Yea Lord, I Believe

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: YEA LORD, I BELIEVE

09-30-01 P.M. SERVICE

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.” JOHN 3:16-18

TURN TO MATTHEW 9:27-30 “AND WHEN JESUS DEPARTED THENCE, TWO BLIND MEN FOLLOWED HIM, CRYING, AND SAYING, THOU SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON US. AND WHEN HE WAS COME INTO THE HOUSE, THE BLIND MEN CAME TO HIM: AND JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, BELIEVE YE THAT I AM ABLE TO DO THIS? THEY SAID UNTO HIM, YEA, LORD. THEN TOUCHED HE THEIR EYES, SAYING, ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT UNTO YOU. AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED:...”

I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THAT TWO BLIND MEN FOLLOWED JESUS. YOU MIGHT WONDER HOW BLIND MEN COULD FOLLOW HIM. LET ME TELL YOU THAT YOU DON’T FOLLOW JESUS BY THE SEEING OF THE EYES BUT BY WHAT YOU FEEL IN YOUR HEART.

WHEN JESUS WAS COME INTO THE HOUSE THE BLIND MEN CAME TO HIM AND JESUS ASKED THEM IF THEY BELIEVED HE COULD DO THIS AND THEY SAID YES. I WANT TO PREACH TO YOU ON YEA, LORD, BELIEVING IN HIM. I THOUGHT ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE IN THE BIBLE WHERE JESUS ASKED HIS DISCIPLES, “WHO DO THE PEOPLE SAY I AM?” THEY SAY THAT YOU ARE A PROPHET AND SOME SAY YOU ARE JOHN THE BAPTIST AND SOME SAY YOU’RE ELIAS AND JESUS SAID, “WELL, WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” AND PETER SAID THOU ART THE CHRIST. THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. AND JESUS SAID, “FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED THIS UNTO YOU BUT MY FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN.” I THANK GOD FOR THAT SCRIPTURE BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT KNOW THE NAME JESUS AND THEY’VE HEARD ABOUT HIM. HEARD HIM PREACHED AND TAUGHT IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOMS BUT THEY REALLY AND TRULY DON’T KNOW WHO JESUS IS. THEY JUST DON’T GRASP WHO JESUS IS. BUT THESE BLIND MEN KNEW WHO JESUS WAS. THEY KNEW WHAT JESUS COULD DO AND THEY WENT TO HIM. WHEN THEY LEFT THERE, THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE. I WONDER WHAT YOU’VE COME FOR? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS ABLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOU? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HE’S ABLE TO SAVE THOSE LOST SOULS IN YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS? GOD’S ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK BY HIS POWER, BY HIS GRACE AND BY HIS MERCY. THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAY, “YEAH, I BELIEVE IN HIM.” BUT I WONDER DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE. HE SAID TO THE BLIND MEN, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT UNTO YOU.” IF WE HAVE THE FAITH, GOD HAS THE ANSWER AND THE POWER. OUR FAITH IS LIKE A KEY TO A MOTOR. IF WE HAVE IT, THEN GOD CAN TURN IT ON AND USE IT THROUGH HIS GRACE AND MERCY.

IN MARK 9:23 “JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, IF THOU CANST BELIEVE, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH.” JUST BELIEVING, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. ONE PART OF BELIEVING IS FAITH. THE BIBLE SAY THAT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD. WE’LL BELIEVE IN WORLDLY THINGS MORE THAN WE BELIEVE IN WHAT GOD CAN DO. WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN HIM. THESE TWO BLIND MEN BELIEVED. JESUS PERFORMED A MIRACLE IN THEIR LIFE. HE’S STILL PERFORMING MIRACLES TODAY.

I WANT TO SHARE SEVEN THOUGHTS ON BELIEVING IN HIM.

NUMBER ONE: WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN HIS PERSON. WHO HE IS. NOT JUST JESUS OR NOT JUST GOD. THESE PEOPLE ON TV ARE ALWAYS THANKING GOD FOR THE AWARDS THEY GET BUT I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY GHOST. THERE’S NO GREATER PERSON THAN JESUS CHRIST. LET ME SHARE THESE VERSES:

HEBREWS 12:2 “LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME, AND IS SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD.” HE’S THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF YOUR FAITH. HE’S ABLE TO GIVE YOU FAITH AND WHEN HE’S READY TO CALL YOU HOME, HIS FAITH IS THERE STILL.

JOHN 1:17 “FOR THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES, BUT GRACE AND TRUTH CAME BY JESUS CHRIST.” DO YOU BELIEVE IN HIM FOR WHO HE IS? A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH HIM TO KNOW WHO HE IS.