Creflo Dollar - How To Live Completely Dependent on God - Part 1
If you have your Bibles with you, go with me to the book of Titus chapter 2 and verse 11 through 13. Titus chapter 2, verse 11 through 13. Tonight I wanna reinvestigate this issue of the word of faith. And I want us to look at it very, very carefully so that we don't miss out on what I believe God wants us to really get a hold of as far as living it out in our lives. Verse 11, he says: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us," so grace will teach you. "Grace teaches us that, denying," or refusing, "ungodliness," and that's an individual who has no regard for God, whether he is saved or unsaved, to live a life with no regard for God is ungodliness, "and worldly lusts," he says, "we should live soberly, righteously," but then he says we should live "godly".
Now, godliness is all about complete dependence upon God. Complete and total dependence upon God. The obedience to the faith is all about a daily relying upon Jesus. I never knew and understood how that message was just being reinforced over and over in the Word of God and I'm telling you it's all about getting our attention and getting us to make a decision of quality to live a life where we are completely dependent upon God and that we daily rely upon God. If you would, go to Romans chapter 4 and this is, it's all about dependence on God. I went and looked at Genesis 14 today and saw that whole deal with Abraham and Abram and Melchizedek and how he showed up and all that. The whole thing was a foreshadowing of dependence upon God. They bought the bread and the wine which represents the body and the blood of Jesus Christ. It was all about and has always been about total dependence upon Christ.
So I'm thinking, since we hit this bedrock then, you know, that's not always been true in our Christian life. We have been involved in a lot of self-effort and self-will and we really gotta identify those things to really just trust God and to look at God and what he's trying to do. So, join me tonight. This is gonna really be a fascinating teaching. Romans chapter 4, verse 18 through 19. Let's look at it in the King James and in the New Living Translations. Now, in order to really understand how faith teaches us dependence upon God, we have to bring a lot of clarity to the word of faith.
We've got to bring some clear explanation of faith, and I think the clearest explanation of faith is found in Romans chapter 4:18, all right? And I know we've heard a lot about it and I'm not here to be, you know, the religious police or, you know, uplift one and tell them not, I'm just teaching the Word, okay? So don't think I'm talking about nobody. I ain't got nobody in my head, right now, but Jesus, all right? I'm just teaching the Word, all right? All right, so Romans chapter 4:18, here's the clearest explanation of the word of faith. Romans 4:18 and I'm gonna read 18 through 21. He said, "Against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith".
Now, I'm gonna go back and read this again once we define faith, but "being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb". Verse 20: "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God". And then, "And being fully persuaded," here's dependence. "And being fully persuaded that, what God had promised, that God was able also to perform". All right, can you not see very clearly that verse 21 is Abraham saying, even with all of these promises, "God made the promise and God's gonna have to perform the promise". You don't see anything there that talks about any expectations from you. All of the expectations is God made the promise. What he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Now, you know this whole story was about Abraham and Abram and Sarah and how God said he was gonna have a child and both of 'em are old and had a child at 100 and 90 and he said, "I made the promise," and there's no way they could take any credit for anything. There's, I mean, this is why God's wisdom needs to be trusted. That you're gonna see God's power because they don't have no power to do nothing, okay? If the baby is to be born, if there's conception, it's all God. Are you following what I'm saying? Now I don't know if you've ever been in a situation like that in your life where you were in a situation, there is nothing you can do and the world tries to convince you that, well, it just can't be done. No, God wants to put you in a situation when it looks hopeless. You do like Abraham and hope against hope, why? Because he's the one that made the promise and he's the one that's able to also perform the promise. There is complete dependence on God, total dependence upon God.
"So Abraham was strong in faith, because he was fully persuaded that, what God had promised, he was able also to perform". He was strong in faith. Look at verse 20. He was strong in faith because he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was also able to perform. And in doing this, he gave the glory to God. When you live a life in complete dependence on God, just by leaning that way, you give the glory to God. God gets the glory because you have decided, "I am living in complete dependence upon God". When heaven sees that you are living in complete dependence upon God, heaven receives the glory from a life that is being lived in total trust and complete dependence upon God. If you understand that, say "Amen".
Now, so what I decided to do is let's dig around this thing a little bit here. Let's look at Genesis 18, at verse 9 through 10 and then verse 14. Genesis 18, verse 9 through 10 and 14. I mean, is this the first time, you know, that this happened? Abraham's a perfect illustration, so I mean, you have to pay attention to it because it's very clear what faith was in Abraham's eye. Faith is completely dependent upon God. That's the only thing it can be. What else in those verses of Scripture do you see? See, here's what... go back to Romans 4. Go back to Romans 4:18. If somebody says, "Well, Abraham had a lot of faith. See, that's why he got pregnant". No, it is true that he had a lot of faith, absolutely, yes. But what does that mean? It's like we're trying to give him the credit for her getting pregnant. And he couldn't 'cause he couldn't do nothing. Even what he did that night was God. Eggs was dead, sperm was non-existent. All of it was God, all right?
