Matthew 9:16-31 You Become What You Believe April 25, 2010
I heard an incredible but true story recently. Nick was a big, strong man who had worked for years at a railroad yard. Late one afternoon, Nick accidentally locked himself in a refrigerated boxcar. Nick panicked. He screamed and screamed but everyone was leaving for the day. Now Nick knew these refrigerated cars and that their temperature was well below freezing, usually kept between 5 and 10 degrees. Nick thought, “If I do not get out of here, I will freeze to death.” He began to feel cold. The more he thought about it, the colder he became. Nick spent the entire night in the boxcar and when the crew found him the next morning, he was crumpled in a corner, his body temperature low and on his way to freezing to death. He was rushed to the hospital. But here is the mystery. The refrigeration unit in the boxcar was not even on. The temperature in the boxcar that night was only around 40 degrees. But Nick believed he was freezing. He believed he would die. And his body began to shut down and freeze. There was never any physical danger but Nick lost the battle in his mind. And so he lost the battle. What Nick believed became the truth.
Today we are continuing a series of studies asking who are we in God. We are looking at how we view our lives and our selves. We have seen that we never rise above what we think of ourselves. We have seen that God values us greatly and that we should view ourselves in that higher light. This morning, I want to see that you will become what you believe. You see, our thoughts, expectations, and what we believe have great power and influence in our lives. We do not always get all we want in life, but we rarely get more than we believe. Life is much like a restaurant. We usually get what we order.
In our scripture today, Jesus encounters four people who seek healing. One is a man whose daughter is dead. One is a woman who has been sick for twelve years. Two are blind men. And a key verse in all this is Matthew 9:28. Jesus asked the blind men, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Jesus responded, “According to your faith, let it be done to you.” And their eyes were opened. It was according to what they believed, said Jesus. These men became what they believed.
Does that mean that everyone who believes will be healed? No, not always in this life. I have seen amazing healings in my years in ministry. But sometimes healing is in the next life, in Heaven with God. Listen. This is important. Belief will not always bring exactly what we want to happen. It will not always bring healing. We must trust in the will of God. But listen. Listen. Without belief, nothing will happen. We do not always get what we want, but we will not get more than we believe. And with Faith, we will always ultimately get the very best from our God if we can say, “Yes, Lord, I believe you can do this.”
Now there is an interesting thing in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus is usually addressed in one of two ways. Casual people who are not followers always call Jesus by the name of rabbis, which means teacher or master. The enemies of Jesus always address him as teacher. But those who have faith call Jesus “Lord.” The last supper proves the point. When Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him, they all begin to ask him, “Is it I, Lord?” But Judas asks, “Is it I, master?” Now in our scripture today, the two blind men say with confidence, “Yes, Lord, we believe.”
What do you believe about Jesus? Is he a good teacher, a good man who did good things? Or is Jesus the Lord? Is Jesus a good man who lived long ago. If so, he is gone and cannot help you. But if you know Jesus is Lord, then Jesus is alive and with you everyday. And Jesus can and will empower your life to do far more than you have dared to hope for. These two blind men believed that Jesus is Lord and that he could open their eyes. Jesus asked them clearly, “Do you believe that I can do this for you?” And they answered, “Yes, Lord.” Deep in their heart, they believed.
You know, it is a good thing when other people pray for us. It is nice to have folks encourage us with kind words. But listen, you must exercise faith for yourself. Like these blind men who came to Jesus, you must believe that Jesus is Lord and that you have the faith that God will lift up your life in new ways. You cannot depend on someone else to keep you happy. You cannot depend on someone else always encouraging you and getting you out of trouble. If you do that, you will always live in weakness and disappointment. You must decide in your mind that you will be a believer. Take charge of your life and pray, “No matter what trouble comes in my life, I believe hat Jesus is the Lord. I am going to move forward in my life."
Now as always, many of us think to ourselves, “But pastor, you do not know what I have been through in my life. I have had so many disappointments. I do not want to get my hopes up.” Listen. That attitude is exactly the opposite of what God wants for you. God wants you to get your hopes up. Because so many of our set backs and disappointments were because we never did get our hopes up. If you do not get your hopes up, then you will never have faith. You will never believe. And you will become what you believe. Too many people go through life thinking within their hearts, “I will never beat this problem. My marriage will never get better. I can never be free of these drugs or this alcohol. My job is a dead-end. This sickness has me beat.” God wants you again to get your hopes up, to take action, and believe that God can do something new in your life. Jesus said in this scripture, “No one puts a new piece of unshrunk cloth to patch an old garment. It will all tear. And no one puts new wine in old wine skins, for the old skins will tear.” The old and new will not mix. Our old thinking will never move us into a new day. We have to believe that God can do more for us.
Now folks will say, “My past is so messed up that I have no hope left. I have made too many mistakes with my children, my marriage, my job, my health. You cannot go back in time and change the past. You cannot unscramble eggs.” That is right, you cannot unscramble eggs. But God can make a great omelet. Our God can do amazing things with our sorry past lives. In fact, the story of Christianity is 2000 years of people with sorry, questionable, difficult past experiences who were changed into people of great power and ability. Jesus is always coming into the lives of people who are poor, wreathed, and blind, and he asked them, “Do you believe I can do this for you.” And they answer, “Yes, Lord, we believe you can.”
In the Old Testament, in the year 586 BC, Jerusalem was attacked and destroyed by the Babylonian army. Much sin and bad decisions brought this upon them. But there they were in destruction. It seemed their lives were done. All the good things were behind them. Only bad seemed ahead. But the prophet Isaiah said to them in Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of shame, you will have glory. Instead of dishonor, you will rejoice. You will have a double portion in your future.” I know many people have had disappointments and difficulties in the past. Maybe you are living in the results of that right now. But God says in Isaiah that God can pay you back a double portion for all your past troubles. Maybe you have gone hungry for a long time now. But the time can be when God passes the plate by you and says, “Go ahead. Take two helpings now.” It is your time. Jesus is Lord and he can do this. The new can come. You must believe that God can do this. You will become what you believe. Pray with me.
God, I know that you can turn around my life. I believe you are the Lord of all things. Whatever has happened to me, you can use it for my good. You can take my past and make me stronger than ever before. Help me to get my hopes up again. I say to you today, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you can do this for me. Amen.