“Wake Up Your Faith” with Jentezen Franklin

the following program is sponsored by

friends and partners of Kingdom

connection faith comes by hearing not

seen hearing we walk by faith what we

hear not by sight what we are watching

that’s the life of faith that’s how you

can be up in a down world that’s why you

can look at the crazy things that are

happening in this nation and if you let

it it’ll drive you down or you can turn

around and say but I’m getting news from

another arena and another world and it

tells me everything’s going to be

alright

God is not nervous about politics

economy all the violence all the things

that are going on in the news God’s not

biting his nails he’s King of Kings Lord

of lords and he says I’m gonna take care

of my children and my people come on

it’s shout a man if you believe

today I want to talk about wake up your

faith how many of you know faith is

important faith is important and the

thing about faith is in this chapter of

Corinthians it’s pretty powerful

it gives us some insights into faith

when it says in verse 17 for our light

affliction which is but for a moment is

working in us a far more exceeding and

eternal weight of glory while we do not

look at the things which are seen but at

the things which are not seen for the

things which are seen are temporary but

the things which are not seen are

eternal and then second Corinthians 5

one more verse of scripture for we walk

by faith not by sight say it again for

we walk by faith not by sight so

important that we understand that we if

we’re going to be people of faith not

people of fear but people of faith we do

not walk by what we see and let it

dominate and defeat us but we hear the

promises of God and what we’re hearing

is greater than what we’re seeing faith

is so important the definition of faith

according to the Bible is faith is not

what you see it’s why when Jesus cursed

the fig tree and nothing happened the

disciples thought what he missed it on

that prayer and they walked away and

came back 24 hours later and the Bible

said that same tree was withered up from

the roots now if you were looking on the

outside at what you see prayer was not

making a difference but the moment that

Jesus prayed in the invisible root of

that tree that fig tree was withering up

and dying and even though it looked like

nothing was happening something was

happening and that’s how that’s how

faith works faith is trusting God faith

is being willing to walk off them out

and not have all the answers

but you just moved by faith the Bible

said Abraham went not knowing where he

was going we want to know everything we

want to know every question answered

before we move but faith faith in God

and God cannot be pleased the Bible said

without faith I don’t care how religious

you are I don’t care how many rules you

have I don’t care what you abstain from

and and what you do he said if you’re if

if where you are is not requiring faith

of you risk then you’re not pleasing me

because God loves to see his word

trusted we want by faith not by sight

now watch this don’t let what you see

hinder what heaven is letting you hear

we want by faith not by sight and then I

love this part that faith the Bible said

in Romans comes by hearing and hearing

the Word of God

so don’t go by what you see but go by

what you hear because what you hear from

the scriptures and from moments like

these that we’re having right now is

what will determine whether or not you

can overcome I think of a story in the

Old Testament in 2nd Samuel chapter 5 of

David fighting the Philistines and the

Bible said that God told him then when

you go out to the battlefield I want you

to pull off to the side of the

battlefield and get under the grove of

mulberry trees and I want you to wait

and when you hear the sound of rustling

in the tops of those trees I’ll go out

before you that’s when you’re to go and

with your troops and fight the

Philistines

so here’s David he’s looking at an

advancing overwhelming army of

Philistines coming right at him

and God says I don’t want you to be

focused on what you see what you see

looks like defeat but I want you to hear

and when you hear the sound of angels

chariots rumbling over the tops of the

mulberry trees then you move

and I’ll give you the victory don’t go

by what you see

go by what you hear the prophet Elijah

was in a famine and yet he said I hear

if he had gone by what he was seeing

everything was drying up and everything

was gone but he did not go by what he

saw he said I hear something different

