Lesson 2: Faith (Hebrews 11, Psalms 19, John 20, 1 Peter 1, Luke 8)

by | Feb 10, 2022 | Topical Studies

Introduction: We are told that faith is not a rational conviction. Do
you agree? Consider that the disciples believed Jesus was coming back
during their lifetime. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). It is now about
2,000 years later. I’ve waited for people who are late, and I’ve
been late. But, on the face of it, this seems a little ridiculous.
Have you ever believed anything which was completely irrational?
Something on which there is not a scrap of evidence? We call these
superstitions! What does the Bible say about faith? Is it beyond
evidence? Are we expected to wait thousands of years without any
proof whatsoever that we are not fools? Or, does faith have an
evidentiary root on which we can build? Let’s dive into the Bible
and find out!

  1. No Evidence?



    1. Read Hebrews 11:1. What does this text say is the
      evidentiary basis for our faith?(Our hopes and things we
      do not see.)



      1. I’m no expert in Greek, but Hebrews 11:1 in the Greek
        seems to say about faith “the evidence is not seen.”
        Does that mean the people who say faith is not a
        rational conviction are right?



        1. Or, does it mean there really is evidence for
          faith, we are just not “eye-witnesses” to it?



    2. Read Hebrews 11:3. Are we eye witnesses to this? (No.)



      1. Is there something to be seen here? (Yes. We see the
        universe.)



      2. Is it true the “the evidence is not seen” for our
        faith that God formed the universe at His command?
        (We did not see God do it. An oral “command” would
        not be visible even if we were observing the event.)



    3. Read Psalms 19:1-3. Do David and the writer of Hebrews
      have a difference of opinion?



      1. Hebrews 11:3 tells us only by faith do we believe God
        created the universe. King David says the heavens are
        making a factual statement (“declare,” “display
        knowledge” about our Creator God. Everyone hears and
        can understand this message. Which one, David or
        Hebrews, has the better argument?



    4. Look around you. What does the evidence that you see every
      day tell you about whether your universe evolved or
      whether it had an Intelligent Designer?



      1. How does your yard or garden fare without human
        intervention?



      2. How does your house fare without human intervention?



      3. How does your car fare without human intervention?



      4. How does your job fare without human intervention?
        (I don’t know about you, but my yard, my house, my
        car and my job are in constant need of my attention –
        that is to say they cannot survive without an
        “outside intelligence.” If no human intervened, they
        would cease to have a productive existence.)



    5. My perception is that the leading current scientific
      explanation for the universe is the Big Bang theory in
      which the universe exploded from a single point in a
      single event. What is the scientific evidence for this?
      (The universe is expanding uniformly in all directions.)



      1. Is this also evidence that a Creator God in a point
        in time spoke the universe into existence?



      2. Scientists believe the rate of expansion of the
        universe is critical. If it expanded too quickly,
        gravitational forces would weaken and the universe
        would “explode.” If it expanded too slowly,
        gravitational forces would overpower the expansion
        and the universe would implode. Is this evidence for
        a random, chance “bang,” or a Designer who precisely
        set the rate of expansion?



    6. Read Hebrews 11:4. Was Abel without evidence for his faith
      in God? (He had evidence all around him. The inference is
      that God spoke directly to Cain and Abel ( Genesis 4:6).)



      1. So, what, exactly, is the object of Abel’s faith?
        (His faith was in God. Trust in God was the focus of
        Abel’s faith.)



      2. We are told Abel still speaks. What does he say to
        you? On what do you base your faith in what he says?
        (Abel’s short story ( Genesis 4:1-10) has all sorts of
        statements about faith. It tells us that rejecting
        God leads to the most serious of sins. It tells us
        that obeying God may not mean we have a perfect life
        here. It suggests that God will come through for us
        in the long-term.)



  2. First Faith Example: Thomas



    1. Read John 20:19-25. Did Thomas have any evidence that
      Jesus had been resurrected? (Yes. He had the testimony of
      several reliable eye-witnesses.)



      1. What kind of evidence did Thomas demand? (First hand
        evidence.)



    2. Read John 20:26-29. What kind of faith does Jesus commend?
      (Those who have not seen, but have believed.)



      1. Is Jesus asking for blind, irrational faith? (Two
        things. First, Jesus gives Thomas precisely the kind
        of proof he requested. Second, the “blessed” people
        are those who believe based on the testimony of
        others. Jesus is not asking His followers to imagine
        He was resurrected.)



  3. Second Faith Example: You



    1. Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. Verse 5 refers to us being shielded
      by “faith.” What are we being shielded against? (Read 1
      Peter 1:6. Our faith shields us from discouragement when
      difficult events arise.)



      1. Look again at 1 Peter 1:3-5. What is the object of
        our faith? (That God will give us a new life in an
        earth made new. Our hope in this is based on Jesus’
        resurrection from the dead.)



    2. Read 1 Peter 1:8. Are we eye-witnesses to Jesus’
      resurrection? (No.)



    3. Read 1 Peter 1:10-12. Are we without evidence of Jesus’
      resurrection? (No. We have Peter’s statement about this.
      But, more than that, we have the fulfilled prophecies
      about Jesus. These Old Testament prophets were speaking
      to us when they wrote the prophecies about Jesus.)



  4. Third Faith Example: Jairus



    1. Read Luke 8:40-42. Did Jairus have faith? In what was his
      faith? (His faith (hope?) was that Jesus would heal his
      sick daughter.)



      1. Was Jairus’ faith irrational?



    2. Read Luke 8:43-49. Has Jairus any evidence that Jesus will
      help him? (He had some evidence, but now all the evidence
      is in and Jesus has failed him.)



    3. Read Luke 8:50. Has Jairus any evidence now that Jesus
      will help him?



      1. If you said, “Yes,” what is that evidence?



    4. Read Luke 8:51-56. What was the state of faith of the
      mourners prior to verse 54?



      1. Look specifically at verse 56. What is the level of
        Jairus’ faith? (The parents were astonished – which
        suggests that Jairus did not have faith that his
        daughter would be raised from the dead.)



    5. What does this last story teach us about our faith in God
      and the state of evidence for our faith? (First, it shows
      us that even when the evidence indicates God has let us
      down, our faith should wait on God’s timing. Second,
      Jairus had evidence in the power of Jesus – if only
      because of the healing of that (spit, spit) woman who
      delayed Jesus so that his daughter died. What required a
      faith not seen was the extent of the miracle –
      resurrection!)



    6. Friend, there is plenty of evidence for faith. Will you
      hold fast to your faith, even when you do not have “eye-witness” evidence, or when what you see is contrary
      evidence? If you wait, in faith, Jesus will give you
      eternal life! If you feel yourself begin to doubt, look
      at the universe and the creation and ask yourself if this
      looks like it could come about by chance.



  5. Next week: Hope.