Easter Sermon: Faith Is Not Blind, April 4, 2021

Sunday Sermon at The Grateful Church (UPCI) in Phoenix

Faith Is Not Blind

1 Cor 15:12-22

12 Now if Christ is preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ has not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15 Yea and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ perish.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

In exploring the connection between Adam and Jesus:

1. Abraham's experience with Isaac reveals that true strength and maturity in faith and judgment come from obedience rather than unbelief and disobedience that Adam and Eve displayed when they were tried.

2. Obedience validated our faith. Like Jesus, when the burden of the human race was laid on Abraham and Isaac involuntarily, Isaac never questioned his father’s intent, but Adam question God. Abraham and Isaac were fully surrendered to God’s will in the face of death. Adam thought that he will be wiser turns out to be foolish, thereby passed death and sin to all his descendants.

Heb 11:17-19

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

1. Abraham's faith was not blind. He was the first person to experience death and resurrection to live at 99 yrs old, thus reasoned that God will raise Isaac from the dead. God waited until the seed of unbelief and disobedience of Adam died in Abraham. When a seed dies, everything dies except the germ of the seed that comes back alive with a new nature. When the seed of unbelief died and the germ of the seed of promise to Abraham was quicken to a new life. In thy seed shall all the family of the earth be blessed.

Rom 4:19-21

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

1. The purpose of the sacrifice was to return man to where:

   1. He would not desire evil.

   2. Good will reign as a separate entity and independent from evil.

The source of sin is unbelief and disobedience, not the tree or the fruit. The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is seedless and not to be eaten or procreate. The seed of evil found procreation through mankind, so when we try to do good, evil is also present.

Gen 1:29

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you, it shall be for meat.

The dilemma of Sin: - We became trapped in the mix of good and evil trying to be like God in holiness and righteousness but could not. Death reign through unbelief and disobedience from Adam until the law by Moses – 2400 yr. The law by Moses defined what sin is and made us sinners for 1600 years until Jesus Christ. Then Jesus like Isaac took the burden of sin upon Himself

Isa 53:5-7

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep, before her shearers are dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

1. Our faith is not blind. We sing Hossana – save us, and Hallelujah, because the lamb overcame evil, turned our heart from desiring it to follow good and holiness in the fear of God. Out of our ashes, we sing perfect praises, turning our mourning into dancing because we are free from the captivity of sin and death.

Ps 8:2

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.