When Church Gets in the Way Part 4

Devotional

Day 1: Dungeon Questions and Kingdom Answers

John the Baptist sat in Herod’s prison, chains clinking. He’d prepared the way for Messiah, baptized Jesus himself. Yet doubt crept in: “Are you the one, or should we look for another?” He sent disciples to ask Jesus directly. The man who once declared “Behold the Lamb!” now wrestled in the dark. Jesus didn’t scold him. He listed miracles: blind seeing, lame walking, good news preached. Evidence, not condemnation, answered John’s raw cry. [31:21]

Doubt flourishes in isolation. John’s prison became an echo chamber for fears. But Jesus redirected his gaze to tangible signs of God’s kingdom at work. He honors seekers who bring questions to His light rather than nursing them in shadows.

Where is your “prison” – a situation making God’s goodness hard to see? What if your doubt isn’t a dead end, but a detour toward deeper trust? “Go and tell John what you hear and see” applies to you too. What evidence of God’s work have you overlooked this week?

“When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
(Matthew 11:2-3, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to give you courage to voice one doubt you’ve kept hidden.
Challenge: Write your biggest faith question on a note and place it in your Bible.

Day 2: Miracles as Messengers

Jesus responded to John’s crisis with a catalog of miracles: blind eyes opened, lepers cleansed, dead raised. These weren’t party tricks but fulfilled prophecies (Isaiah 35:5-6). Every healing declared, “This is what Messiah does.” Jesus didn’t explain John’s suffering but anchored him to scripture’s promises. [32:37]

God often answers our “why?” with “who.” When life confuses us, He points to His character revealed in Scripture and sustained through centuries. The same power that raised Lazarus still reshapes broken lives today.

You may want Jesus to fix your circumstances. He wants to fix your eyes on His faithfulness. Where have you demanded answers instead of seeking His presence? This week, when doubts arise, pause and list three ways God has shown His power in your story.

“Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’”
(Matthew 11:4-5, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for one specific miracle – in Scripture or your life – that strengthens your faith.
Challenge: Text a friend today with one example of God’s faithfulness you’ve witnessed.

Day 3: When Saints Still Struggle

John wasn’t the only faithful doubter. Thomas demanded scars. David howled “How long, Lord?” Job cursed his birth. Even Elijah, after defeating Baal’s prophets, collapsed under a broom tree. Scripture normalizes holy wrestling. Jesus never discarded these raw souls – He met them in their anguish. [40:23]

God treasures integrity over pretense. He prefers your honest cry to polished piety. The disciples’ faltering faith didn’t disqualify them; it positioned them to receive resurrection proof.

What spiritual mask do you wear in church circles? Where have you equated doubt with failure? Try this: Replace “I should…” prayers with “I feel…” prayers. When did you last let someone see your spiritual struggle?

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’”
(John 20:27, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve pretended certainty instead of seeking Christ.
Challenge: Share a current doubt with a trusted believer within the next 48 hours.

Day 4: From Google to Gospel

We often take questions to forums, podcasts, or angry rants. John sent his disciples to Jesus. Christ redirected them to Scripture’s testimony and His works. Truth isn’t found in echo chambers but through engaging God’s Word and His people. [45:30]

Alone, doubts metastasize. In community, they become conversations. The early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42) – testing questions against Christ’s words, not cultural trends.

What voices dominate your doubt dialogues? This week, replace one hour of online searching with Scripture reading on the same issue. Who in your life models “Let’s ask Jesus together” instead of “Here’s my opinion”?

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
(James 5:16, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to lead you to a Scripture passage that addresses your core doubt.
Challenge: Discuss one faith question in your small group or with a mentor this week.

Day 5: The Bridge of “Help My Unbelief”

A desperate father cried, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Jesus didn’t demand full certainty before healing his son. Faith isn’t the absence of doubt but choosing to trust despite it. Like Peter walking on water, we fix our eyes on Christ even as waves threaten. [42:19]

Jesus honors scrappy, persistent faith. The Psalms show prayer isn’t about eloquence but honesty. Your wavering “if” matters less than His unwavering “I AM.”

