Talk

What To Do When You Doubt God

Louie Giglio
September, 9, 2018

Jesus has come to set you free.

How many of us really are living in the truth? The truth is that long before we were born our fight came to an end. Are we walking in the reality that Jesus won the war, that our chains are broken and dealt with, and that we are truly free? What do you do when you doubt God?

In the first message of our Chain Breaker series, Louie Giglio looks at the chain of Doubt and the One who is able to break this chain along with every other, Jesus.

Key Takeaway

My default is not doubt; it's a framework of faith. When I lean toward God and away from the world, it shifts my perspective to know that in any situation, I have faith that God is good, in control, and made me victorious through Him.

Many of us go to church every Sunday, raise our hands in worship, and read our Bibles, and the enemy is fine with us participating in God's Kingdom as long as he still has a hold on our lives somehow. We feel like we have certain chains wrapped around us that we will never break free from, but the war is over! Jesus is victorious. He has set you free to walk in his truth.

Mark 9: 14-29

A little boy is demon-possessed and instead of immediately healing the boy, Jesus turns to the father and invites him into the story. Jesus does the same thing with us. The father replied, "If you can do anything...". Jesus asks, seemingly a little aggravated, "If I can?"

Jesus is not aggravated by the power of the enemy over the little boy, He's aggravated by the unbelief of the people around Him. He answers, "Everything is possible for those who believe." Not who reads their Bible the most, who has perfect church attendance, who gives the most, or who has it all together. Those things are great, but what really matters is belief.

A little rewind of what led up to this passage.

Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida. Mark 8:22-25

Jesus feeds 4000 people. Mark 8:1-13

Jesus heals a deal and mute man. Mark 7:31-37

Jesus honors the Syrophoenecian woman's faith. Mark 7:24-30

Jesus walks on water. Mark 6:45-56

Jesus feeds 5000 people. Mark 6:30-44

Jesus heals Jairus's daughter and the bleeding woman. Mark 5:21-43

Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. Mark 5:1-20

Jesus calmed a storm. Mark 4:35-41

Jesus heals a paralytic. Mark 2:1-12

Jesus heals a man with leprosy. Mark 1:40-45

Jesus heals many people. Mark 1:29-34

Jesus drives out an evil spirit. Mark 1:21-28

So, that's why after he has done all these things and word about him has spread, He is aggravated at the unbelief of who He is and what He can do.

Our default a lot of the time is doubt, but the root is unbelief. It's deeper than negativity, glass half empty, or pessimism.

Jesus has come to set you free and give back to you what the enemy has stolen from your life.

Isaiah 45:1-3

This is a prophecy during a time in which Nebuchadnezzar had taken the best off to Babylon as captives. They are having to use the gifts that God gave them to build up a kingdom that is opposed to the kingdom of God. However, God sees them because He is committed to His people and always has a freedom plan in place. It looked like the plans and purposes of God had been destroyed, but He was still working.

Cyrus is the ruler of Persia and will take on Babylon. God is choosing to work history in such a way that His people will know He has a freedom plan. Cyrus wasn't signing up for a Jesus mission. He happened to be king in power in a world where God is sovereign. God is in charge of the world. God is going to cut through iron bars and bring us home. He is foretelling what Jesus will do.

Ezra 1:1-11

God fulfills His word that he gave to the prophets and not only has Cyrus declare that God's people can return to Jerusalem, but he rebuilds their Temple and returns the articles for it that were taken to Babylon.

Mark 9:24

The father recognizes what Jesus is saying and gives a real and vulnerable answer, "help my unbelief." He's saying, "God, I believe in you, but in this particular area, I'm struggling."

How does Jesus break the chain of doubt?

By His Triumph- conquered death, Hell, sin, and the grave.

By His Truth- You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

There's no magic formula. It's an empty tomb and a risen Lord.

King James Version uses "prayer and fasting" in Mark 9:29

The disciples weren't told of a seminar they needed to attend, an app to fix everything or a text that would clear stuff up. Jesus told them that only through prayer and fasting would they be able to take authority.

Prayer is a lifestyle of leaning toward God. It's not giving God a to-do list or giving him all the information. The Greek word for prayer is "proseuche". The preface of "pros" means "lean toward God". We do that in 3 ways: lean into who God is, who we are in Him and who He is in us, and what God says is true about our lives.

Romans 12:2 says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your freedom is not about the size of your bicep, your freedom is resting in your brain. Change your way of thinking

Fasting is leaning away from the voice of the world. You can't breastfeed off the world and then expect to grow up like Jesus. You're not a child of this world, you're a child of God. It's taking a break from what is distracting you and from being preoccupied with the world. It's a practiced rhythm, not a once-a-year or once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Mark 1:35- part of the rewind

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Jesus was constantly leaning into His Father and leaning away from the world. So, in the congested crowds, He had clarity.

How can you tell if you are leaning toward God and away from the world?

