Doubt: An Unwanted Guest
George Iles:- Doubt is the begining, not the end, of wisdom
A couple were off to a friends place. The morning was pleasant, and they enjoyed themselves until they happened to remember a certain bridge which was very old and probably unsafe, “I shall never dare to go over that bridge”, said the wife “and we can’t get across the river any other way”! “Oh” said the man, “I forgot that bridge, it is a bad place; suppose it should break through and we would fall into the river and be drowned!” “Or” said the women, adding to his complaints, supposes you should step on a rotten plank and break your leg; who would became of me and the baby?” “I don’t know responded the husband, “what would become of any of us, for I couldn’t work, and we should all starve to death.”
There they stood not going forward not going back
Until someone came along and told them that the bridge had been replaced with a new one.
Their doubts had been worse than useless.
- How do you know that God gives a flip about you?
- Doubts are like a rocking horse they will give you
something to do but they won’t get you anywhere.
DOUBT the unwanted guest
DOUBT will pester you
DOUBT will criticize you
DOUBT will irritate you
DOUBT will lie to you
DOUBT will kick the stool out from under you and
refuse to help you up
DOUBT will never offer solutions but only raises
questions
DOUBT always comes in our darkness & confusion
- Though God’s people may forget Him
- God will never forget them
- He keeps His Word
- God never gives up
Recognizing Doubt
D
ishonners God
- We operate with our senses and our own strength
O
mits the Word of God
- Yes the Word is read & even understood but never trusted
- If trusted it would be obeyed
U
nwilling to trust the Power of God
- To think who Christ is
- To know what Christ did
- Not to trust Christ is the Greatest sin we can commit
B
lames the World of God
- Other people
- Circumstances
- Even ourselves
T
errorizes the Work of God
- It Fears - The future
- What man will do
- Want
- Health
- Old Age
- Though God’s people may forget Him
- God will never forget them
- He keeps His Word
- God never gives up
- When Joseph was dropped into a pit by his own brothers God’ did not give up
- When Moses said “Here I am send Aaron
God’ did not give up
- When the delivered Israelites wanted leeks & onions instead of milk & honey
God’ did not give up
- When Aaron was making a Golden Calf at the very moment Moses received “thou shalt have no other god
God’ did not give up
- When only 2 of the 10 spies thought that their creator was more powerful than giants
God’ did not give up
- When Samson whispered into Delilah.s ear
God’ did not give up
- When Saul roared after David
God’ did not give up
- When Israel was taken by Babylon
God’ did not give up
- When He became flesh and had an assassination attempt on His life before He was 2
God’ did not give up
- When people from His own town tried to push him over a cliff
God’ did not give up
- When His own brothers ridiculed Hi,
God’ did not give up
- When He was accused of blaspheming God by people who didn’t fear God
God’ did not give up
When Peter worshiped Him at the supper and cursed him at the fire
God’ did not give up
When people spat in His face & a whip split his back
God’ did not give up
- When human hands fastened divine hands to a cross
God’ did not give up
So Why Should God Give Up On You?
- So the next time that unwanted guest walks into your life
- Escort DOUBT out to the hill called Calvary
- Point out the cross and say to him, “God gave up his son so that He would never give up on me
How To Rid Ourselves Of Doubt
Mk. 9
• Saturate yourselves with the Word of God - v.18
Mark 9:18
And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
Psalm 43:1-5 (KJV)
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou [art] the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.
• Recognize that doubt is sin - v.20
Mark 9:20
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming..
• To See Christ, To Know Christ, To Love Christ v.24
Mark 9:24
24 And straightway (Immediately) the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Doubt And Faith
Doubt sees the obstacles
Faith sees the way
Doubt sees the darkest night
Faith sees the day
Doubt dreads to take a step
Faith soars on high
Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers “I”
