I want to believe, but… 3 Goosebump God

       Faith doesn’t come naturally. Faith comes SUPERNATURALLY. Through the struggle of belief we come into contact

with faith.

Many people wonder, “How can I believe in a God I have never felt, heard, or seen?” This is a fair question.

Have you ever wanted to feel God but couldn’t? Ever ask to see Him or hear Him, but didn’t? Be aware of the                    GOOSEBUMP GOD distortion, that says God is not real or near if I can’t feel, see, or touch Him.

It’s not time to reject the true God, but the distorted view of the GOOSEBUMP-GOD

You  are here at Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt and I welcome you today from the lovely city of Plano Tx. We are the kind of church that believes Jesus has given us a mission to reach the world with the message of God’s love. We believe God has empowered us to to bring the goodnews of Jesus to everyone.

Greetings to everyone in the room. And a big God bless Ya’ll to all our friends experiencing the Word of God over the internet.

We are the 3rd week of our sermon series “I want to believe, but…”

I want to believe, but…

I want to remind you that faith doesn’t come naturally. Perhaps our faith struggle is not us rejecting the true God, but is us rejecting our false beliefs that have distorted our view of the true God? Most people want to believe in the true God… but there is a distortion or incorrect belief standing in their way.

In week 1 we talked about, and rejected the ON-DEMAND GOD

Last week we talked about moving on from a KILLJOY GOD.

Next week I am going to talk to you about rejecting HEARTLESS GOD. This is a major reason people are having trouble believing in God. I know that you have friends and family that need to hear this sermon. Make up your mind that you will get them here next Sunday. I will be in prayer for you to invite them. I am looking forward to next Sunday… BUT TODAY…

Today I want to tell you about GOOSEBUMP GOD.

GOOSEBUMP GOD

How do you believe in a God you have never seen, heard, or felt? I want to believe in God, but I don’t know if He is real because I have never felt Him.

I have never seen God in the physical. Have you?

I have never heard God audibly. Have you?

Now I believe that God could reveal himself in the physical… I believe He could talk to me audibly… but He never has done that to me at this point in time.

Have I ever felt God? I would say I have… but that it is a different kind of feeling. I have never felt a physical hand of God reach out and give me a high five. Have you had a God high five? And you know Church that pastor really likes high fives…

Raise your hand if you felt God today?

• You might say that you felt goosebumps or the hair stand up on your arm. I am not putting that down at all, but let me challenge you a little bit… have you ever had tingly goosebumps while watching a movie or while being around some you really liked?


• You might say that you cried or felt and intense emotion. I am not putting that down at all, but let me challenge you again… Have you ever watched a youtube video that made you cry or feel an intense emotion? When that commercial comes on with the sad puppies and kitties and the Sarah McLachan song “arms of an angel” starts to play…. I dare you not to tear up… We may use that song at altar today actually…


• You might say you felt peace or a knowledge that everything was going to be ok in your heart I am not putting that down… I love that… but let me challenge you and say that you could feel at peace in a bubble bath while listening to smooth jazz… you could have a good talk with someone wise and fell in your heart like everything is going to be ok…

As cool as FEELINGS are… they cannot be our basis for faith in God.

And if you didn’t “feel” God today in service… then whose fault is that?

• Is God just not that into you today?


• Did you not remember to wear your spiritual antennae today? Did you not lift your hands high enough or sing loud enough..?


• It’s probably the worship pastor’s fault because He didn’t play your favorite song…

As cool as FEELINGS are… they cannot be our basis for faith in God.

If you don’t always “feel” God, you are not alone.

There are plenty of examples in scripture of people who did not “feel” God.

Psalm 88:13 (NIV2011) …I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Psalm 88:14 (NIV2011) Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

David wrote this. The great king of Israel. The man after God’s own heart. The great worshipper David asked “Lord why do you reject me?? Why do you hide your face from me?”

The same David who wrote in Psalm 139… Where can I go from your Spirit God? Where can I go from your presence God? No matter where I go God is with me…

The same David who wrote in Psalm 23 that although he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no evil because God was with him…

This same David in Psalm 88 feels rejected and separate from God.

If you don’t always feel God you are not alone!

The well-known Christian author, C.S. Lewis wrote some of the great works… “The lion the witch and the wardrobe,” “screw tape letters,” and “Mere Christianity.” In one of the painful moments of C.S. Lewis’ life, he cried out to God and got this response…

C.S. Lewis

“A door slammed in [my] face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside… There are no lights in the windows. It might be an empty house. Was it ever inhabited? It seemed so once… Why is God so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?”

We are talking about a thought leader whose writings brought many to faith in God. Yet during this portion of his life, he questioned if God was ever real.

If you don’t always feel God you are not alone!

If David & CS Lewis aren’t good enough examples… how about this one…

Matthew 27:46 (NIV2011) About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud