Doubt
0 Amens
A. Survey Scripture…many stories that include doubt
a. some with negative outcomes … Eve and the Serpent
b. some with positive outcomes…Job (7:17 Job cries out and 42:7 God's response)
c. So where does that leave us…I would like us to ponder what it could look like to use doubt as a way to grow in faith.
d. There is a difference between doubt and being a doubter. What I am talking about are reflective people, people who struggle with doubt versus cynics/doubters or pessimists.
e. How does doubt manifest itself in your life…in the context of your spiritual life/beliefs…what do you doubt?
B. Doubt has a place in our spiritual journey…our spiritual growth
a. Doubt we can all agree is a reality…we all doubt. Some of us doubt:
i. God’s love, God’s provision, God’s presence
ii. That hope exists, doubt despair will lift
iii. Our worthiness to be loved by God, Doubt of God’s very existence
b. Some in this room even doubt God’s very existence…I remember struggling with this even after I decided to follow Jesus. I would ponder the non-existence of God and something kept me from going to the point of truly disbelieving in God…something so intangible I lack words to describe it. Kirby…haunting.
c. Ecc. 8:17 – “This reminded me that no one can discover everything God has created in our world, no matter how hard they work at it. Not even the wisest people know everything, even if they say they do.”
C. Psalm 73: 1-14; what do you notice…what stands out to you.
a. V. 2…doubt, despair, & hopelessness
b. For the Psalmist, this struggle was with the world around him. For Job the struggle was his personal loss and suffering. Doubt brings us to a point where we engage with our minds, wrestle with our feelings AND commit to something.
c. In wrestling with doubt we are forced to face the reality of our world of our existence and only then are we able to move forward towards God.
Song- Psalm 42
D. Psalm 73:15-20, Highlight v. 17 Go to the sanctuary of God… What does the Sanctuary of God look like for you?
a. Centering - One thing I do when I am in a season of doubt…a season of wrestling…wondering if God really is there for me is I meditate on a passage. Early on the passage was Mat 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
b. Remembering: 1 Sam. 7:12…Ebeneezer “the stone of help” It has taken some time for me to see the Ebeneezers in my life. Prior to that I reflected on the journey of my family, the journey of our foremothers and forefathers of the faith, I draw a lot of encouragement from the mystics who often were persecuted for their quest of union with God, and of course the stories of God in Scripture.
c. Remembering the Character of God. Ex. 34:6,7…
d. Press into community. The author of Hebrews exhorts his readers to not neglect meeting with one another. And I think in our journeys through doubt it is imperative to press into the community of faith rather than pull away as often seems safer to do. Daniel Taylor writes…“The community is “the place where the burden of doubt can be shared.” Often I have met people that are going it alone, maybe, that is some of you, maybe this is the first season of your life giving this church/community thing a try. Pg. 110 (Myth of Certainty)
e. Perseverance - Commitment during seasons of doubt is scary.
f. Risk - Kierkegaard as he examines the story of Abraham and Isaac in Gen 22 refers to a paradox and at other times he refers to as “by the virtue of the absurd” Abraham is willing to sacrifice Isaac.
There is risk involved to pushing through doubt.
Song- Spirit, Guide Me
E. Psalm 73:21—28,
a. Keep in mind the events and season that this psalmist writes about occurred not in a day or two but more likely occurred over a period of time that could even have been months or years. Or even the whole of the psalmist’s life.
b. The psalmist pushed through his despair, his doubt, his questions and found hope. I am wondering if in our rush to dismiss doubt, questioning, confusion we miss an opportunity to see God.
c. God is unchanging…I think the risk of pushing through the doubt, the questions is accepting that something in us needs to change, something we often have held on to as a false guide.
2 songs- Change, You Are So Good To Me
wrap –up: It’s been a pretty heavy topic and I want to give you space to comment or question…what do you want to say.
announcements- Bob
blessing - Chip
Read Morea. some with negative outcomes … Eve and the Serpent
b. some with positive outcomes…Job (7:17 Job cries out and 42:7 God's response)
c. So where does that leave us…I would like us to ponder what it could look like to use doubt as a way to grow in faith.
d. There is a difference between doubt and being a doubter. What I am talking about are reflective people, people who struggle with doubt versus cynics/doubters or pessimists.
e. How does doubt manifest itself in your life…in the context of your spiritual life/beliefs…what do you doubt?
B. Doubt has a place in our spiritual journey…our spiritual growth
a. Doubt we can all agree is a reality…we all doubt. Some of us doubt:
i. God’s love, God’s provision, God’s presence
ii. That hope exists, doubt despair will lift
iii. Our worthiness to be loved by God, Doubt of God’s very existence
b. Some in this room even doubt God’s very existence…I remember struggling with this even after I decided to follow Jesus. I would ponder the non-existence of God and something kept me from going to the point of truly disbelieving in God…something so intangible I lack words to describe it. Kirby…haunting.
c. Ecc. 8:17 – “This reminded me that no one can discover everything God has created in our world, no matter how hard they work at it. Not even the wisest people know everything, even if they say they do.”
C. Psalm 73: 1-14; what do you notice…what stands out to you.
a. V. 2…doubt, despair, & hopelessness
b. For the Psalmist, this struggle was with the world around him. For Job the struggle was his personal loss and suffering. Doubt brings us to a point where we engage with our minds, wrestle with our feelings AND commit to something.
c. In wrestling with doubt we are forced to face the reality of our world of our existence and only then are we able to move forward towards God.
Song- Psalm 42
D. Psalm 73:15-20, Highlight v. 17 Go to the sanctuary of God… What does the Sanctuary of God look like for you?
a. Centering - One thing I do when I am in a season of doubt…a season of wrestling…wondering if God really is there for me is I meditate on a passage. Early on the passage was Mat 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
b. Remembering: 1 Sam. 7:12…Ebeneezer “the stone of help” It has taken some time for me to see the Ebeneezers in my life. Prior to that I reflected on the journey of my family, the journey of our foremothers and forefathers of the faith, I draw a lot of encouragement from the mystics who often were persecuted for their quest of union with God, and of course the stories of God in Scripture.
c. Remembering the Character of God. Ex. 34:6,7…
d. Press into community. The author of Hebrews exhorts his readers to not neglect meeting with one another. And I think in our journeys through doubt it is imperative to press into the community of faith rather than pull away as often seems safer to do. Daniel Taylor writes…“The community is “the place where the burden of doubt can be shared.” Often I have met people that are going it alone, maybe, that is some of you, maybe this is the first season of your life giving this church/community thing a try. Pg. 110 (Myth of Certainty)
e. Perseverance - Commitment during seasons of doubt is scary.
f. Risk - Kierkegaard as he examines the story of Abraham and Isaac in Gen 22 refers to a paradox and at other times he refers to as “by the virtue of the absurd” Abraham is willing to sacrifice Isaac.
There is risk involved to pushing through doubt.
Song- Spirit, Guide Me
E. Psalm 73:21—28,
a. Keep in mind the events and season that this psalmist writes about occurred not in a day or two but more likely occurred over a period of time that could even have been months or years. Or even the whole of the psalmist’s life.
b. The psalmist pushed through his despair, his doubt, his questions and found hope. I am wondering if in our rush to dismiss doubt, questioning, confusion we miss an opportunity to see God.
c. God is unchanging…I think the risk of pushing through the doubt, the questions is accepting that something in us needs to change, something we often have held on to as a false guide.
2 songs- Change, You Are So Good To Me
wrap –up: It’s been a pretty heavy topic and I want to give you space to comment or question…what do you want to say.
announcements- Bob
blessing - Chip
Comments:
Login to post comments