What if today’s doubt becomes tomorrow’s testimony? Instead of waiting for certainty, take one step toward Christ. Will you let your questions drive you to His feet rather than from His presence?

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”
(Mark 9:24, NIV)

Prayer: Repeat Mark 9:24 aloud as your prayer today.
Challenge: Write this verse where you’ll see it daily – your mirror, phone lock screen, or car dashboard.

Sermon Summary

When church gets in the way, Jesus calls faith back to what it was meant to be. The contrast between a guarded church culture and the compassion of Christ frames the whole argument. Doubt does not disqualify faith, it can actually deepen it, because truth has nothing to fear. Matthew 11 carries the weight of this claim. John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way, baptized Jesus, and heard the voice from heaven, now sits in prison with unmet expectations and asks, Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? That question does not arrive from unbelief but from pain colliding with hope.

Jesus answers John with clarity, not condemnation. He says, Go back and report what you hear and see. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear good news. In other words, look at the evidence, remember the Scriptures, let Isaiah’s promises reframe disappointed expectations. Then Jesus turns to the crowd and honors John, calling him the greatest among those born of women. The text refuses the lie that honest questions disqualify a disciple. It shows that even the strongest believers wrestle, and that Jesus does not shame questions, he invites people to lean in.

The pathway is simple and honest. Acknowledgment comes first. God already knows what a person is thinking, so hiding only exhausts the soul. Scripture even gives a prayer for this moment, I believe, help my unbelief. Then direction matters. Questions should go to Jesus, not just to the loudest voices around. Open the Gospels and let his character, works, and way of treating strugglers tell the story of who he is. Community then guards against the spiral of isolation. Confession, prayer, and patient companionship create the kind of grace-filled space where clarity often comes.

Letting questions drive a person toward the truth, not away from it, changes the outcome. Some questions get clear answers, some get partial answers, and some remain mysteries. Mature faith is not the absence of questions, but the decision to keep trusting Jesus with those questions. A church shaped by that posture does not police honesty. It normalizes phrases like, That is a great question, let’s explore together. In the end, questions bring a person to a Person. Christ, who stepped into suffering, died, and rose, is compelling enough to trust even when not every why is settled. If John can ask, anyone can ask. And Jesus will meet them there.

Key Takeaways

1. Doubt can deepen real faith Doubt is not the opposite of trust but often the furnace where trust is refined. When expectations break against pain, the question itself can drive a person closer to what is true rather than farther away. Because truth has nothing to fear, honest wrestling becomes a doorway, not a dead end. [28:18]
2. Jesus meets questions with clarity Christ does not swat away honest questions or shame the struggler. He answers by pointing to his works and to Scripture, inviting memory, reason, and hope to walk together. Clarity, not condemnation, is his way with those who ask from the dark. [32:37]
3. Bring hard questions to Jesus Let the Gospels narrate who Jesus is rather than letting noise or outrage set the tone. Scripture reveals his character with the kind of evidence and mercy that podcasts cannot give. In bringing questions to him, the heart receives not just data, but the presence of a faithful Person. [43:27]
4. Wrestle in community, not isolation Isolation turns questions into spirals where pain gets louder and lies sound truer. Confession, prayer, and patient friends create a safe, confidential space for real healing and clarity. God often delivers perspective through the honest ministry of his people. [44:34]
5. Mature faith trusts amid mystery Some answers come, some stay partial, and some remain on God’s side of the ledger. Maturity is not having everything nailed down but choosing to keep trusting Jesus in the tension. That posture grows confidence in God’s goodness even when the why is not resolved. [48:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:11] - Series recap and big idea
[25:20] - Naming honest questions and doubts
[26:54] - When church shames questions
[28:18] - Doubt can deepen faith
[28:56] - John the Baptist in Matthew 11
[30:06] - Prison and unmet expectations
[31:21] - Are you the One
[32:23] - Jesus answers with evidence
[32:58] - Honoring John, not disqualifying him
[33:45] - Three truths about doubt
[40:43] - A pathway for honest wrestling
[42:36] - Bring questions to Jesus first
[44:34] - Wrestle in community
[48:03] - What mature faith looks like

