Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: Can We All Just Get Along?

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-02-02

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver expounds 2 Kings 7:16-20 to warn that doubting God's Word is spiritually fatal. He distinguishes honest doubters (who worship while awaiting enlightenment) from dishonest doubters (who elevate human reason above Scripture). Using Thomas as an example, he shows how missing the meeting, message, and mission leads to doubt. He explains that doubting is sin because it rejects God's authority, and that inspiration means God breathed out His words through human authors. Rejecting Scripture inevitably leads to turning to man-made authority. The sermon concludes with applications: choose to believe God over man, and recognize that fighting against God's Word has always failed, as illustrated by Voltaire's failed prediction.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Kings chapter 7. And we're going to read verses 16 through 20. And of course, I will come back and get the context just a little bit later. The title of the message is Doubting God's Word is Fatal. Doubting God's Word is fatal. So if you look in 2 Kings 7, beginning there with verse 16, the Word of God says this, And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the Lord, on whose hand he leaned, to have charge of the gates, And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria.

[John Weaver] And that Lord answered the man of God and said, now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof. And so it fell out unto him, for the people trod upon him at the gate, and he died. That was 2 Kings 7, verses 16 through 20.

[John Weaver] And again, the title of the message is Doubting God's Word is Fatal. Doubting is fatal in many ways, because when one doubts, he hesitates, and hesitation always leads to destruction. I've often stated that when it comes to self-defense, preservation of your life, and the preservation of the lives of your family members, there should be no hesitation. Before one gets in a life and death situation, in a life and death struggle, he should know what the Word of God says about the lawful taking of life.

[John Weaver] It's too late to try to figure things out. when seconds count and you must either act or die. Likewise, it is fatal when one doubts, especially the Word of God. And by the way, there's a vast difference between not understanding, not knowing, and wondering, and then specifically doubting the validity and the veracity of the Word of God. Our text in 2 Kings 7 teaches us several very important truths. The first one is this, it is never right, it is never feasible, it is never appropriate to question the Word of God. Now, Elisha spoke as the prophet of God, and he spoke the Word of God. I want you to look at what he said in 2 Kings 7, beginning there with verse 1, and I will give you the background momentarily. Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord. So note, if you would, it was indeed the word of the Lord. Hear ye the word of the Lord, thus saith the Lord, tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.

[John Weaver] Then the Lord, on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof. So here's one man who questioned the truth that Elisha enunciated. He not only doubted the truth, he spoke of his impossibility. He was saying, if God opened the windows of heaven, might this thing be? In other words, he was saying, in essence, Elisha's prophecy could not possibly be true. So Elisha said to the man, you will see it for yourself, but you will not eat thereof.

[John Weaver] So consequently, what happened to him was when he was appointed overseer, obviously, the people then trod him to death, according to verse 17. And Elisha prayed and said, oh, they're in chapter 7. I was in chapter 6. In verse 17, and the king appointed the Lord on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said. who spoke when the king came down unto him." So doubting was certainly fatal for this one man because he was actually trampled to death. And the truth is, when it comes to doubting, there are some honest doubters and then there are some dishonest doubters. An honest doubter is someone who doubts simply because of ignorance or lack of information or an exposure to the truth. But then there are dishonest doubters who simply place their mind, their education, their understanding ahead of God and ahead of His Word.

[John Weaver] Now, here's a good distinction I'm going to show you from the Bible. Honest doubters are those who still continue to worship God and do what is right until God gives them further enlightenment and illumination. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold 2 Kings chapter 7, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Matthew, chapter 28, and look, if you would, please, at verses 16 and 17. Matthew 28, verses 16 and 17.

[John Weaver] Note, if you would, and this happens to be the 11 disciples, some of them. Notice Matthew 28 and verse 16 the Bible said then the 11 disciples went away to Galilee Into a mountain where Jesus had appointed him them and when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted That interesting they worshipped him but some Doubted now. It's understandable that in one sense of the word, how some doubted because a bodily resurrection was unknown to most people.

[John Weaver] Now it is true that Jesus Christ raised people from the dead, but that's different between Him raising Himself from the dead. So these people believed, of course, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. They believed that He was Messiah, and so they worshipped, although they did not understand and they had not put two plus two together. And what they were doing was waiting for further enlightenment and illumination.

[John Weaver] And to be honest, I think that is the proper response for an honest doubter. So if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 24, you will find out that our Lord did indeed enlighten their minds to this particular truth. So in Luke chapter 24, Beginning there with verse 44. Look what the Word of God says Luke 24 in verse 44 and he said unto them These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you That all these things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms Concerning me watch then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behoove Christ to suffer and arise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. So obviously these individuals who doubted had their doubts cleared up when he opened their understanding and when he taught them the scriptures as well.

[John Weaver] Other doubters, I think, doubt because of their complacency, because of their sin, and because of their unthankfulness, and I would say also unfaithfulness. I want you to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 20, because everyone in this room has heard of doubting Thomas. I want to just emphasize some things in this passage that relate very clearly what I'm going to be teaching a little bit later. Look in John chapter 20, if you would, and we'll begin reading at verse 19, and we'll read through verse 29, and then I'm going to come back and make some observations. Here's verse 19.

[John Weaver] Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, we're talking about Sunday, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said unto them, peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

[John Weaver] Do you notice a difference now? Don't you remember there when we read in Matthew chapter 28, they worshiped what some doubted.

[John Weaver] Now it says no one's doubting. They're just glad they know it's him. They had their understandings enlightened. So notice if you would. And so it says, they were glad when they saw the Lord, verse 21, then said Jesus of them again, peace be unto you. As my father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, receive you the Holy ghost.

[John Weaver] Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas was with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said 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. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believe.

[John Weaver] I want to emphasize something for you. Thomas was not at the original Sunday meeting when Jesus Christ revealed himself. So let's ask the question, why was Thomas not there? And the answer is not given to us specifically in the Bible. He could have been sick, that's a possibility. He could have been disheartened, discouraged, disillusioned. All of those are possibilities. But the fact of the matter is the Bible tells us when our Lord came to reveal himself to his disciples, Thomas was not there.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. First of all, Thomas missed the meeting. Why was he not there? I do not know. But he did miss the meeting. Which teaches us something. We should be wary about missing the public worship of the Lord on the Lord's day. Why? Because we never know when Jesus Christ is going to reveal himself in a special or peculiar or particular way. That's what he did on this Lord's day. You remember that passage in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20 where Jesus Christ said, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. So that means our Lord is right here. in our midst. I don't know whose mind he's going to enlighten. I don't know whose heart he's going to open. I don't know what blessing he will bestow on some individuals. I'm just simply saying that there are times when our Lord does indeed move particularly and in a very strange way.

[John Weaver] I may have told you this, it's only happened to me twice in my ministry, but once I was preaching in Illinois. And I got through preaching, and we had the benediction, and everyone was standing around. And it was a small church, but I mean 80 to 100 folks were there. And I just jokingly said, well, had I known that everybody was going to stand around, I'd preach again. And everybody sat down.

[John Weaver] So I preached a second time. And when I got through preaching, the pastor preached a third time. We got out about 2 o'clock in the morning.

[John Weaver] Now I'm just saying, that's only happened twice to me in about 57 years. And nobody left. Everybody stayed. So I'm just simply saying, you never know when everybody's going to be blessed by God. So I'd be wary about missing. Here's the second thing. Thomas only missed the meeting. Thomas missed the message. That's where Jesus Christ revealed himself and told them and showed them and proclaimed peace unto them. Whenever you miss the meeting, you're always going to miss the message. I don't know about other pastors, but I know this.

[John Weaver] I make a special prayer request to the Lord just about every day, and that is this, Lord, please give me what your people need for this week. I ask. I could have chosen out of 15 or 20 different messages what I was going to preach today because I'm that far ahead, but I'm just simply saying I pray specifically And so that means this. That means if you miss the message, you miss the food that God has ordained for you for that week. He knows what's coming during the week.

[John Weaver] You don't, and neither do I. And so I just ask him to prepare my heart so I can give you what you need and what others need who hear these words. So Thomas then missed the meeting. He missed the message. He also missed the mission because our Lord said, as my father has sent me, so send I you and then he breathed on them and said receive you the Holy Ghost so he sent them out to be witnesses and here's the fourth thing when Thomas missed the meeting the message and the mission he was now in a position where he was doubting because when the brethren told him we have seen the Lord ah No, no, no.

[John Weaver] He said, unless I can take my finger and put it in the hole where the nails were and take my hand and thrust it inside, I will not believe. Isn't that interesting? When you miss the meeting, the message and the mission, you do not receive the testimony of the brethren. It always leads to doubt.

[John Weaver] Now let me point something out. This is very important. Our Lord reveals himself in his word and through his word to those who are faithful. He doesn't reveal himself to those who could care less. If you look in your Bible, since you're in the book of John, look in John chapter 14, beginning there with verse 22. John 14 in verse 22. Look what our Lord said to Judas. Notice, carry it. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world?

[John Weaver] Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words, that is, he'll be faithful, he'll be obedient, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode in him. In other words, our Lord said, if you are faithful, if you keep my words, we will manifest ourselves unto you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4.

[John Weaver] So I'm making a statement concerning Thomas. He missed the meeting. He missed the message. He missed the mission. Therefore he doubted. He would not believe. So notice what the Word of God says in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 beginning there with verse 1. The Apostle Paul said, let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. Isn't that interesting?

[John Weaver] A steward is that which each of us are before our Lord. He's given us gifts. He's given us a mission. He's given us responsibilities. We're stewards of whatever God has given us, and he said it's required of stewards that a man be found faithful. So, let me add to that by giving you 2 Timothy 2 in verse 2. I want you to listen very carefully to this. The apostle Paul wrote Timothy and he said this, and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, The same commit thou to fateful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Now listen to that again. He said, The things which thou hast heard of me, the same commit thou to fateful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Commit thou to whom? To fateful men. Do you realize it's not the pastor's responsibility to chase somebody down and teach them. there to be faithful. That's why I said more is required of a steward than a man be found faithful.

[John Weaver] And when you stop and think about Thomas, why was he not there? He could have been there probably, but he just wasn't for some simple unknown reason. I have no earthly idea, but the truth of the matter is, he wasn't there. And he missed everything. Doubting will usually get us into trouble in more ways than one. In fact, it gets us in trouble over and over. And we usually doubt because of our ignorance, because we don't know.

[John Weaver] I've often said this and it's true. Have you ever noticed a problem is not a problem if you know the answer? You don't have problems when you don't know what to do, when you don't have the answers. When you look at Romans chapter 14, which we're going to look at just in a little bit. When you look at Romans chapter 14, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, And a few verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, you'll find that here is a truth concerning meats that have been offered unto idols.

[John Weaver] In fact, there was a division, a schism, so to speak, between some of the believers because some believers knew that the idol had absolutely no influence upon that meat. It was just a good cut of meat. And others thought that somehow that idol polluted that meat, and therefore it was not really acceptable to eat. Well, let me show you. Let's look in our Bibles, first of all, to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 4. Look what the Apostle Paul says.

[John Weaver] Now, this all has a relationship to doubting. Hang with me. In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 4, As concerning, therefore, the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be gods many, and lords many, but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him. And one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

[John Weaver] Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge. For some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it, as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled." So he says, we understand that there's just simply one God. Now here's what happened. A lot of times the idol was worshipped by people. And they would sacrifice all these animals. And they would have an abundance of meat that was left over. And so they would then sell that meat at a discounted rate to anybody who wanted to buy it. So, just to put it in terms that we can understand, so if you went down to your local Publix and a ribeye steak was 8 bucks a pound, and you could go over to the shambles and the same cut of meat was two bucks a pound, which would you prefer to purchase? Well, if you knew the truth and not doubted, you'd go buy the same ribeye at two bucks a pound. and eat it because you know the idol had nothing to do with it.

[John Weaver] But if you doubted and you did not know the truth, then you're not going to buy that two dollar a pound ribeye. You're going to go and spend the eight bucks if you wanted one, because you think that somehow that idol polluted that meat.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, you'll see where they sold this. They sold it in a place called the Shambles. So the apostle Paul said this, 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 25. He says where whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat Asking no question for conscience sake for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof in other words If you get a good cut of meat that had been offered to some idol. He said eat it. Don't worry about it Because you know, there's only one God and the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof now remember he said There's not in this, there's not in every man's conscience this knowledge. Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 14, because Paul deals with this same thing in the book of Romans chapter 14. We're not going to be looking at all of it, but I do want to call your attention to verse 23, because he's dealing specifically with this issue.

[John Weaver] But look what he says. and he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, first of all, the word doubteth is the Greek word, dialogismos, which means disputing, doubting, to be doubtful. It refers to someone who is vacillating, It refers to someone who is wavering. It refers to someone who doesn't know which way to go, doesn't know what to do. Kind of like that proverbial squirrel that runs across the road and backtracks and backtracks. He doesn't know which way to go and that's why so many squirrels end up crushed on the highway.

