SERMOM #6 DOUBT

[Pastor Josh]

SERMOM #6 DOUBT The definition of the word doubt is: uncertainty of mind. We all have our doubts about many things that we run into throughout our lives; for instance, you may doubt that you will pass a test or quiz at school. You may have doubts about whether or not you will make it through a tough situation. You may even have a doubt that you will live to see another day. Many people have there doubts about Christianty and pass it off as mere religion or myth without paying any attention to the truths that are staring them right in the face. Since I have been a Christian I am fortunate in that I have not ever once lost my faith or doubted our Father's word; however, before I turned into a Christian my life was full of doubts about everything not to mention GOD. Throughout my life I have had spiritual experiences both positive and negative but I always equated them with the unknown or things beyond comprehension. This type of doubt can lead one serching for answers in all the wrong places like, secular books, pagan beliefs, sourcery, which craft, aliens, ghosts and satanism just to name a few. Without God in your life you are truly lost and you have absolutely nothing to look forward to in life. You are basically a dead man walking with 75 yrs. Of life to contemplate the fact that you will one day die without the hope of eternal life. You see it is only through Jesus Christ that  we can attain eternal life all other pathways that claim to have the answer are vain and can even bring you closer to death. Some people have such sever doubts that they can no take what life may throw at them and they give up by taking there own life or try to numb themselves with drugs and other temporary distractions that are just that distractions designed to take your mind off of the inevitable which is the fact that you have nothing to look forward to except death if you do not have God in your life. We can even take it a step further you can't even know what love is without seeing it first hand from our Beloved Father. Our Father loves us so much that he was willing to sacrifice his only begotten son for our salvation. He loves us so much that if you believe on Him you will not have any doubts, you will know how to deal with situations and you will also be able to reflect his love for you onto the rest of the world whether it be with your families, children, friends or even your enemies. Now just because you say you believe and have faith doesn't mean your home free and that you will never have doubts or lose faith. You have to seek God out, you have to diligetly search the scriptures. You have to follow God's law and strive to do good not only for yourself but for others as well you must perform good works, tithe to where you are fed and love thy neighbor a thy self. If God see's you struggling and strive to live by His word he will hear you and take care of you as it says in Psa 34:17  The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. You should also take great joy in your faith and in His Word and you will be rewarded it says in Psa 37:4  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Uncertainty of mind is something us Christians must strive to overcome for you are lucky in that you have faith and faith is knowing that our Father loves us and that He will protect us and reward us with eternal life. Most people who don't have faith doubt that the Christ performed miricles in front of thousands, they doubt the resurrection. The kenites doubt that YSHUA was the messiah and they are still waiting for him to come. There are doubts about whether or not Christ will return. And there are plenty of reasons for these type of doubts; for example, Satan, unbelief, worldly wisdom, the ego, the flesh, pride, political correctness, spiritual instability and many other reasons that I have not mentioned but how can doubt removed from ones mind. What does it take to achieve faith and understanding? How do we remove doubt from our fragile minds and get with Christ with our undying faith? The answer is by searching the scriptures, putting God to the Test and by beliving His word. You know that Bible has alot to say about these things so lets search the scriptures and put away doubt for good. Go ahead and open up your Bibles to the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew Ch. 12 but before we do let us open up in Prayer to our Heavenly Father... I. Doubt is the object of Christ's Miricles by those who do not believe:
Mat 12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29  Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Many people doubt that the ressurection took place. Christ was not flashy when He was ressurected he did not do this for the whole world to see but He did this so that His follower, that is, his apostles and disciples whom already believed on Him would be strengthend and with there faith renewed could go out into the world and continue the ministry that Christ began with fresh vigor being an inspiration to all the new comers.
Joh 20:24  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Joh 20:25  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Joh 20:26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Joh 20:27  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
There are those critics in the past and present that would like to claim that He was not the Messiah
Luk 7:19  And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
Luk 7:20  When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying,
Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
Luk 7:21  And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Luk 7:22  Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
Luk 7:23  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Doubt is also the object of Christ's Return by many
2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
What are the primary causes of Doubt: 1. Satan
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
2. Unbelief
Luk 1:18  And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Luk 1:19  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
Luk 1:20  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
3. Worldly Wisdom (The Carnal Mind)
1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
4. Spirital Instability
Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jas 1:7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
We Can Remove Doubt By Searching The Scriptures:
Act 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Act 17:12  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
We can remove doubt by putting GOD to the test:
Jdg 6:36  And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Jdg 6:37  Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
Jdg 6:38  And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Jdg 6:39  And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but
this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Jdg 6:40  And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Believing God's Word:
Luk 16:27  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
Luk 16:28  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luk 16:30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
If you do not believe all of GOD'S Word the you cannot believe any part of it. It is only by serching the scripures earnestly for the answers to the questions in you hearts and mind. The answers are all there all you have to do is look for them. You must learn to rightfull divide the wordby understaning the subject and the object of God's word when you read chapter by chapterand verse by verse. The bible is not something that you can read once and expect get anythi out of it except for some lessons and stories and perhaps some history and geography. However reading it non stop will keep you hungering for more and the more you stick to it the more truth and seeds of information God will bless you with. The bible is something that you should read every single day of your life without exception. No amount is too little and no amount is too much we all have our own appetites, just keep at it and watch what happends to you as your mind and sould absorb the truth and teaches you how to live a good Christian life here on earth. You will be shocked when you realize that your are being transformed like clay in the hands of God. You will find yourself praying for your enemies rather then contending them. You will find yourself becoming a giver as well as a scholar in God's Word. When you pray ask God for guidance, and that He will show you a sign letting you know that He is listening. Pray for wisdom and eyes to see and ears to hear and He will grant you what you need. By putting God to the test, searching the scriptures and Believing on Him we can remove doubt from our lives and rejoice in faith and knowing that through your faith you will be rewarded with the our Father's Grace (thats unmerited favor) and eternal life as inheritors of God's Kingdom.We know that Christ Performed Miricles, He was the Messiah, He was Ressurected and that he will return at the 7th trump to bring His kindom here on Earth. We know these things becasue God's word tells us so.
Thats the message for today I am Pastor Josh signing off until next time may peace be with you always and God bless you!
Copyright © 2014 Pastor Josh Lewis