10 Apr Mark 15: Dealing with doubts

Mark 6:7-29

⁷ And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. ¹¹ And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

¹⁴ King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” ¹⁷ For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. ²² For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” ²³ And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

All of us struggle with doubts. It does not matter how long we have been Christians, doubt is one issue that will keep creeping back. God has been faithful in shaping us into his image more and more, but that does not mean we graduate from struggles. And every time we face struggles, doubt creeps in. I wish I could tell you what to do to never have doubt, but I can’t because it’s not true. Let’s be honest. How many of you have experienced seasons of doubts where you are just not sure what God is doing in your life? Raise your hands.

My Christian journey has been one that is filled with doubts every now and then. I grew up in the church and I witnessed firsthand the difference between what was preached and reality. I saw so much of the hypocrisy of many Christians around me that Christianity left a sour taste in my mouth. But when I finally understood the gospel, something happened to my heart that I could not understand. All the questions that bugged me for many years suddenly did not matter anymore. When God opened my heart to the reality of his love for me in Jesus, a transformation occurred in me, and I became zealous for God. But it did not mean I was free from doubt. As I continued to walk with God, I continued to wrestle with doubts. I loved Jesus. I loved the church and I tried to follow Jesus the best I know-how. But I had this ongoing battle with sin in my life. And unfortunately, I was in an environment where it appeared that no one else was doing that. It seemed like everyone around me was a Super Christian who had no issue with sin. So that created a lot of doubts in me. I was battling some indwelling sin and didn’t feel like I could be honest about it because no one else seemed to be battling. I thought I was the abnormality.

Then I became a preacher of the gospel and I still struggled with doubts. Here is the thing about being a preacher. Every time you preach, you have fans and foes. You have fans who want to give you credit for what most definitely was not you. I have changed no one and I will never be capable of it. Only God through the Holy Spirit can. But how easy it is for me to take credit for the works of the Holy Spirit. And then you have foes, people who question and attack your sermon, and your credibility. I began to doubt whether I should preach the gospel or not. Add to it the fact that gospel growth can be very slow at times in my own life and also in others. It made me doubt whether I was doing the right thing or not. But God is gracious, and he continues to minister to my soul. But that does not negate the fact that I continue to struggle with doubt. And here is what I learned about doubt. Doubt is not necessarily a bad thing. Doubt can be an opportunity for us to look at the foundations of our life and grow stronger. But in order to do that, we must make the right choice. Because doubt will always present us with a choice. And our choice will determine whether we grow or sink. Tonight, we will learn from a man who struggled with doubts and made the wrong choice.

I have three points for this sermon: The sending; The doubt; The choice.

The sending

Mark 6:7-11 – ⁷ And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. ¹¹ And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

Up to this point of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus is the one who does all the work. He is the only one who preaches the gospel, heals the sicks and casts out demons. The disciples are simply observing everything Jesus does. But we know that this is not Jesus’ main goal in calling them to follow him. Jesus’ main goal is to make them the fishers of men. Jesus’ purpose is to send them out to be his representative. So, after they had the opportunity to learn from Jesus for quite some time, Jesus decides that it is time for the next step of their training. It is time to learn by doing, or what we know as an internship. Knowledge is good. But knowledge alone is not enough. It is time for the disciples to go out and exercise what they have witnessed of Jesus. This is the turning point in the life of the disciples. They turn from being observers to participants. So, Jesus sends them out two by two on a short mission trip. This is the original dynamic duo.

But here is what I want you to get. When Jesus sends the disciples to go on a short-term mission, the disciples are still far from perfect. Now keep in mind that none of the disciples is from the religious elite. They are common people. Fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot. And as we have seen so far, the disciples are excellent at missing the point. The more we know about the disciples, the more we realized, “These dudes are not the sharpest tool in the shed.” But it doesn’t disqualify them from being sent by Jesus and being used by Jesus. Mark tells us that Jesus gives them authority over the unclean spirits. This is so important. It means that the disciples are not acting based on their own authority. This mission is not about the disciples but the one who sent the disciples. The disciples are going out in Jesus’ name, as Jesus’ representative, with Jesus’ message, Jesus’ power, and Jesus’ authority to do Jesus’ work. The point is that the disciples could do anything in and of themselves, but they are going out in Jesus’ authority. And we can see it also from what Jesus tells them.

