08/05/2025
Believe And You Shall See..by Rev Charles Elliott
“Before we get into the Word, let me say that I’ve heard that a good sermon should be like a woman’s skirt – long enough to cover what should be covered, but short enough to keep you interested. So, let’s see if I can keep my “skirt’ interesting today!”
Mark twain was known to say, ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started.’ So let’s get started!...
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. v20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. v21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you. v22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive the Holy Ghost (salvation)
v24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. v25 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. v26 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. v27 Then He said to Thomas, Reach forth your finger, and behold My hands; and reach forth your hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. v28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. v29 And Jesus said unto Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. v30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book….
This scripture gave me the title for My Message today, “Believe and You Shall See”
Hey, (Jesus just made you a promise)….
We have all probably heard the phrase “seeing is believing.” In order to fully accept something to be true, someone needs to see it with their own eyes and validate it. Yet Jesus says, “Believe it and you shall see it”
Saint Augustine said "What is faith, unless it is to believe what you cannot see.
Robert Brault…." Perception is a clash of mind and eye, the eye believes what it sees, and the mind sees what it believes.
Anais Nin...Don't see things as they are, but see them as they should be.
Calvin was a truck driver that hauled cows, horses, and other animals. He hauled all kinds of animals. He received a phone call on April Fool’s Day. The guy who called said to him, “I have a dead elephant for you to pick up in Los Angeles.” Calvin said to him, “Yeah right buddy! You aren’t going to get me on that one!” But the guy was insistent that he had a dead elephant for him to go and pick up. But Calvin didn’t want to be the object of a prank on April fool’s day. So, he told the guy that if he drove all the way out to Los Angeles to pick up a dead elephant, he would charge him double and he would have to pay extra for the tow truck he would need. The other man agreed to do this if there wasn’t an elephant.
Calvin drove out and sure enough, there was a dead elephant. He wouldn’t have believed it, if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. I mean, getting a phone call on April 1st about a dead elephant is hard to believe. It isn’t something that happens all the time. Even in that line of work.
Like Calvin, we all have a tendency to doubt before believing. When it comes to anything, we need to have proof. When we talk about proof, we mean genuine, physical evidence of what you are trying to believe.
But the bible says that God’s word is as good as His reputation. He has put it all on the line, to back up His word to us! The bible tells us that God’s word is all the substance and evidence we will ever need! We believe that nothing is actually final until God has had the last word!
Can we give God the last word, in our decisions and choices?
We often thank God for the visible signs of his grace upon our lives. But today, I want us to think a little differently. I want us to thank God for the invisible realities that bless our lives. Perhaps we are only as blessed as what we can’t see, with the natural eye.
We have received Fellowship with the creator Himself, forgiveness, peace, new life, new hope, adoption as sons of God, a new nature, sanctification, holiness, deliverance from the curse, healing, health, prosperity, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the favor of God and His power and authority.
We’ve created microscopes to see microbes and even atoms. We’ve created telescopes so we can see the galaxies and stars so far away. We like to be able to see what is invisible to the naked eye. I was a child, when I received a microscope for Christmas. It fascinated me that I could see things magnified through it, that were invisible to my eyes. I became very conscious of things I gave no thought to before.
We don’t have a scope to see invisible spiritual realities, at least not ones we put up to our eyes. If we did, wouldn’t that be awesome? If I held it up to my eye right now, …..how many angels could I see? But God has given us tools to be able to know these invisible realities are real. We put the eyes of faith up to these tools and come to “see” and believe many things which the physical eye does not usually see.
