Overcoming Doubt

Matthew 21:21-22 (NKJV) 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Introduction:

• Having faith…
• Overcoming doubt…
• Praying right prayers…
• Believing and receiving…

1. Breaking the habit of doubting.

Matt 21:21 if you have faith and do not doubt,

1.1. How often do we lean towards doubting first rather than believing.

1.1.1. It is easier to doubt something than it is to believe something.

1.1.2. Having faith in something requires time and energy.
1.1.3. Doubting something requires nothing.

1.1.4. Anything worth having is worth your time and effort.
1.1.5. Overcome doubt once and you can rest assured that you will have to overcome it again. And again. And again.

1.2. Be willing to admit when we are doubting.

Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV) 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

1.2.1. There is a battle raging within.

1.2.2. Belief vs. Unbelief.
1.2.3. The Father believed, he wanted to believe, he needed to believe, but he was also aware of the presence of the temptation to doubt.
1.2.4. One step in receiving your promise is to be honest with your self.

1.3. Doubting is a thief of the promises of God.

James 1:6-7 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

1.3.1. Are you being tossed around by the winds of the world.
1.3.2. My experience reminds me to “resist the devil and he will flee from you”

2. They were just common men.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

2.1. They were just common men.

2.1.1. Uneducated and untrained.
2.1.2. Common: idiōtēs; from 2398; a private person, i.e. (by implication) an ignoramus (compare “idiot”): — ignorant, rude, unlearned.
2.1.2.1. a private person as opposed to a magistrate, ruler, king. a common soldier, as opposed to a military officer. a writer of prose as opposed to a poet; an unlearned, illiterate, man as opposed to the learned and educated: one who is unskilled in any art

2.2. Boldness comes from being with Jesus.

2.2.1. freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech
2.2.2. free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance

2.3. There is a difference between speaking boldly for Christ and just speaking boldly.

Acts 4:8 (NKJV) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

2.3.1. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and therefore spoke boldly about Jesus.

3. Faith comes by being with Jesus.

3.1. SPENDING TIME WITH JESUS GETS RID OF THE DOUBT.
3.2. Having faith is not something that you have to work up with in you.
3.3. Faith comes by getting close.
3.4. Ela… like a hot air ballon rising when the fire is turned on. No engines, or wings, or high tech gadgets. Just hot air.

3.5. Faith is not displayed by the words we speak.
3.6. Faith does not begin with our actions.
3.7. Faith comes from within.
3.8. SPENDING TIME WITH JESUS GETS RID OF THE DOUBT

4. Doubting is different than just having a passing thought or temptation.

Mark 11:23 (NKJV) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

4.1. But Pastor “we all have times of doubt” , right?

4.1.1. Acting in doubt is the opposite to acting in faith.
4.1.2. To doubt is to withdraw from.
4.1.3. One who doubt the Lord withdraws their pursuit of Him.
4.1.4. Ela… Same can be said about the relationships in our life. If trust is doubted so we withdraw from giving responsibilities.

4.2. Destroying arguments

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV) 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

4.3. Doubt has a close relative called fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

4.3.1. Fear = timidity or cowardice.
4.3.2. Power, Love, Soundness.
4.3.3. Dynamis, Agape, and sophronismos (self control).

5. Developing new habits of faith requires developing a habit of being with Jesus.

Heb. 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,

5.1. Developing a habit of faith
5.2. It is time to stop doubting the truth and start forming a habit of having faith in God.
5.3. The truth is the thing that really builds a habit of faith is seeing the Lord work in your life.
5.4. Ela… The hard part is buckling in, start believing God, and wait for the Lord to do His work…

6. Showing mercy to people who are in a times of doubt.

Jude 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

6.1.1. We need to help the doubters.
6.1.2. People acting out in doubt are not the most pleasant people, which is why mercy is required.

6.1.3. Mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them

6.2. Our doubt is sometimes self inflicted.

6.2.1. Ela… like unrealistic expectations in a marriage. Things we expect out of a marriage without communicating, discussing, or even having the eagle type view to know if it is realistic.

6.3. Mercy is a close kin of compassion.

6.3.1. Let us grow in showing others compassion.

Matthew 11:29-30 (NKJV) 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

• I like to be able to say that this is all easy.
• Yoke being easy is probably better understood as manageable or better.

• Anything that requires everything could never be assumed to be easy.
• But possible!