HELP MY UNBELIEF

John

20:24-30

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: sblessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

IF I WAS TO ASK YOU TO EXPLAIN

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITH AND BELIEF

WE WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE A MOOT POINT…

THEY ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER

THEY ARE ALMOST SYNONYMOUS.

IN THE NT GREEK THE WORD FOR FAITH AND BELIEF IS THE SAME WORD.

SOMETIMES ITS TRANSLATED FAITH…

SOMETIMES ITS TRANSLATED BELIEF…

IF I ASK WHAT IS IT TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD

YOU WOULD BEGIN BY SAYING

YOU MUST BELIEVE IN A REAL GOD.

SO FAITH AND BELIEF ARE SO CLOSELY LINKED…

THAT THEY ARE INTERCHANGEABLE.

…BUT EVEN THOUGH FAITH AND BELIEF

…ARE SUBSTANCE AND SOMATICALLY SIMILAR…

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT THEY CAN ALSO BE DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT.

MY FAITH MY BELIEF

WHO GOD IS… IN WHAT GOD DOES

CHARACTER & TRUST & ANTISIPATION

NATURE OF GOD OF WHAT HE WILL DO

GOD IS REAL HE WILL ACT ON

MY SITUATION

SOVEREIGN HE WILL WORK ALL

& OMNIPOTENT TOGETHER FOR MY

GOOD.

CARING, LOVING HE WILL NEVER

GOOD LEAVE ME

THERE CAN BE A DIFFERENCE IN FAITH AND BELIEF.

AND YOU CAN BELIEVE AND NOT HAVE FAITH.

BELIEVING THINGS WILL GET BETTER…

IT CAN BE JUST AN OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT…

WITH NO FAITH IN A SOVEREIGN GOD.

ATHIEST WILL TELL YOU TO KEEP YOU HEAD UP THINGS WILL GET BETTER.

BUT THE FLIP SIDE IS YOU CAN HAVE FAITH IN A REAL GOD…

AND STILL STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE.

YOU CAN GO THROUGH SOME CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS…

THAT ALLOW UNBELIEF AND DOUBT TO GET INTO YOUR MIND.

YOU BEGIN TO WONDER WHAT GOD IS OR IS NOT GOING TO DO ON YOUR BEHALF.

Mark 9:23-24 (KJV) 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

FATHER WAS SAYING HE HAS BEEEN THIS WAY SO LONG…

DOUBT HAS CREPT IN WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL EVER GET BETTER.

SO IN LIFE’S BATTLES THERE ARE TIMES WE FIGHT DOUBT…

WE HAVE THE FAITH IN:

· DEATH

· BURIAL

· RESURRECTION OF A SOVEREIGN GOD

· WE DON’T DOUBT THE REALITY OF GOD

WE GO THROUGH THINGS WHERE WE WONDER WHAT GOD IS DOING WITH US.

WE KNOW GOD IS A HEALER…

BUT WHEN WE FIGHT DOUBT …

REMEMBER ITS NOT A LACK OF FAITH.

IT’S BEING HUMAN…

IN JOHN 20…FAITH AND DOUBT CLASH.

ITS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION AND APPEARING TO HIS FOLLOWERS…

AND THEY DOUBT IT HAPPENED

THESE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE PUT THERE TRUST IN JESUS…

AND YET WHEN THEY GET THE GOOD NEWS …HE IS ALIVE

THEY DOUBT…THEIR FAITH MEETS HEAD ON WITH DOUBT.

YOU CAN GO THROUGH SOME THINGS SO

· PAINFUL

· DEPRESSING

· DISCOURAGING

THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW BIG YOUR BIBLE IS…

YOU WRESTLE WITH SOME UNBELIEF.

YOU CAN BE REJECTED SO MUCH…

YOU DOUBT IF GOD HAS ANYTHING BETTER FOR YOU.

BUT IN JOHN 20 THERE ARE 3 CASES…

OF FAITH AND DOUBT CLASHING

…AND JESUS SHOWS UP IN EACH CASE

…TO HELP DEAL WITH IT.

AND THIS CAN BE THE PATTERN OR PRINCIPLES FOR US TO DEAL WITH IT AS WELL.

I. THOMAS DIDN’T SEE THE SIGN

John 20:25 (KJV) 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

UNLESS I SEE…

HE DOUBTED IF IT COULD BE TRUE BECAUSE HE DIDN’T SEE IT.

WHEN WE EXPECT GOD TO DO SOMETHING AND IT HAS BEEN SO LONG

AND WE HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING

THE OTHER DISCIPLES HAD SEEN JESUS.

