How to walk by faith - Part 5 | Stefan Schlogl

Victory Christian Centre, Hutt City, New Zealand

Message Outline: https://bit.ly/3cuBV0M

Today is our last Sunday in our “Overcoming Faith” Campaign. We’re on a spiritual journey designed to strengthen & build our faith, to see God’s miraculous power released in and through our lives in a fresh way. We’re receiving:

• Fresh Faith to lay hold of all of God’s promises
• Fresh Faith to overcome life’s challenges
• Fresh Faith to walk in:
• God’s Peace & Joy, Provision, Protection & Healing
• Fresh Faith for God’s will to manifest in our lives, families, city & nation

Last week we spoke about how to pray the Prayer of Faith:

1. Find a promise in God’s Word that covers your specific need
2. Take this Scripture to God in prayer, along with your need
3. Receive the answer/provision to your need at the time when you pray
4. Then continue to thank God that He has answered your prayer, and that He has met your need

Today we will talk about how to walk by faith.

Most of us know the common saying: “Seeing is believing”.

Yet the Bible exhorts us to “believe without seeing”.

If we choose to “believe without seeing”, we will (eventually) “see what we believe”.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT)For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 (NKJV)So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith, not by sight.8We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

This Scripture speaks about our new resurrection body that awaits us in heaven. And is also tells us to walk by faith and not by sight.

• When we become born again, we learn to walk by faith instead of by sight
• This is not only true concerning our new body that awaits us in heaven, or concerning heaven itself, but concerning all of God’s promises
• We don’t see heaven with our physical eyes, yet we believe in it’s existence
• Why? Because the written Word of God tells us about it!
• We don’t see our new resurrection body with our physical eyes, but we know we will have it at the time of our resurrection
• Why? Because the written Word of God tells us about it!
• So the Word of God becomes our new parameter and modus operandi for living instead of the things we can see, feel and touch
• Walking by faith then means:
• walking by the written Word of God
• Walking by the leading of the Holy Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14)

Thomas refused to believe without seeing:

John 20:25–29 (NKJV)The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”26And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”28And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”29Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

• Thomas said: I must see physical evidence before I am willing to believe
• Jesus said: Thomas, do not be unbelieving, but believing
• Refusing to believe without seeing physical evidence is called UNBELIEF
• Jesus said: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed
• Those who have not seen and yet believe are those who “walk by faith” and not “by sight”

1 Peter 1:7–9 (NLT)These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Apostle Peter commends the saints for loving God even though they have never seen God. Instead of demanding visible proof of God’s existence, they chose to “walk by faith”.

The Bible says:

• We walk “by faith” (2 Cor. 5:7)
• We stand “by faith” (Romans 11:20)
• We live “by faith” (Gal. 2:20)
• We overcome the world “by faith” (1 John 5:4)
• We are sanctified “by faith” (Acts 26:18)
• We are justified “by faith” (Romans 5:1)
• “By faith” we have access to God’s grace (Romans 5:2)
• Hebrews chap. 11 lists the heroes of faith who “by faith” did astounding things (18 times “by faith”)

The example of Abraham & Sarah who walked by faith:

Hebrews 11:11-12 (NKJV) By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

In the natural, it was impossible for Sarah to have children. She was barren, and at a certain time she was past the age of child bearing. Furthermore, Abraham also was too old to produce children. And yet, they had a son called Isaac.

Question: How did Sarah receive strength to conceive?

Answer: She received strength to conceive “by faith”!

Sarah:

• Heard God’s Word (His promise) about a son
• She believed it in her heart
• She confessed it with her mouth
• She acted on the Word & came together with Abraham to conceive Isaac

So then, walking by faith is:

• Hearing what the Word says
• Believing in your heart what the Word says
• Confessing with your mouth what the Word says
• Doing what the Word says

Again, walking “By faith” means 4 things:

1. Hear what the Word of God says
2. Believe in your heart what the Word of God says
3. Confessing with your mouth what the Word says
4. Do what the Word says