Threads of Doubt | Gray Strickland

Matthew 28:10 NIV

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew 28:16-17 NIV

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him;  
but some doubted.

Doubt: refers more to hesitation or uncertainty than to unbelief

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV 

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I. Our doubt doesn’t disqualify us.

II. Our doubt doesn't have to define us.

Jude 1:22 NIV

22 “Be merciful to those who doubt.” 

Doubt eventually leads to deeper faith or debilitating fear.  

It’s likely doubt will not cause you to ruin your life, but it very well may cause you to waste your life.  

  Acts 2:42-43 NIV

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

They did not let the unexplainable overshadow the undeniable.

In the midst of their doubt... 

...they kept showing up. 

Acts 1:4-6 NIV

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

In the midst of their doubt... 

...they remained teachable.

In the midst of their doubt... 

...they understood that the work God was doing in them was not just for them.