Obedience Over Self-Doubt and Pride

Teaching Series: Equipping the Church to Lead and Fulfill the Great Commission

Key Passage: James 4:6-7 – “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God.”

1. Introduction:

Last time - Great Commission

Jesus calls all followers to go and make disciples of all nations, spreading the gospel, and teaching others what He has taught

This calling is for all followers - not optional

Reinforced by John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

The question is not IF God has a calling on your life; its WHAT He is calling you to do and HOW will YOU respond to that

Last time, we touched on an overview of key points that take us from being just a hearer of the Word, to a DOER of the Word - to fulfil the Great Commission

Overcoming doubt and pride with Faith and Obedience

Living in the reality that we are empowered by Divine Authority

Embracing and honoring the commission

Draw near to God and live in His presence

Equip ourselves with the Word

So today, want to drill down into number 1 - Overcoming doubt, pride with faith and obedience

Want to contrast two attitudes that affect our obedience to God’s calling and look at biblical figures that showcase obstacles to faith

These obstacles can make or break our ability to step up and step out in obedience and really let God lead our lives...… pushing His kingdom forward

Important to recognize these obstacles and battle with these head-on

The worst thing we can do, or what the enemy wants us to do, is to think that these obstacles don’t exist

The 2 main obstacles to obedience that I want to highlight today are:

Self-doubt (fear of failure, reluctance to take the harder road)

Pride (thinking we know better than God, choosing our own desires over the bigger calling)

2. Definitions and Explanation

A. Obedience

Greek Word: Hupakoē (who-pah-co-EH) – “to hear under” (implies active listening and submission)

Key Verse: Romans 1:4–6 “...Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,”

So when we talk about obedience, its this response to a call or something that we have received

B. Self-Doubt

Doubt is defined as a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction

So self-doubt is when that is applied to yourself - where that lack of conviction or feeling of uncertainty, or reluctance to do something, is in yourself and your abilities

C. Pride

Now pride is defined as almost the complete opposite:

Pride: a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements

So instead of being unsure of your abilities, you are completely sure of yourself

Pride is having faith or assurance completely on your own thoughts, abilities, and/or qualities

Both of these things, though almost opposite in definition, are similar in the fact that they can be enormous obstacles in reference to obedience to God

3. Biblical Case Studies

Case Study #1: Moses – Overcoming Self-Doubt (Exodus 3-4)

A. The Little-Known Side of Moses' Story

Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince (Acts 7:22). He was trained in leadership, military strategy, and some scholars believe he was possibly multilingual

So on paper, he had every natural qualification to lead

B. Moses' Excuses and God's Responses

But in Exodus chapters 3 and 4 - when God was calling Moses to lead His people, when He’s asking for his obedience

We find that Moses had a lot of excuses and reasons why he wasn’t qualified

“Who am I?” → God says, “I will be with you”

(Exodus 3:11–12 “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”” ).

“What if they don’t believe me?” → God gives miraculous signs

(Exodus 4:1–9 “Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ..… <then the Lord gives Moses signs of miracles>

“I am not eloquent.” → God says, “I will help you speak”

(Exodus 4:10–12 “But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”” ).

“Please send someone else” → God sends Aaron

Exodus 4:13–16 “But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.”

So what we see here is that God wasn’t buying all his excuses and so Moses just says the quiet part out loud - “send someone else”..… And God still is gracious, patient and calls Aaron to help him

C. The Lesson from Moses

God calls the weak to display His strength. Self-doubt does not disqualify you—disobedience does

When Moses was on the verge of disobedience, we read that that angered the Lord

God will be with you when He calls you

He doesn’t call you to His work and abandon you

God also is willing to have a conversation - dialogue through prayer

When Moses chose obedience over self-doubt and reluctance; history was made - the Exodus story was central to God’s plan for redemption

So Moses is this case study of what it looks like when we are unsure, reluctant, or doubt our own abilities and qualifications

Case Study #2: King Saul – The Tragedy of Pride (1 Samuel 15)

Saul’s pride was a gradual development fueled by several key factors:

His Initial Humility and Rise to Power

Saul started as a humble man. When Samuel anointed him as Israel’s first king, Saul was hesitant, even hiding among the baggage when called (1 Samuel 10:22).

