Living Hope Fellowship Church

BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF

Training Material

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF

Preface

 (unbelief, encourage preachers, sacrifice)

Mark 6:5-6 says, “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”  Jesus Christ Himself was standing there, and He could not perform a miracle in this church. 

Because we have unbelief, we’ve not done the things we’ve known to do, and we have not seen the things God has promised. 

          People love to walk up and be blessed by the anointing someone else has prayed down, but you have to get in touch with Jesus yourself.  You have to live for God and have faith in God in your own heart if you want God to do a mighty work in you.   

Hebrews 3:12 says, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”  He is talking to the church.  Make sure there is NO evil heart of unbelief in there to steal, kill, and destroy the thing God has planted in you. 

BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF

by Kevin Badgley

          Where could I go but to the Lord?  There is nowhere else you can go and survive, make heaven, or keep the joy of the Lord.  There is no place else you can go and get forgiveness of sins.  You can have Christ, or you can have the Devil.  If you will yield over to God the way you used to with the enemy, you will find out that God has the real power.

          When you say the word Devil, a lot of people get fear.  I am not afraid of the devil, and I am not afraid of the devil’s crowd, but the devil is afraid of God and His son Jesus.  James 2:19 says, “. . . the devils also believe, and tremble.”  Jesus is Lord and Master.  Jesus is Savior and the King of Kings. 

As sinners we used to know all the avenues how to give over to the devil.  He would say something, and we’d say, How high, and how much?  He would give us ideas and speak to us, and we’d be gone in a flash, party hearty, grab another sinner and do what sinners do. 

If you will yield over to God, sell out to Jesus, and when His Spirit speaks to you - do what HE says, you will see the glory of the Lord work in your life.  You will mingle among the saints of the Most High God.  You will see signs, wonders, and miracles in His name.  If you will believe it, you will receive it, but you have to act on it, or you will see nothing.

Mark 6:5-6 says, “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”  Jesus Christ Himself was in a church service teaching.  Jesus, the Word of the Most High God, was standing there, and He could there do no mighty work!  He could not perform a miracle in this church. 

Matthew 13:58 says it was because of their unbelief!  Mark 6:2 says, “And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?”

They were aware that He could heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead.  Yet, there was no mighty work done there.  That is like the church world today.  They know Christ is real and that He can perform signs, wonders, and miracles, but they have unbelief. 

Believing that somebody can do something - is not faith.  Faith is when you are sold out to God, and you are acting on what you believe.  You are living it and walking it, not just talking it. 

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Jesus could not command a blessing if it was not due.  He cannot reward anything that is not of faith.  Romans 14:23 says, “. . . for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

If you don’t believe, you’ve got sin.  If you don’t commit your life to Christ, even after you have accepted Him as Savior and Lord, you sin. 

The Bible says it is because of unbelief that you do not see signs, wonders and miracles following you.  This is a supernatural sadness.  Jesus marveled once before, but at the faith of a Centurion.  The man believed that Jesus could stand here and speak the word, and his servant who was way down the road would be healed just by Him saying it.  Jesus marveled at his faith in God.  Matthew 8:10 says, “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”  Jesus rejoiced, and the centurion got his beloved servant healed. 

You say you believe God.  Then why aren’t you at prayer meetings?  Why aren’t you fasting and seeking God?  Do you believe God is going to answer prayer?  People love to walk up under the anointing.  They get relieved, but when they get out the door they are as sick as before, because they came up in unbelief, just sucking the anointing of the altar.  You have to get in touch with Jesus yourself.  Don’t stop coming up for prayer because I am talking to you like this.  You must realize that you can’t live on someone else’s anointing.  You have to live for God and have faith in God in your own heart if you want God to do a mighty work in you.   

          Do you believe when you pray that God is going to move?  If you believe when you pray, then why don’t you pray a lot so God will move mightily?  People go to church and get a drink, and they starve to death the rest of the week.  God wants to gird you up and get you closer to Him before you try to minister to others.  God wants you to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  We are made partakers of Christ if we hold steadfastly to the Lord.

          In 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 Paul said, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”  They were still sucking on the bottle.  The milk will keep you alive, but the meat of the Word builds muscle.

Hebrews 3:12 says, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”  He says brethren, so he is talking to the church.  Verse 13-14 says, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

1 Corinthians 9:24 says, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all. . . .”  You have to run the race and finish your course from God.  He has called you to walk in faith and defy the devil.  You are called to go against unbelief.  Get out of the laziness of the flesh and the worldliness of the mind.  He has called you to get in His Word.  That is what it takes to see signs, wonders, and miracles. 

Jesus said in Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe. . . .”  You have to believe or the signs do not follow.  Revelations says the unbelieving shall be cast into the lake of fire.  If you do not live for God you will go to hell.  We need the guts to live for God. 

We should be on our knees in a closet seeking God.  I will do it, but you are supposed to do it too. There were 120 in the upper room in Acts, and they were not all preachers.  There were only 12 apostles.  After they received the Holy Ghost in Acts, the crowd suddenly increased by 3,000 and then by 5,000. 

Acts 4:13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” 

They looked at the man that was healed standing beside them, and they knew that Peter and John had been with Jesus.  When you lay hands on the sick and they recover, then you know you have been with God.  God has shown me how faith will bring on the glory of God.  As we believe God to manifest His presence, we will see His glory. 

          Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the Mount of Transfiguration, but the disciples in their typical church mode went to sleep.  Most of the church is asleep today.  Matthew 13:25 says, “But while men slept, his enemy came. . . .”  While the church sleeps, the devil works.  The disciples went to sleep while faithful Jesus was praying.  We must be faithful as we press into the Kingdom of God. 

