100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:11,060Muscles grow strong as they are exercised and in a similar way faith grows as it is200:00:11,060 –> 00:00:17,440applied in particular situations where you need to trust and believe God’s300:00:17,440 –> 00:00:23,299revealed promises and trust God in regards to his hidden plans.400:00:23,299 –> 00:00:27,719Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick I’m pleased500:00:27,840 –> 00:00:31,120you could be with us today on the programme and Colin it sounds like you’re600:00:31,120 –> 00:00:36,099saying that trials and challenges that we face can be God’s way of exercising700:00:36,099 –> 00:00:40,980our faith almost like God’s gymnasium. God’s gymnasium that’s a very good800:00:40,980 –> 00:00:46,580analogy indeed yeah I mean anyone who’s ever broken a bone knows that after it’s900:00:46,580 –> 00:00:51,299been in a cast for a period of time the muscle that’s around the bone really1000:00:51,299 –> 00:00:56,340needs to be worked hard and exercised in order to be strengthened again the lack1100:00:56,380 –> 00:01:01,900of use causes its strength to diminish. Now faith is like that I think a muscle1200:01:01,900 –> 00:01:08,379is a good analogy of how faith is and how it works. It needs to be applied and1300:01:08,379 –> 00:01:12,580we’re going to look at a story today where the disciples found themselves in1400:01:12,580 –> 00:01:18,519a storm and Jesus said where is your faith. Well he wasn’t questioning whether1500:01:18,519 –> 00:01:22,260they had faith, of course they had faith. They were the followers of Jesus. The1600:01:22,320 –> 00:01:26,699The question is why are you not applying your faith to the situation that you’re1700:01:26,699 –> 00:01:32,120in and that’s the challenge, it’s applying my confidence in the Lord Jesus1800:01:32,120 –> 00:01:37,820Christ to what I’m facing right now, so that I walk by faith and not by sight.1900:01:37,820 –> 00:01:43,440Faith always has to be applied. So that’s our message today, join us if you can in2000:01:43,440 –> 00:01:49,239Luke chapter 8 and verses 22 to 25. As we begin the message applied faith. Here is2100:01:49,800 –> 00:01:55,519Pastor Colin. Every believer needs to grow in faith and in this series we’ve been2200:01:55,519 –> 00:02:01,239trying to look in a very practical way at how that can happen. Over these last2300:02:01,239 –> 00:02:08,240weeks we’ve identified six strategies for growing in faith. Today we’re2400:02:08,240 –> 00:02:13,119going to come back to where we started with little faith and we’re going to2500:02:13,339 –> 00:02:21,979add a seventh strategy for growing in faith and it’s this, faith grows as it is2600:02:21,979 –> 00:02:28,960exercised. I find it helpful to think of faith as being like a muscle in the body2700:02:28,960 –> 00:02:37,559it grows in strength as it is used as it is exercised. So if you break a limb and2800:02:37,660 –> 00:02:43,240you have your leg and plaster the muscles weaken because they are not being2900:02:43,240 –> 00:02:47,399stretched they are not being exercised they are not being used. And when the3000:02:47,399 –> 00:02:52,699cost comes off you have to rebuild the strength of these muscles through3100:02:52,699 –> 00:02:59,699exercise, muscles grow strong as they are exercised and in a similar way faith3200:02:59,699 –> 00:03:06,619grows as it is applied in particular situations where you need to trust and3300:03:06,639 –> 00:03:14,199believe God’s revealed promises and trust God in regards to his hidden plans.3400:03:14,199 –> 00:03:21,380Now the passage that’s before us today really gives us a perfect example of how3500:03:21,380 –> 00:03:29,360faith needs to be exercised and applied in particular situations, most of you3600:03:29,360 –> 00:03:34,600know this story well Luke tells us about the occasion when Jesus got into the3700:03:34,600 –> 00:03:41,500boat with his disciples and he tells us that Jesus fell asleep in the boat, a3800:03:41,500 –> 00:03:46,839storm came down on the lake and it must