Overcoming the Doubts That Defeat You!

Sermon Notes, March 11, 2012

C.M. Pruitt

Pastor C.M.’s message Sunday was titled “Overcoming the Doubts that Defeat You.”  He defined doubt as future worry.  When we doubt people, it’s suspicion, when we doubt everything, it’s cynicism.  We may have doubt, but we don’t need to be defeated.  2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (GN) says “We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend, and though we badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.”

Three things that cause us to doubt God:

Critics.  Critics can cause us to doubt God.  They ridicule us for our belief.  “They scoff at God…How proudly they speak!  And so God’s people are dismayed and confused and drink it all in.  ‘Does God realize what is going on?’ they ask.” (Psalm 73:8-11, LB)  We need to remember that the Bible is God’s Word.  How did He create the earth?  God said—and it was.  The fool says in his heart there is no God.  But it’s much easier to believe the Genesis version of beginnings than it is to believe some of the theories of ‘science.’  “…again and again they scoff, ‘Where is that God of yours?’  But O my soul, don’t be discouraged.  Don’t be upset.  Expect God to act!” (Psalm 42:10-11, LB)

Conscience.   We want to do something different than what we know we should.  When we’re guilty, we tend to rationalize.  “…For some people have disobeyed their consciences and have deliberately done what they knew was wrong.  It isn’t surprising that soon they lost their faith in Christ, after defying God like that.” (1 Timothy 1:19, LB)  Our morality determines our theology and our actions.

Circumstances.  When our prayers are not answered on our timetable, we tend to doubt.  Everything seems to be out of control. For example, when Jesus was asleep in the boat on the Sea of Galilee and the storm came up.  The disciples asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?  96% of the people believe in God—they just wonder about what KIND of God.  Does He care about me?

How to deal with your doubts:

Admit your doubts.  For example, John the Baptist, forerunner of the Messiah, was jailed by the king, and he began to doubt.  “When John heard in prison... what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (Matthew 11:2-3)  Quoting scripture, Jesus told them to tell John what was going on—who could do that but the Messiah?

Another example of admitting doubt is Thomas after Jesus’ resurrection.  (John 20:24-29)  The next time Jesus appeared to the disciples, he addressed Thomas’s doubt telling him to feel His wounds.  Jude 1:22 tells us to “Be merciful to those who doubt.  Doubt is when we don’t know what God wants us to do.  Unbelief is when we know what He wants us to do but refuse to do it.

Doubt your doubts.  And believe what you believe.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)  Listen to God’s Word, and not your feelings.  Believe what He says.

Begin with the faith you already have.  “Lord, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)  Don’t let the doubt you have overcome the faith you have.  “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, … nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)  Don’t shrink from the mountain.

Jesus is not just the calm, compassionate, humble Messiah.  He is also the Messiah who drove out the money changers, prayed until He sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane, and fought and won the battle against sin on the cross.  He was no weak, wimpy individual.  He wants to infuse us with power to live in faith.  A little bit of faith plus a big God helps us live for Him.  Live in Victory Lane!