Bible Study on Doubt
October 19, 2014
Luke 7:1-10
After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.
Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”
6 And Jesus went with them.
When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9
When Jesus heard these things,
he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Doubt.
God doesn't enjoy it.
Do I Doubt? Really, not much at all. I spent 16 of the first years of my life doubting that I believed fervently in the unseen. It was a popular thought to toss around if this was knowable. I joined a Youth Group in High School and I saw the peace and serenity of belief in Jesus as Lord. Later we were asked to make a decision. I did and felt the Holy Spirit come into my being - my soul. Light filled me. I have never been without the Holy Spirit again.
Others around me doubt. People I love. The point being - we who are strong, don't want to say to those around us - You Doubt?!!! We are bearing with God's Children in encouragement.
Life is in progress.
The Goal is to Finish in Faith.
Our destination is Jesus Christ.
The One who loves you most. Our Hero. The Savior we need.
Naked we were born into this world, naked we will leave.
Doubt is an incredibly uncomfortable circumstance for the believer. A non-believer can draw comfort from other non-believers the reassuring fact this is unknowable.
I discovered, personally, people actually can cry so hard that tears leave our faces. A beloved Person in my life came to me to announce the faith defended for years had been abandoned. They were astonished to see my reaction. I sobbed - if you don't know the Love of God, you have nothing.
To dismiss doubt and questioning would not be done to our small children learning about life.
Why would we dismiss doubt and the tools the Bible gives us for learning to overcome doubt that we all experience. Especially when others try to share their disbelief. Be careful with doubters.
Picture several scenarios -
a) A Bible Study that dictates the truth of the Bible. All questions are answered with "Because the Bible says so." You are going to encourage the faithful. This reiterates the Truth. But an early believer in the Bible calls this living on the good milk of the Bible. This young believer is not apt to say - the seeds of life are choking this valued ideal out of my life and I really would like some answers on what is going on in my life.
b) A mature facilitator of the Word of God is going to think about the questions life throws at us to drown out the Truth. Drawing from and coaxing out experiences in others that encourage each other in confidence of shared experience and safety. The facilitator is going to know from thinking this out how the Bible supports itself and will use the stories of Scripture to teach the same point three different ways. This is the way, a lot of us learn.
c) You have been invited to a Bible Study that encourages you to understand this is all fable. The discussions are lively. The toad in the water is being gradually warmed to boiling the frog to death. Be vwery caweful. Perhaps it's time to depart. The upward path of the Bible is upward to God. Filled with the reality that this is hard work, life throws curves. God says when we seek Him - we please Him - giving Justice with Mercy and Humility. Love.
Setting the scene for the Disciples.
The reality of Scripture is about situations of real life. These Disciples of Jesus were in awe of Him as they saw impossible things occur. Then they were completely afraid and ran out on these experiences because they were human and overwhelmed. Their lives were at stake and the work of Jesus looked as if it had failed. And suddenly they were shown Jesus was alive.
After a life threatening situation - denial causes the brain to reel back. People will try to act as if they can cope with the disaster as if it was normal circumstance. This is the way Ted Bundy lured people to their deaths. Jesus was Alive!!! And did they believe this - sorta - maybe. And two of the Gospels explain that even in the wake of Salvation - people were not perfect and were in doubt.
Now I ask you, is that a fable type story or does this encompass the reality of Violent Death and Government upheaval?
The Scriptures are painting a very real picture of real events. Not platitudes and fable.
Consider what we know of Cochlear Ear Implants - after the brain is operated on - the recipient of the Cochlear Ear hearing device placed in the brain, have months to overcome. Hearing people sound very odd. The doctors describe this literally as hearing people as if Daffy Duck was talking, because we don't hear with our ears, we hear with a brain to ear connection.
Mark 8:23-25
23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
The event of the life of Jesus you just read is recorded by similar stories in the Talmud recordings of the Sanhedrin Council. The actual Sanhedrin Council records the baffling and upsetting miracles surrounding Jesus of Nazareth. Housed in a museum in Scotland. What you just read is a 2,000 year old account of recovery from brain surgery. A Miracle with logic. Uncovered in this generation. Millenniums after the event we can see Jesus left us this mystery for it to be revealed. Blessed are the eyes that didn't see this miracle and yet believe.
Jesus is alive and working today.
Fact. And Good News.
Really think about Mark 8.
I discussed this in the nineteen seventies with my great-aunt Eloise. I asked here why the trees looked like walking trees. She said because that is the way Jesus decided to work the miracle. THIS IS A MIRACLE EXPLAINED TO OUR GENERATION.
Read Hebrews 11 , the real people of the real Word of God have had doubts. Jesus always works with sinners, He loves you as you are. The disciples had time to process, time to adapt, saw the Holy Spirit of God didn't abandon them. Went forth to do such miraculous things in the name of Jesus that the world has never, ever, ever changed this way before.
We have a spiral of fear with doubt. Will God love me? Is this pointless? God doesn't work on a magic formula. God's Plan is Good and He equips us, He promises, with every good thing to do His Will. The narrow path... this is where life gets meaningful. God helps sinners, saints, faithful and loves the whole world. If you are talking to God and being very honest, He honestly calls that seeking and He is going to answer. You need to focus on the "Hey, was that answered prayer or was that just om." That unseen assurance - is God. Our destination is Jesus.
