John 20: 24- 25 Won’t believe unless I can put my hands in his side

2 Corinthians 5: 7 Paul states that we are to walk by faith and not by sight.

 

1. Faith not murdering common sense

 

EXAMPLE: we assume that to have faith, you have to move to a cave in a mountain and eat nothing but bread and water so you can believe God.

Nothing is further from the truth.

We all have a measure of faith. (Romans 12: 3)

 

Try living without faith

We would not buy bread, trust a red light to stop other traffic, or allow anyone else to ever drive us anywhere

2. Faith in the familiar

Faith is not checking all logic at the door and becoming spiritual zombies.

We operate faith by our familiarity with what is around us.

 

  1. I trust the baker because I have eaten bread before
  2. I have seen red lights stop cars before

What about your measure of faith?

1. Some have different measures,

  1. Peach seed
  2. Avocado seed
  3. Apple seed
  4. All you need is the size of a mustard seed and a mountain would be moved from your sight.

This seems pretty straight forward, but it brings up a number of questions.

  1. Thomas was familiar with the other disciples, but he still refused to believe what they were saying to him about the resurrection.
  2. Matthew states that 500 people saw Jesus alive, yet when He was about to ascend to heaven, some still doubted.
  3. I don’t think it’s because we don’t have enough faith, there is something else at work here.

3. The problem with doubt.

Looking at a story about Jesus being transfigured and coming down from the mountain to confront a demon possessed boy.
Mark 9: 22 – 24 “Have mercy and help him if you can. “What do you mean if I can? Jesus asked. Anything is possible if a person believes. The father instantly cried out “I do believe, help my unbelief”

Unbelief is not having faith because we all have faith that can move mountains, but unbelief can nullify what is happening right in front of our eyes.

 

EXAMPLE: Volkswagen diesel Jetta Friend filled it with gasoline. The problem wasn’t that there was no diesel in the vehicle, the problem was the injection of a substance that was incompatible with the vehicles design!

4. Battling Unbelief 

 

God has given us what we need to believe in Him, but satan is always there trying to fill our lives with unbelief.

Romans 10: 17 Faith comes by hearing the word of God.

Story in John of God talking and some heard lightening, others heard a voice.(John 12: 29)

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11: 6) with faith we can please God and we can make sense of what is happening around us.

5. Eyes to see

Financially we are told to not put all of eggs in one basket, but God demands the total opposite.

It starts with a total trust in Jesus because he is the word. Total trust in him. John said we need God to open our eyes so we can see Him.

Enough faith to move any mountain that stands in the way of knowing Him.

Thomas you believe because you see me, Blessed are those who believe and have not seen me.

We are born to be believers, it is time to activate that faith and begin to hear.