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Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt

James Merritt - Never Doubt God

March 31, 2025 | S25:E16

James Merritt - Never Doubt God
Touching Lives is the international broadcast ministry of Dr. James Merritt.
#Faith #Parenting #Provision #Religion #PromisesofGod #WordofGod #inActive #Worship #Doubt #Disappointed #JamesMerritt

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Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt | James Merritt - Never Doubt God | March 31, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: welcome to the international broadcast ministry
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  • Of "touching lives" with dr. james merritt.
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  • Here at "touching lives," our mission is to touch the lives
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  • Of the lost and enrich the faith of the found.
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  • And now here is pastor, author, and speaker dr. james merritt.
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  • James merritt: since 1944, every single year gallup poll has
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  • Asked americans this question.
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  • For the last 80 years, they've been asked this question:
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  • "do you believe in god?"
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  • Well, in the 1950s and 1960s when i grew up, 98% of americans
  • 00:00:42.024 --> 00:00:48.397
  • Said they believed in god.
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  • In 2022, that number was down to 81%.
  • 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:56.071
  • In 2023, down to 74%, which was a record low in 40 years.
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  • Now i guess the good news is, is that three out of four people
  • 00:01:03.412 --> 00:01:06.115
  • Still say they believe in god so that's a positive.
  • 00:01:06.115 --> 00:01:09.418
  • But what i'd like to do this morning, i'd like to pose
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  • A different question 'cause i'm sure 99.99% of you believe
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  • In god.
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  • My question is this.
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  • How many of you have ever doubted god?
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  • I bet you i'd be right in saying that's probably close to 100%.
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  • I don't mean the existence of god.
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  • You believe that god's up there.
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  • You believe there's a god that's in heaven and god exists.
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  • My question is, but how many of you have ever doubted the
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  • Goodness of god?
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  • How many of you ever doubted the wisdom of god, the compassion
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  • Of god?
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  • How many of you ever asked questions like this: "god, where
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  • Are you?
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  • God, do you really care?"
  • 00:02:00.636 --> 00:02:03.071
  • Well, how about this one?
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  • "are you even hearing my prayer?
  • 00:02:05.974 --> 00:02:08.777
  • Are you even paying attention?"
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  • Now, here's the good news.
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  • If you have, and i have, you're in great company because what
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  • I love about the--well, the bible is an honest book.
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  • That's one thing about the bible.
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  • You got to be--it's not all roses and no thorns, all, you
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  • Know, fat and sweet and no pain and no--you know, no heartache.
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  • It's a very honest book.
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  • And when you read the bible, some of the greatest people in
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  • The bible doubted god.
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  • As a matter of fact, we're in the mess we're in right now--by
  • 00:02:34.503 --> 00:02:37.039
  • The way, our world is in a mess.
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  • Our country's in a mess.
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  • Our homes are in a mess.
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  • Our schools are in a mess.
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  • Our country's in a mess.
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  • I'm not being negative, i'm just telling you the truth.
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  • But you ever thought about the fact, the reason why we're in
  • 00:02:46.848 --> 00:02:48.951
  • Such a big mess is because two people named adam and eve
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  • Doubted god?
  • 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:53.989
  • If they hadn't doubted god, they just done what god told them to
  • 00:02:53.989 --> 00:02:56.558
  • Do and not done what god told them not to do, we wouldn't be
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  • In the mess that we're in.
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  • So all these great people have doubted god.
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  • There's an entire book in the bible about a na--a man named
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  • Job and all that book is about is about how god doubted go--job
  • 00:03:06.868 --> 00:03:12.241
  • Doubted god and let god know it.
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  • So we've all been there.
  • 00:03:15.611 --> 00:03:19.081
  • Maybe you saved diligently, maybe you tithed every paycheck
  • 00:03:19.081 --> 00:03:24.186
  • You ever made to the church, but the economy crashed and you lost
  • 00:03:24.186 --> 00:03:29.091
  • Your 401(k) and you lost your job.
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  • Well, where was god when that happened?
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  • Or maybe you fought for your marriage.
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  • You were the best spouse you knew how to be.
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  • You did everything you could to hold that marriage together, but
  • 00:03:41.970 --> 00:03:45.007
  • Through no fault of your own the marriage ended and you wound up
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  • A single parent.
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  • God didn't seem to have your back then, did he?
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  • Or you did your best to raise good kids, you took them to
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  • Church, you set a good example for them, you did everything you
  • 00:04:01.023 --> 00:04:05.193
  • Could to be the best parent you knew how to be, but the prodigal
  • 00:04:05.193 --> 00:04:07.963
  • Left home and maybe the prodigal is still gone.
  • 00:04:07.963 --> 00:04:11.833
  • "god, how could you let this happen?"
  • 00:04:11.833 --> 00:04:18.006
  • You ever feel like you've been holding up your end of the deal
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  • But god's out to lunch?
  • 00:04:20.876 --> 00:04:23.845
  • We've all doubted god.
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  • And we're in a series of messages, by the way, we're
  • 00:04:25.781 --> 00:04:27.749
  • Calling the "god life" and we're talking about a man.
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  • His name was elijah.
  • 00:04:30.552 --> 00:04:31.887
  • He would have been on the mount rushmore of god's prophets, one
  • 00:04:31.887 --> 00:04:33.822
  • Of the most famous men in the old testament.
  • 00:04:33.822 --> 00:04:35.691
  • He was a man that was sold out to god.
  • 00:04:35.691 --> 00:04:37.893
  • God used him in great and mighty ways, but as i told you last
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  • Week, james, the lord's brother, said this about him and it
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  • Really encourages me.
  • 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:46.835
  • He said, "elijah was a human being, even as we are."
  • 00:04:46.835 --> 00:04:53.809
  • He's like us, just a guy.
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  • Disappointment, depression, discouragement, disillusionment,
  • 00:04:57.612 --> 00:05:05.053
  • It all affected him.
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  • He went through the same up and downs in life that we do.
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  • He knew what it was like to bask in the sunshine of victory one
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  • Morning and then to be waking up in the thunderstorm of trouble
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  • The next morning.
