Seeing is Believing – Really?

March 31, 2024   /   South Charleston First Church of the Nazarene

How much trust are you willing to place in what you see?

Illustration:  The Science of Seeing

How do we see?  …prompts a very answer.

How do we perceive?  …remains a.

“Seeing” is not always

Illustrations:  Sometimes our eyes to us.

Illustrations:  Sometimes we see the same things.

Reading of John 20:1 – 18

Mary “They have taken the Lord’s body…” (John 20:2)

The stone wasn’t moved to make possible …It was removed to invite.

Peter… He “went home what had happened.” (John 20:10 & Luke 24:12)

John“He [John] saw and.”  (John 20:8)

Spiritually seeing is explained biblically – and the key is .

He claimed to be the of God.  John 3:16 is red-letter stuff – Jesus said it – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”  (John 3:16)

He claimed to possess all power in heaven and on earth.  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  (Matthew 28:18)

He claimed to be the ultimate of all men.  “The Father…has entrusted all judgment to the Son.”  (John 5:22)

He claimed the power to forgive sin.  Speaking to the paralyzed man, Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”  (Luke 5:20)

He claimed to be one with God…Saying, “I and the Father are one.”  (John 10:30)

He claimed to be the giver of eternal.  “I give them eternal life and they will never perish.”  (John 10:28)

And he claimed he would rise again.  “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again…When Jesus said ‘this temple’ he spoke of his own body.”  (John 2:19 & 21) 

Jesus not only divides…He divides.

Jesus is a subject!

Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3)

1. Jesus is the of God’s plan for my life.

God wants you to be.

Jesus is the one “slain from the foundation of the world.”  (Revelation 13:8)

God authored a plan that would mankind.

God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.”  (1 Timothy 2:4 – 6)

John 21 offers the great on Peter’s failure

“You love me…then my sheep!”  (John 21:17)

Will you let Jesus be the ‘author’ of your life?

2. Jesus’ resurrection God’s power in my life.

I’mAm I all the way ‘plugged-in’?

Illustration:  Cutting my hair…

God has assured us of “his incomparably great power for us who believe…that power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…”  (Ephesians 1:19 – 20)

“I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”  (Philippians 4:13)

“God will strengthen you with His own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come.” (Colossians 1:11)

Are you walking in ‘your power’…or God’s? 

3. Jesus serves as my before God throughout my life.

“At that moment the of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”  (Matthew 27:51)

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  (Hebrews 4:16)

“Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, for us.”  (Romans 8:34)

As you stand at the entrance to the empty tomb – What do you see?

Save PDF Locally

Click to save a copy of the filled-in notes to a PDF file on your device

Save PDF to Google Drive

Click to save a copy of the filled-in notes to a PDF file on your Google Drive account

(For Apple devices, use Chrome browser or go to SETTINGS>SAFARI and uncheck BLOCK POPUPS.)