THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF
NUMBERS 14:11
Introduction:
Unbelief dishonors Christ. Among Christians it is the one thing that causes their problems. It is truly a monster in our lives when not controlled. It grows to in our lives and becomes the controlling factor if not rooted out.
In the next few minutes we will consider the problem of unbelief and how we can control it and in doing so we grow in faith learning to lean on our Heavenly Father for everything in life.
I. THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF IS LIKE A WEED
A. The seeds of unbelief can never entirely be extracted from the soil of our being,
1. Among hateful things it is the most to be abhorred, Exodus 32:30, “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.”
a. Its injurious nature is so poisonous that he that exercises it is hurt, Numbers 14:23, “Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:”
b. He upon whom it is directed is hurt also by its poison, Numbers 20:8, 10-11, “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 10- And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11- And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”
2. The seed of unbelief will dominate the soil of your life if not controlled, Hebrews 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
a. The believer must be careful to guard against a sinful, unbelieving heart, Hebrews 2:1-3, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2- For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3- How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”
b. This is the kind of heart that turns away from the living God, Hebrews 10:35-38, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36- For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37- For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38- Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
B. But we must aim at its root with zeal and perseverance in order to destroy it.
1. Sometimes it is a root of bitterness that hinders the believer, Hebrews 12:15, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
2. Sometimes it is the things of the world that hinder, 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
II. STRIVE WITH ALL DILIGENCE TO KEEP OUT THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF
A. Christ will WITHDRAW HIS BLESSINGS if we indulge in unbelief, 1 Corinthians 10:21, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
1. You can’t serve God and the world, Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
2. You can’t have fellowship or communion with the Lord while you participate in the things of the world, 1 John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16- For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17- And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
a. The pride of life, an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights.
b. The lust of the eyes is the desire for what is forbidden, Psalm 78:18, 30-32, And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. 30- They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 31- The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32- For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.”
B. Christ is CROWNED WITH THORNS when we do not belief His Word.
1. The sin of unbelief is needless, foolish and a reproach to the Lord, Psalm 74:22, “Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.”
2. Jesus is the Son of the Highest, and has power without limit, Matthew 17:17, “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.”
C. It is SHAMEFUL TO DOUBT Omnipotence and DISTRUST the all sufficiency of our Lord, Mark 16:14, “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”
CONCLUSION
Unbelief is truly a monster. Unbelief is faithlessness and it shows a lack of growth in the life of the believer. Spiritual life begins with faith in Jesus Christ and continues as we learn about our Savior.
Unbelief can bring on some very ugly circumstances and much grief for a Christian. Thomas was known for such unbelief, so the Lord said to him in John 20:27, “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” Faith is believing even though we haven’t seen the object of our faith.