Pastor Stefan compares How to walk by faith and NOT by sight
Message Outline: https://bit.ly/3cuBV0M
Today is our last Sunday in our “Overcoming Faith” Campaign. We’re on a spiritual journey designed to strengthen & build our faith, to see God’s miraculous power released in and through our lives in a fresh way. We’re receiving:
Last week we spoke about how to pray the Prayer of Faith:
Today we will talk about how to walk by faith.
Most of us know the common saying: “Seeing is believing”.
Yet the Bible exhorts us to “believe without seeing”.
If we choose to “believe without seeing”, we will (eventually) “see what we believe”.
2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT)For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.
2 Corinthians 5:6–8 (NKJV)So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith, not by sight.8We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
This Scripture speaks about our new resurrection body that awaits us in heaven. And is also tells us to walk by faith and not by sight.
Thomas refused to believe without seeing:
John 20:25–29 (NKJV)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.”26And 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!” 27Then 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.”28And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”29Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
1 Peter 1:7–9 (NLT)These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
Apostle Peter commends the saints for loving God even though they have never seen God. Instead of demanding visible proof of God’s existence, they chose to “walk by faith”.
The Bible says:
The example of Abraham & Sarah who walked by faith:
Hebrews 11:11-12 (NKJV) By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
In the natural, it was impossible for Sarah to have children. She was barren, and at a certain time she was past the age of child bearing. Furthermore, Abraham also was too old to produce children. And yet, they had a son called Isaac.
Question: How did Sarah receive strength to conceive?
Answer: She received strength to conceive “by faith”!
Sarah:
So then, walking by faith is:
Again, walking “By faith” means 4 things: