Grapevine Ministries
Messages from the bible to uplift and encourage those that need a word from the Lord, to strengthen their faith. Ps Phillip Barker is an itinerant pastor in Perth, Western Australia.
Grapevine Ministries
Doubt and Faith Part VII (B)
Ever watched your confidence in God drain away when the room closes in and the clock won’t move? We open a candid, practical journey through doubt—where it comes from, how it weakens prayer, and how Jesus rebuilds trust without shaming the struggler. Framed by “God’s benefit package,” we follow two towering figures who asked hard questions under pressure. John the Baptist knew who Jesus was, then sat in a prison cell and sent a message: “Are you the one, or should we expect another?” Instead of scolding, Jesus pointed to living proof—the blind seeing, the lame walking, the poor hearing good news—and then publicly honoured John, doubts and all. That’s a blueprint for how we treat honest wrestlers today.
We then shift to Thomas, whose story is richer than a nickname. Before the cross, he showed lion-hearted loyalty—“Let us go, that we may die with him”—and the courage to ask for clarity in the upper room. After the trauma of the crucifixion, he wanted evidence before he’d trust again. When Jesus returned, he met Thomas exactly where he was: “Put your finger here… stop doubting and believe.” The moment lifts Thomas from grief to the Gospel’s clearest confession: “My Lord and my God.” Along the way, we explore the difference between head knowledge and heart revelation, why churches should hang a quiet sign that reads “Doubters welcome,” and how misquoting “money is the root of all evil” distracts us from the real issue—the love that displaces God.
If you’re carrying questions that make prayer feel thin, come closer, not farther. We walk through practical ways to look for evidence of grace, align your heart with God’s promises, and find community that honours the process. Subscribe, share this with someone who’s wrestling, and leave a review with the question you’re asking right now—what proof would help you trust again?
Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.
Now we're back, and this is uh part seven. Uh doubt kills prayer, but this is B. You know, you got part A and part B. I mentioned this last week. For those that aren't with me, uh, please, uh, you know, if you're listening for the first time, get the message from last week, which is part seven of um we're talking about God's benefit package, and there's there's quite a few to listen to. You can actually go right back to then if you're new to uh Great Vine Ministries, but um at this point in time we're talking about uh part seven, uh doubt kills prayer, and this is section B of A and B. Alright, if that makes sense. Hopefully it does if you get lost. Look, you can always send me messages uh on the um on the board there. There's places you can actually respond and and fill in, or um if you know if you know um how to contact me in other ways, you can also do that, and you can send me an email. All right. Now, we were we were talking about um three men who doubted. Now, like I said before, this is gonna raise a few eyebrows. Now, the first one you probably haven't got a problem with. Uh, we were talking about the father of a demonized uh son, and uh he was making a very specific plea to Jesus, and he said he believed, but he said, Help my unbelief. So, in saying that, this is the one that I think that will actually raise a few eyebrows, unless you're fairly prolific in your knowledge of the word of God, okay? John the Baptist. Now, do you recall the occasion when Herod threw John the Baptist in jail because John dared to rebuke him for his gross sexual sin? No doubt confused and frustrated by his incarceration, John sent messengers to Jesus with a very persistent question. Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else? Now, this is Matthew 11, two to three. Now, in order to understand this, we need to keep two things in mind. Firstly, John had made one of the earliest public confessions of Jesus when he cried out, Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Now that's John 1 29. Then he said, I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. That's in verse 34. Now, in theory, this makes no sense. John knew who Jesus was, and that leads me to the second insight. In recent years, our church or the body of Christ has sent over two hundred and fifty thousand copies of an anchor for the souls into prisons across America. This is a particular church in the US that specialized in looking for saving souls in the church. Now, I'm not going to mention the names because you know I don't think it's appropriate. Okay, but this one I will mention. The other thing is, I read this the other day, I can't remember the exact words, but I'm doing the Bible in 365 days, okay, with Nikki and Pippa Gumble, right? They are the founders of the Alpha program, which is all about um you know bringing people to Christ. Now I remember. Don't quote me exactly on this, Nikki, if you're listening. Hope you are actually. It'd be good for my podcast listeners if I know you're