WEBVTT

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Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton,

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the official podcast of Cross -Christian Fellowship,

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Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico,

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where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're

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here. Well, good morning, everybody. I'm not

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sure if we're online or we're online. I'm not

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sure if we have an online audience or not, but

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if not, we have our audience, so that's all good,

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too. What's ever going on is what the Lord wanted

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to go on today. You know, because he's in charge,

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we're not. We just work for him. And it's such

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a blessing to be able to work for God because

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a lot of years I worked against God. And it's

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a lot nicer being on this side of the fence for

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sure. But tonight's message, we're going to talk

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about times of doubt. You know, and I don't care

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how long you've been a Christian, you're going

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to have doubt in your life at times. You know,

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it just goes with it. As long as we carry around

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his flesh with us, we're going to have doubt.

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You know, is God really going to do this for

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me? You know, I mean, some people even waver

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back. You know, am I really saved or this or

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that? You know, and. You know, it's nothing more

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than letting the flesh take over, you know, rather

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than your spiritual side winning the battle,

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you know, because there's an ongoing battle,

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and that battle is going to go on until the day

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we die, the flesh versus the spirit. And, I mean,

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even David, okay, we're going to start off with

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Psalm 13, you know, if you want to go there real

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quick. We're going to jump around a little today.

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We're going to have about 10 verses we're going

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to get into. But Psalm 13. And David was one

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that, in the beginning, he had a great relationship

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with God. You know, he believed, he had faith,

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he went and slew Goliath, and that was all through

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faith. You know, he knew that there was nobody

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that could stand in the way of his God, and he

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took that against Goliath, and he won. But later

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on, David committed adultery, and then that sin

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is what caused a lot of the doubt in his life.

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Sin is definitely going to put a wedge between

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you and God, no matter how small the sin or how

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big the sin is. When you sin, you put up a wall

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between you and God, and what happens? The flesh

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creeps in. So Psalm 13, how long, O Lord, will

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you forget me forever? How long will you hide

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your face from me? How long shall I take counsel

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in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?

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How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider

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and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes,

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lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemies

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say I have prevailed against him. Lest those

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who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. but I

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have trusted in your mercy. My heart shall rejoice

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in your salvation, and I will sing to the Lord,

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because he has dealt bountiful with me. Lord,

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I just pray this morning that you speak through

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me, and Lord, touch hearts, and just let people

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walk away from here changed from something that

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you say, Lord. It's not me. I just hope I opened

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my heart enough for you to be able to speak through

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me. and just give the message that needs to be

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heard today, and that it actively changes lives

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for the better. And I just ask all this through

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your holy name. Amen. So, issues of faith and

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doubt just have an impact on Christians of every

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maturity level. I don't care how long you've

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been walking with the Lord, you're going to have

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times of doubt. Look at David. You know, after

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slaying the giant of their times, okay? He ended

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up having doubts. You know, I don't know if he

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was sitting in a cave when he wrote this, but

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there's a lot of David's Psalms that are kind

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of on the dark side, you know? Saying, Lord,

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where are you? I don't see you. I don't feel

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you anymore. You know, have you forsaken me?

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Are you ever coming back? So he was, David was

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filled with doubts, just like a lot of us. When

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we go through hard times, it's, Lord, where are

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you? I've been praying. I'm on my knees. Let

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me hear from you, Lord. And nothing happens,

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you know? And we just go on. I mean, and, you

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know, this topic is presented in ways that are

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confusing and only increase people's faith about

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their doubt. You know, is it wrong to have doubts?

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And it's not. It's not good to have doubts, but

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yet, you know, it's going to happen. And we have

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to accept that. But there are things you can

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do, and we'll get into that later. If faith pleases

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God, I mean, everywhere in Scripture you'll read,

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That the only things that please God are done

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in faith, right? So what do we do with our doubt?

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Are our questions a sign that we lack saving

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faith? Is doubt the opposite of faith? Is faith

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about making ourselves feel certain? And those

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are critical and often brought up questions through

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everybody. I think there's this facade that you've

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been saved for a long time. You're not supposed

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to have doubt or fear or any of that anymore.

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But we do, you know, because it's part of the

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flesh. And there's a battle, you know. Paul talks

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about the battle between, you know, the new man

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and the old man. And it goes on, you know. Sometimes

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the old man wins. Sometimes the new man wins.

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But we have to discard the old man. And the more

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we discard of that, the less of the battle there

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is. You know, as we grow in Christ, I mean, our

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doubt should not be like it once was, you know.

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I remember every day, am I really saved or am

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I not saved? Am I saved or am I not saved? And

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somebody says, well, if you're asking about it,

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that means you really are saved or else you wouldn't

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be worried about it, you know, because you obviously

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believe in God. But that wasn't enough of an

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answer, you know. And finally, you know, in time.

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I just stopped asking the question, and I realized

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I wasn't asking the question anymore if I was

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saved or not because God removed that doubt from

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me. And that's what happens as we work towards

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becoming mature Christians. These doubts start

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falling away. So here's some verses about faith

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and doubt to help illuminate the differences

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and maybe even some similarities between faith

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and doubt. Let's look at these and see what Scripture

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has to say about this. Okay, so the first verse

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we're going to look at is Proverbs 3, 5 through

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8. And it says, okay, verse 5. Trust in the Lord

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with all your heart and lean not on your own

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understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him.

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and he shall direct your paths. Do not be wise

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in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from

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evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength

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to your bones. Okay, when it comes to having

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faith, the Bible often portrays it as a question

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of those perspectives we intend to rely on. We

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can lean into what we know and understand about

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God and his ways. Or we can trust in our own

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understanding. You know, and a lot of times doubt

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comes in because we're leaning on our own, trying

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to lean on our own understanding. Why did you

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do this, God? You know, instead of trusting that

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God knows best and, you know, trying to see it

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from God's eyes. And sometimes when I try to

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see things from God's eyes and I say, God, just

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show me for a minute how you see this that's

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going on in my life. And I get a glimpse of that.

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It changes the whole perspective. You know, I

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can see why God is putting me through that trial

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at that time. And then it starts making sense,

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and it's easier. I mean, it's still hard, but,

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you know, if I don't lean on my own understanding

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to try to figure it out, God, why aren't you

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doing this? That's me saying that, you know.

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God, can you do this, you know? I'm sick. Can

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you heal me? You know, maybe God doesn't want

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to heal me. Maybe there's a grander purpose in

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being sick, and that's to help somebody else.

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Me and Mike were talking about this before service.

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When I was going to Shepherd School, I ended

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up having prostate cancer, and I had my prostate

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removed and that. And the reason afterwards I

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found out why I had prostate cancer and went

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through all that fear and everything was because

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a friend of mine in Shepherd School got diagnosed

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with cancer. and I was able to be there for him.

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And that meant so much more than my own fear

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and my own cancer, being able to be there for

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somebody else. And that's seeing something through

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God's eyes and not seeing it through my eyes.

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You know, and that's how that perspective changes,

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you know? Trust in the Lord with all your heart

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and lean not on your understanding. You know,

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in all your ways, acknowledge him. And don't

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pray for God to show you... You know, what his

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knowledge is for you and not really want it.

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You know, so many times we do that. God, show

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me what you want. And are we really being truthful

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with God or are we just saying that to pacify

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him and hope there's an easier way that he sees

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it? But, you know, we have to be honest. And

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that's where the faith comes in that, hey, if

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we're going to ask God, you know, for his wisdom,

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then we have to be really wanting his wisdom

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and let go of ours. So in addressing faith, the

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topic really begins right there. Are we willing

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to concede that there are limitations to our

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understanding? Are we willing to put the Lord

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to the test? The issue is never about what we

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conceive ourselves we believe. We can say we

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trust God while leaning on our own understanding

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to make decisions. How many times do I do that,

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God? Show me every foot by foot today of what

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I'm supposed to do. Make every decision for me.

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But yet as soon as I walk out the door, there's

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a decision. And I don't even think about God.

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I just do what impulsively comes. I must do that

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50 million times a day. And it's not stopping

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anymore like in the beginning. It used to be,

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God, what do you want me to eat for lunch? God,

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what do you want me to have for a snack? God,

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what do you want me to do with this? Everything

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I would ask God, okay? And I would do what he

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told me in my heart, okay? But then, you know,

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I get caught up in the busyness of life, and

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it's like, you know, where's God? You know, I'm

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going out. I'm praying in the morning saying,

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God, you know, show me the way. But yet, how

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much do I really want that if I'm going out and

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still making decisions, you know, just impulsively?

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And I'm the most impulsive person I know. So,

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you know, we have to be willing to let God show

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us. You know, as this passage points out, it's

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only as we submit to God's way that our path

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begins to straighten. And we can stay on our

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own path as long as we want. But as soon as we

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truly start asking God for wisdom and trusting

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the Lord with all our heart, then our life is

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drastically going to change. Because he will,

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you know, and that will always reveal where our

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faith is. Are we going down the easy road or

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are we avoiding the harder road that God really

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wants us to go down? You know, and I always would

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like to try to take the easy way. Even Jesus

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did in the garden. You know, Father, if there

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is any way that we can avoid me having to suffer,

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you know, please deem it so. But I am willing

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to go through with this to drink this cup of

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wrath. You know, even Jesus, because his flesh

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didn't want to go through the crucifixion, he

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prayed that, you know, hopefully there was a

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better way. But yet he was perfectly willing

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to do the will of the Father. You know, so even

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Jesus, at his time, you know, there was doubt.

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Because if there wasn't any doubt, he never would

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have even asked that question. He would have

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just went through it. That never would have been

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recorded in Scripture. It's not that Jesus didn't

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believe God. He believed God, of course, but

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he was hoping there was an easier way, you know,

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but there isn't. There wasn't. Okay, and number,

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verse number two. And this was, okay, this is

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Matthew 14, 28 through 31. And I think we all

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know this story pretty well. So if we can turn

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there quick. There's just three verses here.

