E5 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - Heart and Mind of Jesus - Do I Believe? - lesson #4
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #5
Title: Heart and Mind of Jesus – Do I Believe? Lesson 4
The Inevitable Outcome
Date: 5/3/2021
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): And all bore him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
Intro: The sin of unbelief is commonly overlooked by most of us.
· One reason for this is unbelief is subtle.
· It’s not a surface issue and it’s part and parcel of the normal veil covering the minds of men.
· But listen, unbelief is a heinous sin.
· Its inevitable outcome is to throw Jesus off a cliff of rejection and indifference.
Devotion focus: (Lesson point)
Lesson point:
The Outcome and Cost of Unbelief – what you will do and how you pay.
· You know how it’s said nothing’s free? It’s true.
· Even when something is offered free, like salvation, what is offered cost someone something and then they choose to give it away.
· Like God did with the offer to forgive us. To become God’s child through a new spiritual birth costs us nothing.
· But it cost God His Son. It cost Jesus His life.
· And the way He paid was through horrific suffering on our behalf.
· Considering all God paid, all Jesus paid, all the Holy Spirit paid, yes, He was at the cross, too. And considering the cost for our freedom reveals why unbelief is so hateful to God.
· As far as I can tell from studying unbelief it has as its core the statement to God that after all He did for us, ever did, is not enough.
· How this relates to the lesson is found in Luke 4:18-22.
· From this passage we’ll see first the doubt of those involved and then the outcome of their unbelief:
Luke 4:18 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
· Let’s stop and consider something: What did Jesus say so far
Luke 4:19 - To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:20 - And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luke 4:21 - And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Luke 4:22 - And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
· Listen to that last sentence - And they said, Isn’t this Joseph's son?
Mark 6:3 informs us further:
Mark 6:3 - Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. (The doubt)
· Let me put add a little voice inflection for you and give a scenario of my own making:
***
‘Isn’t this Joseph’s boy – (said with scorn and doubt)? Yeah, that’s Jesus.
Who does He think He is reading the Scripture with authority like that?
He’s that laborer’s son, you know, the uneducated one who played hooky in Jerusalem that year during Passover.
Oh, you didn’t hear about that? It was when he was 12, I think, and he stayed behind when everyone left Jerusalem to come home.
His poor mother had to travel back a full day and search for him. And then it took 3 days before they found him, and where do you think he was?
At the temple. Talking to the scribes like he was something special.
See? It was obvious even then something was wrong with him and what did his parents do about it? Nothing.
***
· The event at Passover when Jesus stayed behind is in Luke 2:41 - 49
I want to read through the passage:
Luke 2:41 - Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
Luke 2:42 - And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
Luke 2:43 - And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother didn’t know of it.
Luke 2:44 - But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
Luke 2:45 - And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
Luke 2:46 - And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Luke 2:47 - And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Luke 2:48 - And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
Luke 2:49 - And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Didn’t you know I must be about my Father's business?
· Now, I find it funny imagining what those in the synagogue that day in Nazareth were thinking and saying among themselves as they doubted and asked if Jesus wasn’t Joseph’s son.
· What their doubt led to was not funny.
· You see, Jesus confronted their doubt and compared them to being less than Gentiles when it came to being worthy of God’s blessings.
· I don’t know what enraged that crowd more, being compared to Gentiles or Jesus inferring they were spiritually bankrupt.
· Regardless, they forced Him to the edge of a nearby cliff to push Him off.
Luke 4:29 - And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
· So their unbelief led them to try and kill Jesus. (The outcome)
· And what did this unbelief cost them?
Look at Matthew 13:58:
Matt 13:58 - And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
And Mark 6:5 & 6 reveals the cost of unbelief:
Mark 6:5 - And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (The cost)
Mark 6:6 - And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
· These accounts let us know Jesus was in Nazareth to do mighty work.
· But unbelief among those He came to serve prohibited the Son of God because without faith it is impossible to please Him. (That’s taken from Hebrews 11:6)
· Now, in order to confront the sin of unbelief it helps to know what it looks like and where does if come from?
· Here are 3 ways unbelief hides itself:
Skepticism – expressed as ‘I doubt it.’
Cynicism – expressed as ‘Yeah, right.’
Sarcasm – Well, never mind…I don’t need to explain this one.
John the baptizer explained his view in the Gospel of John 3:32 - 36 (not John the Baptist, but the apostle), when asked if he were the Messiah.
John 3:32 - And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; and no man receives his testimony.
John 3:33 - He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.
John 3:34 - For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.
John 3:35 - The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
John 3:36 - He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
· But Jesus knew His own disciples doubted him and when they did express belief His let them know their claim would be tested:
Listen to John 16:30 - 32
John 16:30 – (the disciples are talking) Now are we sure that thou know all things, and need not that any man should ask you: by this we believe that you came forth from God.
John 16:31 - Jesus answered them, Do you now believe?
John 16:32 - Behold, the hour comes, yes, is now come, that you shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone:
· Unbelief led the men closest to Jesus to abandon Him in His hour of need.
Summary:
· The lack of sincere faith in anyone professing to be a Christian is seen by how they talk and act.
· They are normally stuck in their growth as disciples.
· All growth is slow, but I mean they are stuck. Even when they grow in Bible knowledge they don’t grow spiritually.
· I know this because at one time I was that kind of man.
· Next week we’ll look closer at how unbelief plays itself out in a Christian’s life and what we can do about ridding ourselves of it as much as possible.
Action to consider:
Will you do something for me?
This coming week will you examine your belief system? Ask yourself in what areas you doubt God.
Ask God in what areas you doubt Him.
Then hang on -
Next week’s episode: Beyond Belief