Confusion vs. Understanding
The definition of the word confusion is this: “lack of understanding; uncertainty”
Other than fear, nothing can make our _______________ spiral out of control as quickly as ________________.
There were hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah, which the Jewish people were well aware of. There were prophecies which spoke of:
_______________ and a kingdom the Messiah would bring (e.g. Isaiah 9:6-7 & Zecharian 9:9-10)
_______________ and death the Messiah would endure (e.g. Psalm 22 & Isaiah 53)
ALL the prophecies were true and fulfilled through Jesus Christ, but what the Jews failed to recognize was that the prophecies which didn’t feel good were the conduits to the ones that did!
It was the _________________ which would bring about the _________________.
They could have never imagined that God’s plan was to bring the victory of his Son out of the sacrifice of his Son. They could have never imagined that God’s plan was to raise a kingdom by raising a cross.
The Bible is clear about the fact that there will be many things we don’t understand:
A person's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way? (Proverbs 20:24, NIV)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)
We tend to place trust in our ________________________, which we form out of our ________________________, all without realizing we even do it.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
Expectations are _______________, and we often don’t even know we have them until they are dashed.
John the Baptist and Peter knew Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise, but they didn’t understand the ____________________ to the promise because they didn’t understand the ____________________of the promise.
Jesus was in the PROCESS of fulfilling the PURPOSE of the PROMISE, but the PROCESS wasn’t what the people expected, so the PROCESS caused them to doubt the PROMISE because they didn’t know its PURPOSE!
This is what Jesus said after John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was in fact the Messiah:
“Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me." (Luke 7:23, NIV)
When we face confusion and unmet expectations, we come to a ____________________. Again, we have a choice to make:
We focus on our confusion, and ____________________ threatens our faith.
We focus on our God, and our confusion ____________________.
Faith: confidence in and sureness that our God is in control, that he is good and loving, and that therefore his ways are good and perfect.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)
The Jews thought their Messiah was coming to save them from an earthly enemy to build an earthly kingdom. But, God’s purpose wasn’t simply to save ____________________ from an earthly enemy to build an ____________________ kingdom, God’s purpose was to save ____________________ from a spiritual enemy
to build a ____________________ kingdom!