Jesus tells them to take nothing for their journey except a staff. Do not bring bread, a bag, or money. Just wear sandals and do not put on two tunics. Jesus wants them to travel light. Why? The point is not that having less is a virtue, but it shows their greater dependence on God. Jesus wants them to place their trust not in their supplies and training but in the authority of Jesus. Jesus wants them to trust in God’s provision. Jesus is calling them into a journey of faith. Now, let me make it clear. It doesn’t mean that they do not need to be prepared for this mission. Jesus does not send them out immediately. They have their chance to learn from Jesus. Jesus has equipped them for ministry. But at the end of the day, the disciples need to have total dependence on Jesus to do the works of Jesus. Listen. We do not need faith to live out quiet, comfortable Christianity. We do not need to trust in Jesus when we are silent with the gospel. We can do that on our own. But what Jesus is calling every disciple to do is to live a higher calling. Every disciple of Christ is called to go on a mission and trust God to supply everything they need for the mission. This is what we are created for. We are not made to be glad in hoarding the gospel, but we are made to be glad by sharing the gospel. Let’s continue.

Whenever they stay in someone’s house, they must stay in that house until they leave the village. This is also an act of trusting Jesus. Remember that they do not carry any money with them. So, they rely solely on people’s hospitality to give them a place to stay and food to eat. And Jesus is telling the disciples to trust him that he has designated people to meet their needs in different villages. And once someone offers them their hospitality, stay in the same house. Be a grateful guest. Why? Because it is very likely that once people witness them heal the sick and cast out demons, they will receive a better offer of hospitality from the wealthy. Instead of staying in a small motel, they might be offered five-star accommodation. And Jesus says, “Don’t take that offer. Remain where you are. Don’t complain about the motel. Honour your host. Be a grateful guest. Because ministry is not a five-star holiday.” When I read this, I was like, “Oh snap. Guilty as charged.” Because I did this kind of thing before. A small church invited me to speak, and I said yes. I put it on my calendar. But then a bigger event came along around the same time, and I was also invited to speak. So, I asked the small church to reschedule. And before you judge me, remember that you do this all the time as well. How many of you have ever broken your dinner appointment with someone because of a better free dinner elsewhere? Don’t raise your hand. We quickly trade a smaller opportunity with a bigger opportunity that promises more money and status. And Jesus is telling the disciples not to do it. Let their yes be yes and let their no be no. Because ultimately ministry is not about how big or small it is. Ministry is about serving Jesus by total dependence on Jesus.

And when the disciples serve Jesus, not everyone will like them. There will be places where they are not welcomed. They will experience rejection. And Jesus tells them to shake the dust off their feet. This is an ancient way of saying, “I have told you about Jesus. I have shared the gospel with you. And now I am not responsible for you. You are responsible for what I have told you. It’s not on me anymore.” In other words, rejection of the disciples is the rejection of the gospel that they preached. And it is essentially the rejection of Jesus who sent them. Jesus is telling them that it is not their responsibility to make sure people respond rightly to the gospel. Their responsibility is to share the gospel. And look at what happens next. It is amazing.

Mark 6:12-13 – ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. So, the disciples go and proclaim the gospel. They tell people to repent of their sins. This is their primary task. And as they preach the gospel, they also cast out many demons and heal many sick people. Do you know what this is? This is the exact replica of Jesus’ ministry. It is as if Jesus himself is with them in their ministry. But instead of being limited to one place at one time, we have Jesus times twelve. And the gospel spreads even further than before.

What does it mean for us? In these verses, Jesus gives us the mission of every disciple of Christ. Jesus gives us the blueprint of what we are called to do as a church. And it looks very different from what we often do. So, this is what the church does. We know the end goal. We want people all around us to worship Jesus. But then we start to make our own plan on how to make it happen. Instead of going out there and making disciples, we start to think of how we can get people to come to us. Instead of outward focus, we have inward focus. We use all our energy and resources to have the best facilities to draw crowds. We focus on programs to keep the crowds entertained. Now, can you see what happened? Is it wrong to have nice facilities and good programs and draw crowds in? Of course not. But hear me on this. As cool as those things are, they are not the plan Jesus gives us to accomplish his mission. I have nothing against programs, but programs are not how we will accomplish Jesus’ mission. Because Jesus’ plan is not programs but people. People, not programs. The plan of Jesus is for every disciple of Jesus to accomplish the mission of Jesus by the authority of Jesus. This is Jesus’ plan. He wants to use you and me to accomplish his mission. How? It is simple. Are you ready? Jesus’ plan to fulfil his mission is for every disciple of Jesus to make disciples of Jesus. That’s it. That’s the plan. There is no need to spend millions of dollars to make first-class church facilities and programs.

Jesus’s plan to turn the world upside down with the gospel is not through programs but through the disciples of Jesus proclaiming the gospel and making disciples. Every disciple of Jesus is called to make disciples. No exception. I keep coming back to this theme because Mark keeps coming back to this theme. There is no such thing as benchwarmer Christian. Every Christian is called to play the game. And I understand the objection. “Yos, I just don’t think I have what it takes to make disciples.” And I would say, “Yes, I can see that.” When I look around this room and with all due respect, you are not the sharpest tools in the shed. I see people who are struggling in many ways. Some of you struggle to come to church today. Some of you still have so much to learn about the Bible and what it means to follow Jesus. Some of you are tired and anxious. Some of you are struggling with sins, doubts, and fears. You do not feel adequate to share the gospel with others. But that’s the point. Making disciples force you to grow as disciples. And that’s how you grow.

I know this is cliché but it’s worth saying. Jesus is not looking at our ability. He wants our availability. He does not need us to be awesome. He wants us to know that he is awesome. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus does not need someone who can, he wants someone who goes. And the promise is that as we go, Jesus has given us his authority and he will provide whatever we need to accomplish his mission. Jesus is sending us to go and make disciples in his authority. And when we go, there is no guarantee that people will accept the gospel. There will be many who reject the gospel. But we must understand this. We can’t control how people will respond to the gospel, but we can control whether or not people around us hear the gospel. That’s what we are called to do. Listen. No matter how much we have studied, we will never feel adequate for ministry. As we can see with the twelve disciples, a genuine call to ministry always involves dependence on Jesus’ power and authority. It is never about us. It is about learning to trust the power of the gospel and the authority of Jesus who sent us. And as we go and proclaim the gospel, we will experience what the disciples experienced. We will experience the supernatural works of God working through us and it’s exciting. I think the reason many of you are bored is that you do not play the game. You are too busy cheering on the sidelines while Jesus is inviting you to join the game. Let’s move on to the next point.

The doubt

Mark 6:14-20 – ¹⁴ King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” ¹⁷ For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

Until this time, Jesus’ public ministry is overshadowed by John the Baptist. But as the disciples go and spread the gospel, Jesus’ fame is spreading more and more to the point that Herod heard of Jesus. Who is Herod? Let me give you a little background on who he is. There are four different Herod in the New Testament. Herod the Great was the one who slaughtered all the babies in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth. He was the most powerful Herod. And then Herod the Great divided his territory into four and gave them to his sons. Two of them were Herod Antipas, the Herod in our passage, and Herod Philip, his half-brother. Herod Philip was married to Herodias, and Herod Antipas was married to the daughter of King Aretas. But then Herod Antipas had an affair with his brother’s wife, Herodias. So, Herodias divorced Herod Philip, Herod Antipas divorced his wife, and Herod Antipas and Herodias got married. And Herodias has a daughter by the name of Salome from her previous marriage with Herod Philip. And Salome is staying with her mother. Are you with me? There is a reason why I explained this to you. Jesus has just warned the disciples that not everyone would welcome the gospel. There will always be opposition wherever the gospel is preached. This is a warning to us that Jesus’ mission is costly. When we give our lives to following Jesus and play part in his mission, we will face more difficulties, not fewer. Let’s look at what happens.

As Jesus’ fame spread, people start to have their own opinion on the identity of Jesus. Some say that he is Elijah because he can perform many miracles. Some say he is one of the prophets because he teaches God’s word with authority. And some say that he is John the Baptist who was raised from the dead. And this bothers Herod Antipas. Because he is the one who beheaded John the Baptist. What happened? Basically, John publicly criticized Herod Antipas’s marriage to Herodias. John was a bold man. He was not interested in being politically correct. There was one time when the Pharisees and the Scribes came to be baptised by John. And John said to them, “You brood of vipers.” That was an insult by the way. Imagine me meeting some of the prosperity preachers that you see a lot on the TV and saying to them, “You bunch of dogs.” That’s John the Baptist. He spoke the truth even if it offended the pollical leaders. According to Jewish law, marriage between Antipas and Herodias is unlawful on two grounds. First, it was adultery. Second, Jewish law prohibited sexual relations with one’s brother’s wife. And John was not shy to tell them of their sins.