[John Weaver] You remember that passage in James 1 in verse 8 where he said a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. uh... the greek word for double-minded there is dipsukas actually means double-souled but it still means the same thing it's someone who is unstable someone who's wavering someone who is vacillating someone who cannot make up his mind and so when you look at Romans 14 verse 23 and he's still talking about this same issue of meat that's been dedicated to an idol he said and he that In other words, if you're not clear on this issue, you're damned if you eat. Why?

[John Weaver] He says, because he eateth not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Now, the Greek word for damned is the word katakryno, which means someone who is condemned, someone who is judged worthy of punishment, someone who is worthy of censure. Now, why would he be worthy of censure? Why would he be worthy of condemnation? Why would he be worthy of judgment? And the answer is because of his doubting. Doubting is sin. That's why the Bible says the plowing of the wicked is sin.

[John Weaver] So let me ask you another question. If doubting is sin and faith is not, where do we get faith?

[John Weaver] Now, I know faith is a gift of God, but there's also the means. Hang on. Romans 10, 17. What did he say? So faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So why are people doubting? Well, a lot of them miss the meeting, they miss the message, they miss the mission, and they refuse to listen to folks who said, hey, let me tell you what God has done for me. Let me show you what God has shared with me in the Word of God. I'm just simply pointing out the fact It's important to know what we believe. It's important to know why we believe it. It's important to know where we can find it in the scripture. It's important for you and I to study and to come to our conclusions based upon the Word of God. Because whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

[John Weaver] Now doubting is especially sinful when it comes to prayer and when it comes to worship. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 1st Timothy chapter 2. 1st Timothy chapter 2. Before we read that verse, look if you would in 1st Timothy 3 and verse 15, because here is the key verse in the book of 1st Timothy. Paul writes and says, but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God. So we're talking about the church, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of truth. So Paul says, this is my theme. I'm telling you how men and women ought to act in the house of God. Telling you how children ought to act in the house of God. Well, how should men act? Well, look in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8. He said, I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and without doubting.

[John Weaver] Now let me give you a little surprise. The word doubting, the Greek word doubting in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 8 is exactly the same Greek word that you find in Romans 14 and verse 23. When God said, if he eats, he's damned if he eats, because he eats not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And in the context here, it's in prayer and it is in worship. Now here's a question. Why is it that some people doubt the veracity of the Word of God, the truthfulness of the Word of God, the accuracy of the Word of God? Why is it that some doubt? I've been dealing with several people.

[John Weaver] I think one is an honest doubter. One is very dishonest. But why do some doubt? Let me give you two reasons. Number one, because there are many people who are unsaved. They're unbelievers. And if you're an unbeliever, you're not going to believe that God's word is his full final authority for us. That's all there is to it. In other words, if you are unsaved, if you're an unbeliever, your attitude is going to be just like Pharaoh's. In Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, when Moses came to Pharaoh and said, thus saith the Lord, let my people go that they may serve me. Pharaoh responded and he said this, who is the Lord that I should obey him? Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. That was his attitude. I don't recognize God. I don't recognize his sovereignty. I don't recognize his authority. Who does he think he is to command me? That is the attitude of unbelievers.

[John Weaver] You know? They're not going to believe the Bible. They're not going to take the Bible because obviously, clearly, they don't believe in God. They don't believe the Bible. So we can understand that. But what about some folks who claim to be professing Christians? I think there's a second reason why a lot of people do not really understand the Word of God. And that is because they do not understand the doctrine of inspiration. Now please understand this, if someone is unsaved, if someone is an unbeliever, the doctrine of inspiration doesn't bother him. In fact, no doctrine bothers him because he doesn't believe anything. But we have to understand what inspiration is. I'm going to give it to you just momentarily. But we're talking about the Bible. The Greek word for Bible is Biblia or Biblios. You'll find in the Old Testament, in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, you'll find that word in Psalm 40 and verse 7. You'll also find it in the Greek New Testament, Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 7.

[John Weaver] You'll also find that there are many other phrases that denote the Bible, like the scriptures, the law, the prophets, or it is written, or the Word of God. And when you stop and think that the Bible was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 different authors, that's astounding. And when you think of the Old Testament, all of that was compiled and put together in one book by the 5th century BC, during the time of Ezra. And the New Testament was completed well before 100 A.D. So the amazing truth is this, that there are no contradictions in the Bible. You would expect, for over 40 different writers, authors, who did not know each other, over a period of 1600 years, a book being written, that it would be absolutely full of contradictions. But it's not. Why? Because it's not the work of man, it is the work of God. He inspired the authors to write. And the Bible tells us that these men were moved by the Holy Ghost.

[John Weaver] So let me tell you what inspiration is. In fact, I'll go ahead and give you a scripture. In 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, you can turn there. We're almost there. Look at it. I was going to quote it, but here it is, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be perfect, mature, thoroughly furnished in all good works. He said, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Theopneutos.

[John Weaver] You know what that word means? God exhaled. God. Spiration deals with breath. God exhaled his words. That's why the Bible says in second Peter chapter one in verse 21, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. So what is inspiration? Let me give you a definition. Listen carefully. Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself.

[John Weaver] So here's the way we understand this. I've had, I've preached a number of things through the years, all of them biblical. And yet I've had people come up to me and say, well, pastor, have I heard God say that I would believe it. Well, that's what inspiration is. God said it. He exhaled it. It is his breath. He spoke it. He used the authors and their personalities, but it is his word. So when you and I read the Bible and when you hear the Bible expounded and explained and applied, it is God speaking because this is his word.

[John Weaver] Now, let me put two and two together for you. When you deny the doctrine of inspiration, when you try to tell me the Bible is not the Word of God, what you're also saying is God is not the author of the Bible, and consequently it has no authority. It has no binding influence. So if the Bible is not the inspired Word of God, God did not author it, and therefore it has no authority and it has no binding influence. Wow. So the doctrine of inspiration is indeed a very important doctrine.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to pay close attention to some statements that I'm going to make, and I'm going to show them to you from the Scripture. Here they are. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to hear it. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to heed it. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to obey it. When one doubts the Word of God, there will be no application of the Word of God in his life. When one doubts the Word of God, listen to me, when one doubts the Word of God, remember now, he will also be denying that God is the author of it. When God, when anyone didn't, doubts the Word of God and that God is the author, he's inevitably going to turn to another God or another authority. You cannot have a life without authority. You cannot have a life without a standard. You cannot have a life without permanence. So, Let me show you what I'm talking about. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, back to 2 Kings chapter 17, and I want you to see what Israel and Judah did in rejecting the Word of God and what happened.

[John Weaver] So when you deny the inspiration and the authority of the Bible, you're denying God You will not hear, you will not heed, you will not believe, you will not make application, and you will turn to another god or to a different authority. So, in 2nd Kings chapter 17, beginning there with verse 13, watch this. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, Turn you from your evil ways, watch, Keep my commandments in my statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers in which I sent to you by my servants the prophets Notwithstanding. Oh, they would not hear But harden their necks like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God so When they did not believe God they did not believe his word what happened. Let's see verse 15 And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them. And they followed vanity, that is, idolatry, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them.

[John Weaver] And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made unto them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the hosts of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of the spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight.

[John Weaver] Now, Notice if you would, when they rejected God's inspired infallible truth and word, they immediately turned to idols and whatever they wanted to do. Now let me show you. If you're going to turn away from God, there's only one alternative. Man. So look in 2nd Kings 17 beginning there verse 7 you'll see this watch this 2nd Kings 17 verse 7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God Which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and had feared other gods They rejected God and they feared other gods. How did the fearing of other gods manifest itself? Here it is, verse 8, and walk in the statutes of the heathen, that's the laws, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. All the kings of Israel were apostates. They did. They're the ones that made the golden calves. Jeroboam I. And everybody else after him served those golden calves.

[John Weaver] So what did they do? They turned from the law of God and went to the law of man. That is why if you look down in verse 19 again, And Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they made. In other words, here are these humanistic, man-made laws that now have been made a substitute for God's word and God's law. Wow. In line with that, there's another passage in Micah 6 and verse 16.

[John Weaver] And let me just quote it. For the statutes of Omri are kept and all the works of the house of Ahab And you walk in their councils, that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing, therefore you shall bear the reproach of my people." Now when he said, for the statues of Omri are kept, let me tell you who Omri was. Omri was the father of Ahab. Ahab was the most wicked king in the northern kingdom. He said, for the statutes are the laws of Amra are kept in all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels, that is, you walk in their laws.

[John Weaver] So when you turn from God and you turn from God's Word, the only place you can turn is to man. It may be government, it may be some philosophical bent of someone, but it is still man. So here's the question. What is your source of authority? Who is your authority? And if the Word of God is not your authority, what is? I mean, you cannot exist without authority. And if you doubt God's inspired, inerrant, infallible Word, your only recourse is the mind of man. If you reject and refuse the divine mind, the only thing that you can receive is the mind of a fallen, sinful, wicked individual. And to trade the mind of the infinite, sovereign, majestic God of heaven and earth for the mind of a fallen man is absolutely insanity and foolishness.

[John Weaver] But the truth of the matter is, that's exactly what a lot of people do. They think that somehow that their thoughts and their mind and what they believe is somehow going to outweigh and overthrow the mind in the Word of God. Let me just say that's been tried and it didn't work out too good. So let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 44. Jeremiah chapter 44.

[John Weaver] And let's begin with verse 24. I wish I had time just to give you all the background here, but Here the people of Judah the remnant of Judah has come to Jeremiah and said pray for us we want God's will and Obviously they were hypocrites. I really did not want God's will Because most of the people have been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar a lot have been killed and what they wanted to do They wanted to flee down into Egypt And so Jeremiah said, okay, I'll pray for you. And so Jeremiah prayed and he said, here's what God says, do not go down into Egypt. Oh, God didn't tell you to tell us that. Why? God didn't say that.

[John Weaver] No, no, we're going to go. And let me tell you something, Jeremiah. We never had any of this suffering and we never had any of this problem while we were pouring out our oblations and pouring out our sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven. Jeremiah said, you know, you're stupid. That's what got you into this problem. Oh, no, no, no, no. That's not it. That's not it, Jeremiah. And we're going to keep on. We're going to keep pouring out our offerings to the Queen of Heaven. Fine. Going down to Egypt. Jeremiah chapter 44, verse 24. Moreover, Jeremiah said unto all the people, to all the women, hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt. They went, and by the way, they kidnapped Jeremiah and took him. And the children that were left that belonged to the royal family, they took them. Notice he said, went down into the land of Egypt. Thus saith the Lord, verse 25, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, You and your wives have spoken, both spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed to burn incense to the Queen of heaven and to pour

[John Weaver] on our drink offerings unto her. You will surely accomplish your vows and surely perform your vows. Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt. Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil and not for good. And all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escaped the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah that are going into the land of Egypt to sojourn there shall know whose word shall stand, mine or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil.

[John Weaver] Yeah. We're going to find out whose words are going to stand. It's wicked, it's vile, it's sinful to doubt God and His Word. You may scream, you may holler, you may cry, you may protest, you may yell, you may think, you may proclaim all you wish, but in the end, it's going to be God's Word who stands. And what stands? You remember that passage? In Proverbs 5, no, it's Proverbs 3, verses 5 through 7, most of you can quote it, where the Bible says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.

[John Weaver] In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. You remember that passage? Be not wise in thine own eyes. Oh, listen to him. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. So here it is. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. If you lean to your own understanding, you're foolish. He says, In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path. If you don't acknowledge Him, you're foolish. He said, Be not wise in thine own eyes. If you think that you are so smart that you don't need God and His Word, you're foolish. And if you trust in your heart, you're really foolish. For the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 verse nine, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And that is true. So if one then persists and refusing and rejecting and denying the word of God, it will prove fatal. And when you stop and think about this, that one day you will stand before the judge of all the earth, and that judge according to John chapter 5 is going to be the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and you're going to be judged.

[John Weaver] And guess what? You're going to be judged out of this book. He said in John 12 and verse 48, listen carefully, he that rejected me, that's the living word, and receiveth not my words, that's the written word, hath one that judges him in the last day, even the word which I have spoken shall judge him. And so I can assure you, when a man stands before our Lord Jesus Christ, and he's judged out of the books according to the scripture, he will be speechless. You remember, I think it's Matthew 20, I'm not sure exact chapter, where the Lord gave the parable of the wedding feast, and the man came in without a wedding garment on, and the wedding master said, friend, how cometh thou in hither without a wedding garment? And the Bible said, and he was speechless. And the wedding master said, cast him out.

[John Weaver] I got news for you. You can rant and rave all you like and all you desire, but when you stand before God, all of your arguments, all of your protestations will be worthless and you'll be speechless. Here are two applications. I want you to listen. The first one is exceedingly simple, but it's something that most of us never think about. And it really and truly boils down to one choice. And that one choice is this, who will you believe? Will you believe God or will you believe the mind of man? Will you believe the word of God or will you believe your own thoughts? Will you believe God's divine sovereign authority? Or will you reject that and believe and think that you have authority in and of yourself? Who is your standard? What is your standard? If you do not believe the Word of God, then that means you believe your own thoughts. So you're pitting the finite mind of fallen man against the infinite mind of a holy, righteous, sovereign God. Here's the second one.

