I Walk by Faith and not by Sight

Walk by Faith Overview

In this powerful message, Pastor Paul draws from Hebrews 11:1 and 11:6 to establish why faith is not optional for the believer — without it, it is impossible to please God. Using vivid biblical examples such as Noah building the ark under public ridicule, Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood pressing through the crowd, and blind Bartimaeus crying out despite opposition, Pastor Paul shows that Jesus is always drawn to faith in action. The sermon moves into James chapter 2, where faith and works are examined together: a faith that produces no visible deeds is declared dead and useless. Abraham offering Isaac on the altar stands as the defining illustration of active, costly faith. Pastor Paul also unpacks Matthew 5:43-45, calling believers to love their enemies as a step of faith that transforms the one who obeys. Grounded in Psalms 118:14-17, John 13:34-35, Philippians 4:19, and Romans 13:8-10, this message challenges every listener to stop merely surviving the Christian life and start living and declaring the mighty works of the Lord.

Walk by Faith Outline

• 00:00 – Opening Prayer and Introduction: Pastor Paul opens in prayer and introduces the theme: walking by faith and not by sight as children of God, not as spiritual outsiders but as sons and daughters of the living God.
• 04:30 – Faith Defined — Hebrews 11:1 and 11:6: A review of the foundational definition of faith as the substance of things hoped for, and the urgent truth that without faith it is impossible to please God.
• 11:00 – Biblical Examples of Faith in Action: Noah building the ark for over a hundred years under community ridicule, and the disciples following Jesus despite their own failures, illustrate that faith requires perseverance beyond comfort.
• 18:45 – Jesus Is Drawn to Faith: Three stories — Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree, the woman with the issue of blood, and blind Bartimaeus — demonstrate that Jesus recognizes and responds to genuine, pressing faith.
• 28:00 – Faith and Works Together — James 2:14-24: A close reading of James chapter 2 shows that faith without corresponding action is dead. Abraham offering Isaac is the supreme example of faith made complete through obedience.
• 37:15 – Sons and Daughters of God — Identity and Calling: Believers are not beggars before God but heirs. Understanding that identity shifts the posture from pleading to declaring, from fear to confidence rooted in knowing who God is.
• 43:30 – Love as the Expression of Faith: John 13:34-35 and Romans 13:8-10 establish love as the fulfillment of the entire law. Spending time in God’s presence causes His love to flow naturally through the believer to others.
• 49:00 – Loving Enemies — Matthew 5:43-45: Pastor Paul shares a personal story about praying to see a difficult person through God’s eyes, illustrating how loving enemies is a step of faith that produces real inner transformation.
• 53:00 – Living and Declaring the Works of the Lord: Psalms 118:14-17 closes the message with a declaration: believers are called not to barely make it through life but to live boldly and declare the mighty works of the Lord every day.

Scripture References

Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, Luke 19, Matthew 9, Matthew 19:26, James 2:14-24, Psalms 118:14-17, Philippians 4:19, Romans 12, Romans 13:8-10, John 13:34-35, John 3:16, Matthew 5:43-45, 1 John 1:3

Key Takeaways

• Without faith it is impossible to please God, making the cultivation of faith not a spiritual extra but the very foundation of a life that honors the Father.
• Jesus is actively drawn to faith — Zacchaeus, the woman with the issue of blood, and blind Bartimaeus all received breakthrough not by waiting passively but by pressing in with determined trust.
• Faith without works is dead: true belief in God always produces visible, costly action, just as Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac made his faith complete.
• Knowing who God is changes everything — when believers understand God as Jehovah Jireh, strength, healer, and loving Father, they stop begging and start declaring His promises with confidence.
• Love is the highest expression of faith: obeying the command to love enemies, bless those who curse, and do good to those who hate is a step of faith that pleases God and transforms the believer.
• God takes His children from faith to faith and from strength to strength, meaning each step of obedience builds the capacity for greater ones — the Christian life is not static but always increasing.
• Spending daily time in God’s presence through prayer and His Word is not religious routine but the relational foundation that causes His love, peace, and power to flow naturally into every area of life.

Walk by Faith Notes

Faith Is the Core Requirement

Pastor Paul anchors the entire message in Hebrews 11:6: without faith it is impossible to please God. This is not presented as one spiritual discipline among many but as the irreducible minimum of the Christian life. Faith is defined not as a feeling but as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. The preacher challenges listeners to ask themselves whether they are doing anything that genuinely exceeds their own capability — because that tension is where real faith begins. If every action is safely within personal ability, faith is not truly being exercised.

Three Lives That Model Pressing In

The stories of Zacchaeus, the woman with the issue of blood, and blind Bartimaeus are used not as inspirational anecdotes but as a consistent theological pattern: Jesus responds to faith that presses beyond obstacles. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus despite his social status. The woman pushed through a hostile crowd to touch the hem of His garment. Bartimaeus cried out louder when the crowd told him to be quiet. Each one was told, in effect, that they had no right to expect Jesus’s attention. Each one received it anyway. The lesson is clear: persistent, undeterred pursuit of Jesus is always rewarded.

Dead Faith Versus Living Faith in James 2

James 2:14-24 is read in the New Living Translation to show that faith and deeds are not two separate spiritual gifts distributed to different believers. They are inseparable halves of the same living reality. A believer who tells a hungry brother to stay warm and eat well without providing food has demonstrated nothing but empty words. Abraham’s willingness to place Isaac on the altar is the defining test case: his actions made his faith complete. Pastor Paul notes that God stopped Abraham before the act was carried out, but the willingness itself — the costly, faith-driven obedience — was what counted as righteousness.

Identity Shifts Posture Before God

A recurring pastoral concern in this message is that many believers live as if they are outsiders to the family of God, stumbling through life and hoping merely to get through the gates of heaven. Pastor Paul counters this with a strong declaration of identity: believers are sons and daughters of the living God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. First John 1:3 is quoted to emphasize the extravagance of that love. This identity does not produce arrogance but confidence — the confidence that shifts prayer from anxious begging into bold declaration of who God already is and what He has already promised.

Love as a Daily Step of Faith

The message’s most practical section draws from John 13:34-35 and Matthew 5:43-45. Loving enemies, blessing those who curse, and doing good to those who hate is described not as an advanced spiritual discipline for a few but as the normal demonstration of discipleship. Pastor Paul shares a childhood memory of praying not for a difficult person to change but for God to help him see that person through divine eyes. The result was a genuine inner transformation — irritability dissolved and was replaced with enjoyment of that person’s company. This personal story grounds the theology in everyday, accessible experience.

Building Relationship Not Performing Religion

Throughout the sermon Pastor Paul returns to the distinction between relationship and religion. God does not reward those who perform spiritual routines but those who diligently seek Him. This means waking up each morning and welcoming the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into the day. It means reading the Gospels to hear God’s voice, since the Bible is the living Word of God. It means praying in ordinary, honest language rather than rehearsed formulas. Philippians 4:19 and Romans 13:8-10 are brought together to show that when a believer’s life is rooted in this daily relationship, love flows outward naturally, fulfilling every requirement of the law without straining to perform.

Frequently Asked Questions