Blessed Are Those With Faith

I. EXORDIUM:

Are you of faith or of five senses?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that we need to live a lifestyle of faith

IV. TEXT:

John 20:29 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

V. THESIS:

We have a lifestyle of faith not 5 senses.

VI. TITLE:

Blessed Are Those With Faith

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger brother of James.

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

B. Date and Setting:

Written between a.d. 85–90 from Ephesus, after the destruction of Jerusalem (a.d. 70) and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

C. Audience:

New Christians and searching non-Christians.

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

D. Purpose:

John 20:31 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. JESUS asks a question: "If our belief is based on what we see."

"Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me."

1 Peter 1:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

You 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.

John 4:48 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

Luke 1:45 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Hebrews 11:1 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

1. Signs, wonders and miracles are for unbelievers not for us who believed, we don't need such signs, because we already believed long before we saw. Our joy, thanksgiving, praises and worship to the LORD GOD is proof that we already received what we have prayed for, though in the physical it's different or were not so, but in the spirit we already received them, everything that we imagine we can ask. If we have seen, it's no longer of faith. If our 5 physical senses have already sensed it, it's not faith anymore.

2 Peter 1:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

B. Blessed are those who have believed even they don't see.

"Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."

2 Corinthians 5:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

For we live by believing and not by seeing.

Galatians 3:11 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Hebrews 10:38 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

Romans 14:23 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

James 4:17 (New King James Version)

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (New King James Version)

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.

Our way of life or lifestyle while here on this earth is faith and not by the physical senses. We need to always stick with our faith no matter what, that is being righteous, no other way to live but via faith lifestyle. This world has no choice, they are under sin, and whatever things they do, good or bad, still it's sin for them. But for those who are of faith or those with faith have only one sin to dealt with, that is if we live in doubt because doubt is having no faith at all. We see things differently, this world rates things as they see, hear, taste, feel and smell but we, who are of faith or with faith, uses faith to see the invisible things which are eternal. The world says "to see is to believe" but with those who are of faith, "To believe is to see." Believe first then you will see.