Luke 9:29 says, “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”  Have you seen somebody get the glory of God on them?  There is something different about them.  It is in their eyes, on their face, on their body, and on their clothes. 

Jesus was altered because He was praying.  When you pray, your countenance changes.  You go from a dead life into the life of Christ when you first pray, God, forgive me a sinner.  When God deals gloriously with you, your countenance changes; it alters into the image Christ.  When you do this, you can walk and talk like Jesus.  You can minister like Jesus did.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, and cleansed the lepers.

Mathew 10:8 says, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”  That is the glory of the Lord.  How do you get it?  Yield over to God and start praying.  Believe God.  What you can’t get at home, come together with the saints and believe God to give you the finished work.  Believe God for a work in your area. 

Hebrew 3:12 said to take heed!  Make sure there is NO evil heart of unbelief in there to steal, kill, and destroy the thing God has planted in you. 

Jesus could do nothing in the church, because they did not believe.  It is not because He did not have the power.  He DID have the power.  God rewards those who diligently seek him; the faithful please God.  Those people had unbelief; they did not please God.  Jesus could not pray a prayer that didn’t please God, lest He sin.

As we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, we can believe God and see signs, wonders and miracles. 

People may harass you, but why do you care what sinners think?  Romans 3:3-4 says, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?  God forbid. . . .”  Big deal if they don’t believe.  God will find somebody who does believe, and they are going to see signs, wonders and miracles in the name of Jesus.

What if they don’t believe in the church?  That is who He is talking about specifically.  What if other denominations don’t believe?  It is evident that they don’t believe, because there are no signs, wonders, and miracles in their churches.  I am not going to be in one accord with unbelief. 

If some do not believe, it does not make the faith of God without effect.  The power is STILL THERE.  The Holy Ghost is still here.  Yes, I am filled with the Holy Ghost, and I see God’s power manifest every time I pray and believe God.  Unbelievers cannot make the faith of God of none effect in my life.  Don’t let them do it to yours.  Miracles have not ceased. 

God has been blessing me, and I know it is not because I have been perfect!  I have been struggling, and it has been difficult, but God wants to give out His blessing and mercy.  Romans 5:20 says, “. . . But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”

Some people are afraid of getting too much of God.  Not me, you say.  Wait a minute before you stick your chest out like a bullfrog.  Rethink it.  When you get much of God you get radical and start witnessing in places where it is not comfortable.  When you get too much of God it just runs over and you start talking to people.  Some of them will get mad at you.  You will make enemies of some of your family and friends.  Deep down in your heart you know that will happen, so you kind of cool it.  You don’t want to upset anybody. 

What would happen if everybody suddenly yielded fully over to God and became like Jesus?  Psalm 69:9 says, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”

We should not care if there is unbelief.  We know that the Word of God shall have effect anyhow.  Somebody out there is ready for a miracle.  Let’s go on and believe God. 

After Elijah dealt with the prophets of Baal and all the others, he came back so depressed that he wanted God to kill him!  He told God (in other words), They are not listening or doing right.  I have fasted, prayed, and sought you, Lord.  I have been fed by birds.  I have prayed for hours, yet they will not listen to me even though your power has been made manifest.  They still worship Baal.  Kill me.  I’m not doing any good. 

God had a little talk with him.  He shook the mountains and the wind blew hard.  Then He talked to him in a still small voice.  He told him that He still had seven thousand that had not bent the knee to Baal. 

God wants to move in His people.  Seven thousand or three, what is that to you or me?  Signs and miracles will follow them that believe.  God still has a remnant, and He is going to bring revival.  Praise God for victory over all the power of the devil.  We pray as the father in Mark 9:24, “. . .  Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Elijah went back to preaching, and he was on fire, because he knew there was somebody out there he had to go get.  Folks, you are commissioned by God to go get them.  It is not because they’re pretty or somebody you’d normally hang around.  God has someone for you to minister to, somebody that is waiting for your testimony.  Perhaps there is somebody that no one else can get to.  Instead of sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself, or saying you are too old, you could be praying and seeking God.  You could be walking and talking like Jesus.  You aren’t dead yet!

Abel was dead physically, but he was still talking.  God told Cain in Genesis 4:10, “. . . the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Some people give God five minutes a day.  Some say they are going to fast from watching television.  It is amazing what we consider valuable to be sacrificed on God’s altar.  Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Because we have unbelief, we’ve not done the things we’ve known to do, and we have not seen the things God has promised.  As a preacher, I have to fight the devil every time I preach to get a message from God.  I am not talking about a pacifistic wimp message that you can get from fifteen minutes of reading an oratory from someone else’s commentary.  I am talking about something that comes from the Holy Ghost of God, from the throne room!  I have to fast and pray and seek God to get a message. 

God wants you to come on for Jesus.  Have you ever wished you had prayed a little longer?  Maybe one of your kids got hurt or sick.  Maybe your car was about to slam into another car.  A day will come when you will need that prayer and fasting time.  If you don’t have it, there is not a thing you can do about it. 

Let’s pray up now; let’s live for God now.  Let’s fast and pray and read the Bible now, so that NOW faith can come into effect whenever we need it.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PASTOR KEVIN BADGLEY

LIVING HOPE FELLOWSHIP, P. O. BOX 111, GRAND CHAIN, IL  62941

CHURCH / FAX (618) 634-2541

E-mail  livinghopefellowship@lazernetwireless.net

These condensed Bible studies have been published to help new Christians in their new walk with the Lord.  Kevin Badgley, the author, is the pastor of Living Hope Fellowship Church.

This is a Living Hope Fellowship publication.

© Living Hope Fellowship, Inc.