A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: Sometimes our faith is not as strong as it should be. So it’s okay to come with your doubts and say, "Lord, I don't get this, help me." Like that one guy that said, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief."

Guest (Male): The Lord isn't angry when we're struggling with doubt. No, today, Pastor Greg Laurie says he stands ready to help us through that tough time and strengthen our faith.

Greg Laurie: Maybe you're struggling with doubt right now. But God understands that. He'll more than meet you halfway.

Guest (Male): Many believers have a time of doubt once in a while. It’s not a good feeling, is it? We may wish we had the faith of those men and women in the Bible, steadfast, immovable, faith as solid as a rock. Well, today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out even some of our biblical heroes encountered doubt.

In fact, we'll focus on one in particular today. But Pastor Greg draws the distinction between doubt and unbelief. We'll see doubt is temporary and can lead to a stronger faith.

Greg Laurie: The title of my message is Jesus and The Doubter. So if you've ever entertained doubts, you'll connect to the story. Let's read about it. Matthew 11, starting in verse 1. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, "Are you the coming one, or should we look for another?"

Jesus answered and said, "You go tell John the things that you hear and see. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them, and blessed is he who is not offended because of me." Well, stop there. So where is John? He’s in a dungeon.

And why is he in a dungeon? He’s in a dungeon because he called out King Herod, who was living an immoral lifestyle. So John is effectively saying, "Lord, why haven't you helped me?" And so he’s doubting. He’s wondering what is going on here. Listen to this: sometimes we need to go through the foyer of doubt to get into the sanctuary of certainty.

That’s not original to me, but it's a good statement, isn't it? We have to go through the foyer—we'll say lobby to make it easier because that's French—foyer, foyer. We have to go through the lobby of doubt to get into the sanctuary of certainty. A French proverb says, "He who knows nothing doubts nothing." It’s also been said, "Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it’s an element of faith."

Doubt is not necessarily a sign that a person is wrong; rather, it’s a sign they're thinking. So it's okay to have moments of doubt. Even great men of the Bible had their doubts. Moses was ready to quit on one occasion and complained to God about the Israelites. He said, "If they're going to treat me like this, Lord, I’d appreciate it if you would just take me out. Just kill me now." A little dramatic, right?

Elijah was ready to quit after hearing of the threats of Jezebel, and he said, "Lord, just take my life." We all remember doubting Thomas. He wanted to see the risen Lord himself. He said, "I’ll believe it when I can put my hand in the wound in his side." Then Christ appears and he says, "That’s okay, my Lord and my God."

But he just wanted to know for himself. There's nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with you saying, "I want to see it for myself, I want to know it for myself." This is all part of growing. Even the great Apostle Paul was discouraged. He writes about it in 2 Corinthians 1:8. He was burdened beyond measure, and he said, "We despaired even of life."

So if you're struggling with discouragement and doubt, you are not the first, nor will you be the last. The problem with John is he had a troubled mind and a broken heart. Hey, the guy was in a dungeon. Cut him some slack. Things are not going the way he thought they would go because he misunderstood.

So he sends two friends to just ask Jesus this question: "Are you the one, or should we look for another?" Now notice how Christ responds. He refers to Old Testament prophecies that he is the Messiah, alluding to Isaiah 35 and Isaiah 61. Jesus says, Matthew 11, verse 4, "You go tell John the blind are seen, the lame are walking, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up."

Then Jesus goes on to make this statement, "And God blesses those who do not turn away because of me. Blessed is a man who is not offended because of me. Happy are those who hold their course." I was with Chuck Smith a number of years ago. We were having lunch and we had finished, and I always asked Chuck questions.

Probably drove him crazy. But I said, "Chuck, let me ask you this. If an older Chuck could speak to a younger Chuck, what would you say to yourself?" And Chuck responded, "Hold the course." And I said, "What do you mean hold the course? Just keep doing what you're doing?" Sometimes Chuck could be a man of few words, believe it or not, privately.

"Just hold the course." I think he just left it up for me to figure out. Hold the course. But that's what he did all the way throughout his life; he held the course. The Apostle Paul said, "I fought the good fight, I’ve kept the faith, I’ve finished the course. Henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me in that final day, and not to me only, but to all who love the Lord's appearing."

Hold the course. So Jesus is effectively saying to John, "Buddy, hold the course. Trust me. John, I know you cannot understand my method and my ways and my timing. Trust me right now. Even when you're unable to see why I am doing what I am doing or why I’m not doing what you think I ought to be doing, just hold the course."

And the same is for all of us, true for all of us. Hold your course. You might be going through a season of doubt right now. Things are not making sense to you. And really, you could really be offended by that question. The question is, John wants to know if you're really the one or should he look for another?

