HOW TO FACE YOUR DOUBTS PART 2
TEXT- EXODUS 3:1-10
INTRODUCTION
THIS EVENING I AM GOING TO CONTINUE WITH MY SERIES OF MESSAGES ON THE SUBJECT, "HOW TO FACE LIFE’S PROBLEMS".
OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN EXODUS 3:1-10 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "HOW TO FACE YOUR DOUBTS".
ONE OF THE GREATEST PROBLEMS MANY OF US FACE IN OUR LIVES IS A NEGATIVE SELF-IMAGE OR INFERIORITY.
THE STORY IS TOLD ABOUT A MAN WHO WENT TO VISIT HIS PSYCHOLOGIST. WHEN THE DOCTOR ASKED HIM WHY HE WAS THERE THE MAN SAID, "I'M SUFFERING FROM AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX." DURING THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THE DOCTOR PUT THE MAN THROUGH AN INTENSIVE SERIES OF TESTS. WHEN THE RESULTS WERE TABULATED THE DOCTOR CALLED THE MAN AND ASKED HIM TO COME TO HIS OFFICE. "I HAVE SOME INTERESTING NEWS FOR YOU," THE DOCTOR BEGAN. "WHAT'S THAT?" ASKED THE MAN. "YOU DON'T HAVE A COMPLEX," THE PSYCHOLOGIST REPORTED. "YOUR JUST INFERIOR".
THAT KIND OF ADVICE SURELY WON'T HELP OUR SELF-IMAGE OF SELF-WORTH.
IN 1934 A MAN BY THE NAME OF REINHOLD NIEBUR PRAYED A PRAYER THAT BECAME ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
HE WAS A GUEST PREACHER AT A SMALL CHURCH IN MASSACHUSETTS WHEN HE PRAYED:
"O GOD, GIVE US SERENITY TO ACCEPT WHAT CANNOT BE CHANGED, COURAGE TO CHANGE WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED AND WISDOM TO DISTINGUISH THE ONE FROM THE OTHER."
A FRIEND LATTER ASKED IF HE COULD HAVE A COPY OF THIS PRAYER AND THEN PUBLISHED IT IN A PAMPHLET.
SINCE THEN MILLIONS OF COPIES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
THE U.S.O. GAVE COPIES OF THIS PRAYER TO SERVICE MEN DURING WORLD WAR II.
EVENTUALLY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS ADOPTED IT AS THEIR MOTTO.
TODAY IT'S FOUND IN GREETING CARDS, ON WALL PLAQUES AND REPEATEDLY QUOTED.
IF YOU WANT TO BE HAVE A HEALTHY IMAGE OF YOURSELF IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE CHANGEABLE AND THE UNCHANGEABLE IN YOUR LIFE.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE A CAPTAIN OF A SHIP THAT TRIED TO AVOID A DISASTER ONE FOGGY NIGHT BY SENDING A LIGHT SIGNAL. "WE ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE. TURN FIVE DEGREES SOUTH," IT FLASHED. THE CAPTAIN WAS UPSET BY THE SIGNAL THAT WAS RETURNED. "YOU TURN FIVE DEGREES NORTH." THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN DECIDED TO PULL RANK BY ORDERING: "THIS IS ADMIRAL JONES. YOU TURN FIVE DEGREES SOUTH." HE WASN'T PREPARED FOR THE ANSWER: "THIS IS SEAMAN FIRST CLASS SMITH. YOU TURN FIVE DEGREES NORTH." OUTRAGED BY THE SEAMAN'S INSUBORDINATION, THE ADMIRAL WAS READY TO FIGHT. HE SIGNALED BACK: "THIS IS A BATTLESHIP. TURN FIVE DEGREES SOUTH. FLASHING OUT THE LAST MESSAGE, SEAMAN SMITH REPLIED: "THIS IS A LIGHTHOUSE. YOU TURN FIVE DEGREES NORTH."
