No.
1 In All Circumstances, “Have Faith in God”
Note to speaker:
Emphasize the need to have faith in God and to work to strengthen it
WHY STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH NOW? (5 min.)
To “have faith in God” means to trust completely in Jehovah and his promises
Many in this world have lost what little faith they may have had (w01 10/1 3-4)
Worshippers of Jehovah stand out as people who have real faith
Your faith has moved you to attend this assembly; we commend you
We live in “critical times” that are growing worse (2Ti 3:1)
We will no doubt face greater trials in the future, climaxing in the “great tribulation” (Mt 24:21, 22)
Future trials may call for us to exercise greater faith
Rather than speculate about what tests we might face before the end of this system of things, it is best to
focus on strengthening our faith in Jehovah
Shortly before his death, Jesus gave his apostles an object lesson in faith [Read Mark 11:12-14, 19-21]
This lesson was timely in view of the difficult tests they would soon face (jy 244)
What was the point of Jesus’ lesson? [Read Mark 11:22-24]
Servants of Jehovah need to “have faith in God” in all circumstances
By cultivating and exercising strong faith, we can endure both present and future trials
Just as a runner trains for a marathon by progressively running longer distances, our exercising faith during
trials now trains and strengthens us to endure greater trials in the future
FAITH IS NEEDED TO PLEASE GOD (6 min.)
Faith is essential if we are to enjoy a good relationship with Jehovah [Read Hebrews 11:6]
We cannot have a relationship with God if we are not convinced of his existence
We must do more than merely believe that God exists; our faith must move us to obey him and to uphold his
sovereignty at all times
When our faith moves us to obey God despite challenges, we gain his loving approval
Hebrews chapter 11 describes “a great cloud of witnesses” who demonstrated strong faith (Heb 12:1)
Judge Gideon acted in faith by closely obeying Jehovah’s instructions (Heb 11:32)
Despite his cautious nature, he demonstrated great courage (w05 7/15 14-16)
Many other faithful ones are mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 but not by name (Heb 11:35-38)
One such faithful servant of God was Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada (it-2 1223)
Zechariah was the cousin of King Jehoash; Jehoash abandoned true worship and began serving false
gods (2Ch 24:2, 17, 18)
Zechariah boldly warned the people about their unfaithful course, but instead of repenting, they stoned
him (2Ch 24:20-22; Lu 11:50, 51; it-2 1223)
His faith enabled him to take a firm stand for righteousness in spite of severe opposition
From the examples of such faithful ones, we learn what it means to demonstrate faith that pleases God
JEHOVAH CAN HELP YOU TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH (3 min.)
Faith is central to our identity as Jehovah’s people (Isa 43:10)
No matter how much faith we possess now, we desire it to grow (2Th 1:3)
Jehovah can help us to be “rich in faith” (Jas 2:5)
Our circuit assembly program has been designed to help us strengthen this vital quality
[Invite the audience to review the printed program; highlight how the talks will benefit all]
Review question: Why is it necessary in all circumstances to have faith?
Answer: Mark 11:22; strong faith is needed to please God, and it enables us to endure any trial
(Speaker does not need to read or comment on every cited text or discuss every subpoint)
CA-cotk17-E No. 1 3/16 TO BE COVERED IN 14 MINUTES
5 2016 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
