The Doubting Church

Text: Act 12

The church is a congregation of those who are believers, who are meeting for the purpose of Worship, Discipleship, Evangelism, Mission and Fellowship.

One of the strongest pillars of the early church is prayer. The church is called the House of Prayer in the world of God. Luke 19:48.Isaiah 56:7
If the church will be called The House of Prayer it Must learn to deal with doubt because doubt is an enemy to prayer.
Peter was rescued by prayer. It was the prayer of the church that delivered Peter but those who prayed refused to believe that the prayer had been answered.


The Praying Church
The Bible tells a lot about the praying church; prayer was one of the foundations that the early church was built on; it was as natural as breathing.
To understand the prayer life of the church we must not omit the batten process of the church without this the early church would have been weak, feeble, beggarly, and human without supernatural manifestation. Acts 1:4-5 & 8.

The church did not rush to save; they didn’t despise the word of their master; they went to the Upper Room and continued in prayer and supplication with the Holy Spirit; they enjoyed sweet fellowship through prayer.

How did the early church pray?
1.They prayed without season 1 Thessalonian 5:17
2. They prayed individually Matthew 6:5 Matthew 14:23 Luke 9:18
3.They prayed corporately. At 4:23 to 31
4.They prayed with the word of God. luk 4:4 Romans 10:17 John 15:7
5.They prayed earnestly and fervently James 5:17 Luke 22:44
6.They prayed with Thanksgiving 1 thessalonian 5:15 to 18

The description of the doubting church
1.They met at home. Acts 12:12
2.They were a praying church. Verse 5 and 12
3.They were a well organized church. Verse 12 to 13.
4.They receive answer to their prayers verse 11

Why do they doubts
The doubting of a church begins when a person doubts verse 7 to 10.

1.Their prayer request was too big v6
2.They belief no one could deliver from Herod v1, 4 & 11
3.They were not expecting v15
4. They doubted the source of the testimony v13-14
5.The pressure was too much on them v1-3
6.They never saw it done that way v 7
Their thought was against their prayer V 11 NCV