Beliefs Matter - Introduction

January 3, 2009

Listen to the sermon

1. Eve bought into the lie that God’s plan for her might not be in her best interest – Genesis 3:1-6
   1. Eve’s belief led her to question God and entertain the devil’s suggestion
   2. Once she accepted the devil’s suggestion, she quickly fell into disobedience to God
   3. The consequence of her sin was devastating to all mankind
2. David believed that hidden sin would have no effect on his leadership - 2 Samuel 11, 12
   1. David believed his sin could be hidden and would have no consequences
   2. This belief led David to fall deeper into sin as he worked to hide his sin
   3. Ultimately, God revealed David’s sin and the consequences were far reaching
3. Paul fervently pursued what he had been taught even when it was wrong - Philippians 3:4-6
   1. Paul was convinced that Judaism was right and that all other beliefs were wrong
   2. In this belief, Paul sought to destroy Christianity
   3. God directly intervened in Paul’s life to show him his error – Acts 9:1-6
4. The Pattern we can see in these experiences:
5. Principles we can learn from these experiences:
   1. Belief in something which is not true has dangerous consequences – Proverbs 14:12
   2. Wrong beliefs can seem very logical – Colossians 2:8
   3. Making a different decision based on the same wrong belief does not fix the problem
   4. Admitting our beliefs are wrong can be very difficult, but essential to experiencing different results – 2 Chronicles 7:14
   5. Believing that which is true, will set us free - John 8:31-32