“A Leap of Faith: Navigating the Shadows of Doubt”

— We continue this week in our series, “A Leap of Faith: Navigating the Shadows of Doubt

— Last week I heard from a number of you about our message last week.

— Yes, God is present in our pain, in our suffering, in our trials in death and life, God is present.

— God is a present in our victories over sin, over doubt and over unbelief.

— God desperately wants to be a relationship with us. He wants to build our faith, give us confidence, and give us a future.

— This week our topic is

"Building a Faith…In the Midst of Doubt"

— Faith is a journey, no one has “arrived.” We will FINALLY have perfect faith when we meet Jesus face-to-face.

— We have firmly established that doubt is a fact, its a fact of our lives, its a fact in our world.

— We’ve established our building faith, our growing faith… IN SPITE OF SATANS PLANS.

Faith defeats satan and his plans…

— Christ’s plan, is to reconcile us, to redeem us, to turn us from an enemy of God to one of his Saints.

— satan wishes to destroy us! And wipe any memory of us away

— This verse from last week bears repeating

— Any type of building starts with plans, a set of guidance given by the Father.

— This is true when building a house or barn; it’s also true of our personal plans

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

— And for doing this, for giving us a plan

— A plan for our welfare

— A plan for our future

— A plan to give HOPE.

What Could God Possibly Want from me?

— He wants us you… He wants our plans, our dreams, our hopes,

— He wants our doubts, our fears, our pain, our anxieties, our disappointments.

— He wants ALL of us.

— From all of that His plan is to

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

11b to give you a future and a hope.

— Your future, and your choices about your future are in God’s hands.

— He leads us to this from the New Testament

The apostles, Paul among them faced opposition and threats for preaching about Jesus.

Despite the danger, they remained fearless and resolute, proclaiming, 'We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'

Their unwavering conviction and their supernatural strength to endure hardship serves as a powerful example of Christ's empowering presence in the midst of trials.

— And leads us to say…

13 I can do all things through Him [Christ] who strengthens me.

— Remember when Paul said this he was in chains, ready to be executed, for following Jesus.

— If we would/could rewrite the verse, what might it say differently… Ah, here is my answer. NOTHING!!

— It is exactly what needed to be said at the time.

— God in his providence, or His plan for the world, gave the words to Paul, they were recorded, we get to read them, and use them on our own journey to a strong, grounded relationship with Christ.

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God can you give me strength, to do “anything?”

— First in accordance with His will and timelessness

— So then…Why do I feel so “helpless,” so weak, so incapable, so beyond help?

— Because we are listening to the wrong voices, the wrong message, we need to change the channel.

— Stuck in our heads is everything that the world, that satan or his minions , wants us to believe

— And it is FALSE!!!!

The Faith Journey is as short as a millisecond and as long as a lifetime

— Emphasis here is on the journey. It takes time… sometimes a lifetime

— Let me give an example… We arrived here in Sunnyside on September 1, 2018.

— On the 19th, I met in prayer with some giants in my life.

— Jack Cooper and Marge __________ we made a covenant… a long-standing promise.

— To pray first for… revival in us! In our church! Revival in Sunnyside, in Washington, in The United States and in the world.

— I’m still waiting to see it all… I’m waiting are you?

Your Faith Journey requires that you believe, and that you are willing to wait.

— “The wait”

— It’s our most difficult time

— It’s also what makes us different than the world.

Our Hope is centered on a unseen God and Jesus who checks all of the boxes, all of the time FOREVER!!

“Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself. John Ortburg

— Our main passage today is a difficult one to figure out God’s intent

— Let’s get to it

— Turn in the bibles in the rack in front of you to page 847; Of course in your own bible on app on your phone. To the Gospel of Mark; Chapter 11

— Here is doubt this week

Can we have enough faith to really move a mountain?

Mark 11:22–24 ESV

22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

— In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus teaches His disciples about the power of faith.

— He uses the analogy of moving mountains to illustrate the limitless potential of faith in God. — —- Let's explore this passage and learn how we can cultivate a faith that moves mountains in our lives.

Point #1 - The Command to Have Faith

Mark 11:22 (ESV)

22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.”

— As we look at the whole of scripture; everything in here I think we can summarize by that statement

— from Genesis through Revelation

— HAVE FAITH… Have Faith in God; and in His Son Jesus.

Point #2 - Speaking in Faith

— Let’s speak in faith the way that the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 11, Verse 23 says

Mark 11:23 ESV

23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

— First and most importantly.

— Jesus words are spoken with the authority of God; because He is God

— We must speak in Faith, in authority… Sometimes as though it has already happened.

“Speaking to a “Mountain?”

— Please understand that among scripture there are a variety of styles used to make a point

— Here Jesus is using an analogy. An A + B = C

This mountain is to be moved + Faith that it can be moved = HUGE increase in Faith.

Point #3 - What are the “mountains” in your life?

— Is your in your marriage in a mess,

— Are you compromising your values, for gain?

— Is your health suffering?

— Are you DONE faking a spiritual life when you have NONE?

— Begin having dominion, overcoming over this “mountain” by speaking directly to it.

— Something like this…

“In the name of Jesus…”

I pray against satan who is destroying my marriage.

I pray against cancer!!

I pray that I can live my life for Christ.

I pray against my worldly desires.

— Faith involves unwavering belief in God's ability to act on our behalf.

— When it is in accordance with God’s will and His timing… Your faith is stronger than any evil

— And your deepest needs will be answered.

— I’ve held the applications to the end today.

— After communion I’m going to make a call for anyone needing prayer for a “mountain” in their life that they want MOVED to come forward and just have a seat

— One of our Elders or I will pray with you.

What should I do now?

1. Cultivate a lifestyle of faith by studying God's Word.

2. Speak words of faith over your circumstances.

3. Approach prayer with boldness believing that God will answer.

4. Surrender your desires to God, trust His plans for you.

5. Encourage others to develop a faith that “moves mountains” by sharing your story of faith.

— We’ve covered a lot of ground this morning

— My hope and prayer for you is that as you face the world with your faith, that you use every spiritual weapon that you have to defeat satan at every step.

Let’s Pray

— God we are in awe of your love for us.

— In spite of us moving our lives away from you, you still love us.

— God I pray that those “mountains in our lives” can and will be moved by our Faith.

— God we thank you, knowing as we pray you hear and act of those prayers

— God give us courage to stay connected with you when you say, “no” or “wait.”

— God we thank you for the timeless lessons you have given us today.

Communion [Elders/Servers Please Come Forward]

Matthew 26:26–29 (ESV)

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,

28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

— We practice open communion here at First Baptist… If you are a believer in Christ you are welcome at our table this morning.

— As we come to the communion table pause and reflect on your own sin and transgressions. Confess all of your sins to the only who matters… God

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— as is our practice on Communion Sundays someone will be at the back door to accept your donations to our Benevolent Offering. Supporting the needs of those in our body and community.

— Join us in the back of the church, in the Well after our service to share a treat and meet someone new, or embrace a brother or sister. Just have a bit of fun.

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After communion…

— If you would like to come forward and ask for prayer now is the time

— As the music plays, and we stand as the team leads in our last song

— Make your way forward and sit in the front pew and one of the Elders or I, will come and pray with you.

Closing

Mark 11:24 ESV

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Amen!!!