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This is Matthew 14, 28, 31. And Peter answered

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him and said, Lord, if this was when they were

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out in the boat and the storm was happening and

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Peter and the disciples saw Jesus walking on

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the water. First of all, you know, I got to give

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the disciples credit, okay? Even though they

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didn't get out of the boat, they had enough belief

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to know that that was Jesus walking on the water.

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They could have said, no, that's a demon. That's

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something else. That's not Jesus. But they believed

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it was Jesus. So, you know, you got to give them

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a little credit anyway for their faith being

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that small, but enough to believe that Jesus

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was walking on the water. I mean, would we all

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in this room, if we saw Jesus walking on the

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water, would we believe it? Who knows, you know?

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Maybe, maybe not, you know? Because that's a

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pretty tall order in a storm. And so he said,

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okay. And Peter answered him and said, Lord,

00:14:10.529 --> 00:14:13.110
if it is you, command me to come to you on the

00:14:13.110 --> 00:14:16.549
water. So he said, come. And when Peter had come

00:14:16.549 --> 00:14:19.250
down out of the boat, he walked on the water

00:14:19.250 --> 00:14:22.230
to go get Jesus. But when he saw that the wind

00:14:22.230 --> 00:14:25.129
was boisterous, he was afraid. And he began,

00:14:25.269 --> 00:14:28.769
and beginning to sink, he cried out saying, Lord,

00:14:28.889 --> 00:14:31.919
save me. And immediately Jesus stretched out

00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:34.419
his hand and caught him and said to him, Oh,

00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:38.200
you a little faith, why did you doubt? So picture

00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:40.399
this. The disciples see the Lord walking on the

00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:42.179
water towards their boat in the middle of the

00:14:42.179 --> 00:14:45.120
night. Peter calls out and says, If that's you,

00:14:45.299 --> 00:14:48.200
then call for me to come out to you. And the

00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:51.139
Lord does, okay? He calls him. Now think about

00:14:51.139 --> 00:14:53.779
this for a minute, okay? Peter stands up in the

00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:56.759
boat, throws his leg over to the side, throws

00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.379
his leg over to the other side, okay? And then

00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:01.899
he's way out of his element already. You know,

00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:04.200
he's already believing that a miracle can take

00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:07.960
place. His mind's made up. But he still gets

00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:10.440
out of the boat, okay? Matthew tells us that

00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:12.879
he actually walked on the water towards the Lord.

00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:16.120
But then he saw the wind picking up, he panicked,

00:15:16.139 --> 00:15:19.559
and he began to sink. Jesus had to come rescue

00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:21.899
the poor disciple, keeping all that in mind.

00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:25.519
Why do you imagine Jesus was trying to communicate?

00:15:26.059 --> 00:15:30.740
Peter by saying he had little faith. But, you

00:15:30.740 --> 00:15:33.139
know, check this out. Peter was the only disciple

00:15:33.139 --> 00:15:37.720
who spoke out in faith upon seeing Jesus, you

00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:39.799
know, saying, Jesus, call me and I will come.

00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:44.100
He's the only one that got out of the boat, okay?

00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:48.240
He's the only person besides Jesus who ever walked

00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:52.080
on water, okay? So why would Jesus single out

00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:55.820
his lack of faith? And I think... You know, it's

00:15:55.820 --> 00:15:59.299
not written, but I think Jesus was telling Peter,

00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.720
hey, I love you, you know. You know, you of little

00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.039
faith. He didn't mean that derogatory. He meant

00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:09.139
that out of love. You know, if you would have

00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:10.940
had just a little more faith, you could have

00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:13.679
kept walking out to me. You know, I don't think

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.460
Jesus really meant it to be derogatory at all

00:16:16.460 --> 00:16:19.279
to Peter. He was giving him a compliment, you

00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:21.679
know, and that's kind of missed in this passage

00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:25.610
that, oh, he lost. He lost sight, you know, and

00:16:25.610 --> 00:16:28.490
the miracle just got too big for Peter and he

00:16:28.490 --> 00:16:31.309
lost sight of it all. You know, sometimes when

00:16:31.309 --> 00:16:35.330
we're in the midst of a turmoil or a storm and

00:16:35.330 --> 00:16:39.669
we see Jesus working in our life, we lose track

00:16:39.669 --> 00:16:43.269
of that because we get picture, we get focused

00:16:43.269 --> 00:16:45.970
on the big miracle that Jesus is doing and we

00:16:45.970 --> 00:16:48.549
forget just to keep our eyes on him and to keep

00:16:48.549 --> 00:16:51.710
our faith. You know, the miracle gets too big

00:16:51.710 --> 00:16:56.889
for us. if you will. You know, Peter resisted

00:16:56.889 --> 00:16:59.350
every rule he knew about the sea. He was a fisherman,

00:16:59.590 --> 00:17:02.929
you know. He respected the water so much, but

00:17:02.929 --> 00:17:05.750
he got out of the boat, you know. And all his

00:17:05.750 --> 00:17:08.789
life on the sea, he never saw anybody walk on

00:17:08.789 --> 00:17:11.029
water, but he got out of the boat and walked

00:17:11.029 --> 00:17:15.710
on water, even temporarily. You know, and Jesus

00:17:15.710 --> 00:17:18.410
wasn't chastising them. He was reminding the

00:17:18.410 --> 00:17:20.470
disciple that he'd already done the hard part.

00:17:20.589 --> 00:17:23.430
He actually stepped out in faith. And stepping

00:17:23.430 --> 00:17:25.829
out in faith is the hardest part of a miracle.

00:17:26.130 --> 00:17:29.710
Whether you're starting a ministry or whatever,

00:17:29.970 --> 00:17:32.569
you know, taking that initial step is always

00:17:32.569 --> 00:17:35.829
the hardest. Once you do it, usually the Lord

00:17:35.829 --> 00:17:38.269
will, you know, open some doors for you. Sometimes

00:17:38.269 --> 00:17:41.769
not. Sometimes you step out in faith and it's

00:17:41.769 --> 00:17:45.450
like, you know, Where the heck am I? Why did

00:17:45.450 --> 00:17:48.410
I do this? You know, I don't belong here. You

00:17:48.410 --> 00:17:50.930
know, and I wrote this down. Imagine feeling

00:17:50.930 --> 00:17:53.690
called to serve in ministry, okay? You get all

00:17:53.690 --> 00:17:56.730
the training. You go to school. You prepare for

00:17:56.730 --> 00:17:58.849
it. You maybe even quit your job to go start

00:17:58.849 --> 00:18:03.930
a church. But the day you show up at your new

00:18:03.930 --> 00:18:06.690
ministry, you decide you don't want to do it

00:18:06.690 --> 00:18:09.750
anymore. You know, that's like, you know, Jesus

00:18:09.750 --> 00:18:12.170
preparing you for it, just like he did Peter

00:18:12.170 --> 00:18:14.849
walking with them all those years. But then the

00:18:14.849 --> 00:18:16.910
miracle just gets too big because somebody's

00:18:16.910 --> 00:18:19.390
already stepped out in faith to start a ministry.

00:18:19.789 --> 00:18:24.259
But yet their fear holds them back. Just a little

00:18:24.259 --> 00:18:26.480
more faith would have gotten them over the hump.

00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:28.880
A little more faith starting a ministry would

00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:32.579
get you over the hump. It's not that it's so

00:18:32.579 --> 00:18:35.240
much the lack of faith. It's that we just don't

00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:38.099
pursue it. We don't pray enough. Now, if you

00:18:38.099 --> 00:18:40.279
start a ministry and you try to do it in your

00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:42.480
own power, it's going to fail. You'll never do

00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.579
it. But there's prayer. You can have other people

00:18:45.579 --> 00:18:48.900
pray for you, and then it will happen. You know,

00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:50.940
like, I had no clue what was going to happen

00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:53.420
when I started the teen center up in the East

00:18:53.420 --> 00:18:56.299
Mountains. All I know is I had a vision. I had

00:18:56.299 --> 00:18:58.839
no money. You know, I had no building. But I

00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:01.619
knew God wanted me to do something. And, you

00:19:01.619 --> 00:19:03.599
know, I stuck with it. You know, and I asked

00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:05.819
for a lot of prayer. Everybody here was praying

00:19:05.819 --> 00:19:09.279
for it. And everybody up there. And, you know,

00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.180
now we have a youth center. You know, but it

00:19:11.180 --> 00:19:14.380
wasn't any of my doing. It was prayer. You know,

00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:18.759
I just hung in there. And there's no reason I

00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:21.339
hung in there other than the Holy Spirit. Because

00:19:21.339 --> 00:19:24.539
I know there's been times I just want to say,

00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:28.960
I'm done. This is too hard. You know, we're in

00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:30.940
the midst of finally getting ready to open and

00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:32.380
they decide they're going to sell the building

00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:35.779
on us. You know, that never happened. But I mean,

00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:37.819
those were the obstacles. So we had to stop for

00:19:37.819 --> 00:19:39.940
six months. We couldn't do anything because we

00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:41.240
weren't sure if we're going to have the building

00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:43.759
or not. You know, I didn't want to put money

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.400
into it if we weren't going to have a place.

00:19:46.089 --> 00:19:48.970
But then, you know, we backed off and we let

00:19:48.970 --> 00:19:51.150
the Lord start working again. We spent a lot

00:19:51.150 --> 00:19:53.690
of time in prayer. And before, you know, lo and

00:19:53.690 --> 00:19:55.549
behold, we end up with the lease. We've been

00:19:55.549 --> 00:19:58.750
there two years now. You know, so that's how

00:19:58.750 --> 00:20:01.210
God works. Right at your weakest moment when

00:20:01.210 --> 00:20:03.849
you think you're done, that's when he shows up.

