Without a Doubt?

Ann Ratcliff

Sermon Presented October 1, 2005

Midland Seventh day Adventist Church

I’d like to point out that I’m the third woman up here in a row.  I know it really wasn’t planned that way--it just so happened.   It makes me think about a tongue in cheek quote I read one time that asked the question ‘So what if the three wise men who came to visit Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus in the stable were women?" The answer was: "They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts, and there would be peace on earth."

I don’t know about that, but seriously though, two weeks ago we heard Hope Mwemba’s powerful message about humility. She told us that we are people of the ‘resume’ – we do have it all figured out—but then so did the Pharisees. She admonished us that the really important thing is to know Christ today. I don’t know about you but it was just the message I needed to hear.

Then last week we heard Dorothy Dalton speak to us about ‘When you feel far from God’. She told us that the Passion week experiences of Jesus—his road to the crucifixion and his death of the Cross gave us some answers to our doubts. She told us to claim the authority of the cross when we don’t feel close to God. She told us to trust in the Cross and acknowledge that God is bigger than any of us and He is ready to forgive us when we make mistakes.

So now it’s my turn. I’d like you to pray with me:

Dear Lord, We come seeking you, but Lord we live in the world and this world is groaning under sin. Help us in the midst of all this sin to continue to seek you, to understand your Word and to know You personally. Amen

I want to speak to you about our human condition. I want to acknowledge like Dorothy did last week that we all have doubts now and then. However, like Hope told us-- we have the ‘resume’-- we have it all figured out, we understand what Revelation is telling us or we think we do. But in spite of that, we wonder a little bit—are we really sure we have it all figured out?

A friend of mine recently pointed out a passage that had given her Bible study group ‘pause’—I took up this passage—for study myself and I’d like you to come along on my journey of understanding:

You heard it from Josh in Luke. This time let me read it to you from Matthew 11: 2-3. (Luke 7: 18-20) “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

So my first question is Whadaya mean—John the Baptist

· who was born of Elizabeth and Zacharias—via a miracle no less!

· who was prepared his whole life to proclaim the coming of the Messiah

· who baptized Jesus and witnessed the voice of God saying to Jesus “You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased!”

This same person sent his people to ask Jesus “Is it really you, or shall we wait for another”!!

Whoa! Here was someone given a sanctified role in the preparation of the coming of the Messiah who WONDERED if Jesus was Jesus!

This brings me to my second question: so if John the Baptist didn’t really know, then how can we?!!

Thus began my journey. I started with some history and some context.

John’s father Zacharias was a faithful priest for many years. When told by an Angel that he and his aging, barren wife were to have a child, he was doubtful “Whereby shall I know this? My wife is well stricken with years.”  Any of you ladies ever feel “well stricken with years”?

Now he knew the story of Abraham and Sara in similar circumstances. It doesn’t say that Elizabeth laughed out loud like Sara, but it appears that at least Zacharias forgot what God could do. “Well stricken with years” seemed to be the reality in his household for both of them. As a result of his forgetfulness, God did not permit him to speak until God had fulfilled his promise to Zacharias and Elizabeth. As a speech pathologist I know first hand the frustrations of someone, especially an adult, who cannot talk.

So that was the beginning of John the Baptist. What else do we know about him?

Compared to the social order of the day he was very temperate

· wore plain dress

· healthy

· strong

· self controlled

· spent lots of time in nature;

· a loner

· seemed to spend a lot of time in study

· once he started proclaiming his message, he attracted lots of people from all walks of life

· He apparently had some loyal disciples of his own; people who followed him around and listened to him time after time

So then what—

John’s dress and lifestyle was a rebuke of the excesses of his time. Thus, temperance, then as it does now, has a place in the work of preparing for the coming of Jesus. John lived in the desert had was disciplined by the circumstances of a simple life in the wilderness. But he wasn’t idle. He mingled with men and sought to discern the character in men that would accept his message of the coming of a Messiah.

