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The Benefit of the Doubt - Elevation with Steven Furtick | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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The Benefit of the Doubt

Elevation with Steven Furtick

Fri Dec 20 2024

Summary

Elevation with Steven Furtick: Episode Summary – The Benefit of the Doubt

Podcast Information:

Title: Elevation with Steven Furtick
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Description: A weekly podcast from Elevation Church led by Pastor Steven Furtick, aiming to inspire faith and provide perspective on God's movement in listeners' lives.
Episode: The Benefit of the Doubt
Release Date: December 20, 2024

Introduction: Embracing Doubt as a Pathway to Faith

In the episode titled The Benefit of the Doubt, Pastor Steven Furtick delves deep into the intertwined relationship between doubt and faith, especially during moments that seem like dead ends. The discussion is anchored around the biblical narratives of Mary and Joseph, illustrating how doubt does not sever faith but rather strengthens it when navigated correctly.

The Story of Mary and Joseph: Navigating Divine Uncertainty

Pastor Furtick begins by recounting the story from Matthew Chapter One, highlighting Joseph's initial reaction to Mary's unexpected pregnancy.

Steven Furtick [00:01]: "I know you're confused. I know you're bewildered, and I know you're hurt. But verse 22 all this took place to fulfill. It's not random. There's a reason all this took place to fulfill."

Joseph, a righteous man, considered divorcing Mary quietly to avoid public disgrace. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream, urging him to take Mary as his wife and name their son Jesus, signifying His role in saving humanity from sin.

Steven Furtick [02:20]: "Christmas is rightly celebrated as the story of new beginnings. But the story begins at a dead end."

Heaven and Humanity at a Dead End: The Need for a Savior

Pastor Furtick emphasizes the point that by the time of Jesus' birth, both heaven and humanity were at impasses. Humanity struggled with sin and disobedience, and the prophets sent by God were often rejected.

Speaker B [01:56]: "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose."

This deadlock sets the stage for the divine intervention of Jesus, the bridge between heaven and earth.

Understanding Doubt: Not the Absence, But a Part of Faith

A significant portion of the episode focuses on redefining doubt within the context of faith. Both Pastor Furtick and Speaker B discuss how doubt is often misconstrued as the absence of faith, whereas it can be a catalyst for deeper belief.

Steven Furtick [17:45]: "This is not how you reach a conclusion in a court of law, but in the realm of faith. It works like verdict first, evidence second."
Speaker B [20:53]: "Faith is not the absence of doubt."

They argue that faith involves trusting in God despite doubts and uncertainties, much like Joseph trusted the angel's message without tangible evidence.

Personal Reflections: Stories of Doubt and Faith

The hosts share personal anecdotes and hypothetical scenarios illustrating how individuals can find themselves at dead ends—whether in relationships, finances, or personal struggles—and how faith can emerge from these challenging moments.

Speaker B [19:14]: "Let him believe in his heart. He shall have what he says if he doubts."

They stress that doubts shouldn't halt one's faith journey but should instead be moments to strengthen trust in God.

The Role of Faith in Overcoming Doubts

The conversation shifts to practical applications of maintaining faith amidst doubt. They highlight biblical stories, such as Peter walking on water, to demonstrate that even prominent figures in the Bible experienced doubt but continued to trust in God.

Steven Furtick [25:48]: "The closer I get, the more questions I have."

The hosts encourage listeners to see doubt as evidence of growth, not as a weakness, emphasizing that faith matures through wrestling with uncertainties.

Invitation to Embrace Faith Through Doubt

As the episode progresses, Pastor Furtick extends an invitation to listeners who find themselves grappling with doubt. He underscores that doubt is not a barrier to faith but an opportunity for a renewed relationship with God.

Steven Furtick [38:30]: "There are benefits to the doubt. There's a benefit to having to wrestle with God and wrestle with yourself."

He calls for listeners to make a decisive step of faith, assuring them that God’s grace transcends their doubts.

Conclusion: Celebrating Faith Amidst Doubt

The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer for those who choose to embrace faith despite their doubts. The hosts celebrate the transformative power of faith that shines through even the darkest of times.

Speaker B [43:36]: "What a wonderful thing to witness souls being reborn. Come on, church. Can we celebrate the goodness of God?"