from what my eyes are watching I’m

hearing something that is a

contradiction to what I’m seeing the

folks this is what faith does faith

doesn’t just look at facts and say well

I might as well give up faith looks at

defiant circumstances that look like

defeat and listens and you’ll never hear

heaven talking defeat you’ll never hear

heaven talking give up you’re right you

should be suicidal and depressed you’re

not going to make it you’ll never hear

heaven say that kind of stuff so you

have to determine as a person to faith

am I going to see what I see and watch

what I’m watching and let that determine

fear and and worry and all the things

that come from that or am I going to

listen to what I hear and Elijah said I

hear the sound of an abundance of rain

right in the middle while he was

watching famine he was hearing abundance

that’s faith it was a mid-october

afternoon 1982 at badger Stadium in

Wisconsin 60,000 plus diehard fans

gathered to watch their team the

University of Wisconsin take on the

Michigan State Spartans even though they

had the home-field advantage it became

obvious quickly in the ballgame that

Michigan State had the better team what

became odd is as the score became more

and more lopsided and Wisconsin fell

further and further behind quarter after

quarter

the more they were losing the louder the

fans were getting the burst of appalls

and shouts from the Wisconsin fans grew

louder and louder the more they were

watching their team lose the coaches and

players were stunned to hear their fans

scream and cheer while they were

watching their team lose and lose bad it

turned out that 70 miles away the

Milwaukee Brewers were beating the st.

Louis Cardinals in game four of the 1982

World Series many of the fans in the

stands were listening to their portable

radios and they were responding to what

they heard not to what they saw they

were celebrating victory in the presence

of what looked like defeat what a

contradiction shouting in the mists of

obvious defeat and the question is are

you responding to what you see or are

you responding to what heaven is saying

the arena that they were seeing in was

showing them one thing but there was

another arena where a greater victory

was taking place and it was screaming

another thing from what they were seeing

one was telling them something totally

contrary to what they were looking at

and you have to decide are you gonna

live by what you see and every day you

get up you let that determine what kind

of day you have are you going to live by

what you hear man shall not live by

bread alone what he can see but by every

word that proceeds out of the mouth of

God faith comes by hearing not seeing

hearing we won’t buy faith what we hear

not by sight what we are watching that’s

the life of faith that’s how you can be

up in a down world that’s why you can

look at the crazy things that are half

in this nation and if you let it it’ll

drive you down or you can turn around

and say but I’m getting news from

another arena and another world and it

tells me everything’s going to be

alright

God is not nervous about politics

economy all the violence all the things

that are going on in the news God’s not

biting his nails he’s King of Kings Lord

of lords and he says I’m gonna take care

of my children and my people come on and

shout a man if you believe I want

somebody to shout who’s watching a

defeat seemingly but you’re hearing

something that’s greater than what

you’re watching Wow that’s the shout of

faith when I look around it seems odd

that a church would be cheerful and you

got all kinds of problems why do you

come to church and start cheering oh

praise the name of the Lord my god you

usually do it with your eyes closed you

know why because you don’t want to look

at the circumstances you’re living in

right now oh I’m glad I’ve got faith

that overcomes the whole world it’s by

what I hear not what I see I got a radio

up to my ear that’s telling me good news

in a world of bad news

hurt betrayal and even guilt can

restrain holding on to unforgiveness can

keep the power of God from being

released into your life but God wants to

set you free from the

of your past so today we invite you to

launch forward and experience the power

of forgiveness in your life we want to

send you Craig stones book forgiving the

unforgivable

you will learn how to find healing and

hope in the midst of pain loss and even

betrayal or with your gift of $30 or

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Craig stones book plus Jensen Franklin’s

