Dharius Daniels - Coming In Hot

We’re still in a series here called «Faith University.» It’s another one, and I want you to turn or click to your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter number one, verse number 29. Man, I’m excited about the Word, and I want to share what’s on my heart for us today. Some of y’all are like, «We’ve been in this series a long time.» You’re right; when are we done? I don’t know; we’re going to be here until I believe I get a release to move on. Mark chapter 1, verse 29 says this: «As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them.»

I want to talk from this subject in our time together: «Here’s the Cause of Concern.» The fever left her, and she began to wait on them. I’ll talk from this subject: «I’m Coming in Hot.» Somebody just put some fire in the chat right now. I’m coming in hot! Family, we are in session whatever of this series of sermons entitled «Faith University,» where we are intentionally attempting to upgrade our faith because we have received a revelation. Look at me: you cannot get Christianity right if you’re getting faith wrong.

We’ve explored a series of truths that are foundational to what I’m attempting to articulate in this series. The first of which is this: for the believer, faith should not just be a response to crisis; it should be a way of life. It means that I don’t just walk by faith when the doors are closed; I walk by faith when the doors are open. It means that we don’t walk by faith just when the answer is no; we walk by faith even when the answer is yes. It means that we don’t just use faith when things are going wrong; we continue to use faith when things are going well. We don’t just use faith when the wrong people walk out of our lives; we use faith when the right people walk into it. Because faith should not just be a response to crisis, it should be a way of life. The just shall live by faith.

We start the business by faith; we say «I do» by faith; we write the book by faith; we speak of our children by faith; we believe for healing by faith because the just shall live by faith. Nothing works optimally spiritually without faith. Prayer is not as effective as it could be without it. Salvation cannot be achieved and experienced without it, and God cannot be pleased without it. For the Scriptures say that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is acting like God is telling the truth all the time about everything.

Faith is acting like, not feeling like. Did you hear what I just said? Yes, it’s acting like, not feeling like. So it doesn’t mean that I feel and then move; I move and command my feelings to catch up. Did you hear what I just said? Yes, it is not feeling like God’s telling the truth because sometimes you don’t always feel like God’s telling the truth, right? Watchman talks about the difference between faith, fact, and experience. So sometimes I have a circumstance that’s a fact. If I have a financial need, that’s a fact. If I have a physical need, that’s a fact. If things aren’t going well in a business, that’s a fact. If things aren’t going well in a relationship, that’s a fact. But what need says is: don’t let the facts change the truth. That’s a fact, but the truth is God will supply all of my needs, right? So the facts don’t change the truth, but the truth will change the facts.

So faith is acting like, not feeling like God’s telling the truth. The acting like is what distinguishes faith from simply belief. See, some people have belief, and they call it faith. Come on, Darius, what’s the difference? The Bible says faith has an author and a finisher; come on, unto Jesus, who is the author. My faith comes from Him, and the finisher; my faith goes back into Him. Come on, see, when someone simply believes or they’re optimistic, their belief has no source. They’re believing in believing. They say, «You know, I’m not worried about it because I believe it’s going to work out.» That’s optimism. Faith is different. Faith has an author and a finisher.

Faith says, «I don’t just believe it’s going to work out; I believe God is going to work it out.» I’m not believing in believing; I’m not hoping in hope; I’m hoping in God. I’m hoping in the sovereign One who is able to orchestrate all things according to the counsel of His will. My faith is in the One who opens doors; my faith is in, watch this, the One who opens doors no man can shut and closes doors no man can open. My faith is not in our universe; my faith is in the One who created it. Am I making sense? It’s acting like God is telling the truth all the time about everything. Yes, the anchor in that definition is the word «God.» And that’s what we’ve been trying to articulate for these past couple of months.