No Doubt
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· 5 viewsWhat it means to believe
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I. Introduction
A. Mark 9:24
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Introduction:
How great and powerful statement we see in the anguished plea of a father to Jesus in Mark 9:24, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Faced with the uncertainty of his son being plagued by unclean spirits, his only hope was Jesus. These words echo through the corridors of time, resonating with the struggles that many of us face—the tension between faith and doubt, belief and uncertainty. In the fabric of our lives, woven with moments of joy and trials, there exists a delicate interplay between our conviction in God's promises and the whispering shadows of doubt.
B. Setting the Stage: The encounter of Jesus with the fig tree and His teaching on faith
Today, our journey into the text of Mark 11:15-25 invites us to witness the encounter of Jesus with a barren fig tree and His subsequent teachings on the unyielding power of faith. In a world where doubt prowls like a prowling lion, seeking to devour our confidence and shake the foundations of our beliefs, we are summoned to stand resolute, unwavering in our trust in the infallible word of our Creator.
C. Theme: Emphasizing the importance of not doubting God at His word
We talk all the time about belief, just believe, it is one of those easier said than done statements. To believe in something is the true definition of faith, it is that cry of the father trying to get his son healed, Lord I believe help my unbelief.
II. The Power of Faith
II. The Power of Faith
A. Definition of Faith
We then start by defining faith.
1. Hebrews 11:1 pg 1283
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
To have assurance of things hoped for, is to believe that whatever that thing is that you are hoping for will happen, even if that things does not make sense. Thus we will see in just a minute the passage in which Jesus tells us if we have faith the grain of a mustard seed we can say to this mountain be moved and it will move.
Hebrews then says the conviction of things not seen, in other words we are convinced that Jesus was born in managed, lived a perfect sinless life, taught what it means to have faith, was crucified, died and then three days later rose from the dead, and lives forever and ever. All things which we have not seen, but know with certainty have happened because of the testimony of the eye witnesses, the writings of the prophets, apostles and believers who were inspired by God to write all of this done, so that we can what? Believe. Believe int eh only begotten son of God Jesus Christ our savior.
B. Faith Moves Mountains
1. Matthew 17:20 pg 1045
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Lord I believe, help my unbelief. To move a mountain seems so impossible, yet it is the very thing that Jesus says, if you just have faith, it can be moved. I have heard all kinds of different analogies over the years, how the mountain in our lives can be moved, if we just believe, why these lean towards eisegesis, that is reading yourself into the text when it isn’t really about you. It is however teaching us what it does mean to heave faith, to believe beyond what are minds say is possible, beyond what our deceitful hearts say is logical, it is trust God in the impossible.
C. Illustration: What we went through with Kaleb. Pointing to trusting God even when it seemed impossible
III. The Danger of Doubt
III. The Danger of Doubt
A. Doubt Hinders
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Doubt is what Satan want us to be in, to not believe, it is the anti-gospel, if we do not believe God, then we end up like him, in misery where logic reigns, doubt is the opposite of faith.
1. James 1:6-8 pg 1288
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. James emphasizes that doubt makes us uncertain of the truth, tosses us from this to that, it is the enemies favorite tool for uncertainty causes stress, causes us to worry, causes us to live like there is no hope. It is a sad affair that is happening today the amount of doubt being placed all around us.
Just yesterday someone shared with me a video of someone trying to convince everyone that this latest solar eclipse that is coming up is a sign for the end of the world, and as you watch, it conveniently turns to if you send money to their ministry you too can learn the secrets of end of times. There is no secret, its all written right here in the book, read it for yourself, there is no secret rapture, Jesus is going to return, you will be saved, if you believe in Jesus Christ, believe the gospel that he died for you, the end will come but it does not matter how it plays out, because we have the assurance and promise given by God that he has saved us and how it plays out is insignificant to the fact that it is.
This is where it takes faith, believing God, over what the world will try and sell you.
B. The Fig Tree Withered
1. Mark 11:20-21 pg 1078
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus cursed the fig tree, and the disciples were amazed when they saw it withered from the roots. I wonder what was the part that amazed them the most, that Jesus had cursed the tree for not producing fruit, the fact that it withered, or that it happened so quickly. It withered from the time they were heading into Jerusalem, Jesus cleared the temple, and by the afternoon evening when they come back by it was withered and dead.
In there surprise Jesus uses it to teach them, to teach us what it means to have faith. First to move mountains in verse 23, but then also verses 24 and 25
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Ask in prayer and you will receive it, exactly what James said, ask in prayer, do not doubt, just believe. Then Jesus really gets to the gospel,
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Forgiveness, that is the summation of the gospel, to forgive, because we have been forgiven of so much. I can tell you if there is a harder thing to have faith in it is that to forgive someone who has done us wrong, who has said things against us, who have harmed us in some way. Forgiveness requires more faith than anything else, and to believe we are forgiven is even more difficult, we see how hard it is for us to forgive, then we think how can God knowing everything thing I have done, even in just my heart, oh then there is no way.
Yet in spite of all that Jesus died for you anyways, and had even just been you he would have still done it, yet for the whole world, for all the sins, for all people, that is incredibly good news. Still though the devil likes to sit there and say are you sure, are you sure your sins are forgiven, you haven’t forgiven your brother or sister, why should God forgive you. God knows that sin you have commited, even though everyone else doesn’t know, God does, certainly God cannot forgive that.
Again Satan always wants to cause doubt. We doubly must say then believe God at his word, believe it when it says that if you confess your sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Yes your sins are forgiven Jesus has died for your sins, and rose again, just believe in that, trust God at his word, do not doubt.
C. Illustration: The Parable of the Sower Matthew 13:3-9
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Jesus then explains what each one means
“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
1. The seed that fell among thorns represents those who hear the word but allow the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth to choke out the message, leading to doubt and unfruitfulness.
IV. Overcoming Doubt
IV. Overcoming Doubt
A. Cling to God's Promises
How do we overcome doubt?
First thing is to read God’s word, study it, and most of all believe it, they are the stories of faith, examples of those who have lived in that trusting God, and then also leading to Jesus himself, who really shows us what it means to trust beyond understanding, to have faith that leads to the cross, trusting as a child, the faith it takes. Then not only that but it also gives us the hope knowing that he accomplished what we never could, perfect in every way, without sin, and yet he took our sin upon himself, died on the cross and rose again from the dead, to prove he was the son of God, in the very nature of God and God incarnate.
The first born from the dead, and our only hope, while we were still sinners he died for us. Giving us these promise, the forgiveness of sins, redemption from the evil one of this world, and most of all life eternal.
1. 2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
B. Pray with Confidence
1. Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
I love this passage again we reiterated the necessity of prayer, praying to God, ask what you need, trust that he will deliver, and believing with your whole heart. Most of all though, to not be anxious, there are so many things to be anxious about today, inflation, government corruption, whether we can afford to by gas to get to work, enough money to by our next meal, can we pay the rent next month. Do not be anxious, but in every situation prayer, petition with thanksgiving, trusting God, knowing he will take care of you.
Again it is easy to say, believe, we must be like that father knowing Jesus could heal his son, I believe, help my unbelief.
Amen.