Can you imagine your wife? You've been married for 30 years. She looks at you and says, "I think maybe I made a mistake. Should I look for another?" No! And so he’s really questioning the ministry of our Lord Jesus. Could have said, "I got a little offended. My cousin's always been a little weird. Let's get real. Really, locusts and wild honey? Is that necessary?"

He didn't do that at all. In fact, Jesus did the very opposite. He saw this as an opportunity to speak of the greatness of John. Look at Matthew 11. As the disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. He said, "What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed swayed by every breath of wind?

Hey, what were you guys looking for? A reed just blowing in the wind, someone unstable with no courage, some kind of a snowflake? This is John the Baptist, people, and I love him. And let me tell you a little something about John." And then he goes on to describe who John really was. And here's what it comes down to.

It's really not what others think about us or even what we think about ourselves. I’m interested in what Jesus thinks about me. Jesus had some good thoughts about John. And Jesus has some good thoughts about you, too. I want you to know that. I love Jeremiah 29:11. I quote it quite often.

But here's what God thinks about you: "I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope." A lot of us think God is mad at us when in reality God is mad about us. He loves us. That's what we see so clearly in scripture.

So now Jesus says this about John, verse 11: "Let me tell you something. Among those born of women, there has not been one greater than John the Baptist." John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Not only was he the last, but he was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Now that’s pretty amazing.

How could John be greater than Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel? John never called fire down from heaven like Elijah did. He never parted the Red Sea as Moses did. He did not write a book of the Bible like Isaiah or Ezekiel or even minor prophets like Micah. That doesn't mean that he was underage, Micah, being a minor prophet, just meant shorter book.

He didn't write a book. He didn't do a miracle. But Jesus says of men born of women, there has never been a greater than John the Baptist. Why was John the greatest of the Old Testament prophets? Answer: because John and John alone was the direct forerunner of Jesus. His greatness came as a result of his closeness to Christ.

And now Jesus drops this bombshell, verse 11: "And he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." What that means is you, as a Christian in the new covenant now, are greater than John. You say, "How could I be greater than John? He was the direct forerunner, he was the voice crying in the wilderness." I know.

But you see, you have a relationship with God that John did not have. John was a herald of the king. You're a friend of the king. John was a friend of the bridegroom. You're the bride of the bridegroom, right? So this all happened because of the death and resurrection of Christ.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Hey everybody, you can watch our Sunday services on a special broadcast that we call Harvest at Home. It’s streaming on the Harvest Plus platform. So download that app right away, Harvest Plus, and you can enjoy being a part of our extended church family every Sunday. Well, glad you're along today as Pastor Greg continues his message from Matthew chapter 11.

Greg Laurie: I titled this message Jesus and The Doubter. Jesus and you. Now maybe you're struggling with doubt right now. There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt asks questions; unbelief doesn't want answers. Doubt can be overcome and resolved, but unbelief is an act of disobedience.

So it’s okay to come with your doubts and say, "Lord, I don't get this, help me." Like that one guy that said, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief." So when you're praying about something, you say, "Lord, we're praying for this. We're asking this in the name of Jesus. We're praying about this together. But Lord, we're also saying we believe, but help our unbelief."

Because sometimes our faith is not as strong as it should be. But God understands that. He'll more than meet you halfway. So let's wrap this up now. How did Jesus deal with doubt in life of John and how does he want to deal with doubt in our life? Number one: he refocused John's priorities.

John misunderstood, as I said, the mission and purpose of the coming of Christ, and it was true of the disciples as well. He refocused him. He didn't rebuke him; he refocused him. Because the problem with John was not that he was asking too much; it’s that he was asking too little.

"Hey John, I’m going to do something even bigger than you're expecting. Overthrow the Romans? I’m going to come and establish my kingdom on earth one day, and the righteousness of the Lord will fill the planet." So it's going to be bigger than anything you ever dreamed. So he refocused his priorities.

Secondly, he used scripture or brought John back to the scripture. He took John back to the Bible. "Buddy, remember what the Bible says. Remember what the prophets say. You need to go back." I cannot say enough about how important the Word of God is for everything in life that you are facing.

This is why we need to memorize scripture and know scripture when we fall into that little pit of despair, when we're dealing with hardship, when we're looking for direction. Really, whatever you're going through, know the Word of God. And as I've said to you, you need to think biblically.

So Jesus brings him back to the Bible. Coming back to those two disciples on the Emmaus road, they said to Christ, who again was incognito, "We were hoping Jesus would have been the one to deliver Israel, but it’s been three days since these events happened." Jesus must have thought, "Oy vey, really, three days?

