Kingdom Faith #5 Faith and Believing

Kingdom Faith Believing Overview

In this fifth installment of the Kingdom Faith series, the pastor delivers a compelling message that draws a clear and practical distinction between faith and believing — two concepts that are related yet function very differently in the life of a believer. Using Hebrews 12:2 as an anchor, the message centers on Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, establishing that true kingdom faith is not directed toward things, but toward a Person. The sermon unpacks how faith is received information from God — a noun, a substance — while believing is the active, obedient response to that information. Through vivid illustrations such as a child jumping from a tree, a diamond ring, and Noah building the ark in a desert, the pastor makes these truths accessible and deeply personal. Key passages including Romans 10:17, Mark 9:23, Romans 4:17, and Isaiah 46:9-10 are woven throughout to show how God calls the end from the beginning and invites us to act on what He has revealed. Biblical examples from Noah, Abraham, and Moses parents demonstrate that faith always precedes visible evidence, and that believing — putting legs to faith — is what releases the promises of God into everyday life.

Kingdom Faith Believing Outline

• 0:00 – Introduction to the Kingdom Faith Series: The pastor recaps the series and explains why faith is one of the most misunderstood elements of kingdom living, introducing the core idea that faith is directed toward a Person, not things.
• 8:30 – Jesus the Author and Finisher of Our Faith: Drawing from Hebrews 12:2 and Acts 17:28, the pastor establishes that all kingdom faith flows from and returns to Jesus Christ — in Him we live, move, and have our being.
• 18:00 – Faith as the Diamond in the Ring: Using the metaphor of a diamond ring, the pastor illustrates how Christ is the precious stone and faith is the gold setting that holds Him — without Christ, faith loses its ultimate value.
• 27:45 – Faith Is Information, Believing Is Action: The critical distinction is drawn: faith is a noun — information received from God — while believing is the verb, the active obedience that puts legs to what God has revealed. Romans 10:17 anchors this section.
• 38:00 – God Calls Things That Are Not as Though They Were: Using Romans 4:17 and the humorous illustration of calling a dog, the pastor explains what it means to declare God’s promises over situations that have not yet visibly changed.
• 47:30 – Biblical Examples: Noah, Abraham, and Moses Parents: The pastor walks through three Hall of Faith examples from Hebrews 11 — Noah building the ark, Abraham leaving Ur, and Moses hidden by his parents — each showing advanced information acted upon in obedience.
• 58:00 – The Person and Principles of Jesus: A quote from Francis Frangipane frames the dual nature of the gospel: the person of Jesus creates peace and prepares us for eternity, while the principles of Jesus create prosperity and prepare us for effective living on earth.
• 1:05:00 – Obedience as the Fulfillment of Believing: The pastor closes by calling the congregation to move from information to action — confessing Christ before men, following through on what God has asked, and trusting that He will perfect what concerns each believer.

Scripture References

Hebrews 12:2, Acts 17:28, Colossians 1:27, 1 Peter 2:7-8, 2 Peter 1:1, Mark 9:23, Matthew 19:26, Matthew 17:20, Romans 10:17, Romans 4:17, Romans 16:25-27, Isaiah 46:9-10, Isaiah 53:5, Hebrews 11:7, Hebrews 11:8, Hebrews 11:23, Ephesians 2:19, Revelation 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Key Takeaways

• Kingdom faith is not directed toward things we need but toward a Person — Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.
• Faith is a noun, a substance of information received from God, while believing is the active, obedient verb that releases that information into visible reality.
• God rewards those who diligently seek Him regardless of how mature or polished their faith appears — He looks for the heart that is turning toward Him.
• Just as Noah built the ark in a desert and Abraham left without knowing his destination, every believer is called to act on God’s revealed word before the evidence appears.
• The person of Jesus creates our peace and prepares us for eternity, while the principles of Jesus build our prosperity and prepare us for fruitful living on earth.
• Without obedience to what God has asked of us individually, we cannot expect the full expression of His promises to manifest in our lives.
• Praising and declaring God’s goodness is not religious performance — it silences the enemy, opens our lives to blessing, and reminds us of the King who provides for all His people.

Kingdom Faith Believing Notes

Faith Directed at a Person Not Things

One of the most corrective truths in this message is the distinction between having faith for something versus having faith in Someone. Religion often reduces faith to a technique for obtaining results — healing, finances, restored relationships. But kingdom faith, as the pastor explains, is altogether different. It is a grace given by God that fixes the eyes and the heart on Jesus Christ Himself. Hebrews 12:2 commands believers to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. Everything else — provision, healing, deliverance — flows as a byproduct of that singular focus on the King.

The Diamond Ring That Changes Everything

To explain why Christ must remain the center of faith, the pastor uses the image of a diamond ring. The gold setting, no matter how finely crafted, is incomplete without the stone. Faith is the gold — precious, valuable, worth holding — but Christ is the diamond that gives it ultimate worth. The longer a believer holds on to Jesus through years of faithfulness, the more their faith becomes like a priceless family heirloom, full of history and testimony. Conversely, when Jesus is not held precious, faith becomes a mere religious routine that grows in no one’s estimation and is passed on to no one.

Two Greek Functions One Living Reality

The pastor draws a grammatical distinction that carries profound theological weight. Faith is a noun — it is substance, information, a picture of what God has promised. Believing is a verb — it is the action, the obedience, the legs put to that picture. Romans 10:17 confirms that faith comes by hearing the word of God, meaning the information arrives first. But Mark 9:23 declares that all things are possible to him who believes, placing the weight of possibility on active trust. One without the other remains incomplete. Hearing without acting is mere knowledge. Acting without the word of God is presumption.

Calling Things That Are Not as Though They Were

Romans 4:17 describes a God who calls things that are not as though they were, and the pastor makes this principle remarkably practical. Using the simple example of calling a dog that has wandered out of sight, he shows that declaring what you cannot yet see is not hypocrisy — it is the very language of faith that God Himself uses. Believers are invited to speak the outcome God has shown them, to declare healing when sickness is present, to declare provision when lack is visible, not because they deny reality, but because they have received information from a God who already sees the end from the beginning according to Isaiah 46:9-10.

Noah Abraham and Moses A Pattern for Believers

The three Hebrews 11 examples the pastor examines share a single pattern: God gave advance information, and the recipient acted on it before any visible confirmation arrived. Noah built an ark in a desert region that had never seen rain. Abraham departed from Ur without knowing his destination. Moses parents hid their son and then released him into the Nile in a reed basket, trusting that God’s word over the child’s life was more reliable than Pharaoh’s decree. Each story illustrates that believing transforms information into inheritance. Faith that never moves never inherits.

Obedience Is Where Faith Becomes Believing

The sermon closes with a pastoral challenge rooted in Romans 16:25-27 — the obedience of faith. The pastor uses the picture of household members versus neighborhood kids eating at someone’s table. Household members do not make excuses when work needs to be done; they belong and they serve. Similarly, true members of the household of God do not sidestep what He has asked of them. When believers obey — stepping into ministry, sharing their faith, giving generously, serving faithfully — they are not earning God’s favor. They are demonstrating that they believe what He has said, and in doing so, they position themselves to receive what He has promised.

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