Faith is not Blind

Attention Grabber

a popular saying when I was in my teens was, “God said it! I believe it! And that settles it”

I remember it being on shirts

banner hanging in a church

I remember it being on bumper stickers

and it is a good thought for Christians, but I can see it rubbing non-believers the wrong way

it seems like we were saying, “I just believe . . . just because . . . I believe”

why do you say there is a God, “I just believe it. I just have faith!”

it comes across as Christians will just blindly believe anything

and sometimes we took pride in that idea of believing for believing sake.

just BLIND FAITH

Contrary to what many think, God does not require blind faith from you

wait a minute pastor, “We walk by faith and not by sight” . . . and I say, “Amen!”

Let me explain what I am saying . . . WE might be blind, but our faith is not

We might be in a situation where we can’t see, but our faith can see clearly

just follow along with me, and I will show you in the scriptures what I mean when I say that, “Faith is not blind”

We will start with the scripture most often used when discussing faith. I have used it to teach what faith is, but God has shown me that this verse also help in increasing our faith

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

While translating the original Greek language to English, Bible translators are always seeking the best English word that conveys what the author is saying,

do I say boy or lad?

do I say young woman or maiden?

and there is agreement on a great majority of the words, but sometimes translators differ on which word fits best, which word will help a modern day reader understand the original meaning

that’s why . . .

Hebrews 11:1 NASB95

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

NLT uses reality and evidence

NIV uses confidence and assurance

While it might not be clear what the perfect English word is, it is clear that faith is not empty, let me go back to the KJV, faith has substance to it

faith brings assurance, conviction, confidence, . . . is evidence, is reality

assurance of what?

conviction about what?

evidence of what?

confidence for what?

substance of what?

things hoped for and things not seen

when something is hoped for, when something is not seen . . . that means that you don’t have it yet

there is something you want, but it has not manifested

there is something you need, but it has not happened

so when we put it all together, “When I have faith in God . . .

There is something that I am hoping for, and I have full confidence that I will get it.

There is something that I expect, and I have evidence that it surely will happen.

There is something that I need, and I am assured/guaranteed that I will get it.

But that our faith doesn’t always sound like that, does it

How can I get confidence like that?

Where can I find the type of evidence that is so conclusive?

How can I be so assured?

How can I get that strong conviction?

We don’t have to be super spiritual . . . let’s take a simple look at faith

Why do people have faith?

in the normal course of living, do we believe, just because we believe? . . . . no, there’s always a reason, faith is not blind

blind faith is like a complete stranger walking up on me, holding out a gun that has just been fired, and says, “hide this, and I will come get it tomorrow. Nothing bad will happen to you, it’s all good, just hide it for me”

I don’t know who this person is: history, character

I have no one to testify of their character and integrity

I have no records to look up to check them out

so if I hide the gun for them, just because they said to hide it . . . that’s blind faith . . . and most people would say, “you did a foolish thing”

he gave you no reason to believe him

he gave you no reason to trust him!

Guess what? God does not require that level of faith

God gives you reasons to believe

God will show you that evidence, so that you can believe

Faith in God is not blind, it is built on substance.

let’s look at some examples . . . let’s start with the faith that a God we can’t see, even exists

Example 1

Romans 1:18 NLT

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

quick summary - ungodly and unrighteous people are in trouble with God.

They they suppress the truth, ignore the truth because they are wicked.

Romans 1:19 NLT

19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.

Deep down they know the truth because God has made it obvious/evident

Romans 1:20 NLT

20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

what’s evident?

That God is real. This fact is evident in what God made, creation.

when you see the land, seas, sky, animals, sun, moon, stars you have evidence of God’s power and nature.

Because you see the order, design, beauty, precision . . . the only logical conclusion is that there must be a God

The creation is proof of a creator

the design is proof of a intelligent designer

the beauty is proof of a divine artist

the precision is proof of a an engineer that is unequaled

how everything fits together is proof of an almighty architect

it’s like looking a 10 bedroom mansion, fully furnished, refrigerator fully stocked, dishes, cups, silverware, plates, coffee maker, waffle iron, water turned on, electricity turned on, the gas in connected, the satellite TV is up and running, wi-fi is available, clothes neatly lined up in the closets, the lawn is manicured, a welcome mat, and the name Johnson on the mailbox . . . and you say

a person didn’t do this

no one put this mansion here, it just appeared, all by itself

there was an explosion and everything just fell into place over time

that is bad science, and you sir, are a fool . . . the fool has said in his heart, there is no God

when a person says show me proof that there is God . . . say look around you! The evidence is all around you, staring you in the face

when people don’t believe in God, it’s not because there is no proof, but because of their wickedness, they refuse to acknowledge the evidence that’s right in front of their faces . . .

We have faith in the existence of God because God has given you reason to have faith in his existence

Faith is not blind

Example 2

God had freed his people from slavery in Egypt, and now He plans to bring them into the land promised to them.

but there is one hurdle. God expected his people to have faith that though they would have to fight against a people much bigger and stronger than they, that God had the power to give them the victory

and God’s people responded with, no sir!

those people are entirely just too big

and there cities are too well fortified

we don’t have faith for that

in fact, let’s return to Egypt and become slaves again

God’s response

Numbers 14:11 NASB95

11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?