00:20:04.289 --> 00:20:06.369
You know, just like with Peter and the boat.

00:20:06.470 --> 00:20:09.130
You know, Jesus was there. He was right there

00:20:09.130 --> 00:20:11.690
to hold Peter's hand for those last two feet.

00:20:11.769 --> 00:20:13.509
And Peter could have grabbed his hand, you know.

00:20:14.430 --> 00:20:18.250
The miracle got too big. Faith isn't something

00:20:18.250 --> 00:20:21.789
you have or don't have. It's a muscle that grows

00:20:21.789 --> 00:20:24.089
as you use it. The more you use it, the more

00:20:24.089 --> 00:20:27.210
it grows. But it still falters and fluctuates

00:20:27.210 --> 00:20:30.230
at strange moments even after the hard work is

00:20:30.230 --> 00:20:33.450
done. You know, like I said, there's times that...

00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:36.000
You do the hard part, and then it's supposed

00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.079
to be the easy part, and then that's when your

00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.660
faith actually declines because it seems like

00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:43.259
you get more faith in a moment where you have

00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:46.460
to press up against God more. And the harder

00:20:46.460 --> 00:20:49.119
it is, the moment, the more you're going to pray,

00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:51.039
the more you're going to press up against Jesus,

00:20:51.059 --> 00:20:54.500
and that's how your faith grows. Imagine if we

00:20:54.500 --> 00:20:56.700
could do that all the time, you know, during

00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:58.920
the good times and easy times. Lord, what am

00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:01.940
I going to have for lunch today? You know, instead

00:21:01.940 --> 00:21:03.799
of just assuming, hey, I'm just going to go eat,

00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:07.319
you know. Talk to God more, you know. I need

00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:10.079
to do that, you know. And that's why the sermon

00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.900
was big with me today. It's not for anybody else

00:21:12.900 --> 00:21:15.099
other than me, you know, because I go through

00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:17.480
just as much struggles with faith and doubt as

00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:25.000
anybody. Okay, now Matthew 21, 18, 22. You can

00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:41.720
turn there. Matthew 21, 18 through 22. This is

00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:44.619
about the fig tree. Now in the morning, as he

00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:47.579
returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing

00:21:47.579 --> 00:21:50.559
a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found

00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:54.039
nothing on it but leaves and said to it, Let

00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:57.059
no fruit grow on you ever again. Immediately

00:21:57.059 --> 00:22:00.819
the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples

00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:03.779
saw it, they marveled, saying, How did the fig

00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:09.319
tree wither away so soon? So Jesus answered them,

00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:12.500
And said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, if

00:22:12.500 --> 00:22:15.380
you have faith and do not doubt, you will not

00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:19.039
only do what was done to the fig tree, but also

00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.500
if you say to this mountain, be removed and cast

00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:24.500
into the sea, it will be done. And whatever things

00:22:24.500 --> 00:22:27.460
you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.819
And I find this a really interesting story. I

00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:36.150
don't understand. Other than Jesus wanting to

00:22:36.150 --> 00:22:38.130
teach a lesson, why didn't he just tell the fig

00:22:38.130 --> 00:22:41.549
tree to produce fruit if he was hungry? And then

00:22:41.549 --> 00:22:43.470
they could have all ate and would have marveled

00:22:43.470 --> 00:22:47.269
more. Why didn't he tell it to wither away? You

00:22:47.269 --> 00:22:50.890
know, I don't know. It doesn't, I don't get any

00:22:50.890 --> 00:22:53.170
more explanation from that. Maybe someday I'll

00:22:53.170 --> 00:22:55.829
ask Jesus, why did he just throw some figs right

00:22:55.829 --> 00:22:59.720
there in the spot? You know, you think about

00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:01.859
little things like that. So then you have to

00:23:01.859 --> 00:23:04.380
be prepared. What was so important about this

00:23:04.380 --> 00:23:08.259
fig tree that he told it to wither away? When

00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:10.240
the disciples ask him about this, he doesn't

00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:13.640
give them the why. Instead, he focuses on teaching

00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:17.339
them a lesson on faith. Sometimes the way we

00:23:17.339 --> 00:23:20.200
interpret his lesson can make faith more of a

00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:22.779
struggle. If the key is getting things done is

00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:27.299
to never doubt, then we're all in trouble. That

00:23:27.299 --> 00:23:30.000
story is similar to this. It's just the way that

00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:33.480
Jesus decided to teach through parables, okay?

00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:36.680
Check out, I mean, in the Sermon on the Mount,

00:23:36.819 --> 00:23:39.319
right? He tells the crowd that they should cut

00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:41.680
off their hands or put out their eyes that cause

00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:46.079
them to sin. That's in Matthew 5, 27, 30. Jesus

00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:48.359
knows that sin comes from our heart, not from

00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:51.099
our limb. And he's really not encouraging these

00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:54.680
people into self -mutilation to go. poke out

00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:58.299
their eyes and cut off their limbs. He's emphatically

00:23:58.299 --> 00:24:02.220
telling them that this is really, really vital.

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.339
They need to take sin very serious to the matter

00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:09.359
of life or death and cutting off limbs. You know,

00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:12.799
if somebody says, hey, it's better for you to

00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:15.519
go cut off your arm than for you to sin by your

00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:18.730
hands, okay? It makes you stop and think. But

00:24:18.730 --> 00:24:20.609
Jesus wasn't telling all these people if they

00:24:20.609 --> 00:24:22.890
sinned to go cut off their arm. You know, it's

00:24:22.890 --> 00:24:25.589
the same thing with the fig tree. You know, he

00:24:25.589 --> 00:24:30.769
exaggerated parts of his sermon, you know, to

00:24:30.769 --> 00:24:34.190
really drive the point home. It's like, you know,

00:24:34.190 --> 00:24:37.809
if you pray for something, have faith, and you

00:24:37.809 --> 00:24:40.750
will be amazed at what you do, especially...

00:24:41.390 --> 00:24:45.130
You know, they're getting close to Jerusalem,

00:24:45.309 --> 00:24:47.670
they're getting close to the crucifixion, and

00:24:47.670 --> 00:24:49.369
they're getting close to when Jesus isn't going

00:24:49.369 --> 00:24:52.470
to be with these people anymore, right? So he's

00:24:52.470 --> 00:24:54.450
telling them in the case of the fig tree, hey,

00:24:54.789 --> 00:24:57.890
have faith. Your faith could move mountains if

00:24:57.890 --> 00:25:01.009
you let it, you know? He's not saying that, hey,

00:25:01.029 --> 00:25:04.529
go move a mountain. He's saying, you know, if

00:25:04.529 --> 00:25:08.809
you believe in what you're praying for, The sky

00:25:08.809 --> 00:25:11.690
is the limit. There's no limitations in God's

00:25:11.690 --> 00:25:14.490
world. That's human, you know, human limitations.

00:25:15.109 --> 00:25:17.970
And I bet you they thought about that after saying,

00:25:18.069 --> 00:25:21.069
we can move mountains. That's not the point he

00:25:21.069 --> 00:25:23.369
was trying to say. He's just saying that faith

00:25:23.369 --> 00:25:26.009
with prayer is such a powerful thing, it can

00:25:26.009 --> 00:25:31.069
actually move mountains. Okay, so number four

00:25:31.069 --> 00:25:41.400
is, this is Mark 9, 21 through 24. This is about

00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:47.539
the father and his son that was throwing himself

00:25:47.539 --> 00:25:49.980
in the fire and throwing him in the water and

00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:55.440
other things. So Mark 9, verse 21 through 24.

00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:57.940
So he asked his father, how long has this been

00:25:57.940 --> 00:26:02.119
happening to him? And the father says, from childhood.

00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:05.619
He has often thrown him both into the fire and

00:26:05.619 --> 00:26:08.220
into the water to destroy him. That's the demon

00:26:08.220 --> 00:26:11.279
that was inside of him. But if you can do anything,

00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:14.859
have compassion on us and help us. And Jesus

00:26:14.859 --> 00:26:17.619
said to him, you can believe. All things are

00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:21.839
possible to him who believes. So he's telling

00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:24.859
his father. Immediately the father of the child

00:26:24.859 --> 00:26:27.539
cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe.

00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:31.900
Help my unbelief. You know, and the father's

00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:34.420
expression of faith is one of the most honest

00:26:34.420 --> 00:26:37.200
and meaningful statements about doubt in the

00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:40.710
entire New Testament. Faith and doubt aren't

00:26:40.710 --> 00:26:43.210
opposing positions on the same light switch.

00:26:43.589 --> 00:26:46.329
They're often conditions that exist side by side.

00:26:46.390 --> 00:26:48.690
We have faith, but yet we have doubt, you know.

00:26:49.049 --> 00:26:51.710
We have faith. We believe it, but we don't believe

00:26:51.710 --> 00:26:54.890
it all. We believe it, but we don't believe the

00:26:54.890 --> 00:26:57.369
miracle's too big and we lose, you know, and

00:26:57.369 --> 00:27:00.730
doubt enters in. Or we have faith and sin enters

00:27:00.730 --> 00:27:03.130
in and then there's doubt. Sin will cast more

00:27:03.130 --> 00:27:06.349
doubt on everything than any other reason to

00:27:06.349 --> 00:27:10.660
have doubt. How genuine is this? How many times

00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:14.039
have we said this? Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

00:27:14.579 --> 00:27:18.400
Because we can't. We can't make ourselves believe.

