Out With The Doubt Series

LIFE IS AN ATTITUDE – PICK A GOOD ONE

Out With The Doubt

Sunday March 4, 2007

Scripture Reference: Romans 12:2, Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33, 14:1-11

Intro.

A. Have you ever said things like; “I just don’t believe it.” Or “That can’t be true.” or “It will never happen.” Or “I could never do anything like that.” If you have ever used these expressions or some like them then you know a little bit of today’s topic.

1. When we first began this series I told you that one of the reasons I wanted to preach this series is because I knew I needed help with my attitudes. Some times I think my attitudes really stink and I believe that my attitudes are often times the greatest hindrance to my personal growth and my ability to help you as the church God has called me to serve to grow and become all that you can be. So I knew going in that these waters would be a little turbulent for me and probably for some of you as well. I guess I didn’t realize just how turbulent the water would get, at least for me personally. Each week I keep thinking I will be a little more in the clear and then as I read and make preparations I get hit in the face again with another problem area for me.

2. Today’s sermon is for me, its for your pastor and if you want to listen in and maybe find some help for yourself you are most certainly welcome, but I am going to preach a lot to myself here today and I hope you don’t mind.

Trans. Well let’s do what we have done every week so far and give ourselves a working definition of the attitude at hand. What is doubt? Here is the definition I want to work from.

I. DOUBT – THE DEFINITION

In a nutshell doubt is the absence or the lack of faith. Now let me just tell you today we will talk a little bit about faith today but that will be the attitude we will explore next week as the one that needs to replace this attitude of doubt. Now we all have doubts, but does that mean we all have an attitude of doubt? I do not believe this to be true. Based on the definition we gave at the beginning of this series we have decided that the word attitude as we are using in this series means a consistent and persistent way of thinking or behaving. We are not talking about something that happens on rare occasions but something that is a basic pattern in our lives. Something that is leaving us as the children of Israel, wandering in the desert. Something hat is leaving our spiritual lives very parched and dry. Something that is depriving us of the joy and abundance God promises.

A. Doubt involves a persistent choice to live our lives with uncertainty.

1. Here again we find what helps us understand the difference between and occasional doubt and an attitude of doubt. The attitude of doubt involves a choice and decision. It is not a slip up, it is a head first dive in. I said a moment ago this is not something that is happening to me occasionally it is a consistent pattern in my life. It happens to us time after time, day after day. We are making a decision to live our lives in constant uncertainly and I am not talking here about not being sure where to have lunch or not being sure about what pants or dress to wear. I am talking about the uncertainly that God can or will bring blessing and goodness in to my life or that God could possibly use you to do a great thing.

2. Here is something I will bet that few of us have really considered before but did you now that doubt is a dangerous thing? Doubt can be detrimental and destructive to your life. Doubt will hold us back from entering into all that God has for us. [] When Sue and I went of to Bible College it was probably the worst thing and the best thing to happen to our marriage. It was the worst because it caused a tension in our lives that almost divided us, but it was the best thing for us because it ended up drawing closer than we had ever been. One of the things that came out of that difficult period while we were there was that Sue told me she didn’t trust that I would stay with her. She had four different dads (obviously not biological dads) and each of them eventually left her. She grew up with the doubt that any man would ever be faithful to her and that doubt in her life hurt our marriage until she really believed that I was not going to leave her no matter what. Divorce was not an option in this relationship.