How long will they not believe me, despite all of the signs I have performed

God is saying, I am not expecting them to believe, just because . . . I have given them reasons to believe, evidence to believe, they can point at specific instances and conclude that I can and I will give them the victory

I sent 10 plagues on Egypt that freed you

In one day I destroyed Egypt’s army in the Red Sea, to make sure you stayed free

you hear my voice speak from the mountain, and felt my power as the ground shook

i’ve given water to quench the thirst of almost 2 million people, from a rock!

I have given these people reason to believe, trust me, to have faith in me

I am not asking for blind faith, I am asking for common sense faith!

if God was able to do those things, he is able to do this other thing!

Faith is not blind

Example 3

Why did the 12 disciples have faith to follow Jesus and become his followers?

because he seemed like a nice man?

No, Jesus gave them reasons to believe!

Nathaniel would say, he knew everything about me before I even met him

others would say, when he was baptized by John, we heard a voice from heaven saying that this was his beloved son . . . and we saw the Holy Spirit descending in the shape of a dove

Peter would say, we hadn’t caught fish all night long, and were putting up our fishing nets

but Jesus said let down the nets one more time, and we caught so many fish that the nets began to break, and the boat began to sink

that was my reason for believing and forsaking all to follow him

When John the Baptist was starting to doubt and sent people to ask Jesus is he was the Messiah . . . Jesus did not say, “tell him to believe, just because

Matthew 11:4–5 NLT

4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”

give John reasons to believe

God does not expect you to believe without giving you reasons to believe!

Demonstration

show them part of an object and ask them, “What do you believe that is?”

How did you know what those objects were? You said your answers with such confidence and assurance

For though you couldn’t see everything, I showed you enough to believe

and in whatever you are going through, GOD . . . HAS . . . SHOWN . . . YOU . . . ENOUGH . . . TO . . . BELIEVE

GOD HAS SHOWN YOU ENOUGH TO BELIEVE

God has shown you enough to have confidence that he will take care of you

God has shown you enough to have the conviction that he will make a way out of now way

assurance that everything will be alright

you might be ignoring it, you might have forgotten it, but God has given you reasons to believe.

one reason to believe is what God has already done for you

Many of you have already been through some tight situations and God brought you out

rough situations and God brought you through

you had no where to turn, but God somehow turned it around

So since God has already shown you that he has power

Since God has already shown you that he can be trusted to come through for you

God has shown you enough to believe

God should have good credit with you

how dare us not have faith for what we are facing now!!!

how long will we not believe him

Another reason to believe - what you’ve seen God do for others

Some of you have relatives and friends who were up against it, and you have first hand knowledge of God rescuing them, you know it was nothing but God

you saw the power of God work for them

you saw the miracle

that’s some evidence to base your faith on

in the Bible, it was a prostitute named Rahab that saw God work in the lives of the children of Israel, and that was enough to convince her to believe, and risk her life in doing so . . . but she had seen enough

she ended up saving her whole family

got out of prostitution, got married . . . because she paid attention to the reasons to believe

just look around you sometimes

worshipping in a church that we didn’t pay for . . . that’s a reason

some of you are living in bodies that should have been dead (that sickness?, that accident?) . . . that’s a reason

Quit trying to pretend that “woe is me, God requires this impossible faith!

with an exasperated voice, “I’ll just have to trust Him”

“I just have to pray and hope that God will come through”

no, the reality is, God gives us reasons to believe, reasons to trust Him, reasons to have faith!

we should say, “I can’t help but have faith!”

Closing Argument

I had a lot of faith in my father but it was not blind faith.

even as a kid, my father demonstrated trustworthiness

pick me up when he said he would pick me up

sign the field trip permission slip when he said he would sign it

take me to the store when he said he would take me to the store

in college, add money to your account tomorrow, he would do it (before cash app)

if he said he would meet you down at the church at 9am, he would be there at 8:30

so when he would promise something, In my mind it was as good as done.

in fact, we wouldn’t even have to promise, I got excited when he said, “I’ll see what I can do”

he had shown me enough to have faith in his word

he had given me reasons to have faith in his word

How much more with God?

many of you should be able to say, “God said it, and I believe it!”

not in a blind faith way, but because you have reasons to believe his word

Faith is for the next step, based on trust from from past steps

Invitation - Jesus

Why did his disciples believe that Jesus rose from the dead

they didn’t believe when the women told them . . . Jesus had to show them something

So he appeared to them and let them touch him . . . ate with them

Thomas wasn’t there the first time, and he doubted, until he saw him and touched him

something that big, a lot had to be shown

Why do we believe?

well documented in history by Christians and non-Christians that Jesus lived and died on a cross

Christian authors describe miracle

non-Christians describe sorcerer and magician

documented that his body was put in a tomb, and the site was made secure by soldiers and a large stone

it’s also documented that the tomb where they put his body was empty three days later

Christian sources said he rose from the dead, non-Christians say his body was stolen

the story of soldiers saying they stole his body while we were sleep doesn’t make sense

roll away a large stone without them waking

it was custom for soldiers to be executed for losing their prisoner - but they were allowed to live

eyewitness testimony

disciples

others saw him too - early Christians could have sought out over 500 people and asked them what was it like

apostles changed dramatically

went from hiding to being bold

went from being terrified to testifying

spoke of Christ is front of same people that killed Christ

Apostles wiling to die for their testimony

only two options - they were either telling the truth or they were scamming everyone

people don’t die for scams - they get out when the jig is up

they died for what they knew to be true -

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see how he fulfilled Old Testament Scriptures, too many things came to pass to just be coincidence

there are reasons to believe!