Understanding Doubt - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. We doubt why we got weed out the ever feel like the Lord really doesn't care about what's going what is McCarran. Some of you. I know because you told me you know I just don't know how much the Lord loves me because of what's going on in my life.

Some of the spout in the central what's true or not you have read this passage in that can be true is it weed out for a lot of reasons, we end up with the same kind of thing. His response here is I do believe, help my joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana pastor go Gov. now again he shows us how God's word meets our work. There is something that almost all of us have done on an occasion and it's often something that we won't readily admit that many of us we feel guilty because we have and for some of us it causes us to even question our faith is moments of doubt, according to the dictionary doubt means to be uncertain about or to hesitate to believe or to struggle to believe see the reason we don't really want to talk about it too much in our minds somehow faith and doubt are polar opposites, and many of us think that a believer who has doubt is a walking, talking, oxymoron, but the Bible has a very different picture about Moses doubted God Gideon doubted God. Elijah doubted God.

Jeremiah, he doubted God. In fact, when you get to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and John whenever they are dealing with a doubting person is always a believer just like you and me open your Bibles to Mark chapter 9 Mark chapter 9 verse 17 and Mark writes this, he says in one of the crowd answered him, saying, rabbi or teacher I brought you my son possessed with the spirit which makes the mute and whenever it seizes him and slams into the grimy foams at the mouth any grime to Stephen. He stiffens out and I told your disciples to cast that up. They could not do it and answered them. He said to oh unbelieving generation notice he's turning toward them.

He says how long shall I be with you. How long shall I put up with you. Bring them to me. Kind of an interesting way of handling it and they brought the boy to many saw him, and immediately the spiritual men do a convulsion, and falling on the ground and began rolling around and forming in his mouth and Jesus asked the father and he said to him how long this is been happening to him and he said from his childhood so we can infer is likely a teenager that is often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Jesus response. If you can it if you can, you're asking me you're talking to me and you see if you can just imagine Evan Jesus perspective it's not exactly what you'd expect from the Lord.

But his whole point is to have any sense of who I am here who have been claiming to be in the menu. See if you can, but we would never do that when we we would never say Lord if you can. This is what I'd like you to do what Jesus tells him is what he tells us, I always can see it always can.

He said if you can.

He said all things are possible to him who believes, and immediately the boy's father cried out and said I do believe, help my unbelief. That sounds like you. That sounds like me.

I do believe, help my unbelief is doubting he struggling either has believing doubt or doubting belief. You see, he wants it to be different and so do we and we struggle in these very same ways. You see one. We doubt and why we doubt who we doubt the ever feel like the Lord really doesn't care about what's going on in your life. What is the care. Some of you. I know because you've told me you know I just don't know how much the Lord loves me because of what's going on in my life for some of us doubting the sense of what's true or not you have read this passage in that can be true is it weed out for a lot of reasons and we end up with the same kind of thing. His response here is I do believe, help my unbelief. Another problem is, is this guy is sort of just a passerby. He's a hanger on. We don't know anything about him and you could say, well, who knows what this guy really believe in the first place. But I been walking with a little bit longer than that and I feel so guilty about the doubt that I have so what I like to do is to move from a man like this that we could interpret as a person who barely knows the Lord to somebody that the Lord said is pretty much unparalleled that comes in is standing before God to love me now. The Luke chapter 7 Luke chapter 7 and now were going to deal with John the Baptist. John the Baptist and amazing human being and willing to see that John just like this father has doubt in the good thing about John's doubt is that it allows us to see inside of doubt and maybe see the reasons why we may doubt so should be very insightful for us.

The doubt of John the Baptist verse 18, the disciples of John reported to him about these things and summoning two of his disciples.

John sent them to the Lord and said are you the expected one or do we look for someone else.

Now if you even have a basic understanding of the New Testament.

All you have to look at that and scratch her head. What what would John the Baptist say that are usually expected.