[John Weaver] By the way, let me say this. If the Lord allows me to live just a few more months, I will have preached for 58 years. And whether you believe this brother or not, but it's the truth. and 58 years I have proven the Word of God over and over in my own life in every area and every sphere. I know, I know, not only from the truth of Scripture, but from personal experience that the Bible is indeed the Word of God. Here's the second one. If you think that somehow and in some way the Word of God is not going to stand and that you're going to escape, you are very, very mistaken. I usually tell people like this, when it comes to fighting against God and fighting against the Word of God, Stronger, mightier, and richer men than you have fought and failed. Think of Emperor Diocletian, Domitian, Nero. All of them thought they had successfully destroyed Christianity, the Word of God. They didn't.

[John Weaver] And most of you have heard of the noted French infidel Voltaire. Some time ago, I read about some of the dying statements of wicked men, and Voltaire was the one who caught my attention. And he had invited a number of his atheistic friends around when he was dying to watch how an atheist died. And the article said, right before his death, he sat straight up in bed with an absolute horror on his face and in his eyes, and he screamed, there is a God and fell back dead." Wow. Here it is. Voltaire, the noted French infidel, stated in 1776, I'm quoting, 100 years from my day, There will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker." He said, within 100 years all the Bibles are going to be gone. Hang on. In August 1836, only 58 years after Voltaire's death, Reverend William Ackworth of the British and Foreign Bible Society saw with his own eyes Voltaire's former residence in Geneva, Switzerland, being used as a repository for Bibles and religious tracts.

[John Weaver] The house at that time was occupied by Colonel Henry Trochan, who served as the president of the Evangelical Society of Geneva. That's not all. Hang on. Let it also be noted, only 16 years after Voltaire's death in 1794, The presence of the Bible began making inroads in the town where he spent his last 18 years of his life in Fernie, France. On the very printing presses... which Voltaire employed to print his irreverent works, was used to print editions of the Bible, and which were printed on the paper that had been especially made for a superior edition of Voltaire's works. The Voltaire project failed, and the paper was bought and devoted to a better purpose, that of printing Bibles." So within 16 years, his own presses and his own paper or used to print Bibles. Wow.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. When you drink the Kool-Aid of humanism, it will prove fatal. When you think that the mind of fallen man is greater than the mind of God, it will prove fatal. You may not be trod down in the gate, like the one Lord of the King, but I can assure you it will prove fatal. I'd much rather believe the Word of God than the Word of man, and I'd much rather lean upon His divine authority than my own stupidity and my own finite understanding. I may not understand everything in the Bible, and I can assure you I don't.

[John Weaver] But I can submit and worship until He gives me further enlightenment. I know that the Bible is the Word of God. So it boils down to this. We either have the Bible or we don't. God is the author or He isn't. It is binding and has binding authority. Or it doesn't. So who is your authority? And I choose the Lord. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And we ask, Father, that you would indeed build us up in the most holy faith, open our eyes, grant us understanding, and teach us. Build us up in the most holy faith. In thy name we ask and pray. Amen. ♪ ♪ you

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	eNZVQW-4D80
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: Can We All Just Get Along?
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 082: Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom - Volume 2 — Chapter 37
Source Timed Segments	69

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Reading of 2 Kings 7:16-20, introducing the theme that doubting God's Word is fatal.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Kings chapter 7. And we're going to read verses 16 through 20. And of course, I will come back and get the context just a little bit later. The title of the message is "Doubting God's Word Is Fatal." Doubting God's Word is fatal. So if you look in 2 Kings 7, beginning there with verse 16, the Word of God says this:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gates, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria."

And that lord answered the man of God and said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?"

And he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof."

And so it fell out unto him, for the people trod upon him at the gate, and he died. That was 2 Kings 7, verses 16 through 20. And again, the title of the message is "Doubting God's Word Is Fatal." Doubting is fatal in many ways, because when one doubts, he hesitates, and hesitation always leads to destruction. I've often stated that when it comes to self-defense, preservation of your life, and the preservation of the lives of your family members, there should be no hesitation. Before one gets in a life and death situation, in a life and death struggle, he should know what the Word of God says about the lawful taking of life.

The Fatal Nature of Doubt

Doubt leads to hesitation, which in spiritual matters is destructive; distinction between honest and dishonest doubters.

And that lord answered the man of God and said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?"

And he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof."

It's too late to try to figure things out when seconds count and you must either act or die. Likewise, it is fatal when one doubts, especially the Word of God. And by the way, there's a vast difference between not understanding, not knowing, and wondering, and then specifically doubting the validity and the veracity of the Word of God. Our text in 2 Kings 7 teaches us several very important truths. The first one is this: it is never right, it is never feasible, it is never appropriate to question the Word of God. Now, Elisha spoke as the prophet of God, and he spoke the Word of God. I want you to look at what he said in 2 Kings 7, beginning there with verse 1, and I will give you the background momentarily.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:1

"Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord."

So note, if you would, it was indeed the word of the Lord.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:1

"Hear ye the word of the Lord, thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria."

Then the lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" And he said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof." So here's one man who questioned the truth that Elisha enunciated. He not only doubted the truth, he spoke of its impossibility. He was saying, if God opened the windows of heaven, might this thing be? In other words, he was saying, in essence, Elisha's prophecy could not possibly be true. So Elisha said to the man, "You will see it for yourself, but you will not eat thereof."

So consequently, what happened to him was when he was appointed overseer, obviously, the people then trod him to death, according to verse 17. And Elisha prayed and said—oh, they're in chapter 7. I was in chapter 6. In verse 17, "And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down unto him." So doubting was certainly fatal for this one man because he was actually trampled to death. And the truth is, when it comes to doubting, there are some honest doubters and then there are some dishonest doubters. An honest doubter is someone who doubts simply because of ignorance or lack of information or an exposure to the truth. But then there are dishonest doubters who simply place their mind, their education, their understanding ahead of God and ahead of His Word.

Honest Doubters: The Disciples' Example

The eleven disciples worshipped Jesus but some doubted; Jesus later opened their understanding (Matthew 28:16-17; Luke 24:44-47).

Now, here's a good distinction I'm going to show you from the Bible. Honest doubters are those who still continue to worship God and do what is right until God gives them further enlightenment and illumination. I want you to turn in your Bibles—hold 2 Kings chapter 7—but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Matthew, chapter 28, and look, if you would, please, at verses 16 and 17. Matthew 28, verses 16 and 17. Note, if you would, and this happens to be the 11 disciples, some of them. Notice Matthew 28 and verse 16:

Scripture Reading — Matthew 28:16-17

"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted."

That's interesting. They worshipped him, but some doubted. Now, it's understandable that in one sense of the word, how some doubted because a bodily resurrection was unknown to most people.

Now it is true that Jesus Christ raised people from the dead, but that's different between Him raising Himself from the dead. So these people believed, of course, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. They believed that He was Messiah, and so they worshipped, although they did not understand and they had not put two plus two together. And what they were doing was waiting for further enlightenment and illumination. And to be honest, I think that is the proper response for an honest doubter. So if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 24, you will find out that our Lord did indeed enlighten their minds to this particular truth. So in Luke chapter 24, beginning there with verse 44, look what the Word of God says. Luke 24 and verse 44:

Scripture Reading — Luke 24:44-47

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

So obviously these individuals who doubted had their doubts cleared up when he opened their understanding and when he taught them the scriptures as well.

Dishonest Doubters: Thomas's Failure

Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, leading to his refusal to believe the testimony of the brethren (John 20:19-29).

Other doubters, I think, doubt because of their complacency, because of their sin, and because of their unthankfulness, and I would say also unfaithfulness. I want you to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 20, because everyone in this room has heard of doubting Thomas. I want to just emphasize some things in this passage that relate very clearly what I'm going to be teaching a little bit later. Look in John chapter 20, if you would, and we'll begin reading at verse 19, and we'll read through verse 29, and then I'm going to come back and make some observations. Here's verse 19.

Scripture Reading — John 20:19-29

"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,"

we're talking about Sunday,

Scripture Reading — John 20:19-29

"when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."

Do you notice a difference now? Don't you remember there when we read in Matthew chapter 28, they worshipped but some doubted. Now it says no one's doubting. They're just glad they know it's him. They had their understandings enlightened. So notice if you would. And so it says, "Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." Verse 21: "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

"Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 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. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

I want to emphasize something for you. Thomas was not at the original Sunday meeting when Jesus Christ revealed himself. So let's ask the question, why was Thomas not there? And the answer is not given to us specifically in the Bible. He could have been sick, that's a possibility. He could have been disheartened, discouraged, disillusioned. All of those are possibilities. But the fact of the matter is the Bible tells us when our Lord came to reveal himself to his disciples, Thomas was not there.

Now, the interesting thing is this. First of all, Thomas missed the meeting. Why was he not there? I do not know. But he did miss the meeting. Which teaches us something. We should be wary about missing the public worship of the Lord on the Lord's day. Why? Because we never know when Jesus Christ is going to reveal himself in a special or peculiar or particular way. That's what he did on this Lord's day. You remember that passage in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20 where Jesus Christ said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." So that means our Lord is right here in our midst. I don't know whose mind he's going to enlighten. I don't know whose heart he's going to open. I don't know what blessing he will bestow on some individuals. I'm just simply saying that there are times when our Lord does indeed move particularly and in a very strange way.

I may have told you this, it's only happened to me twice in my ministry, but once I was preaching in Illinois. And I got through preaching, and we had the benediction, and everyone was standing around. And it was a small church, but I mean 80 to 100 folks were there. And I just jokingly said, "Well, had I known that everybody was going to stand around, I'd preach again." And everybody sat down.

So I preached a second time. And when I got through preaching, the pastor preached a third time. We got out about 2 o'clock in the morning. Now I'm just saying, that's only happened twice to me in about 57 years. And nobody left. Everybody stayed. So I'm just simply saying, you never know when everybody's going to be blessed by God. So I'd be wary about missing. Here's the second thing. Thomas not only missed the meeting, Thomas missed the message. That's where Jesus Christ revealed himself and told them and showed them and proclaimed peace unto them. Whenever you miss the meeting, you're always going to miss the message. I don't know about other pastors, but I know this.

I make a special prayer request to the Lord just about every day, and that is this: "Lord, please give me what your people need for this week." I ask. I could have chosen out of 15 or 20 different messages what I was going to preach today because I'm that far ahead, but I'm just simply saying I pray specifically. And so that means this. That means if you miss the message, you miss the food that God has ordained for you for that week. He knows what's coming during the week. You don't, and neither do I. And so I just ask him to prepare my heart so I can give you what you need and what others need who hear these words. So Thomas then missed the meeting. He missed the message. He also missed the mission because our Lord said, "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you," and then he breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." So he sent them out to be witnesses. And here's the fourth thing: when Thomas missed the meeting, the message, and the mission, he was now in a position where he was doubting because when the brethren told him, "We have seen the Lord," ah, no, no, no.

He said, "Unless I can take my finger and put it in the hole where the nails were and take my hand and thrust it inside, I will not believe." Isn't that interesting? When you miss the meeting, the message, and the mission, you do not receive the testimony of the brethren. It always leads to doubt. Now let me point something out. This is very important. Our Lord reveals himself in his word and through his word to those who are faithful. He doesn't reveal himself to those who could care less. If you look in your Bible, since you're in the book of John, look in John chapter 14, beginning there with verse 22. John 14 in verse 22. Look what our Lord said to Judas. Notice, carefully. "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?"

Faithfulness and Revelation

God reveals Himself to those who are faithful; stewards must be found faithful (John 14:22-23; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:2).

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:" that is, he'll be faithful, he'll be obedient, "and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." In other words, our Lord said, if you are faithful, if you keep my words, we will manifest ourselves unto you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. So I'm making a statement concerning Thomas. He missed the meeting. He missed the message. He missed the mission. Therefore he doubted. He would not believe. So notice what the Word of God says in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 beginning there with verse 1. The Apostle Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

Isn't that interesting?

A steward is that which each of us are before our Lord. He's given us gifts. He's given us a mission. He's given us responsibilities. We're stewards of whatever God has given us, and he said it's required of stewards that a man be found faithful. So, let me add to that by giving you 2 Timothy 2 in verse 2. I want you to listen very carefully to this. The apostle Paul wrote Timothy and he said this:

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:2

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

Now listen to that again. He said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:2

"The things which thou hast heard of me, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

Commit thou to whom? To faithful men. Do you realize it's not the pastor's responsibility to chase somebody down and teach them? They're to be faithful. That's why I said more is required of a steward than a man be found faithful.

And when you stop and think about Thomas, why was he not there? He could have been there probably, but he just wasn't for some simple unknown reason. I have no earthly idea, but the truth of the matter is, he wasn't there. And he missed everything. Doubting will usually get us into trouble in more ways than one. In fact, it gets us in trouble over and over. And we usually doubt because of our ignorance, because we don't know.

Doubting as Sin

Doubting is sin because it is not of faith; whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-7; 10:25-26).