As a matter of fact, the best things about Christianity are the invisible things. In fact the most valuable things we believe are invisible. I can’t see heaven, but I value it. I can’t see Jesus, but I believe in him and put my life in his hands. I can’t see the event in history that made my salvation possible. I can’t usually see angels. When I’ve watched people die, I couldn’t see them leave their bodies, but that’s what I believe happens at death. I believe that I am more than a body. I have a soul. I can’t see it, but all of these invisible things, I believe and I value. I value them with my life. In fact if you were to ask me which I value more, I value the invisible realities more than the visible realities. I believe that everything I can see with my eyes is temporary, but there are permanent and eternal things that I cannot see with my natural eyes. Just as the microscope, the telescope, and the oscilloscope show us invisible physical things, the Bible is the best scope given to man, that enables us to understand and observe invisible spiritual realities.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. v18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
It’s interesting, that the African impala can jump to a height of over 15 feet and cover a distance of 30 to 40 feet at a leap. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot high wall. WHY?... Because they will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will land on the other side. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the limitations of what we can only see and know in the natural realm.
2 Corinthians 5:7 simply and beautifully says “Because, we walk by faith, not by sight”
Thank God for those who have learned to see and value the invisible, and who have learned to see opportunities where others only see troubles and problems! We are blessed to have some spiritual heavyweights around here! I want to recognize, celebrate and affirm you today. Without you heavyweights doing your job praying for God’s work to be done, this place would be falling apart. The enemy would destroy us. You’re the front line troops, and you keep sending up the aerial warfare from where you are, so the rest of us can stay on the front lines. Our ministry here will go only as far as our prayers will take us. I thank God we have a force of elite spiritual warriors around here. You don’t sell yourself short because you don’t wear any job title, or have a ministry job description. You are what holds this thing up!
There are times when people have seen what is normally unseen.
2 Kings 6:15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. 16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are against us.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. When’s the last time you were aware of the presence of angels…whether you saw them or not… The Lord has commissioned them in your behalf!
When a traveler in the early days of the west, came to the Mississippi, he discovered there was no bridge. Fortunately it was winter and the great river was sheeted over with ice. But the traveler was afraid to trust himself to it, not knowing how thick it was. Finally with infinite caution, he crept on his hands and knees and managed to get halfway over. And then he heard--yes he heard loud singing from behind. Cautiously he turned, and there, out of the dusk, came another traveler, driving a team of four-horses, with a full load of coal over the ice, singing as he went! You see, the wagon driver’s confidence was based on his experience with the river. Since the traveler had no experience with the river, he also had no confidence in what he could not see…..Often that’s our approach to healing or receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
You can train the eyes of your faith. Make it see what the word says it’s supposed to see! This happens as you train your belief system.
The scripture tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. There is a correlation between our knowledge of scripture and our faith sight. The more we know about God, the easier it is for us to physically experience that belief. The more we know about the Bible, the easier it is to see the manifestation of our belief. The more we think by the Spirit of God, the easier it is to fix our eyes and our values on what is unseen.
Three elements are involved in making a faith decision or in making any significant decision for that matter. It is the same thing that confronted young Thomas….
They are the intellect, the emotions, and the will.
Faith that involves only the intellect is missing important ingredients….. James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? v17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being alone. v18 A man may say, you have faith, and I have works, but show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
The Problem for James is that there are too many people in the church whose lives don’t match their profession. They’ve raised their hand, walked the aisle, prayed at the altar, and professed to believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ, but nothing has changed. They still have worldly priorities and still lead self-serving lives. If they weren't seen walking into church no one would know that they were professing Christians. It is only intellectual….It’s a state of mind…knowledge w/o faith.
If you ask many folks, "Do you believe in God?" they say, “Sure.” If you ask, "Do you believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God?” the answer is, “Yes.” You can even ask, “Was He crucified and resurrected for our sins?" and they would say "Yes, I believe that."… they might go even further and claim, "I firmly believe all that the Bible says."
Some people are professional, professors, but if it never goes beyond the head, they are not possessors of faith! Professing does not mean possessing! I can say I believe in having money in the bank, and I can even write a check out… but if there is no money in the bank, the check is worthless….ZERO…OF NO PROFIT!
*………Sam and his wife Gloria had a terrible argument about money, and as a result, they headed off to the bank to open separate bank accounts. They had just entered the bank when two bank robbers, ran into the bank. Each is wearing a handkerchief around their mouth and nose and each is holding a gun. One of them points his gun at the customers and shouts out, "Listen all of you, stop screaming or else!" There is instant silence. They then go over to a cashier and yell at him, "put all the money you have in the bag." The cashier immediately complies and starts to fill up his sack with the money. But as he's doing this, the robber’s handkerchief slips off.