Don't you remember how many times I said I, the Son of Man, will be betrayed, I'll be crucified, and three days later I'll rise again? Read my lips: three days." But they missed it. It’s been three days. And then he took them on a guided tour of the Bible and pointed them to all of the passages that pointed to the Messiah suffering for our sin.

So what did he do? He brought them back to the Word of God. And the Bible says at the end of their journey, they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he opened the Word on the way?" Number three: Jesus kept right on with his purpose and asked John to not be stumbled or annoyed.

He’s just saying, "Just trust me." God never promised he would inform us all about his plan ahead of time. He just promised us that he has one. And ultimately it's for our good and it's for his glory. Let me say that again. God never promised he would inform us all about his plan ahead of time.

He just promised that he has one, and it's ultimately for our good and it's for his glory. I know there are things in life that don't make sense. I know there are questions that remain unanswered. I know you have times of disappointment as a follower of Jesus. But one day it will all be made clear.

And whatever you've lost for the kingdom of God in this life, whatever you've suffered will be made up to you in the next life. God has promised that in scripture. So right now the Bible says we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. It's sort of like someone that has tinted glass on their car and you can't see in.

And that's how it is sometimes. We're trying to figure these things out. We squint our eyes. We're trying to see what is taking place and why God is doing it. Another translation of that same verse there in 1 Corinthians 13 says Paul speaking, "I know now in a fragmentary fashion, but then I will fully know as I am known."

Yeah, I know you have questions you want to ask God. But in that final day when we stand before God, we'll realize he never sat on his hands because they were nailed to a cross. God's in control. God is at work. So if you have a doubt, you just bring it to Jesus. And that's really to me the big story here.

John had his doubts, but he brought his doubts to Jesus. And that’s what we need to do. And Jesus wants to more than meet you halfway. He came to this earth, he walked among us, he lived a perfect life, he died a perfect death, he died on the cross for our sin, and he rose again.

And now he stands at the door of our life and he knocks and says, "If you'll hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in." Sometimes people say, "I have a few questions, and if you can answer these questions, I'll become a Christian." I think many times what we will see is when we become a Christian, that's when the questions are answered.

Not all of them, but I will say this: most of them. Most of the big ones for sure. When you enter into this relationship with God that is available through Jesus Christ. And that is what I started this message with, talking about how God is a loving heavenly Father that longs for a relationship with us, a friendship with us that comes through Christ.

So if you've never asked Jesus to come into your life, you can do it right here, right now as we close in prayer. Let's all pray. Father, thank you for sending Jesus to enter our world, God with skin on. You had a face, and we heard you and we saw you. And now you want to enter each of our lives individually.

You want a relationship with each of us, and I pray for anybody here, anybody wherever they may be, if they don't have a relationship with you, let this be the moment they believe. If you would like Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you would like him to forgive you of your sin, if you would like to know that when you die you will go to heaven, if you want this friendship and relationship with God, pray this prayer with me right now.

Just pray: Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner, but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Now come into my life. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer with those who are making a decision for the Lord today. And if you've just taken that step, well, first of all, know that your sins are forgiven. The Bible tells us the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And we want to welcome you into the family of God. Let us send you something to help you get started off right. It’s Pastor Greg's New Believer’s Bible, and we'll send it free of charge. It has hundreds of helps for those who've just begun their walk of faith. It'll answer some of the questions that may be on your mind right now.

Just ask for the New Believer’s Bible. You can call us at 1-800-821-3300. That’s 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to harvest.org and click on "Know God." We hear from people all the time who tell us how these daily studies have impacted their lives. So many have found the Lord and been encouraged through this teaching. And we hope our listeners might pray about making an investment so these studies can continue.

Greg Laurie: It’s really true, Dave. Even a little bit helps. People need to hear the gospel so badly. They need to hear the teaching of the Word of God. It changes everything because it changes us. And I’m so passionate about it and I’m called to do it and I’m thankful for it. But I can't do it alone.

So I’m going to ask folks that are listening, if you think more people need to hear the gospel, if you believe more people need to hear the teaching of the Word of God, then prayerfully consider investing in Harvest Ministries and maybe even become a Harvest Partner, which means you're someone who stands with us every month in your faithful giving. And that opens up a lot of new opportunities for us. So thanks for that.

Guest (Male): Yeah, that's right, and we really are thankful for your partnership. You can reach us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-821-3300. That’s 1-800-821-3300. Or just go online to harvest.org. And while you're online with us, why not begin receiving Pastor Greg's daily devotions via email every day? They're free of charge.

We'll send them to the email address you provide for us. And when they arrive, you can read them or, with one click, listen to the audio version. Sign up today free of charge at harvest.org. Well, next time, Pastor Greg takes us along as Jesus has an encounter with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. It’s one of the most pivotal conversations in the Bible. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.