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  • Now, in case you missed last week, let me review where
  • 00:05:18.633 --> 00:05:20.902
  • We are.
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  • You remember, some of you will, but if you weren't here let me
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  • Back--let me just take you back.
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  • We're introduced to elijah.
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  • He's an unknown person.
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  • He's a nobody from nowhere.
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  • He just appears out of the blue.
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  • He's minding his own business and god calls him to go to
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  • A palace that he'd never seen to meet a king and a queen he did
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  • Not know, and he tells him to walk in there and give them
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  • A one-sentence message.
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  • "i'm turning off the spigot.
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  • Until i say another word, there will be no more rain, no more
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  • Mist, no more dew, no more water until god says it's time to turn
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  • It back on."
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  • Then he just walks out.
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  • Well, the moment he walks out, he just became the most wanted
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  • Man in the nation of israel.
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  • He is on the top--not top ten list, top one list.
  • 00:06:10.352 --> 00:06:14.990
  • So what does god do for this man; give him a gold watch, send
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  • Him to a four seasons, give him a pension, trip to the beach?
  • 00:06:20.228 --> 00:06:28.236
  • God sends him into the wilderness to live next to
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  • A creek where he can drink water and eat bread and needs su--you
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  • Know, supplied to him by the birds.
  • 00:06:34.709 --> 00:06:37.245
  • Now, elijah was just like us.
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  • So how do you think elijah felt?
  • 00:06:39.781 --> 00:06:41.550
  • He felt just like you and i feel.
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  • He was thinking the same thing you and i would have
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  • Been thinking.
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  • "let me get this straight, lord.
  • 00:06:47.055 --> 00:06:48.423
  • Let me understand what's going on here.
  • 00:06:48.423 --> 00:06:51.226
  • I did what you told me to do.
  • 00:06:51.226 --> 00:06:55.263
  • I said what you told me to say.
  • 00:06:55.263 --> 00:06:59.367
  • I have put my life on the line.
  • 00:06:59.367 --> 00:07:02.170
  • The king and the queen have one goal in their life.
  • 00:07:02.170 --> 00:07:04.506
  • They want me dead.
  • 00:07:04.506 --> 00:07:07.476
  • And your reward is to put me by a creek, fed by the birds, all
  • 00:07:07.476 --> 00:07:14.349
  • By myself."
  • 00:07:14.349 --> 00:07:16.751
  • Some of you are looking at me right now and here's what you're
  • 00:07:16.751 --> 00:07:18.687
  • Saying: "that's exactly the way i feel.
  • 00:07:18.687 --> 00:07:21.122
  • That's exactly where i am."
  • 00:07:21.122 --> 00:07:23.358
  • Well, i got some news for you.
  • 00:07:23.358 --> 00:07:25.560
  • If you've been there yesterday or you are there today or you
  • 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:30.465
  • Might be there tomorrow this message is for you, but i want
  • 00:07:30.465 --> 00:07:34.135
  • To give you a word of encouragement right up front.
  • 00:07:34.135 --> 00:07:36.738
  • If you ever get caught in the doubt trap, don't automatically
  • 00:07:36.738 --> 00:07:41.510
  • Take the guilt trip because doubt does have its benefits.
  • 00:07:41.510 --> 00:07:45.447
  • Now, you may find it hard to believe a preacher's telling you
  • 00:07:45.447 --> 00:07:47.282
  • That today.
  • 00:07:47.282 --> 00:07:48.650
  • We talk about faith all the time.
  • 00:07:48.650 --> 00:07:49.985
  • Let's talk about that.
  • 00:07:49.985 --> 00:07:51.353
  • There's a positive side to that.
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  • You say, "what do you mean?"
  • 00:07:52.687 --> 00:07:54.456
  • It does have benefits.
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  • Gary parker wrote a book entitled "the gift of doubt."
  • 00:07:55.790 --> 00:07:58.159
  • He said this.
  • 00:07:58.159 --> 00:07:59.928
  • "if faith never encounters doubt, if truth never struggles
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  • With error, if good never battles with evil, how can faith
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  • Know its own power?
  • 00:08:08.770 --> 00:08:10.205
  • In my own pilgrimage, if i had to choose between a faith that
  • 00:08:10.205 --> 00:08:13.174
  • Has stared doubt in the eye and made it blink, or a naive faith
  • 00:08:13.174 --> 00:08:17.245
  • That's never known the firing line of doubt, i will choose the
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  • Former every time."
  • 00:08:20.048 --> 00:08:22.684
  • So as we look at this man who lived the god life, this man
  • 00:08:22.684 --> 00:08:25.854
  • Named elijah, i just want to follow his example.
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  • I want to see how he handled his doubt.
  • 00:08:29.357 --> 00:08:32.060
  • So today i want to teach you one central lesson.
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  • When you trust and obey, god will clear the way.
  • 00:08:36.131 --> 00:08:40.635
  • Every time when you trust and obey, god will clear the way.
  • 00:08:40.635 --> 00:08:45.941
  • So you want to live the god life; well, the god life means
  • 00:08:45.941 --> 00:08:48.944
  • You really at the end of the day you will never doubt god, and
  • 00:08:48.944 --> 00:08:53.715
  • Elijah teaches us there are four things about god you should
  • 00:08:53.715 --> 00:08:57.452
  • Never ever doubt.
  • 00:08:57.452 --> 00:08:59.487
  • Number one, never doubt god's promise.
  • 00:08:59.487 --> 00:09:03.592
  • Never doubt god's promise.
  • 00:09:03.592 --> 00:09:05.560
  • Now, take your bibles.
  • 00:09:05.560 --> 00:09:07.028
  • I want you to turn to a book called 1 kings.
  • 00:09:07.028 --> 00:09:09.764
  • Just go to genesis, turn right, go about eight or nine books.
  • 00:09:09.764 --> 00:09:12.601
  • You'll come to 1 kings chapter 17.
  • 00:09:12.601 --> 00:09:15.670
  • Now, if--let me just kind of take you back and remind you of
  • 00:09:15.670 --> 00:09:18.940
  • Where we are in the story.
  • 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:20.909
  • Elijah's been in total seclusion.
