HopeUC Secunderabad

Greater Things - When Faith is Stretched

• HopeUC Secunderabad

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What if the weight on your shoulders is not the end of your story but the shaping of it? We explore how trials become the training ground for “greater things,” tracing the biblical pattern from perseverance to character to a hope that refuses to disappoint. Drawing from Hebrews, James, and Romans, we unpack a counterintuitive posture: consider it joy when life gets hard—not because pain is good, but because God uses it to grow endurance that lasts.

We also get honest about evangelism and service. Sharing the reason for our hope is for every believer, not a select few. Start where you are, speak gently, and let your story become God’s glory. Service, meanwhile, is love made visible: simple acts done consistently, without applause, that lift people and knit communities back together. Stay rooted. Let testing refine you. Then move your hope into action that rebuilds, reaches, and serves.

If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs strength today, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Your words might be the seed someone else needs.

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ABOUT HOPEUC INDIA
Hope Unlimited Church is an independent, Spirit-filled church with multiple campuses in India, serving young professionals and families from all parts of India in a modern, dynamic metropolitan church setting.
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SPEAKER_00:

So last Sunday we talked about great things when faith is stretched. We are talking about greater things, and the key text is taken from John chapter 14, verse 12. Verily, very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. We talked about what it means when faith is stretched. We have acknowledged that stretched faith can be uncomfortable, even painful, but it is always purposeful. When our faith is stretched, it grows our character and keeps us pressing forward towards the greater things even in hard times. So the big question is, how do we keep going when it's hard? When it's difficult? How do we endure difficult moments and situations in our lives? Hebrews chapter 10, verse 36 says, you need to persevere. You need to persevere so that when you when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. So last week we talked about the process, the process of testing, the process we all go through in different situations in our lives. So the Bible now talks about a character or a quality grows out of trials, grows out of difficulties. It doesn't grow when everything is easy, it doesn't grow when life is going smooth. It's a quality that grows out of trials. So he says, you need to persevere, you need to hold on. Too many people give up so quickly. When life is difficult, when no answers for the questions the people have and to the things that they go through, they give up quickly. But the Bible says you need to persevere, and when you persevere, when you hold on, what do you do? How should your response be? The Bible says when you have done the will of God. So when you are going through difficulty, when life is hard, when everything is not going like the way you want to go, and your faith is stretched to the core, the Bible says you need to have perseverance. What is the another word for perseverance? It is endurance. Stay there. Be there. Who would like to stay in such a difficult situation? For how long we'd like to stay in that difficult situation? Could be health-related concerns, could be marriage-related concerns, could be you know financial-related concerns, could be things that are really difficult. How long will we stay in that position? Right? But the Bible says you and I need perseverance and do the will of God. So when you are going through hard times, God wants you to do his will, not your will, not what you think you should be doing, not what you think that, you know, the step, this is the step I should be taking. Who is the one who's counseling you? Who is the one who's giving you that wisdom to do what to do in a difficult moment in your life? So the Bible says when you need, when you have this perseverance in your waiting, when you when you are in that process, you need to do God's will. But that's the difficult part. We want to do our own way. We want to find ways that we can come out of it quickly. We want to find ways where we can be liberated because we don't want to go through that process. And that's why we don't see God coming through in our lives because too soon we give up. So you need perseverance, and then he says you need to do the will of God, then you will receive what he has promised. I want you to see what James says in his epistle, talking about trials and temptations. Alright. Now we will try to understand what is the will of God when you are tested, when you're going through temptations, when life is hard, what should be your response? What is the will of God? I want you to see verse 2 consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. So, how do I understand what is the will of God? What I should do when I'm waiting, what I should do when I'm in trying times. Right? The Bible says, consider it pure joy. So your response to the difficult moment in your life is to consider it pure joy. Well, that's not easy. But that is God's will. It is not for you to murmur, it is not for you to grumble. At that time, every one of us likes to say negative, talk negative, do negative. Sometimes, even we question God, sometimes we turn our back on God because it's not happening like the way we want it. But if you really want to see the will of God, then He says, consider it pure joy. My brothers and whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces what? Come on, perseverance. You need perseverance, but where will you get it? Who's gonna give it to you? It is going to grow out of trials. This is a fruit that grows out of trials. Right? He says, because you know the testing of your faith, the process that you are in right now will produce perseverance because you need perseverance. If you really want to do the will of God, you need perseverance. But where will we get perseverance from the testing of our faith? Verse 4, let perseverance finish its work. So this endurance, perseverance must finish its work, it should complete its work, you should not give up halfway so that you become mature and complete, not lacking anything. So we will try to understand what this testing of our faith means. We understood we need perseverance. If we have to do the will of God, we have to consider our attitude should be God. You are in control and just want to rejoice in your presence, right? And then it builds our perseverance. And now let's try to understand how uh this testing of faith looks like. Romans chapter 5, verses 3 onwards. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering, come on, somebody help me, produces perseverance. So, there in the previous scripture we looked at testing of your faith produces perseverance. Now, what does this testing of our faith mean? We have a vague idea, we have a vague understanding of this testing of our faith means. And then here you see in the scripture, we also glory in our sufferings because we know that that stretching of our faith, right, suffering produces perseverance. So the other term for stretching of our faith, testing of our faith, the Bible uses a word called suffering. It's a very big term, it's a very different term, right? What you may be going through, I may not be going through. But what I'm going through, you may not be going through. But this term you see here is called suffering. Alright? And then suffering will produce perseverance. And then verse 4, this perseverance will produce character, and character will build hope. This is the pattern the Bible talks about a believer has to walk through. Verse 5, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has given it to us. Amen. So the Bible is very clear of our response, not to murmur, not to grumble, but allow God to help you to go through that process and it builds perseverance, and perseverance will build your character, and character will build hope. Hope will not disappoint you. Amen. These character traits humility, compassion, patience, discernment, deeper love for God and others, and unwavering hope, these are not learned when things are easy. They don't come when everything is easy, but it's defined by fire, which is beyond our limit. That's God's process. Perseverance builds character. Character prepares us for hope-filled action. You are hoping for a breakthrough, you are hoping for deliverance, you are hoping for miracle that drives you into something. But otherwise, if you're just going to sit there in the same place, then you're really going to struggle with it. The character God dwells in us through these trials is precisely what equips us to do greater things. He has prepared. Your current struggle is shaping you for your next assignment. I don't know what it is, my friend, but your current struggle is actually shaping you for your next assignment. That's how God sees it. If you find yourself stretched, if you're feeling beyond limits, remember God exactly, you know, does his work in such kind of people. So don't shrink back, don't give up. Embrace the stretch, lean on him, and trust that God can do greater things. All right? Things that you have never achieved on your own, but you can only achieve through the power of the Holy Spirit God. So last week we looked at and we focused on the inner work, right? The trying of our faith, the testing of our faith, waiting in the presence of the Lord. Amen. Today we're going to focus on the outer work, right? The faith that is in there. We're going to see what are what is the result, the tangible results that flow from our faith that has been deepened and strengthened. So it's all about our character leading to some kind of action. Amen. So today we are talking about greater things from faith to fruit. Please listen to this carefully. John chapter 15, verse 5. Jesus said, I am the wine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. Without Jesus being in your life, you can't move forward. I am the wine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Your faith is being tested, you like it or not. Testing is the only way God will find what is in your heart. You go and read the Bible about that term, you'll find how God leads us through the phase of testing to see what is in our heart. And here Jesus says that, I am the wine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Now, when Jesus said you will do greater things, what greater things will you do, my friend? John the Baptist said, I am not even qualified to touch the sandals of his feet. I'm not qualified. But how can you compete with Jesus? You do the same things like Jesus did. He wants you to do. But then he goes on further and says, You will do great. What else greater things will you do? All the mighty men, women of God are already doing those greater things, raising the dead, praying for the sick and sick are getting healed, and deliverances are happening. You know, God is moving mightily through the men and women of God because of the anointing He poured out on them, and many are getting touched. What else you will do, my friend? What are the greater things that you can do? That is so different. I want to talk about three things today. Three things that related to our faith. Internally, you're going through a big test, but externally, that very faith must bring some fruit in each of our lives. And that's what we are talking today. The first point is faith's fruit, seeing beyond the rubble. Stretch faith faces brokenness, but believes God can restore. So when your faith is stretched, no, you look very disappointed, nothing is working out for you. You know, and uh you don't know really, you know, you will have the breakthrough because all you see is ruin. But God has the power. When there's ruin, God can rebuild and restore. That same exactly happened in the life of Job. He came to ruin, everything was gone, but he stayed put with God. God raised him back up and he rebuilt his life. Amen. Seeing beyond the rubble. I want to talk about a man who stretched his faith and a vision he had for restoration. His name is Nehemiah. It's there in the Bible. Nehemiah was a cupbearer in a foreign land. So now I'm addressing all of us here today. Nehemiah was a cupbearer. I don't know whatever is your job, whatever is your role, whatever is your business, I don't know what you do in life. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, but you are doing something in your life. It's pretty much the same. We are all on the same page, right? Nehemiah was a cupbearer in a foreign land, a position of comfort and relative safety. He was comfortable with his job. He was comfortable with what he was doing. Nothing to worry about. Yeah, small challenges were there here and there. He was comfortably enjoying his life. Yet his faith was deeply stretched by devastating news of Jerusalem's broken wall and his people's disgrace. In his own life, he believed, trusted God, but when he looked outside, he was looking at the ruin. Jerusalem's wall were broken down. And God's people were disgraced to the core. Horrible, terrible life that God's children were living. When you see God's people living in such a difficult life, what is your response? What do you do when you see rubble? Can you trust God for a restoration? Nehemiah heard the that Jericho's walls were broken down and gates burned with fire. His response was not any different. So when you go through hard time, when there's difficulty, what is what do people in church do? Huh? Fasting prayer, then feasting prayer, what else do they do? After prayer, feasting will happen. Right? So Nehemiah did the same. What did he do? He fasted, he prayed, he waited in the presence of the Lord. That's when we run to God. That's when difficulty is to the core, we run to God, and Nehemiah did the same. He had a great job, everything is fine. You have a great job, probably everything is fine. But you look on the outside, everything is ruined, communities are ruined, neighborhood is ruined, there's problem on every side. But what is your response? Do you feel for anybody? Do you have a heart for somebody? Nehemiah was a cupbearer. But then you see his heart was moved when he saw Jericho's wall broken up. He started to weep, he started to pray, he started to fast, but he did not end there. Many God's people end there with fasting and praying. If there's no corresponding action to your faith, then you don't see the breakthrough coming. You don't see going through the next level. Believers give up there. I have prayed, I have fasted, I have gone to this man of God, I have gone to that man of God. They anointed me with oil, but I still feel the same. They want to give up. Nehemiah took a bold step. Dear friend, as long as you don't take a bold step, there is no corresponding action to your faith, then you're going to be staying in the same place. It may not be just for you, it may be for somebody else. You got to use your faith to see the fruit coming through in their lives too. Amen. He went to the king, asked for permission, returned to the land, and to lead a rebuilding project. How many of you are here want to rebuild a project? Rebuild something that is lost, rebuild that is something that is stolen, rebuild something that is fallen down. Maybe in your life something has really fallen down and you have no idea of to rebuild it. Probably you've given up. Or maybe your cousin, maybe your relative, maybe your neighborhood, maybe your colleague in your company. They are in ruins, my friend, but you have no heart to help them. He went to the king, he took permission. I want to rebuild the walls. This was this wasn't a small task. It was a call to rebuild a collapsed city, a task that seemed impossible to one man. Lord, what can I do? I'm so weak. I don't have that strength. Many of us feel like that. But something unique about this man, Nehemiah, that he did. He did not bother who standing with him. He was not concerned if hundred people will come and help him in rebuilding those walls of Jerusalem. He went to the king, he took the permission. It was a huge task that was in front of him. Maybe there's a huge task that is in front of you. It could be your own life, it could be your own marriage or finances or family or maybe even your neighborhood. It could be huge something that is right in front of you. And what is your response? I want you to see this image. Imagine you're driving past a house in ruins every day. Walls crumbling, roof caved in, windows broken. Right? The first day you look at it, the second day you look at it, the third day you look at it, the fifth day, oh yeah, okay, there's some house. It becomes a landmark. You know that house that is ruins. No, next to that is one gully. Go to that gully. It becomes a landmark. But soon it goes out of our mind. You drive past that, you don't even realize that there is a house that is ruined. Now it is gone beyond your imagination. Now gone beyond your thinking. You are not even wondering about that house anymore because it is gone out of your mind. That's the condition of Jericho uh Jerusalem's wall. Many have given up. God's people have given up. Nobody were willing to build the walls because you know walls played a key role. Mostly all the independent houses have this. I don't know what is called. Huh? Boundary wall, you know. These are all one brick wall. But those days, like they were like houses so big kind of walls they used to have. That's the defense system that they built. And their very defense system was broken. They had no defense. God's people. They were lying in ruins. But one person's heart was moved to rebuild the walls. Nahemaya saw what others stopped noticing. Others stopped noticing this ruin house. Others stopped noticing or worried about what is happening out there. Our community is destroyed and being destroyed and people are suffering, struggling. Everybody missed it. But Nehemiah did not. If you really want to do