Warning Against Unbelief SLBC Ladies Garden Party

Personal Testimony Disbelief in God's love led to: 1. Distant relationship with the Lord. 2. Disbelief in my husband's love for me. 3. Struggle to believe others when they tried to build me up.

Review

Problem: Poor God Image “Our problem isn't so much a poor self image as it is a poor God image. Our need is not to love ourselves more but to receive His incredible love for us and to accept His design and purpose for our lives.” Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth Lies Women Believe

Basic Human Needs 1. The need to be loved 2. The need to feel significant God has filled both of these needs in Jesus Christ. He loves us with an infinite, incomprensible love. Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God Loves You Hannah Whitall Smith says, “Put together all the tenderest love you know of, the deepest you have ever felt, and the strongest that has ever been poured out upon you, and heap upon it all the love of all the loving human hearts in the world, and then multiply it by infinity and you will begin, perhaps, to have some faint glimpse of what the love of God is.” Hannah Whitall Smith

Old Testament: “Hesed” Definition of “Hesed”- translated lovingkindness, steadfast love, covenant love, loyal love. God's “hesed” denotes persistent and unconditional tenderness, kindness, and mercy, a relationship in which He seeks after man with love and mercy. Hesed is not merely love, but loyal love; not merely kindness, but dependable kindness; not merely affection, but affection that has committed itself.

Old Testament: “Hesed” The Lord declares His “hessed” 246 times in in the Old Testament. Psalm 103:11 Psalm 36:5 Lamentations 3:22-23

“Hesed” in the New Testament The Hebrew word "hesed” or “lovingkindness" does not occur in the NT but the English equivalents would include "mercy" "goodness," "kindness," "brotherly love". Some Texts in which God expresses His “mercy” Ephesians 2:4-5 Ephesians 3:17-19 John 17:23 x

Basic Human Need: Significance 42% women (believers) surveyed by Nancy L. DeMoss Wolgemuth said they struggle with this lie: “I'm not worth anything.”

Basic Human Need: Significance Jesus was rejected by those he came to save but he did not let the opinion of others determine His worth. He based his worth on God's opinion. 1 Peter 2:4 - “As you come to Him the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him.

We are acceptable to God because of our faith in Jesus Romans 5:1 - “By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God.” CSV John 14:27 - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Reasons why we struggle to BELIEVE that God loves us unconditionally Demanding or perfectionist parent Unloving, absent or uninvolved parent Past sin We assume God's love is fleeting and whimsical like our love. Unanswered Prayer

God Warns us against Unbelief Numbers 14 Moses sent 12 men to explore Canaan

12 Men Return and Report 10 give a bad report saying there are giants in the land and incite Israelites to unbelief.

Joshua and Caleb try to instill faith in the Israelites Numbers 14:7-9 “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Israelites talk about stoning them

Glory of the Lord Appears Numbers 14:11 - “The Lord said to Moses, How long will these people treat me with contempt (despise me)? How long will they refuse to believe in Me?”

God's Verdict Numbers 14:22-23 –“Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times, not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt (despised Him) will ever see it.”

God Warns us against Unbelief Disobedience and unbelief go hand in hand in scripture. Hebrews 3:18, 19 – “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:12-13 - Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Hebrews 3:12-13 - Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” 1. Brothers 2. Evil 3. Fall away 4. Exhort one another 5. Today 6. Hardened 7. Deceitfulness of sin

God Warns us against Unbelief The Lord warns us three times not to fall into unbelief but to hear his voice and not harden our hearts. Hebrews 3:7; 3:15; 4:7 “So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion...”

What does unbelief look like? James 1:5-8 Like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind Double minded Unstable

How to move from Unbelief to Belief Admit your sin of unbelief to the Lord Confess your sin and forsake it. Turn your back on unbelief. Choose to believe and receive God's love for you.

How will I feel and act if I am fully convinced God loves me? Like a child 1. Laugh – Some studies suggest that children laugh more than adults. 2. Not worried 3. Give love freely – hugs, kisses, make us drawings, etc. 4. Not preoccupied with self - what to wear, what to say, what others think of you.

Do I look and act like a woman who knows she is deeply loved by her Heavenly Father? Am I filled with joy and laughter. Do I bubble with glee? Am I filled with a calm trust in God? Do I abound in love and good deeds toward others? Am I un-preoccupied with myself, unconcerned with what others think of me?

Once you fully believe God loves you with an infinite, incomprehensible love, and you are sure of your worth to Him, you will be able to love others from a full heart.

We are all Commanded to Encourage each other Romans 12:10 - “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Hebrews 10:24-25 - “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Challenge What will happen in our families and at SLBC if all of us begin applying these principles? 1. Believe with all our heart that God loves us totally, eternally, infinitely. 2. Begin exhorting and encouraging one another daily?