  • 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:22.978
  • He's in the middle of nowhere.
  • 00:09:22.978 --> 00:09:24.813
  • He's been sleeping by a creek.
  • 00:09:24.813 --> 00:09:26.448
  • He's being fed bread and meat by a bunch of birds, but the good
  • 00:09:26.448 --> 00:09:30.752
  • News is he's alive.
  • 00:09:30.752 --> 00:09:32.887
  • Nobody knows where he is.
  • 00:09:32.887 --> 00:09:35.023
  • He survived this confrontation with this evil king.
  • 00:09:35.023 --> 00:09:38.126
  • Everything's going well, but then we read this: "some time
  • 00:09:38.126 --> 00:09:43.698
  • Later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in
  • 00:09:43.698 --> 00:09:49.137
  • The land."
  • 00:09:49.137 --> 00:09:50.505
  • Now, you're elijah.
  • 00:09:50.505 --> 00:09:52.173
  • As if things couldn't get worse, now all of a sudden you wake up
  • 00:09:52.173 --> 00:09:54.776
  • One morning and you know--you realize, "i don't hear the
  • 00:09:54.776 --> 00:09:57.012
  • Brook bubbling.
  • 00:09:57.012 --> 00:09:58.413
  • I don't hear the water flowing."
  • 00:09:58.413 --> 00:10:00.148
  • You're right 'cause all there is now is rocks and dirt and mud
  • 00:10:00.148 --> 00:10:04.019
  • Because the brook has dried up and then what's even worse the
  • 00:10:04.019 --> 00:10:07.188
  • Brook dried up because of you.
  • 00:10:07.188 --> 00:10:09.691
  • You're the one that turned it off.
  • 00:10:09.691 --> 00:10:11.860
  • You're the one that cut the water off.
  • 00:10:11.860 --> 00:10:13.328
  • It was really your fault 'cause there's been no rain.
  • 00:10:13.328 --> 00:10:16.831
  • So at this point you're elijah.
  • 00:10:16.831 --> 00:10:18.566
  • Here's what you're probably doing.
  • 00:10:18.566 --> 00:10:20.368
  • "what are you up to now?
  • 00:10:20.368 --> 00:10:21.770
  • What in the world are you doing?"
  • 00:10:21.770 --> 00:10:24.305
  • Well, what does god do now; send him to a four seasons, give him
  • 00:10:24.305 --> 00:10:28.176
  • An all-expense-paid vacation to hawaii, a mansion on
  • 00:10:28.176 --> 00:10:30.612
  • Easy street?
  • 00:10:30.612 --> 00:10:31.946
  • Oh no, here's what god does.
  • 00:10:31.946 --> 00:10:33.782
  • "then the word of the lord came to him.
  • 00:10:33.782 --> 00:10:35.250
  • 'go at once to zarephath in the region of sidon and
  • 00:10:35.250 --> 00:10:38.953
  • Stay there.'"
  • 00:10:38.953 --> 00:10:40.321
  • Now, that doesn't mean anything to you, but it's about to mean
  • 00:10:40.321 --> 00:10:42.424
  • A lot to you because elijah just went from bad to worse.
  • 00:10:42.424 --> 00:10:45.727
  • You say, "what do you mean?"
  • 00:10:45.727 --> 00:10:47.095
  • He says, "elijah, i want you to get up and i want you to go
  • 00:10:47.095 --> 00:10:51.166
  • To zarephath."
  • 00:10:51.166 --> 00:10:52.534
  • Now, had you been elijah, you would have been saying, "you
  • 00:10:52.534 --> 00:10:54.936
  • Have got to be kidding me.
  • 00:10:54.936 --> 00:10:57.372
  • You cannot be serious."
  • 00:10:57.372 --> 00:10:58.707
  • Let me tell you why.
  • 00:10:58.707 --> 00:11:00.075
  • Number one, zarephath is a 100-mile journey.
  • 00:11:00.075 --> 00:11:06.881
  • Number two, it was the headquarters of baal worship.
  • 00:11:06.881 --> 00:11:11.486
  • You've heard of the bible belt?
  • 00:11:11.486 --> 00:11:12.921
  • This was the baal belt.
  • 00:11:12.921 --> 00:11:14.923
  • Number three, this is jezebel's hometown.
  • 00:11:14.923 --> 00:11:17.492
  • The--you're the most wanted man in israel.
  • 00:11:17.492 --> 00:11:21.262
  • "there's a wanted-dead-or-alive poster in every tree and you're
  • 00:11:21.262 --> 00:11:24.532
  • Asking me to go to the headquarters of jezebel's
  • 00:11:24.532 --> 00:11:27.769
  • Hometown where baal is worshiped."
  • 00:11:27.769 --> 00:11:30.171
  • Now, you're the most wanted man in israel so everybody wants you
  • 00:11:30.171 --> 00:11:34.075
  • Dead, and he says to you, "go 100 miles.
  • 00:11:34.075 --> 00:11:39.114
  • You'll go by foot.
  • 00:11:39.114 --> 00:11:41.049
  • You'll go by yourself.
  • 00:11:41.049 --> 00:11:42.984
  • You'll be unaccompanied.
  • 00:11:42.984 --> 00:11:44.853
  • There will be no secret service detail.
  • 00:11:44.853 --> 00:11:47.255
  • There will be no bodyguards.
  • 00:11:47.255 --> 00:11:49.124
  • You'll be going through open country.
  • 00:11:49.124 --> 00:11:50.959
  • There's a bounty on your head to ground zero of paganism
  • 00:11:50.959 --> 00:11:54.996
  • And idolatry."
  • 00:11:54.996 --> 00:11:56.364
  • Now, let me just ask you a simple question.
  • 00:11:56.364 --> 00:11:59.134
  • Would you have just a little bit of doubt about what god's doing
  • 00:11:59.134 --> 00:12:02.137
  • In your heart?
  • 00:12:02.137 --> 00:12:03.505
  • Don't look at me like you're so holy this morning.
  • 00:12:03.505 --> 00:12:05.507
  • You'd be going, "what in the world are you doing?"
  • 00:12:05.507 --> 00:12:10.011
  • But things don't get better.
  • 00:12:10.011 --> 00:12:13.448
  • They get worse.
  • 00:12:13.448 --> 00:12:15.083
  • Listen to this.
  • 00:12:15.083 --> 00:12:16.885
  • "i have directed a widow there to supply you with food."
  • 00:12:16.885 --> 00:12:23.024
  • Now, ladies, you'd have to understand the culture back in
  • 00:12:23.024 --> 00:12:25.527
  • That day to understand what a slap in that face was to elijah
  • 00:12:25.527 --> 00:12:30.799
  • Because back in that day no self-respecting man would ever
  • 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:35.303
  • Allow a woman to take care of him.
  • 00:12:35.303 --> 00:12:37.205
  • Period.
  • 00:12:37.205 --> 00:12:38.573
  • Maybe his mother, maybe his wife, maybe a daughter, but no
  • 00:12:38.573 --> 00:12:41.776
  • Way would a man let a woman ever take care of him.
  • 00:12:41.776 --> 00:12:45.079
  • Besides that, a woman he doesn't even know.
  • 00:12:45.079 --> 00:12:49.083
  • Besides that, she's a gentile woman.
  • 00:12:49.083 --> 00:12:52.053
  • She's a pagan.
  • 00:12:52.053 --> 00:12:53.388
  • She's an idolater.
  • 00:12:53.388 --> 00:12:54.756
  • She doesn't even believe in the god he believes in.
  • 00:12:54.756 --> 00:12:56.791
  • And all worse than that she's not just a widow, she's got
  • 00:12:56.791 --> 00:13:00.862
  • A kid and she's poor as she can be.
  • 00:13:00.862 --> 00:13:04.899
  • Now, there are two things a man would never take advantage of in
  • 00:13:04.899 --> 00:13:07.302
  • That day.
  • 00:13:07.302 --> 00:13:08.670
  • He would never take advantage of a widow, and he would never take
  • 00:13:08.670 --> 00:13:10.939
  • Advantage of an orphan.
  • 00:13:10.939 --> 00:13:12.841
  • So elijah could have doubted god.
  • 00:13:12.841 --> 00:13:14.475
  • He could have argued with god.
  • 00:13:14.475 --> 00:13:15.944
  • He could have done what you and i would have done.
  • 00:13:15.944 --> 00:13:17.879
  • "you know what?
  • 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:19.214
  • I've had about enough of this.
  • 00:13:19.214 --> 00:13:20.582
  • Would you just leave me alone?"
  • 00:13:20.582 --> 00:13:23.551
  • But then we see why elijah is in god's hall of fame.
  • 00:13:23.551 --> 00:13:28.690
  • Listen to the next words.
  • 00:13:28.690 --> 00:13:31.192
  • "so he went to zarephath."
  • 00:13:31.192 --> 00:13:35.897
  • Just does what he's told.
  • 00:13:35.897 --> 00:13:38.266
  • He doesn't understand it.
  • 00:13:38.266 --> 00:13:40.768
  • He doesn't even like it.
  • 00:13:40.768 --> 00:13:42.971
  • He just did what he told.
  • 00:13:42.971 --> 00:13:46.107
  • And the reason why he did, you know why?
  • 00:13:46.107 --> 00:13:48.243
  • Only one reason.
  • 00:13:48.243 --> 00:13:49.577
  • He believed god's promise because when god said to him,
  • 00:13:49.577 --> 00:13:54.816
  • "go to zarephath.
  • 00:13:54.816 --> 00:13:56.251
  • There's a widow there who'll provide you with food."
  • 00:13:56.251 --> 00:13:58.486
  • When god said that to him, he just guaranteed elijah
  • 00:13:58.486 --> 00:14:02.557
  • One thing.
  • 00:14:02.557 --> 00:14:03.925
  • "elijah, i'm going to protect you.
  • 00:14:03.925 --> 00:14:05.260
  • I know what i'm doing."
  • 00:14:05.260 --> 00:14:07.161
  • Never doubt god's providence.
  • 00:14:07.161 --> 00:14:14.535
  • So last thing.
  • 00:14:14.535 --> 00:14:15.904
  • Never doubt god's promise.
  • 00:14:15.904 --> 00:14:19.274
  • Never doubt god's provision.
  • 00:14:19.274 --> 00:14:21.910
  • Never doubt god's providence.
  • 00:14:21.910 --> 00:14:23.478
  • Never doubt god's power.
  • 00:14:23.478 --> 00:14:25.546
  • Never doubt god's power.
  • 00:14:25.546 --> 00:14:27.415
  • You know, my favorite philosopher--i'm a deep reader.
  • 00:14:27.415 --> 00:14:29.517
  • I mean, i really--i read deep stuff, and my--i think the most
  • 00:14:29.517 --> 00:14:34.188
  • Brilliant philosopher in the history of this planet is not
  • 00:14:34.188 --> 00:14:37.859
  • Aristotle, is not plato.
  • 00:14:37.859 --> 00:14:40.295
  • It's yogi berra.
  • 00:14:40.295 --> 00:14:41.663
  • He is the greatest philosopher in the history of the world, and
  • 00:14:41.663 --> 00:14:46.034
  • Yogi berra famously said, "it ain't over till it's over.
  • 00:14:46.034 --> 00:14:50.905
  • It ain't over till it's over."
  • 00:14:50.905 --> 00:14:54.275
  • Well, the story is not over.
  • 00:14:54.275 --> 00:14:56.344
  • You ready?
  • 00:14:56.344 --> 00:14:58.313
  • "'give me your son,' elijah replied.
  • 00:14:58.313 --> 00:15:00.882
  • He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room
  • 00:15:00.882 --> 00:15:03.184
  • Where he was staying, and laid him on his bed."
  • 00:15:03.184 --> 00:15:08.323
  • Now, elijah's right where some of you are this morning.
  • 00:15:08.323 --> 00:15:13.962
  • He's in a situation he can't take care of.
  • 00:15:13.962 --> 00:15:19.033
  • He's got a problem he can't solve.
