Unbelief
Malcolm Mugridge - "Our 20th century, far from being notable for scientific skepticism, is one of the most credulous in all of history. It is not that people believe in nothing, which would be bad enough, but that they believe in anything, which is really terrible.”
Defined - Believing and acting based on my and the world’s lies instead of God’s Truth in His Word.
Unbelief can take on different forms:
Not believing God.
Not believing God’s Word.
Not believing God’s way is best?
Examples.
Unbelief is Related to doubt.
Doubt dwelt on, not confronted and challenged
2Cor.10:5 - “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Hedy - unanswered questions - doubt which not dealt with -unbelief - yields effects.
A doubt can be a positive catalyst to growth - doubting and unbelief aren’t.
Unbelief is a big deal - Here are a few ways it affects us.
No stability
James 1:6 - “...he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
Miss purpose; paint a picture.
Don’t take risks and miss adventure.
Miss seeing God work and growing closer to Him.
Trapped in Sins of omission and commission.
Practically You lose.
Jn.10:10 a not b! - “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
At an even bigger level eternity and others lose.
Rom.10:13-14 - “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Ultimately God loses (Really)!!!
Mt.13:58 - Unbelief hindered God’s work
Mt.6:10 - “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Where doubt comes from:
Ultimately:
Satan: John 8:44 - Satan is the father of lies.
Practically:
The World: 1 Jn.2:15-17 - “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
My heart: Jer.17:9 - “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
And Fundamentally, not applying God’s Word.
James 1:22 - “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Note: Teachers and leaders must be careful (James 3:1)
If I don’t destroy it, Heb.3:13 says I will be deceived and sin will harden me.
Destroying Unbelief and not letting it grow back (weed analogy).
1st, Persevere through it!
Learn to recognize it - Get in Word!
Walk by faith Applying God’s Word!!! (remember James 1:22)
Remember: Build Faith.
Rom.12:3 - Measure of faith.
2 Cor.10:15 - Faith Grows.
James 2:22 - Faith made complete.
Lk.16:10 - Faithful with little - faithful with more.
Mt.17:20 - “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Pray God will help you with it -
Mk.9:17-27 - Father of demon posed boy asks Jesus, “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus replies, “If you can’?" “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The Father then replies, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Holy Spirit’s power.
The Holy Spirit empowers me to radically believe and obey God.
I don’t have to let unbelief kill me - What lies am I believing?
If I will but believe God anything is possible, what God could do:
Victory over sin - no more bondage -
Rom.6 - many verses summarize synopsis.
QT’s - Word and Prayer
Hardin Quote: “Those who do not believe do not pray. This is a good functional definition of faith. Faith prays, unbelief does not.”
Evangelism: Confront evangelism lies again.
Harvest ripe, all being drawn (Mt.9:37, Jn.12:32-33).
World revival possible (phil.2). Bill Bright examples. S. Korea, Guatemala, current evangelism stats.
reaching hardest atheist, un-reached countries even FLC.
God is so HUGE!!! Let’s live life trusting Him to do HUGE things!
Tozer - “Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its trust not in the living God but in dying men.”
