Faith Is Substance

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Reverend Dr. David Etchie. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:14] Be blessed. What is faith? In Richard, I'll tell you, verse 1. Faith is the substance. Interestingly, you didn't say it's a substance. Yes.

[0:24] Faith is the substance. Faith is the substance.

[0:37] So what is faith? Faith is the substance. It's the substance. That's what the Bible is saying. Faith is the substance. What is faith? Substance.

[0:49] Substance is anything that is is. Okay. Anything that has an isness is substance. Particularly anything that is tangible, you can feel it.

[1:01] And the Bible says faith is also a substance. But it's not just a substance. It's their substance. Okay. So watch this. It's very important. You've said you have never seen a Red Bible before.

[1:15] You've never seen a Red Bible. You say, oh, see what he's holding. That's an example of a Red Bible. That's the Red Bible. Faith is not just a substance. It's their substance. So as soon as you say their substance, substance of what?

[1:30] Are you getting it? Faith is the substance. It's a something. It's a something. It's not an idea. Faith is not an idea. It's a substance. Faith is the substance.

[1:41] Faith is the substance. What is this? What is this? Of things hoped for. So if you don't have hope, how can you have faith?

[1:56] Oh, you didn't get it. He said faith is the substance. Whatever you hope for, anything that you are hoping for means that it is not with you.

[2:07] Oh, come on. I'll just read it to you. Romans. Romans chapter. Just look at this. Let me just. Romans chapter 8, verse 23 and 24. Verse 24, actually.

[2:22] Okay, verse 25. It says that. Romans chapter 8, verse 25. It says that. But if we hope for what we see not, then do we wait patiently for it?

[2:33] Watch this. I think verse 24 is better. For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. Hope that is seen.

[2:46] Do you think I'll ever hope to have a wife? No, no, no. Why? Because you already have a wife. Because I already have a wife. But I can hope to have a 10,000 church congregation.

[3:02] Amen. Can you hope to be on the Zoom tonight with me? Can you hope it? You already can't be hoping whilst you're on it. So whatever is experienced and you have realized, there's no hope.

[3:17] If you have finished your education, you have finished your uni, you have finished your degree, and you've got your certificate. You can't, now that you have certificate, you can't say, I hope one day I've got a certificate. No.

[3:29] You cannot hope for what you already have. What you already have. And if you already have it, then it's not hope. So hope means that the thing is not in your hands.

[3:41] Okay. Some of you, that miracle job is not yet in your hands. Some of you, that husband is not yet in your hands. That certificate is not yet in your hands.

[3:54] That job is not yet in your hands. That baby is not yet, that child is not yet in your hands. That healing is not yet in your hands. Why? Because it hasn't manifested.

[4:04] If it has manifested, you will still be asking for it. How can you ask for what you already have? So when we talk about hope, we are talking about something that you don't have it yet.

[4:16] But you are anticipating it's coming to you. That's hope. Hope is something you don't have, but you know, and your expectations are set on it that it will happen.

[4:30] That is hope. Someone say hope. Hope. So he says that, oh, I feel like standing. When, when, okay, let me use this Bible, okay.

[4:42] As my, what, let's see, what am I believing God? For, let's say I'm believing God for, um, um, one million pounds for our church building.

[4:54] Hallelujah. Amen. Or, or, or, no, 10 million pounds, 20 million pounds for our church building. Okay. So once we don't have it, what does that mean? It's in, it's hope.

[5:05] Okay. It's hope. So 20 million, can I hold it now? No. No, because it's hope. What you, what is hope?

[5:16] You could not have it. So I'm, I'm hoping for 20 million. Now, when you have faith, faith goes into the future and brings the, the reality of the 20 million.

[5:26] If you don't physically haven't seen it, but you are making decisions like you already have it. So faith is the substance. The thing you are hoping for, faith brings it to you now.

[5:36] And you say, this is the reality of it. So when people are saying we haven't seen it, you are surprised because you, that's why you can't have faith and speak negative. You can't have faith and be speaking what you, you can't, when you have faith, that means that you have the substance of what hasn't physically materialized.