have been a severe storm because as the3900:03:46,839 –> 00:03:53,339boat was tossed about Louie tells us that it began to fill with water, he then4000:03:53,339 –> 00:03:57,839tells us that the disciples awakened Jesus it’s almost amazing to me that4100:03:57,839 –> 00:04:03,259Jesus was still asleep during the storm only the Son of God could have slept4200:04:03,399 –> 00:04:09,660through a storm like this, but the disciples waken Jesus and they say4300:04:09,660 –> 00:04:19,899verse 24, Master we are perishing we’re gonna go down. This is going to be the4400:04:19,899 –> 00:04:25,820end of us all that’s what they’re saying. Notice they say Master we are perishing4500:04:25,940 –> 00:04:33,260here is the Savior of the world along with the 12 he has chosen to bring God’s4600:04:33,260 –> 00:04:40,019message of salvation to the nation’s. The hope of the ages is floating in this4700:04:40,019 –> 00:04:47,980one little boat and it seemed to the disciples that the whole purpose of God4800:04:48,820 –> 00:04:56,440was going to go down and sink on this little lake and Luke tells us that4900:04:56,440 –> 00:05:05,339Jesus rebuked the winds and the raging waves and they ceased and there was a5000:05:05,339 –> 00:05:17,019great come and then Jesus said to his disciples where is your faith now the5100:05:17,220 –> 00:05:23,059disciples had faith in Jesus they had left everything to follow him they had5200:05:23,059 –> 00:05:28,399been engaged in ministry on his behalf and Jesus is certainly not questioning5300:05:28,399 –> 00:05:35,179the reality of the disciples faith the question here is why have they not5400:05:35,179 –> 00:05:41,820applied the faith that they have to the particular situation they are in where5500:05:42,239 –> 00:05:47,760is your faith why are you not applying it to the situation why are you not5600:05:47,760 –> 00:05:56,839trusting me here in this storm now every believer knows what this is like you5700:05:56,839 –> 00:06:02,179believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you really do you’ve proved him faithful in5800:06:02,179 –> 00:06:09,380your life over many many years you know that nothing is impossible for him but5900:06:09,679 –> 00:06:16,700when an unexpected storm arises in your life you fear that this time it might be6000:06:16,700 –> 00:06:24,160different that this time you might actually go down and Jesus asks this6100:06:24,160 –> 00:06:32,839question now where is your faith why are you not exercising the faith that6200:06:32,839 –> 00:06:38,459you have in relation to this situation you are now in6300:06:38,940 –> 00:06:46,820now what I want us to see clearly today is that faith must be applied it has to6400:06:46,820 –> 00:06:52,380be exercised in regards to the particular circumstances you face at any6500:06:52,380 –> 00:06:58,600time in other words it does not work automatically think about the heating6600:06:58,600 –> 00:07:04,380system in your house it probably works on the 8th thermostat you set the6700:07:04,500 –> 00:07:09,239thermostat to the temperature that you want to maintain in your house and when6800:07:09,239 –> 00:07:14,660the temperature drops below the temperature that you have set well your6900:07:14,660 –> 00:07:21,059furnace comes on automatically now faith is not like that7000:07:21,059 –> 00:07:29,279it does not work automatically it has to be applied it has to be exercised it7100:07:30,079 –> 00:07:37,380to be engaged and you do that as you trust God in relation to the particular7200:07:37,380 –> 00:07:46,820circumstances of life that he is calling you to face my van has an automatic7300:07:46,820 –> 00:07:51,799transmission I mean it’s fine for driving here after all the land is7400:07:51,799 –> 00:07:59,179pretty flat I have to say though it it never feels to me like real driving and7500:07:59,399 –> 00:08:07,420when I go back to Scotland we rent a car and I’ve noticed that when I get there7600:08:07,420 –> 00:08:11,839as soon as they look at my American driving license they say oh you’ll want7700:08:11,839 –> 00:08:18,459an automatic vehicle and I said no no give me the real thing there’s something7800:08:18,459 –> 00:08:24,839about engaging a gear with a clutch that just makes you feel connected to the7900:08:24,839 –> 00:08:30,480road and never more so than when you come to a steep hill and you go down8000:08:30,480 –> 00:08:36,140through the gears in order to harness the power that is in the engine for the8100:08:36,140 –> 00:08:43,640particular circumstances that you now face. Now faith does not work8200:08:43,640 –> 00:08:51,799automatically it involves an intentional engagement in which you trust the Lord8300:08:51,840 –> 00:09:00,559Jesus Christ in the circumstances that you are facing right now, and this is the8400:09:00,559 –> 00:09:07,700question of Jesus, where is your faith? I have to tell you I’ve come to treasure8500:09:07,700 –> 00:09:15,000this question in my own life, including the rebuke that lies in it. I face a8600:09:15,000 –> 00:09:20,780challenge but I can’t see a way forward. I need to hear this question from the8700:09:20,780 –> 00:09:29,700Lord Jesus himself. Where is your faith, you believe in me. You’ve trusted your8800:09:29,700 –> 00:09:39,460very soul and your eternity to me. Why are you not trusting me in this, where is8900:09:39,460 –> 00:09:44,900your faith? You’re listening to Open The Bible with9000:09:44,900 –> 00:09:50,000Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Applied Faith, it’s part of our series9100:09:50,200 –> 00:09:54,239Grow in Faith and we’ll return to the message very shortly, so I do hope you’ll9200:09:54,239 –> 00:09:58,440stay with us, and if you ever miss one of the series it’s very easy to catch up9300:09:58,440 –> 00:10:04,000come online to our website openthebible.org.uk and they will find all9400:10:04,000 –> 00:10:08,039the messages which have already been broadcast and you also find them as a9500:10:08,039 –> 00:10:12,059podcast if you prefer that way of checking out Pastor Colin’s word and9600:10:12,059 –> 00:10:16,659those are on all the main podcast sites, so you can find them by searching for9700:10:17,159 –> 00:10:22,559Open The Bible UK or follow the link from our website. Back to the message now, here9800:10:22,559 –> 00:10:30,200again is Pastor Colin. Now I want us to focus today on three situations in which9900:10:30,200 –> 00:10:37,840faith needs especially to be applied. Some of you will know the book Pilgrim’s10000:10:37,840 –> 00:10:43,320Progress by John Bunian. It was written in the seventeenth century and to this10100:10:43,700 –> 00:10:50,000day it is still one of the world’s bestselling books. Bunian pictured the10200:10:50,000 –> 00:10:57,520Christian life as a journey. His main character was called Christian and10300:10:57,520 –> 00:11:04,059Christian left his hometown that was called destruction in order to go on a10400:11:04,059 –> 00:11:10,159journey to the Celestial city which was Bunian’s way of referring to heaven. So10500:11:10,219 –> 00:11:15,440his book Pilgrim’s Progress is really a description of what happens in a life of10600:11:15,440 –> 00:11:18,380faith pictured as a journey from the city of10700:11:18,380 –> 00:11:25,219destruction to the heavenly or Celestial city and the main character Christian10800:11:25,219 –> 00:11:32,700has many adventures on the way and meets with many fascinating characters10900:11:32,820 –> 00:11:41,320Bunyan was a very wise and perceptive Pastor and he created characters in his11000:11:41,320 –> 00:11:51,059story that really reflected the experience of believers he served and11100:11:51,059 –> 00:11:58,739one of Bunyan’s characters is called little faith I’m sure he took that11200:11:58,760 –> 00:12:04,179directly from the fact that as we’ve seen Jesus said o you of little faith11300:12:04,179 –> 00:12:12,940on no less than five occasions now let me tell you little face story little11400:12:12,940 –> 00:12:21,539faith lived in a town called sincere and like Christian he decided that he needed11500:12:21,539 –> 00:12:27,760to leave this town