  • 00:15:19.033 --> 00:15:22.470
  • As a matter of fact, he really is not even sure what he ought
  • 00:15:22.470 --> 00:15:26.174
  • To do because he's got a dead boy on his hands and there's
  • 00:15:26.174 --> 00:15:31.813
  • Only one thing that dead boy needs.
  • 00:15:31.813 --> 00:15:34.282
  • He doesn't need money.
  • 00:15:34.282 --> 00:15:35.650
  • He doesn't need food.
  • 00:15:35.650 --> 00:15:36.985
  • He doesn't need water.
  • 00:15:36.985 --> 00:15:38.353
  • He doesn't need shelter.
  • 00:15:38.353 --> 00:15:39.687
  • He doesn't need clothing.
  • 00:15:39.687 --> 00:15:41.022
  • The one thing that boy needs, what is it?
  • 00:15:41.022 --> 00:15:42.757
  • He needs life, the one thing elijah can't give him.
  • 00:15:42.757 --> 00:15:46.461
  • He needs life.
  • 00:15:46.461 --> 00:15:48.563
  • So there's another lesson to remember if you're going to live
  • 00:15:48.563 --> 00:15:51.466
  • The god life.
  • 00:15:51.466 --> 00:15:52.800
  • You ready?
  • 00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:54.135
  • When you have no power to handle a problem, always go to the god
  • 00:15:54.135 --> 00:15:56.304
  • Who does.
  • 00:15:56.304 --> 00:15:57.905
  • When you have no power to handle a problem, always go to the god
  • 00:15:57.905 --> 00:16:01.009
  • Who does.
  • 00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:02.343
  • So what does elijah do?
  • 00:16:02.343 --> 00:16:03.711
  • I tell people all the time there--people sometimes come to
  • 00:16:03.711 --> 00:16:05.613
  • My office and say, "pastor, i don't know what to do."
  • 00:16:05.613 --> 00:16:08.683
  • Here's my first piece of advice, all right?
  • 00:16:08.683 --> 00:16:10.184
  • When you don't know what to do, do what you know to do.
  • 00:16:10.184 --> 00:16:13.755
  • So what does elijah do?
  • 00:16:13.755 --> 00:16:15.123
  • He knows what he--he does what he knows to do.
  • 00:16:15.123 --> 00:16:16.724
  • Watch this.
  • 00:16:16.724 --> 00:16:18.092
  • "then he cried out to the lord--" boom.
  • 00:16:18.092 --> 00:16:21.629
  • "then he cried out to the lord, 'lord my god, have you brought
  • 00:16:21.629 --> 00:16:24.298
  • Tragedy even on this widow i'm staying with, by causing her son
  • 00:16:24.298 --> 00:16:28.336
  • To die?'"
  • 00:16:28.336 --> 00:16:29.670
  • What does elijah do?
  • 00:16:29.670 --> 00:16:31.039
  • He goes to god.
  • 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:32.373
  • He focuses on god.
  • 00:16:32.373 --> 00:16:33.741
  • He gets into the presence of god.
  • 00:16:33.741 --> 00:16:35.176
  • He prays to god 'cause he didn't know what else to do because,
  • 00:16:35.176 --> 00:16:37.745
  • Remember, there was no manual on how to do this.
  • 00:16:37.745 --> 00:16:41.516
  • There was no youtube on how to raise a dead boy.
  • 00:16:41.516 --> 00:16:45.520
  • There was no college giving a class on raising dead boys.
  • 00:16:45.520 --> 00:16:49.390
  • But elijah believes that god can do what he cannot do because
  • 00:16:49.390 --> 00:16:53.961
  • Faith--listen, faith is not just believing god for what god has
  • 00:16:53.961 --> 00:16:58.399
  • Done in the past, faith is believing god to do what he's
  • 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:02.070
  • Never done before.
  • 00:17:02.070 --> 00:17:04.305
  • So he doesn't just pray, he acts.
  • 00:17:04.305 --> 00:17:10.411
  • He does the only thing he knows to do.
  • 00:17:10.411 --> 00:17:11.846
  • Watch this.
  • 00:17:11.846 --> 00:17:13.181
  • "then he stretched himself out on the boy three times--" so he
  • 00:17:13.181 --> 00:17:15.683
  • Lays down on this boy flat face to face, belly to belly,
  • 00:17:15.683 --> 00:17:19.087
  • Leg to leg.
  • 00:17:19.087 --> 00:17:20.421
  • "and cried out to the lord, 'lord my god, let this boy's
  • 00:17:20.421 --> 00:17:23.591
  • Life return to him.'"
  • 00:17:23.591 --> 00:17:25.760
  • Now, you talking about amazing.
  • 00:17:25.760 --> 00:17:27.728
  • If you know your bible, there was one thing jewish people
  • 00:17:27.728 --> 00:17:31.632
  • Could not touch.
  • 00:17:31.632 --> 00:17:33.000
  • What was it?
  • 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:34.335
  • Dead person.
  • 00:17:34.335 --> 00:17:36.270
  • Dead people are dirty.
  • 00:17:36.270 --> 00:17:38.539
  • Dead people are defiled.
  • 00:17:38.539 --> 00:17:40.808
  • Dead people are unpurified.
  • 00:17:40.808 --> 00:17:42.844
  • If you touched a dead person, you had to separate--you had to
  • 00:17:42.844 --> 00:17:45.480
  • Isolate and separate from society.
  • 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:47.482
  • You had to purify yourself.
  • 00:17:47.482 --> 00:17:48.816
  • You had to go wash yourself.
  • 00:17:48.816 --> 00:17:50.751
  • Desperate times call for desperate measures.
  • 00:17:50.751 --> 00:17:53.087
  • Elijah didn't know what else to do.
  • 00:17:53.087 --> 00:17:54.489
  • When you don't know what to do, do what you know to do.
  • 00:17:54.489 --> 00:17:56.524
  • So elijah lays prostrate three times while he's crying out
  • 00:17:56.524 --> 00:17:59.894
  • To god.
  • 00:17:59.894 --> 00:18:01.262
  • He does what he knows to do, believing god for no--what only
  • 00:18:01.262 --> 00:18:04.065
  • God can do.