When John the Baptist started preaching his message, he was thought by some to be a resurrection of the prophet Elijah. John’s appearance reminded the people of the prophet of old. John spoke with the power and spirit of Elijah. “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The signs of those times were such that the people were ready to hear what he had to say; he stirred the nation and people flocked to hear him. As an object lesson, John used a baptism in the Jordon River as a sign of being cleansed from sin after repentance. But all the time he was telling the crowds “I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier and I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” (Matt 3:11.)

The news of the Baptizer in the wilderness trickled far north to Galilee. A man in a carpenter’s shop in Nazareth knew it was time. Time to leave Nazareth and begin the work He had been born to do.

Despite the fact they were cousins, John and Jesus never met as children. They grew up in different places under different circumstances. When you think of it, that was how it should be so no one could say they conspired together to support one another’s’ claims.

According to the spirit of prophecy, John the Baptist knew of Jesus and his life and truly believed him to be the Messiah, however as far as we know he had no positive assurance. Before his baptism, Jesus had lived in relative obscurity and gave no real outward demonstrations of his Messiahship.

So John the Baptist waited and worked in faith. He was made aware that Jesus would seek him out for baptism. He did recognize Jesus when he came. John 1:29 tells us that he saw Jesus in the crowds of his own. John hesitated when the request finally came from Jesus for baptism. But both John and Jesus knew that this was the thing to do. Both Jesus and John witnessed that heavenly vision of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending upon Jesus and proclaiming “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” John was according to EG White, deeply moved. John was moved to testify to the others on the bank of the river: “I have seen and testified that this is the son of God.”  He looked at Jesus and pointed Him out to the others in the crowd and said “Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world!”

So then begins the ministry of Jesus Christ. But what then of John the Baptist? He apparently had a large following and lots of influence at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. But as the Messiah’s ministry gained momentum, John the Baptist’s ministry lost momentum. There were fewer and fewer people who come to hear him. This was a scary time—it could very easily been a time of rival preachers. But not for John. Of Jesus, John said “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” This of course was as it should be. However some of the disciples of John were jealous and remained loyal to John alone forgetting the true work of John was to point to the true Messiah. John had a specific message and while he knew when to stop, there were those around him who didn’t.

Then under the influence of an evil woman, King Herod imprisoned John.

My reading tells me that confines of the prison were hard for John who was so used to the out of doors. It was while he was in prison that he sent his emissaries to Jesus asking his question—‘are you the one we are preparing for or must we wait for another?’ Jesus, is it really you?

So now, Jesus’ ministry was flourishing and John was in prison. There were more than a few folk who asked John why Jesus had not arranged for his release from prison. Perhaps John wondered this too in his heart of hearts. This may have been a little seed that started some doubts about the Messiahship of Jesus.

Apparently his disciples had access to him and they may not have been good for his spirit. These were the men giving John reports of the work of Jesus and his message perhaps in a tone that was tainted with jealousy and mean spiritedness.

Perhaps despite the mission of John, he like many of his followers misunderstood the nature of the coming Kingdom of God. Perhaps he was looking for a King that would take Israel back—with fire!  Cast out the oppressors and deliver the peoples. But things with Jesus didn’t seem to be going in that direction. Perhaps he wondered if his work had been in vain.

So maybe he needed some answers. He couldn’t discuss these things with his own disciples. So he decided to go to the source—Jesus. He sent 2 of his disciples to ask Jesus—also hoping that their own faith in a Messiah would be strengthened.

So there you have the history and context.

John may have really had some doubts—he was in prison, he perhaps misunderstood the nature of the coming of the Messiah, he was surrounded by people who also misunderstood.

Or he may not have had any doubt at all—perhaps he wanted to have his faith strengthened; he needed some confirmation; perhaps he wanted his disciples to hear from Jesus himself and have their own faith strengthened.