called since here in order to begin a journey to the11600:12:27,760 –> 00:12:36,119celestial City at one point in the story little faith went down an Alley that was11700:12:36,119 –> 00:12:43,039called dead man’s lane it had been given that lane because of the many murders11800:12:43,039 –> 00:12:50,659that had taken place there in the past and while he was in dead man’s Lane11900:12:50,659 –> 00:12:57,159little faith was confronted by thieves there were three of them and their names12000:12:57,159 –> 00:13:07,080were faint heart mistrust and guilt well faint heart was the first to speak in a12100:13:07,080 –> 00:13:12,780very threatening way he demanded that little faith give the thieves his wallet12200:13:12,780 –> 00:13:17,780little faith was so terrified he didn’t know what to do he just stood there12300:13:17,780 –> 00:13:25,659absolutely frozen to the spot and so mistrust stepped forward and seized12400:13:25,900 –> 00:13:33,119little face wallet out of his pocket at that moment little faith shouted for12500:13:33,119 –> 00:13:39,979help thieves thieves and at that guilt stepped forward with a big stick in his12600:13:39,979 –> 00:13:46,500hand he hit little faith over the head and then beat him down to the ground and12700:13:46,880 –> 00:13:56,539then the three thieves ran off leaving little faith bleeding in dead man’s alley12800:13:56,539 –> 00:14:06,619now notice what happened to little faith in this story he was threatened by faint12900:14:06,619 –> 00:14:19,500heart he was robbed by mistrust and he was beaten up by guilt now Bunyan here13000:14:19,500 –> 00:14:26,880is giving to us a profound insight into Christian experience somewhere in your13100:14:26,880 –> 00:14:35,520journey you’re going to meet these three thieves faint heart will threaten you13200:14:35,960 –> 00:14:45,140mistrust will want to rob you and guilt will attempt to beat you up and when you13300:14:45,140 –> 00:14:55,859meet these thieves you’re going to have to exercise faith first then exercise13400:14:55,859 –> 00:15:03,140faith when faint heart tries to scare you now you’ll know what this is like in13500:15:03,140 –> 00:15:07,659your own experience you have perhaps an opportunity to serve there’s something13600:15:07,659 –> 00:15:15,859good that you would like to pursue but faint heart hold you back fear grips you13700:15:15,859 –> 00:15:22,299you don’t want to fail and so you don’t step forward you don’t take a risk you13800:15:22,299 –> 00:15:31,020want to guard yourself at all costs against any possibility of failure you13900:15:31,080 –> 00:15:37,900remember Jesus told us about a faint-hearted servant in fact there14000:15:37,900 –> 00:15:43,619were three servants who were trusted by their master with large amounts of money14100:15:43,619 –> 00:15:49,479two of the servants invested the money and gained a very good return and the14200:15:49,479 –> 00:15:53,099master was well pleased and he rewarded these servants14300:15:53,099 –> 00:15:59,859but you remember that Jesus tells us that the third servant was afraid he was14400:15:59,900 –> 00:16:05,119afraid faint-hearted in other words was right there in front of him do you14500:16:05,119 –> 00:16:08,440really want to take the risk of investing this money I mean what if the14600:16:08,440 –> 00:16:12,760investment goes south I mean surely the best thing you can do is dig a hole in14700:16:12,760 –> 00:16:17,119the ground and bury it at least then you won’t lose anything and you won’t be14800:16:17,119 –> 00:16:27,340embarrassed and that is what this third servant did fear ruled him he took no14900:16:27,340 –> 00:16:42,320risk he pursued no initiative and he gained no reward now what are you to do15000:16:42,320 –> 00:16:50,640when faint-heart crosses your path and tries to scare you the answer is you15100:16:50,640 –> 00:16:59,320must exercise faith and faith responds to faint heart by affirming the strength15200:16:59,320 –> 00:17:08,880that is yours in the Lord Jesus Christ I can do all things through Christ who15300:17:08,880 –> 