Surviving Your Bout With Doubt 9-10-06
John 20:24-29
Intro. Last week we affirmed the truth that there’s nothing like the church when the church is working right. But we all know that there are times when the church isn’t working right. Sometimes we make wrong choices and other times we make poor decisions. Let’s go ahead and admit it, the church makes its share of mistakes. But when we do, then we need to own up to it and correct the problem as soon as possible. So that’s what I want us to do this morning. I want us to correct a problem that’s plagued the church for years. It’s the problem that surrounds the issue of doubt. Now hear me well – doubt is not the problem. The real problem is how the church handles doubt.
So how do most churches handle doubt? Believe it or not, we normally do it by addressing doubt with bumper sticker theology. Have you ever seen this one? “The bible says it, I believe it and that settles it!” Now that may sound good to church people, but it frustrates the stew out of doubters. It frustrates them because they know Christians just like you and me have some of the same questions and same doubts they’re struggling with. Honest doubters are looking for answers, so when they’re confronted with that “take or leave it” mentality from xians, then they’re normally turned off to the church and they rarely come back.
This morning I want you to hear that our church is a safe place to deal with your doubts. I think Lee Stroble had it right when he said there are 3 kinds of people in the church. Those who are struggling with doubt right now, those who have no doubts now but will struggle with them in the future. And those who have no doubts and will never have any doubts because they are basically brain dead. If you are serious about your faith then there’s going to come a time you’ve got unanswered questions about your circumstances, about the world situation or maybe why God no longer fits neatly into your little man-made box. Doubt doesn’t mean you’ve lost your faith, it simply means you’re trying to figure out how your faith works in this chaotic and sinful world. So instead of being afraid of doubt, why don’t we let God use our doubt as a means of making us stronger in our faith and drawing us closer to Himself.
James Dobson tells the story about a lady who was watching a butterfly as it struggled to work its way of the cocoon. After a while the lady began to feel sorry for the butterfly, so she got a tiny little knife and carefully cut the cocoon just enough to help the butterfly work its way out. And sure enough, the beautiful butterfly got out and stretched out its wings and began to flutter for just a second. Then w/o any reason at all it fell to the ground and was soon dead. This lady discovered too late that the struggle to get out of the cocoon is what makes a butterfly’s wings strong enough to fly. So w/o the struggle the butterfly has no life. I’ve got a feeling that God uses doubt in many of our lives like that cocoon. He forces us to struggle with the realities of our faith, not because he wants us to fail but because he wants us to spread our wings and fly.
This may sound paradoxical but I believe its true. The one place where doubters ought to feel the most secure and comfortable is in the church. Let me show you why I say that. The bible says in Jude 1:22 “Be merciful to those who doubt.” In other words, don’t kick me when I’m down. Help me up and point me in the right direction so I can find the answers I’m looking for. That’s what we’re going to do today. I’m going to give you 3 steps to help you survive your bout with doubt.
I. Acknowledge your doubts
If you’ve grown up in the church then you may have felt the pressure to ignore your doubts or pretend that they’ve not there or at least keep them hidden in some secret place so nobody else finds out about them. But if you do that long enough those doubts will come back to bite you. They’ll always be a weak spot in your faith. So you’ve got to deal with your doubts!
I know that some of you feel like acknowledging your doubts would automatically disqualify you from God’s service or at the very least it would make you a little less spiritual than other xians. But that’s simply not the truth. Raising questions and having some doubts is never the sign of a weak faith…but rather it’s the sign of a growing faith. Did you know there was a time in Billy Graham’s life when he questioned the truthfulness of the Bible? His faith was shaken and he began to have some doubts. So what did he do? He acknowledged his doubts, he got some help, he trusted God and of course the rest is history.
Before we can feel comfortable about acknowledging our doubts we probably need know a few things about doubt itself. For instance, doubt is not the unpardonable sin. You’re not going to lose your salvation just because you’ve got some unanswered questions about the bible. We all do. Doubt is not the same as unbelief. Unbelief is a willful decision. It’s a deliberate decision to stand against the truth. Finally, doubt is not necessarily an unhealthy condition. For too long we’ve been taught that it’s wrong or dangerous to doubt. But if doubt is handled properly then it can become the springboard to a deeper and stronger faith than you’ve ever experienced.
So what is doubt? Well it basically means to be undecided, to be wavering between 2 decisions, to be uncertain about the certainties of life. I like the way Rodney Buchanan explains it. He says there’s a difference between honest doubt and cynicism. Honest doubt really is looking for answers; it’s seeking for personal understanding. But the cynic asks questions, not for the answers but for the response they get from the people they questioned. Honest doubt is never satisfied with its present level of belief, but cynicism revels in its unbelief. The doubter investigates to find the answer but the cynic is never looking for an answer since he’s already made up his mind, there is none to be found. God welcomes honest doubt, but he stands against the cynic.
Have you ever wondered what caused your bout with doubt? There are a lot of reasons why we struggle with doubt, so let me group them into 3 categories. There are intellectual reasons for doubt. For instance, when you go to college you’re introduced to all kinds of new thoughts and philosophies…most of which contradict the Bible. And for the first time you’re tempted to doubt what you’ve been taught. Intellectual doubts may also be the result of an inadequate view of God. If you’ve been told since you were a child that God promises to answer all your prayers, but you find yourself in a difficult time when he doesn’t seem to answer any prayers…then you might have a bout with doubt.
