Dr. Stanley looks at the common causes of weak faith and the mistakes that can damage it further. When the Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt, they needed to learn to trust the God who had delivered them—and so must we. Knowing how to protect your faith will help you grow strong and resilient in the face of every challenge. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
well one of the greatest assets you have
in your life is your faith it affects
everything you do you’re planning to get
up tomorrow morning right you may have
some plans about you on the work we live
by our faith we make plans some people’s
faith is strong some people’s faith not
so strong but many people have fainted
wavers they don’t have a settled strong
foundational faith but I want to talk
about this whole issue of why we waver
in our faith if you’ll recall where
we’ve been in the past a few months
we’ve been in the book of Exodus and we
have watched God free the Israelites
from Egyptian bondage God miraculously
brought them out gave them what the
Egyptians owned brought them through the
desert brought him down to the Red Sea
opened up opened up the sea and waters
on both sides of them they walk through
not a person he got a drop of water on
them all the way through and then
through the desert up to the very to
cross over the bound in the promised
land they said mmm
we better go back to Egypt can you
imagine that take us back to Egypt
slavery a little disease all the things
that they had to deal with when right on
the right on the brink of the promised
land that mm-hmm we can’t do it that’s
our background that’s what we’re going
to be talking about but I want you to
turn to James chapter 1 and the sixth
verse says but we must ask in faith
without any doubting for the one who
doubts is like the surf of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind watch this
for that man a woman or not to expect
that he will receive anything from the
Lord you see that that’s a powerful
statement look at that for that man a
woman ought not to expect that he shall
receive anything for
the Lord so what I want to talk about in
this message is wavering faith all of us
have experienced wavering faith in some
fashion of the other and so it’s
devastating to real accomplishment and
achievement in life God wants us to have
strong faith now watch this faith it is
build on the relationship a personal
relationship with Almighty God not faith
built on feelings not faith built on
opinion not faith built on somebody else
with somebody else thinks you ought to
do but faith built on Almighty God what
God’s gonna do in your life
relates to your faith not spending your
time think about what I can’t do what I
can’t have but spending our time
thinking about what God has provided for
us what he’s promised and what he will
allow to happen so let’s think about
some of the causes of wavering faith
when trusting God is in conflict with
human reason what happens if we go by
human reason instead of trusting God we
won’t get much out of life when you
trusted Christ as your Savior here’s
what you did you said I’m gonna believe
that now having trusted Jesus as my
savior then when I die I’m going to
heaven and nothing can keep me out
because he promised absent from the body
present with the Lord
so you’ve trusted him as your Savior now
living it out is what faiths all about
and so your human reason and your faith
ain’t going to be in conflict lots of
times especially if you listen to other
people because most other people have an
opinion about you if you just ask them
why should we listen to people tell us
what to do how we all live our life
instead of God who created you as a very
unique individual so one of the reasons
we waver in f-8 is human reason when we
allow our feelings to overcome our faith
this is where most people live well I
just don’t feel like it
well I have thought I have prayed about
it but then I said I just don’t feel
like that’s what God wants for me and we
let our feelings which like the waves of
the sea forward and backwards and people
live that way nowhere in the Bible is
that ever imp even imply that would live
by feelings we’re gonna have feelings
but the issue is this do we live by ever
changing feelings that are affected by
everything or you’re gonna live by a
faith in the Word of God which does not
change everything else changes the Word
of God doesn’t change you can’t go by
your feelings either go over your
feelings or your faith now one word in
the description about you on about our
feelings being a right we go by trusting
God to be to us who he promised to be
then of course when we fail to see God
at work in our circumstances and I think
this is what happens to many people
things happen that they don’t expect or
they don’t plan and they don’t see God
in them you say what do you mean seeing
God in them most of us watch this
carefully see God and our circumstances
when they’re good when I’m getting what
I want going where I want to go having
what I have job this where that live
there that’s when we see God I suppose
the bottom drops out and you don’t have
all those things whereas God that has he
disappeared has he changed this God who
