Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
04/19/2020 A.M.
Understanding& Dealing With Doubt
Romans 8.28 & 38-39 1 Timothy 17 Joshua 1.9
Do you and your preacher ever struggle with doubt?
In this time of uncertainty... doubt comes knocking on the door of every believer.
Here's the reality church... Our faith is never perfect...
• It grows...
• Enhances...
• Deepens...
But there’s always a doubt gap between our current faith and perfect faith.
• Maybe we’re caused to doubt our relationship with God...
• Perhaps we’re unsure of our salvation...
• At other times we're caused to doubt God’s love...
• Doubt the reliability of Scripture...
• Even the existence of God...Or the reality of Jesus.
You see... No one is immune to doubt... It happens to all of us.
Even John the Baptist... Whom Jesus called the greatest man ever born... expressed doubt about the identity of Christ... Asking in Matthew 11.3... Is He the One or do we look for another?
Our current situation with COVID-19 tends to cause us to
lose sight of where we stand... Faith wise.
Dan Williams of Harding University shared this story Friday... illustrating how we can, in stressful times, overlook the obvious... The important!
The Lone Ranger and Tonto were camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up... Both fell sound asleep. Hours later... Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger saying... Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?
The Lone Ranger replies... I see millions of stars.
What’s that tell you?... Ask Tonto.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says...
• Astronomically... It tells me there are millions of galaxies... billions of planets...
• Astrologically... It tells me that Saturn is in Leo...
• Time wise... It appears to be a quarter past three in the morning...
• Theologically... The Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant...
• Meteorologically... It seems we’ll have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What's it tell you... Tonto?
Tonto replied... Kemo Sabe, it tells me you dumber than buffalo... It means someone stole our tent.
This pandemic causes us to lose sight of… the obvious... The Important!
• That God is...
• That He is in control...
• That He… knows our anxiousness.... Feels our Pain... And is walking with us.
Here's the obvious & important...
Romans 8.28, 38-39... For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... We can be sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Timothy 1.7... God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity...but of power... love... and self-discipline.
Joshua 1.9... This is My command... Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Come... Let’s see what we can learn...
Webster says doubt is… To be afraid…To be apprehensive… Uncertain…Undecided… IN our beliefs… A lack of confidence & trust… The absence of faith.
what are some things that cause us to doubt God?
First…Our own human reasoning.
Human reasoning results in our questioning God... His purposes & promises.
You see... Doubt is progressive... It goes something like this...
• Why did God allow this to happen?
• Do you believe God should allow such a thing to happen to good people?
• The next step is... If God is a God of love, He shouldn't have allowed such a thing.
We know Satan has won this progressive argument when we conclude... I can't believe in… and worship a God… Who would allow things like this to happen.
C.S. Lewis said... If you examined a hundred people who have lost their faith... Most would have simply reasoned themselves out of it by what they considered to be honest arguments.
Secondly... Apparent unanswered prayer results in doubt.
We pray… Good prayers… Honest prayers...Expectant prayers… And the answer doesn’t come as expected... Or... Within the time frame we desired… So doubt begins to spread.
• Listen... There are reasons for God to say no.
He may have something better in mind for us than what we are praying for.
He sees the future... He sees how this all is going to work out.
• Sometimes God may be saying... Wait.
It took 25 years for God to answer Abraham and Sarah's prayer for a son.
• There are times when God allows us... Even leads us through Suffering & Trials... In order to… refine... Improve... Strengthen… our character.
Have you ever doubted God because of apparent unanswered prayer?... I have.
Doubt creeps in through our disappointment with people.
Some have lost their faith because they placed... Their trust... Their confidence... In a person... Perhaps in a church... Rather than in God and His promises.
Sometimes we look around saying... I don't go to church any more... OR... I am not as involved as I once was…Because… Because there are so many hypocrites.
Now it’s true that all of us are hypocritical at times... But I think we need to distinguish between a hypocrite… and a weak Christian… There’s a difference!!!
• A hypocrite is one who tries to convince others that they are one thing… While inside they are something else... Play acting their religion for the sole purpose of deceiving.
There are NOT many of these people in our churches today... NOT AT ALL!!
However... What we do have in the church... Are lots of people who are weak Christians.
• Those who say they are Christian... But don't always act like it.
• Those of us who believe in Christ... But… Can't quite live up to His standards.
We all fit into this category at times... Don’t we???... Of course!
Here it is... Our faith must be in God... Not in people!!... Not in churches!!
Don't build your faith on... A person... a preacher... or a priest... But upon God.
Some doubts occur due to our own sin failures.
Some people have simply walked away from their faith... Given up... Because they… tried... and tried... and tried... Only to fail.
Satan... Our flesh nature... Our own lust and evil desires... WinS out... And we find ourselves spiritually sin sick with doubt... A sickness that could lead to death.
We are brought to our knees again and again... SO... After a while we simply give up.
Folk… Know this... Salvation is by grace through faith... Not of ourselves... But is the gift of God... Not of works lest any among us should boast.
Our... faith... Confidence... Trust... must be in God... And His forgiveness... Not in our ability to live a sinless life.
Some doubt is due to our own laziness... A lACK of commitment.
The church at Laodicea was severally criticized by Jesus for...
• Their apathy...
• Their care-less-ness…
• Their lukewarmness.
This church had just sat down and was doing nothing to exercise their faith.
Faith is not passive… James says… A faith that doesn’t work is dead!.
When was the last time we... Exercised?... Worked?... Our faith?... To keep it fit?
• Let’s not be too lazy to worship.
• Too lazy tostudy our Bibles...
• Spend significant time in prayer.
• Too lazy to be evangelistic.... Or to serve the Jesus in others.