something, you want to build something, then definitely you need people. If you want to build this church in Sekandrabad campus, we need a lot of people to come put their hands. You know the Bible says who all came? Right? Priests came. So in this house, there are priests, there are pastors. Probably some of people already sitting in the congregation or already ministers serving God. Then merchants came to help. Any merchants here in the house? People in business? No people, nobody in business. I know somebody, some people are in business. Merchants are in the house. Who else is there? Huh? Goldsmiths. Any goldsmiths here? Okay, you become one then. And then families, all kinds of people picked up tools and served. You have to pick up your tool and serve, Abba. Because the world is in ruins, everything around you is in ruins. But you need to come together to build something. Amen. No one was too big or small when they were doing this work. Listen to this. Faith begins when we see brokenness. Your faith moves when you see brokenness, maybe in you or outside. And we believe God can rebuild it. I don't know, maybe it's for you. Maybe it's not about just a wall that we are talking about. Mary marriage is falling about, relationships are falling. Maybe your ministry is falling. Or even your spiritual life that is in ruin. Your spiritual life. You probably just have a Christian name with no Christ-like character within you. No Christ-like character. You spiritually, your words have been broken and you are careless about it. You don't feel for it, and your defense is already gone, and spiritually, you're struggling, and you think that's okay. You won't go so far in your life. I don't know whatever condition you are in, God has a power to rebuild. Amen. Can you see beyond the rubble? Restoration is the will and the plan of God. Many of us are seeing the rubble. Many of us are seeing the problem. Many of us are seeing the difficulties. But beyond that, can you see if one man can rise up in fail, they can bring restoration in the name of Jesus. You know what Nehemiah built? I said, Church, do you know what Nehemiah built? He built walls. We all know this story. We read it in the Bible. But he was not just brick and stone or just cement. He built beyond that. When somebody rises in faith, no, when somebody takes up the challenge, no, when somebody has a corresponding action of faith, no, something greater is built, just like what Nehemiah did. In the natural, he just built a wall. But in the spiritual, to the community, you know what he built? He raised hope. He built a new identity. And it was a great testimony that Nehemiah built. That is why till today we talk about somebody rising up against all odds when ruin was everywhere. He built the walls. By building the wall, he raised new hope up. Now God's people say, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have hope now. Yes, my community is building up. I I can change, my life can change, and I have a new identity. No amount of enemies can stand against me. You know why? Because I have my defense standing strong. Amen. And it was a powerful testimony. People saw what God can do when faith turns into action. When your faith can turn into action, no people around you will see the glory of God in you. What kind of walls are broken around you today? Literal brokenness in your community, relationships, systems, or even broken dreams. God is looking for people whose faith is stretched and they can see beyond the rubble to rebuild something. Point number two. The fruit of spreading the seed. The fruit of spreading the seed. Jesus' heartbeat is for the lost. Evangelism is not for special people, it's the calling of every believer. Our faith grows into fruit when it reaches someone else. Our faith grows into a fruit when it reaches to somebody else. As long as it is with you, it is still faith. But your faith has the power and the potential to bring fruit. Amen. Honor Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with the gent with gentleness and respect. The Bible says you must always have a reason for your hope. That when people ask you, you should be able to share it with them. When was the last time you shared your hope with somebody? Your trust that you have in God with somebody. Your faith must yield a fruit. It must win a soul into the kingdom of God. Your faith should attract them to Jesus. That's how our faith should be. Your faith must yield its fruit. Amen. Your story should become God's glory. Your faith, life should become God's glory. Heaven rejoices, my friend, over one soul that is saved. Why? Souls are not getting saved. The reason because our faith is not being executed. Point number three, the fruit of serving and overcoming. A stretched faith produces fruit of consistent sacrificial service and the resilience to overcome the inevitable obstacles that arise. When our faith has been stretched, we gain a deeper empathy for others. Willingness to put their needs before our needs. Serving is how we demonstrate the love of Christ in tangible ways. By serving, you should be bearing fruit. There are so many volunteers in this church who serve, but you have an opportunity also to serve in the house of God. Alright? Let's see Galatians chapter 6, verse 9. If you all can read this scripture, it will come up here. Let's all read together Galatians chapter 6, verse 9. The Bible says, let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up. So the Bible says, don't get tired in doing good. Don't get tired. We should be the people who go and serve. We should be the people who go and extend and share the love of Jesus Christ. For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up. Verse 10, please. What does it say? Therefore, come on. As we have opportunity, so therefore, as we have opportunity. Do you have opportunity? I said, do you have opportunity? I said, do you have opportunity? You have opportunity. So what do you do? You have opportunity. Let us do good to all people, not just few people, all people are outside church. Amen. And then it goes on