Do You Still Have Doubt?

Opening

Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost. The sharing of the Holy Spirit in a profound way. We know that after the Holy Spirit had descended on those gathered in the upper room that they began to share the word of God with those that were gathered for the festival weeks. Again, remember that people had come from varying places and spoke many different languages but the scripture states they each heard God in their own tongue. Now that was last Sunday. This Sunday we are going to take a step back to the Ascension of Christ. We refer to this time also as the time for the Great Commission. It is here that we here the words “go and make disciples”.

However, this morning I want to focus a little further up the scripture to Matthew 28:17--17 And when they* saw him, they worshiped him,* but some doubted.

Now stay there a moment and I want to give you a definition of the word doubt:

to be uncertain about;

consider questionable or unlikely;

hesitate to believe.to distrust.

be undecided in opinion or belief.

a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality, or nature of something.

distrust.a state of affairs such as to occasion uncertainty.

Point 1: Do you doubt His birth?

Matthew 2:1-2 -- 2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

Point 2: Do you doubt His works?

Matthew 8:14-17 -- 14 And when Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down and suffering with a fever. 15 And he touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. 16 Now when it was evening, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed, and he expelled the spirits with a word. And he healed all those who were sick, 17 in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said, “He himself took away our sicknesses, and carried away our diseases.”

Point 3: Do you doubt His death?

Matthew 27:45-56 -- 45 Now from the sixth hour, darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) 47 And some of those who were standing there, when they[be] heard it, said, “This man is summoning Elijah!” 48 And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Leave him alone! let us see if Elijah is coming to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that took place, were extremely frightened, saying, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 55 And there were many women there, observing from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Point 4: Do you doubt His resurrection?

Matthew 28:1-10 --1 Now after the Sabbath, at the dawning on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came up and rolled away the stone and sat down on it. 3 Now his appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. 4 And the guards trembled from the fear of him and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. 7 And go quickly, tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Behold, I have told you.” 8 And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid! Go tell my brothers that they should go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Point 5: Do you doubt His very existence?

Matthew 28:17 -- 17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Life Application: Doubt leads to fear but faith leads to freedom!

Hebrews 11:1-31 — 1 Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. 2 For by this the people of old were approved. 3 By faith we understand the worlds were created by the word of God, in order that what is seen did not come into existence from what is visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain, by which he was approved that he was righteous, because[a] God approved him for his gifts, and through it[b] he still speaks, although he[c] is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken up, so that he did not experience death, and he was not found, because God took him up. For before his removal, he had been approved as having been pleasing[d] to God.

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him.

7 By faith Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, out of reverence constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family, by which he pronounced sentence on the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he[e] was called, obeyed to go out to a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he lived in the land of promise as a stranger, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise.

10 For he was expecting the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith also, with Sarah[f],[g] he received the ability to procreate[h] even past the normal age[i], because he regarded the one who had promised to be faithful.

12 And therefore these were fathered from one man, and he being as good as dead, as the stars of heaven in number and like the innumerable sand by the shore of the sea.

13 These all died in faith without receiving the promises, but seeing them from a distance and welcoming them, and admitting that they were strangers and temporary residents on the earth.

14 For those who say such things make clear that they are seeking a homeland.

15 And if they remember[j] that land from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But now they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, and the one who received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,

18 with reference to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants will be named,”[k]

19 having reasoned that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which he received him back also as a symbol.

20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things that were going to happen.

21 By faith Jacob, as he[l] was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, as he[m] was dying, mentioned about the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he[n] was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child was handsome, and they were not afraid of the edict of the king.

24 By faith Moses, when he[o] was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

25 choosing instead to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to experience the transitory enjoyment of sin,

26 considering reproach endured for the sake of Christ[p] greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he persevered as if he[q] saw the invisible one.

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land; the Egyptians, when they made the attempt[r], were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they[s] had been marched around for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she[t] welcomed the spies in peace.