Right, now, now watch this. "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations. So shall thy seed be". Verse 19: "And being not weak in depending on God". "And being not weak in depending on God, he considered not his own body now dead". Now, most people in that situation would be weak and dependent on God because their body's dead. "When he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in depending on God". And because he was strong in depending on God, he was "giving glory to God". You follow me? 21, and he sums it up: "And being fully persuaded what he had promised, he was able also to perform it," because Abraham...what was Abraham's part? He completely depended on God. That was it.
And so that says to me that when everything looks weird and is not gonna happen and you're facing impossible situations or the world says it's hopeless, what we have, the advantage we have, which they will kind of diminish that thing, the advantage we have is we depend on God. We're not dependent on what the world's depending on. We depend on God. Don't let me find a promise because he's got to be the one responsible for performing it. I don't perform the promise, he does. Glory be to God. I don't perform the promise by, "Well, I'm gonna make this confession 20 times a day," and I'm not against none of that. That's just teaching you how to talk right so you can stay focused on it. But do not take the credit for what you are not responsible for.
All right, so, yeah, go to Genesis 18, verse 9 through 10 and then verse 14. I depend on God. And like I said Sunday, start practicing this. Start training in this. Every day, get up, you know, several times a day, you know: "I'm trusting God today. I totally depend on him". Several times a day, you know, "My life is a life that completely relies on Jesus. I rely on Jesus". And you're training yourself to never rely on you. You're training yourself to totally rely on him, and then he begins to get involved and talk to you and lead and guide you and all that. Now watch this. This is so cool, verse 9: "And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, she's in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life".
Somebody say, "set time". See, when you're depending on God, don't come giving him a time. It ain't a microwave. Ooh, boy, I need this in 5 seconds. When you're depending on God, there's a time for it. And some people will get disappointed because it doesn't come with the time that they want it. He says, "But according to the time of life," he says, "and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son". I know you all going, checking to see whether there's, she gonna have a son. "And Sarah heard it in the tent door," she heard it in the tent door, "which was behind him". She kinda laughed a little bit and then tried to deny it. But look at verse 14. He says, "Is any thing too hard for God"? Go ahead and answer that. "At the time appointed," there it is again. "I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son".
Now, it's not up to me to make this happen. I'm depending on him, I'm relying on him, and it's gonna happen when he want it to happen. I don't decide I'm gonna depend on God for 5 days and if it doesn't happen after 5 days, I'm gonna stop depending on God. That's not what this is. All right, now, let's see him perform it in Genesis 21:1 and 2. Genesis 21 and then verse 1 and 2. "And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken". Verse 2: "For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the," what? "Set time of which God had spoken to him".
Now let me go to this thing. I kept noticing this. I know so many people, you know, I'm putting my faith out there and I'm doing that and then doing that, and they become weak in depending on God because they set a time. I don't do that no more. I used to do it, and it was painful and it hurt and it was disappointing. I will not put God on a schedule. I am not gonna do it. What I am gonna do is live a life depending on him. And so, when it happens, it's like, "Praise God, I depended on God for that to happen, amen"? And during that process of depending on God, I also depend on his wisdom. The wisdom of God may deny something I wanted. Doesn't mean I'm a bad Christian, doesn't mean I got sin in my life. His wisdom I have come to trust as much as his power.
So we gotta change this weird thing we got going on like God is a genie and we can rub the lamp and set the time and say, "All right, Lord, I need to be healed at this time, I need you to do it this way, and I thank you for it in Jesus's name". And then when it doesn't happen, then y'all get around in your little Christian circles and say, "Well, you just didn't have enough faith". And now you're condemned and now you got church hurt. Now you're mad at everybody. You mad at me and I didn't even know you all was going through all that stuff, okay? There's a set time, but I'm talking to you about making a decision to depend on God. I depend on God. I'm making a decision to live my life dependent on God. I'm living my life relying on Jesus. I'm living my life trusting God and believing God. Tayos, do me a favor. You and Mia come here, I wanna do an illustration. C'mon, baby, I wanna use you for a minute. Yeah, you. Okay, turn around. All right, now, do you trust your dad?
Mia: Yeah.
Creflo Dollar: You do? Okay, now, he's gonna...you're gonna fall back and he's gonna catch you. Do you trust that he can catch you? All right, are you worried about him catching you? What? Okay, ready? All right, we're gonna, you're depending on him to make sure you don't hit the floor, right?
Mia: Yes.