. Too lazy to forgive...
• Too lazy to search for the good in others.
Paul tells us... Work out your own salvation... EXERCISE your faith!
Doubts flourish because we fail to count our blessingS
The prodigal son comes home... There’s a party to celebrate his return... The Elder brother is upset... Instead of counting his blessings... He starts to complain and criticize... When did you give me calf or kid to party with my friends?... Poor me… I am a victim in this world...
Daddy replies...
• Son you live in the Father's house everyday...
• You know nothing else...
• You are blessed beyond measure…
• All that I have belongs to you...
• I am providing everything you need every day!!
God is the Father in this narrative... We are the sons…. Do we get the message?
Some of us are like this Elder son...We have lived in the Father’s house so long that we take... His gifts… His Blessings… for granted... And doubt creeps in.
OK... Let’s talk about some ways to help us overcome doubt…
First… Will to believe…
Make the determinate choice today to…Believe in God…
• Trust Him implicitly…
• Obey Him completely.
Secondly…Know that faith doesn’t demand proof.
If we’re the kind of person that demands proof in everything…
• We will never be a person of faith…
• We will never be pleasing to God!!
Faith... is believing… Accepting… Trusting… Obeying… Despite our doubts.
Without faith it is impossible to please God… We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
• Proof is not what pleases God…
• Proof is not what makes us His children…
• Proof is not what saves us… Faith Saves!!
Thirdly… Ask for help.
Remember the father whose son was gripped by an evil spirit… And he said to Jesus…
• I believe…Help my unbelief…
• I have faith… Help me with my doubt.
This man asked Jesus to help him… And Jesus did… And Jesus did… He healed his son… What better way to help his unbelief!!.
Let’s talk about our doubts... Let’s Encourage one another!!
Decide To Stay Healthy.
• Determine to be fully committed toGod… Love Him with all our... Heart... Mind... Strength... Soul... All our being.
Halfhearted commitment leaves room for doubts to grow into unbelief.
• Watch the company we keep!!... Stay away from those who have tested positive for serious doubts.
Scripture tells us that… Evil companions corrupt good spiritual health.
Again... Paul says... Work out your salvation... How do we do that....
I believe he tells us in Ephesians six… Put on the full armor of God… With the belt of truth… With the breastplate of righteousness… Feet fitted with the readiness of the Gospel…Take up the shield of faith… Put on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit… And pray often.
We end our study...
Noting some lessons from famous New Testament doubters…
We call him doubting Thomas.
When it came time to make use of his faith after years of following Jesus... He faltered.
I believe this one incident in his life gives us an unfair view of Thomas.
In fact this one moment has given this man a historically bad reputation that perhaps he really didn’t deserve.
You recall… When Lazarus died... Jesus decides to go to Judea to be with the girls... The Apostles said... NO...NO... You can't... If you go back there... They’ll kill you... The plot is on... They are lying in wait.
It was Thomas who said... Let’s go with Him… that we may die with Him.
That doesn't sound much like a doubter to me... How about you?
I believe the lessons to be learned are simple…
• Doubt and a vibrant faith can occupy...The same soul... The same heart... They just can't occupy it at the same time… The doubt must be worked out… Then the faith will be strengthened…
• We learn that… Doubt opens the door to... Fear… Paranoia… Carelessness... Disappointment... And sorrow.
• We learn... Our reputation can be ruined in a moment of weakness... a moment of doubt.
PETER…
Peter asked Jesus to allow him to walk on water... Jesus said... You got it!!... Come on.
But somewhere between the boat and Jesus... Peter begins to doubt.
Sinking into the water... He cries for help... Jesus save me!
Several lessons here...
First… We must not allow this pandemic to distract us to the point that we take our eyes off Jesus.
Secondly... We learn that if we ask for Jesus’ help… We have it!!
Number three… We learn that doubt robs us of greatness in the kingdom.
Peter was doing something no other individual… In all of human history ever did... But then he lost it.... Robbed by doubt.
I wonder what great things You and I could accomplish for the Lord... If we didn't allow… A weak faith... Doubt... To rob us?
• Perhaps... We could win our neighbor to Christ?
• Teach a Bible class?
• Lead singing?
• Serve as an...Elder?... Deacon?... Ministry Leader?
• Overcome that pesky sin that threatens us?
I am talking about God empowering us... To be the people and person He wants us to be... But that takes faith…
• Not an inherited faith…
• But a faith... tried… Purified… And proven by overcoming our doubts.
There’s John Mark…
He accompanied Paul & Barnabas on the First Journey... But he caught the doubt virus and quit... Returned home… Causing hardship on the rest of the team… So… Paul says… No… He’s not going.
From John Mark… We learn that... Our doubts will always impact others...
• Our spouse... children... grandchildren...
• Friends…
• Neighbors…
• Working companions...
• Paul warned in Romans 14... Our doubt impacts a weaker brother.
We must be careful.
We learn from this narrative that we must forgive the doubting moments of a brother or sister.
Well!!... Doubts will come won’t they?... TheY’rE inevitable!!
It’s not so much that we have doubts... But how we deal with them...How we allow them to affect us.
• Dealing with COVID-19 calls for a strong faith...
• It calls for confidence in God’s promise to... Never leave us... Never forsake us...
• It calls for us to trust Him... Totally... Absolutely.
Pray with me...
Father God, continue to bless and strengthen our faith.
Help us to overcome our fear and doubt.
Enable us to cultivate a deeper confidence in You and Your presence.
Father… Remove our fear and doubt in this time of anxiousness and suffering.
Restore the OBVIOUS…That You are alive and well… Working on our behalf.
In the name of Jesus... Amen