May Almighty God be pleased to bless us together this morning as we meditate in his holy word. Let's turn to the Gospel of Mark, the 11th chapter, and we'll just read four words in the 22nd verse. So the Gospel of Mark, chapter 11, and four words in the 22nd verse.

have faith in God. It's not a hard text to remember, is it really? And it's a very relevant text for every one of us to realise the need there is to have faith in God.

And we see how in this account that the Lord used this fi tree, as he was hungry and he came to the fig tree and he found there weren't any figs on it and therefore he cursed it that it would not have any more figs and it wouldn't indeed live at all and therefore the disciples and the Lord passed on and then the next day they came and as they passed by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots

And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursest is withered away. And Jesus answered, saith unto them, Have faith in God.

So they would remember, of course, what the Lord had said to the fig tree and the result. It's a very vivid picture, wasn't it? For them, they wouldn't forget. And yet the great truth underlying it all, the purpose of that account was to bring them to this great and wonderful statement to have faith in God.

Well that was relevant to the disciples and it's relevant to the Church of God. It always has been and it's relevant to you and me today to have faith in God.

What that really means is that we have a God who is able to do far more exceeding abundantly than we can ask or even think. This indeed is the great God that you and I are privileged to deal with, and what a blessing if you and I are blessed with a living faith in God.

We have so many statements in the Word of God with regards to faith, and it's important to recognise that you and I, today, we live by faith and not by sight. You see, so often, you and I want to see things in a physical way, we want to see results, we want to be able to grasp them, as it were, with our hands, but the Word of God teaches us that we walk by faith.

We believe in this great God. We trust in this great God. And the things which are impossible with men, that means in our little lives, are possible with God. We should never think that things are impossible.

We have such a glorious list of great blessings that God has granted to his people. down through the ages, who've been blessed with living faith.

Perhaps one of the most outstanding accounts is the one of God's servant David. And you remember the account of Goliath. And there he was, blessed with that faith to believe. that he would be able to slay him. And he testified before the king what had occurred before, how he'd slain the lion and the bear. therefore this uncircumcised Philistine should be as one of them and He went in faith.

He didn't go with a great armor. He didn't go with a sword he went very simply with a sling and a stone and the Lord gave him that strength and wisdom to hurl that stone through the sling and and aimed it at the Goliath so it struck him in the forehead and he fell down on the earth dead what a great occasion that was and how we see it was all by the power of God the power of that faith given to David to be able to come and to testify to the king it's good that is isn't it to realize that he didn't Say afterwards, there we are, I told you so. He told the king before it came to pass. Faith. Faith. What a blessing it is for you and me to be blessed with faith to believe. To believe. He is able. God is able to do those things for you and me. to bring to pass those things for you and me which perhaps we may think is impossible we may think it will never come to pass and what we're doing really is we're doubting the ability of Almighty God because God is in control of everything in this world

It's good to realise that God is in control of the smallest things in our life. He's also in control of the largest things in our life. And to think that everything God has ordained, He knows the end from the beginning. He knows from the moment we were conceived and we were born, everything that would occur in our lives, every single detail. And again, it's really beyond our natural understanding to think that that great God knows every single thought that you and I will have. Every thought we've had while we've sat in chapel this morning, and every thought that we've had today, and every thought that we've had throughout our lives. This is the great God that we have. The God who spoke the world, who spoke the universe into being. How amazing it is.

And yet it's our wonderful privilege to come this morning and have set before us such a glorious statement and yet such a simple statement to come and have faith in God well sometimes we just need to be reminded of this need to have faith in God and God gives that faith and what a blessing it is to realize that he does give that faith. I'm sure we never get tired of referring to that glorious 11th chapter in Hebrews where we read so much about the glorious examples of faith given to those who've gone before and it's an account to encourage us and as it starts this chapter tells us

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For the elders obtained a good report through faith, we understand. that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

And then the Apostle goes through that long list of well-known characters that God amazingly blessed and we have a record of those, the account of so many of God's wonderful blessings and we're told

without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Again, those simple words, aren't they really? And yet they're relevant to each one of us. Without faith, it is impossible to please him. Well, what a blessing then, if God gives us faith. Faith is indeed the gift of God. you and I can't produce it ourselves we don't possess it naturally but it's that which God gives and what a wonderful favour it is to be amongst those who receive this gift of faith because it enables us to press on indeed to pursue the narrow way till him we view.

Now we need to be very clear in our minds that we're not to think well I want that and therefore I believe God will give it to me. You see, God gives us those things. He gives us that faith for those things which He will see fit to give to us for His honour and for His glory. Those things which agree with His almighty will. God has a perfect will. We have an imperfect will. but what a mercy it is if you and I are given that grace to come and say nevertheless not my will but thine be done in the same way the glorious Savior addressed his father when he was in Gethsemane

nevertheless not my will but thine be done what does that really mean? it means this it means submission to the will of God. Our lives on this earth are not for our benefit. Our lives on this earth are for the honour and glory of God. And what a blessing, therefore, if God uses us, unworthy sinners, indeed vile sinners, not worthy of any notice, that God uses us in our little lives to bring honour and glory to his great and holy name. And that's brought about by the faith that God gives to us.