  • 00:18:04.065 --> 00:18:05.399
  • Then he waits and the bus door opens.
  • 00:18:05.399 --> 00:18:13.040
  • "the lord heard elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to
  • 00:18:13.040 --> 00:18:17.044
  • Him, and he lived.
  • 00:18:17.044 --> 00:18:18.813
  • Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room
  • 00:18:18.813 --> 00:18:21.215
  • Into the house.
  • 00:18:21.215 --> 00:18:22.583
  • He gave him to his mother and said, 'look, your son
  • 00:18:22.583 --> 00:18:26.521
  • Is alive.'"
  • 00:18:26.521 --> 00:18:28.256
  • 'cause when you go to god and you tell him by faith what you
  • 00:18:28.256 --> 00:18:31.792
  • Need and then by faith you do what you need to do and you've
  • 00:18:31.792 --> 00:18:35.296
  • Done all you can do, then you just wait on the bus and you
  • 00:18:35.296 --> 00:18:40.334
  • Leave the rest to god.
  • 00:18:40.334 --> 00:18:42.470
  • Listen, never doubt god's power, and let me tell you why.
  • 00:18:42.470 --> 00:18:48.709
  • Remember the first thing we talked about last week?
  • 00:18:48.709 --> 00:18:53.414
  • The god who can stop the rain can also raise a boy from
  • 00:18:53.414 --> 00:18:59.086
  • The dead.
  • 00:18:59.086 --> 00:19:00.755
  • The god who can turn off the spigots of heaven can also open
  • 00:19:00.755 --> 00:19:05.059
  • Up the casket and take the dead person out.
  • 00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:07.895
  • So--you say, "man, that's great."
  • 00:19:07.895 --> 00:19:11.632
  • But the story doesn't end.
  • 00:19:11.632 --> 00:19:13.301
  • Matter of fact, it's not even the best part of the story.
  • 00:19:13.301 --> 00:19:14.902
  • You think it is.
  • 00:19:14.902 --> 00:19:16.237
  • You--"oh, man, this is where the credits would roll."
  • 00:19:16.237 --> 00:19:17.605
  • Oh no, the story is not over.
  • 00:19:17.605 --> 00:19:19.607
  • Best part of the story is still to come 'cause now you're about
  • 00:19:19.607 --> 00:19:22.843
  • To learn why all this happened.
  • 00:19:22.843 --> 00:19:25.413
  • Why does god say, "go to zarephath?"
  • 00:19:25.413 --> 00:19:27.348
  • Why does god say, "go to a widow that has nothing to give you?"
  • 00:19:27.348 --> 00:19:31.185
  • Why does god let a dead boy--let a young innocent boy die?
  • 00:19:31.185 --> 00:19:35.189
  • Why does god do all of that?
  • 00:19:35.189 --> 00:19:37.058
  • Here's why.
  • 00:19:37.058 --> 00:19:38.426
  • You ready?
  • 00:19:38.426 --> 00:19:39.760
  • Buckle up.
  • 00:19:39.760 --> 00:19:41.128
  • "then the woman said to elijah, 'now i know that you're a man of
  • 00:19:41.128 --> 00:19:44.098
  • God and that the word of the lord from your mouth is
  • 00:19:44.098 --> 00:19:48.135
  • The truth.'"
  • 00:19:48.135 --> 00:19:50.438
  • "i get it."
  • 00:19:50.438 --> 00:19:52.540
  • What was god's purpose?
  • 00:19:52.540 --> 00:19:54.575
  • Why does god send elijah to a widow and to this little boy,
  • 00:19:54.575 --> 00:19:57.745
  • Just to give them an endless amount of food?
  • 00:19:57.745 --> 00:20:00.014
  • No.
  • 00:20:00.014 --> 00:20:01.349
  • Just so he could prove he could raise a dead body to life?
  • 00:20:01.349 --> 00:20:04.285
  • No.
  • 00:20:04.285 --> 00:20:05.620
  • He had a far greater purpose than that.
  • 00:20:05.620 --> 00:20:07.255
  • You know why god did all that?
  • 00:20:07.255 --> 00:20:12.193
  • He wanted to take a godless mother and turn her into
  • 00:20:12.193 --> 00:20:15.363
  • A godly mother.
  • 00:20:15.363 --> 00:20:17.932
  • He wanted to take a woman that was headed to hell and make sure
  • 00:20:17.932 --> 00:20:20.835
  • She was headed to heaven.
  • 00:20:20.835 --> 00:20:22.870
  • He wanted to take a woman that was living in darkness and show
  • 00:20:22.870 --> 00:20:25.606
  • Her what it meant to live in the light.
  • 00:20:25.606 --> 00:20:28.042
  • He wanted a woman who didn't even believe in him to come to
  • 00:20:28.042 --> 00:20:31.312
  • Know him and worship--love him and worship him and serve him.
  • 00:20:31.312 --> 00:20:35.683
  • That's why he did what he did.
  • 00:20:35.683 --> 00:20:37.485
  • He wanted to turn a woman's heart from a pagan god to the
  • 00:20:37.485 --> 00:20:40.454
  • Real god, and he wanted to teach both a widow and a prophet this
  • 00:20:40.454 --> 00:20:44.225
  • Is what real faith is all about.
  • 00:20:44.225 --> 00:20:46.360
  • See, remember--we're going to find this out in the next week
  • 00:20:46.360 --> 00:20:49.764
  • Or two.
  • 00:20:49.764 --> 00:20:51.132
  • God had even greater things in store for elijah.
  • 00:20:51.132 --> 00:20:53.134
  • There's a far greater battle facing elijah than just raising
  • 00:20:53.134 --> 00:20:56.604
  • A boy from the dead or feeding a widow, but in the meantime he's
  • 00:20:56.604 --> 00:20:59.807
  • Purifying a widow from her sins.
  • 00:20:59.807 --> 00:21:01.542
  • He's bringing her into the family of god.
  • 00:21:01.542 --> 00:21:03.678
  • And by the way, you know what's amazing?
  • 00:21:03.678 --> 00:21:06.514
  • We don't even know this woman's name.