I've often said this and it's true. Have you ever noticed a problem is not a problem if you know the answer? You don't have problems when you don't know what to do, when you don't have the answers. When you look at Romans chapter 14, which we're going to look at just in a little bit, when you look at Romans chapter 14, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and a few verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, you'll find that here is a truth concerning meats that have been offered unto idols. In fact, there was a division, a schism, so to speak, between some of the believers because some believers knew that the idol had absolutely no influence upon that meat. It was just a good cut of meat. And others thought that somehow that idol polluted that meat, and therefore it was not really acceptable to eat. Well, let me show you. Let's look in our Bibles, first of all, to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 4. Look what the Apostle Paul says.

Now, this all has a relationship to doubting. Hang with me. In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 4:

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 8:4-7

"As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." "Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled."

So he says, we understand that there's just simply one God. Now here's what happened. A lot of times the idol was worshipped by people. And they would sacrifice all these animals. And they would have an abundance of meat that was left over. And so they would then sell that meat at a discounted rate to anybody who wanted to buy it. So, just to put it in terms that we can understand, so if you went down to your local Publix and a ribeye steak was 8 bucks a pound, and you could go over to the shambles and the same cut of meat was two bucks a pound, which would you prefer to purchase? Well, if you knew the truth and not doubted, you'd go buy the same ribeye at two bucks a pound and eat it because you know the idol had nothing to do with it.

But if you doubted and you did not know the truth, then you're not going to buy that two dollar a pound ribeye. You're going to go and spend the eight bucks if you wanted one, because you think that somehow that idol polluted that meat. Now, if you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, you'll see where they sold this. They sold it in a place called the Shambles. So the apostle Paul said this, 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 25:

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 10:25-26

"Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof."

In other words, if you get a good cut of meat that had been offered to some idol, he said eat it. Don't worry about it. Because you know, there's only one God and the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. Now remember he said, "There is not in every man that knowledge." Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 14, because Paul deals with this same thing in the book of Romans chapter 14. We're not going to be looking at all of it, but I do want to call your attention to verse 23, because he's dealing specifically with this issue.

But look what he says: "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Wow. Now, first of all, the word "doubteth" is the Greek word dialogismos, which means disputing, doubting, to be doubtful. It refers to someone who is vacillating. It refers to someone who is wavering. It refers to someone who doesn't know which way to go, doesn't know what to do. Kind of like that proverbial squirrel that runs across the road and backtracks and backtracks. He doesn't know which way to go and that's why so many squirrels end up crushed on the highway.

You remember that passage in James 1 in verse 8 where he said a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. The Greek word for double-minded there is dipsuchos, actually means double-souled, but it still means the same thing. It's someone who is unstable, someone who's wavering, someone who is vacillating, someone who cannot make up his mind. And so when you look at Romans 14 verse 23 and he's still talking about this same issue of meat that's been dedicated to an idol, he said, "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat." Why? He says, "Because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Now, the Greek word for "damned" is the word katakrino, which means someone who is condemned, someone who is judged worthy of punishment, someone who is worthy of censure. Now, why would he be worthy of censure? Why would he be worthy of condemnation? Why would he be worthy of judgment? And the answer is because of his doubting. Doubting is sin. That's why the Bible says the plowing of the wicked is sin.

So let me ask you another question. If doubting is sin and faith is not, where do we get faith? Now, I know faith is a gift of God, but there's also the means. Hang on. Romans 10:17. What did he say? "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So why are people doubting? Well, a lot of them miss the meeting, they miss the message, they miss the mission, and they refuse to listen to folks who said, "Hey, let me tell you what God has done for me. Let me show you what God has shared with me in the Word of God." I'm just simply pointing out the fact it's important to know what we believe. It's important to know why we believe it. It's important to know where we can find it in the scripture. It's important for you and I to study and to come to our conclusions based upon the Word of God. Because whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Doubting in Prayer and Worship

Men are to pray without doubting; the same Greek word for doubting is used in 1 Timothy 2:8 and Romans 14:23.

Now doubting is especially sinful when it comes to prayer and when it comes to worship. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy chapter 2. Before we read that verse, look if you would in 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15, because here is the key verse in the book of 1 Timothy. Paul writes and says, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God." So we're talking about the church, "which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." So Paul says, this is my theme. I'm telling you how men and women ought to act in the house of God. Telling you how children ought to act in the house of God. Well, how should men act? Well, look in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8. He said, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 2:8

Now let me give you a little surprise. The word "doubting," the Greek word "doubting" in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 8 is exactly the same Greek word that you find in Romans 14 and verse 23. When God said, "If he eats, he's damned if he eats, because he eats not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." And in the context here, it's in prayer and it is in worship. Now here's a question. Why is it that some people doubt the veracity of the Word of God, the truthfulness of the Word of God, the accuracy of the Word of God? Why is it that some doubt? I've been dealing with several people.

Reasons for Doubt: Unbelief and Ignorance of Inspiration

Unbelievers reject God's authority; professing Christians may doubt because they do not understand the doctrine of inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).

I think one is an honest doubter. One is very dishonest. But why do some doubt? Let me give you two reasons. Number one, because there are many people who are unsaved. They're unbelievers. And if you're an unbeliever, you're not going to believe that God's word is his full final authority for us. That's all there is to it. In other words, if you are unsaved, if you're an unbeliever, your attitude is going to be just like Pharaoh's. In Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, when Moses came to Pharaoh and said, "Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me," Pharaoh responded and he said this: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." That was his attitude. I don't recognize God. I don't recognize his sovereignty. I don't recognize his authority. Who does he think he is to command me? That is the attitude of unbelievers.

You know? They're not going to believe the Bible. They're not going to take the Bible because obviously, clearly, they don't believe in God. They don't believe the Bible. So we can understand that. But what about some folks who claim to be professing Christians? I think there's a second reason why a lot of people do not really understand the Word of God. And that is because they do not understand the doctrine of inspiration. Now please understand this, if someone is unsaved, if someone is an unbeliever, the doctrine of inspiration doesn't bother him. In fact, no doctrine bothers him because he doesn't believe anything. But we have to understand what inspiration is. I'm going to give it to you just momentarily. But we're talking about the Bible. The Greek word for Bible is Biblia or Biblios. You'll find in the Old Testament, in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, you'll find that word in Psalm 40 and verse 7. You'll also find it in the Greek New Testament, Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 7.

You'll also find that there are many other phrases that denote the Bible, like "the scriptures," "the law," "the prophets," or "it is written," or "the Word of God." And when you stop and think that the Bible was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 different authors, that's astounding. And when you think of the Old Testament, all of that was compiled and put together in one book by the 5th century BC, during the time of Ezra. And the New Testament was completed well before 100 A.D. So the amazing truth is this, that there are no contradictions in the Bible. You would expect, for over 40 different writers, authors, who did not know each other, over a period of 1600 years, a book being written, that it would be absolutely full of contradictions. But it's not. Why? Because it's not the work of man, it is the work of God. He inspired the authors to write. And the Bible tells us that these men were moved by the Holy Ghost.

So let me tell you what inspiration is. In fact, I'll go ahead and give you a scripture. In 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, you can turn there. We're almost there. Look at it. I was going to quote it, but here it is, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." He said, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Theopneustos. You know what that word means? God exhaled. God. Spiration deals with breath. God exhaled his words. That's why the Bible says in 2 Peter chapter 1 in verse 21,

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 1:21

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

So what is inspiration? Let me give you a definition. Listen carefully. Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself.

So here's the way we understand this. I've had—I've preached a number of things through the years, all of them biblical. And yet I've had people come up to me and say, "Well, pastor, if I heard God say that I would believe it." Well, that's what inspiration is. God said it. He exhaled it. It is his breath. He spoke it. He used the authors and their personalities, but it is his word. So when you and I read the Bible and when you hear the Bible expounded and explained and applied, it is God speaking because this is his word.

Now, let me put two and two together for you. When you deny the doctrine of inspiration, when you try to tell me the Bible is not the Word of God, what you're also saying is God is not the author of the Bible, and consequently it has no authority. It has no binding influence. So if the Bible is not the inspired Word of God, God did not author it, and therefore it has no authority and it has no binding influence. Wow. So the doctrine of inspiration is indeed a very important doctrine.

Consequences of Rejecting God's Word

Rejecting Scripture leads to turning to man-made authority and idolatry, as seen in Israel and Judah (2 Kings 17:7-19; Micah 6:16).

Now, I want you to pay close attention to some statements that I'm going to make, and I'm going to show them to you from the Scripture. Here they are. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to hear it. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to heed it. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to obey it. When one doubts the Word of God, there will be no application of the Word of God in his life. When one doubts the Word of God, listen to me, when one doubts the Word of God, remember now, he will also be denying that God is the author of it. When anyone doubts the Word of God and that God is the author, he's inevitably going to turn to another God or another authority. You cannot have a life without authority. You cannot have a life without a standard. You cannot have a life without permanence. So, let me show you what I'm talking about. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, back to 2 Kings chapter 17, and I want you to see what Israel and Judah did in rejecting the Word of God and what happened.

So when you deny the inspiration and the authority of the Bible, you're denying God. You will not hear, you will not heed, you will not believe, you will not make application, and you will turn to another god or to a different authority. So, in 2 Kings chapter 17, beginning there with verse 13, watch this.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways,"

watch,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God."

So when they did not believe God, they did not believe his word. What happened? Let's see verse 15.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity,"

that is, idolatry,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them."

"And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight."

Now, notice if you would, when they rejected God's inspired infallible truth and word, they immediately turned to idols and whatever they wanted to do. Now let me show you. If you're going to turn away from God, there's only one alternative: man. So look in 2 Kings 17 beginning there verse 7, you'll see this. Watch this. 2 Kings 17 verse 7: "For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." They rejected God and they feared other gods. How did the fearing of other gods manifest itself? Here it is, verse 8: "And walked in the statutes of the heathen," that's the laws, "whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made." All the kings of Israel were apostates. They did. They're the ones that made the golden calves. Jeroboam I. And everybody else after him served those golden calves.

So what did they do? They turned from the law of God and went to the law of man. That is why if you look down in verse 19 again, "Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they made." In other words, here are these humanistic, man-made laws that now have been made a substitute for God's word and God's law. Wow. In line with that, there's another passage in Micah 6 and verse 16. And let me just quote it.

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:16

"For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people."

Now when he said,

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:16

"For the statutes of Omri are kept,"

let me tell you who Omri was. Omri was the father of Ahab. Ahab was the most wicked king in the northern kingdom. He said,

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:16

"For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels,"

that is, you walk in their laws.

So when you turn from God and you turn from God's Word, the only place you can turn is to man. It may be government, it may be some philosophical bent of someone, but it is still man. So here's the question. What is your source of authority? Who is your authority? And if the Word of God is not your authority, what is? I mean, you cannot exist without authority. And if you doubt God's inspired, inerrant, infallible Word, your only recourse is the mind of man. If you reject and refuse the divine mind, the only thing that you can receive is the mind of a fallen, sinful, wicked individual. And to trade the mind of the infinite, sovereign, majestic God of heaven and earth for the mind of a fallen man is absolutely insanity and foolishness.

The Certainty of God's Word Standing

God's words will stand against those who reject them; the remnant in Egypt learned this (Jeremiah 44:24-29).

But the truth of the matter is, that's exactly what a lot of people do. They think that somehow that their thoughts and their mind and what they believe is somehow going to outweigh and overthrow the mind and the Word of God. Let me just say that's been tried and it didn't work out too good. So let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 44. Jeremiah chapter 44. And let's begin with verse 24. I wish I had time just to give you all the background here, but here the people of Judah, the remnant of Judah, has come to Jeremiah and said, "Pray for us, we want God's will." And obviously they were hypocrites. They really did not want God's will. Because most of the people have been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, a lot have been killed, and what they wanted to do, they wanted to flee down into Egypt. And so Jeremiah said, "Okay, I'll pray for you." And so Jeremiah prayed and he said, "Here's what God says, do not go down into Egypt." "Oh, God didn't tell you to tell us that." Why? "God didn't say that."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"No, no, we're going to go. And let me tell you something, Jeremiah. We never had any of this suffering and we never had any of this problem while we were pouring out our oblations and pouring out our sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven."

Jeremiah said, "You know, you're stupid. That's what got you into this problem."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"Oh, no, no, no, no. That's not it. That's not it, Jeremiah. And we're going to keep on. We're going to keep pouring out our offerings to the Queen of Heaven."

Fine. Going down to Egypt. Jeremiah chapter 44, verse 24:

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt."

They went, and by the way, they kidnapped Jeremiah and took him. And the children that were left that belonged to the royal family, they took them. Notice he said,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"went down into the land of Egypt. Thus saith the Lord,"

verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows."

"Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil."

Yeah. We're going to find out whose words are going to stand. It's wicked, it's vile, it's sinful to doubt God and His Word. You may scream, you may holler, you may cry, you may protest, you may yell, you may think, you may proclaim all you wish, but in the end, it's going to be God's Word who stands. And what stands? You remember that passage? In Proverbs 5—no, it's Proverbs 3, verses 5 through 7, most of you can quote it, where the Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Applications and Conclusion

Choose to believe God over man; history shows that fighting against God's Word fails (Voltaire's example). Final prayer.

