Doubt Is Not The Enemy

Bottomline: Dealing with doubt is healthy and necessary.

Intro- Gideon poop story

“I’ve spent my whole life avoiding the people Jesus spent His whole life engaging.” -Bob Goff

“Doubts are ants in the pants of faith; they keep it awake and moving.” - Frederick Buechner

From BARNA- For more than half of those who have wrestled with doubt (53%), the time spent asking honest questions about what they believe about their religion or God made their faith stronger. For another three in 10 (28%) it had no effect at all. About one in 8 (12%) lost their faith entirely, small minority (7%) say they held on to a weakened version of their faith.

Jude 22 NIV

Be merciful to those who doubt;

We need to view doubt as an opportunity to deepen faith not as the death of faith.

Matthew 28:16–17 NIV

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

People wants others to walk with them

Peter, Gideon, Moses, Thomas,

Ask questions

-Jesus always responded to questions and doubts with questions

-Nicodemus

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Walk along side them in love.

Jesus walked alongside peter...

Reason #6 – The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt. Young adults with Christian experience say the church is not a place that allows them to express doubts. They do not feel safe admitting that sometimes Christianity does not make sense. In addition, many feel that the church’s response to doubt is trivial. Some of the perceptions in this regard include not being able “to ask my most pressing life questions in church” (36%) and having “significant intellectual doubts about my faith” (23%). In a related theme of how churches struggle to help young adults who feel marginalized, about one out of every six young adults with a Christian background said their faith “does not help with depression or other emotional problems” they experience (18%).

From BARNA- For more than half of those who have wrestled with doubt (53%), the time spent asking honest questions about what they believe about their religion or God made their faith stronger. For another three in 10 (28%) it had no effect at all. About one in 8 (12%) lost their faith entirely, small minority (7%) say they held on to a weakened version of their faith.

Pray that they will find the truth.

Mark 9:24 NIV

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:21–24 NIV

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:21–29 NIV

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

“Arguments won’t change people. Simply giving away kindness won’t either. Only Jesus has the power to change people, and it will be harder for them to see Jesus if their view of Him is blocked by our big opinions.” -Bob Goff

The goal isn’t belief, its relationship.

If we believe Jesus is the truth, then we must trust that if people seek truth they will find Jesus.

“Arguments won’t change people. Simply giving away kindness won’t either. Only Jesus has the power to change people, and it will be harder for them to see Jesus if their view of Him is blocked by our big opinions.” -Bob Goff