So, Herodias was furious, and she wanted to destroy John. But she could not because of her new husband. Why? Listen to what Marks says very closely. It is very interesting. Mark 6:20 – ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. Why in the world would you listen to a person day after day who just speak badly about you? Can you see what happened? Herod was caught in two minds. On one hand, he was offended by what John said. On the other hand, he was fascinated by what John said. There was a conflict within him. He knew John was right but he still arrested and imprisoned John. He was greatly perplexed. The word perplexed comes from a Greek word that simply means to be paralysed by indecision. Let me put it today’s term. It is a word that is used to describe a driver who already has her driver’s license but is still afraid to get on the road. Do you know someone like that? This word communicates the idea of doubt. To doubt is to be double-minded. That feeling of, “This looks good. But that looks good as well. I can’t choose between the two.” Herod was experiencing doubt. There were two options in front of him, but he did not know which one to take.

Let’s bring it to us. As Christians, we will face doubts again and again. We will be confronted with options, and we do not know which one to take. I love the way Timothy Keller explains it. He describes doubt as spiritual vertigo. What happened when you had vertigo? You become dizzy. For a moment, you lost control of your situation. You are not really in or out. And you won’t stay in this situation for long. You will either crash to the floor, or you will adjust and get your footings back. Spiritual vertigo is when you are confronted with the truth of the Bible and for a moment you don’t know what to do about it. And it is not necessarily a bad thing. Because doubt can be a window of opportunity for us to look at the foundation of our life. I remember I had spiritual vertigo when I was in my third year of Bible college in Dallas. I had always believed that salvation involves good works. Yes, I was saved by faith, but then I kept that salvation by my good works. My look on Christianity was, “I obey, therefore I am accepted.” My Christianity was, “I have to pray. I have to read the Bible. I have to serve. So that I can be good enough to go to heaven.” But then, I heard the gospel. The gospel says, “I am accepted, therefore I obey.” It is the total opposite of what I believed. The gospel tells me that Jesus has loved me, Jesus has died for me, while I was still a sinner. And he accepted me not because I was good enough but because he is good enough to cover all my sins. And I obey him because he has accepted me. The gospel challenged my understanding of salvation and it led me into spiritual vertigo. And I wrestled with it for more than a year.

Can you see what happened? Doubt is not necessarily bad. The question is not whether we have doubts or not. The question is, what do we do with our doubts? Doubts present us with a choice. Herod’s worldview was being challenged by John. He could not make sense of John. He liked John’s sermon, but he was not prepared to change his lifestyle. And this is a danger for some of you. Some of you have been coming to church for a while. You have listened to the gospel week in and week out. You like the gospel. But you are not prepared to change. You have yet to decide to live a life worthy of the gospel. And you think that by listening to the gospel being preached every week and giving intellectual assent to it that somehow it atones for your condition. Let me tell you, it doesn’t. You can say amen to the gospel a million times and feel better about yourself. But if you do not change, you are just like Herod. And sooner or later, you will be forced to make a choice. And this is what happened to Herod.

The choice

Mark 6:21-29 – ²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. ²² For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” ²³ And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

While Herod was indecisive about John the Baptist, Herodias knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted revenge. She would do whatever it takes to destroy John the Baptist. Including using her own daughter. And her opportunity came when Herod celebrated his birthday. So, Herod celebrated his birthday, and he invited many men of influence to his party. This was not an ordinary birthday party. Every man of high social status and influence was there at the party. The purpose of this party was to boost Herod’s reputation and position among the men of influence. And then Salome, Herodias’ daughter, came in and danced. And Salome was not dancing to the latest BTS song. The dance in those days was very sensual and seductive. It looked a lot more like a stripper dance than BTS. And apparently, Salome’s stripper dance was very good, and she pleased Herod and his influential guests. So, Herod said to Salome, “Your dance was amazing. It was very good. What do you want as a reward? Whatever you wish, I will give it to you. I vow to give you whatever you ask, up to half of my kingdom.” Salome replied, “Give me a minute. Let me ask mom.” And everyone must have thought, “Ow, that’s so cute. She’s 16 and she still asks her mom what gift she should get from her stepfather.”