to say, especially. When was the last time you did something for the family of believers? When did you go and serve? When did you use your faith to serve somebody? Touch them with the love of Jesus Christ. I don't like this person in church. I don't like the way he talks. I don't like him. I don't like her. I have a problem here. There's politics in church. We have 101 things to tell. They will all be there. The Bible says, do good to all people. And then it says don't get tired, and especially where are the family of believers? Where are they? In church. In church. So as long as you have opportunity, go and do something in your church. If hope you see is your church, go and do something in your church because you have an opportunity. Opportunity may pass you by, and even after you begging and reaching out, you may not get an opportunity. As long as you get an opportunity without getting tired, your faith is tested, you want to give up, but still you hang in there, you persevere, you build your character, and hope is rising up, and then you use your hope to serve in the church. Your faith should touch somebody's life with the love of Jesus Christ. It's often everyday acts of kindness. It's a quiet service. Consistently showing up, we bear much fruit. Think about this: Jesus being the Son of God, he came not to be served. That's what Jesus says. If the King of Kings put on a towel and washed feet, what excuse do we have? What excuse do you have? Jesus was willing to go down to serve. But we are, ah no, I I they will serve, I will see what they will serve me in church. I will see what facilities they'll provide me in church. But this is not there correct, that is not there correct. We are always finding ourselves in that spot. But we got to move from that. When was the last time you did something for somebody? When was the last time you did something for your church, especially for the believers? Jesus showed them. No, no, that is not my position. My position is there. I have to sit with Jesus, and you are asking me to do this. No, no, I won't do this. I will sit there only with Jesus. And you know what Jesus said? He got up. You want to sit there? No, I will show you. Come. He took a towel, he bought a basin, he bought water, you want to be the greatest, you want to do greater things? Come now, I will show you. He washed disciples' feet. No, no, no, Lord, no, no, please don't wash my feet. If I don't wash you, then you're not part of me. That's what Jesus said. Is your serving bearing fruit in the kingdom of God? Is your serving touching somebody's life, impacting somebody's life? Or are we doing it for gain and popularity? I want you to see this. This is a paraphrased version of what Mother Teresa says. Greatness is not about the size of what we do, but the love we put into every small act. I have paraphrased this. Greatness is not about the size of what we do, but the love we put into, even the smallest, whatever you're doing, put love into it. Love covers multitudes of sin. That means if somebody is at fault, you don't show the finger, but you go cover it. Love we put into every small act. If you are serving in church, put love on it, my friend. If you are not serving church, you have an opportunity to serve in the church. Mother Teresa's faith bore fruit. We all know that. Not because she did something glamorous, but because she served the poor one person at a time. One person at a time. Serving may not always look spiritual. Putting chairs in the church is nothing about spiritual. You can put chairs here, you can put your chairs in your house, you can put chairs in. There's nothing spiritual about it. Serving may not look like doing something spiritual, right? It could be like, you know, let's try to understand. You know, cooking for a family in need. Hello, church. Helping a child who needs some help, helping with the logistics at church, or simply being present when someone is in pain. You know what most of Christians think? What will I get? If I do this, no, what will I get? If I go there, no, what will I get? Why will I do it? Why will I go with extra mile? Why will I put petrol in my bike and I what will I get? That mentality, no, will stop you. Because you won't get anything there. I and Vivian we visited one house long back, you know, and we went to this house. This is towards Attapur. You know, we sat on the floor. That was the shock of my life. For me, it's very quite difficult to, you know, such exercises are kind of difficult for me. And there is nothing there. She just had this lady had just one bed and not even one chair. To sit on the floor. To go all the way to Atapur to sit on the floor. It was the most humbling experience. Serving is how love becomes visible. If you truly love God, you show it through your serving. Where are you serving? Where is your love for God? When we serve, lives will be changed, I'm telling you. We build stronger communities. People won't remember your sermons. You know, I preach most of the time. I know most you know most of them, you know, most of them don't remember. Sorry about that. Most of them won't remember the sermons. It's perfectly fine. Because half of them I don't remember myself unless I go back and preach. Because it's been for such a long time, you know, uh some messages that I have preached. Humanly impossible unless I go back to the notes, right? Nobody remembers the sermons, but people will remember when you serve them with love. Why do you remember Mother Teresa? What did she do to you? When did you see her actually? When did you meet her? There's one who met her.

unknown:

She's my teacher.

SPEAKER_00:

She's your teacher, wonderful. But most of us here, we just heard of the story. But she did something with love. And she is here as an example for us. The path for bearing fruit will never be smooth and easy. It will be tough. We will have the obstacles, discouragement, opposition, fatigue, and self-doubt will be there. But faith that has been stretched and refined is precisely what gives us the resilience to push through the different things.