sermon series - jesus unfiltered - sermon - room for doubt

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SERMON SERIES: JESUS UNFILTERED SERMON: ROOM FOR DOUBT 12-2-18 By Pastor Rhonda Howard OPENER: LUKE 7:18-35(NLT) The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” Today we are looking at a story not mentioned very much in sermons. The problem with the story is that it tells about a hero of the faith with a quality that we aren’t comfortable with him having. The hero is JOHN THE BAPTIST and that quality is DOUBT. Christians are generally uncomfortable with doubt. And we think that if we have doubt, we are weak. And who wants to be weak? Who wants to be known by other Christians as the weak one? So, what happens is that we hide or bury or deny our doubts. We pretend like everything is simple, like everything has an easy answer.But if having doubts makes someone weak, then I guess that rules most of us out. JOHN THE BAPTIST OF ALL PEOPLE HAD DOUBTS Note: John the Baptist, miraculous birth, set apart by God to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus said this about John: “I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John ” YES, JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE GREATEST PROPHET THAT EVER LIVED, HAD DOUBTS. John was in prison at the time of this story. He was there because he had told king, Herod, that he should not have had his brother’s wife. Herod himself did not

put John in prison, but Herodias, Herod’s wife, had John put in prison. John eventually lost his life, with his head being presented to Herodias on a platter at a dinner party. But at this point, John is in prison. And he sends his followers to ask Jesus the question:...................... “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” That is, are you the Messiah, or is someone else going to come? Are you the one we should be looking for, or should we be looking for someone else? So what happened????? John is the same one who had said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one that said.... Acts 3:11 (NLT) "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am--so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” He was convinced that Jesus was the Savior, but now he’s not so sure.

I.REASONS FOR DOUBT I think that if you were to point to one reason why John has grown some doubts, I think it would be EXPECTATIONS. V20 asks: “Should we EXPECT someone else?” That is, what Jesus turned out to be wasn’t exactly what he was expecting. It seems that was the source of John’s doubts: John had expected someone else, or at least had expected Jesus to do something different. I BELIEVE OUR EXPECTATIONS PLAY A BIG ROLE IN CAUSING US TO DOUBT II. TWO EXPECTATIONS THAT CAUSE US TO DOUBT: 1. WE OFTEN EXPECT JESUS TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT JESUS OFTEN DOES THE UNEXPECTED. John had expected that Jesus would be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, not someone who would let evil people get away with it.

Take away sins, not let people carry on with them. Do away with evil, not let it rule. 2. WE OFTEN EXPECT THINGS TO TURN OUT DIFFERENT LIFE OFTEN TURNS OUT DIFFERENT THAN WE EXPECT When someone does something for God, they naturally expect to be rewarded for it. John was in prison, though. That doesn’t sound like a reward for doing good. John was likely wondering what went wrong? Why was this happening? NT And if Jesus wasn’t who John thought he was, then what was John doing in prison then? If Jesus isn’t who John thought he was, then what’s the point of preaching about Him then? If John was wrong about Jesus’ mission, then maybe he was wrong about his own. Maybe John got it all wrong. Maybe it wasn’t God calling him – it was his imagination. It boils down to this: if John was wrong about Jesus, maybe he’s wrong about it all. Hard times often force us to wrestle with issues like that. Hard times drive us to re-evaluate what we believe. Hard times even drove the spiritual giant like John the Baptist to have doubts. III.ILLUSTRATION OF SOMEONE WHO HAD DOUBT Mark 9: 14-29 (NKJV)And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked

Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Tell about story....... Only one person in the story admits he has doubt. He’s the weakling right? After all he admits that his life struggles with watching his son suffer has caused him to doubt. Jesus addressed him specifically and said, “All things are possible to him who believes.” The father responded......“I believe; HELP MY UNBELIEF.” Because of his response, Jesus healed the boy! But wait, this father just confessed his unbelief. He openly said. I have doubt. IV.FAITH AND DOUBT CAN CO-EXIST WE CAN BELIEVE AND DOUBT AT THE SAME TIME. IT IS OFTEN TAUGHT THAT DOUBT AND FAITH CANNOT CO-EXSIST. BUT I SAY, FAITH IS NOT FAITH WITH THE ABSENCE OF FEAR. IF THERE iS NOTHING FOR FAITH TO CONQUER THEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR FAITH Faith is believing in the impossible. Faith is believing in the unseen. Faith is looking fear in the face and moving forward anyway. ILLUSTRATION; Pendulum James 2:17 the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. FAITH AND DOUBT CAN CO-EXIST TOGETHER AS LONG AS FAITH WINS OUT. Examples in the Bible of those who had doubt, but moved forward in faith to do great things. MOSES

GIDEON JESUS VI. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DOUBT 1.Be Honest About Your Doubts God already knows that we have times of doubt. Our calling is not to pretend we have no doubts, but to trust Jesus with our doubts. Do you doubt that God can improve your marriage? Have you become content with your anger or rudeness, suspecting that God cannot help? Don’t be afraid to confess your doubt to friends and to God. Realize that having doubt does not mean you don’t have faith. 2. Go to the Lord When this father cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief” We should ask God for help us in our doubt. We should do what John the Baptist did. John sent his disciples to find out about Jesus. He didn’t let his doubts fester. He did something about them. He took his doubts to God and looked for an answer. 3. Remember what God has done. Jesus responded to John by telling his disciples to tell John what He had done. When challenges come up against us and cause us to doubt what we believe, we need to remember all that God has done.So to John Jesus was saying, You do not need to worry about my Father not seeing your situation. Just look at what I have done to help ease your doubts about who I am. Look at my power, my awesome strength, my goodness. I am the I am.Because I really am the “I AM”. Awe know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 4. Fast and Pray Through fasting we humble ourselves before God while making requests through prayer. Fasting stimulates prayer by exposing our weakness. The disciples had weak faith because they trusted in the strength of their flesh. Fasting reminds us that all human effort is impotent without God’s energizing power (John 15:5). 5. Remember God’s Promises When Abraham faced a colossal challenge to faith, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Rom. 4:20-21). Remember that promise when the accuser rages against you. 6. Refuse to Be Overtaken

ACCEPT THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD Doubts need not equal defeat. Refuse to feed your doubts by asking questions that cannot be answered here and now. Embrace the sovereignty of God. Become comfortable with the phrase, “I don’t know…but God does.” Assume the posture of a child who doesn’t know his parents plans but who trusts their motives. We don’t know everything that God is doing in our lives. We don’t know why situations happen. And we don’t know everything there is to know about all situations in our lives. Romans 11:33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. Chronicles 29: 10-13 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord , is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious CLOSING: John needed to see Jesus for who he really was, not who he thought Jesus should be. And so do you. Your doubts, if left unattended, will stifle your faith. You need to go to Jesus, ask Him to show himself to you again, in a new way, and see what he’s already done.