said I will never leave you nor forsake
you has he changed no he has not and so
we trust him in times we don’t always
understand what he’s up to but he’s
always working in our circumstances to
accomplish his will and for our good God
is a God of awesome love who intends to
lead us every single day not make
everything just easy for us but whatever
he’s doing whatever he’s doing in your
life he has an ultimate purpose you
think God is always working in your head
yes he is it may not look like it but it
may not feel like it we can’t see any
evidence of it
he’s always working and never had
because to get you over here
he knows they watch the he knows to
bless you over here he can’t take a
straight line because he’ll ruin you
back here so what does he do he takes us
through enough pain enough difficult
enough hardship by the time we get there
we’re so grateful to God we just love
obeying him love obeying him then of
course we listen to negative counsel you
have to watch who you listen to some
other since well I’ve been talking about
my friends about what I’ve been praying
to God about and none of them think I
should do it yeah listen you don’t
listen to your friends you say well you
telling me nothing ever listen to my
friends no but I’m saying this when it
comes to decisions that you have to make
about your life your decisions and not
your friends decisions your decisions
are between you and God it isn’t that we
shouldn’t I see godly counsel but godly
counsel other listen should match up to
God’s Word and God’s Spirit and God’s
direction for your life so we’re talking
about the things that cause us to waver
in our faith another one is this when we
focus on our circumstances rather than
on God and there’s always a catch for us
well here’s here my circumstances not
not here here are my circumstances in
the light of this awesome sovereign God
that I serve who loves me
unconditionally these are not my
circumstances alone these are
circumstances in which God is very very
aware of he knows exactly who I am where
I am he knows exactly what I should be
doing
he knows what doesn’t make any sense at
all but happens to be the will of God
these are the things that trip us up
these are the things that we begin to
pray and ask God what to do
and then watch this carefully so many
times when we do that and we’re talking
to our friends and looking at the
circumstances and we conclude by our
circumstances and what we hear and what
we normally feel well that couldn’t be
the will of God when that may be exactly
what God wants you to do watch this
because how do we grow in our faith
being challenged by things that are not
normal
challenged by things that don’t seem to
be reasonable things that seem to be
difficult why would you ought to ask me
to do this and sometimes what he’s doing
he’s pushing us along to grow up our
faith and so he’s a guy who’s always
looking out in our behalf when we focus
on those circumstances rather than God
something begins to happen in our life
and so when we are ignorant of God’s
ways another one even though the God’s
ways if I’m agent of how God works then
I’m gonna be disappointed so somebody
says well how do we learn how God works
from the Word of God and I think about
how many people grow up in their life
and they own the Bible but they never
read it or if they do they read their
favorite passages most of the time but
God wants us to be growing and how do we
grow we grow through our faith trusting
him believing him that even in the most
difficult trying weeping times we must
believe that God is doing something good
watch this because he is a good God who
loves us even in the difficult times
when he has to chastise us he’s still
loving us he knows what we need now we
think we know what we need we need to
live in a big house drive a big car wear
expensive clothes have all kind of
jewelry we name all that kind of stuff
you know what yeah doesn’t promise that
he promises something much better a
personal intimate relationship with him
that is the most wonderful gift God
could give in that’s what he is and then
I think about feelings of guilt over
pass
hot people and a lot of people who have
been saved know that they’re saved and
yet they never grow and here’s the
reason they don’t grow they believe God
saved them but they can’t quite believe
that God has forgiven them of things in
their past that maybe they were ashamed
of or maybe things that they certainly
regret that ever happened to and somehow
they can’t quite believe that God has
really entirely forgiven them and I’ve
met lots of people that like that in
life well I know I’m saved I know I
trusted Jesus Christ as my savior but
then here’s what happened in my life and
I don’t think God could possibly forgive
me of that what is it he can’t forgive
you love that’s who he is a forgiving
God listen and he doesn’t
one thing he does not do is come back
and say
no when he forgives in his divine man he
forgets he does not he does not hold
against you what he is forgiving you uh
now there were a circumstance that
caused you to sin as a fruit and those
circumstances sometimes are very
difficult and so we reap what we sow
more than we sow later than me so it