00:17:16,160gives me strength so when you come to something that seems beyond you exercise15400:17:16,199 –> 00:17:22,560faith Christ will bring you to places in your journey where you have no15500:17:22,560 –> 00:17:28,479alternative but to depend upon him and faith grows when you see that what he15600:17:28,479 –> 00:17:33,479calls you to is indeed beyond you and you have to trust him to give you what15700:17:33,479 –> 00:17:42,479you do not have tell faint heart that Christ is yours and in him is all the15800:17:42,599 –> 00:17:48,760strength that you need your Savior is with you and he who guards you will15900:17:48,760 –> 00:17:54,959neither slumber nor sleep his strength is made perfect in your weakness and his16000:17:54,959 –> 00:18:07,939grace is sufficient for you exercise faith when faint heart tries to scare16100:18:07,959 –> 00:18:18,859you and then secondly exercise faith when mistrust attempts to rob you now in16200:18:18,859 –> 00:18:27,959Bunyan story remember little faith was beaten up by guilt but it was mistrust16300:18:27,959 –> 00:18:36,660who robbed him and off the two it was mistrust who did the greater damage see16400:18:37,040 –> 00:18:42,239little faith recovered from being beaten up dusted himself off recovered from his16500:18:42,239 –> 00:18:47,560wounds and then pressed on in his journey to the Celestial City but since16600:18:47,560 –> 00:18:57,180mistrust had taken his money well little faith had a much more difficult journey16700:18:57,180 –> 00:19:08,719now to be clear little faith was and is without question a child of God16800:19:08,719 –> 00:19:16,540even with little faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you belong to him and God indeed16900:19:16,540 –> 00:19:25,959is your Father and by his grace you will make it home despite being beaten up in17000:19:26,180 –> 00:19:34,180dead man’s lane little faith at last arrived in the celestial city but here’s17100:19:34,180 –> 00:19:40,020the thing with a little faith his journey was not a happy one Bunyan says17200:19:40,020 –> 00:19:48,819he was forced to beg as he went and that he went with many a hungry belly that is17300:19:48,819 –> 00:20:00,660a great description of a believer who is robbed by mistrust as a believer you are17400:20:00,660 –> 00:20:08,420rich in the Lord Jesus Christ but mistrust can make you live as if you17500:20:08,420 –> 00:20:14,959were poor mistrust took away little faith joy17600:20:15,439 –> 00:20:24,400it was mistrust that made little faith’s life and journey so difficult and often quite miserable17700:20:25,599 –> 00:20:36,560now what are you to do then when mistrust tries to rob you well faith responds to mistrust17800:20:37,280 –> 00:20:48,479by affirming the riches that are yours in Jesus Christ you are blessed with every spiritual17900:20:48,479 –> 00:20:57,280blessing in Jesus Christ even if you only have a little faith you are loved you are called18000:20:58,079 –> 00:21:07,760you are forgiven you are redeemed the Holy Spirit of God lives in you and you are destined18100:21:08,319 –> 00:21:17,199for a life of eternal joy in the glory of the Lord’s immediate presence so tell mistrust that18200:21:17,199 –> 00:21:25,920Christ is yours and that all the riches that are yours in him can never be taken away18300:21:27,359 –> 00:21:37,439tell mistrust my God will supply all that I need according to his riches in glory in Christ18400:21:38,239 –> 00:21:44,400Jesus. Paster Colin Smith on Open the Bible looking today at how you can exercise faith18500:21:44,400 –> 00:21:51,280when a faint heart tries to scare you and mistrust tries to rob you. Next time we’ll look at when18600:21:51,280 –> 00:21:54,479guilt tries to beat you up so I hope you’ll join us for that18700:21:55,119 –> 00:22:00,000Don’t forget if you ever miss one of the messages in our series you can easily catch up or go back18800:22:00,000 –> 00:22:06,880and listen again by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk, or go to your favourite18900:22:06,880 –> 00:22:13,760podcast