Good sermons for doubters? Please help!

Z

Zelus4Jesus Apr 30, 2005

Hello everyone. I was wondering if you all might be able to suggest some excellent sermons that would be good to play for someone who is doubting the Bible and is stuggling with their faith. This person has read the NT twice before, and was going along somewhat well, but I mostly felt that the only reason she was reading it daily was because of me. Recently she has confessed to me her thoughts about Christianity and the Bible, and I know that the devil is putting thoughts into her head- thoughts which she thinks are her own. She's bitter because she says she tried Christianity for two and a half years and she was never happy. I think though, after talking to her, that she was never saved to begin with. There was really no evidence brought about by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. She read her Bible and prayed with me, but there was never a hunger or excitement in her, but it seems that she was just going through the motions. She was never thirsting for the Word, or having a passion for Jesus that would be expected. She says she never ever felt the presence of the Holy Spirit or got excited about reading the Bible. So from these things I think she was never converted. So now she says, "After all of this: reading the New Testament and praying and going to church, I don't know what else could happen for me to be converted." She has told me her views now, and I can tell satan has her where he wants her. I've of course been praying alot for her, and have confidence that God will break the enemies stronghold and show her the Truth. I know that satan's scheme is also to keep me distracted, and he is using this whole issue to do so, and it's causing problems. I've been growing closer to God, or attempting to, and now this comes up, and satan is attempting to hinder me. He has been temporarily successful, and is stunting my progress. I have to stand firm though and not let anything distract me from the Lord. I just pray for the Lord to save her, to open her eyes, to show her the Truth, to draw her to Himself, to convict her, to destroy the enemies stronghold and remove the veil that has blinded her, and then to help her to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Anyways, I thought that maybe there might be some excellent convicting sermons on this sight that might be beneficial and eye opening, that you all might be able to suggest. I know that just listening to a great sermon doesn't mean she's gonna be converted, but I think it could help and could very well be the tool God chooses to use. Other than that I will continually be praying. She is dear to my heart and I would appreciate your prayers concerning the salvation of her soul. Thanks in advance for any help, and God bless you all and this ministry.

R

ReceivedText Apr 30, 2005

Zelus4Jesus,I think you are right on the money about suspecting that she was never really saved. Not because of what she did or did not feel. But because of this: (You wrote)"she says she tried Christianity for two and a half years and she was never happy."Sounds like she heard a false gospel. Number one, she thought Jesus was something she could "try." Number two, she came to Jesus for happiness, rather than holiness. She evidently hasn't had enough of the terror of the Lord that persuades men. Rebellious people don't like to hear about the wrath to come, they are too self-centered for that. I don't know her situation regarding that.I think an awesome message to give her would be Ray Comfort's "True and False Conversions." Give her an idea of what true Christianity is. She will get the idea that she didn't get what she was supposed to. Here's the link:http://www.believeonjesus.com/audio/messages.aspBlessings,RT

C

crsschk Apr 30, 2005

Hi Zelus,There are many, but a few come to mind:Ten Shekels and a Shirt by Paris ReidheadJudgment Seat of Christ by Leonard RavenhillA Grain of Wheat by Major Ian Thomas A Call to Anguish by David WilkersonThat the Lord may open all of our eyes and hearts.My prayers are with you for her.

sermonindex May 2, 2005

Something I notice you did not mention, is this lady's prayer life. It sounds as if she has been complying outwardly, for which there are at least some good reasons to do, but, until she is comfortable making her complaints directly to God, He is going to continue to seem far away, even though we know He is extremely nigh. I had plenty to hide when I was coming to God and one of the most helpful things I ever heard (preached) was that He is a 'primitive' God. This was a 'word' I understood. It gave me permission to be much more 'sweaty' in my struggle with obstacles, knowing I had to get to the very heart of the matter if He was going to know I was serious about knowing Him. As someone else has said 'I was willing to compromise, but God wanted things all His own way!' This is the other matter to come to acknowledge - that we come on His terms, not ours. Without at least a few, if not a long series of what may seem to be life-threatening crises, some of us never make that life-changing contact with the loving Father He is. It is true that the more you focus on the Lord and away from whether she is a Christian or not, the more freed-up this situation will feel. It is tempting to nearly put one's life on hold until this or that happens, but the process cannot be evaded and the time will roll on until the end comes naturally. Maybe you will find some encouragement in this thought - that from 5 weeks of gestation, the unborn fetus can 'hear'. (There are 35 more weeks of 'listening' in a normal pregnancy.) But the miracle of spiritual pregnancy is that it can be so variable in length - including very long. In the end, birth is not a 'performance'. But it does become unavoidable. 8-)

C

CJaKfOrEsT May 2, 2005

The way I see it, this girl needs to get saved. While it can be unwise to simply come right out and say this to someone (and perhaps you are even offended at my implying this), put she needs to come to this realisation if he'll have any hope of coming to Christ.May I recomend that you listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret and True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort. Once you've heard it, pss it on to her. I recomend listening to it first, because she'll have questions after it.I've personally tried to explain these themes to "christians" out there who won't accept the reality of counterfeit conversion, and they won't listen. But one hit of Comfort, and it's all over.