two CD set including the messages the

power of forgiveness and get over it

learn the secret to letting go and

release the power of God in your life

visit us at Jensen Franklin Oh our G or

call us now at eight eight eight eight

eight eight three four seven three Jesus

gave the church three tiers and he said

I want you to get cheerful and I want

you to be so odd in a depressed world

that when you come together it’s like

the fans in the stand watching

everything morality everything looks

like defeat defeat defeat look at the

laws and the Supreme Court and all these

things defeat defeat defeat everything’s

going anti religion anti-god anti-bible

and we’re supposed to be cheering I

don’t care what happens in the election

I’m going to be cheering I don’t let

this stuff control my soul the joy of

the Lord is my strength and I know one

thing I’m hearing that Jesus is coming

soon I’m hearing the trumpet is gonna

sound I’m hearing

he’s bringing another Kingdom and where

righteousness will be exalted my hope is

not in this world don’t live by what you

see live by what you hear Jesus said I

want to give you three three times he

said cheer up three times he said be of

good cheer be of good cheer be of good

cheer John 16:33 he said be of good

cheer for I have overcome the world

and if I could overcome it I don’t care

what’s going on in your little arena in

the big arena there’s victory and he

says I overcame in the little arena and

I know you’re looking at some things

that look like they’re overcoming you

but I promise you if I overcame you will

overcome and then in Matthew 9 and verse

2 he said be of good cheer because your

sins are forgiven don’t just celebrate

what you’ve got celebrate what you got

rid of you got rid of your shame

somebody needs to shout you got rid of

your guilt you got rid of your addiction

you got rid of yesterday you’ve been

born again you’re a new creation your

sins are forgiven be of good cheer let’s

take a praise break right there no

matter what’s going wrong in my life

that part is right cause Jesus finished

it at Calvary and then he said in

Matthew 14:27 be of good cheer it is I

be not afraid so Jesus says I want you

to give a cheer if the world looks like

it’s winning the system of the world

looks like it’s winning unrighteousness

looks like it’s winning I want you at my

church to really cheer up and and and if

you if it looks like sin is rampant and

an increasing I want my church to be of

good cheer because your sins are

forgiven and if you’re in a storm I want

you to be of good cheer because it is I

the water Walker coming on top to the

Whitecaps and I don’t want you to be

afraid jesus said in John 15 and 18

you’re in the world but you’re not of

the world we’re in this arena and we’re

watching things and you may be watching

your child on drugs or you may be

watching your marriage in trouble or you

may be watching your finances depleted

and you’re in the world but watch this

and that’s what your watch

but he says you’re not of the world

there’s another world that you need to

be hearing and it’s not telling you to

be depressed about what you’re seeing

it’s telling you I hear I hear something

else

I hear Deuteronomy 28 while I’m looking

at what I’m looking at I hear

Deuteronomy I’m blessed in the city I’m

blessed and this is what faith people do

they look at defeat and they hear

victory they look at discouragement and

they start saying I’m blessed in the

city I’m blessed in the field you sure

don’t look blessed your car in blessed

that’s all you’re walking thumbin you

broke down itself pulling up on a on a

moped no no no that’s just my print

that’s temporary everything changes when

you get the Word of God it may not

happen today but it’s coming tomorrow

and if it doesn’t happen tomorrow my

faith won’t let go until he blesses me

that’s faith watching one thing here and

another thing my faith I hear I’m healed

according to Isaiah 53 I hear I’m free

according to the book of John whom the

Sun sets free is free indeed I hear I’m

blessed according to Deuteronomy 28 I

hear that in all of these things

according to Romans 8 I’m more than a

conqueror through Christ Jesus who loved

me and gave himself for me

I hear I’m anointed and blessed that’s

what I hear I know I’m seeing one thing

but all I’m hearing another and you may

have buried a loved one recently and you

saw them go in the gray but you’re

hearing another sound that says ain’t no

grave gonna hold that body down there’s

a resurrection power in the name of

Jesus everybody give the Lord a big

cheer from the grandstands no matter

what’s going on in your personal life on

the field I want to hear a shout in the

stands that says what I’m hearing is

greater than what I’m seeing we walk by

faith not by sight

Calvery looked like a defeat but on the

third day the stone was rolled away in

Jesus rose triumphal you know the Bible

we talk about the last days is if you’re

not careful we paint a picture of gloom

