Faith: Seen and Unseen

Back in Matthew

Left off in Matthew 15

So lets review where we have come from

Matthew is one of four books written about the life of Jesus

Matthew was a tax collector until Jesus met him in his collection booth and said Matthew 9:9 ““Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.”

He was also known as Levi

after Jesus called him to follow him, Jesus had a meal with Matthew and his tax collector friends in his house, and the Pharisees did not like it.

The Pharisees, the perceived religious leaders of that day did not like anything that Jesus and his disciples did.

Why? Their eyes were on themselves. They were more interested in their own religious rules than seeing that the coming Messiah had arrived and was standing before their eyes.

This is the purpose of Matthew’s writing: He presents Jesus as Israel’s Messiah.

In Genesis 28:14 Jehovah God told Jacob...

Genesis 28:14 ESV

14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Then as Luke records the genealogy of Jesus he writes: Luke 3:34

Luke 3:34 ESV

34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

Just like Mark, Luke and John....Matthew is all about Jesus. All about our Savior. All about God giving his Son to take care of our biggest problem…SIN. Sin separates us from God, and his answer was Jesus.

But he doesn’t just show up, die and provide the answer for sin…he also gives examples on how we are to live, he shows us that he IS GOD, sent from God and will be the ultimate sacrifice. And one day when we end this book of Matthew, we will see that everything he has said has real meaning to us now.

Its not just a bunch of stories that have good meaning. What Matthew writes point to LIFE, real LIFE. Life that brings hope. because without Jesus there is no hope.

So as we continue through Matthew 15 , stand to your feet at lets say our Church Creed.

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Read Matthew 15:21-28

(focus)

(vs 21) the the district of Tyre and Sidon

(vs 22) Canaanite Woman

(vs 22) Son of David

(vs 23) He did not answer… was he just ignoring her?

(vs 24) lost sheep of Israel (those Jews who did not see him as the Messiah)

(vs 26) take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs

(vs 27) she said but even the dogs...

(vs 28) read verse (without seeing her daughter healed, her faith revealed her belief that he was the Messiah who had come.

Read Matthew 15:29-31

(focus)

(vs 29-30) Jesus went up into the mountain around the sea of Galilee and many people came who needed healing.

(vs 31) the crowd was amazed… “And they glorified God.” By seeing the miracles, they accepted who he was by faith)

Three Things:

Jesus makes salvation available for anyone

Salvation is accepted by faith

Faith is seen or unseen

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Jesus makes salvation available for anyone

No matter if they are from the north, south, Igbo, Hausa, black, white… Jesus offer salvation to everyone. He does not withhold that precious gift from anyone. Now, not everyone will accept, but everyone is offered.

Think of John 3:16, “anyone who would call on his name will be saved.” What about John 1:12-13

John 1:12–13 (ESV)

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Titus 2:11 (ESV)

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Jew, Gentile, Black, White… By the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection, salvation is available to all who call on his name, repent, and begin to follow him.

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2. Salvation is accepted by faith

When you think about the word faith, you should always think about the words: trust and belief. Salvation comes down to this.... do you trust and believe that there is an almighty God that created the world? You weren’t there, but do you have trust and believe that it happened. Do you have faith in that?

Do you believe that there is an enemy of God named Satan who wants to separate you from God. Do you trust and believe that?

Do you trust and believe that God sent his Son two thousand years ago to provide a way apart from Satan and back to him? Do you believe this? Do you have faith in this?

What is faith? Trust and belief. Trust knowing that God sent his Son to die for you....and belief accepts His Son and makes you begin to reflect his love in yoru life everyday.

But only by faith.

You see whe we beleive in God and what Jesus did for us, we express faith.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

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

When we express faith, even though we cannot see God, we know we have a hope that is to come.

3. Faith is seen or unseen

Look at the two different times of faith

In the first: The woman expressed faith before the miracle.

In the second it was after a miracle that they had faith and glorified God.

But we live in the time where our belief must be made by faith.... the unseen. Jesus does not stand before to heal the blind man, and so we say, well now I believe. He must be God.

No, that is not what faith is.

The writer of Hebrews wrote: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Heb 11:6.

Faith.

Where do you place your faith? Are you placing your faith in your education? In making money? In something that you cannot control?

Faith: trust in belief.

God sent his Son. He needs to be the object of our belief, our faith, and our hope.