Touré Roberts - The Difference that Faith Makes

I want to talk today about the difference that faith makes. The difference that faith makes! Let’s pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word; it is alive! Hallelujah! And God, you have purposed this word to activate something in us, to turn something on in us, to connect us to a power source that unlocks everything that you’ve promised us. So, God, I thank you for the spirit of wisdom, revelation, insight, knowledge, prophecy, and all of the gifts of the Spirit—full access to heaven’s resources—that I might channel this message clearly and that it might build your sons and daughters up, bless them, edify them, liberate them, and align them with who you are and what you’re doing. I love you, I thank you, and I decree victory in Jesus' name. We pray, amen, amen, amen.

As it relates to the evidence of God and being the evidence that makes God evident, there are few things that help you to do that more than your faith. Your faith will literally make you the evidence of God, the evidence that makes God evident. So today we’re going to have a conversation, and we’re going to talk about some things. If I were to break down this message into three sections, I want to discuss the role of faith in the believer’s life. I want to define faith—perhaps in a way that you have never considered it before—and I want to talk about the deploying of faith.

So, we’re going to discuss the role of faith. Faith has a critical role in the believer’s life. We’re going to define faith; we’re going to break this thing down; and we’re also going to talk about the deploying of faith because we know that faith without works is dead. Faith is not something that you simply have; it’s something that you’re to act upon. So, let’s talk about that. Let’s begin this conversation by talking about the role of faith in the believer’s life. The role of faith in the believer’s life, simply put, is everything. There are several passages of Scripture in the Bible that say the just shall live by faith. So, it’s not an optional thing. In fact, by grace, we are saved through faith. Right? So, this whole thing starts through faith, and we’re going to define it and get into it in just a moment. But it’s everything! If you’re taking notes, write this thought down: as it relates to faith, your faith is your life, your livelihood, and your lifestyle. The just shall live by faith; it is your life! This is how I live; it is my oxygen. When I got saved, I no longer subscribed to sight alone. Right? The Scripture says that we walk by faith and not by sight. So, it is a new dimension; it is a new realm. The way that I make decisions and process things has changed. Now they have changed from sight and things that are seen to things that are perceived. I cannot wait until we get into the definition of faith! Are you tracking with me?

So, it’s everything! It’s my life; it’s my livelihood. Faith is my livelihood. There are things I’m just thinking about—some of the prophets in Scripture, you know, and how Elijah had to study this when you get a chance. There’s a story where there was a drought, and he didn’t have anything—there was no more food—but God had made provision for him; he made provision for him by giving him a word about going to another place, going somewhere where that provision was. If I don’t connect with faith and my ability to believe that God has things for me, and walk those things out and pursue those things, my livelihood—my food—I feel that some of you are going to eat by faith! You might not be eating right now because you haven’t connected with faith.

And so, faith is my life; it is my livelihood. Watch this, and it is my lifestyle! The believer lives a lifestyle of faith, and faith can be an exhilarating lifestyle. I’ll tell you now, sometimes it’s challenging—and we’ll get into that maybe a little bit towards the end—but for me, it is exciting because I’ve been around long enough to recognize that faith pays off. I’ve been around long enough to know that God keeps His word; He is faithful to His promise. And so, faith is my life; it is my livelihood; it is my lifestyle—it is my life, it is my livelihood, it is my lifestyle; it is my everything!

Are you tracking with me? Your purpose moves by faith; the kingdom moves by faith. The plans that God has—when God says in Jeremiah 29:11, «I know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope"—He’s saying all this because He’s basically trying to get you to subscribe to faith. He knows this, but He needs you to know it because in order for the unfolding of God’s plans to take place in your life, you are going to have to believe it. So, God is basically saying, «Look, I know that, in order to live for me and to walk with me, you’re going to need some faith. So, let me reiterate my promise to you: for I know the plans that I have for you.» What is God doing?