Unbelieving Believers
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Good morning, CHURCH!
(Church joke of the day)
One beautiful summer’s day a new father was walking through the park, pushing his infant son in his stroller.
The child was screaming loudly but the father, with a determined look on his face, kept muttering in a reassuring voice, “Easy now, Donald.
Everything is going to be alright; you’ll see.
Just keep calm. It’s okay, were nearly home, Donald.
Come on… that’s it, calm down, relax… that’s it, you’re doing fine.”
And at that moment a woman passed by and smiling warmly she said to the young father, “Well, you certainly know how to talk to an upset child – calmly and reassuringly.”
Then the woman poked her head into the stroller and said, “There, there Donald, what’s the matter then?”
And the young father said, “Oh, no:” “His name is George. My name is Donald!”
“We’re almost home now Donald, keep it together.”
Are you ready to be equipped today?
Let me see your Bibles.
Pray
(Lord help us to see you as new and fresh through your word today.)
(Let us die to ourselves and this flesh.)
(Let us shed off the influence of the world we live in.)
(God give us truth where we have believed lies.)
(Whatever we learn today let it help us to love you more.)
Let’s go to the book of Isaiah 55:1 NLT for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.
This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination
Isaiah 55:1 NLT
Isaiah 55:1 NLT
“Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink—
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
it’s all free!
“Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink—
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
it’s all free!
Where did they most often drink from in biblical days?
A well.
There was also this theme in scripture that many men of God met their bride at a well.
Abraham sent his servant to the well to meet a bride for Isaac.
Isaac’s son Jacob found his wife, Rachel, at a well.
Moses found his wife, Zipporah, at a well.
A well was the place where the thirsty would come to drink. (Right)
Another way to look at it spiritually is that a well is a place where needs are met.
In John chapter 4 Jesus met a woman with needs at a well.
John 4:7-10 NLT
John 4:7-10 NLT
Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
We see here the well is not only where men meet their bride but it’s also where the Spirit of God meets US when we are in need.
When we are thirsty.
When we are empty.
Why does God meet us in this needy, empty, and thirsty position?
(I remember coming home tired and hungry one day. My wife had been to her mom’s and picked up a pot of chili for us to eat. I don’t particularly like chili but she wasn’t cooking tonight. Chili was for dinner. You know what I did. I ate that chili and I liked it.)
You see it’s when we are in need or thirsty that we are most open.
When we are most open is when most people meet God.
It’s when we receive the Spirit of God and we become the bride who met the bridegroom at the well.
So, not only did Abraham, Isaac and Moses find their bride at the well, but Jesus the Christ found us His bride at the well.
Let’s get into today’s message.
Today I am starting a new series.
Today I’ll be setting the foundation for the series and why I felt a burden to teach this.
Unbelieving Believers
Unbelieving Believers
This statement sounds like an oxymoronic statement.
How can believers be unbelieving?
One of the fundamentals of a believer is that they believe; the Bible.
If the Bible says it, we Believe it and that settles it.
The believer should always have one opinion. {God’s opinion based on His word.}
How many of you are familiar with the barna research group?
For almost 40 years Barna Group which is a research firm has been dedicated to providing insights on faith and culture, with a particular focus on the Christian church.
Barna’s research shows that only 17 percent of Christians who consider their faith to be important and attend church regularly actually have a biblical worldview.
Question?
What percent of Christians who consider their faith important and attend church regularly should have a biblical worldview?
100%
So, if Christians are open to nonbiblical perspectives, what are they believing?
61% agree with ideas rooted in New Spirituality.
54% resonate with postmodernist views.
36% accept ideas associated with Marxism.
29% believe ideas based on secularism.
What is The New Spirituality - The New Spirituality is a paradigm for devotion and spiritual formation that utilizes forms and approaches originating from the Bible and from traditions and sources other than the Bible. It emphasizes individual autonomy and focuses on experience rather than on indoctrination.
-28% of Christians believe all people pray to the same god or spirit, no matter what name they use for that spiritual being.
-27% believe meaning and purpose come from becoming one with all that is.
-32% believe if you do good you will receive good and if you do bad you will receive bad.
What are postmodernist views - As a philosophy, postmodernism rejects concepts of rationality, objectivity, and universal truth. Instead, it emphasizes the diversity of human experience and multiplicity of perspectives.
They believe things like:
-No one can know for certain what meaning and purpose there is to life.
-What is morally right or wrong depends on what an individual believes.
-If your beliefs offend someone or hurt their feelings, it is wrong.
What is Marxism - According to Marx, religion in this world of exploitation is an expression of distress and at the same time it is also a protest against the real distress. In other words, religion continues to survive because of oppressive social conditions. When this oppressive and exploitative condition is destroyed, religion will become unnecessary.
They believe things like:
-The government, rather than individuals, should control as much of the resources as necessary to ensure that everyone gets their fair share.
-If the government leaves them alone, business will mostly do what’s right.
What is it to believe in secularism - The secular worldview prioritizes the scientific method as an explanatory framework for life and advances a rational and materialistic view of the world.
They believe things like:
-Meaning and purpose come from working hard to earn as much money as possible so you can make the most of life.
-A person’s life is valuable only if society sees it as valuable.
-A belief must be proven by science to know it is true.
Question?
How can so many beliefs that contradict the Bible be the beliefs of Bible toting church going Christians?
Foundation Scripture:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
All scripture is inspired by God.
Point #1
Point #1
Christians who don’t believe the Bible.
Christians who don’t believe the Bible.
There is an increasing number of confessing Christians that believe if I do enough good things, I will earn a place in heaven.
Now before we debunk that with scripture think about this for a moment.
If I believe that I will also believe that if I do wrong things or bad things I will end up in hell.
And the enemy will do a number on me with the lies he will tell me late in the midnight hour.
(I remember we were teaching a class for Dismas House and there was a young man who loved God and tried to follow the scriptures, but he was tormented by not being perfect or mistakes that he would make.)
Matthew 19:16- NLT
Matthew 19:16- NLT
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
He wanted to know what good things he could do to demonstrate that he was righteous and therefore qualified for the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:17 NLT
Matthew 19:17 NLT
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
A conversation continued and Jesus challenged him with the Old Testament Law about obeying the commandments.
Matthew 19:20 NLT
Matthew 19:20 NLT
“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
Jesus asked him to make his possessions secondary to God. To take them off the place of idolatry and he couldn’t do it.
James 2:10 NLT
James 2:10 NLT
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
The rich young ruler thought that he had positioned himself to a place of doing good that was good enough to qualify for the kingdom of heaven but there is only one who was able to pull that off.
In order to think there is another way to salvation other than accepting Jesus Christ into your heart to be savior and Lord, is to not believe what God says in His word.
Makes you an unbelieving believer
Point #2
Point #2
Christians who believe the Bible.
Christians who believe the Bible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
This is the only way to get a ticket to heaven.
Acts 4:12 NLT
Acts 4:12 NLT
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
if you don’t believe the Bible that’s the only way you believe some of this stuff.
Point #3
Point #3
Which one are you?
Which one are you?
This question is not intended to make you yell out which one you are.
Simply think.
Are there ever times where you question your salvation based on something you have done or something you have thought?
The only thing you need to know is do I believe.
Do you believe Christ is God and that he is divine just as the Father?
Do you believe that Christ existed eternally with the Father without beginning or and end. That He always existed?
Do you believe he walked this earth as a man?
Do you believe he was a real historical person?
Do you believe that he died on the cross and in doing so took upon himself the penalty for all the sin of the world for those who choose to follow him?
Do you believe he rose from the dead on the third day as was testified by hundreds of witnesses?
If you believe in the great exchange, your sin penalty being exchanged for his sinless obedience reward, then you are truly on the believing side.
If you are not on this side or have not made a confession of this faith and belief now is your time.
If you’re watching online or here in the building, I have a very important question to ask you.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?