Pay attention to your leading phrases. "I feel..." and "I think..." We have been duped by the enemy to think that we have the wisdom to break this chain in our own strength, yet whether we slept well or not, or had a decent meal or not will influence how much we "feel" we can trust God. Our feelings are like jello. Instead, we should lean into God and tell our feelings to get on board. We should lean away from the world and tell our feelings to catch up.

You know you are leaning toward/away when you replace those leading phrases with "I know..." and "I believe"

Our default is not doubt: my framework is faith. Faith that in the end, no matter what, He is good, in control, and gives victory through Jesus.

“
Our default a lot of times is doubt, but it's much deeper than negativity or glass half empty, it's a root of unbelief."
”
Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

  1. Are you really living like over 2000 years ago the war ended, Jesus was victorious, and He is offering you an opportunity to live fearless and free?

  2. Why was Jesus aggravated in Mark 9:14-29?

  3. As Louie went through "the rewind", what stuck out the most to you?

  4. What is the root of every chain we face?

  5. How did God prove He is in control of all the moving parts at all times in Isiah 45:1-3 and Ezra 1:1-11?

  6. What was Louie's paraphrase of Mark 9:29? What area are you struggling to believe in right now?

  7. Does the rhythm of your life operate in God's Triumph and Truth?

  8. What is prayer? What are the 3 things Louie said we lean into? What does Romans 12:2 say about that? What is fasting?

  9. When you are not leaning toward God and away from the world, what are the leading phrases? What are they when you are?

  10. In the end, what do we know to be true?

Scripture References

14When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16
“What are you arguing with them about?”
he asked.
17A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19
“You unbelieving generation,”
Jesus replied,
“how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the boy’s father,
“How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

22“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23
“ ‘If you can’?”
said Jesus.
“Everything is possible for one who believes.”

1“This is what the

Lord
says to his anointed,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of

to subdue nations before him

and to strip kings of their armor,

to open doors before him

so that gates will not be shut:

2I will go before you

and will level the mountains;

I will break down gates of bronze

and cut through bars of iron.

3I will give you hidden treasures,

riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the

Lord
,

the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

4For the sake of Jacob my servant,

of Israel my chosen,

I summon you by name

and bestow on you a title of honor,

though you do not acknowledge me.

5I am the

Lord
, and there is no other;

apart from me there is no God.

I will strengthen you,

though you have not acknowledged me,

6so that from the rising of the sun

to the place of its setting

people may know there is none besides me.

I am the

Lord
, and there is no other.

7I form the light and create darkness,

I bring prosperity and create disaster;

I, the

Lord
, do all these things.

8“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;

let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide,

let salvation spring up,

let righteousness flourish with it;

I, the

Lord
, have created it.

9“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,

those who are nothing but potsherds

among the potsherds on the ground.

Does the clay say to the potter,

‘What are you making?’

Does your work say,

‘The potter has no hands’?

10Woe to the one who says to a father,

‘What have you begotten?’

or to a mother,

‘What have you brought to birth?’

11“This is what the

Lord
says—

the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:

Concerning things to come,

do you question me about my children,

or give me orders about the work of my hands?

12It is I who made the earth

and created mankind on it.

My own hands stretched out the heavens;

I marshaled their starry hosts.

13I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness:

I will make all his ways straight.

He will rebuild my city

and set my exiles free,

but not for a price or reward,

says the

Lord
Almighty.”

14This is what the

Lord
says:

“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,

and those tall Sabeans—

they will come over to you

and will be yours;

they will trudge behind you,

coming over to you in chains.

They will bow down before you

and plead with you, saying,

‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other;

there is no other god.’ ”

15Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself,

the God and Savior of Israel.

16All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;

they will go off into disgrace together.

17But Israel will be saved by the

Lord

with an everlasting salvation;

you will never be put to shame or disgraced,

to ages everlasting.

18For this is what the

Lord
says—

he who created the heavens,

he is God;

he who fashioned and made the earth,

he founded it;

he did not create it to be empty,

but formed it to be inhabited—

he says:

“I am the

Lord
,

and there is no other.

19I have not spoken in secret,

from somewhere in a land of darkness;

I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,

‘Seek me in vain.’

I, the

Lord
, speak the truth;

I declare what is right.

20“Gather together and come;

assemble, you fugitives from the nations.

Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,

who pray to gods that cannot save.

21Declare what is to be, present it—

let them take counsel together.

Who foretold this long ago,

who declared it from the distant past?

Was it not I, the

Lord
?

And there is no God apart from me,

a righteous God and a Savior;

there is none but me.

22“Turn to me and be saved,

all you ends of the earth;

for I am God, and there is no other.

23By myself I have sworn,

my mouth has uttered in all integrity

a word that will not be revoked:

Before me every knee will bow;

by me every tongue will swear.

24They will say of me, ‘In the

Lord
alone

are deliverance and strength.’ ”

All who have raged against him

will come to him and be put to shame.

25But all the descendants of Israel

will find deliverance in the

Lord

and will make their boast in him.

2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Louie Giglio
Louie Giglio
Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.