Living Between The Promise And The Proof
John 20:31 NIV 'But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.'
Believe: Greek= pisteuō = reliance, Trust.
Hebrews 11:1 NIV 'Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. '
Faith:confidence in God's character before you have evidence of God's outcome.
Diagnostic Thesis: A FAITH that cannot be TESTED is a FAITH that cannot be TRUSTED.
John 4:43-54 NIV
'After the two days he left for Galilee. (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. “Unless you people see signs and wonders,”Jesus told him,“you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.'
How to Live Between the Promise &The Proof:
1.HOLD The Promise
Psalm 73:25 NLT 'Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. '
If God didn't __________________, would I still trust Him?
Hold tightly to what GOD said.
Hold loosely to your interpretation of what God said.
How to Live Between the Promise &The Proof:
2. WALK By Faith
John 4:50 ESV
"The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way."
Faith is what you do between what Jesus said and what you see.
Spiritual Grit: Refusing to let your circumstances have the final word when God has already spoken.
It’s the God-given resolve to keep obeying, trusting and moving forward when nothing around you is telling you to.
How to Live Between the Promise &The Proof:
3. TRUST His Character
John 4:53 NIV: "So he and his whole household believed."
Malachi 3:6 NIV
“ I the LORD do not change."
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Maybe you made a decision to follow Jesus today, or maybe you’re curious what life with Him is all about. Wherever you are on your journey, we invite you to share with us so we can help you discover your next step.
