Faith & Doubt: Following Jesus Through Doubt
Matthew 11:1-6
September 11, 2022
Andrew Boone
John the Baptist experienced doubts.
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.[a]
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” —Matthew 11:1-6
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[a] —John 1:29-34
Defining Faith and Doubt
Faith: Hebrews 11 (Read it here)
Doubt: Weakening of faith
Where does doubt come from?
Evil in the world
My sin
Thriving of people who don’t follow Jesus
Failure of a trusted person
Arguments and information
What do you do with your doubts?
Bring them to Jesus
Process in mature community
Keep practicing
Big Idea:
We nurture faith by following Jesus through doubt.
Study Guide Questions
Memory Verse:
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” —Mark 9:24
Where are you experiencing doubt with your faith right now?
Don’t just listen to the responses from your group. Take time to interact with them and allow the group to speak truth to these doubts.
Read Matthew 11:1-6. The results John was seeing did not align with what he expected from the Messiah. When is a time you have doubted God because He was acting in a way that did not meet your expectations?
John the Baptist was expecting a Messiah who would cleanse Israel from foreign rule. John suffered from a lack of understanding. He did not have a correct perspective on who the Messiah was going to be. Likewise, humanity suffers from a lack of understanding (Romans 11:33-34). Therefore, what role does faith play in our relationship with God?
Read Luke 24:9-11 & John 20:24-29. Jesus shared with His disciples that He was going to be put to death and rise again. Yet when He is murdered, the apostles are sad; when He rises from the dead, their initial response is disbelief. Take a moment to share your faith story, including what helped you feel comfortable that Christianity’s claims are true and not fiction.
Do you know anyone who requires evidence before they believe? How can you come alongside them to help them process their doubts?
Read Matthew 28:16-20. How do the eleven respond to Jesus when they see him on the mountain? For those that are said to have doubted, what do you think they doubted?
How has doubt held you back from moving forward in your faith?
Despite some having doubts, each of these men fulfilled Jesus’ call in the Great Commission. How do you manage the tension of having doubts while at the same time living in faith for Christ?
Read Jude 1:20-23. How has God used a past struggle with disbelief to strengthen your faith? How might God use this experience to help you encourage someone else having the same struggle?