  • 00:21:06.514 --> 00:21:08.316
  • We're never told what her name is, but she made god's hall
  • 00:21:08.316 --> 00:21:12.353
  • Of faith.
  • 00:21:12.353 --> 00:21:14.021
  • Because in hebrews chapter 11 thousands of years later,
  • 00:21:14.021 --> 00:21:17.291
  • We read these words.
  • 00:21:17.291 --> 00:21:18.626
  • "women received back their dead, raised to life again," talking
  • 00:21:18.626 --> 00:21:21.862
  • About this very widow.
  • 00:21:21.862 --> 00:21:24.699
  • Both of those people had to trust god like they never
  • 00:21:24.699 --> 00:21:26.967
  • Trusted god before, ever.
  • 00:21:26.967 --> 00:21:29.470
  • So what's the lesson?
  • 00:21:29.470 --> 00:21:31.205
  • What's it all about?
  • 00:21:31.205 --> 00:21:33.007
  • You never tru--you always--you never, never doubt
  • 00:21:33.007 --> 00:21:35.576
  • God's promise.
  • 00:21:35.576 --> 00:21:37.345
  • You never doubt god's providence.
  • 00:21:37.345 --> 00:21:39.513
  • You never doubt god's power.
  • 00:21:39.513 --> 00:21:41.115
  • You never ever doubt it.
  • 00:21:41.115 --> 00:21:43.184
  • So i'll just close with this.
  • 00:21:43.184 --> 00:21:44.552
  • I've kept a spiritual journal.
  • 00:21:44.552 --> 00:21:46.487
  • This next year will be 45 years i will have kept a spiritual
  • 00:21:46.487 --> 00:21:50.491
  • Journal, since 1985.
  • 00:21:50.491 --> 00:21:53.427
  • I will have kept a journal 40 years next year.
  • 00:21:53.427 --> 00:21:56.564
  • In the front of my journal, i wrote these words.
  • 00:21:56.564 --> 00:21:59.800
  • I'll read them at least once a week.
  • 00:21:59.800 --> 00:22:02.503
  • "there are many things as a pastor you don't have
  • 00:22:02.503 --> 00:22:04.739
  • Control over.
  • 00:22:04.739 --> 00:22:06.340
  • You didn't choose when or where you would be born or what your
  • 00:22:06.340 --> 00:22:08.576
  • Natural talents would be.
  • 00:22:08.576 --> 00:22:09.910
  • God, in his sovereignty, chose those things for you.
  • 00:22:09.910 --> 00:22:12.613
  • But there is one thing you do have control over and that's the
  • 00:22:12.613 --> 00:22:16.851
  • Most important thing.
  • 00:22:16.851 --> 00:22:18.319
  • It's how you choose to believe god."
  • 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:23.257
  • So i want to ask all of us a question.
  • 00:22:23.257 --> 00:22:27.027
  • When you walk out this door and you get in your car and you go
  • 00:22:27.027 --> 00:22:29.296
  • Home, how are you going to choose to believe god?
  • 00:22:29.296 --> 00:22:36.837
  • How are you going to choose to believe god with your finances?
  • 00:22:36.837 --> 00:22:42.376
  • How are you going to choose to believe god for that lost
  • 00:22:42.376 --> 00:22:44.412
  • Neighbor that you've never shared jesus with?
  • 00:22:44.412 --> 00:22:48.682
  • How are you going to choose to believe god in a marriage that
  • 00:22:48.682 --> 00:22:50.885
  • Looks like it can't make it but it can?
  • 00:22:50.885 --> 00:22:54.855
  • Yes, we all may doubt it at times, but when you're in a bout
  • 00:22:54.855 --> 00:22:59.560
  • With doubt don't let your faith give out.
  • 00:22:59.560 --> 00:23:02.663
  • When you're in a bout with doubt, don't let your faith
  • 00:23:02.663 --> 00:23:04.732
  • Give out.
  • 00:23:04.732 --> 00:23:06.066
  • Never doubt the god who loves you, the god who cares for you,
  • 00:23:06.066 --> 00:23:08.869
  • The god who has a plan and a purpose for your life, and the
  • 00:23:08.869 --> 00:23:11.305
  • God that proved it when he sent his son jesus to die for your
  • 00:23:11.305 --> 00:23:14.008
  • Sins and brought him back from the grave so that you might have
  • 00:23:14.008 --> 00:23:17.244
  • Eternal life.
  • 00:23:17.244 --> 00:23:18.579
  • 'cause think about this, and we'll be done.
  • 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:19.947
  • If that woman--listen to me.
  • 00:23:19.947 --> 00:23:21.582
  • If that woman's son had not lost his physical life, she would
  • 00:23:21.582 --> 00:23:27.655
  • Have never received eternal life.
  • 00:23:27.655 --> 00:23:30.691
  • So when all is said and all is done, don't let your faith ever
  • 00:23:30.691 --> 00:23:36.730
  • Give out to doubt.
  • 00:23:36.730 --> 00:23:39.333
  • Never doubt god.
  • 00:23:39.333 --> 00:23:42.703
  • Would you pray with me?
  • 00:23:42.703 --> 00:23:45.806
  • Just bow your heads and close your eyes for just a moment?
  • 00:23:45.806 --> 00:23:48.042
  • Could i be honest with you?
  • 00:23:48.042 --> 00:23:49.977
  • Do you know why people ultimately wind up spending
  • 00:23:49.977 --> 00:23:52.613
  • Eternity separated from god?
  • 00:23:52.613 --> 00:23:54.315
  • Can i tell you why?
  • 00:23:54.315 --> 00:23:55.649
  • Because they doubt god.
  • 00:23:55.649 --> 00:23:57.518
  • They either doubt that jesus really was who he said he was or
  • 00:23:57.518 --> 00:24:00.154
  • Jesus really did what he said he did, or they really doubt that
  • 00:24:00.154 --> 00:24:03.858
  • God so loved the word he gave his only son that whoever shall
  • 00:24:03.858 --> 00:24:06.060
  • Believe in him would not perish but have eternal life.
  • 00:24:06.060 --> 00:24:07.928
  • They just doubt it.
  • 00:24:07.928 --> 00:24:10.598
  • Well, i'm asking some of you today.