How did Jesus answer?  He did not answer with words, but with actions.  Working miracles, showing compassion for the poor; tender mercies—these actions unmistakably pointed to Jesus as the Messiah and answered the question—gave the men the answer they (and John) wanted to hear and more powerfully that if it had spoken.  When Jesus showed his ministry in action—it was faith building.

So here is my premise: There can be doubt in the presence of true faith. In these times we all need help to focus/refocus on Jesus and His message; John the Baptist was one of the first great examples of the ‘preparer’.

And we can be so today.

I remember reading an article by a college student at an Adventist college. Apparently in religion class the professor has an assignment that either on purpose or accidentally leads students to websites of people who are former Adventists and are critical of Adventist teachings, doctrines etc. I’m sure you’ve heard of those. This author was a fifth generation SDA and was devastated to read the things on those websites—heartsick; “What if we ARE wrong about everything!” Doubts crept in.  But then she reported on her journey of setting out to discover what she did believe and why. She was fairly astonished when she talked to her family, her pastor and other mentors, they know all about those websites and claims etc. “So why are you still and Adventist? she would ask. She reported that each person she asked had a different answer but it boiled down to the fact for all of them that they chose to believe. So she decided to start with the basics—belief in God, she wasn’t absolutely sure but she decided there was plenty of evidence in the world and in her heart for her to truly believe in God. What about Jesus and His sacrifice. She reported that we don’t know without a doubt that Jesus will come back. She said that she wanted to believe. She consciously gathered evidence for herself through reading, and communicating with people and praying that provided her with a solid foundation so that stand on that and believe. Then she asked herself “Is the Adventist church led by God?” Well, she said she saw lots of evidence of God’s leading—humble Godly people all around her who apparently seeking and seeing God leading in their lives. Then she finally wrote “I still have questions but I think God can handle my questions. I have chosen to believe that God is leading in the Adventist church and in my life.”

Perhaps doubt has a purpose in our lives sometimes for a while. We must all pass through our gardens of Gethsemane. If Christ himself at least acted like he flirted with doubt then so can we. If Christ spent a night anguished in prayer, if he burst out from the Cross, My God my God why have you forsaken me! then surely we are also permitted some doubt.

But we all know by now that we don’t live the in our Gardens of Gethsemane. We must move on. I have heard that “To choose doubt as a philosophy of Life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”

We, in spite of our doubts, need to remember we do have it pretty much figured out—and when we come to Sabbath School and church, it helps us to remember that. We have voices like Hope’s to tell us the really important thing is to know Christ today. We have voices like Dorothy’s to tell us to claim the authority of the cross; trust the cross and acknowledge that God is bigger than we are and can forgive us our failings.

So go forth, knowing that God can handle any doubts you may have –you just need to be still and let Him do it.

Amen

Benediction: Dear Lord, We claim the fact we are your creation and made in your image. We offer you our lives today, just as we are, to be baptized, to be rebaptized by the Holy Spirit. Help us to spend this week as John the Baptist did, in preparing ourselves and others for your coming.  Amen

Children’s Story:

Anybody know what the name of this room is? The Sanctuary.

What do you think about this room? Do you have a room like this at your house?

What about these benches we are sitting on? Anybody know what they are called?

Did you ever notice they are facing the same way? When you sit on them, you have to face in one direction. Which direction is that?

So what do we do in this sanctuary?

So God is in here with us?

Turn around and look at these people sitting out there. Does one of them have a name God?

Do you see God out there?

What do you suppose they would say if you asked them if they were God? I’d say ‘no I’m not God.’

Well, maybe God is up front on the platform. Tony are you God?

I think we have a problem here. I don’t see God in this room.

How do you know there is a God if you can’t see Him?

Well, I think He is like the wind. We can’t see the wind, but we can see what it does can’t we. We see the leaves rustle, we see the flag move on a flag pole. So even though we can’t see God, He is really here.