One only misses John the Baptist this is John the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth this is John, who leaped for joy in his mother's wall when she got close to Jesus in Mary's wall. This is John, who grew up in the extended family of Joseph and Mary this is John who knew all about Bethlehem and the Angels and all the stories. This is John who is a great profit. The first great profit since Malachi, this is John who is a herald of the king. This is John who took the Nazirite vow he abstains from the wine of anything with alcohol. He doesn't cut his hair. He sets himself apart and uses them completely set apart to God this is John who baptizes the Lord Jesus Christ when he sees Mrs. behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is John who said he must increase, while I must decrease just doesn't seem possible, doesn't he says are you the expected one Harrop Minos is what he says. Minus.

Are you the expected one. What does he mean by that term with me back to Luke chapter 3, Luke chapter 3 and notice the scene again. John verse 16 John answered and said, as for me, I baptize you with water, but one is coming who is mightier than II might fit on time at the thong of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand a thoroughly clear the is threshing floor and together the weed and the barn.

He will burn up the chapel and unquenchable fire. Notice in verse 16, but one is coming same Greek word he said the one in his is the coming one. He makes this statement.

Are you becoming one are you the expected one. How could he possibly be doubting well. I think there are four reasons it John could possibly be doubting each one of those are very important for you and I do understand because almost for sure one of them touches our lives whenever we doubt the love of God, the goodness of God. The truth of the word whatever it is we doubt the first thing possible reason is this, we often doubt when were facing personal tragedy. We often doubt when were facing personal tragedy. John is in prison. He's awaiting what is likely in turns out to be, but he doesn't know at this stage execution. Where is the adhesive underneath Fort McCarver's east of the Dead Sea in the wilderness zone by the Harrods he finds himself there for a very good reason.

John had this almost incurable disease. He told you exactly what he was thinking and he really didn't care what you thought of it. That's John. Notice what happens here back in chapter 3 it says here that in verse 18. So with many other exhortations, he preached the gospel to the people.

But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of erroneous.

His brother's wife and because of all the wicked things in which Herod had done. Herod also added this to the mall and he locked John up in prison. This is an Herod the great was the son of Herod the great notice Herod the tetrarch or is Herod is a small time guy. He has a very limited kingdom Galilee and Berea and the acorn did fall very far from the oak tree. His father was crazy and evil and he's just like his dad and John pointed out valued say well wow this how bad could it be I guess he it looks like he married his brothers wife Jan that that was bad enough in and of itself, but got understand Philip's brother married his niece, Herodias is his niece and so he marries his own niece and then on the processor Herod on deposit. He then takes Ernst Joseph and Philip, and he marries his niece kind of incestuous thing going on. John pointed out and we pointed out, he finds himself in prison, that you know the kind of the rest of the story Herodias. She hated John Herod Antipas.

He probably did like John but he was afraid of John. That's will be Lorna Mark six. He's afraid of John and in fact he said he used to love. They listen to John speak, he did believe anything he said but he loved to listen to was because he spoke with such passion and so what ends up happening is a young girl named Salome dances for Herod Antipas and a lot of other dignitaries.

Now that would be Herod Antipas's grandniece Herodias's daughter is half grandniece and show see dances and historically were traditionally taught by the dance of the seven veils, most commentators would believe it was some kind of extremely erotic dance that she did and he was so impressed with what she did and so the other dignitaries. He was so moved by it that he said I'll give you anything you want anything effect and Mark suggested I give you half my kingdom because I was so that was such a dance so you can just imagine what the dancers get on top of being everything else. These yes that's right is likely an idiot you know beginning of happier kingdom away. So then what ends up happening. She doesn't say intimacy goes to her mother and she said this is what Herod said what should I do if you sauté what you do. You say you want John the Baptist head on a platter. That's what we want and so that's exactly what they get in Mark six. We learn that the executioner comes behead John bring Sam's head on the platter to the party so slave and John's followers came and bury the body quite a response. John did know that was exactly going to happen but you can certainly see what happens here.

Think about it, from John's perspective. John is preparing the way for the Messiah is the voice of one crying in the wilderness. We know that he's not just a prophet but Harold and he's preparing the way for the Messiah of Israel to come. Now he's kinda get separated from Christ completely at this stage Christ is about 60 to 80 miles away from away from John and he finds himself not only separated but he finds himself in a prison. Now he remember Johnson I came and baptized with water, but he's coming and he's going to baptize you with what he said with fire. John says let me tell you what is can be like this could be like is going to go to a threshing floor. He's is going to take all you and he's going to separate the wheat and the chaff. When he's done separating the wing job is going to take the chap that's most of you guys take a chap he's gonna burn it. He's coming in. Johnson, Harold Johnson prison.

