, he can’t be me or do my part. But we don’t want to choke God’s will for our life and we need to know God’s word and we need to claim God’s promises luke 21 34 beyond guard. So that your heart will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries made him of life. And that the day will not come on you suddenly like a trap. Uh in first Peter Let’s jump to first Peter 57 casting all our anxiety. That is the word met him not on him because he cares for you. Uh And then the story I wanna end this section with is Martha and mary Vicky. And in this story, in Luke chapter 10 and verse 38 through 42, we have two women. We have a beautiful setting. You know it’s there eating at their best friend’s house. Uh you know he’s Jesus Christ goes to Lazarus his house. He sits down with Martha and Mary and Mary is sitting at his feet. But Martha is so distracted with her many preparations. It says here with all her preparations and she came up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone and then tell her to help me. But the Lord answered and said to her Martha. Martha, you are worried, maybe not and bothered. 34 which means a big big noise about so many things, but only one thing is necessary for mary has chosen the good part which will not be taken away from her. And here we have a situation where Martha and mary have jesus, the most important person in their life coming to their house. And Martha is so excited. She’s getting uh you know, preparing the food, getting some bread out, who knows some olives, some feta cheese and getting all the beautiful things for jesus. She’s so excited but she looks over and her sister mary is sitting at the feet of jesus just talking to him and wow and she’s like anxious about, she had more work to do and so she she’s concerned, she’s distracted, she’s anxious, she’s worried and jesus christ gives us insight about all of that. What do you what do you have to say about that? I think with the second part of that word madam now is to be, you know worried and distracted. But she was also a video which is she was probably huffing and puffing, trembling. Yeah, she was getting really nervous and irritated and she was saying what about my sister? She’s doing nothing. And then jesus reminds her, you know, this is really important what mary is doing. And so once again I’m repeating myself today a lot. But priorities, yes, we have to prepare lunch when people come to our house but we also have to be care, care for the people that come to our house and love them and find out what’s really going on and everybody around us their lives and be really attentive to the spiritual needs of people and the physical needs that’s so beautiful, I that’s exactly what happened here. And jesus christ here with his best friend, Lazarus. Mary Martha doesn’t say anything about Lazarus here. But guess what? He’s sharing insights to these sisters that are so important. Yes, this is important. But so is reading, taking time to read the word of God when we have of fellowships, when we have gatherings, when we get together with our family, so important that we prioritize things and that we’re not so distracted about everything that we forget. The most important things. Thank you Vicky. We’re looking at this word made him now, which is both positive and negative. And I just wanna give you a couple of the places in the scriptures that deal with the positive. In first Corinthians 1225, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. So, here it’s translated care, but it’s that word met him now, which means to have your mind separated. So, as you’re living your life, you have care for that church and you have care for that person in a positive way. In second Corinthians 11 28 paul says, apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches translated concern In Philippians 3 24. I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare again. This word has met him now. Uh, and we are, we are given this to us in a positive way, but there are negative ways and most of the time it’s presented to us in a negative way. And notice in Matthew 625 through 34 for this reason I say to you do not be worried or anxious, Made him now about your life as to what you will eat or what you will drink for your body as to what you will put on is not life more than food and your body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air that they do not sow nor do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who have you by being worried. Met him now can add a single hour. Big sis Traditionally the distance from the Elbow to the end of the finger, it’s not an hour, it is actually a 18\” step. Who can add one more step? He’s talking about to your life translated an hour cubit is really more more precise, 18 inches, half a meter to his life. And why are you worried? Made him now about clothing. Notice all the things that we can be worried about. We’re worried about our food or drink our clothes, our life. Our am I gonna die today? Am I gonna die tomorrow? He says don’t worry about it, observe how the lilies of the field grow, They do not toil, nor do they spend yet. I say that to you, that not even Solomon in all of his glory, clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you? You of little faith? There it is illegal. Christos, christos, will God not clothe us? Give us what we need for our clothing, our Children are our food, our we’re gonna pay the rent, we’re gonna get a job, all of these things, God is concerned about what And then he says for the gentiles, the unbelievers that is uh eagerly seek all these