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." You remember that passage? "Be not wise in thine own eyes." Oh, listen to him. "Fear the Lord, and depart from evil." So here it is. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." If you lean to your own understanding, you're foolish. He says, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." If you don't acknowledge him, you're foolish. He said, "Be not wise in thine own eyes." If you think that you are so smart that you don't need God and His Word, you're foolish. And if you trust in your heart, you're really foolish. For the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 verse 9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." And that is true. So if one then persists in refusing and rejecting and denying the word of God, it will prove fatal. And when you stop and think about this, that one day you will stand before the judge of all the earth, and that judge according to John chapter 5 is going to be the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and you're going to be judged.

And guess what? You're going to be judged out of this book. He said in John 12 and verse 48, listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth me,"

that's the living word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"and receiveth not my words,"

that's the written word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

And so I can assure you, when a man stands before our Lord Jesus Christ, and he's judged out of the books according to the scripture, he will be speechless. You remember, I think it's Matthew 20, I'm not sure exact chapter, where the Lord gave the parable of the wedding feast, and the man came in without a wedding garment on, and the wedding master said, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" And the Bible said, "And he was speechless." And the wedding master said, "Cast him out."

I got news for you. You can rant and rave all you like and all you desire, but when you stand before God, all of your arguments, all of your protestations will be worthless and you'll be speechless. Here are two applications. I want you to listen. The first one is exceedingly simple, but it's something that most of us never think about. And it really and truly boils down to one choice. And that one choice is this: who will you believe? Will you believe God or will you believe the mind of man? Will you believe the word of God or will you believe your own thoughts? Will you believe God's divine sovereign authority? Or will you reject that and believe and think that you have authority in and of yourself? Who is your standard? What is your standard? If you do not believe the Word of God, then that means you believe your own thoughts. So you're pitting the finite mind of fallen man against the infinite mind of a holy, righteous, sovereign God. Here's the second one.

By the way, let me say this. If the Lord allows me to live just a few more months, I will have preached for 58 years. And whether you believe this brother or not, but it's the truth. In 58 years I have proven the Word of God over and over in my own life in every area and every sphere. I know, I know, not only from the truth of Scripture, but from personal experience that the Bible is indeed the Word of God. Here's the second one. If you think that somehow and in some way the Word of God is not going to stand and that you're going to escape, you are very, very mistaken. I usually tell people like this, when it comes to fighting against God and fighting against the Word of God, stronger, mightier, and richer men than you have fought and failed. Think of Emperor Diocletian, Domitian, Nero. All of them thought they had successfully destroyed Christianity, the Word of God. They didn't.

And most of you have heard of the noted French infidel Voltaire. Some time ago, I read about some of the dying statements of wicked men, and Voltaire was the one who caught my attention. And he had invited a number of his atheistic friends around when he was dying to watch how an atheist died. And the article said, right before his death, he sat straight up in bed with an absolute horror on his face and in his eyes, and he screamed, "There is a God!" and fell back dead. Wow. Here it is. Voltaire, the noted French infidel, stated in 1776, I'm quoting, "100 years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker." He said, within 100 years all the Bibles are going to be gone. Hang on. In August 1836, only 58 years after Voltaire's death, Reverend William Ackworth of the British and Foreign Bible Society saw with his own eyes Voltaire's former residence in Geneva, Switzerland, being used as a repository for Bibles and religious tracts.

The house at that time was occupied by Colonel Henry Trochan, who served as the president of the Evangelical Society of Geneva. That's not all. Hang on. Let it also be noted, only 16 years after Voltaire's death in 1794, the presence of the Bible began making inroads in the town where he spent his last 18 years of his life in Ferney, France. On the very printing presses which Voltaire employed to print his irreverent works, was used to print editions of the Bible, and which were printed on the paper that had been especially made for a superior edition of Voltaire's works. The Voltaire project failed, and the paper was bought and devoted to a better purpose, that of printing Bibles. So within 16 years, his own presses and his own paper were used to print Bibles. Wow.

Let me tell you something. When you drink the Kool-Aid of humanism, it will prove fatal. When you think that the mind of fallen man is greater than the mind of God, it will prove fatal. You may not be trod down in the gate, like the one lord of the king, but I can assure you it will prove fatal. I'd much rather believe the Word of God than the word of man, and I'd much rather lean upon His divine authority than my own stupidity and my own finite understanding. I may not understand everything in the Bible, and I can assure you I don't.

But I can submit and worship until He gives me further enlightenment. I know that the Bible is the Word of God. So it boils down to this. We either have the Bible or we don't. God is the author or He isn't. It is binding and has binding authority. Or it doesn't. So who is your authority? And I choose the Lord. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And we ask, Father, that you would indeed build us up in the most holy faith, open our eyes, grant us understanding, and teach us. Build us up in the most holy faith. In thy name we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Fatal Consequence of Doubting God's Word

Summary: Doubting God's Word leads to spiritual death and judgment, as illustrated by the lord trampled in the gate.

Evidence: The title and repeated emphasis: 'Doubting God's Word Is Fatal.' The lord doubted Elisha's prophecy and was trampled to death (2 Kings 7:17-20).

Distinction Between Honest and Dishonest Doubters

Summary: Honest doubters worship and wait for enlightenment; dishonest doubters elevate human reason above God's Word.

Evidence: The disciples worshipped but doubted (Matthew 28:17); Thomas refused to believe without physical proof (John 20:25).

The Necessity of Faithfulness in Hearing and Obeying

Summary: Missing the gathering of believers leads to missing God's revelation and mission, resulting in doubt.

Evidence: Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission; God reveals Himself to those who keep His words (John 14:22-23).

Doubting as Sin

Summary: Doubting is sinful because it is not of faith; whatever is not of faith is sin.

Evidence: Romans 14:23: 'he that doubteth is damned if he eat... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.'

The Doctrine of Inspiration as the Foundation of Authority

Summary: Scripture is God-breathed; rejecting inspiration means rejecting God's authority and turning to man-made standards.

Evidence: 2 Timothy 3:16: 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God.' Definition of inspiration as God exhaling His words.

The Inevitable Turn to Human Authority When God's Word Is Rejected

Summary: Rejecting God's Word leads to following man-made statutes and idolatry, as seen in Israel's history.

Evidence: 2 Kings 17:7-19: Israel rejected God's statutes and walked in the statutes of the heathen and kings of Israel.

The Ultimate Triumph of God's Word Over Human Opposition

Summary: God's words will stand; historical examples like Voltaire show the failure of fighting against Scripture.

Evidence: Jeremiah 44:28: 'shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.' Voltaire's prediction failed; his house became a Bible repository.

Key Arguments

Doubting God's Word is fatal because it leads to hesitation and destruction.

Summary: Hesitation in spiritual matters leads to destruction; the lord who doubted Elisha's prophecy was trampled to death.

Evidence: The title and 2 Kings 7:17-20: the lord doubted and died as the man of God had said.

Honest doubters continue to worship while awaiting enlightenment; dishonest doubters reject God's Word outright.

Summary: The disciples worshipped despite doubt; Thomas refused to believe without physical proof, showing a hardened heart.

Evidence: Matthew 28:17: 'they worshipped him: but some doubted.' John 20:25: 'Except I shall see... I will not believe.'

Missing the assembly of believers leads to missing God's revelation and fosters doubt.

Summary: Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, which led to his refusal to believe the testimony of the other disciples.

Evidence: John 20:19-25: Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared; he later doubted the disciples' report.

Doubting is sin because it is not of faith, and whatever is not of faith is sin.

Summary: Romans 14:23 explicitly states that doubting leads to condemnation because it lacks faith.

Evidence: Romans 14:23: 'he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.'

Rejecting the inspiration of Scripture is rejecting God's authority, leading to man-made authority.

Summary: If the Bible is not God-breathed, it has no binding authority; people then turn to human statutes and idolatry.

Evidence: 2 Kings 17:7-19: Israel rejected God's law and walked in the statutes of the heathen and kings of Israel.

God's Word will ultimately stand, and those who oppose it will be judged by it.

Summary: Jeremiah 44:28 declares that God's words will stand; John 12:48 says the word will judge rejecters in the last day.

Evidence: Jeremiah 44:28: 'shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.' John 12:48: 'the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.'

Scripture References

2 Kings 7:16-20

Context: The main text: the people spoiled the Syrians, the lord doubted Elisha's prophecy and was trampled to death.

2 Kings 7:1

Context: Elisha's prophecy of plenty: 'Hear ye the word of the Lord... Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel...'

Matthew 28:16-17

Context: The eleven disciples worshipped Jesus but some doubted, illustrating honest doubters.

Luke 24:44-47

Context: Jesus opened the disciples' understanding of the Scriptures concerning His suffering and resurrection.

John 20:19-29

Context: Thomas missed Jesus' appearance, doubted the resurrection, and later believed when he saw Jesus.

John 14:22-23

Context: Jesus said He would manifest Himself to those who love Him and keep His words.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Context: Stewards must be found faithful.

2 Timothy 2:2

Context: Commit the truth to faithful men who will teach others.

1 Corinthians 8:4-7

Context: Knowledge that an idol is nothing, but not all have that knowledge; weak conscience is defiled.

1 Corinthians 10:25-26

Context: Eat whatever is sold in the shambles without asking questions for conscience' sake.

Romans 14:23

Context: He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because it is not of faith; whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

1 Timothy 2:8

Context: Men should pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.

Exodus 5:2

Context: Pharaoh's response: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?' illustrating the attitude of unbelievers.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Context: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:21

Context: Prophecy came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Kings 17:7-19

Context: Israel rejected God's statutes, followed heathen customs, made idols, and were cast out of God's sight.

Micah 6:16

Context: The statutes of Omri are kept; walking in the counsels of Ahab leads to desolation.

Jeremiah 44:24-29

Context: God declares that His words will stand against the remnant in Egypt who vowed to worship the queen of heaven.

Proverbs 3:5-7

Context: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding; be not wise in thine own eyes.

John 12:48

Context: He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day.

Historical References

Voltaire

Context: French infidel who predicted in 1776 that the Bible would be extinct within 100 years; his house later became a Bible repository, and his printing presses were used to print Bibles.

Emperor Diocletian, Domitian, Nero

Context: Roman emperors who persecuted Christians and thought they had destroyed Christianity and the Word of God, but failed.

Jeroboam I

Context: King of Israel who made the golden calves, leading Israel into apostasy.

Omri

Context: Father of Ahab, whose statutes were kept by Israel, representing man-made laws.

Ahab

Context: Most wicked king in the northern kingdom; his works and counsels were followed by Israel.

Colonel Henry Trochan

Context: President of the Evangelical Society of Geneva who occupied Voltaire's former residence when it was used as a Bible repository.

Reverend William Ackworth

Context: Of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who saw Voltaire's former residence used for Bibles in 1836.

Important Quotes

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal.

Significance: The title and central thesis of the sermon, emphasizing the deadly spiritual consequence of doubting Scripture.

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Significance: Key verse establishing that doubting is sinful because it lacks faith, directly linking doubt to condemnation.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Significance: Foundational text for the doctrine of inspiration, showing Scripture's divine origin and authority.

Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself.

Significance: Pastor Weaver's definition of inspiration, clarifying that Scripture is God's own words through human authors.

100 years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.

Significance: Voltaire's failed prediction, used as historical proof that God's Word endures despite human opposition.

Discussion Questions

What is the difference between an honest doubter and a dishonest doubter according to this sermon?

Context: Pastor Weaver distinguishes between those who doubt from ignorance but continue to worship (like the disciples) and those who elevate their own mind above God's Word (like Thomas).

How does missing the assembly of believers contribute to doubt, based on the example of Thomas?

Context: Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, which led to his refusal to believe the testimony of the other disciples.

Why is doubting considered sin according to Romans 14:23?

Context: The verse states that whatever is not of faith is sin; doubting indicates a lack of faith in God's Word.

What does the doctrine of inspiration mean, and why is it essential for trusting the Bible?

Context: Inspiration means God breathed out His words through human authors; without it, the Bible has no divine authority.

What happens when people reject God's Word as their authority, according to 2 Kings 17?

Context: They turn to man-made statutes and idolatry, as Israel did when they rejected God's commandments.

How does the example of Voltaire illustrate the futility of opposing God's Word?

Context: Voltaire predicted the Bible's extinction, but his own house and printing presses were later used to distribute Bibles.

What does it mean that God's words will 'stand' and judge us in the last day?

Context: John 12:48 and Jeremiah 44:28 teach that God's Word is the ultimate standard of judgment, and rejecting it leads to condemnation.

Applications

Choose to believe God over man

Summary: Make a conscious decision to trust God's Word as the ultimate authority rather than relying on human reasoning or man-made standards.

Evidence: The sermon asks, 'Who will you believe? Will you believe God or will you believe the mind of man?' and cites Proverbs 3:5-7.

Do not miss the assembly of believers

Summary: Regularly attend church gatherings to hear God's Word and receive the message God has for you, avoiding the doubt that comes from isolation.