00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:21.799
That has to come from inside. That's all God

00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:24.420
that makes us believe. We're all born with a

00:27:24.420 --> 00:27:27.359
very small amount of faith. Otherwise, none of

00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:31.220
us would ever come to the Lord. We're born with

00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:34.359
enough faith to either say yes or no to Jesus

00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:36.960
when he comes knocking at our door. You know,

00:27:36.980 --> 00:27:39.880
we all struggle with that. That's why when you're

00:27:39.880 --> 00:27:41.859
a kid, you lay up and look at the sky and you

00:27:41.859 --> 00:27:43.960
say, is there God, is there not God, you know?

00:27:44.579 --> 00:27:47.599
And that's that little amount of faith that we're

00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:50.079
born in. And then the day comes where we have

00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:52.500
to make a decision based on the amount of faith

00:27:52.500 --> 00:27:55.960
we have. Am I ready to give my life to God because

00:27:55.960 --> 00:27:58.980
my way ain't working? And in my case, it was

00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:02.480
going to be the death of me if I didn't. You

00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:07.190
know, so the man asked Jesus to interfere. because

00:28:07.190 --> 00:28:10.089
he does believe. He believes enough to bother

00:28:10.089 --> 00:28:13.569
asking, but he could never believe more. We could

00:28:13.569 --> 00:28:16.930
always believe more, and nothing seems more meaningful

00:28:16.930 --> 00:28:20.210
than using your existing faith to ask for more

00:28:20.210 --> 00:28:23.670
faith. You know, so if you have faith, you ask

00:28:23.670 --> 00:28:25.930
for more of it, and it will be granted to you.

00:28:25.970 --> 00:28:28.210
If you believe that, God will give you more faith.

00:28:28.730 --> 00:28:31.049
And that's what that whole thing with the fig

00:28:31.049 --> 00:28:33.710
tree is. You know, this all intertwines into

00:28:33.710 --> 00:28:36.309
the lesson of the fig tree that... You know,

00:28:36.329 --> 00:28:39.390
we have to believe, but we have to believe to

00:28:39.390 --> 00:28:42.890
ask for more faith because we don't have enough

00:28:42.890 --> 00:28:45.950
on our own. You know, we have to ask for that.

00:28:46.130 --> 00:28:50.150
That God will give it to us. And that's the point

00:28:50.150 --> 00:28:52.490
he was stressing. It's not so the disciples could

00:28:52.490 --> 00:28:54.809
move mountains, but so they would ask for more

00:28:54.809 --> 00:29:01.029
faith. So number five, okay, this is Matthew

00:29:01.029 --> 00:29:19.700
28, 16 through 17. Okay, Matthew 28, 16 to 17.

00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:24.759
And this was right before he talked to them about

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:33.200
the Great Commission. And it says, okay, verse

00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:37.079
16. Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee.

00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:40.400
This was after, this is once Jesus has risen,

00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:43.339
to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for

00:29:43.339 --> 00:29:46.619
them. When they saw him, they worshiped him.

00:29:46.990 --> 00:29:50.569
But some doubted. Scripture doesn't tell us exactly

00:29:50.569 --> 00:29:55.150
what that means, who doubted and what they doubted.

00:29:55.170 --> 00:29:58.309
Was it that they doubted that he was risen? Did

00:29:58.309 --> 00:30:01.069
they doubt that it was Jesus? Did they doubt

00:30:01.069 --> 00:30:05.309
that they were seeing things? But there was doubt.

00:30:05.569 --> 00:30:08.109
And those 11 men that walked with Jesus for three

00:30:08.109 --> 00:30:11.509
years, there was doubt. It doesn't tell us what

00:30:11.509 --> 00:30:15.400
the doubt was. That's another thing. We get to

00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:18.839
heaven, we get to ask. But these two verses come

00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:21.599
immediately before Jesus gives the disciples

00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:24.400
the great commission. They spent a little over

00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:26.720
three years with Jesus. They'd seen miracles

00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.940
happen. They saw him risen from the dead. Their

00:30:30.940 --> 00:30:33.240
Messiah was crucified and buried, and a couple

00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:35.940
days later, they were dining with him. If there

00:30:35.940 --> 00:30:38.480
was ever a good reason of believing the unbelievable,

00:30:38.980 --> 00:30:43.160
the disciples had experienced it. But even yet...

00:30:43.339 --> 00:30:45.579
Here they were with their previously deceased

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:49.619
king, and some of them were still harboring doubts.

00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:51.839
What kind of doubts? Matthew doesn't tell us.

00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:54.740
Doubts that he was the Messiah, doubts in his

00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:57.880
divinity, doubts in the mission, maybe a mixture

00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:00.680
of all those things, maybe a mixture of, well,

00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:04.000
where do we go from here? Because they knew that

00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:07.700
Jesus was going to go back to heaven very soon

00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:10.359
because he kept telling them. So they were probably

00:31:10.359 --> 00:31:12.299
filled with a lot of different kind of mixed

00:31:12.299 --> 00:31:18.779
feelings. I don't think it was they didn't believe

00:31:18.779 --> 00:31:20.839
he wasn't the Messiah. I think they all believed

00:31:20.839 --> 00:31:23.460
that. I believe they all believed he was the

00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:28.180
king. But I think their own flesh was saying,

00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:31.220
well, what happens to us now with him gone? And

00:31:31.220 --> 00:31:33.480
that's where all those doubts started to creep

00:31:33.480 --> 00:31:36.900
in. It's like when they went... When they go

00:31:36.900 --> 00:31:39.119
to the upper room, right, to wait for the Holy

00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:42.079
Spirit, because Jesus promised the Holy Spirit,

00:31:42.180 --> 00:31:45.339
he was going to send the Holy Spirit. I can only

00:31:45.339 --> 00:31:47.759
imagine, I would have loved to be a fly on the

00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:50.740
wall to see what they talked about while they

00:31:50.740 --> 00:31:53.160
were waiting. I bet you there was doubt after

00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:55.380
doubt. I bet you there was times where they were

00:31:55.380 --> 00:31:57.400
just going to say, he ain't coming, we're leaving.

00:31:57.880 --> 00:32:00.380
You know, there's not that much in Scripture

00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:03.210
to say what happened in that upper room. But

00:32:03.210 --> 00:32:05.609
they weathered it, you know. They stayed. They

00:32:05.609 --> 00:32:08.829
had enough faith to stay. And then, you know,

00:32:08.829 --> 00:32:12.309
that's what finally gave them the Holy Spirit

00:32:12.309 --> 00:32:15.710
to be able to go out and start the Great Commission

00:32:15.710 --> 00:32:18.390
and go out and change the world, you know, and

00:32:18.390 --> 00:32:21.289
actually die for their Savior. Without that,

00:32:21.490 --> 00:32:24.289
they would have just been 11 men that went by

00:32:24.289 --> 00:32:26.930
the wayside, you know, that were just people

00:32:26.930 --> 00:32:30.130
in history. But because of what happened in the

00:32:30.130 --> 00:32:32.430
upper room, you know, the Holy Spirit filling

00:32:32.430 --> 00:32:36.170
them, that's what changed, you know, human history.

00:32:39.410 --> 00:32:43.609
What we do know is Jesus doesn't chastise them

00:32:43.609 --> 00:32:45.690
for that. He doesn't tell them, I was going to

00:32:45.690 --> 00:32:47.769
give you guys some critical information, but

00:32:47.769 --> 00:32:49.549
since you don't fully believe, I'm not going

00:32:49.549 --> 00:32:53.730
to do it. Instead, he meets them exactly where

00:32:53.730 --> 00:32:57.069
they're at, you know. He confides in them and

00:32:57.069 --> 00:32:59.769
charges them with their new responsibilities,

00:32:59.769 --> 00:33:01.970
and then that's when he gives them the great

00:33:01.970 --> 00:33:04.990
commission. So that's one thing about God and

00:33:04.990 --> 00:33:07.710
Jesus. He'll always meet us where we're at. We

00:33:07.710 --> 00:33:10.250
don't have to have this much faith or this much

00:33:10.250 --> 00:33:13.049
faith. He'll always meet us at our level and

00:33:13.049 --> 00:33:16.329
help us to get to this level. He'll help us get

00:33:16.329 --> 00:33:19.650
as high as we want to go with our faith if we're

00:33:19.650 --> 00:33:22.910
willing to believe. It all comes down to willing

00:33:22.910 --> 00:33:26.039
to believe. And sometimes it's not even that

00:33:26.039 --> 00:33:28.759
we believe, but that we're willing to believe.

00:33:29.180 --> 00:33:32.359
Just a willingness will get us more places than

00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:35.740
the actual act of believing, you know. Because

00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:40.160
we can't make ourselves believe. But what we

00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:42.759
can do is make ourselves willing to believe.

00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.500
At least say, Lord, I believe. Help me with my

00:33:46.500 --> 00:33:49.619
unbelief. I am willing, you know. Fill me. Fill

00:33:49.619 --> 00:33:52.500
me with belief. You know, I can't do this without

00:33:52.500 --> 00:33:58.279
you, Lord. You know, and why? Because their faith

00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:00.900
isn't defined by any specific moment of doubt.

00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:03.319
Almost every one of these men will be martyred

00:34:03.319 --> 00:34:06.640
for their faith. Their faith is much bigger than

00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:10.599
these momentary questions and fears might suggest.

00:34:11.079 --> 00:34:13.340
So in the big picture of things, you know, that

00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:16.679
those doubts they had that day really didn't

00:34:16.679 --> 00:34:18.719
mean anything, you know, because they all went

00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:21.619
about, you know, God did provide them faith.

00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:25.039
in belief, and they actually died for their faith.