I had a loved one tell me once that the list of saints exhausted him.
If you look at the Victory - It's a Miracle. And you just had to be good enough to get there? Well in faith - we are forgiven our sins to adhere with joy to the Word of God. Not giving God a broom to sweep up - hope He didn't see that.
Exhausting? Na.
If you break down the Victory into steps - it's Life.
The Victory is usually ... Unseen.
Noah had doubts and got drunk.
Abraham had doubts and became a very unhappy fixer.
Well, say this just couldn't happen if the Holy Spirit lives in you - is wrong. John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus is God. Prophets have the Holy Spirit. So John the Baptist was telling us about life in God.
A relationship. Up and down. Journey forward, real topics. Real life.
This is about having doubts being strengthened and being allowed by God to have the process.
We can have the Tree of Knowledge. We can know all the Bible. We can be the good seed. The struggling seed.
And Knowing that what covers all this knowledge is - LOVE.
Common problems known to God -
Being pressed to drink.
Being pressed like Noah to be sexually inappropriate.
Being Perez and having your grandson be your son...
Being the Elijah of the New Testament.
WE are Not God.
This is the story of process and journey.
Abide in Jesus. He will abide in you. WE NEED THIS.
This is about having
Forgiveness - John the Baptist preached this. So did Paul and Peter. Labeling SIN as SIN. Seeking Restitution with God.
Knowing the Peace of God on the afternoons John the Baptist saw the crowds come to learn about God. Inside themselves.
This is Jesus telling the Woman on the Hill in Samaria that God will Dwell within us.
This is about John, Peter, Paul and John Mark wanting to be in Relationship with God.
And in Turmoil - finding a way to healing recovery and joy again.
Fear in Divorce
Fear in Economic Trouble
Loss of Child in Death
Changes of Season in Life
A Fruitful Life Looking for Meaning
Always Being Able to Say I'm Learning from God
Seeing God Unfold His Plan, coming to terms with Joy
Saying JESUS - is where we will Trust.
In doubt, in emotion, in joy, in prayer
THE LORD'S PRAYER
We do not have to solve anything totally today. Because God will be for us. We just have to try a little bit.And Try again. And communicate. God had to sweep up after all these amazing people He loves - He probably is going to not drop us on our head and leave us there.
Don't take your whole life, make it into a pineapple and then devour that in one bite.
Lean a little bit on God.
Matthew 11:28
Then Jesus said, "Come to me,
all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest."
Day in, Day out, Seasons Come.
The Church is still Going Forth.
Solutions are God's Specialty.
HE says that He is the destination.
Father God loves you.''
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Abba, Father God,
Where is our Joy? The adventure of what You have brought us through.
You have been steadfast. How many things have we overcome? Many. You are Strong Lord. Make us strong again in Your Might. Schemes to bring us down? Not from You.
Let us hold up our Problems to You. You are our armor, strength and shield.
The Armor of God cannot be removed. You are our fortress.
In the fortress of God, we will see the mercies of God renew.
If we don't count the blessings - they fly by unappreciated.
What is in the Fortress of God - joy and peace in our belief.
The Power of the Holy Spirit - is hope. Compassion and Mercy are the fruit from believers.
The destination is salvation.
Jesus is compassionate and merciful. Our advocate. You will call us to defend our hopes with gentleness and respect, but our defense in You is sure. God will call me to do what He strengthens me to do.
Cover us this day in Your Name. The Highest of All Names and we are Blessed.
We will be still and know You are God the Almighty of All.
We will be still and know You are God the Almighty of All.
Cover us in Jesus Christ and we have a Hope and Future. We Believe and trust in You.
Cover those we Love and we Live in Love. We see glimpses of Heaven.
Cover us in Jesus and we lift our cares to You.
Cover us in Jesus and we are inspired to Live and Love more.
Cover us in Jesus and we tell the truth with mercy.
Cover us in Jesus and we brush off what would cling to us and find Joy in Pleasing You.
Cover us in Jesus and we want All to Love Jesus.
Cover us in Jesus and we Believe Father God will bring the world to salvation
in Jesus Christ.
Cover us in Jesus and we know Tomorrow and Today are in Your Hands.
Cover us in Jesus and we find Joy knowing our prayers join the Saints covering the world in Prayers for more
of Your Heaven on earth.
Cover us in Jesus and we Believe the Nation Trusting in You will be Blessed.
Dwell in us, please, Father.
Dwell in those we Love.
Salvation is in Jesus Christ, we ask.
Help us to Seek You First
And we will finish well in Jesus Christ.
Cover us in Jesus and we Believe the days to come for ourselves a
nd our children and unborn children will live
in Goodness and Steadfast Love in the New Covenant of Jesus.
Cover us in Jesus and we Believe You are the God of the Impossible.
We ask the Oceans to give moisture to the skies
and rain to pour over the thirsty and parched
places of Your Good Creation,
Cover us in Your Word, Jesus Christ, God's Word made Manifest.
We thank You to answer our prayers for Dee and Wayne to feel better.
We ask to Live in Love, Joy and Peace seeking and finding Your Kingdom in Heaven and on earth in Jesus Christ.
Blessed be Father God for bringing us Jesus. Amen and Amen.
On this, I trust in Jesus, our Strong Deliverer. Amen.
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