AI Summary
5 min readWhat If I Got It Wrong?
The question comes from an unlikely source. John the Baptist—the same man who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, who heard a voice from heaven declare "This is my Son, whom I love," who pointed at Jesus and said "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"—sent his disciples to ask: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" This is the central puzzle Steven Furtick explores. If John could doubt after witnessing the baptism and hearing the Father's voice, then the question "What if I got it wrong?" is not a failure of faith but a feature of it.
The Dungeon Changes Everything
Luke's gospel records John's question but leaves out a crucial detail. Matthew adds it: "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?'" The prison was carved into a cliff beneath Herod's palace. John could hear the parties above him while he sat in darkness below. "You can't understand my doubt if you don't understand my dungeon," Furtick says. The same truth that was clear in the Jordan became cloudy in the jail.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:15) **Introduction: The Question "What If I Got It Wrong?"** - Steven Furtick introduces the core question of the sermon, using a personal story about dropping his son off at college to illustrate the universal anxiety of wondering if we've made a mistake.
- 2 (13:49) **John the Baptist's Crisis of Faith** - Furtick turns to the story of John the Baptist in Luke 7, who, despite being the forerunner of Jesus and witnessing his baptism, sends disciples to ask if Jesus is really the Messiah.
- 3 (24:48) **The Key Detail: John Asked from Prison** - Furtick reveals the crucial detail from Matthew's gospel that explains John's doubt: he was in prison, isolated and suffering, which changed his perspective.
- 4 (31:22) **Point 1: Listen to Him, Not the Prison** - The first practical point is to ignore the isolating, discouraging voice of your situation and instead listen directly to Jesus.
- 5 (37:06) **Point 2: Let Go of Your Expectations** - Furtick explains that John's doubt was fueled by a mismatch between his expectations of the Messiah (a judge with a winnowing fork) and Jesus's actual ministry (healing and preaching to the poor).
- 6 (44:21) **God's Trust in John's Faith** - Jesus's response shows that he trusted John enough to leave him in a difficult situation, knowing John's faith would not fail, even if his expectations were not met.
- 7 Standout Quotes
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Is it wrong to doubt God? When we face resistance, or God doesn’t come through like we’re expecting, it’s natural to wonder if we heard Him wrong. But it turns out that doubt isn’t really the problem. It’s what you do with your doubt that matters.
If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: http://ele.vc/tIepfr
Scripture References:
Luke 7, verses 11-27 – Jesus raises widow's son; John questions if Jesus is the one
Matthew 3, verses 11-17 – John baptizes Jesus; voice from heaven affirms Him as Son
Matthew 11, verses 2-3 – Imprisoned John asks if Jesus is the one to come
Isaiah 61, verse 1 – Spirit anoints the Lord to preach good news to the poor
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