00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:28.760
So a lot of times we overrate where we're at,

00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:31.800
you know, and think that not having enough faith

00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:34.139
is we're not going to get to where God has his

00:34:34.139 --> 00:34:36.619
plan to be, but that's the farthest thing from

00:34:36.619 --> 00:34:39.420
the truth. God will always give us exactly what

00:34:39.420 --> 00:34:42.440
we need to do the mission that he deemed that

00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:44.659
we're going to do for him. Whether it's start

00:34:44.659 --> 00:34:46.960
a ministry, whether it's go talk to somebody

00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:49.360
on the street, God will always give us what we

00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:51.880
need. He'll give us exactly the right amount

00:34:51.880 --> 00:34:54.519
of faith, you know, as long as we're willing.

00:34:56.320 --> 00:35:00.699
Okay, so number six. And this sounds familiar,

00:35:00.699 --> 00:35:04.880
too, and this is from John 20, 24 through 29.

00:35:18.889 --> 00:35:22.050
Okay, now Thomas, called the twin, one of the

00:35:22.050 --> 00:35:26.269
12, was not with them when Jesus came. The other

00:35:26.269 --> 00:35:28.670
disciples therefore said to him, we have seen

00:35:28.670 --> 00:35:31.769
the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in

00:35:31.769 --> 00:35:34.570
his hands the print of the nails and put my finger

00:35:34.570 --> 00:35:37.449
into the print of the nails and put my hands

00:35:37.449 --> 00:35:40.329
into his side, I will not believe. And after

00:35:40.329 --> 00:35:43.230
eight days, his disciples were again inside and

00:35:43.230 --> 00:35:46.289
Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being

00:35:46.289 --> 00:35:49.030
shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace

00:35:49.030 --> 00:35:51.889
to you. Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger

00:35:51.889 --> 00:35:54.670
here and look at my hands and reach your hand

00:35:54.670 --> 00:35:58.170
there and put him in my side. Do not be unbelieving,

00:35:58.170 --> 00:36:01.489
but believing. And Thomas answered and said to

00:36:01.489 --> 00:36:05.710
him, my Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas,

00:36:05.789 --> 00:36:07.570
because you have seen me, you have believed.

00:36:07.989 --> 00:36:11.550
Blessed are those who have not yet seen and have

00:36:11.550 --> 00:36:15.170
believed. You know, and it always seems a little

00:36:15.170 --> 00:36:18.050
unfair that Thomas forever saddled with the title

00:36:18.050 --> 00:36:20.809
Doubting Thomas, you know, from all the other

00:36:20.809 --> 00:36:23.730
things that they did together and the trials

00:36:23.730 --> 00:36:27.769
and tribulations of those 12 men. This was a

00:36:27.769 --> 00:36:30.090
time when the disciples were trying to talk Jesus

00:36:30.090 --> 00:36:33.809
out of going back to Judea. There was a time

00:36:33.809 --> 00:36:36.090
when the disciples were trying to talk Jesus

00:36:36.090 --> 00:36:40.070
out of going back to Judea to see Lazarus because

00:36:40.070 --> 00:36:43.250
the authorities wanted him dead. And it was Thomas

00:36:43.250 --> 00:36:46.210
who said, let us also go that we may die with

00:36:46.210 --> 00:36:49.650
him. But that's not what we remember about Thomas.

00:36:49.869 --> 00:36:52.369
You know, we remember Thomas as doubting Thomas,

00:36:52.730 --> 00:36:57.570
meek Thomas, transparent Thomas. You know, there's

00:36:57.570 --> 00:37:00.710
not that much about Thomas except doubting Thomas.

00:37:00.949 --> 00:37:03.630
You know, Lord, let me put my finger in your

00:37:03.630 --> 00:37:07.150
side and I'll believe. But, you know, he's the

00:37:07.150 --> 00:37:09.769
one that encouraged Jesus to go to Lazarus even

00:37:09.769 --> 00:37:12.050
though there was... The authorities are going

00:37:12.050 --> 00:37:16.050
to kill him. So after Jesus is raised from the

00:37:16.050 --> 00:37:18.630
dead, he appears to the disciples, but John says

00:37:18.630 --> 00:37:21.690
Thomas wasn't with them. They believed because

00:37:21.690 --> 00:37:24.869
they were there and saw the Lord earlier. When

00:37:24.869 --> 00:37:27.030
Mary tried to tell them that, that she had seen

00:37:27.030 --> 00:37:29.329
the Lord, they didn't believe her either, you

00:37:29.329 --> 00:37:32.190
know? So it's a whole chain. Mary saw him, then

00:37:32.190 --> 00:37:34.530
she went and told them they didn't believe, okay?

00:37:35.130 --> 00:37:38.489
So the only reason the other 10 believe now is

00:37:38.489 --> 00:37:41.610
because they saw him, okay? Then Thomas wasn't

00:37:41.610 --> 00:37:44.150
there with the other 10, so now it's the third

00:37:44.150 --> 00:37:47.190
time, okay? And Thomas, the other ones are saying,

00:37:47.269 --> 00:37:49.230
why don't you believe, you know? And Thomas said,

00:37:49.309 --> 00:37:51.429
well, I wasn't there the other two times, you

00:37:51.429 --> 00:37:54.349
know? I'm finally here, and I see it, and there's

00:37:54.349 --> 00:37:57.449
my Lord and my God, you know? So they all did

00:37:57.449 --> 00:38:00.070
the same thing, you know? None of them quite

00:38:00.070 --> 00:38:02.489
believed until they saw Jesus in their own eyes,

00:38:02.570 --> 00:38:06.590
you know? So we're not as different as we seem

00:38:06.590 --> 00:38:10.039
from anybody. You know, Thomas responds like

00:38:10.039 --> 00:38:12.260
anybody asked to believe something that just

00:38:12.260 --> 00:38:15.960
seems too outlandish and extraordinary. He wants

00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:18.519
to see the evidence with his own eyes, you know.

00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:22.340
Don't we want to do that a lot, you know? Lord,

00:38:22.440 --> 00:38:25.460
show me proof. Lord, I'm putting out the fleece.

00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:28.300
Instead of just saying, Lord, I trust you, you

00:38:28.300 --> 00:38:30.099
know. Lord, I'll put out the fleece. Tell me

00:38:30.099 --> 00:38:32.880
what to do, you know. Instead of just saying,

00:38:32.920 --> 00:38:36.039
God, show me the way in my heart and I'll do

00:38:36.039 --> 00:38:38.530
what you tell me. He'll tell you. You don't have

00:38:38.530 --> 00:38:42.070
to put out a fleece, but we do. The beautiful

00:38:42.070 --> 00:38:45.110
thing is Jesus makes a special trip to accommodate

00:38:45.110 --> 00:38:48.030
him. Again, the Lord doesn't berate or belittle

00:38:48.030 --> 00:38:51.429
the disciple. Jesus shows Thomas the scars and

00:38:51.429 --> 00:38:54.690
encourages him to believe. And Thomas responds

00:38:54.690 --> 00:38:57.650
with heartfelt worship. Another time, you know,

00:38:57.650 --> 00:39:00.190
Jesus meeting us exactly where we're at, you

00:39:00.190 --> 00:39:02.449
know. He didn't say, Thomas, why did you not

00:39:02.449 --> 00:39:05.400
believe, you know. You know, go back to school.

00:39:05.460 --> 00:39:07.860
I'm done with you, you know. No, not at all.

00:39:08.579 --> 00:39:11.820
Not at all, you know. He meets us right where

00:39:11.820 --> 00:39:14.880
we're at. He doesn't expect more or less from

00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:18.119
us, you know. If he did, he would have to do

00:39:18.119 --> 00:39:20.599
it. So that's why he lets us grow how we're supposed

00:39:20.599 --> 00:39:23.920
to grow because he already knows what we're going

00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:26.099
to become in the end. He already knows what he's

00:39:26.099 --> 00:39:28.320
going to have to do, but he wants us to experience

00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:30.619
it and live through it because otherwise it means

00:39:30.619 --> 00:39:34.539
nothing to us. Jesus' final statement here is

00:39:34.539 --> 00:39:36.320
critical. It's one thing to see and believe,

00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:39.300
but a vast majority of Jesus' followers would

00:39:39.300 --> 00:39:42.260
not have that luxury. They wouldn't get to touch

00:39:42.260 --> 00:39:45.599
his scars. By saying, blessed are those who have

00:39:45.599 --> 00:39:51.139
not seen and yet have believed, Jesus recognizes

00:39:51.139 --> 00:39:55.780
that belief isn't simple or easy. If you struggle

00:39:55.780 --> 00:39:59.659
with doubt, Jesus completely understands. You

00:39:59.659 --> 00:40:03.360
know, just that statement is, you know, pacification

00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:06.099
for us. You know, if we're having a hard time

00:40:06.099 --> 00:40:09.059
with belief, just read this verse because they

00:40:09.059 --> 00:40:11.960
were there and they saw it. And he even said

00:40:11.960 --> 00:40:14.840
to them, you know, blessed are those who don't

00:40:14.840 --> 00:40:17.980
actually have to see it but yet believe. You

00:40:17.980 --> 00:40:20.059
know, that means more than the ones that have

00:40:20.059 --> 00:40:22.840
to poke their finger in the side. And these men

00:40:22.840 --> 00:40:27.539
walked with him. All right, number seven. Hebrews

00:40:27.539 --> 00:40:42.760
11. Hebrews 11, verse 1 and 2. Now faith is the

00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:46.139
substance of things hoped for, evidence of things

00:40:46.139 --> 00:40:50.539
not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good