and doom only for our children and it is

perilous times and evil men and seducers

are I’ve never seen such corruption I’ve

never seen anything like what we’re

dealing with have you I’ve never seen

anything like this but I’m not worried

about it because at the same time that’s

going on I hear something different and

it shall come to pass in the last days

saith god I will pour out my spirit upon

all flesh you’re gonna live by what you

see what you hear and your sons and your

daughters shall prophesy a prophecy is

is to talk about the future in other

words your young people will get filled

with my spirit and they’ll future talk

the world’s coming to an end but God

says I’m gonna raise a generation up

that’s gonna have a dream for the future

and say we’re gonna change politics

we’re gonna change medicine we’re gonna

change the church we’re gonna change the

laws we’re gonna change the book we’re

gonna change the nation and that only

happens when they’re filled with the

spirit they get a vision from God of

what the purpose is and then they begin

to future – all I’m saying to you today

that there is a victory in a greater

arena that is more powerful what Jesus

did on the cross and at Calvary the

worse that gets the Bible says the

better it gets for us

darkness Isaiah said darkness darkness

darkness but a rising shine for your

light has come the darker the world gets

the brighter

he said I’ve called my church from from

he said you

you’ll go from brightness to brightness

from glory to glory from faith to faith

hallelujah if you put your ear up to the

radio you know what you’re here we win

we win bring on man in Christ we win

bring on the last days we win bring on

all hell bring it on bring it on because

when it’s all said and done the trumpets

gonna sound

Jesus is gonna stop at the clouds he’s

not coming all the way down to earth

he’s gonna stop in midair in the clouds

the Bible said the dead in Christ will

go up first we are alive and remain we

caught up with them to meet the Lord in

the clouds will gather around the clouds

shout around the clouds and then go

straight up and hallelujah that’s what I

hear not what I see on only about what I

see I live by what I hear and some of

you are looking at me on TV saying why

don’t you calm down why don’t you get

fired up we don’t need a dead church we

need a church that’s hearing a sound

from heaven right in the middle of hell

somebody shout like you believe God is

on the throne deaf is defeated

Luke 10:17 I’m almost done but Luke

10:17 said and the 70 returned with joy

saying Lord even the Devils are subject

under your name to us and Jesus said I

beheld Satan fall from heaven as

lightning I love that Satan is a fallen

foe he’s got one of those little beepers

don’t help I’ve fallen and I can’t get

up

he’s a loser

he’s an ex-employee from heaven that was

kicked out and replaced and we are now

the worship leaders of heaven and we

take his place that’s why I didn’t want

you to praise the Lord and cheer in the

stands he wants you to not have any joy

because of what you’re looking at but a

triumphant Church is a church that looks

at seemingly temporary defeat and has

enough faith to raise its hands in the

same arena and say that Jesus is alive

and Jesus is Lord and he’s still healer

and he’s still deliver everybody take

another praise break I feel this thing I

feel it

let’s let a messed up world here a

jacked up church right now come on if

you believe faith overcomes the world

overcomes the storm overcome sin

I’m not through preaching sit down

got one more point then Jesus went on

and he said he said and I tell you that

in my name you’ll tread on skirt I’ll

give you power over all the power of the

enemy nothing shall by any means hurt

you and in my name you’ll tread on

serpents and scorpions and over all the

power of the enemy all the power they

notice serpents and scorpions serpents

strike you with their head and scorpions

strike you with their tails what Jesus

is saying is heads or tails you in

whatever life throws at you if it lands

on the good side you win if it lands on

the bad side heads or tails

I got a God who took the Stinger out of

death and who crushed the head of the

serpent and he said all I hear is a

sound of victory from another arena if I

am walking by faith not by sight

take a praise break and I’m going I’m

gonna wrap it up don’t wallow in

self-pity any more so I’m gonna ask you

to stand to your feet

hallelujah wake up your faith don’t you

go back home like you can don’t you walk

in there and look at those bills and

lose your heart and lose your hope but

here something that’s greater than what

you’re seeing but my God shall supply

all my needs

no weapon formed against me he was

wounded for my transgressions and

bruised for my iniquities that’s what

I’m hearing I’m seeing this but I’m

hearing this and by His stripes I’m

healed

you

you

you

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Franklin

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