And so this 6th verse in this 11th chapter is so relevant to each one of us, but without faith it is impossible to please him. and that means as we come to God believing and trusting that those things which we hope will come to pass are truly for his honour and for his glory and if not that they may fade away and so here we have this statement for he that cometh to God must believe and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Again, how important that is in our lives to be amongst those who believe and those who diligently seek him.

Well, we should be very thankful that we have such an account recorded in God's Word for us to believe. And we have the case of Noah, we won't go through all these cases, but Noah is a wonderful example of faith. You think that it would appear there was no rain before the flood, and here was Noah building an ark, a great big boat on dry land. No doubt he was ridiculed. No doubt there was much opposition. But we're told that Noah, by faith, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith we read the accounts and we're thankful if you and I receive faith to believe the accounts as many today in the world who don't believe it at all and they think it's just a fairy tale but there's a great blessing if God gives you and me faith to believe that such an account is true and that God in his sovereign power did indeed bring about the flood of the world.

What a great occasion that was when the fountains of the great deep were broken up. Many people today, they do a calculation on the rain and come to a false conclusion. They don't realize that the Word of God tells us that the fountains of the great deep were broken up and they produced, no doubt, more water than the rain, and it was through that that then the rain came down. And so we should be thankful if God gives us faith to believe in that miracle, which it was, a miracle of God, and yet Noah, given faith, this wonderful faith, have faith in God. That's what Noah did. He had faith in God.

And then just to, just want to mention really Abraham and Moses. Abraham's faith was greatly tested. And it was greatly tested because God had given him a promise. A promise that he would have a son in his old age. And of course we know he did eventually when he was a hundred years old. What a great blessing that was. And yet you see it wasn't very long after that when his son was a lad that he was told to go and offer him up as a sacrifice. And it's very wonderful to read the account of Abraham because having received that direction He didn't hesitate. We're told that early next morning he started off on the journey. Three days journey. He had to go to come to the place that God had ordained where his faith would be brought to the test. And so we have to recognize and thank God that we have such an account as that. He had faith in God. And my friends, if you and I need any encouragement in our life, read the 11th of Hebrews. You'll be encouraged. You'll be strengthened to believe that, as the hymn writer says, faith laughs at impossibilities and says it shall be done. Those things which were impossible in the lives of the patriarchs naturally came to pass.

And you think of the life of Moses. You think how he was preserved when he was a baby. Isn't that wonderful to start with? We're told by Faith Moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child, a child that Lord had a favour towards and they were not afraid of the King's commandment.

Faith given to be strong in the Lord. What a blessing that is, isn't it? To have faith in God, to believe that those things that he has promised will come to pass. And in our lives, God comes and he does speak to us And He does give us promises and sometimes those promises are a long time coming to fruition. And what is the word of encouragement to us? Have faith in God.

And you and I need to analyse these words because if God has given us a promise, And that promise comes to pass. One thing is very clear, it will bring honour and glory to God. So again, it's a test of our faith, it's a test of the way that we've prayed, whether we've prayed that it will be for God's honour and glory, or whether we've prayed that we may consume these things upon our lust. God knows. And God thankfully is bringing about in our lives those things which shall indeed bring glory to him.

And how humbling it is to think that he uses unworthy sinners of the earth to bring about his purposes. And so in the case of Moses, We see this by Faith Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. We read that casually, don't we? And yet, to think that he'd been brought up as Pharaoh's son in Pharaoh's palace, a place of comfort and ease, and now he'd be willing to give up that lifestyle completely and we're told the choice that he made, it was a great choice, is recorded for our encouragement.

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. We read that, don't we? We've read it many times, perhaps. And here it is, a great truth. And in so doing this, we are to be blessed with this wonderful favour of having faith in God. Choosing, choosing this path.

And then he tells us, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. What does that mean? It really means that he had faith to look forward to that eternal inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away as Peter so eloquently describes it for us.

And so we're told, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. And therefore, by faith, he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

God gives strength to endure. God gives strength to obey his word. God gives us ability to believe his word and to trust in this great and wonderful God that we have. What a mercy then to come and recognise these great words of truth. Have faith in God. And as we may have faith in God, to remember the very simple example the Lord uses and how he spoke and how that came to pass. and therefore we have here as a test for you and me today as you and I walk through life our faith is consistently tested it's not just a one-off experience God tests our faith again and again so that we are made very conscious that we are walking by faith

And every time that faith is tested, and every time God graciously gives us that ability to believe and to stand firm for His promises when they come to pass, what does it do? It encourages us. What does it do? It strengthens our faith. It enables us to hold on our way, believing that God is with us, God is for us. If God be for us, who can be against us? No one can they. No one can stand against this God. I've already described the greatness of this God. No one can stand against this God. No one can oppose us with this God on our side. You remember the battles that David had in his life. The wonderful wars that he was in and God strengthened him and granted amazing deliverances. David had faith in his God. Yes, what a mercy therefore for you and me today, if we have faith in our God.