00:40:50.539 --> 00:40:54.460
testimony. The writer of Hebrews defines faith

00:40:54.460 --> 00:40:58.150
for us. It's a confidence in a future we hope

00:40:58.150 --> 00:41:01.869
for and assurance in what we don't see. This

00:41:01.869 --> 00:41:05.369
is the belief that pleases God, but we mustn't

00:41:05.369 --> 00:41:09.250
read this as faith is confidence in our confidence

00:41:09.250 --> 00:41:13.150
and assurance in our assurance. You know, what

00:41:13.150 --> 00:41:18.530
that means is faith that redeems us is confidence

00:41:18.530 --> 00:41:22.969
in Jesus, the object of our hope. Think of faith

00:41:22.969 --> 00:41:27.340
as a pair of glasses. which we gaze upon what

00:41:27.340 --> 00:41:30.500
we long for. The glasses help us see what we

00:41:30.500 --> 00:41:35.099
hope for more clearly and they help us push through

00:41:35.099 --> 00:41:38.659
to grab hold of it. But we need to be careful

00:41:38.659 --> 00:41:42.119
not to make an idol out of our faith, you know,

00:41:42.179 --> 00:41:44.860
because it's God. It's God giving us those glasses

00:41:44.860 --> 00:41:48.650
to see, you know. the things that are unseen

00:41:48.650 --> 00:41:51.789
and to feel the things that are unseen. And how

00:41:51.789 --> 00:41:55.050
do we get that? It's, you know, how do we believe

00:41:55.050 --> 00:41:57.349
in Jesus? It's because of the things he's done

00:41:57.349 --> 00:42:00.389
for us. You know, when we come to Jesus, we come

00:42:00.389 --> 00:42:03.210
to him for the first time because we got nowhere

00:42:03.210 --> 00:42:06.309
else to go. You know, at least that was it for

00:42:06.309 --> 00:42:09.030
me. And most people, they had nowhere else to

00:42:09.030 --> 00:42:11.989
go. I mean, if we were that great and that comfortable

00:42:11.989 --> 00:42:15.110
and so happy in our life, why would we have come

00:42:15.110 --> 00:42:18.860
to Jesus in the first place? So that beginning

00:42:18.860 --> 00:42:22.699
of faith, it's things hoped for. Then Jesus gives

00:42:22.699 --> 00:42:25.639
us the Jesus glasses so we can start seeing things

00:42:25.639 --> 00:42:29.300
more clearly. But never think it's our faith

00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:33.159
or our assurance because it's not. I mean, our

00:42:33.159 --> 00:42:36.710
faith doesn't amount to a hill of beans. It's

00:42:36.710 --> 00:42:38.909
the only reason we find Jesus because we have

00:42:38.909 --> 00:42:40.849
no other choice and we're going to die if we

00:42:40.849 --> 00:42:43.849
don't. You know, what does that say about us?

00:42:43.969 --> 00:42:46.550
Is that something to give us credit for? Jesus

00:42:46.550 --> 00:42:49.570
chose us. We didn't choose him. You know, we

00:42:49.570 --> 00:42:52.989
said okay in the end and let him in, but we didn't

00:42:52.989 --> 00:42:54.869
go out in the world trying to find a savior.

00:42:55.210 --> 00:42:59.090
You know, he came to us. And we said, okay, Lord,

00:42:59.329 --> 00:43:01.769
we'll let you in. You know, everybody comes to

00:43:01.769 --> 00:43:03.889
Jesus a little different way, but mine was pretty

00:43:03.889 --> 00:43:06.789
rugged, you know, and pretty bad. I had no other

00:43:06.789 --> 00:43:08.929
choice. I had a gun to my head, and it was either

00:43:08.929 --> 00:43:12.289
Jesus or I was going to die. You know, that was

00:43:12.289 --> 00:43:17.690
it. But, you know, that hope that there was going

00:43:17.690 --> 00:43:20.809
to be something better is what mattered, you

00:43:20.809 --> 00:43:24.610
know. And it wasn't my assurance, you know, or

00:43:24.610 --> 00:43:27.710
my faith that got me through the door. It was

00:43:27.710 --> 00:43:31.170
the hope, you know. It's the hope, hope of things

00:43:31.170 --> 00:43:34.449
to come. Faith is confidence in what we hope

00:43:34.449 --> 00:43:38.269
for. So let's not get cocky with our faith thinking,

00:43:38.369 --> 00:43:40.090
you know, well, this person has no, you know.

00:43:40.429 --> 00:43:43.329
Dude, your problem is your lack of faith, you

00:43:43.329 --> 00:43:46.269
know. Don't take credit for things that God does,

00:43:46.309 --> 00:43:49.849
you know. You know, God is what allowed us to

00:43:49.849 --> 00:43:52.429
have our faith, and that's he builds it usually

00:43:52.429 --> 00:43:55.849
through turmoil. And whatever else, you know,

00:43:55.849 --> 00:43:58.730
growing faith is never easy. It's not for the

00:43:58.730 --> 00:44:01.670
faint of heart. You know, it takes work. It takes

00:44:01.670 --> 00:44:04.110
scars. It's like working out in the gym. You're

00:44:04.110 --> 00:44:07.829
going to be sore, you know. I don't work out

00:44:07.829 --> 00:44:10.730
in the gym, but I know faith is a little uncomfortable

00:44:10.730 --> 00:44:14.349
at times. Lessons in faith, you know, it's not

00:44:14.349 --> 00:44:19.570
an easy thing. But, you know, we have to be careful

00:44:19.570 --> 00:44:23.110
not to make an idol out of our belief, our faith.

00:44:23.820 --> 00:44:26.599
You know, it's a tool we use to see and grab

00:44:26.599 --> 00:44:29.780
a hold of Jesus, nothing more. You know, he'll

00:44:29.780 --> 00:44:34.039
grow the faith how he wants us to. All right,

00:44:34.139 --> 00:44:39.599
Hebrews 11 .6. I've just got a couple more verses

00:44:39.599 --> 00:44:45.179
left here. Hebrews 11 .6. But without faith,

00:44:45.380 --> 00:44:48.900
it is impossible to please him, for he who comes

00:44:48.900 --> 00:44:52.260
to God must believe that he is. and that he is

00:44:52.260 --> 00:44:55.880
a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

00:44:56.300 --> 00:44:59.099
This is a really critical verse, but what does

00:44:59.099 --> 00:45:01.639
it mean? When we think of faith as a sentiment

00:45:01.639 --> 00:45:05.539
for belief, we interpret it to mean that having

00:45:05.539 --> 00:45:09.820
the right ideas and never doubting them is the

00:45:09.820 --> 00:45:14.840
way to keep pleasing God. But that is not what

00:45:14.840 --> 00:45:20.929
this is saying. Jesus... Jesus was clear that

00:45:20.929 --> 00:45:23.489
faithful followers would be recognized by their

00:45:23.489 --> 00:45:27.630
fruit, okay? But without faith, we cannot bear

00:45:27.630 --> 00:45:30.369
fruit. What does James tell us? Faith without

00:45:30.369 --> 00:45:33.170
works is dead. So if we have faith, we're going

00:45:33.170 --> 00:45:37.369
to have works, okay? We can't just, you know,

00:45:37.369 --> 00:45:40.690
think that just because we have faith, we're

00:45:40.690 --> 00:45:44.110
pleasing God. Faith without works is dead. You

00:45:44.110 --> 00:45:46.510
know, we have to take it, and people will know

00:45:46.510 --> 00:45:49.440
us by our fruit. And our fruit is nothing more

00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:54.320
than what our faith is. And, you know, if we

00:45:54.320 --> 00:45:57.320
have faith, we're going to have good works and

00:45:57.320 --> 00:46:00.079
the world will know us by our fruit. You know,

00:46:00.079 --> 00:46:02.619
so indirectly, the world will know us by how

00:46:02.619 --> 00:46:06.099
much faith we have. Godly faith, not our self

00:46:06.099 --> 00:46:09.400
-made faith, you know, by words saying, yeah,

00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:11.219
brother, just have more faith and it'll heal

00:46:11.219 --> 00:46:13.389
you. The reason he didn't heal you when you were

00:46:13.389 --> 00:46:15.110
praying is because you didn't have enough faith.

00:46:15.289 --> 00:46:17.710
You know, you hear that televangelist. That more

00:46:17.710 --> 00:46:20.409
faith, you know, we'll try this again. You go

00:46:20.409 --> 00:46:22.750
back, come back in a week and build your faith

00:46:22.750 --> 00:46:24.869
and we'll try to heal you again. We'll try to

00:46:24.869 --> 00:46:27.829
fix that broken leg, you know. And it doesn't

00:46:27.829 --> 00:46:31.050
work that way, you know. Our faith really is

00:46:31.050 --> 00:46:33.429
to help others because it's works, you know.

00:46:33.449 --> 00:46:36.110
The works, the godly works are not about us,

00:46:36.110 --> 00:46:39.309
whether our leg heals. Our faith is about other

00:46:39.309 --> 00:46:42.769
people. You know, what we do for others, that's

00:46:42.769 --> 00:46:46.429
what our works is. You know, it takes faith to

00:46:46.429 --> 00:46:50.030
pray. It takes faith to serve. It takes faith

00:46:50.030 --> 00:46:53.409
to put others first. It takes faith to make sacrifices,

00:46:53.530 --> 00:46:55.929
whether it's your money, your time, you know.

00:46:56.409 --> 00:46:59.429
That's all faith, and that's how people will

00:46:59.429 --> 00:47:02.489
judge you by your faith is by your works. If

00:47:02.489 --> 00:47:05.789
you're doing nothing but sitting home and feeling

00:47:05.789 --> 00:47:08.369
like you're filled with faith, then you're, I

00:47:08.369 --> 00:47:10.570
hate to say it, but you're truly not, you know,

00:47:10.570 --> 00:47:12.690
because you're not out doing anything for people.

00:47:13.550 --> 00:47:16.610
This is a people business, whether it's ministry,

00:47:16.730 --> 00:47:18.630
whether it's preaching, whether it's being out

00:47:18.630 --> 00:47:20.369
in the street corner, whether it's being a good

00:47:20.369 --> 00:47:24.610
friend, you know, it's all what you do for others.