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 11:2-6 (ESV)
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Mark 9:24 (ESV)
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

James 5:16 (ESV)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Observation questions

In Matthew 11:3, John the Baptist asks Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come?” What circumstances led John to ask this question, and how does Jesus respond (vv. 4-5)?
The sermon mentions examples of biblical figures like David, Job, and Thomas who expressed doubts or questions to God. What do these stories have in common? [40:03]
According to the sermon, what three actions does Jesus not take when answering John’s question (e.g., rebuke, shame, etc.)? [35:57]
What specific works of Jesus does he point to in Matthew 11:5 as evidence of his identity?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to answer John’s question by pointing to his works and Scripture (Isaiah’s prophecies) instead of directly saying, “Yes, I am the Messiah”?
The sermon states, “Isolation turns questions into spirals where pain gets louder and lies sound truer” [44:50]. How does community (as seen in John sending his disciples to Jesus and James 5:16) guard against this?
Jesus honors John as “the greatest among those born of women” (Matthew 11:11) even after John’s doubt. What does this reveal about how God views honest questions?
The father in Mark 9:24 prays, “I believe; help my unbelief!” How does this prayer model a way to hold both faith and doubt at the same time?

Application questions

When have you felt like John the Baptist—doing the right thing but facing disappointment or confusion? How did you handle your questions in that season?
The sermon warns against taking questions “to social media, Google, or friends who are just as angry as we are” [42:36]. What practical step could you take this week to bring a hard question directly to Jesus through prayer or Scripture?
James 5:16 encourages confession and prayer in community. Is there a safe person or group you could share a current doubt with? What makes it hard to take that step?
The sermon says, “Mature faith is not the absence of questions, but the decision to keep trusting Jesus with those questions” [48:03]. What does trusting Jesus look like for you in a situation where answers remain unclear?
How could you create a “grace-filled space” in your relationships or small group for others to voice their doubts without fear? [46:08]
The father in Mark 9:24 prays honestly about his mixed faith and doubt. Try rewriting his prayer in your own words about a specific struggle you’re facing.

Sermon Clips

35s

“``Over time as you lean in, you may discover some questions get very clear answers. Some questions get partial answers. Some questions are remain mysteries. But here's what you find. You find yourself more confident in God's goodness in the middle of them. And that's actually what mature faith looks like. Mature faith is not the absence of questions. It's the decision to keep trusting Jesus with your questions.”

39s

“The things that we're not really supposed to say out loud, especially at church. Let's be honest. Every one of us has questions about God. We've had different questions about the Lord. Some of them sound like, you know, if God is good, why did this happen? Why didn't God answer my prayer? You know, how do I know that this book is true? Right? What happens to people who maybe have never heard about Jesus? What happens to them? Or if God really loves me, then why do I feel so alone?”

41s

“The problem with that is when you wrestle alone, your thoughts often mislead you And you begin to spiral. And you begin to see pain actually get louder. And lies begin to feel more believable. And in fact you can't even see your own blind spots. Scripture points us to a different direction. It says in James chapter five, therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. There is a kind of healing and I would add a kind of clarity that God often brings through his people.”

39s

“And for some of you, honestly, that should be incredibly liberating to hear because you've been thinking, If I have questions, maybe it means that my faith is weak. If I doubt, I'm probably not a real Christian. Maybe God is disappointed in me for even wondering. The John story tells us questions are not the opposite of faith. Sometimes they are part of faith. That you can trust God and still have moments when you say, Lord I don't understand what it is that you are doing.”

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