Evidence: Thomas missed the meeting and consequently missed the message and mission, leading to doubt (John 20:19-25).

Submit to God's Word even when you do not fully understand

Summary: Like the honest doubters, continue to worship and obey while waiting for God to give further enlightenment.

Evidence: The disciples worshipped despite doubt (Matthew 28:17); the preacher states, 'I can submit and worship until He gives me further enlightenment.'

Recognize that doubting is sin and seek faith through God's Word

Summary: Understand that doubt is not a neutral intellectual stance but sin; build faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Evidence: Romans 14:23 says doubting is sin; faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

Do not lean on your own understanding

Summary: Reject the temptation to trust your own thoughts above God's revealed truth, as human wisdom is foolishness compared to God's.

Evidence: Proverbs 3:5-7 is quoted: 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:19:15Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:55:35Z

Clean Transcript

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Kings chapter 7. And we're going to read verses 16 through 20. And of course, I will come back and get the context just a little bit later. The title of the message is "Doubting God's Word Is Fatal." Doubting God's Word is fatal. So if you look in 2 Kings 7, beginning there with verse 16, the Word of God says this: "And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gates, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria."
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And that lord answered the man of God and said, "Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" And he said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof." And so it fell out unto him, for the people trod upon him at the gate, and he died. That was 2 Kings 7, verses 16 through 20.
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And again, the title of the message is "Doubting God's Word Is Fatal." Doubting is fatal in many ways, because when one doubts, he hesitates, and hesitation always leads to destruction. I've often stated that when it comes to self-defense, preservation of your life, and the preservation of the lives of your family members, there should be no hesitation. Before one gets in a life and death situation, in a life and death struggle, he should know what the Word of God says about the lawful taking of life.
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It's too late to try to figure things out when seconds count and you must either act or die. Likewise, it is fatal when one doubts, especially the Word of God. And by the way, there's a vast difference between not understanding, not knowing, and wondering, and then specifically doubting the validity and the veracity of the Word of God. Our text in 2 Kings 7 teaches us several very important truths. The first one is this: it is never right, it is never feasible, it is never appropriate to question the Word of God. Now, Elisha spoke as the prophet of God, and he spoke the Word of God. I want you to look at what he said in 2 Kings 7, beginning there with verse 1, and I will give you the background momentarily. "Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord." So note, if you would, it was indeed the word of the Lord. "Hear ye the word of the Lord, thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria."
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Then the lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" And he said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof." So here's one man who questioned the truth that Elisha enunciated. He not only doubted the truth, he spoke of its impossibility. He was saying, if God opened the windows of heaven, might this thing be? In other words, he was saying, in essence, Elisha's prophecy could not possibly be true. So Elisha said to the man, "You will see it for yourself, but you will not eat thereof."
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So consequently, what happened to him was when he was appointed overseer, obviously, the people then trod him to death, according to verse 17. And Elisha prayed and said—oh, they're in chapter 7. I was in chapter 6. In verse 17, "And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down unto him." So doubting was certainly fatal for this one man because he was actually trampled to death. And the truth is, when it comes to doubting, there are some honest doubters and then there are some dishonest doubters. An honest doubter is someone who doubts simply because of ignorance or lack of information or an exposure to the truth. But then there are dishonest doubters who simply place their mind, their education, their understanding ahead of God and ahead of His Word.
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Now, here's a good distinction I'm going to show you from the Bible. Honest doubters are those who still continue to worship God and do what is right until God gives them further enlightenment and illumination. I want you to turn in your Bibles—hold 2 Kings chapter 7—but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Matthew, chapter 28, and look, if you would, please, at verses 16 and 17. Matthew 28, verses 16 and 17.
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Note, if you would, and this happens to be the 11 disciples, some of them. Notice Matthew 28 and verse 16: "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted." That's interesting. They worshipped him, but some doubted. Now, it's understandable that in one sense of the word, how some doubted because a bodily resurrection was unknown to most people.
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Now it is true that Jesus Christ raised people from the dead, but that's different between Him raising Himself from the dead. So these people believed, of course, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. They believed that He was Messiah, and so they worshipped, although they did not understand and they had not put two plus two together. And what they were doing was waiting for further enlightenment and illumination.
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And to be honest, I think that is the proper response for an honest doubter. So if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 24, you will find out that our Lord did indeed enlighten their minds to this particular truth. So in Luke chapter 24, beginning there with verse 44, look what the Word of God says. Luke 24 and verse 44: "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." So obviously these individuals who doubted had their doubts cleared up when he opened their understanding and when he taught them the scriptures as well.
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Other doubters, I think, doubt because of their complacency, because of their sin, and because of their unthankfulness, and I would say also unfaithfulness. I want you to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 20, because everyone in this room has heard of doubting Thomas. I want to just emphasize some things in this passage that relate very clearly what I'm going to be teaching a little bit later. Look in John chapter 20, if you would, and we'll begin reading at verse 19, and we'll read through verse 29, and then I'm going to come back and make some observations. Here's verse 19.
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"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week," we're talking about Sunday, "when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."
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Do you notice a difference now? Don't you remember there when we read in Matthew chapter 28, they worshipped but some doubted.
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Now it says no one's doubting. They're just glad they know it's him. They had their understandings enlightened. So notice if you would. And so it says, "Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." Verse 21: "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
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"Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 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. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
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I want to emphasize something for you. Thomas was not at the original Sunday meeting when Jesus Christ revealed himself. So let's ask the question, why was Thomas not there? And the answer is not given to us specifically in the Bible. He could have been sick, that's a possibility. He could have been disheartened, discouraged, disillusioned. All of those are possibilities. But the fact of the matter is the Bible tells us when our Lord came to reveal himself to his disciples, Thomas was not there.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. First of all, Thomas missed the meeting. Why was he not there? I do not know. But he did miss the meeting. Which teaches us something. We should be wary about missing the public worship of the Lord on the Lord's day. Why? Because we never know when Jesus Christ is going to reveal himself in a special or peculiar or particular way. That's what he did on this Lord's day. You remember that passage in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20 where Jesus Christ said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." So that means our Lord is right here in our midst. I don't know whose mind he's going to enlighten. I don't know whose heart he's going to open. I don't know what blessing he will bestow on some individuals. I'm just simply saying that there are times when our Lord does indeed move particularly and in a very strange way.
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I may have told you this, it's only happened to me twice in my ministry, but once I was preaching in Illinois. And I got through preaching, and we had the benediction, and everyone was standing around. And it was a small church, but I mean 80 to 100 folks were there. And I just jokingly said, "Well, had I known that everybody was going to stand around, I'd preach again." And everybody sat down.
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So I preached a second time. And when I got through preaching, the pastor preached a third time. We got out about 2 o'clock in the morning.
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Now I'm just saying, that's only happened twice to me in about 57 years. And nobody left. Everybody stayed. So I'm just simply saying, you never know when everybody's going to be blessed by God. So I'd be wary about missing. Here's the second thing. Thomas not only missed the meeting, Thomas missed the message. That's where Jesus Christ revealed himself and told them and showed them and proclaimed peace unto them. Whenever you miss the meeting, you're always going to miss the message. I don't know about other pastors, but I know this.
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I make a special prayer request to the Lord just about every day, and that is this: "Lord, please give me what your people need for this week." I ask. I could have chosen out of 15 or 20 different messages what I was going to preach today because I'm that far ahead, but I'm just simply saying I pray specifically. And so that means this. That means if you miss the message, you miss the food that God has ordained for you for that week. He knows what's coming during the week.
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You don't, and neither do I. And so I just ask him to prepare my heart so I can give you what you need and what others need who hear these words. So Thomas then missed the meeting. He missed the message. He also missed the mission because our Lord said, "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you," and then he breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." So he sent them out to be witnesses. And here's the fourth thing: when Thomas missed the meeting, the message, and the mission, he was now in a position where he was doubting because when the brethren told him, "We have seen the Lord," ah, no, no, no.
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He said, "Unless I can take my finger and put it in the hole where the nails were and take my hand and thrust it inside, I will not believe." Isn't that interesting? When you miss the meeting, the message, and the mission, you do not receive the testimony of the brethren. It always leads to doubt.
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Now let me point something out. This is very important. Our Lord reveals himself in his word and through his word to those who are faithful. He doesn't reveal himself to those who could care less. If you look in your Bible, since you're in the book of John, look in John chapter 14, beginning there with verse 22. John 14 in verse 22. Look what our Lord said to Judas. Notice, carefully. "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?"
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"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:" that is, he'll be faithful, he'll be obedient, "and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." In other words, our Lord said, if you are faithful, if you keep my words, we will manifest ourselves unto you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4.
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So I'm making a statement concerning Thomas. He missed the meeting. He missed the message. He missed the mission. Therefore he doubted. He would not believe. So notice what the Word of God says in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 beginning there with verse 1. The Apostle Paul said, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." Isn't that interesting?
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A steward is that which each of us are before our Lord. He's given us gifts. He's given us a mission. He's given us responsibilities. We're stewards of whatever God has given us, and he said it's required of stewards that a man be found faithful. So, let me add to that by giving you 2 Timothy 2 in verse 2. I want you to listen very carefully to this. The apostle Paul wrote Timothy and he said this: "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Now listen to that again. He said, "The things which thou hast heard of me, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Commit thou to whom? To faithful men. Do you realize it's not the pastor's responsibility to chase somebody down and teach them? They're to be faithful. That's why I said more is required of a steward than a man be found faithful.
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And when you stop and think about Thomas, why was he not there? He could have been there probably, but he just wasn't for some simple unknown reason. I have no earthly idea, but the truth of the matter is, he wasn't there. And he missed everything. Doubting will usually get us into trouble in more ways than one. In fact, it gets us in trouble over and over. And we usually doubt because of our ignorance, because we don't know.
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I've often said this and it's true. Have you ever noticed a problem is not a problem if you know the answer? You don't have problems when you don't know what to do, when you don't have the answers. When you look at Romans chapter 14, which we're going to look at just in a little bit, when you look at Romans chapter 14, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and a few verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, you'll find that here is a truth concerning meats that have been offered unto idols.
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In fact, there was a division, a schism, so to speak, between some of the believers because some believers knew that the idol had absolutely no influence upon that meat. It was just a good cut of meat. And others thought that somehow that idol polluted that meat, and therefore it was not really acceptable to eat. Well, let me show you. Let's look in our Bibles, first of all, to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 4. Look what the Apostle Paul says.
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Now, this all has a relationship to doubting. Hang with me. In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 4: "As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."
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"Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled." So he says, we understand that there's just simply one God. Now here's what happened. A lot of times the idol was worshipped by people. And they would sacrifice all these animals. And they would have an abundance of meat that was left over. And so they would then sell that meat at a discounted rate to anybody who wanted to buy it. So, just to put it in terms that we can understand, so if you went down to your local Publix and a ribeye steak was 8 bucks a pound, and you could go over to the shambles and the same cut of meat was two bucks a pound, which would you prefer to purchase? Well, if you knew the truth and not doubted, you'd go buy the same ribeye at two bucks a pound and eat it because you know the idol had nothing to do with it.
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But if you doubted and you did not know the truth, then you're not going to buy that two dollar a pound ribeye. You're going to go and spend the eight bucks if you wanted one, because you think that somehow that idol polluted that meat.
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Now, if you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, you'll see where they sold this. They sold it in a place called the Shambles. So the apostle Paul said this, 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 25: "Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." In other words, if you get a good cut of meat that had been offered to some idol, he said eat it. Don't worry about it. Because you know, there's only one God and the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. Now remember he said, "There is not in every man that knowledge." Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 14, because Paul deals with this same thing in the book of Romans chapter 14. We're not going to be looking at all of it, but I do want to call your attention to verse 23, because he's dealing specifically with this issue.
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But look what he says: "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Wow.
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Now, first of all, the word "doubteth" is the Greek word dialogismos, which means disputing, doubting, to be doubtful. It refers to someone who is vacillating. It refers to someone who is wavering. It refers to someone who doesn't know which way to go, doesn't know what to do. Kind of like that proverbial squirrel that runs across the road and backtracks and backtracks. He doesn't know which way to go and that's why so many squirrels end up crushed on the highway.
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You remember that passage in James 1 in verse 8 where he said a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. The Greek word for double-minded there is dipsuchos, actually means double-souled, but it still means the same thing. It's someone who is unstable, someone who's wavering, someone who is vacillating, someone who cannot make up his mind. And so when you look at Romans 14 verse 23 and he's still talking about this same issue of meat that's been dedicated to an idol, he said, "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat." Why?
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He says, "Because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Now, the Greek word for "damned" is the word katakrino, which means someone who is condemned, someone who is judged worthy of punishment, someone who is worthy of censure. Now, why would he be worthy of censure? Why would he be worthy of condemnation? Why would he be worthy of judgment? And the answer is because of his doubting. Doubting is sin. That's why the Bible says the plowing of the wicked is sin.
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So let me ask you another question. If doubting is sin and faith is not, where do we get faith?
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Now, I know faith is a gift of God, but there's also the means. Hang on. Romans 10:17. What did he say? "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So why are people doubting? Well, a lot of them miss the meeting, they miss the message, they miss the mission, and they refuse to listen to folks who said, "Hey, let me tell you what God has done for me. Let me show you what God has shared with me in the Word of God." I'm just simply pointing out the fact it's important to know what we believe. It's important to know why we believe it. It's important to know where we can find it in the scripture. It's important for you and I to study and to come to our conclusions based upon the Word of God. Because whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