00:47:25.449 --> 00:47:28.230
Without faith, it's impossible to please God.

00:47:29.269 --> 00:47:32.989
Why? Because faith is necessary for us to live

00:47:32.989 --> 00:47:36.889
as children of God. And, you know, what is the

00:47:36.889 --> 00:47:39.269
great commandments? You know, love God with all

00:47:39.269 --> 00:47:41.250
your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

00:47:41.550 --> 00:47:46.610
You can't do either of those without faith. Number

00:47:46.610 --> 00:47:50.650
nine, you must believe and not doubt. This is

00:47:50.650 --> 00:47:56.989
James 1, 2 through 8. James 1, 2 through 8. Let

00:47:56.989 --> 00:48:12.909
me grab my drink. Okay, James 1, starting with

00:48:12.909 --> 00:48:16.489
verse 2. My brethren, count it all joy when you

00:48:16.489 --> 00:48:20.050
fall into various trials, knowing that the testing

00:48:20.050 --> 00:48:23.980
of your faith produces patience. But let patience

00:48:23.980 --> 00:48:26.900
have its perfect work, that you may be perfect

00:48:26.900 --> 00:48:30.000
and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you

00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:33.679
lacks wisdom, let him ask a God who gives to

00:48:33.679 --> 00:48:37.659
all liberally and without reproach, and it will

00:48:37.659 --> 00:48:41.500
be given to him. But let him ask in faith with

00:48:41.500 --> 00:48:44.639
no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave

00:48:44.639 --> 00:48:49.469
of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. that

00:48:49.469 --> 00:48:52.050
man suppose that he will receive anything from

00:48:52.050 --> 00:48:56.909
the Lord. He is a double -minded man, unstable

00:48:56.909 --> 00:49:02.730
in all his ways. You know, these last two verses,

00:49:02.829 --> 00:49:06.389
verse 7 and 8, for let not that man suppose that

00:49:06.389 --> 00:49:09.170
he will receive anything from the Lord. He is

00:49:09.170 --> 00:49:12.909
a double -minded man, unstable in all his ways.

00:49:13.010 --> 00:49:16.630
That word double -minded has upset more people

00:49:16.630 --> 00:49:20.179
than I know. since I've been in ministry. You

00:49:20.179 --> 00:49:22.059
know, you call me double -minded. That's not

00:49:22.059 --> 00:49:26.000
what James is doing here. You know, James's words

00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:28.880
often felt like a dagger for struggling people.

00:49:29.340 --> 00:49:31.820
Some people have prayed for sick loved ones,

00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:33.519
and those loved ones don't get better. These

00:49:33.519 --> 00:49:35.699
words echoed in their head, but when you ask,

00:49:35.719 --> 00:49:38.500
you must believe and not doubt, because the one

00:49:38.500 --> 00:49:41.320
who doubts is like a wave at a sea blown and

00:49:41.320 --> 00:49:46.389
tossed by the wind. Should not expect to receive

00:49:46.389 --> 00:49:53.889
anything from the word. That person should not

00:49:53.889 --> 00:49:55.670
expect to receive anything from the Lord. But

00:49:55.670 --> 00:49:58.889
that's not what James is saying here. James is,

00:49:58.949 --> 00:50:03.469
don't pull these out of context, okay? This passage

00:50:03.469 --> 00:50:07.869
specifically concerns praying for wisdom. James

00:50:07.869 --> 00:50:10.630
tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should pray

00:50:10.630 --> 00:50:14.420
for it. God wants to give us understanding, but

00:50:14.420 --> 00:50:16.860
it doesn't do us any good to pray for wisdom

00:50:16.860 --> 00:50:18.960
if we don't believe that God will give us wisdom.

00:50:19.079 --> 00:50:22.059
That's all James is saying here. Don't be double

00:50:22.059 --> 00:50:24.519
-minded. Don't ask for wisdom when you don't

00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:27.679
want it, you know? Have faith that God will give

00:50:27.679 --> 00:50:30.960
you wisdom, and then listen to it. You know,

00:50:30.960 --> 00:50:33.780
like I was saying earlier, how many times is

00:50:33.780 --> 00:50:36.519
it, God, tell me what I want to have for lunch

00:50:36.519 --> 00:50:39.300
today, okay? And then I don't wait for an answer.

00:50:39.320 --> 00:50:42.719
I just go and eat. You know, that there is being

00:50:42.719 --> 00:50:45.500
double -minded. That's a perfect example of double

00:50:45.500 --> 00:50:48.900
-mindedness. Because I'm asking God for wisdom,

00:50:48.940 --> 00:50:51.480
but yet I really don't want it. You know, that's

00:50:51.480 --> 00:50:53.599
double -minded. And that's almost like slapping

00:50:53.599 --> 00:50:56.699
God in the face. Say, God, I'm asking you this

00:50:56.699 --> 00:50:58.840
just so I can sound like a good little Christian,

00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:01.219
but I really don't want your advice on what I

00:51:01.219 --> 00:51:04.690
want for lunch. You know? Only ask for it if

00:51:04.690 --> 00:51:06.690
you really want his wisdom, and then don't be

00:51:06.690 --> 00:51:09.650
double -minded about it. Ask in true faith, Lord,

00:51:09.750 --> 00:51:12.449
give me wisdom. Sometimes I do that, especially

00:51:12.449 --> 00:51:15.530
with the teen center. I constantly have to pray

00:51:15.530 --> 00:51:17.710
for wisdom because I don't know what to do. I

00:51:17.710 --> 00:51:19.730
don't have a clue on how to run a teen center.

00:51:20.090 --> 00:51:22.929
I don't have the faintest idea, but yet it's

00:51:22.929 --> 00:51:25.590
happening, you know. And then God sent me Chris.

00:51:25.809 --> 00:51:29.139
Chris keeps me in line. Chris will tell me. You

00:51:29.139 --> 00:51:31.800
know, slow down. You're going too fast. You know,

00:51:31.820 --> 00:51:34.099
Chris is the grounding force in the teen center.

00:51:34.260 --> 00:51:36.960
I come up with, like, the ideas. He's the one

00:51:36.960 --> 00:51:38.860
that puts them in motion and keeps them grounded

00:51:38.860 --> 00:51:41.639
so it doesn't turn into total chaos, you know.

00:51:41.760 --> 00:51:44.320
And that's why we work well together. You know,

00:51:44.320 --> 00:51:46.239
in the beginning, it was like, you know, Chris,

00:51:46.440 --> 00:51:48.679
you know, he was the meanest person I knew because

00:51:48.679 --> 00:51:51.619
he's just point blunt, you know, and that's what

00:51:51.619 --> 00:51:54.659
I need, you know. And we've learned to work together,

00:51:54.719 --> 00:51:57.219
and I've just learned so much from that relationship.

00:51:58.649 --> 00:52:00.929
That now it's like, Chris, what do you think

00:52:00.929 --> 00:52:03.309
of this? And I wait and I listen to what he's

00:52:03.309 --> 00:52:06.230
going to say, you know, rather than just tuning

00:52:06.230 --> 00:52:08.130
them out because I think I already know what

00:52:08.130 --> 00:52:11.630
I'm going to do, you know. Now it's really like,

00:52:11.750 --> 00:52:14.650
I want to do this, Chris. Tell me how to do it,

00:52:14.710 --> 00:52:17.550
you know. And then he tells me how to do it and

00:52:17.550 --> 00:52:20.389
we do it, you know. So that's kind of like my

00:52:20.389 --> 00:52:22.809
dealings with God too, you know. You got to be

00:52:22.809 --> 00:52:26.250
able to listen. to what he tells you, and ask

00:52:26.250 --> 00:52:28.809
in faith that he's going to answer you. He will.

00:52:28.909 --> 00:52:32.429
God will answer every prayer. You know, I don't

00:52:32.429 --> 00:52:34.369
keep one, but I know people that keep prayer,

00:52:34.489 --> 00:52:37.269
you know, prayer books. They have these five

00:52:37.269 --> 00:52:41.289
-year prayer journals that you write down every

00:52:41.289 --> 00:52:43.190
prayer, then you go back once a year and look

00:52:43.190 --> 00:52:46.489
at all your prayers, and you see how God is answering

00:52:46.489 --> 00:52:48.409
your prayers. You know, I want to start that.

00:52:49.050 --> 00:52:52.480
Chris's daughter, Melody, she's like... 10 or

00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:54.780
11, but she is so filled with the Lord. She's

00:52:54.780 --> 00:52:57.079
already teaching kids Bible study and everything.

00:52:57.400 --> 00:52:59.460
And I got her a prayer journal, a five -year

00:52:59.460 --> 00:53:02.059
prayer journal for her birthday. And she just

00:53:02.059 --> 00:53:04.559
loves it. She keeps it by her bed, writes her

00:53:04.559 --> 00:53:07.599
prayers down, and she's going to go back and

00:53:07.599 --> 00:53:10.719
see how God answered every one of those prayers.

00:53:11.179 --> 00:53:14.340
And that is the greatest thing. If we would take

00:53:14.340 --> 00:53:16.679
the time to see how God's really answering our

00:53:16.679 --> 00:53:19.139
prayers, it would make such a difference in our

00:53:19.139 --> 00:53:24.780
lives, I think. You know, and back to James.