However, his rapid rise to power and military success likely contributed to a growing sense of self-importance.

Success in Battle

After his victory over the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11), Saul gained popularity and authority. Military success, but I think success in general, often tempts leaders to trust in their own strength rather than God.

Impatience and Disobedience

In 1 Samuel 13, Saul grew impatient when Samuel delayed arriving to offer a sacrifice before battle

Instead of waiting for the prophet, Saul took matters into his own hands, assuming priestly duties

This act of disobedience was a sign of growing self-reliance and disregard for God’s commands.

Selective Obedience

In 1 Samuel 15, God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely

However, he spared King Agag and the best livestock, justifying his actions instead of fully obeying.

This showed that Saul valued his own reasoning over God’s clear instructions.

Desire for Public Approval

After sparing the Amalekites, Saul admitted, "I feared the people and obeyed their voice" (1 Samuel 15:24). His pride made him crave human approval more than divine favor.

Jealousy and Comparison

When David defeated Goliath and was praised more than Saul (“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” – 1 Samuel 18:7), Saul became envious. His pride could not handle being overshadowed.

Rejection by God and Desperation

Instead of repenting, Saul’s pride led him further into rebellion, seeking his own solutions (such as consulting the witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28). He refused to fully submit to God’s authority.

The Lesson from Saul

Saul’s pride was fueled by success, impatience, disobedience, a desire for approval, and unchecked jealousy.

Instead of humbling himself when corrected, he resisted, which ultimately led to his downfall. His life serves as a warning against letting pride take root in leadership and faith - and having it be an obstacle to obedience

4. Finding the will to be obedient in a busy life

So maybe its self-doubt or maybe its pride that is preventing you from fully being obedient to God’s calling or stepping up and stepping out and sharing the gospel....

Or if you’re like me, you struggle with those things (which I do)

But if you’re like me, you also struggle with obedience being another responsibility you have to take care of

If you’re like me, you don’t need another thing on your to-do list

I run my own business and so between managing multiple projects, designing and permitting projects, coordinating with clients and other design teams, keeping up with business admin tasks, accounting, researching.… between all that, I usually have about 50 to 60 tasks on my to-do list at any given time.

And that’s only my business - add in family, kids, sports, and other activities - then add in church responsibilities - the last thing I want is another responsibility on my to-do list

I’m not saying this to make myself seem like I’m important or boasting about how much stuff I can do - but I’m being honest about where I personally am at because I think most of us are in that same boat.

Life is already heavy, busy, and packed full of stuff - so when we get called by Jesus to BE the church, or to go out and DO ministry work - it can feel like another obligation or responsibility that we are just adding on to the list

But we should be careful about having an attitude like that toward the work that God is calling us to do. Its one thing to have that attitude toward things in the world, but its another thing to have it toward the King we serve.

And some will say that, “well its not what we DO - that we aren’t saved by our works” , that we only need faith to be saved.… and that is true, but the perspective when people say that isn’t true

Our salvation comes as a gift of grace out of the love that God has for us. We don’t earn it by our works. Its not a payment for our services. Salvation in Jesus Christ comes as a gift for those who receive it

But what IS required to receive this gift of grace, is faith. It means you put all your trust, love, and obedience in following Jesus, and He now is the Lord of your life.

And the result of that, is that you prioritize things that glorify, proclaim, honor, and are obedient to Him. By prioritizing the things of God first, the things you DO now become works for God. This is true faith. And true faith comes WITH works.… or in other words, the evidence of putting God first in your life is what you DO and the attitude you HAVE while doing it.

