WHEN DOUBT TURNS INTO DISOBEDIENCE PART 2

WHEN DOUBT LEADS TO DISOBEDIENCE

Depression and doubt often go hand in hand. Charles Spurgeon wrote: “To be gloomy and depressed is not sinful at all, but there may have been in the midst of that the sin of unbelief: there may have been a doubting of God—a distrust of his providence—a questioning of his love.”

One of the ways in which doubt leads to disobedience is that it can cause us to distrust God’s providence and question His love for us. Is God sovereign in all things? Absolutely! Is God always in control? Absolutely! A more relevant question for us to ponder in regards to the trials of our lives is how does God fit into this picture. The Greek term that is translated doubt in this passage is only used twice in the N.T.; both by Matthew. Keep a marker here and turn to . This term refers to wavering or hesitating. In Peter’s case he hesitated as he walked on the water. Once he hesitated gravity took effect. Of course hesitating in the spiritual realm has enormous consequences for the believer.

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But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Did you notice that the remaining eleven disciples were worshiping Jesus. And yet some doubted. Some hesitated. Some wavered. One thing I observe about these two passages is that they both mention doubting as well as worshiping. The order of the two is reversed in the later passage. But both are present. I’m not sure I can adequately express the correlation of doubt and worship, but I find it intriguing that they are both mentioned is both passages. In chapter 14 Peter is the one that doubted. But we need to understand that Matthew often uses Peter as representative of the whole group. So perhaps they were all thinking something like: “What did Peter get himself into this time?” Or, “Man, I’m glad I didn’t go out there with Peter. If I did I would get wet!”

In chapter 28 we do not know who doubted or even what it was that they doubted. Perhaps it was a veiled reference to Doubting Thomas. Perhaps what they doubted was their ability to perform the task of making disciples of nations. What seem apparent to me in these two texts is that a little bit of doubt does not necessarily hinder worship. But what about disobedience; does disobedience hinder worship? I listened to a message this past week on the Great Commission. It was delivered by Dr. Burke Parsons of Ligoneer Ministries. His contention was that if individual believers, or Local churches were disobedient to the Great Commission then they could not truly worship God in spirit and in truth! My personal contention is that doubt and fear are what keep us from being actively involved in the work of the Great Commission. As we continue on in this direction, I need to state that I am speaking to myself as much as I am speaking to you. I believe that we have all become complacent as it relates to the Great Commission. And further, I believe that we have allowed fear to keep us from obeying Christ’s command.How Fear Causes Disobedience to the Great CommissionWe fear rejectionWe fear persecutionWe fear that we will botch the presentation of the GospelHow Doubt Causes Disobedience to the Great CommissionWe doubt that we can make a clear presentationWe doubt that those who hear the message will receive itWe doubt that it will really make any differenceHow a Lack of Love Causes Disobedience to the Great CommissionA lack of love is demonstrated in a lack of concern for salvation of the lostSince we have the message that will bring salvation, we must actually hate those we don’t share the message withOf course for many, these categories do not seem to fit. For some the issue is that we are so caught up with the hustle and bustle of our own lives that it is hard to find time for anything else. A Change of DirectionHow can we, as a church as well as individual believers, change our direction in regards to the Great Commission? PrayAcknowledge our sinConfess our sinPray for the strength to reverse courseBecome so familiar with the message of the Gospel that it becomes second nature to usRulerRebelRedeemerResponseTake the first stepWe have to stop merely talking about what needs to be done — we have to start doing itDon’t give up when the message isn’t well receivedOur job is to deliver the message on behalf of Christ, whom we representIt is the work of the Holy Spirit to cause people to respond to the messageDon’t assume that if a person does not respond to the message the first time that they will never respondBe willing to share your experience of witnessing with othersIf we share with others, then they can invest in our lives as wellI’d love to have Wednesday night Prayer Meeting become a support group for those who are willing to become obedient to the Great CommissionWe could share experiences with one anotherWe could pray together for those we are witnessing toDo we really believe that the message of the Gospel has the power to save those who are “the lost sheep of Israel?” Are we willing to sacrifice our own comfort and security to share the message of the gospel with those who need so desperately to hear it?Perhaps you are hearing this message this morning and have come to recognize that you are a lost sheep who has not yet been found. If that be the case I invite you to embrace the message of the gospel, namely that you have sinned against God and that you are in need of a Savior. That Jesus died as a substitute for your sins. That He rose again from the dead. Believe the message of the gospel that states that if you believe in His person and His work on your behalf you will be saved. Then bow down in worship of your Lord and Savior.This morning we have looked at how Christ not only offers salvation from the stand point of eternity, but He also offers salvation in terms of the circumstances of our lives. That doesn’t always mean that He will deliver us from our present circumstances, for it often means that He will supply the wisdom and strength to endure them. And then we have looked at how doubt and fear can often cause us to be disobedient to the revealed will of Christ.I would like to close with this reminder from

​ NIV84To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.