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Now doubting is especially sinful when it comes to prayer and when it comes to worship. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy chapter 2. Before we read that verse, look if you would in 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15, because here is the key verse in the book of 1 Timothy. Paul writes and says, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God." So we're talking about the church, "which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." So Paul says, this is my theme. I'm telling you how men and women ought to act in the house of God. Telling you how children ought to act in the house of God. Well, how should men act? Well, look in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8. He said, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
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Now let me give you a little surprise. The word "doubting," the Greek word "doubting" in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 8 is exactly the same Greek word that you find in Romans 14 and verse 23. When God said, "If he eats, he's damned if he eats, because he eats not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." And in the context here, it's in prayer and it is in worship. Now here's a question. Why is it that some people doubt the veracity of the Word of God, the truthfulness of the Word of God, the accuracy of the Word of God? Why is it that some doubt? I've been dealing with several people.
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I think one is an honest doubter. One is very dishonest. But why do some doubt? Let me give you two reasons. Number one, because there are many people who are unsaved. They're unbelievers. And if you're an unbeliever, you're not going to believe that God's word is his full final authority for us. That's all there is to it. In other words, if you are unsaved, if you're an unbeliever, your attitude is going to be just like Pharaoh's. In Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, when Moses came to Pharaoh and said, "Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me," Pharaoh responded and he said this: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." That was his attitude. I don't recognize God. I don't recognize his sovereignty. I don't recognize his authority. Who does he think he is to command me? That is the attitude of unbelievers.
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You know? They're not going to believe the Bible. They're not going to take the Bible because obviously, clearly, they don't believe in God. They don't believe the Bible. So we can understand that. But what about some folks who claim to be professing Christians? I think there's a second reason why a lot of people do not really understand the Word of God. And that is because they do not understand the doctrine of inspiration. Now please understand this, if someone is unsaved, if someone is an unbeliever, the doctrine of inspiration doesn't bother him. In fact, no doctrine bothers him because he doesn't believe anything. But we have to understand what inspiration is. I'm going to give it to you just momentarily. But we're talking about the Bible. The Greek word for Bible is Biblia or Biblios. You'll find in the Old Testament, in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, you'll find that word in Psalm 40 and verse 7. You'll also find it in the Greek New Testament, Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 7.
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You'll also find that there are many other phrases that denote the Bible, like "the scriptures," "the law," "the prophets," or "it is written," or "the Word of God." And when you stop and think that the Bible was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 different authors, that's astounding. And when you think of the Old Testament, all of that was compiled and put together in one book by the 5th century BC, during the time of Ezra. And the New Testament was completed well before 100 A.D. So the amazing truth is this, that there are no contradictions in the Bible. You would expect, for over 40 different writers, authors, who did not know each other, over a period of 1600 years, a book being written, that it would be absolutely full of contradictions. But it's not. Why? Because it's not the work of man, it is the work of God. He inspired the authors to write. And the Bible tells us that these men were moved by the Holy Ghost.
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So let me tell you what inspiration is. In fact, I'll go ahead and give you a scripture. In 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, you can turn there. We're almost there. Look at it. I was going to quote it, but here it is, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." He said, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Theopneustos.
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You know what that word means? God exhaled. God. Spiration deals with breath. God exhaled his words. That's why the Bible says in 2 Peter chapter 1 in verse 21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." So what is inspiration? Let me give you a definition. Listen carefully. Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself.
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So here's the way we understand this. I've had—I've preached a number of things through the years, all of them biblical. And yet I've had people come up to me and say, "Well, pastor, if I heard God say that I would believe it." Well, that's what inspiration is. God said it. He exhaled it. It is his breath. He spoke it. He used the authors and their personalities, but it is his word. So when you and I read the Bible and when you hear the Bible expounded and explained and applied, it is God speaking because this is his word.
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Now, let me put two and two together for you. When you deny the doctrine of inspiration, when you try to tell me the Bible is not the Word of God, what you're also saying is God is not the author of the Bible, and consequently it has no authority. It has no binding influence. So if the Bible is not the inspired Word of God, God did not author it, and therefore it has no authority and it has no binding influence. Wow. So the doctrine of inspiration is indeed a very important doctrine.
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Now, I want you to pay close attention to some statements that I'm going to make, and I'm going to show them to you from the Scripture. Here they are. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to hear it. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to heed it. When one doubts the Word of God, he refuses to obey it. When one doubts the Word of God, there will be no application of the Word of God in his life. When one doubts the Word of God, listen to me, when one doubts the Word of God, remember now, he will also be denying that God is the author of it. When anyone doubts the Word of God and that God is the author, he's inevitably going to turn to another God or another authority. You cannot have a life without authority. You cannot have a life without a standard. You cannot have a life without permanence. So, let me show you what I'm talking about. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, back to 2 Kings chapter 17, and I want you to see what Israel and Judah did in rejecting the Word of God and what happened.
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So when you deny the inspiration and the authority of the Bible, you're denying God. You will not hear, you will not heed, you will not believe, you will not make application, and you will turn to another god or to a different authority. So, in 2 Kings chapter 17, beginning there with verse 13, watch this. "Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways," watch, "and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God." So when they did not believe God, they did not believe his word. What happened? Let's see verse 15. "And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity," that is, idolatry, "and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them."
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"And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight."
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Now, notice if you would, when they rejected God's inspired infallible truth and word, they immediately turned to idols and whatever they wanted to do. Now let me show you. If you're going to turn away from God, there's only one alternative: man. So look in 2 Kings 17 beginning there verse 7, you'll see this. Watch this. 2 Kings 17 verse 7: "For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." They rejected God and they feared other gods. How did the fearing of other gods manifest itself? Here it is, verse 8: "And walked in the statutes of the heathen," that's the laws, "whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made." All the kings of Israel were apostates. They did. They're the ones that made the golden calves. Jeroboam I. And everybody else after him served those golden calves.
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So what did they do? They turned from the law of God and went to the law of man. That is why if you look down in verse 19 again, "Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they made." In other words, here are these humanistic, man-made laws that now have been made a substitute for God's word and God's law. Wow. In line with that, there's another passage in Micah 6 and verse 16.
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And let me just quote it. "For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people." Now when he said, "For the statutes of Omri are kept," let me tell you who Omri was. Omri was the father of Ahab. Ahab was the most wicked king in the northern kingdom. He said, "For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels," that is, you walk in their laws.
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So when you turn from God and you turn from God's Word, the only place you can turn is to man. It may be government, it may be some philosophical bent of someone, but it is still man. So here's the question. What is your source of authority? Who is your authority? And if the Word of God is not your authority, what is? I mean, you cannot exist without authority. And if you doubt God's inspired, inerrant, infallible Word, your only recourse is the mind of man. If you reject and refuse the divine mind, the only thing that you can receive is the mind of a fallen, sinful, wicked individual. And to trade the mind of the infinite, sovereign, majestic God of heaven and earth for the mind of a fallen man is absolutely insanity and foolishness.
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But the truth of the matter is, that's exactly what a lot of people do. They think that somehow that their thoughts and their mind and what they believe is somehow going to outweigh and overthrow the mind and the Word of God. Let me just say that's been tried and it didn't work out too good. So let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 44. Jeremiah chapter 44.
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And let's begin with verse 24. I wish I had time just to give you all the background here, but here the people of Judah, the remnant of Judah, has come to Jeremiah and said, "Pray for us, we want God's will." And obviously they were hypocrites. They really did not want God's will. Because most of the people have been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, a lot have been killed, and what they wanted to do, they wanted to flee down into Egypt. And so Jeremiah said, "Okay, I'll pray for you." And so Jeremiah prayed and he said, "Here's what God says, do not go down into Egypt." "Oh, God didn't tell you to tell us that." Why? "God didn't say that."
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"No, no, we're going to go. And let me tell you something, Jeremiah. We never had any of this suffering and we never had any of this problem while we were pouring out our oblations and pouring out our sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven." Jeremiah said, "You know, you're stupid. That's what got you into this problem." "Oh, no, no, no, no. That's not it. That's not it, Jeremiah. And we're going to keep on. We're going to keep pouring out our offerings to the Queen of Heaven." Fine. Going down to Egypt. Jeremiah chapter 44, verse 24: "Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt." They went, and by the way, they kidnapped Jeremiah and took him. And the children that were left that belonged to the royal family, they took them. Notice he said, "went down into the land of Egypt. Thus saith the Lord," verse 25, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows."
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"Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil."
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Yeah. We're going to find out whose words are going to stand. It's wicked, it's vile, it's sinful to doubt God and His Word. You may scream, you may holler, you may cry, you may protest, you may yell, you may think, you may proclaim all you wish, but in the end, it's going to be God's Word who stands. And what stands? You remember that passage? In Proverbs 5—no, it's Proverbs 3, verses 5 through 7, most of you can quote it, where the Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
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"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." You remember that passage? "Be not wise in thine own eyes." Oh, listen to him. "Fear the Lord, and depart from evil." So here it is. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." If you lean to your own understanding, you're foolish. He says, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." If you don't acknowledge him, you're foolish. He said, "Be not wise in thine own eyes." If you think that you are so smart that you don't need God and His Word, you're foolish. And if you trust in your heart, you're really foolish. For the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 verse 9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." And that is true. So if one then persists in refusing and rejecting and denying the word of God, it will prove fatal. And when you stop and think about this, that one day you will stand before the judge of all the earth, and that judge according to John chapter 5 is going to be the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and you're going to be judged.
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And guess what? You're going to be judged out of this book. He said in John 12 and verse 48, listen carefully, "He that rejecteth me," that's the living word, "and receiveth not my words," that's the written word, "hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." And so I can assure you, when a man stands before our Lord Jesus Christ, and he's judged out of the books according to the scripture, he will be speechless. You remember, I think it's Matthew 20, I'm not sure exact chapter, where the Lord gave the parable of the wedding feast, and the man came in without a wedding garment on, and the wedding master said, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" And the Bible said, "And he was speechless." And the wedding master said, "Cast him out."
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I got news for you. You can rant and rave all you like and all you desire, but when you stand before God, all of your arguments, all of your protestations will be worthless and you'll be speechless. Here are two applications. I want you to listen. The first one is exceedingly simple, but it's something that most of us never think about. And it really and truly boils down to one choice. And that one choice is this: who will you believe? Will you believe God or will you believe the mind of man? Will you believe the word of God or will you believe your own thoughts? Will you believe God's divine sovereign authority? Or will you reject that and believe and think that you have authority in and of yourself? Who is your standard? What is your standard? If you do not believe the Word of God, then that means you believe your own thoughts. So you're pitting the finite mind of fallen man against the infinite mind of a holy, righteous, sovereign God. Here's the second one.
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By the way, let me say this. If the Lord allows me to live just a few more months, I will have preached for 58 years. And whether you believe this brother or not, but it's the truth. In 58 years I have proven the Word of God over and over in my own life in every area and every sphere. I know, I know, not only from the truth of Scripture, but from personal experience that the Bible is indeed the Word of God. Here's the second one. If you think that somehow and in some way the Word of God is not going to stand and that you're going to escape, you are very, very mistaken. I usually tell people like this, when it comes to fighting against God and fighting against the Word of God, stronger, mightier, and richer men than you have fought and failed. Think of Emperor Diocletian, Domitian, Nero. All of them thought they had successfully destroyed Christianity, the Word of God. They didn't.
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And most of you have heard of the noted French infidel Voltaire. Some time ago, I read about some of the dying statements of wicked men, and Voltaire was the one who caught my attention. And he had invited a number of his atheistic friends around when he was dying to watch how an atheist died. And the article said, right before his death, he sat straight up in bed with an absolute horror on his face and in his eyes, and he screamed, "There is a God!" and fell back dead. Wow. Here it is. Voltaire, the noted French infidel, stated in 1776, I'm quoting, "100 years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker." He said, within 100 years all the Bibles are going to be gone. Hang on. In August 1836, only 58 years after Voltaire's death, Reverend William Ackworth of the British and Foreign Bible Society saw with his own eyes Voltaire's former residence in Geneva, Switzerland, being used as a repository for Bibles and religious tracts.
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The house at that time was occupied by Colonel Henry Trochan, who served as the president of the Evangelical Society of Geneva. That's not all. Hang on. Let it also be noted, only 16 years after Voltaire's death in 1794, the presence of the Bible began making inroads in the town where he spent his last 18 years of his life in Ferney, France. On the very printing presses which Voltaire employed to print his irreverent works, was used to print editions of the Bible, and which were printed on the paper that had been especially made for a superior edition of Voltaire's works. The Voltaire project failed, and the paper was bought and devoted to a better purpose, that of printing Bibles. So within 16 years, his own presses and his own paper were used to print Bibles. Wow.
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Let me tell you something. When you drink the Kool-Aid of humanism, it will prove fatal. When you think that the mind of fallen man is greater than the mind of God, it will prove fatal. You may not be trod down in the gate, like the one lord of the king, but I can assure you it will prove fatal. I'd much rather believe the Word of God than the word of man, and I'd much rather lean upon His divine authority than my own stupidity and my own finite understanding. I may not understand everything in the Bible, and I can assure you I don't.
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But I can submit and worship until He gives me further enlightenment. I know that the Bible is the Word of God. So it boils down to this. We either have the Bible or we don't. God is the author or He isn't. It is binding and has binding authority. Or it doesn't. So who is your authority? And I choose the Lord. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And we ask, Father, that you would indeed build us up in the most holy faith, open our eyes, grant us understanding, and teach us. Build us up in the most holy faith. In thy name we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:19:15Z

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver expounds 2 Kings 7:16-20 to warn that doubting God's Word is spiritually fatal. He distinguishes honest doubters (who worship while awaiting enlightenment) from dishonest doubters (who elevate human reason above Scripture). Using Thomas as an example, he shows how missing the meeting, message, and mission leads to doubt. He explains that doubting is sin because it rejects God's authority, and that inspiration means God breathed out His words through human authors. Rejecting Scripture inevitably leads to turning to man-made authority. The sermon concludes with applications: choose to believe God over man, and recognize that fighting against God's Word has always failed, as illustrated by Voltaire's failed prediction.