Creflo Dollar: Okay, all right, go ahead and fall. Wow, all right, now, are you pretty comfortable with that? All right, now, just fall whenever you want to. Yeah. All right, now this time when you fall say, "Where's Satan at"? Don't worry about it, you trust him, right? You really trust him, right? He will not let you hit the ground. You're depending on him, right? Go ahead and do it again, let's see. Every time. You depend on him to do that, right?
Mia: Yes.
Creflo Dollar: Do it two more times. Bam, c'mon. One more time. Where's Satan at? There, you see that? This is the picture of us with our Father. I depend on him to keep me when I'm falling. I depend on him to take care of me when I'm broke. I depend on him to help me when something has touched my body. I depend on him to take care of me. And it's not, you know, some little weird thing. It's I live a life depending on him. How long are you gonna depend on your daddy?
Mia: Forever.
Creflo Dollar: Thank you. Forever. That's what faith, the life of faith, is. It's that decision. It's that decision. I don't know how to make it that simple. And it feels like it's been so complicated and it feels like it's been so complicated and self-infiltrated. Then things happened. I condemned myself. I beat myself up. It's not my fault, I wasn't praying enough, I didn't have enough faith, and I didn't know it was just simply depending on God. I didn't know that there was a set time. I didn't know that I need to take God off the time clock. I didn't know I didn't need to be comparing myself amongst myself and the Bible says that's not any good. And it's weird because we got the entire body of Christ and I don't think they really know what the life of faith is all about, amen? How many of you have ever been strong in depending on God in something that has yet to manifest? Amen.
So are you gonna stop 'cause it has yet to manifest? I'm not. I'm not, because my whole life is about depending on him. My whole life is about depending, and every now and then there's some test that will come your way if need be to let you know his grace is sufficient. While you're depending on him, he said, "I gotcha". While you're depending on him, there'll be little things that'll happen, just to let you know God's like, "I see you. I gotcha. I already took care of that". He knows what to do. Oh my God. So I wanna look at this set time just for a moment, look at Psalms 102:13. Psalms 102:13 and then just a couple of things. Don't let the timing of a thing cause you to become weak in depending on God, okay?
I was talking to one of my spiritual sons last week and he was just like, you know, "How do you get these things? How do you get that to happen? How do you get that building? How do you get those members"? I said, "I think you got it all wrong". I said, "What you do is you commit to a vision, and the vision will draw all the provision". I said, "Your problem is you're trying to get all the provision because, you know, that's pretty clear to people that you're blessed 'cause they see all the trimmings. No, no, no, no, no. You've got the vision and God will only attract what the vision needs. Don't try to get what you see another minister have. Your vision will attract what you need for your assignment". I said, "So quit seeking provision". And look at the word "provision". Take "vision" out and you just got "pro". Pro what? Pro nothing. You had vision first. Vision first and a lot of this time that you're waiting on stuff, you can build vision. You can build vision on the inside of you.
Look what he says here: "Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time," watch this, "is come". The set time to favor you in this age of grace has come. There's a timing even in the favor. And then there may be some favor in your life that hadn't come yet, but you know, there's a set time for favor to happen. There's a set time for certain things to happen in your life, you know? When I was in Uganda a few years ago, I don't know how long it's been. It's been a minute. And there were 100,000 people in the stadium. I've never preached to 100,000 people in a stadium before. I was, in fact, I didn't know they were there for me. I looked out the window and I said, "Excuse me, was there a concert or something here today before I came"? He said, "No, no concert". I said, "Well, what are all these people doin' here"? He said, "Oh, they are here to hear you, Pastor". I'm like, "Ooh, I gotta go to the bathroom".
I wasn't ready for that until I was ready for that. I wasn't ready for that until I was ready for that, okay? God knows when a certain thing needs to happen. And then there were certain things that happened in my life I still wasn't ready for. I wish I hadn't had another opportunity to do it and God's given me another opportunity but sometimes you rush stuff, sometimes you think you ready for something and you're really not. 'Cause God wants to get your character and everything so you can handle it, so it won't handle you. Some people are being handled by their "so-called answered prayers". You ain't ready yet. We need to learn humility.
You know what humility is? You know, when you're not... you know how humility is perfectly demonstrated? It's demonstrated in the life of an individual who has committed his self to complete dependence upon God. That's all humility is. I am completely dependent upon God. So now you see why you have to have a relationship. Now you see where Christianity is not just showing up at church and playing church and doing church games. Christianity is a personal relationship between you and the Father where you're completely dependent on him and you have a relationship with him. No matter what they're doing at church, you have a relationship with him on the way home, you have a relationship with him at the house, you have a relationship with him on the job. You have a personal relationship with God. That's who you depend on. And he will never let you down.