Now, the grand and glorious truth is that this faith is the gift of God and it's a wonderful favour to have this. The Apostle Paul, when he wrote to the Galatians, He tells us about this. He tells us, but the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and my friends, all of us need to be blessed with the fruit of the Spirit. And so he says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. It's one of those great and glorious gifts and one of the blessed fruits of the Spirit. Merciful God we have and what an evidence that is of God's goodness and mercy toward us. if you and I possess this great gift of faith. And it's a fruit of the Spirit. And it's a very wonderful evidence that God is with us, that God is for us.

Well, as we journey on through life to realise that here we have a God who brings us into these testing times to bring honour and glory to his great and holy name, so that we can come to these times of blessing, these times of encouragement, and to thank God for them.

The Apostle Paul, when he wrote to the Corinthians, he said this in the first chapter, he says, For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.

Well, the apostles Abel, to write to the Corinthians and encourage them in their life and what a blessing it is if therefore such a statement encourages us in our lives to be able to testify in the same way you know the Apostle Paul in his life also he did God's will didn't he? In so many ways, God appeared for him in so many occasions. And the Apostle Paul had a really difficult life. We should never think that the Apostle was someone who walked this life and it was a nice, easy life for him. Not at all. Not at all. He tells us lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations that was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Well, we're not told what that thorn in the flesh was. The wisdom of God doesn't reveal it. And it's a good job because What it means is, therefore, that you and I can have a thorn in the flesh which is singularly for our position. And we might look at other people and think, well, they don't have this. No, they may not. God gives to you and me thorns in the flesh to keep us, to keep us.

And he besought the Lord. Three times we might think, surely God's going to hear the prayers of the Apostle Paul. Surely he's going to answer those prayers. Well, he didn't. Three times he besought the Lord and that would have been in faith. And yet we're told, what happened? What did God say to him? My grace, that means free unmerited favour, is made perfect. weakness my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness see when we're at our wits end corner as it were in a situation like this we don't know what to do And we're really weak, we're about to give up, and yet He gives us that strength to hold on our way and to realise that God is dealing with us as sons and daughters of the Most High God, to give us that faith in God.

And so says the Apostle, most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. What a wonderful blessing it is to have a God like that, a God who is kind and gracious.

And in the previous chapter, the 11th chapter, he gives us a list of the things that he had to endure and pass through. I often think it's very wonderful that God's given us this list so that we can't say well of course my case is far worse I don't know anybody who's having to suffer like me well the Apostle tells us he says I speak as a fool I am more in labors more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths off of the Jews five times, received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I've been in the deep, in perils often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watching as often in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness.

If perhaps sometimes you and I become heavy-laden, bow down, and think what a difficult life I've got, just turn and read those verses in the second of Corinthians in the eleventh chapter. What a list it is, isn't it? What a list! The Apostle didn't complain, and he goes on to say, beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not? If I must need glory, I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities. Well, it's a good testimony, isn't it?

And so we come back to those gracious words of the Saviour. Have faith in God. If you and I think that perhaps we're on the wrong road, Because of the difficulties, because of the temptations, because of the trials, because of the oppositions, just read the account of the Apostle Paul and be encouraged to realise that the Lord brought him into this situation so that he might glory in the things which concern his infirmities.

Well, what a wonderful God we have. He leads us in that right way. Paul the Apostle would never have chosen that path himself, would he? All those oppositions, all those difficulties, and yet you see they work together for his eternal good. So my friends, don't be disappointed and surprised when there is opposition and there is hardship in our lives. Let's remember this is the way the Lord leads.

Again come back to that glorious verse which I often quote in the 107th Psalm. He, that's Almighty God, led them forth by the right way and the result was that they might go to a city of habitation. And you and I are on this earth at the moment. And what a blessing it is to realize God is leading us in that right way that we might go to our eternal home.

And you see, to think, and it's good sometimes to think, that the eternal home of the Church of God is everlasting happiness. It bears no comparison with the difficulties and the trials and the opposition that you and I may meet on our little journey, on our little life, on this little earth.

God has gone to prepare. He tells us, go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also. That's a great and glorious and wonderful promise and it's something that you and I should be thankful for.

The Word of God gives us such encouraging statements. And so, as we think this morning, God has recorded this account of the fig tree with the divine purpose that he might direct the living Church of God to these four simple words. Have faith in God.

And may that be a word of direction to each one of us and an encouragement to each one of us to realize that this is the eternal this is the almighty God this is the one who knows the end from the beginning the one that he knows about every single little detail in our lives down to the minutest thought that we have and the hairs of our head fall into the ground all known to this great almighty God and surely that should encourage us to realize how privileged we are to have his word to strengthen us and to enable us to pursue that narrow way to him we view, so may he give us each that grace to have faith in God.

Amen.