[5:53] And that's having seen it. But you, even though you physically haven't seen it, remember, walk by faith and not by sight. Even though you haven't physically seen it, you actually know that you have it. You know you have it.

[6:04] You know you have it. So for you to be able to walk by faith, you are supposed to be, you are supposed to have hope. You can't be engaging in prayer meetings like this, powerful atmosphere, without any hope.

[6:23] You should be hoping that by tomorrow your testimony is coming. And so at the time we finish the prayer, by the time we finish your prayer, your faith has linked to your hope. And you're actually in anticipation.

[6:35] Everybody who has faith is looking forward to something because what are you looking forward to? You are looking forward to what the faith has told you is coming. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

[6:50] Hope is the mother of faith. You can't have faith without hope. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

[7:02] Faith is the evidence of things not seen. People haven't seen it, but you have the evidence. Hallelujah. People haven't seen your husband, but you have the evidence. People haven't seen your children, but you have the evidence.

[7:15] People haven't seen your healing, but the doctors haven't even seen the healing, but you know you are healed. You have the evidence. Let me tell you, I don't know why I keep bringing it because it was a significant moment in my life.

[7:27] When we were believing God for a child, I used to preach. And when I'm preaching in church, I'll be saying that you see the way my children will look like. See my children. My children are going to be blessed.

[7:38] And at that time, we have been married one year, two years, three years, four years, no child. But I kept talking about my children. I kept talking about my children. Why? And one day I told them that there's no way I can have a child.

[7:50] Do you know why? Because one day I was in prayer. And it's like I was in a trust. And I saw my wife has given birth. And I was holding the baby. They gave me the baby first at the hospital.

[8:01] So I was holding the baby. This is early parts in our marriage. Even if I think first year. So when it comes to the issue of not having a child, no, I have already seen it.

[8:13] You can't discourage me. I've seen it already. And even though physically it doesn't materialize, I have the evidence of things not seen. Now, that is not the true faith.

[8:24] That is just an encouragement because of my encounter. But true faith is based on what God has said, which you have seen in God's word. And so don't wait for all. Don't wait for a vision.

[8:35] Don't wait for a dream before you know that God has done it. I'm not saying God will do it. God has done it. There's a difference between God will do it and God has done it. Faith says God has done it.

[8:46] Hope says God will do it. Hope says God will do it. Faith says God has done it. Faith says God enters the future and takes what God will do and makes you know that God has done it.

[8:59] Amen. Amen. I believe that testimonies are about to be birthed on this platform. Amen. Somebody must first have the hope and you connect your faith that what the pastor is talking about, how did he know that this is me?

[9:18] I just know he's talking about me. I just know he's talking about me. And connect your spirit. I just know he's talking about. Don't let anyone talk you out of faith. Don't let anyone talk you out of the word of God.

[9:30] Connect your spirit. That's why it's very costly to be trying to walk by faith and walk in sin. You are lying.

[9:41] Lying against somebody. You're lying to somebody. And you are gossiping against about somebody. You are bearing. You are angry and bearing grudge.

[9:51] You are insulting somebody. And you are watching pornography. You are fornicating. And you say, oh, I still have faith. Come on. Come on. Come on. You are undermining the quality of your faith.

[10:04] Because you cannot walk by faith and walk in sin at the same time. Every time sin comes in, sin disconnects you from the power and the grace of God you are walking under.

[10:18] As soon as sin comes in, it's like you are trying to hold on to God's word. Sin blinds your vision. It's like you can't even see properly. You can't see properly. That is why this season, please stay away from contamination.

[10:34] There are some friends and some folks you don't have to hang around them. Because they are going to increase your chances of sinning. Your chances of breaking God's instructions. There are things that you know God has told you.

[10:46] Some people, when you hang around them, you end up, you will not do it. You know God has told you to do this. You know God has been talking to you for the past three weeks. He's been talking to you. And when the pastor spoke, you know you are the one God has been talking to you.

[10:58] But because of these kind of people you are hanging around, you are sharing things, it is making it difficult to obey God. One of the signs that someone is walking in faith is when they take steps of obedience.