things for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added onto you. Now this is I took the time to read it because this is the first mention of the word of the grocery stores and it mentions quite a few of these categories so that you see worries for the world. The worries of food and drink and clothes and lifespan, daily pressure and problems of life worry for the future. My retirement, all of this and it tells us and this is in the negated greek, harassed imperative, which means uh that don’t ever do this. You must, this must never happen. Not even one time. It is absolutely absolutely out of the question, ruled out of every point. So that don’t even think about it. God says don’t do this. Met him now. Oh yeah of little faith. It’s it’s amazing. And then in Matthew 634 do not even become anxious. Not even once about tomorrow. We must never have sinful anxiety even for a moment. Such worries totally absolutely out of place for believers under God’s never ceasing care. God is the one who is going to be concerned for us. There are other places and the worries of the world in Matthew 1322 and all of these synoptics give us all of these passages to deal with that. He talks about the worries of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, the worries of the world. The deceitfulness of riches, Mark 4 19 choke the word In Luke 8 14. The sea which fell among the thorns. These are the ones who have heard and as they go their way, they are choked and the worries and riches and pleasures of life and bring no fruit to fruition. It just useless to dwelling in and worry because it chokes the very word of God and there’s no fruit that’s produced and beyond guards so that your heart will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness luke. 21 34. And the worries of life that the day will not come on you suddenly like a trap. Then the second area is serving the Lord answered and said to her Martha Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things. But only one thing is necessary for Martha has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. So we could get involved in worry when we’re serving not just about the concerns of this life, but one was serving God even or serving jesus preparing lunch God says don’t even do it, don’t do it concerning our worries and anxieties. Then he says, when we’re testifying and witnessing Matthew 1019 through 20. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how and what you are to say for it will be given to you on that. Our what you’re gonna say for it is not you who speaks but it’s your the spirit of your father who speaks in you Luke 1211. When they bring you before the synagogue and rulers and authorities do not worry. Let him now about how or what you are to speak in your defense or what you are to say for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you are to say. Then there’s disharmony in the body of Christ Philippians chapter 4: verse six, there were women that were having friction there no harmony. He says be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God. This is the solution to worry. Pray thank God all every request be specific. And and let bring God into the picture and let him deal with the disharmony that’s going on. Uh, in disharmony in ministry and personal relationships. Five in marriage. In first Corinthians 7 32 I want you to be free from uh concern one who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the world rather the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But the one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife. This is just simply saying, listen, before you’re married, you’re focus is only singular with God. If you’re a believer, when you get married now you have an added focus on your wife and then on your Children when they come. And then there is the first peter five uh passage actually, that whole passage one through 14, the pastors, the teachers, the overseas have tremendous pressure that’s, that’s put on them because of ministry. And so God gives us this beautiful little versus scripture that says that that to cast all our anxiety on him because he mellow, he cares for us. Cast all our Medicina, all of these anxieties on Jesus and Uh Luke 1935, they brought it to Jesus and they, it says they threw Eppolito their coats on the cold and put Jesus on it. It’s the same word for casting all your anxiety. It’s the same word casting the coats on the donkey. We need to do the same thing with all the pressures that we take on ourselves. We need to throw them on jesus christ and let him be the one who carries these anxieties for us. These are the places scripturally that use this word that would cause This this uh little faith if we let it, but we need to let the Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s why in first Peter Chapter five it says after we have gone through these experiences, we’re going to be strengthened, tried and we’re gonna last. Now listen, you might be listening to this message. You don’t even know the Lord jesus christ. Do you know how easy it is for you to cast your own personal cares on God, on jesus who died on the cross, who was buried, who arose again from the dead. And you could ask him to come into your life and to forgive you and to save you and to take the pressures of your life. Oh God be merciful to me, a sinner. And then as a believer for you to say, Lord, I don’t want to let my mind drift there and everywhere. I want to fix my mind on jesus christ and on your word and on prayer. God bless you until we see you again at it’s all greek to me,