So, Salome went out to see her mom, and she quickly came back to the room and said, “I know what I want. I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter right now.” And now everyone thought, “Okay, maybe she is not that cute after all.” It was a bizarre request. And this was what Herodias was after from the beginning. Herodias knew exactly what kind of man Herod was. And she cornered him. She forced him to make a decision. She put Herod in a big dilemma. On the one hand, Herod did not want to kill John. But on the other hand, Herod vowed to give Salome whatever she asked. And on top of that, he made that vow in front of many influential men. If he did not give Salome what she asked, he would break his own words and it would tarnish his reputation in front of these men of standings. He would be a laughingstock and those men would not trust his words. So, Herod was forced to decide. Which one was more important? The life of John the Baptist or his unwise vow? Obeying God’s law or his reputation? Herod was tormented and he finally made his decision. He sent an executioner to behead John in the prison and bring his head on a platter for Salome and Herodias. What a tragic end to the life of a man whom Jesus said was the greatest man born of a woman. John was a young, righteous, courageous man of God. And he died because of a dancing girl. It tells us that the righteous do suffer unfairly. Following Jesus is costly. Bad things happen to good people all the time.

Don’t miss the important lesson in this story. Herod was listening to John over and over again. He had many chances to make the right decision and change his life. But he never made a decision. But Herodias was decisive. She saw an opportunity and she took it. She ruthlessly cornered her husband to make the decision that she wanted, and she got it. Herod lost the opportunity for him to change. Here is what I want you to consider. You do not have the power and the control over your heart that you think you have. Some of you are struggling with doubts right now. You are in that spiritual vertigo moment. You know you should change but you are afraid to do so. You know what the right thing to do is, but you continue to delay it. Here is the warning. Don’t you dare think that the window of opportunity is going to be open forever. It is not. You don’t have that control over the openness of your heart. It might take another 10 days, 10 weeks, or 10 months, or 10 minutes, but a time is coming when you are going to be incapable of doing what you know you should do. You will lose that window of opportunity to change unless you act now. There is nothing wrong with doubt. But when doubt leads you to look at the foundations of your life and you see the need to change, then you must decide. If you look at the foundation of your life and God is not there, you must not waste this opportunity to change. Because it will not stay open forever. So here are some questions for you. Is there anything you know you should do right now, and you are wavering about it? You keep putting it off and delaying it. What keeps you from doing it? Are you building your life on the foundation of the approval of others? Or is it power? Career? Love? Family? Comfort? Don’t delay anymore. Today is the day you must decide to do what is right.

But where do you find the courage to make the right decision? Do you remember the second verse of the song “Cornerstone”? “When darkness seems to hide his face, I rest on his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” This verse is talking about doubt. It is talking about when God’s face seems to be veiled. It is talking about a time of darkness, a sense that God is not there. It is the struggle all of us experience when we follow Jesus. And this is what happened to Jesus. At the cross, Jesus lost the face of God. Jesus experienced the ultimate darkness. He experienced ultimate vertigo. For all his life, he always had the face of God. But at the cross, for the first time in his life, God turned his face away from Jesus. Jesus not only doubted, but he experienced ultimate vertigo and he fell. Why? Jesus did that for us. Jesus fell for us so that when we experience spiritual vertigo, we can know God still loves us. When we experience doubts, we can look to Jesus on the cross and find the confidence that if he did that for us, if he took the penalty of our sins so that we could be accepted, then God will never let go of our hands in spite of our doubts. We are not saved by how much faith we have in Jesus, but we are saved by Jesus. What saves us is not the strength of our faith but the object of our faith. If we know this, when we go through times of doubt, it can be an opportunity. We won’t freak out about the fact that we have doubts. But we use doubts as a window of opportunity to look at our foundations and make our decisions. Instead of killing our faith, doubts move us into greater certainty of who Jesus is and make us grow deeper in the gospel. Let’s pray.

Discussion questions:

1. Have you ever doubted God and his words? What happened?
2. Why do you think Herod was perplexed? Can you see the same propensity in you?
3. How does the gospel give you the space to deal with your doubts?
4. “Every Christian is called to play part in the mission of Christ.” List out some of the most common objections to this invitation?
5. How does Jesus address all these objections?
6. Start thinking of who you can invite to church this Sunday. How are you going to do it? Make plan.