  • 00:24:10.598 --> 00:24:11.932
  • You're watching online.
  • 00:24:11.932 --> 00:24:13.300
  • You're watching on television.
  • 00:24:13.300 --> 00:24:14.635
  • You're here in this room.
  • 00:24:14.635 --> 00:24:16.170
  • You've never given your life to christ.
  • 00:24:16.170 --> 00:24:18.038
  • You've never really done it.
  • 00:24:18.038 --> 00:24:19.473
  • Some of you, you know why you haven't?
  • 00:24:19.473 --> 00:24:20.975
  • You say, "oh, you don't know how bad my life's been.
  • 00:24:20.975 --> 00:24:23.043
  • You don't know how many things i've done wrong.
  • 00:24:23.043 --> 00:24:25.412
  • God can never save me."
  • 00:24:25.412 --> 00:24:26.947
  • Never doubt god.
  • 00:24:26.947 --> 00:24:30.451
  • And if today you want to get rid of your doubt, replace it with
  • 00:24:30.451 --> 00:24:33.454
  • Faith; if you want to cast out doubt and bring faith in, then
  • 00:24:33.454 --> 00:24:38.893
  • Why don't you just understand.
  • 00:24:38.893 --> 00:24:42.296
  • Bad news is that we've all sinned, separated from god,
  • 00:24:42.296 --> 00:24:45.900
  • All of us; worst news is there's nothing we can do to save
  • 00:24:45.900 --> 00:24:49.270
  • Ourselves; the good news is jesus did for us what we
  • 00:24:49.270 --> 00:24:52.573
  • Couldn't do for ourselves; and the best news is eternal life is
  • 00:24:52.573 --> 00:24:55.442
  • A gift.
  • 00:24:55.442 --> 00:24:56.777
  • He bought it and paid for it.
  • 00:24:56.777 --> 00:24:58.145
  • All you got to do is take it.
  • 00:24:58.145 --> 00:24:59.480
  • And tonight, today you could just say something like this:
  • 00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:02.316
  • "lord jesus, i confess you are my lord.
  • 00:25:02.316 --> 00:25:06.720
  • I'm not just saying it, i'm confessing it.
  • 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:10.157
  • I'm surrendering to you as the lord of my life.
  • 00:25:10.157 --> 00:25:12.259
  • I'm asking you to come into my heart.
  • 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:14.161
  • I'm giving all that i am to all that you are, and i believe in
  • 00:25:14.161 --> 00:25:17.932
  • My heart god raised you from the dead.
  • 00:25:17.932 --> 00:25:20.801
  • You are alive right now.
  • 00:25:20.801 --> 00:25:22.169
  • You're on the throne of this universe."
  • 00:25:22.169 --> 00:25:25.072
  • Announcer: to watch an extended version of today's message
  • 00:25:25.072 --> 00:25:27.441
  • From dr. james merritt, go to touchinglives.org.
  • 00:25:27.441 --> 00:25:32.546
  • James: in a world of social media snapshots, cable news
  • 00:25:35.983 --> 00:25:39.086
  • Sound bites, we're being told that what you look like on the
  • 00:25:39.086 --> 00:25:42.923
  • Outside, your image, is more important than who you really
  • 00:25:42.923 --> 00:25:45.693
  • Are on the inside, your character.
  • 00:25:45.693 --> 00:25:48.562
  • I beg to differ.
  • 00:25:48.562 --> 00:25:49.897
  • The bible says god doesn't look on the outward appearance.
  • 00:25:49.897 --> 00:25:52.733
  • He looks on the heart, and my book "character still counts" is
  • 00:25:52.733 --> 00:25:57.871
  • Going to enable you to be the character that god wants
  • 00:25:57.871 --> 00:25:59.907
  • You to be.
  • 00:25:59.907 --> 00:26:01.241
  • There are 13 overlooked traits in that book that form the
  • 00:26:01.241 --> 00:26:03.911
  • Bedrock of a godly life and a good society.
  • 00:26:03.911 --> 00:26:07.481
  • For the entire month of march, you can receive this book by
  • 00:26:07.481 --> 00:26:10.584
  • Donating any amount to our ministry touching lives.
  • 00:26:10.584 --> 00:26:13.754
  • As you read it, you're going to find role models that
  • 00:26:13.754 --> 00:26:16.123
  • Were flawed.
  • 00:26:16.123 --> 00:26:17.458
  • They failed, they were human, but at the end of the day they
  • 00:26:17.458 --> 00:26:21.028
  • Went on to live lives worth imitating.
  • 00:26:21.028 --> 00:26:23.764
  • You'll be inspired to become the best version of you and to be
  • 00:26:23.764 --> 00:26:27.134
  • All that you ought to be for god and for others.
  • 00:26:27.134 --> 00:26:30.137
  • In addition, with a contribution of $75 or more, you'll receive
  • 00:26:30.137 --> 00:26:34.842
  • A copy not only of my book but this niv study bible.
  • 00:26:34.842 --> 00:26:38.879
  • This beautifully-illustrated bible includes over 21,000 study
  • 00:26:38.879 --> 00:26:42.149
  • Notes, copies of introductions to every book, and more than 125
  • 00:26:42.149 --> 00:26:46.520
  • Detailed articles all written to deepen your understanding of god
  • 00:26:46.520 --> 00:26:50.457
  • Word and knowing how you can be all that god wants you to be.
  • 00:26:50.457 --> 00:26:55.295
  • So consider making your best contribution this month.
  • 00:26:55.295 --> 00:26:58.666
  • By supporting "touching lives," you'll join us in building godly
  • 00:26:58.666 --> 00:27:02.136
  • Character, exploring god's word, and nurturing a close
  • 00:27:02.136 --> 00:27:05.706
  • Relationship with jesus every day.
  • 00:27:05.706 --> 00:27:07.875
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:07.875 --> 00:27:18.452
  • Announcer: touching the lives of the lost and enriching the faith
  • 00:27:18.519 --> 00:27:21.689
  • Of the found, this is "touching lives" with dr. james merritt.
  • 00:27:21.689 --> 00:27:28.095