Read James 2:14-26 where this is thoroughly explained, but the jist is in verses 17, 18, and 26

James 2:17–18 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:26 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

So what we see is that out of true faith, service results

That’s where this obedience piece comes in. If we truly put our faith in Him, truly follow Jesus, our actions, our habits, our responsibilities, our daily task list, our goals, our plans, our resources.… are all now prioritized with Jesus at the top

And the beautiful thing - that I always talk about - is that once you put Jesus at the top of how you live your life - all the things you truly care about gets taken care of and you become a better person in every other aspect of your life

So is life overwhelming, yes.… but the lie of the devil is that serving Jesus, being obedient to whatever and wherever God is calling you to, is just adding another thing on the overwhelming to-do list. The lie is that serving God is a burden that you can’t take on because you have too much going on in your life right now. That’s the lie.

The truth is that being obedient to God is not another thing to do in life; being obedient to God becomes your life

Its not another check box in the sea of stuff I should do; prioritizing God means that everything you do in life gets filtered through your faith in Jesus. Your whole life - your decisions, your plans, how you carry yourself; all of it gets filtered through the lens of “does it serve, honor, follow, and glorify God?”

Think of water in a glass - all the stuff you have to do gets poured in.… work, family, health, paying bills, hobbies, etc.… so we hold this glass and its filled to the brim with stuff. Then we carry this around, spilling as we walk around with it. Picture when you ask a young kid to bring you a full cup of water… they come walking into the room with the water full to the top, spilling, dripping, sloshing around and making a mess all over the floor.

So our life is like that cup full of water - then we hear messages like, you need to be obedient to God, you need to follow Jesus, the Great Commission is not optional, you have a responsibility to step up and step out in faith for the kingdom of God, .… we hear all these things and think, how am I going to pour more water in this cup? We’re holding this cup full, then we see this tub in the corner that says “God’s work” on it. And we think, “there’s no way I can put a single drop in there, how am I supposed to put a tub full of water in here?” And a lot of people will just basically ignore it and keep focusing on the cup they’re holding in their hands and spend everyday trying to keep it from spilling over.

But if you walked up to that tub, the first thing you notice is its empty. And there’s another note inside the tub that says “pour here”..… you see, God’s work isn’t some massive burden that we take on and try to fit in our cup of water and spend all of our day focusing on trying not to let it spill.… God says to pour all of your life into Him. To give all of what you have into Him. To place all your burdens, to pour all of life’s stuff, into Him. And He’ll hold that, He’ll hold us up and allow us the freedom to serve Him.

You see, when we have our little cup and we are trying not to let it spill, and we spend everyday; day in and day out, focusing on pouring stuff in, and pouring stuff out in just the right amounts to not let it spill over..… and just are hyper-focused on it.… what we don’t realize is that we are serving this cup. We are slaves to what we think is our whole life in this cup. We serve ourselves.

When we pour that cup out into God’s tub, what we find is that we no longer are hyper-fixated on holding, balancing, and obsessing about that cup. We are free to let God hold our whole life, knowing that He is able. By putting our whole life in His hands, we become free.… Because any time our cup starts to get full again, guess what, you know where the tub is to pour that into. And your little cup of water is only a drop in the tub.… you can keep pouring your life into Him and He will always carry you.

All that to say - maybe you’re like Moses, with self-doubt, with excuses about your qualifications, with reluctance to step up to what God is calling you to do

Or maybe you’re like Saul where your pride won’t allow you to be obedient to God

Or maybe you’re like many others who feel like they can’t add another drop to their full cup

No matter what the obstacle is, obedience is required of all who follow Jesus…

obedience will allow you to do things that you never thought you were qualified to do

obedience will overcome self-doubt

obedience will humble you - it humbles the proud

obedience will allow you to pour all of you, all of what you are balancing and taking on in life; to pour your life into Christ

And what comes out of this is a renewal of life - a rebirth of who you are and what you do

I’ll close with this, from the words of Jesus

Matthew 16:24–27 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”

So its clear that Jesus notices our obedience or lack thereof

But He invites us to pour our life into Him, to experience the freedom that comes through obedience to Christ

And this is not a step we take alone.… like Moses, God tells us that He will be with you every step of the way

So again… its not a matter of IF God is calling you, its a matter of WHAT God is calling you to, and IF you are going to follow Him in obedience

Pray