doesn’t mean that God’s against us but
the very nature of some things we reap
what we sow more than we so later than
we sow and it doesn’t say but God
doesn’t forgive us No
watch this even when we’ve made mistakes
even when we’ve sinned against God he
has forgiven us that watch this even
when you are suffering the fruits of big
mistakes holy God is with you to help
you to enable you and to remind you that
the fruits and the consequences of what
you’ve done is still there you feeling
it but he’s forgiven you he’s forgiven
you no matter what and this is where
many Christians they come to a certain
point in their commitment to the Lord
and then they’ll say but yeah but
backyard in my life here’s what happened
and I don’t know how God could forgive
you I can tell you I’m today how he can
forgive you of anything
I didn’t say there’ll be no consequences
but I can tell you I will forgive you
anything look at the cross when he sent
Jesus to down the cross and shed his
blood and that was for your sin and my
sin
how will he forgive us asking him to
forgive us not on the basis are we gonna
be perfect but on the basis that Jesus
died for us and when we surrender our
life to him confess our faith in him he
forgives us of our sin and I think of
how many people miss out on the best
things in life because they can’t
believe that God could somehow forgive
them of this that in the illa well guilt
over past sins and then of course
listening to the lies of the devil Satan
is still talking
and I’ve met some wonderful people who
will never be happy in their life
because they can’t they can’t close
their ears off to the devil’s
accusations
watch this you cannot name a single
solitary sin in your life today that God
won’t forgive you off now if you have
the idea that I’m going to sin because
in the heaven just enjoy myself because
the Bible says if I confess it he’ll
forgive me and cleanse me from all
unrighteousness mmm
you set yourself a trap you’re testing
God but God will forgive you for
whatever the past is because he’s a God
of love and goodness and mercy and he’s
paid the price for your sins he wants
you to trust him he wants us to trust
him and if we trust him we’ll grow in
that Christian life and if we don’t we
won’t grow so think about all of us
listening to the lies of Satan telling
you that you’re not forgiven you are
forgiven
now how do we correct wavering faith and
we’ve all been that sometime with Ellen
how do we correct that in our life ask
yourself this question where are these
doubts coming from they come in from the
devil Satan wants you to doubt that
you’re saved he wants you to doubt that
you’re forgiven and he own and on he
goes he is the source of our doubts God
is an awesome God who loves us and when
we come to doubting him the best place
to go is strictly to the Word of God to
say Lord what do you say about this so
ask yourself the question where are
these doubts coming from and then ask
yourself this question did God not
promise to meet all of our needs yes he
has he’s promised to meet every single
need we have what have you asked him for
that he is not done that it’s his will
and purpose and plan for your life he
never fails us so let’s think about this
did he not give us the holy spirit to
enable us to do whatever he requires in
life yes he did and so whatever he
requires of us when you trusted Christ
as your Savior when dwelt by the Holy
Spirit the Holy Spirit is there to
enable you to accomplish anything and
everything God has required of you so he
is not saying this is what I want you to
do and you do it he’s always there he’s
our partner in life he’s our God to help
us to do and to achieve everything he’s
required of us
he’s never gonna misguide you mislead
you in any way on the in a condition he
always has your best interest at heart
the question is are you willing to
listen with an open heart are you
willing to unless it listen are you
willing to listen in the light of what
you know the Word of God says and the
Bible name is a whole lot of sins and
the Bible forbids us to partake of many
things in life thou shalt not commit
adultery thou shalt not steal thou shalt
not kill thou shalt not bear false
witness on and on we go and people know
it then quote it but here’s how they
think I’m an exception I’m an exception
I’m pretty good I’m not I’m not a mean
person and never killed anybody I’ve
heard everything imaginable of why a
person can sin against God and they be
okay
it’s not okay watch this no matter who
we are what we are how long we’ve known
the Lord you cannot change you cannot
change a principle of the Word of God
one of which is be sure your sin will
find you out
secondly we reap what we sow what’s the
next one more than we sow later than we
sow you can’t change that and so what I
simply want you to do is to think about
this to live a life of faith you’ve got
to know what the Word of God says
God wants the best for us and the best
for us requires something of us and I
think about it did he promise to be with
me at all times yes anything too hard
for God No
and when you come to a decision in life
the decisions and watch this
you can’t ask somebody else in life if
you’re a decision making process if it’s
