Dharius Daniels’ Introduction
- Every time we gather, anything can happen
- Today might be your day
- God’s greatest gifts don’t roll into our lives on 4 wheels but walk into our lives on 2 legs – in the form of people. It’s an indication and expression of His love for us and what He has for us.
- Thank Him for the gifts He has given – including our Pastor, Pastor Mike.
Mark 10:46-52
New International Version
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
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.
Message Title: There’s Levels To This
God has plans for you.
Jeremiah 29:11
New International Version
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
In the midst of your weeping and worrying – He has a plan for you.
He knows the plans. He knows what you don’t know because He see what we don’t see. He has plans.
God’s plans are His preferences. In theological circles, it’s called His permissive/preferred will. It’s what He wants to happen and is committed to make happen – what He longs to happen. His preferences are not automatically our experiences.
He can prefer Canaan, but we experience the wilderness. It requires our participation. It’s not enough for God to want it for you – you have to want it for yourself.
This is why you can’t always ignore your wants. Don’t worship your wants, but the Bible is clear in teaching that God is at work through our wants. Some “want to’s” came from God.
He gives you the desires of your heart, not just from your heart, but for your heart – He can give you what “to want.” He sometimes makes you want it.
Hannah wanted a baby, but God needed a prophet, so God made Hannah want what He needed. He puts a relentless/resilient “want to” on the inside of you.
This house owns an arena because God gave our pastor a “want to.” Sometimes you have to go with your “want to” even if you’re the only one that understands why you want it.
How do we participate and partner with God so that His preferences become our experience?
We do this through faith.
Faith is acting like God is telling the truth.
It is a persuasion, a conviction so compelling that it provokes you to a corresponding action called works. Faith produces optimism but they are not the same thing because only faith has the author and finisher of our faith. Optimism says, “it will work out.” Faith says, “God is going to work it out. He will put his hands on it for my good and His glory.”
Grace deposits into our accounts and faith withdraws it.
Ephesians 2 says we are saved by grace through faith.
Withdraw everything God has for you.
1. You Can’t Get Christianity Right if You Get Faith Wrong
Salvation cannot be experienced without faith. Prayer is rendered ineffective without faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
He is a God who sees and He will reward those that diligently seek Him.
The enemy attacks you the most in the area He is afraid of you getting it together. The areas most consequential to your calling are a target for Satanic attack.
Although all faith is significant, all faith is not the same.
2. All Faith is Significant, but All Faith is Not the Same
Paul says going “from faith to faith”, then in His letter he said, “from glory to glory.” You can only go from glory to glory if you go from faith to faith.
Through this series, God is trying to not just give us faith, but to take us from faith to faith. There’s levels to this.
God is trying to take your life to another level – it’s head first. Your head goes there before your life goes there. Your mind has to move first.
God gives us a Holy discontent.
Yesterday’s faith is not today’s faith.
In scripture, there are four levels of faith in the New Testament alone.
3. Saving Faith
Ephesians 2:8-9
New International Version
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
This allows you to access salvation.
God wants to give you a grace gift – a favor you haven’t earned. That’s saving faith. It gets you to heaven.
It’s limited on what it can do on Earth. It gets you salvation, but won’t bring you elevation. It gets you out of Egypt, but won’t get you out of Canaan.
You can be saved and sad, stuck, and stagnant with saving faith. There’s levels to this.
4. Surrogate Faith
It carries something on behalf of somebody else. It functions similar to intercessory prayer. It’s intercessory faith. It stands in the gap on behalf of somebody else. It’s faith in believing God for you, and not just for me.
It allows people to borrow faith from you.
Mark 9:21-24
New International Version
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
The boy gets a miracle on his father’s faith. This is not an isolated incident.
Matthew 15:22-28
New International Version
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Let’s look at Lazarus who was resurrected from the faith of his sisters.
5. Specific Faith
Acts 14:8-10
New International Version
In Lystra and Derbe
8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
It’s when God is accessed for specific needs at specific times.
