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Seeing is Believing...Or is it?
Scripture Passage:
1 Kings 10:1-7 Attached audio files:
INTRODUCTION: The queen of Sheba did not believe the words she had heard about Solomon and the glory of his reign until she had seen it for herself. This supports the truth of the old saying: seeing is believing. But does it? The Bible speaks of a fascinating relationship between seeing and believing. It is connected to our salvation and it is connected to our walk with Christ. Let us look at what the scriptures say.
- THOSE WHO BELIEVE NOT BECAUSE THEY SEE NOT
- They Claim they would believe if they saw (Mark 15:32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
See All...) - They Require Signs and Wonders in Order to Believe (John 4:48Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
See All...) - They have already rejected what they have been shown (John 6:14Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
See All..., 30) - They will not be given signs and wonders (Matthew 12:38-40 [38] Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
[39] But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
[40] For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
See All...) - THOSE WHO SEE BUT BELIEVE NOT
- They Use Any Excuse to Reject the Truth (John 6:28-36 [28] Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
[30] They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
[31] Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
[32] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
[33] For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
[34] Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
[35] And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
[36] But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
See All...) - They are Like the Brethren of the Rich Man (Luke 16:27-31 [27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
[29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
See All...) - THOSE WHO SEE AND BELIEVE
- They are Touched by What They See (Lamentations 3:51Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
See All...; John 11:45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
See All...) - They are Convinced by What They See (John 20:24-29 [24] But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
[25] The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
[26] And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
[27] Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
[28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
[29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
See All...) - They Believe the Son and Receive Eternal Life (John 6:40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
See All...) - THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING
- The Special Blessing on Those Who Believe Without Seeing (John 20:29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
See All...) - The Special Response of Those Who Believe Without Seeing (1 Peter 1:7-8 [7] That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
[8] Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
See All...) - A special love for Christ
- A special joy in faith
- Their Special Reliance on the Word of God
- The unbelief of the disciples (Mark 16:14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
See All...) - The faith based on the word of God (Romans 10:13-17 [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
[15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
[16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
See All...) - THOSE WHO SEE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE
- Those Who Believe will See the Glory of God (John 11:40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
See All...) - Those Who Believe will See Him Who is Invisible (Hebrews 11:27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
See All...) - Those Who Believe to See Shall be Strengthened (Psalm 27:13-14 [13] I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
[14] Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
See All...)
CONCLUSION: Have you believed in Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Do you walk by faith as a Christian, trusting in the Lord? Or, do you live a life of doubt and distrust, guaranteeing that you will not see many good things from God?