site, search therefore, Open the Bible UK, or follow the link from our website.19000:22:13,760 –> 00:22:19,439I know many of you listen to podcasts and we’re excited to tell you about a new podcast for Open19100:22:19,439 –> 00:22:24,719the Bible. It’s a companion to Pastor Colin’s book, Hike Through the Bible.19200:22:24,719 –> 00:22:29,359Yeah and each week I’ll read a chapter from the book and then I get to discuss it with some19300:22:29,359 –> 00:22:36,400friends. So if you join us on the podcast in 50 weeks we’ll cover 50 chapters of the Bible together19400:22:36,400 –> 00:22:42,560and in a year you’ll have hiked through the entire Bible story. Now if you think hiking19500:22:42,560 –> 00:22:48,640sounds like hard work, don’t worry, I promise you this hike will be an easy gentle piece.19600:22:48,640 –> 00:22:55,920There’s a link to the podcast and lots more information on our website at openthebible.org.uk19700:22:56,880 –> 00:23:02,560Open the Bible is supported by our listeners and we’re very grateful for the support we receive,19800:23:02,560 –> 00:23:08,239so if you already give to support Open the Bible thank you so much. If you’re considering19900:23:08,239 –> 00:23:14,160beginning to support Open the Bible this month we’d like to thank you by sending you a free gift.20000:23:14,160 –> 00:23:17,599Here’s Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham to tell us about it.20100:23:17,599 –> 00:23:23,280Hi David thanks so much for having me. This May we were really pleased to be giving away20200:23:23,280 –> 00:23:28,959a beautifully encouraging book called I’m Praying for You by Nancy Guthrie.20300:23:29,599 –> 00:23:34,319When we hear that a friend is struggling it’s often easy to say I’m praying for you,20400:23:34,959 –> 00:23:38,880but sometimes, much harder to know what to actually pray20500:23:38,880 –> 00:23:41,680and that’s exactly where this book is so helpful.20600:23:42,479 –> 00:23:48,640Through 40 carefully chosen scripture passages, Nancy Guthrie shows us how the Bible provides us20700:23:48,640 –> 00:23:54,479with a vocabulary for prayer that enables us to ask God to achieve what He intends20800:23:54,479 –> 00:23:58,160in and through suffering. Nancy teaches us to see20900:23:58,160 –> 00:24:02,319how God’s purposes are revealed even in our darkest days21000:24:02,319 –> 00:24:07,199and encourages us to pray for His will to be done in difficult situations.21100:24:08,160 –> 00:24:11,119Each chapter includes a short Bible passage,21200:24:11,119 –> 00:24:15,119a clear explanation and a prayer you can use for a friend.21300:24:15,119 –> 00:24:18,000And there’s also a really thoughtful feature,21400:24:18,000 –> 00:24:22,319a QR code that allows you to send a message to let someone know21500:24:22,319 –> 00:24:25,599not just that you’re praying for them, but exactly what you’re praying!21600:24:26,160 –> 00:24:29,040It’s practical, deeply rooted in Scripture21700:24:29,040 –> 00:24:32,640and a wonderful way to care for others more intentionally.21800:24:33,439 –> 00:24:36,400We would love to send you a copy as a thank you21900:24:36,400 –> 00:24:42,560when you give a one-off gift of £60 or set up a new monthly direct debit of £522000:24:43,439 –> 00:24:46,880Just please remember to leave your name and address when you donate22100:24:46,880 –> 00:24:48,560so that we can send you your gift.22200:24:56,599 –> 00:24:59,280Full terms and conditions are on our website22300:25:02,359 –> 00:25:04,040and you can give online.22400:25:04,040 –> 00:25:08,119And as Amanda says, please don’t forget to leave your full name and address.22500:25:09,239 –> 00:25:10,420For Open the Bible22600:25:10,420 –> 00:25:12,520and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Bick.22700:25:12,520 –> 00:25:16,199Thanks for being with us today and I hope you’ll join us again next time.22800:25:21,400 –> 00:25:25,479There are three situations in which faith especially needs to be applied22900:25:25,479 –> 00:25:29,380find out where they are next time on Open the Bible.