He says to the cashier, "I'm sorry to do this, but you must have seen my face." He then shoots him, and puts the handkerchief back over his face. Then turning to the trembling customers, he says, "I hope no one else saw my face."
After a few moments of silence, Gloria shouts out, "I think my husband might have caught a little glimpse of you." It was then that he knew how serious she really was about their mutual finances! (JUST SLIGHTLY OVERREACTING, WOULDN’T YOU SAY?.........) That’s what the intellectual approach will do!!! It’s information without the fruit of the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are new creatures, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Then, there are others, who get real emotional….everything is on an emotional level with them, they cry in church, they get real stirred, when they hear stories of great sacrifice and heroism. They may be very moved by the singing, testimonies, prayers, and preaching…. But, but, but… none of it has been translated into Christian living where the rubber meets the road. They can explode in a heartbeat, and bite your head off! 1 Corinthians 14:17 For you certainly give thanks well, but no one is edified (built up, established, transformed). It was Jesus who told us that the heart (or emotions) of man are exceedingly deceitful above all things…..
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe (intellectually), and tremble (emotionally). (Notice that demons believe intellectually, and they believe emotionally, they tremble, but it makes no change in their character or nature, or who they are!)
For example, a young man meets a young woman. They are immediately attracted to one another. They both say to themselves, "Now there is someone I'd like to marry." At that point, if the emotions had their way, there would be a wedding. But the intellect intervenes, questioning the impulsive emotional response. Would we be compatible? What is she really like? Can I afford to support her? Both conclude it would be better to take some more time and answer a few questions before they proceed. So the two begin spending more time with each other. He eventually concludes that she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Now his intellect has sided with the emotions on the idea of marriage. But the final and heaviest vote remains to be cast -- that of the will. It stops the march toward the altar with the questions, "Am I willing to give up this lifestyle for another? What about my freedom -- is it worth the trade? Am I willing to assume the added responsibility?"
The healthy marriage will occur only when the will comes into agreement with the emotions and the intellect.
The same thing is involved in any action of faith…Faith that involves not two, but three things, the intellect, emotions, and will is real and genuine faith.
It involves personal volition, action and application.Usually, faith involves delayed gratification… We usually refer to anything that delays our personal gratification… as suffering and sacrifice. If we can’t have it immediately, then we are on the Via Della Rosa…(which translated, is…. “The road of suffering”)
The following letter was found in a jar, which was wired to the handle of an old pump that offered the only hope of drinking water on a very long and seldom-used trail across Nevada's Amergosa Desert: It said,"This pump was working fine, as of one week ago. I put a new washer in it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out in the desert heat and the pump has got to be primed. Under the rock, in the shade, I buried a bottle of water. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but, not if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth and let it soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest while you pump the handle, and you'll get water. The well has never run dry. Have faith in these instructions. When you get watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next person. (signed) Desert Pete. P.S. Don't go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll get all you can possibly hold."
If we have not learned to bring our intellect and our emotions, into agreement with our will, we will drink the water in the jar and leave the jar empty for the next person. If we have never learned to mix faith with compassion, we’ll drink all we want after priming the pump, and not leave water in the jar for the next person.
Genuine faith involves self-discipline, compassion, patience and delayed gratification.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently (dzay-teh'-o... having an intensity, to require of yourself) to seek Him.
It’s dangerous to look into a percolator to see how much coffee it contains while it is still percolating! But the better percolators have a tiny glass tube along the side which serves as a gauge. As the coffee level is in the tiny tube, that’s what it is in the pot. If there is no coffee in the tube, you can be confident there is none in the pot. There’s also a sight glass on our lives, that let’s us know what’s inside… We don’t judge, but we have learned to be fairly good fruit inspectors! The Apostle James would probably be troubled by many of the testimonies offered in church today. He would never be satisfied to hear someone say, "I was convicted of my sin in 1952. It was then, I came to the realization that Jesus died for my sin and I invited Him into my life." James would listen to our testimonies and then ask some questions:
What difference has your profession of faith made in your life today?