6. Supernatural Faith
This is faith that refuses to be trapped by the limitations of human reason.
When something transcends or contradicts human reason, we call it crazy.
When it doesn’t make sense to the human mind and logic, we say, “that’s crazy.” Supernatural faith is crazy faith. People with crazy faith know it isn’t crazy, but it’s actually smart.
It doesn’t live in what it believes. God’s ways are higher than ours and if He says we can have it, we can, if it’s time, it’s time, and if it’s mine, it’s mine.
Our text in Mark is crazy faith in action.
Mark tells us where Jesus was (Jericho), then in verse 46 what happened when Jesus left. As they were leaving, blind Bartimaeus was on the road. Bartimaeus didn’t catch Jesus on the way in. It could have felt like he missed out. Crazy faith says, even if we don’t catch Him on the way in, you can catch Him on the way out. He took advantage of Jesus before He got too far out of his vicinity.
Crazy faith will say I missed it on the way in, but I believe God is going to send it back around on the way out.
Mark 10:46-52
New International Version
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
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.
He’s blind. How does he really know that’s Jesus? He knows is because he heard. He heard and he shouted.
Crazy faith refuses to focus on the inability to see and makes a choice to focus on the ability to hear and speak. It focuses on what you do have, not what you don’t.
He could’ve had a pity party and assumed he couldn’t get to Jesus without sight. Crazy faith says that you don’t need to have what they have to get what they have. God can do it without the degree, the partnership, the connections, and He’ll open a window or cut a whole in the roof if they lock the door for you.
Many, including the disciples told him to be quiet. You have religious people (disciples), who were close to Jesus who assumed they were speaking in a way consistent with Jesus’ preferences. This man would’ve missed his miracle if he confused the churches voice with Christ.
Sometimes the presentation of Jesus is inconsistent with who He really is, so He has to be represented.
Those with crazy faith refuse to subject their belief system to the opinions of those with Jesus but that don’t speak for Him. He might speak through you from time to time, but not right now.
They told him to be quiet. He got louder. Jesus stood still.
They said, “be quiet”. He got louder. Jesus stood still.
There was a crowd following Jesus, but this man got louder, and Jesus stood still.
Crazy faith has a sound, and when He hears the sound, He stops.
Jesus told the disciples to call him. Jesus didn’t call him. He told the same people that told him to be quiet to call him.
When you have crazy faith, you don’t have to vindicate, defend, or prove yourself. Jesus will make the same people who told you be quiet, to watch you get your miracle. This is divine recompense. God doesn’t kill your enemies, He prepares a table in the presence of your enemies to watch you win in spite of what they did. Their punishment is watching you succeed without not being able to do anything about it.
The man, throwing off his cloak, ran to Jesus. One theory is that people who were blind and begging may have been identified by certain types of garments. If this theory is true, it means that he had such crazy faith, he didn’t wait until he could see to get rid of the cloak. He threw the cloak off in advance with the word from God. He didn’t wait until he got it to act like he had it.
Crazy faith praises God before the miracle.
The bible says, the man came to Jesus and asked him a question, i.e., what do want me to do for you? The man said to restore his sight. He was specific. He knew exactly what he wanted Jesus to do.
Do you have an answer?
Jesus said, “your faith”, not “my power” is what gave him back his sight. He had to partner with his faith.
This man could’ve lived the rest of his life blind and begging and claiming it was the will of God.
God is upgrading our faith. You won’t have the same kind of faith going in. He’s trying to get us from level to level, not settling for less than His best and calling it His will.
It’s scary that if this man had not released and acted on his faith, he would’ve never known what life was like living as a person who could see. You don’t know what you miss when you don’t have crazy faith.
God is using this series to stir into your heart a grit, a righteous resilience, a tenacity like that of Jacob, as he wrestled with God, he would not let Him go until He blessed him.