listening. Uh, he he made this statement in uh this is day 278 or something was that he was talking about, but 50,000 prisoners, okay, that they have actually touched with alpha that have come to know the Lord. Right now, I don't know how many people they've actually ministered to, but 50,000. You know, that is a lot of people, and it's to say with this here an anchor for the soul. This is just across America, 250,000 copies, and as a result, this church alone had received thousands of letters from prisoners. See, there's no place on earth that is more corrosive to faith than in a prison cell. Now, I worked in the prisons for many, many years, and I've seen some really, really nasty people, and to look at them, and and uh I'll reiterate this in a minute, but to look at them, you would think there's no way on God's green earth that any of those people would come to have a relationship with God and start sharing the love that is shed abroad in their heart for the kingdom of God. Now that that was me then. I was a very, very young Christian, but I'd worked in multiple prisons across two states in Australia, and at face value, you look at prisoners and you think, no way, why would you bother? No place on earth is darker and more hopeless than a prison cell, and it's no wonder that as in this situation, you've got John the Baptist lavishing in a prison, not knowing when or if he would be released. John began to wonder, and then he began to doubt. See, it's sometimes not your circumstances, but it's the the situation you find yourself in. Now, I don't want to get bogged down in this, otherwise, I'm really gonna get behind schedule with what I'm doing here. But one of the thing I learned from all my years in the prison cell, in the prisons, that the most daunting thing for the most hardened pris prisoner is the reality that hits home when the door slams behind you and you're in this eight by six cell, and you're there for 12 to 14 hours. So you can understand why John is thinking this because he finds himself in prison and unbeknown to him, I mean he's gonna get beheaded, but he's just he's just wondering about when he's gonna be released, you know, and how long he's gonna be in there. He at least he knew enough to ask the right question. Are you the one who's sent from heaven, or is there someone else who will be our savior? See, it's very, very clear here that he is asking the question, but knowing that he'd already answered the question, because it's just like Jesus said, He says, He says, Oh, who do who do people say that I am? Uh, some say you're John the Baptist, uh some say you're Elijah, you know, some say, you know, and then Jesus said, Who do you say I am? And he says, You are the Christ, you are the Son of God, and he says, Man has not revealed that to you. See, we need to segregate the knowledge and the understanding of the Word of God into two aspects, you know, written word, knowledge, understanding. Um, how would we say uh your when you read the Bible, you get head knowledge, and then when you get it down into your heart, you get that heart knowledge, you get that rhema knowledge. Okay, we we need to make sure that we get things in the right perspective. See? So John went on to say here, he said, Are you really the promised Messiah? See, the circumstances may have changed, but the question is the same one this generation is asking now. Jesus, are you the one or should we be looking elsewhere for someone else? The answer our Lord gives is very intrusive, right? He does not rebuke John or put him down, he simply gives John the evidence he needs in order to regain his faith. Go back, he says, and tell John what you have seen, then he lists six miracles, right? The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the death hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. No, he didn't say, Tell John that I am the fulfillment of the Messianic promise of the Old Testament. Now we know that's true, but he didn't say that. He's just saying, tell John that I can walk on water. Also true, but he didn't say that either. Tell John that I make the Pharisees look like fools. Also a very true statement, but also not mentioned. Jesus essentially says, Go back and tell John that in my name the hurting people of the world are being totally transformed. See, Matthew 11 7 says that as John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John the Baptist. He praised him by calling him more than a prophet. He says, then he declared, Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. What a commendation by Jesus. But the thing to remember here, right, is when it was given, Jesus spoke those words while John the Baptist was still nursing his doubts. It's as if Jesus was saying, John may doubt me, but I don't doubt him. He's still my number one man. Doubts and all. So what an incredible affirmation. See, this is what Jesus always did. He never put you down, he never condemned you for you know questioning who he was or what he was about, irrespective of the circumstances, you know, and John was not the only person to ever end up in jail because of their faith and their belief