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Reading of 2 Kings 7:16-20, introducing the theme that doubting God's Word is fatal.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gates, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria."

And that lord answered the man of God and said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?"

And he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof."

The Fatal Nature of Doubt

Doubt leads to hesitation, which in spiritual matters is destructive; distinction between honest and dishonest doubters.

And that lord answered the man of God and said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?"

And he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:16-20

"Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof."

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:1

"Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord."

So note, if you would, it was indeed the word of the Lord.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:1

"Hear ye the word of the Lord, thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria."

Honest Doubters: The Disciples' Example

The eleven disciples worshipped Jesus but some doubted; Jesus later opened their understanding (Matthew 28:16-17; Luke 24:44-47).

Scripture Reading — Matthew 28:16-17

"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted."

That's interesting. They worshipped him, but some doubted. Now, it's understandable that in one sense of the word, how some doubted because a bodily resurrection was unknown to most people.

Scripture Reading — Luke 24:44-47

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

So obviously these individuals who doubted had their doubts cleared up when he opened their understanding and when he taught them the scriptures as well.

Dishonest Doubters: Thomas's Failure

Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, leading to his refusal to believe the testimony of the brethren (John 20:19-29).

Scripture Reading — John 20:19-29

"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,"

we're talking about Sunday,

Scripture Reading — John 20:19-29

"when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."

Faithfulness and Revelation

God reveals Himself to those who are faithful; stewards must be found faithful (John 14:22-23; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

Isn't that interesting?

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:2

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

Now listen to that again. He said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:2

"The things which thou hast heard of me, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

Doubting as Sin

Doubting is sin because it is not of faith; whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-7; 10:25-26).

Now, this all has a relationship to doubting. Hang with me. In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 4:

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 8:4-7

"As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." "Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled."

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 10:25-26

"Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof."

Doubting in Prayer and Worship

Men are to pray without doubting; the same Greek word for doubting is used in 1 Timothy 2:8 and Romans 14:23.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 2:8

Now let me give you a little surprise. The word "doubting," the Greek word "doubting" in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 8 is exactly the same Greek word that you find in Romans 14 and verse 23. When God said, "If he eats, he's damned if he eats, because he eats not of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." And in the context here, it's in prayer and it is in worship. Now here's a question. Why is it that some people doubt the veracity of the Word of God, the truthfulness of the Word of God, the accuracy of the Word of God? Why is it that some doubt? I've been dealing with several people.

Reasons for Doubt: Unbelief and Ignorance of Inspiration

Unbelievers reject God's authority; professing Christians may doubt because they do not understand the doctrine of inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 1:21

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Consequences of Rejecting God's Word

Rejecting Scripture leads to turning to man-made authority and idolatry, as seen in Israel and Judah (2 Kings 17:7-19; Micah 6:16).

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways,"

watch,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God."

So when they did not believe God, they did not believe his word. What happened? Let's see verse 15.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity,"

that is, idolatry,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-19

"and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them."

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:16

"For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people."

Now when he said,

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:16

"For the statutes of Omri are kept,"

let me tell you who Omri was. Omri was the father of Ahab. Ahab was the most wicked king in the northern kingdom. He said,

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:16

"For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels,"

that is, you walk in their laws.

The Certainty of God's Word Standing

God's words will stand against those who reject them; the remnant in Egypt learned this (Jeremiah 44:24-29).

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"No, no, we're going to go. And let me tell you something, Jeremiah. We never had any of this suffering and we never had any of this problem while we were pouring out our oblations and pouring out our sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven."

Jeremiah said, "You know, you're stupid. That's what got you into this problem."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"Oh, no, no, no, no. That's not it. That's not it, Jeremiah. And we're going to keep on. We're going to keep pouring out our offerings to the Queen of Heaven."

Fine. Going down to Egypt. Jeremiah chapter 44, verse 24:

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt."

They went, and by the way, they kidnapped Jeremiah and took him. And the children that were left that belonged to the royal family, they took them. Notice he said,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"went down into the land of Egypt. Thus saith the Lord,"

verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 44:24-29

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows."

Applications and Conclusion

Choose to believe God over man; history shows that fighting against God's Word fails (Voltaire's example). Final prayer.

And guess what? You're going to be judged out of this book. He said in John 12 and verse 48, listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth me,"

that's the living word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"and receiveth not my words,"

that's the written word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	eNZVQW-4D80
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: Can We All Just Get Along?
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 082: Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom - Volume 2 — Chapter 37
Source Timed Segments	69

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Scripture Reading: Reading of 2 Kings 7:16-20, introducing the theme that doubting God's Word is fatal.
The Fatal Nature of Doubt: Doubt leads to hesitation, which in spiritual matters is destructive; distinction between honest and dishonest doubters.
Honest Doubters: The Disciples' Example: The eleven disciples worshipped Jesus but some doubted; Jesus later opened their understanding (Matthew 28:16-17; Luke 24:44-47).
Dishonest Doubters: Thomas's Failure: Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, leading to his refusal to believe the testimony of the brethren (John 20:19-29).
Faithfulness and Revelation: God reveals Himself to those who are faithful; stewards must be found faithful (John 14:22-23; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:2).
Doubting as Sin: Doubting is sin because it is not of faith; whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-7; 10:25-26).
Doubting in Prayer and Worship: Men are to pray without doubting; the same Greek word for doubting is used in 1 Timothy 2:8 and Romans 14:23.
Reasons for Doubt: Unbelief and Ignorance of Inspiration: Unbelievers reject God's authority; professing Christians may doubt because they do not understand the doctrine of inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).
Consequences of Rejecting God's Word: Rejecting Scripture leads to turning to man-made authority and idolatry, as seen in Israel and Judah (2 Kings 17:7-19; Micah 6:16).
The Certainty of God's Word Standing: God's words will stand against those who reject them; the remnant in Egypt learned this (Jeremiah 44:24-29).
Applications and Conclusion: Choose to believe God over man; history shows that fighting against God's Word fails (Voltaire's example). Final prayer.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Doubting God's Word is fatal because it leads to hesitation and destruction.

Hesitation in spiritual matters leads to destruction; the lord who doubted Elisha's prophecy was trampled to death.

The title and 2 Kings 7:17-20: the lord doubted and died as the man of God had said.

Honest doubters continue to worship while awaiting enlightenment; dishonest doubters reject God's Word outright.

The disciples worshipped despite doubt; Thomas refused to believe without physical proof, showing a hardened heart.

Matthew 28:17: 'they worshipped him: but some doubted.' John 20:25: 'Except I shall see... I will not believe.'

Missing the assembly of believers leads to missing God's revelation and fosters doubt.

Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, which led to his refusal to believe the testimony of the other disciples.

John 20:19-25: Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared; he later doubted the disciples' report.

Doubting is sin because it is not of faith, and whatever is not of faith is sin.

Romans 14:23 explicitly states that doubting leads to condemnation because it lacks faith.

Romans 14:23: 'he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.'

Rejecting the inspiration of Scripture is rejecting God's authority, leading to man-made authority.

If the Bible is not God-breathed, it has no binding authority; people then turn to human statutes and idolatry.

2 Kings 17:7-19: Israel rejected God's law and walked in the statutes of the heathen and kings of Israel.

God's Word will ultimately stand, and those who oppose it will be judged by it.

Jeremiah 44:28 declares that God's words will stand; John 12:48 says the word will judge rejecters in the last day.

Jeremiah 44:28: 'shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.' John 12:48: 'the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.'

Scripture References

2 Kings 7:16-20: The main text: the people spoiled the Syrians, the lord doubted Elisha's prophecy and was trampled to death.
2 Kings 7:1: Elisha's prophecy of plenty: 'Hear ye the word of the Lord... Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel...'
Matthew 28:16-17: The eleven disciples worshipped Jesus but some doubted, illustrating honest doubters.
Luke 24:44-47: Jesus opened the disciples' understanding of the Scriptures concerning His suffering and resurrection.
John 20:19-29: Thomas missed Jesus' appearance, doubted the resurrection, and later believed when he saw Jesus.
John 14:22-23: Jesus said He would manifest Himself to those who love Him and keep His words.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2: Stewards must be found faithful.
2 Timothy 2:2: Commit the truth to faithful men who will teach others.
1 Corinthians 8:4-7: Knowledge that an idol is nothing, but not all have that knowledge; weak conscience is defiled.
1 Corinthians 10:25-26: Eat whatever is sold in the shambles without asking questions for conscience' sake.
Romans 14:23: He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because it is not of faith; whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
1 Timothy 2:8: Men should pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.
Exodus 5:2: Pharaoh's response: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?' illustrating the attitude of unbelievers.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness.
2 Peter 1:21: Prophecy came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
2 Kings 17:7-19: Israel rejected God's statutes, followed heathen customs, made idols, and were cast out of God's sight.
Micah 6:16: The statutes of Omri are kept; walking in the counsels of Ahab leads to desolation.
Jeremiah 44:24-29: God declares that His words will stand against the remnant in Egypt who vowed to worship the queen of heaven.
Proverbs 3:5-7: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding; be not wise in thine own eyes.
John 12:48: He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day.

Historical References

Voltaire: French infidel who predicted in 1776 that the Bible would be extinct within 100 years; his house later became a Bible repository, and his printing presses were used to print Bibles.
Emperor Diocletian, Domitian, Nero: Roman emperors who persecuted Christians and thought they had destroyed Christianity and the Word of God, but failed.
Jeroboam I: King of Israel who made the golden calves, leading Israel into apostasy.
Omri: Father of Ahab, whose statutes were kept by Israel, representing man-made laws.
Ahab: Most wicked king in the northern kingdom; his works and counsels were followed by Israel.
Colonel Henry Trochan: President of the Evangelical Society of Geneva who occupied Voltaire's former residence when it was used as a Bible repository.
Reverend William Ackworth: Of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who saw Voltaire's former residence used for Bibles in 1836.

Important Quotes

Doubting God's Word Is Fatal.

The title and central thesis of the sermon, emphasizing the deadly spiritual consequence of doubting Scripture.

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Key verse establishing that doubting is sinful because it lacks faith, directly linking doubt to condemnation.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Foundational text for the doctrine of inspiration, showing Scripture's divine origin and authority.

Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself.

Pastor Weaver's definition of inspiration, clarifying that Scripture is God's own words through human authors.

100 years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.

Voltaire's failed prediction, used as historical proof that God's Word endures despite human opposition.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What is the difference between an honest doubter and a dishonest doubter according to this sermon?

[Context]

Pastor Weaver distinguishes between those who doubt from ignorance but continue to worship (like the disciples) and those who elevate their own mind above God's Word (like Thomas).

[Question]

How does missing the assembly of believers contribute to doubt, based on the example of Thomas?

[Context]

Thomas missed the meeting, message, and mission, which led to his refusal to believe the testimony of the other disciples.

[Question]

Why is doubting considered sin according to Romans 14:23?

[Context]

The verse states that whatever is not of faith is sin; doubting indicates a lack of faith in God's Word.

[Question]

What does the doctrine of inspiration mean, and why is it essential for trusting the Bible?

[Context]

Inspiration means God breathed out His words through human authors; without it, the Bible has no divine authority.

[Question]

What happens when people reject God's Word as their authority, according to 2 Kings 17?

[Context]

They turn to man-made statutes and idolatry, as Israel did when they rejected God's commandments.

[Question]

How does the example of Voltaire illustrate the futility of opposing God's Word?

[Context]

Voltaire predicted the Bible's extinction, but his own house and printing presses were later used to distribute Bibles.

[Question]

What does it mean that God's words will 'stand' and judge us in the last day?

[Context]

John 12:48 and Jeremiah 44:28 teach that God's Word is the ultimate standard of judgment, and rejecting it leads to condemnation.

Applications

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