Ask God for another level, for everything He has for you. Get tired of settling and calling it His will. Want more. Don’t be satisfied with where you’ve been. Want more.
Don’t pray for divine ease. Pray for divine agitation – Holy discontent. Restless until you rest in His will. That He will stir the nest so that you can go from glory to glory. Your frustration is your friend. God is using it to orchestrate something in your life.
Altar Call: There are people settling for less than. God sent His only son to die on the cross for us. He did it knowing what we would do – yesterday, tomorrow, and right now. Take the step to accept Jesus into your life as the Lord of your life to lead you and guide you. He has something so much greater, but it starts with saying “yes” to Jesus. Transformation church is a family so we pray together. This will be the best decision of your life.
Let’s Pray Together: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus, to die on a cross for me. Lord I admit I’ve made mistakes, will you come and save me, change me, transform me, I’m yours. Amen.
- Text ‘Saved’ to 828282 for resources and content to help you grow and get anchored in your walk with God.
Another resource is Crazy Faith the book (below). Also, the Crazy Faith devotion plan in the You Version Bible App.
You can also still get “Relationship Goals” the book and study guide today for relationship guidance and support:
Click Here to Visit & Order OFFICIAL Transformation Church Merch on the New Represent Store!
Latest Arrivals in BIM Merch
Bold Insider Marketing (BIM) is not authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any other company, agency or government agency. All products and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders.
SUMMARY NOTES
- You Can’t Get Christianity Right if You Get Faith Wrong
- All Faith is Significant, but All Faith is Not the Same
- Saving Faith
- Surrogate Faith
- Specific Faith
- Supernatural Faith
If you want to join a Belong Group, text “BGroups” to 828282 or you can visit transformchurch.us/belong TC has groups for all people, yes you too TC Nation!
Link to full Video (share this message💕): TBD
Join TC for prayer every Monday night at 6PM (CST).
Text SUSTAIN to 828282 to join the sustain challenge to show your creative expression of this powerful song.
Text SHARE to 828282 to share your story via the TC video booth.
Transformation Church would love to hear how God is touching your life through this ministry! Tell us your story by emailing mystory@transformchurch.us!
If you would like to support TC financially you can give through the TC app, or online through the website by clicking here https://transformchurch.us/give/. You can also Text ‘TCGIVE’ to 77977.
If you need prayer, email prayer@transformchurch.us!
For more information about Transformation Church, visit https://transformchurch.us/.
To join a Belong Group, visit https://transformchurch.us/BELONG/ or text BELONG to 828282
The D.I.G. stands for Deeper In God and it is a conversation where we dive deeper in God. Join us this Wednesday at 7pm (CST)! — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYv-siSKd3Gn9IsliO95gIw
Abby Olurin Dames
I love Jesus, my husband, Will, my toddler daughter, Sola, and the beautiful friends and family in our lives. Me and Will are from the Bahamas, but we currently reside in Austin, Texas. We joined TC Nation as online members of Transformation Church in 2017 when we moved to Austin from Miami, Florida. In 2020, we also happily took on a more active role with the E-Fam of Elevation Church by fellowshipping with other married couples and were pleased to have the opportunity to join TC Beta Belong Groups. I believe that representing God doesn’t have to be done in “traditional spaces”. After listening to Pastor Mike's sermon, "Who's the Minister Here?", it became my mission to shed light on Christ in all arenas, including, but not limited to, corporate America, marketing, technology, and finance. I'm not perfect, but I'm progressing. I am a marketer, but first, I am a Christian, and the aim of this blog is to publicly share my sermon notes as a form of stewardship. I hope that these message notes can bring clarity to anything you may be seeking and help you to experience the peace and glory of Jesus Christ. I'm happy to pray for you as well if you ever wanted to shoot me an email. The effectual fervent prayers of many of you have helped countless circumstances in my life and in the lives of those around me. Thank you! Also, for any Amazon specific links that you see, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