in Jesus Christ. Okay? Now, we won't ponder on there too long. Now let's go on to number three. Now, number three, you all agree in. I can't see anybody uh disputing this one, okay, because he's renowned throughout the Bible as the doubting Thomas. So we're going to talk about Thomas for a section, all right? We don't want to pick on him because everybody's been there at some stage of their life. See, now it's impossible to talk about doubt without considering the man whose name has become synonymous with doubt to the point that we always call him the doubting Thomas. But in order to understand his story correctly, we need to know three pre-Easter facts about Thomas. Now, this is a way of um for those that actually get there all the time and say, oh, you know, doubting Thomas, doubting Thomas, you know. Um you know, my wife always says this. She says, there's always two sides to a story, okay? And you need to know his story, Thomas's, in the same way that you need to know Job's story, right? And in the same way you need to understand Lazarus and where he's found himself. He's out there just doing what he's been called to do, uh, preparing the way of the Lord, okay? And he ends up in jail, and as we know, he eventually ends up getting his head chopped off because of what goes on. All right, we're we're not going to get bogged down. Right now, Thomas. Now, Thomas he possesses an enormous amount of courage. Thomas first steps onto the stage of biblical history in John 11. See, Lazarus has died in Bethany, that's a suburb of Jerusalem, for all those that don't know. Jesus and the disciples are in the area of Jericho when they get the word when Jesus decides to go to Bethany. His disciples remind him that the last time he went to Jerusalem, see the leaders tried to stone him to death. It would be suicidal to go back there. This is what they're telling him. Jesus decides to go anyway, but the disciples were unconvinced. At that point, okay, listen to this, Thomas speaks up and says, Let us also go that we may die with him. John 11 16. Now, if you've got someone who's a doubter, like a doubting Thomas, why would someone make a statement like this? This is showing that Thomas is as bold as a lion, you know? And he's saying, Okay, you others, don't worry about it. I said, I'm with you, Jesus. All right? I'm sort of like paraphrasing a bit here. So read John 11 16, and I would really highlight that. It is a brief statement that reveals enormous courage in Thomas. Thomas agreed that the Jewish leaders would probably kill Jesus if he went back to Jerusalem. Events would soon prove him correct. But what can you say about the man who says if they kill him, they'll have to kill me too? It takes a real man to say that. So that there alone should change your understanding and what you really think about Thomas. All right. Let's go on a little bit further, okay? He did not accept easy answers. This is all right. John's gospel mentions Thomas one after another time before the crucifixion. It is late Thursday night in the upper room. Jesus has just washed the disciples' feet and given them the great command to love one another. Judas, this is where he bugs out. He leaves the room to do his thing, you know, do his dirty deed, right? The rest of the disciples crowd around their Lord, knowing the end was not far. To them, those loyal men who had stood with him in his hour of trial, Jesus said this, okay? Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you I am going there to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me to that place also. You know the way to the place I am going. See this is John fourteen one to four. Thomas had been listening quietly, intently, carefully. All this talk of coming and going is too much for him. It seems vague and mysterious as it is, because at that stage the disciples didn't really understand what Jesus was saying. But in that moment of great honesty, he blurts this out. So how can we know the way? This is John 14 5. Wait for it. Those are the words of a totally honest man. The rest of the disciples were just as perplexed, but only Thomas dared to speak out. We all know people like that. If they don't understand, they won't let it pass. You know, they keep asking until it makes sense. That's Thomas, and that's a second key to his personality, and that's a second way of listening and knowing that he was an independent thinker, a thoughtful man, not easily stampered. He wouldn't make a confession of faith unless he deeply believed it to be true. Let others have a glimpse of an easy faith that comes without reflection and deep thought. Not Thomas. He was he was a faith person won through the agony of a personal struggle. There's more to it than this. Wait a minute, here we go. He was faithfully devoted to Jesus Christ. He was with Jesus during all the turmoil of the last few days of his life. He was with him in the triumphant entry and was with him when Jesus debated with the Pharisees. He was with him in the upper room, and he was with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. The picture we have of Thomas on the eve of the crucifixion is this. He