[11:11] What is God telling you? Come on, go and break that relationship with that boy. I know you are watching together, but you know I'm talking to you. How about Shaddai Adal?

[11:22] I feel like preaching. I feel like preaching. Pastor, have you seen? But I haven't seen because you have put your blank space. I can't see you. So this is God is talking to you. I can't see you.

[11:32] No, I'm talking. Maybe somebody has. Nobody has told me anything. It's the Holy Spirit trying to talk to you. Take it personal. As soon as we finish, run out from the house. Watch Ask Pastor on your phone.

[11:43] Out. I got that shack of tire. I haven't seen you. God is talking to you. God is giving you instructions.

[11:54] God is giving you directions. It is always in your interest to obey God. That is where faith starts. Faith is obeyed. The Bible says that, oh, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8.

[12:07] Yesterday we spoke about Noah. By faith Noah moved and built an ark. But how about Abraham, verse 8?

[12:18] The Bible says, by faith, Abraham, when he was called to leave his father's house, he obeyed. By faith, he obeyed. Anytime you hear Abraham, one thing that I want to come to your mind is obedience.

[12:32] By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should, after, receive for an inheritance, obeyed. By faith, Abraham obeyed. One of the clear signs of faith is steps of obedience.

[12:48] That's one of the clear, unambiguous signs of faith. Obedience. Brother, are you working in obedience? Go and shut down that site.

[13:00] Shut it down. Tonight, don't go back there. Why do you spend so much of your night on some sites? Disobeying God. And yet, we are in a season of advantage.

[13:14] Season of opportunity. Season of favor. Season of power. Satan is trying to undermine your opportunities. By coming through the back door, letting you trivialize instructions God has given you.

[13:27] You say, it doesn't matter. God understands. God understands. No, no, no. When it comes to destiny, your mistakes will cost you in spite of how God might understand. When it comes to destiny, there is no, listen, there's nothing like, oh, God will know what.

[13:43] Let's say you're supposed to write an exam and you've been sleeping. You've been sleeping because you've really been feeling drowsy. So, you couldn't prepare. When you say, God understands, so you still let me pass? No. No. Matters of destiny.

[13:55] You have to take responsibility. I don't know who I'm talking to. Tonight, somebody needs to wake up. Rise up in faith. Step out.

[14:08] Step out of that boat. You will not sink. Did you hear what I said? Yeah, you know I'm talking to you. You are too much afraid. Step out of that boat because you will not sink.

[14:20] And serve God. Do it God's way. You have to come to the position or the place where you say, if I perish, I perish. I will obey God. Just like Esther.

[14:31] Esther chapter 4 verse 16. He said, if I perish, I perish. Who knows if I've come into the kingdom for such a time as this. It's about time. I don't know who I'm talking to.

[14:43] Okay. Maybe it's about your prayer. God has been telling you, wake up early and start praying. God has been telling you, read two chapters every day. You know. And you can do it, but sometimes you are soft on yourself. God has been giving you instruction.

[14:55] Sometimes not even instruction not to sin. Because you are not, you don't have a problem with sin. But it's an instruction to do something. It's an instruction to take a certain step. It's an instruction to do something.

[15:06] But you are trivializing it. My brother, Bible says, by faith, Abraham obeyed. How come you say I am in faith and there's no sign of obedience?

[15:22] One of the signs of clear faith is obedience. What is it that God is calling you into which you have not obeyed? I pray that God will give us all grace.

[15:33] Let me read the last scripture and we go. Is that okay? Yes, please. Is somebody receiving something? Yes. Oh, Jesus.

[15:45] Thank you, Lord. This is 1 Chronicles chapter 28. Such a beautiful scripture. Bible says that, And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the Lord of thy father.

[16:01] You must know the God of your father. If you are a member of this church, if you are part of this church, I'm happy to let you know the God of your father, David Ames, in this assembly is a good God.

[16:16] He's a God of promotion. If you suddenly turn around, he will turn your situation around. He said, but endow Solomon my son.

[16:26] This is a special advice from a father to a precious son. But thou, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind.

[16:42] How should you serve God? With a perfect heart and with a willing mind. Serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the imaginations of the thought.