The second category concerns our emotions. If you base your faith on feelings, then you’re in for a long bumpy road. If your faith is all wrapped up in the euphoric feelings of your salvation experience or the feelings you had while you were on a retreat, then I’ll guarantee you that doubt will creep in. You need to remember that those feelings cannot be sustained and when they finally droop, so does your faith.
Doubt can also be the result of a willful decision. If you are a believer and you know what God says about a certain decision you need to make, but to choose your way instead of his way, then doubt will become your constant companion.
Look at Thomas’ decision in v.25. The other disciples had just told him “we’ve seen the Lord.” But Thomas makes a willful decision – “I will not believe UNLESS I see and I touch.” Thomas acknowledges his doubt. He says you guys may believe it, but I sure don’t and in fact I won’t believe it unless I’ve got some pretty clear answers.
II. Turn to God for help.
When most people think about doubt, what name automatically comes up? Doubting Thomas. But you know what? He’s just one of many great doubters we find in the bible. Do you remember Abraham’s wife Sarah? When God told her that she would have a child in her old age, guess what she did? She laughed; she said, “How can an old woman like me have a baby?” In other words, she doubted God’s word. One of the greatest doubters in the NT was John the Baptist. He saw the spirit of the Lord descend on Jesus, he heard God say “this is my beloved Son” and yet when John was thrown into prison, when his circumstances changed, he doubted. Remember what he said? He sent word to Jesus and asked, “Are you really the Messiah or should we look for someone else?” One of my favorite doubters is the man found in Mk. 9. He’s got a son whose possessed by an evil spirit. And so he brings the boy to Jesus and asks for help. Now there’s a smart man…he turned to God for help. Listen to the interchange between the father and Jesus. He explains the boy’s condition and then he says to Jesus, “Do something if you can.” Jesus says, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IF I CAN?” Then Jesus goes on and says, “Anything is possible if a person believes”. Here’s the father’s response – “I do believe, but help me not to doubt.” I love that statement. Isn’t that the way you feel so often? I really do believe, but oh God help me not to doubt! That’s the kind of response God is looking for in the life of a doubter. You may still have some unresolved doubts, but you’ve got enough faith to come to God for the answers.
What about Thomas? How did he handle his doubt? In v.24 we’re told that when Jesus appeared to the disciples, Thomas wasn’t with them. Now we don’t know why he wasn’t there. He could have been afraid of what would have happened if the authorities caught the disciples together. Maybe he was just disillusioned. He had followed Jesus for 3 years, given up everything for this messiah who was crucified 3 days earlier and now it was time to get back to reality. Regardless of his reasons, he missed the first appearance of the Lord and it resulted in doubt.
Now here’s the exciting part of Thomas’ story. Once he acknowledged his doubts, he was ready to get some help. Look at v.26 – 8 days later, the disciples were together again AND this time Thomas was with them! He’s still struggling with his doubts BUT at least he’s willing to put himself in a position where those doubts can be dispelled. Notice where that position is…it’s in the community of believers! I love that image! Thomas didn’t cut and run when he had doubts. And the other disciples didn’t condemn him for his doubts. Instead of fear and judgment, the community of faith became a place where doubts were confronted and handled…now that’s a great picture of the church!
III. Receive what God offers
What did Thomas need at this moment in his spiritual life? He needed some comfort, some reassurance. Put yourself in his place. Everybody else BELIEVED, but you still doubted. You want to believe, but you can’t…there’s still some nagging doubts. Do you know how the bible describes the person who is struggling with doubt? James says they are like a double-minded person, that is, they can’t come to a conclusion. And because of that their disposition is as unsettled as a wave that’s tossed and thrown by the wind. Deep down instead an honest doubter is a feeling of chaos and turmoil. If you’ve ever been through a season of doubt, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. And what you need is exactly what Jesus gave to Thomas. Look at end of v.26 – “Peace be with you.” When everything about his life was filled with chaos, Jesus offered him peace. Do you know what I like best about these words? It’s what Jesus didn’t say. He didn’t say, “Thomas, I can’t believe you doubted me? Or I’m hurt because you didn’t believe the other disciples”. He didn’t shame, judge or condemn Thomas for his doubt; he simply gave him what he needed. Comfort.
That’s what Thomas needed on the inside, but he needed something very different on the outside. He needed evidence. Do you remember what Thomas said about his doubt? He said I won’t believe UNLESS these I see and touch these things. Look at what Jesus offers him – put your finger here and see my hands, and then put your hand in the wound in my side. Then Jesus says, “it time to stop you doubting and start believing”.
Now as a result of Jesus responding to Thomas’ doubt with grace and patience, what happened? Thomas made one of the greatest faith declarations in the whole NT – My Lord and My God! Thomas’s life was changed radically and forever. Tradition tells us that Thomas took the gospel to India and gave his life sharing the good news of the freedom found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Thomas knew what it was to have great doubts and great faith.
My prayer for you is that you’ll not only survive your bout with doubt, but you’ll thrive because you’ve conquered your doubt.