a big decision
some people think big things in God’s
eyes or little things to us and some
things that we think are so big to God
they’re not what God wants is listening
hearts and obedient spirits and you get
the best that Almighty God has to offer
does that mean no pain no there’s the
mean you’ll never be alone no y’all
notice what it takes to make us to
create us for us to become the persons
he’s made us he’ll take it in other
words if you’ve moved half your life and
say well I just blonde it start now God
will take you right where you are
forgive you of your sin in spite of the
past heal unable you to overcome it but
most people are not listening to God
they’re just doing whatever they want to
do is this one of those Forks in the
road which my own believe could cost me
a lifetime of regret that is a major
question you can funny with some
question ask yourself the question it’s
just one of the fortune the road in
which my unbelief could cost me a
lifetime of regret I think of some
people on though a living in the
lifetime of regret because of decisions
they’ve made in decisions they can’t
change God wants us to follow his will
because that’s the best way he’s willing
to answer our prayers he’s willing to
give us direction he’s willing to
forgive us of our sin he’s willing to
help us in every way if we wouldn’t
listen to it but ask yourself the
question on a daily basis on a daily
basis is that your habit
and could you be described by the people
who know you as a person who seeks to
obey God in their life live the
Christian life knows Jesus Christ as
their Savior is that the kind of person
they are though they know you is that
kind of person it’s that relationship to
him listening to him and obey so when I
think about that think about probably
one of the simplest things I could say
to you and yet it’s one of the most
important so put it this way I’ve live
long enough to learn this the most
important thing in a believers life is
the time they spend meditating upon the
Word of God and talking to him there
there is no exception
that’s the most important time we spent
in their life reading their word at you
so I don’t understand at all well that
things in the Bible I don’t fully
understand the most important thing in
your life
the most assured sense of guidance in
your life if you will read the word and
listen to God he will direct you right
every time and I would simply say this
I’ve got some favorite passages in fact
I want you to listen to this then I’ll
tell you where you got it when I’m
trying to make a decision I’m facing
some situations circumstance yes for our
turn you’re my servant I have chosen you
and not rejected you do not fear for I
am with you do not anxious me look about
you for I am your God I will strengthen
you surely I will help you surely I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand
they hold all those who are anger that
you will be shamed in the dishonor
those who contend with you will be as
nothing and will perish you will seek
those who quarrel with you but you’ll
not find them
those who war with you will be as
nothing and non-existent for I am the
Lord your God who love holds your right
hand who says to you do not fear I will
help you as their 41 starts with verse 9
you’ll write that down Isaiah all the
things he covers in this passage there
have been times when I faced those
difficult times in my life things that
would normally destroy a person that’s
where I lived right there and I was
there for that one yet other passages
it’s the Word of God it’s the Word of
God that keeps us on track when
everything else may be wrong going on in
your life but there it is
I will help you I will strengthen you I
will uphold you God’s promise to us so
as you think about your faith remember
this it’s linked to the Word of God your
faith will increase in strength and
power when you spend time in the Word of
God and you may be here today and not
knowing Jesus as your Savior well what’s
the next step the first step is to ask
the Lord Jesus Christ if he gave you of
your sins not because you’re going to be
better not because you deserve it but
because he said if we confess our sins
he’s faithful and just to forgive us of
our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness that is when Jesus went
to the cross he died and paid sins death
for you and me and when we ask him to
forgive us he will and then he will
begin to guide you lead you and help you
to understand the Word of God change
your whole life I trust that you’ll do
that whoever you are wherever you are
God is willing to change your life if
you let him amen
father we thank you for your wonderful
word we pray the Holy Spirit will fasten
these truths in the heart of every
person and grant us all the courage we
need Lord to be obedient to you when
things don’t look very clear but when
you say go give us wisdom and the
courage to go to do whatever you would
have us to do in life we love you and we
praise you and we bless you for every
blessing that comes their way
but the one above all else your presence
and your power but dwelling within us in
Jesus name Amen
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