[16:55] If thou seek him, he will be found of thee. But if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever. Don't forsake God. Those people who think they are spirit, Christian or church engagement, they are doing it for God or for the pastor or for the church.

[17:13] Please tell them, I said, they are grossly mistaken. Not even your giving is doing for the church. If you are doing it, you think you are giving to help the church, please stop it.

[17:25] Don't give. The church doesn't need your help. If you think you are doing something, you are in a choir, you are maybe usher, or you are in any department, something for you are doing it for the church. Please stop it.

[17:38] Please stop it. Please do it for your own future because even God, if you don't do it, it will never affect God. Jesus said, I will build my church. What we do or we don't do will not stop the church.

[17:50] God puts it in your heart. Let's say God has blessed you with 20 million or 50 million pounds, and you know 20 belongs to him. And God puts it in your heart to give to the church, and you don't do it.

[18:03] He will put it in somebody's heart and manage to get the money into the person's hands, and the person will do it. God just uses vessels. Remember, vessels. We are vessels.

[18:14] He will just use us to do his assignment. And after he uses us, he will bless us for what we have done. It is God. It is God. So he said, so my son, my son, no doubt the God of your father and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the imaginations of the thought.

[18:39] If you seek him, he will be found of thee. If you forsake him, he will cast you out of forever. I pray that God will give us all grace. You know this lockdown, a lot of people are backsliding.

[18:51] People are backsliding. I'm telling you, people are backsliding. Not only, in our church, because of the word of God, apart from some people who have always come around, but they never opened their heart for the word of God, it will affect you.

[19:04] But in a lot of places, people are backsliding. They have topped. The COVID has swept. A lot of people, it's like tsunami. It has swept.

[19:15] And some of you know one or two people who you were in the same. You sit down and say, oh, I'm not a cha-cha-cha. You call them and say, please, I'm not fast. No, I'm not fast. The COVID will be over.

[19:27] And by the time the tsunami goes, you see there's some debris and lies in some places, but your house has been washed. We want to pray. Two minutes.

[19:39] Two minutes prayer that God, give me the grace to walk in obedience and give me the grace to serve you with a perfect and a willing heart. It's very important. It might be the key to your greatest breakthrough in life.

[19:54] Amen. If that's your genuine heart and you never want to backslide, you want to do it with a perfect heart. You want to be good. Lord, lift up your right hand if you can.

[20:05] Just begin to pray that, Lord, help me. Help me walk in obedience. Help me walk in obedience. Help me walk in faithfulness. Help me, Lord. Help me, Lord. Walk in obedience. Help me walk in obedience.

[20:17] Wherever you lead me, I will go. I receive grace to do what you have led me to do. You have called me to do. I will receive grace to go where you have called me to go. Lord, I receive grace. Help me. Help me.

[20:28] Help me, Lord. Help me, Lord, to do what you have called me to do. Help me to go where you have called me to go. Help me to be obedient. Lord, help me to walk with you in faithfulness. Help me to serve you with a perfect heart.

[20:41] Help me to serve you with a perfect heart and a willing mind. Help me to stay, to keep my garments clean. To keep my garments clean. Lord, so I will walk by faith.

[20:52] I will walk by faith. Help me, Lord. Help me, Lord, to save you in faithfulness. Lord, help me.

[21:05] In the name of Jesus, we receive grace. We receive grace. In the name of Jesus. We receive grace. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus.

[21:15] In the name of Jesus. Amen. To walk in obedience. To serve you with a perfect heart and a willing mind. We will seek you and be found by us.

[21:29] Lord, that we will walk by faith and we will not cast off our hope. Thank you. We will not backslide like others. But we will remain stronger and actually draw more people to Jesus. We thank you, Lord, that this fasting, our anticipation is testimonies.

[21:44] We are expecting some testimonies right from tonight. So shall it be. In Jesus' name. And everyone will believe. Shout Amen. Amen. Shout a living.

[21:54] Amen. We thank God for using his servant, Reverend Dr. David Andrew, to share this awesome word. If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at karris.org.

[22:08] Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Karis Ministries. Stay blessed.