Eleven Ways Jesus Taught about Faith Affecting Perspective (John 20:15-31)
Illustration: Recently, many of us at Trinity College of Florida prayed for deliverance, protection and shelter from the four powerful hurricanes and each time God proved Himself to be a shelter in the time of storm. It reminded me of my favorite song we often sang in our seminary chapel of the Evangelical Churches of West Africa in Nigeria. Isa 25:4 taught me the necessity of relying on God as the shelter in times of all types of emotional, spiritual as well as physical storms:
The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Refrain
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Refrain
The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Refrain
O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Illustration: There we saw the giants . . . and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight. --Numbers 13:33
In my garden I have four rows of everbearing strawberries--a fact that evidently has been proclaimed from the housetops to all the robins, starlings, and brown thrashers in the neighborhood. They have been having a picnic! So I spent quite some time building a scarecrow from broomsticks, an old coat, a pair of trousers, and a white hat.
I was in for a surprise, for one morning soon afterward, a wise robin was perched on top of the hat and seemed to be singing at the top of his voice, "Free strawberries here!"
I saw two kinds of birds: wise ones and foolish ones. The foolish birds sat in the trees, afraid of the scarecrow. The wise birds knew that the scarecrow was simply an advertisement in disguise.
The Bible tells us about some wise and foolish people. Moses sent 12 spies to check out the Promised Land, a land of fabulous fruits and blessings. Ten of them feared the "scarecrows"--the giants and the walled cities. Two wise "birds," Caleb and Joshua, believed God had given them the land. They weren’t fooled. They said, "Let us go up at once and take possession" (Num. 13:30).
God richly blesses those who live by faith and are not stopped by the scarecrows of doubt and fear. (Our Daily Bread)
The foolish see giants when troubles appear,
They tremble in weakness, their hearts filled with fear;
The wise are undaunted when trouble they scan,
They go forth to battle, for God’s in their plan. --DJD
Our God is bigger than any problem.
John 20:15-31
1. Jesus knew that many things will never be understood or appreciated about truth, but the Scriptures are adequate to help everyone grow in complete faith. John wrote, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (Jn 20:30,31) Ask God for greater wisdom to teach scriptural truth to help people mature in faith and perspective.
2. Jesus knew that obedient faith produces changes in our success, productivity and fruitfulness. The Lord Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:38) Ask the Lord to help you gain greater obedient faith enabling you to be more successful, productive and fruitful.
3. Jesus knew that a God inspired faith allows us to attempt and expect some things that even He did not do on earth. The Lord Jesus promised, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) Ask the Lord to help you to grow to a point where you can attempt and expect to do "greater things" for God’s glory.
4. Jesus knew that great faith allows us to tap into the full power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Lord Jesus said, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit (without measure) to those who ask him!" (Lk 11:13) Ask the Lord to help you be filled with all the power of the Spirit enabling you to lack nothing.
5. Jesus knew that believing was a prerequisite to understanding all that God can do for us. The good Shepherd said, "If you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Mt. 21:21,22) Ask the Lord to help you mature in your faith to a point where you can comprehend all that God wants you to accomplish.
6. Jesus knew that without correct faith we tend to look for the wrong things. One day the Mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and kneeling down asked, ’Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ Jesus said, "You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" (Mt. 20:20-22) Ask the Lord for wisdom, humility and full submission to His sovereign will.
7. Jesus knew that hypocritical faith tends to obscure our understanding of God and His will. The Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." (Mt. 22:29) Ask the Lord to remove any aspects of Pharisaical faith that will distort and obscure your understanding of God and His will.
8. Jesus knew that growing in faith is largely a question of how much we are willing to discipline ourselves for godliness. The Lord Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" (Jn. 20:27,28) Ask the Lord for a greater willingness to see and do all that God wants for you and your ministries. Pray for courage to conquer any of your doubts, fears or misunderstanding of God’s attributes.
9. Jesus knew that immature people need demonstrations, examples and evidences before they can grow in faith. The Lord Jesus said, "Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (Jn. 11:37,38) Ask the Lord to help you give examples of the great things God is doing in your life and ministry for the benefit of others’ faith.
10. Jesus knew not to get discouraged when many refuse to believe and see the truth. John wrote, "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. Isaiah wrote, "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them." (Jn. 12:37,40) Ask the Lord to be granted the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can and the wisdom to know the difference.
11. Jesus knew that scriptural faith changes the way we view life. John wrote of Jesus, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1:12,13) Ask the Lord to help you bring many people to believe and receive Christ as their Savior enabling them to gain a new and better perspective on life.