So John's overview is what I did all that and this is kinda what I get. This is where I met.

I mean I'm the be the Harold and I'm the guy blows the trumpet in a sense and incomes the king is just like a lot of us over the years have been so many people that will have some personal tragedy hit them in the say with tremendous emotion pastor at tried to always walk with the Lord try to do the right thing. I've tried to really be faithful and then I get this news. You see I get this news. How can that be how can I do you see when you think that you really are walking with the Lord and you're doing the right thing and then something like this happens personal tragedy. It can cause you to question the doubt God. For example, the antithesis of that the thief on the cross. The thief on the cross he knows why is there in fact, he says to his friend Hayward getting exactly what we deserve.

And then he says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, and the Lord said this day you will be with me in paradise. Notice the thief on the cross never said why just can't believe I'm in this place. I just can't believe I'm being crucified. I just don't understand how this could happen see the thief on the cross didn't have any expectations but if your believer will father you've done right by the Lord, you have a lot of expectations whether you want to admit them or not. See how do I walk with the Lord and then I come home from work and she wasn't home. I remember she went. I me she's just gone. I would be well that happened you see that happen. Is this all the time you walk with the Lord. I have been getting myself trying I am ready to serve the Lord, even a bigger capacity and I just got this diagnosis.

I got this terrible diagnosis. I got this terminal diagnosis. How would that be why would he do this to me. Why doesn't he love me. I've always been generous. I try to help the cause of Christ everywhere. I can know my whole business is going upside down going to be bankrupt, this happen. Personal tragedy can cause us to die of God. It did John the Baptist. Secondly, another reason we can doubt God is popular influences popular influences.

John is a victim as all the disciples were of misconceptions about the Messiah of Israel. They also own the same way. He is a conquering Messiah. You see he is going to come and he is going to as John would say clean the threshing floor up, he's going to get all you guys and he's going to throw Rome out that's what's going to happen. That was his expectation. But that didn't happen, there's another popular misconception and that is now the time of Christ. It was even more extended, but there was this idea that before Messiah comes, there will be other prophets to come that we know from the Old Testament that Elijah will come and that's one thing but there was also popular beliefs that one to three or four profits with each common succession and then the Messiah will come. Remember Matthew 16 Jesus disciples and he says up who do people say that I am in Mesa well some of the people say you are Elijah.

You see, another Sonata nano he's Jeremiah. She Elijah will come that Bobby was John no jeremiads, not to Jesus is other said other prophets. In other words, there could be a whole succession of profits and then the Messiah so notice when John says, are you the coming one are usually expected one or should we be waiting for someone else. In other words, are you one of the prophets to come before Messiah popular influence. Think of the culture we live in some of the influence we get them out there.

How have you ever heard this while there is a God in this God loves you and this job. God can do anything that how could he let that happen. How good a God who loves you allow that to happen. You see if there is a God out there really what would anything like this happen in the world get this kind of thing all the time. In other words, begin to doubt the goodness of God. Why does those things happen is he well got allow that to happen. And if you're within the context of the church. You can find all kinds of things.

One of things you could run into is this whole health, wealth and success.

Theology if you think about that way that works if you're a child of God.

This is what you should be getting. You see, you should be unbelievably healthy not immortal, but almost you should have the kind of money that you don't need a wallet you need will burrow you know and everything you taught should turn the gold in your your success. Jesus want you to be a success, but then reality hit your life.

You're not really that healthy, you're pretty much middle-class lower middle-class upper-middle-class in your fight and it you see and everything you touch has interned success.

In fact, it's turned to something else.

You see, when you believe that kind of thing you knew influence by that you end up extremely doubting. You see you.I feel so sorry for people in that particular culture because the whole idea is that blaming themselves why.

Why doesn't God love me like this.

Why am I not prosperous. Why so the pastor broke apart on the radio ministry or fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time.

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