Series: Taking Off The Mask [#3]
I DOUBT IT
Mark 9:21-24
Introduction:
Have you ever had doubts about your spiritual life? I have dealt with many doubts through the years and here a few of them:
I doubt that…
* I’m saved.
How could a person that is saved behave as I do? How could a person that is saved keep making the same mistakes over and over again?
* I’m called.
How could God use someone like me? If God really called me to serve, then why can’t I seem to get it right?
* Church really matters.
I can worship anywhere. It seems that all we do at church is go through the motions. It doesn’t seem like all of this really matters.
The truth is…
* I doubt God.
1. How do we overcome our doubts?
In Mark 9, we find a man who had brought his son to Jesus’ Apostles, and they could not heal him. Jesus had been on the mountain with Peter, James, and John being transfigured. When they came down, the Apostles were arguing with the teachers of the Law because they couldn’t heal this man’s son.
Jesus had them bring the man’s son to him, and this is where Jesus shows us how to overcome our doubts.
* Acknowledge your doubts.
Mark 9:21-22
* Let Jesus meet you where you are.
Mark 9:23
* Go with the faith you have.
Mark 9:24
* He had enough faith to bring his son.
* He had enough faith to approach Jesus.
* He had enough faith to risk failure in front of the crowd.
Maybe for you, this is not enough. You just can’t get free from doubting your spiritual life.
2. How is the doubter set free?
Go with me to the 20th chapter of John. Jesus had been crucified and all of the disciples except for John had ran and hid. Many of them weren’t sure what was going on, and the main doubter of them all was Thomas.
John 20:24-28
How is the doubter set free?
* Jesus gave Thomas what he needed to believe.
God will put things in our lives to show us who He is. God is not trying to trick us. As Jesus talked to a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus about salvation, He told him that you can’t see the wind, but it is there. How do we know that the wind is there? The effects of the wind prove the existence of wind.
We should be able to see the effects of God all around us.
We need to notice also that…
* Jesus did not give it to him immediately.
John 20:29
Thomas had to work some of this doubt in his mind out. He had been angry, belligerent, etc… about this. Part of believing is knowing that God will do what He says even though it hasn’t happened yet.
Conclusion:
What are you doubting God in today? Are you ready to believe?