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, THERE ARE SOME REALITIES YOU NEED TO ACCEPT ABOUT YOURSELF, OR ELSE YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ON A COLLISION COURSE IN LIFE.
BY THE TIME YOU TURN 17, YOU'LL SPEND ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF LOOKING INTO A MIRROR.
WHO IS IT THOUGH THAT IS TELLING US WHAT TO SEE IN THAT MIRROR?
IS IT THE MEDIA, EXAGGERATING YOUR FAT AND ZITS?
OR IS IT GOD AND HIS WORD?
A RESEARCH INSTITUTE RECENTLY SURVEYED A GROUP OF NINTH GRADERS.
THEY FOUND THAT THE TOP TWO WORRIES THEY HAVE IS: THEIR LOOKS, AND HOW OTHERS LIKE THEM.
ADVERTISEMENTS, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION ALL TRY TO CONVINCE US THAT WE CAN ALL LOOK LIKE CYBILL SHEPHERD, TOM CRUISE, LISA BONET OR BRUCE WILLIS IF WE'LL SIMPLY USE A CERTAIN KIND OF HAIR SHAMPOO OR BRUSH OUR TEETH WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF TOOTHPASTE.
UNTIL I STARTED WATCHING TELEVISION I NEVER REALIZED HOW BAD I REALLY LOOKED.
IF TELEVISION CAN’T CHANGE HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
YOU CAN CHANGE THE MIRROR YOU ARE LOOKING AT TO GOD'S WORD AND ALLOW IT TO SHOW YOU HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE AND HOW MUCH GOD LOVES YOU.
AS WE LOOK TO GOD'S WORD I WOULD LIKE US TO STUDY ABOUT A MAN WHO HAD A TERRIBLE INFERIORITY COMPLEX. HIS NAME IS MOSES.
MOST PEOPLE TODAY WOULD PROBABLY NOT THINK THAT A MAN LIKE MOSES COULD EVER HAVE AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX, YET AS WE WILL LEARN, HE DID.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MOSES FELT INFERIOR WAS BECAUSE OF HIS BACKGROUND.
EXODUS 2:11-15 NOW IT CAME ABOUT IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN MOSES HAD GROWN UP, THAT HE WENT OUT TO HIS BRETHREN AND LOOKED ON THEIR HARD LABORS; AND HE SAW AN EGYPTIAN BEATING A HEBREW, ONE OF HIS BRETHREN. 12SO HE LOOKED THIS WAY AND THAT, AND WHEN HE SAW THERE WAS NO ONE AROUND, HE STRUCK DOWN THE EGYPTIAN AND HID HIM IN THE SAND. 13HE WENT OUT THE NEXT DAY, AND BEHOLD, TWO HEBREWS WERE FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER; AND HE SAID TO THE OFFENDER, "WHY ARE YOU STRIKING YOUR COMPANION?" 14BUT HE SAID, "WHO MADE YOU A PRINCE OR A JUDGE OVER US? ARE YOU INTENDING TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN?" THEN MOSES WAS AFRAID AND SAID, "SURELY THE MATTER HAS BECOME KNOWN." 15WHEN PHARAOH HEARD OF THIS MATTER, HE TRIED TO KILL MOSES. BUT MOSES FLED FROM THE PRESENCE OF PHARAOH AND SETTLED IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, AND HE SAT DOWN BY A WELL.
WHEN MOSES WAS IN EGYPT AS THE SON OF PHAROAH'S DAUGHTER HE MURDERED AN EGYPTIAN THAT WAS BEATING AN ISRAELITE.
AS A RESULT MOSES RAN AWAY TO A PLACE CALLED MIDIAN.
GUILT AND FAILURE WERE TWO THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MOSES' INFERIORITY COMPLEX.
TONIGHT I’D LIKE US TO LOOK AT FOUR WAYS TO OVERCOME THE DOUBTS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT YOURSELF?