They reaffirm that every dead end is a doorway to a new beginning, embodied by the birth of Jesus Christ—God’s reassurance that faith can flourish through doubt.

Notable Quotes

Steven Furtick [00:01]: "Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life."
Speaker B [01:56]: "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose."
Steven Furtick [17:45]: "In the realm of faith, it works like verdict first, evidence second."
Speaker B [20:53]: "Faith is not the absence of doubt."
Steven Furtick [25:48]: "The closer I get, the more questions I have."
Speaker B [38:30]: "There are benefits to the doubt. There's a benefit to having to wrestle with God and wrestle with yourself."
Speaker B [43:36]: "What a wonderful thing to witness souls being reborn. Come on, church. Can we celebrate the goodness of God?"

Final Thoughts

The Benefit of the Doubt serves as a profound exploration of how doubt and faith coexist and complement each other in the journey of belief. Pastor Steven Furtick and his co-host guide listeners through biblical teachings and personal reflections, offering reassurance that doubt is not a hindrance but a stepping stone to a more profound faith.

For those seeking to understand the dynamics of doubt within their spiritual lives, this episode provides both comfort and challenge, encouraging a deeper, more resilient trust in God's plans.

Note: This summary omits the podcast's advertisements, introductions, and outros, focusing solely on the core content and discussions presented during the episode.

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Transcript

A (0:01)

Hey, this is Steven Furtick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message in Matthew Chapter one the record goes this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother, Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace. He had in mind to divorce her quietly, but after he had considered this. Because sometimes your first instinct is not God's will. After he had considered this, after he did the math, and after he calculated his next move, God spoke. It is often contrary to our logic when God speaks. It often violates what we see when God calls us to walk by faith. After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus. You are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. I know you're confused. I know you're bewildered, and I know you're hurt. But verse 22 all this took place to fulfill. I know you're having a hard time making sense of the situation right now, but all this took place to fulfill. It's not random. There's a reason all this took place to fulfill.

B (1:52)

I hear the apostle Paul all the way over from Romans 8.

A (1:56)

He wants to get in on this.

B (1:57)

All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. All this. The parts you like, the parts you don't, the parts you get, and the parts that keep you awake at night, the parts that feel good, and the parts that leave you with tears on your pillow. All this took place to fulfill what.

A (2:20)

The Lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her. Just to make it clear, he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son and he gave him the name Jesus. I want to speak for just a few moments today on the benefit of the doubt, Christmas is rightly celebrated as the story of new beginnings. But the story begins at a dead end. By the time you get to Matthew chapter one, heaven has been seemingly silent since the time of Malachi the prophet for several centuries. I did not read you the whole of Matthew chapter one. If I had started with verse one, you might have been asleep by the time I got to the part I wanted to read, because it's just a genealogy of how Jesus came into the earth. From a human perspective. Matthew gives us 14 generations between Abraham and David, 14 more between David and the Babylonian exile of the people of Israel, 14 more from the exile to the birth of Jesus Christ. That's all in Matthew chapter one. It's a list of names, really, but it signifies how at this point in God's redemptive story, as told in the pages of Holy Scripture, heaven has hit a dead end. God has sent the law to his people, but they broke it, literally when Moses came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments, showing the people how to live, to be a people. By the time he could get the rules down to them, they were dancing naked around another God they made because they got tired of waiting on the one they couldn't see. So Moses, in his frustration, broke the tablets, had to go up and carve out some new ones. Not only was there hope of keeping the law broken, like it is every time we try to do God's will in our own strength, but the prophets God had sent to his people were each turned away, despised, rejected. Many of them died at the hands of the very people they came with a word to deliver. So now they've broken the law, disobeyed the prophets. By the time you get to Matthew chapter one, heaven has hit a dead end as man after man after man after man comes into the earth, none of them being the Messiah who was able to rescue and redeem. It seems we're at an impasse, because the true character of God cannot break through the frailty of humanity to deliver this love message that has existed before time began. The beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The full pre incarnate Word of God was existent in Jesus Christ before he was ever made flesh on Christmas Day. But it has not yet found its way into the earth, not by the time we have read Matthew chapter one. So what we get is 42 generations of frustration and suddenly Christ is born, Heaven has hit a dead end, and humanity feels the same way, no matter how they try to Follow God. There seems to be something in their.