is a brave man, intensely loyal and deeply committed to Jesus. If need be, he is ready to lay down his own life. He is no doubt inclined to look somewhat of a dark side of life. He is completely honest about his doubt, confusion, and fears, and he won't be satisfied with second hand answers. This changing your thoughts about Thomas, I hope. John tells us that Thomas was not present on the Sunday evening when Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of them. That's in John 20, 19 to 25. The Bible doesn't say why, but I think I know, and that this is just on uh my personal understanding of the scriptures. There are basically two different ways people respond to sorrow and tragedy. Some seek solace in the company of their friends, they want people around to help them talk it through. Others prefer to be alone with their thoughts. Such was Thomas. If it is true that Thomas realized more than the others what was going to happen in Jerusalem, then it may also be true that he was more deeply hurt. He was not with the disciples because his heart had been crushed. Everything he had he had given to Jesus and Jesus had died. He still loves, still cares, still wants to believe. See, he still wants to believe, but his heart was broken. He is not a bad man, nor is he in doubt or sinful. Deep inside he wants to believe. Thomas is definitely not a skeptic or a rationalist. He his doubts come from devotion to Christ. There is no doubt like the doubt of a broken heart. It's one thing to doubt the virgin birth in a classroom setting. It's something else, again, to lose someone you love and wonder if there is still a God in heaven. This is the main point that I'm trying to make here for everyone. Thomas is not an unbelieving skeptic. He is a wondered believer. He was not willing, or he was not unwilling, sorry, to believe, but unable to believe. Thomas stands for all time as the one man who most desperately wanted to believe, if only he could be sure. After all these years, Thomas has gotten a bad rap. Okay? Doubting Thomas, we call him. We tend to look down on him, but not Jesus. Eight days later, Jesus appeared to disciples a second time. This time Thomas was with them, and Jesus speaks to him as one whose faith is weak, not to one who has an evil heart. And he said, Put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. See, it's worth noting that Jesus knew all about Thomas's doubts. He knew the raging sea with his heart, and he just came to Thomas so he could be sure. Jesus didn't put him down, he didn't say, Go away, see, you know, sort it out yourself. No, stop doubting and believe. This means that above the front door of every church in the world, we should erect a two-word sign, doubters welcome, and that should be the church's message. And we could really put this up there. Some people put up lovely scriptures and everything, but just me personally, I think you know, if you doubt, come inside. If you have questions, come inside. If you're uncertain, come inside. If you're skeptical, come inside. If you're searching for the truth, come inside. You know, this is how I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I got there and I was trying to fulfill a promise to my wife and go to church. But I didn't like the church, and so I started asking questions. I wanted to know the answers to certain things about the kingdom of God, about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. See, as far as I can tell, Thomas never actually touched Jesus. It doesn't say that. It seems that simply seeing his face to seeing him face to face and completely convinced him. So the strongest doubters often become the strongest believers. When he sees Jesus, he rises to a higher level of faith in the gospel of John as he cried out, My Lord and my God, John 2028. See, there are seven ways to move from doubt to faith, and I just haven't got time to go through them, but I will have that as a separate message another day, and I want to focus on Thomas because sometimes we just misunderstand it. Another classic. Is when people get down, they say um love and money is the root of all evil. So they they automatically assume that if people have money, uh they're they're sinners and we're supposed to be poor for the kingdom of God, we're supposed to humble ourselves before the Lord, you know, and give it all away. No, read the scripture in its correct context because it's saying the love of money is the root of all evil, not money itself. If you love money more than you love God, because God is a jealous God, you know, He wants us to have a relationship with Him, and this is why when you look at the Word of God through just what I am talking about, God's benefit package, you know, you've got to understand that there is, you know, this is what you you can go through the Bible and you list all the blessings. Forget about the curses, they're irrelevant if we're living for Christ. But look at all the blessings, all the promises, everything that He has set before you so that you can live a long and prosperous life. Okay, more on God's benefits next week. God bless. Talk to you soon. Bye for now.