00:53:24.840 --> 00:53:26.659
James is not saying that the strength of our

00:53:26.659 --> 00:53:29.920
beliefs is defining every variable and every

00:53:29.920 --> 00:53:33.219
prayer we pray. No one should feel like a tragedy

00:53:33.219 --> 00:53:36.559
that could have been avoided if they just had

00:53:36.559 --> 00:53:39.699
more faith. You know? We're going to falter,

00:53:39.739 --> 00:53:41.579
we're going to fall, but we're going to get back

00:53:41.579 --> 00:53:43.800
up. And then next time, maybe we'll have a little

00:53:43.800 --> 00:53:46.119
more faith and know that we can't do it on our

00:53:46.119 --> 00:53:49.199
own. So we're going to ask God for wisdom and

00:53:49.199 --> 00:53:52.360
really wait to see what he has to say. You know,

00:53:52.380 --> 00:53:54.539
that's all James is saying in that verse. He's

00:53:54.539 --> 00:53:57.800
not, so many people get, you know, calling me

00:53:57.800 --> 00:54:00.199
double -minded. And especially when I was teaching

00:54:00.199 --> 00:54:03.260
recovery down here, that was like the worst word

00:54:03.260 --> 00:54:05.119
that you could ever teach on double -minded.

00:54:05.280 --> 00:54:07.380
You're calling me double -minded. I'm not double

00:54:07.380 --> 00:54:11.070
-minded. You know, but that's, you know, it's

00:54:11.070 --> 00:54:13.210
just like one of those things. The other one

00:54:13.210 --> 00:54:16.389
was, you know, there's going to be, you know,

00:54:16.389 --> 00:54:19.530
when I see you in heaven, I'm going to, you know,

00:54:19.570 --> 00:54:21.650
Jesus is going to say to a lot of people, I never

00:54:21.650 --> 00:54:24.969
knew you. Those are the scariest words to me

00:54:24.969 --> 00:54:27.510
in all the scripture. Jesus looking you in the

00:54:27.510 --> 00:54:30.550
eyes and saying, I never knew you. You know,

00:54:30.630 --> 00:54:33.590
could you only imagine? You had your whole life

00:54:33.590 --> 00:54:36.179
to get it right, to get to heaven. And you're

00:54:36.179 --> 00:54:38.019
kind of cocky and you're feeling, oh, Jesus is

00:54:38.019 --> 00:54:40.599
going to like me, you know. And he says, I never

00:54:40.599 --> 00:54:43.539
knew you. You know, your motives were all selfish.

00:54:44.199 --> 00:54:49.579
You know, so there's that. But anyway, verse

00:54:49.579 --> 00:54:54.400
10 is the last one. This is Jude 22. It's a short

00:54:54.400 --> 00:55:00.119
one. But actually, I pulled Jude 20 through 23

00:55:00.119 --> 00:55:09.639
to get some context with it. So mercy to those

00:55:09.639 --> 00:55:12.519
who doubt, Jude 22. But you, beloved, building

00:55:12.519 --> 00:55:17.739
yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying

00:55:17.739 --> 00:55:20.480
in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love

00:55:20.480 --> 00:55:23.480
of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus

00:55:23.480 --> 00:55:27.579
Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion,

00:55:27.940 --> 00:55:31.760
making a distinction, but others save with fear,

00:55:31.960 --> 00:55:35.099
pulling them out of the fire, hating even the

00:55:35.099 --> 00:55:39.610
garment defiled by the flesh. You know, and a

00:55:39.610 --> 00:55:42.050
lot of this has to do with faith isn't static.

00:55:42.250 --> 00:55:44.289
We could have strong faith today and tomorrow,

00:55:44.449 --> 00:55:46.690
go through something that makes us question everything.

00:55:47.570 --> 00:55:51.329
It's incredibly important that we treat one another

00:55:51.329 --> 00:55:54.449
with tenderness and care because that's how we

00:55:54.449 --> 00:55:58.489
protect doubt from becoming disbelief. And that's

00:55:58.489 --> 00:56:00.909
what Jude is saying here on, you know, on some

00:56:00.909 --> 00:56:03.269
have compassion, you know, treat them with love

00:56:03.269 --> 00:56:06.590
if they're going through periods of doubt, you

00:56:06.590 --> 00:56:09.820
know. you know, help them, pray with them, you

00:56:09.820 --> 00:56:12.460
know, ask them to have people pray for them,

00:56:12.639 --> 00:56:16.980
you know, but other people, you know, put the

00:56:16.980 --> 00:56:19.059
fear of God in them, you know, telling them where

00:56:19.059 --> 00:56:21.920
that doubt will lead to disbelief, and then once

00:56:21.920 --> 00:56:24.199
you get to that point of disbelief, then you

00:56:24.199 --> 00:56:26.860
start doubting everything, and sin sets in, and

00:56:26.860 --> 00:56:28.940
you know, a lot of people never make it back

00:56:28.940 --> 00:56:32.510
from that, so. You know, there's that. You know,

00:56:32.510 --> 00:56:35.369
hating the garment defiled by, even hating the

00:56:35.369 --> 00:56:38.630
garment defiled by the flesh. You know, and that's

00:56:38.630 --> 00:56:40.829
what the flesh will do. It'll take you down so

00:56:40.829 --> 00:56:44.190
fast without you even knowing. But we can protect

00:56:44.190 --> 00:56:47.730
one another by praying for each other and showing

00:56:47.730 --> 00:56:51.309
people compassion. When Thomas said that he wouldn't

00:56:51.309 --> 00:56:54.170
believe unless he felt the Lord's wounds, he

00:56:54.170 --> 00:56:57.449
didn't want faith. He wanted certainty. He was

00:56:57.449 --> 00:57:00.369
saying, I believe when you prove it to me. But

00:57:00.369 --> 00:57:03.969
faith is uncertainty. It is belief in the face

00:57:03.969 --> 00:57:08.750
of questions and misgivings. It is trust despite

00:57:08.750 --> 00:57:15.710
doubt. You know, and I could just close there,

00:57:15.829 --> 00:57:18.309
but I just want to say there are ways to grow

00:57:18.309 --> 00:57:21.510
our faith, you know, and doubt and to get away

00:57:21.510 --> 00:57:24.710
from times of doubt. And that number one is prayer.

00:57:25.349 --> 00:57:28.760
You know, that sounds like a... serve all for

00:57:28.760 --> 00:57:31.800
every purpose, but it truly is. That's the first

00:57:31.800 --> 00:57:36.099
aid kit for anything is prayer. Number two, praying

00:57:36.099 --> 00:57:38.719
with others. Number three, having others pray

00:57:38.719 --> 00:57:42.559
for you. Number four, telling somebody about

00:57:42.559 --> 00:57:44.519
what you're going through and having them pray

00:57:44.519 --> 00:57:46.480
with you. Don't keep it a secret. We can't go

00:57:46.480 --> 00:57:49.780
through this alone. We can't do this on our own.

00:57:49.920 --> 00:57:53.360
We were never designed to do this on our own.

00:57:53.960 --> 00:57:56.699
You know, Jesus had his 12 disciples, you know,

00:57:56.699 --> 00:57:59.179
and they all leaned on each other, you know.

00:57:59.739 --> 00:58:01.739
Unfortunately, in Jesus' case, when he went in

00:58:01.739 --> 00:58:03.539
the garden to get somebody and asked them to

00:58:03.539 --> 00:58:05.860
watch for an hour, they fell asleep. They couldn't

00:58:05.860 --> 00:58:08.760
do that. So it was kind of like a one -sided

00:58:08.760 --> 00:58:11.460
leaning, but, you know, they were all there for

00:58:11.460 --> 00:58:14.099
each other, but Jesus died for them and died

00:58:14.099 --> 00:58:17.260
for us, you know. That's how far Jesus is willing

00:58:17.260 --> 00:58:20.179
to go. And to think that he won't meet us wherever

00:58:20.179 --> 00:58:23.199
our faith is at, we got that entirely wrong.

00:58:23.340 --> 00:58:26.579
He will always meet us where we are at and bring

00:58:26.579 --> 00:58:29.360
us higher if that's where we want to go. But

00:58:29.360 --> 00:58:31.900
we truly have to believe that he will, and that's

00:58:31.900 --> 00:58:36.320
what we want. So with that, let's pray. Father

00:58:36.320 --> 00:58:40.099
God, I thank you, Lord, and I thank you for whatever

00:58:40.099 --> 00:58:42.420
it is I said, and I hope that there was something

00:58:42.420 --> 00:58:46.349
that somebody can use. It's not me, Lord. I just

00:58:46.349 --> 00:58:49.889
opened my mouth and it's all you. Everything

00:58:49.889 --> 00:58:52.590
is about you, Lord, and not me. And I just pray

00:58:52.590 --> 00:58:55.849
that, you know, Lord, that you increase my faith

00:58:55.849 --> 00:58:58.829
and help me with my unbelief, Lord, that I have

00:58:58.829 --> 00:59:02.550
at times. And just keep filling me, Lord, and

00:59:02.550 --> 00:59:05.429
meeting me where I'm at and growing it. I want

00:59:05.429 --> 00:59:07.690
to be more like you every day, Lord, with every

00:59:07.690 --> 00:59:10.670
passing second. I want to learn how to love like

00:59:10.670 --> 00:59:13.599
you love. I want to learn how to love God. I

00:59:13.599 --> 00:59:17.639
want to learn how to love others as myself, Lord.

00:59:17.760 --> 00:59:22.019
And I just want to be like you. I want Ted to

00:59:22.019 --> 00:59:25.539
pass away and I want Jesus to take over. And

00:59:25.539 --> 00:59:27.519
Lord, that's all I ask for today. And that's

00:59:27.519 --> 00:59:29.840
all I ask for everybody here that we leave and

00:59:29.840 --> 00:59:32.579
we be a little more like you and a little less

00:59:32.579 --> 00:59:35.360
like us that walk through the door today. And

00:59:35.360 --> 01:00:02.090
I ask all this in your holy name. Amen. Until

01:00:02.090 --> 01:00:05.230
next time, take care and God bless.