FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH LESSON #3 Intro. Tonight is the last lesson in our series. Jude 1:3 (NIV) Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. Faith is a fight Every day, all through the day, we make choices whether we re going to believe God or be swayed by circumstances We have to have a "minds made up" mentality about our faith and believing Acts 27:25 (NKJV) Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. In this series we ve looked at 1. Living by faith a. Living by faith means applying faith in every area of our lives 2. Faith and confession a. Faith isn t something that is just believed in our heart b. It must be and will be confessed with our mouths 3. Tonight we re ending the series with faith versus sight a. One of the greatest struggles we face concerning faith is what we re going to look at tonight b. Believing in what we cannot see c. If we re going to exercise faith we re going to have to believe in the invisible d. This is an area all of us will struggle with Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 1
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I. BY DEFINITION FAITH IS BELIEVING IN THE Hebrews 11:1 is the best definition of faith in the Bible A. FAITH IS ALWAYS IN THE 1. Now faith is a. Not, I m believing God will help me tomorrow b. That s hope c. Faith is NOW d. It s an aggressive belief that takes the promises of God and says, I believe this for my life today. 2. Faith is the substance of things hoped for a. Faith is so real it s called substance b. Greek word for substance is hupostasis - that which stands under something, substructure, foundation c. Faith is the substructure everything else in our lives is built on By faith we re saved, by faith we receive the promises, etc. 3. The evidence (or conviction) of things not seen a. Faith relates to the invisible b. It s a conviction of things that are not seen c. It says, I believe in things I can t see! Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. B. THIS IS WHERE WE CAN HAVE TROUBLE, BELIEVING IN WHAT Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 2
1. People say seeing is believing a. Show me and I ll believe it John 20:24-29 (NKJV) 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 2. Kids have a lot easier time with believing in what they can t see 3. This is one of the hardest parts of faith a. It s easy for us to believe in what we see C. SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN WE CAN SEE, WE 1. The truth is, if we give ourselves over to doubt, negativity, unbelief, or questioning God s Word, we can see and still not believe Matthew 28:16-17 (NKJV) Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 3
a. Unbelief can be so strong, we can see and still not believe b. The disciples are looking at the resurrected Christ; some of them are thinking Can I believe what I m seeing? 2. Faith versus sight can be difficult a. We have to make some quality decisions in our life about believing b. If God said it, I believe it, that settles it, even if I can t see it! 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) For we walk by faith, not by sight. II. BELIEVING IS John 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" That s what we all need to remember, If we believe, we will see. A. WHEN WE BELIEVE WE SEE THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 1. Jesus said until we re born again we re unable to see what God is doing a. Once we believe and we re born again, our spiritual eyes are opened Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV) 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 4
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power b. It s through faith (believing) that we can begin to see (recognize) all that God can do and has for us Again, this can be one of the greatest challenges in the Christian life To look beyond what we can see in the natural and to see the invisible 2. We all struggle against the world we see ex. If we re wrestling with a health issue it can be hard for us to see ourselves healthy and whole. Our attention can be so focused on our physical symptoms that it s hard to see beyond them to anything else. a. Faith says, I dare to believe in something I can t yet see. Mark 9:23 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 3. We need to dare to believe for our lives, for our families, for our church a. If we believe, we will see the glory of God III. BELIEVING IN WHAT WE CAN T SEE IS IMPORTANT FOR A. WITHOUT BELIEVING IN WHAT WE CANNOT SEE, WE Psalms 27:13 (NKJV) I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 5
1. Some lose heart because their faith is only on what they see a. Debt, crummy job, problems with kids, etc. b. If all we can see is what is visible, we'll lose heart 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2. Faith does a lot of different things in our lives but one of the most important is to give us endurance Hebrews 11:27 (NKJV) By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. a. Faith helps us to see what is not always visible b. Our relationships restored and healthy, our bodies well, our bills paid, happier lives, etc. Faith gives us endurance when things are difficult to believe that we will see the goodness of God in our future PRAYER AND CONFESSION: Lord, I believe in what I cannot see. Even though I can t see You, I believe You re always with me. Help me remember not to focus on the things I see around me but to see beyond them to You. I want to see Your glory revealed. I want to see the kingdom of God come into my life and the lives of those around me. I will endure because I believe I will see Your goodness in the land of the living. In Jesus name, Amen. Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 6
FILL IN THE BLANKS FROM LESSON #3 I. BY DEFINITION FAITH IS BELIEVING IN THE _( INVISIBLE) A. FAITH IS ALWAYS IN THE _(NOW) B. THIS IS WHERE WE CAN HAVE TROUBLE, BELIEVING IN WHAT _(WE CAN T SEE) C. SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN WE CAN SEE, WE (MAY NOT BELIEVE) II. BELIEVING IS _(SEEING) A. WHEN WE BELIEVE WE SEE THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD (DEMONSTRATED) III. BELIEVING IN WHAT WE CAN T SEE IS IMPORTANT FOR _(ENDURANCE) A. WITHOUT BELIEVING IN WHAT WE CANNOT SEE, WE _(WON T MAKE IT) Praise Chapel 419 Harrison St. Kingman, AZ 86401 (928) 753-1909 Alex Wilson, Pastor 7