If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence from this week to convict you?
Are you right now totally in love with the Savior?
Are you serving Christ faithfully? (or are you a leaky coffee pot?)
Are you giving generously out of the resources God has entrusted to you to further the cause of Christ?
Do you spend time meditating on God's Word and in prayer?" The point here, would not be that by doing those things one achieves salvation. But the point would be that if your profession of faith has made no difference in your lifestyle, perhaps the reason is that it has never gone beyond the intellect or the emotions to the heart and will.
James believed that Faith is an action verb, not a noun.
Someone has said “A faith that cannot be tested, is a faith that cannot be trusted”
When sickness comes – Do you believe Jesus?
When the bottom falls out of life – Do you believe Jesus?
When the answers to your prayers are delayed –
Do you believe Jesus?
When you are ridiculed for your faith – Do you still believe Jesus?
When you are looking at a hopeless situation – Do you believe Jesus?
When death comes – Do you believe Jesus?
When I place my problem beside the greatness of our Lord, it suddenly grows very small. No matter how great it looks in my eyes, it is nothing compared to Him! It’s all about what you compare it to. After all, a God Who can create a universe from nothing can do anything!
A God Who can part a sea, rain down manna from heaven, heal a sick body, raise dead people, and save a lost soul can do anything! He can handle it! He loves a challenge, He said “Prove me” and He meant it!
It may be that you have a problem that you cannot handle. It’s bigger than you are and out of control. He can handle it! He can cut it down to size! Bring it to Jesus and trust Him to take care of it for His glory!
In October 1982 Badger Stadium at Madison, Wisconsin was filled with 60,000 fans. The University of Wisconsin was playing the University of Michigan. The game was not going well for Wisconsin, the home team. In fact, they were being trounced by Michigan. As the game progressed something strange began to take place in the stands. Every few minutes cheering and applause could be heard, even though Michigan was piling up the score against Wisconsin. The answer to the mystery was some 70 miles away, where the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the third game of the Word Series. Many of the Wisconsin fans were listening to that game on their radios. They were cheering over something at another location, instead of what was taking place in front of their eyes. They were hearing victory, and celebrating, even though defeat was in front of their eyes.
The Christian life is just like that! We might be in a tough situation, but we can rejoice in Jesus! Why? We are able to see the victory that is ours through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what our eyes are seeing!
Satan’s attacks will come against you, in three different areas… Expect it! If you’re prepared in your defensive game, then your offensive strategy will always succeed. Those three areas which Satan will always target are….
Your Praise, (if he can stop your praise, he can load you down, overwhelm you and wear you out)
Second, is Your Proclamation…He wants to stop the spread of the kingdom and distract you from your first priority…it’s how he will succeed in turning your faith inward, and causing it to become powerless and meaningless….. Sterile Christianity that effects no one, and changes nothing.
Third is Your Prosperity…. He wants to stop you from sowing your seed, so you won’t get a harvest….He wants you to become stingy, and selfish. He wants to get you so financially troubled and bound, to be so overwhelmed with lack, that you can’t support the gospel, give to the needy, or even take care of your own Responsibilities!
Expect it…YOUR PRAISE, YOUR PROCLAMATION, AND YOUR PROSPERITY!
1 Corinthians15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. v58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Things can look pretty bleak down here, Until you remember what you have, and when you remember, it sets you free!!!!
We have fellowship with God, forgiveness, peace, new life, new hope, adoption as God’s children, a new nature, sanctification, holiness, deliverance from the curse, deliverance from demon power, healing, health, prosperity, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, indwelling by the Holy Spirit, the favor of God and His power and authority.
With the natural eyes, what we can see is only the tip of the iceberg… But what we have is out of this world! And it’s more than we’ve ever had before
1Corinthians 2:9 As it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. v10 But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.