HAD SEEN WHAT THOMAS WANTED TO SEE.

BUT THE GRACE OF GOD SHOWS UP…

JESUS SHOWS UP TO HELP THOMAS FIGHT DOUBT.

8 DAYS LATER HE SHOWS UP EVEN THOUGH THOMAS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE LAST WEEK.

John 20:27 (KJV) 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust itinto my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

AND WHAT HE TELLS THOMAS BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN YET BELIEVE.

THOMAS REMEMBER WHEN YOU DEAL WITH DOUBT …WHAT I SHOWED YOU.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN

REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN.

DON’T LET WHAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN GOD DO

MAKE YOU FORGET WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN GOD DO.

HE MAY NOT HAVE ANSWERED THIS PRAYER YET…

BUT I HAVE A MULTITUDE OF PRAYERS HE HAS ANSWERED.

SO JESUS HELPS THOMAS WITH HIS UNBELIEF.

II. MARY COULDN’T SENSE THE SAVIOR

MARY’S DOUBT CAME FROM I CAN’T SEE HIM…

John 20:15 (KJV) 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him

hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

MARY COULD NOT FIND HIM…

LIFE HAS A WAY OF PUTTING US IN THE POSITION WHERE QUESTION WHERE GOD IS.

JON 11-LAZARUS HAD DIED…MARY AND MARTHA SAYS IF YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE.

WE BELIEVE THE PRESENCE OF GOD KEEPS US FROM SOME THINGS

AND SO WHEN WE GO THROUGH THINGS WE QUESTION WHETHER HE IS WITH US.

JOB GOT THERE…23RD CHAPTER

I CAN’T FIND HIM…BUT HE KNOWS THE WAY I TAKE.

IN OTHER WORDS WHEN I CAN’T SEE HIM HE SEE ME.

ILL. KIDS HIDE AND SEEK…ONE OF OURS WOULD NOT HID BUT JUST PUT THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR EYES. THEY FELT THAT IS THEY COULDN’T SEE US WE COULDN’T SEE THEM.

AND SO OUR KINDERGARDEN THEOLOGY SAYS IF WE CANT SEE HIM HE CANT SEE US.

MARY OU CANNOT SEE HIM BUT THE WHOLE TIME HE HAS BEEN WATCHING YOU.

GOD SEES OUR TROUBLE. PAIN, SORROW,

SHE REALIZED SINCE SHE DIDN’T SENSE HIM…HE WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME.

HE IS WITH US THE WHOLE TIME NOT MATTER WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH.

SHE WOULD HAVE MISSED HIM HAD SHE NOT TALKED TO HIM.

III. PETER DIDN’T SEEK THE SCRIPTURE

THE EVIDENCE OF WHAT HE SEES DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.

John 20:9 (KJV) 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

YOU WON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SEE

UNLESS WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE READ.

ILL. A MAN WAS STUDYING ARTS AND BROADWAY ESPECIALLY. HIS TEACHER GAVE HIM AND THICK BOOK TO READ OF A PLAY THEY WERE PLANNING ON ATTENDING. I DON’T WANT TO READ IT I WANT TO SEE IT.

THE TEACHER INFORMED HIM THAT WHEN THEY ATTENDED THE PLAY THE LIGHTS WERE GOING TO BE DARK… AND THE PLAY IS GOING TO BE IN ITALIAN…AND YOU WON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SEE UNLESS YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE READ.

WHEN TIMES GET DARK…

I WON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT I SEE UNLESS I UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE READ…

JESUS SHOWS UP IN JOHN 20 TO HELP HIS PEOPLE DEAL WITH DOUBT.

THE 1ST DAY OF THE WEEK…

JESUS SHOWS UP TO HELP HANDLE WHATS BEEN HANDLING THEM.

SOUNDS LIKE CHURCH…

AT CHURCH JESUS DEALS WITH OUR DOUBT…

IT DOES IT 2 WAYS…

HE SPEAKS

HE SHOWS

FROM THE PULPIT TO THE PEWS…

FROM THE MESSAGE TO THE LIVING TESTIMONIES AROUND US…

OUR PRINCIPLE:

1. REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN…DON’T FRET OVER WHAT YOU HAVENT SEEN

2. WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE HIM…HE SEE YOU.

3. READ…I WON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT I SEE UNLESS I REMEMBER WHAT I HAVE READ.

4.

JESUS IS HERE TONIGHT TO HELP US FIGHT WHAT IS FIGHTING US.