A (28:33)

Heaven is giving to my daughter. It is the beginning of a lifetime of learning the art of faith, which Richard Rohr suggests is patience with mystery, not the absence of it. Patience with it. To take Mary home even when you don't know where this is headed. I did not give her a cookie cutter answer, partially because she's smarter than me and would have seen right through it. I welcome the mystery. I used to lay awake in my bed, too, thinking about that when I was a little boy. I was probably 7 or 8 because boys are two years behind, but I had that same thing. I just couldn't ever make sense of it. And I still haven't. I have my doubts, but I believe it. I believed it while I was watching my dad die and I had to preach my stuff back to myself. I didn't have the protective insulation of this to stand behind or this to hold. It's a real problem because a lot of people are waiting for the doubt to disappear. Let's take the next step, faith. If the absence of doubt was a prerequisite for being used by God, Mary could not have been the mother of Jesus. Over here, the angel is talking to Joseph. But before he came to Joseph, he spoke to Mary. He spoke to them separately because you have to experience faith for yourself. You have to make your own decision as to who God is and what he means to you. While he was speaking to Joseph, who had to endure the embarrassment of walking through this next season, he was speaking to Mary. You're familiar with the story, but just put it on the screens real quick. This is Luke 1, where he said to Mary, greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. That's the verdict. Before I give you the particulars of the situation, I want to bring you back to the thing you can always know in every season of your life. If you choose to believe it. Your verdict, should you choose to accept it. God is with me. God is for me. You are highly favored. God is for you. And he is with you this moment. Now, I have something I have to tell you. The angel starts off by reminding Mary of his presence. And it says, Mary was greatly troubled at his words.

A (38:59)

That seems to contradict his promise to believe God. That every dead end is a doorway if you decide to go through it. There is someone here who is standing at a doorway today called doubt. If you will walk through it and make the decision to trust God in this situation, you will find on the other side a greater glory revealed to you than you have ever known. But if you stop here and if you stop with how and why and when and what, if you wait until you have all the evidence to trust God, you will never take Mary home and you will never see the promise of God come to pass. All of the greatest faith is on the other side of your deepest doubt. I want to ask, with no one leaving, please don't leave in this moment. This is that invitation moment I spoke about earlier that is so sacred to us. I want to ask at every campus that you would stand to your feet right now. Because this is a moment of decision for many. For those who say what one man said to Jesus who needed the gift of healing. I want to believe. Help my unbelief. I want to believe, but I feel unworthy. I want to believe but I have my doubts. God has a grace that is greater than every doubt. All he requires is the next step in the light you do have. I believe there are Many here today who need to receive the gift of salvation. But you can't receive it up here. You can't receive it with these. You can't receive it with your own effort. It is by grace. You are saved through faith. I know you have your doubts. When Peter walked toward Jesus on the water, he had faith, but it flipped so quick. The next thing you know, he was sinking. Jesus asked him a question. Why did you doubt when he asked him that question? He didn't push him back under the water to teach him a lesson. He reached out his hand to bring him back to the boat and to show him who he was all along. This message is for the doubters. We often sing at Christmas. Oh, come all ye faithful. Today the invitation is come all ye doubtful with questions and dysfunctions and conflicts to place your faith in the God who is the great. I am. Will you bow your head and close your eyes at every location? I want to pray a prayer right now for those who want to come into a relationship with Christ, receive forgiveness by faith because of his finished work on the cross, and live a new life in his name because of his resurrection from the dead. Make a decision of faith today to put your hope in him. We're going to pray a prayer right now, out loud. Our whole church family will pray it for the benefit of those who are coming to God for the first time or are coming back to God. If this is the prayer of your heart, God will hear you from heaven and will save you from your sin. Let's pray together right now. Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Today I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe he died for me to forgive my sin. I believe he rose again to give me life. I receive this new life. I will follow you from this day forward. I receive your grace. This is my new beginning. Head still bowed, eyes still closed. If you just prayed that prayer, shoot your hand up in the air on the count of three. One, two, three. No hesitation. All over this room and all of our campuses. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.