W.W.J.D.

A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to end on communion and reflect on Easter for a reason.

We often let the noise and chaos of the world distract us from how we respond to God the Father, God the Son (aka Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.

Considering that, I certainly didn’t think it appropriate for us as a youth group to have the final thing we did that day be a game. Because, if we are honest, where would our thoughts be? Would we be thinking about Easter and Jesus’ sacrifice, would we be thinking about the communion we had shared, or would have our thoughts have potentially been on how the highlight of our evening was beating Keastyn at Air Hockey, or smacking our most beloved friend at youth group with a pool noodle? Honestly, despite my best efforts to bring us to a place of remembrance and reflection, I do feel like I fell short of the mark in showing and describing to you how important that moment was.

But I want to give you the opportunity.

Group Question:

When you think of communion, where do your thoughts go?

When you think of your experience at youth, what are some highlights you would say occur?

Some of the questions that I saw on those handouts I gave you last time were, how can I show people God through my example? How can I really be sure I am taking the right path? What is a good way to spread the word? How can I proclaim the good news?

There are a couple of ways to answer these questions. But I think a firm primary way to respond to these questions is in how seriously we take Jesus.

We need to take Jesus seriously in everything we do. We need to take Jesus seriously in all of our waking and sleeping hours. And we need to submit to his good and just authority.

As you may be struggling with how to submit to Jesus, I would like to tell you about a trend that occurred in the late 90s.

This late 90’s trend occurred around four letters. W.W.J.D., does anyone know what those four letters mean?

The letters stand for "What Would Jesus Do?"

There wasn’t anything magical about the letters, and they didn’t give people a special connection with Jesus. They simply served as a reminder. Whether it's a bracelet, a necklace, or even an alarm, we could all use a reminder sometimes to know that Jesus isn’t far off, but he's with us.

This reminder is especially important when we have moments of doubt. We might go to someone we trust, but how often do we remember that we can look to Jesus in those moments, too? By trusting in Jesus, we can wrestle with our doubts and see our faith grow in the process.

Let's read together Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1–2 NASB95

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Group Question:

What is something you can use to remind yourself to look to Jesus?

Some of those thoughts were really good, and I hope you take note of some of the ideas of what you can do to remind yourself to look to Jesus, but if you are anything like me when I was younger, you might be thinking, “that is all fine and dandy but how do I believe when I have so many doubts!” One of the disciples I identify most with is the one they call doubting Thomas.

Does anyone know why they called Thomas “Doubting Thomas?”

Lets read John 14:1-14 together

John 14:1–14 NASB95

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. “And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Group Question:

As you consider what we just read, why do you think they call Thomas “Doubting Thomas”?

And how does Jesus respond to Thomas's doubt (questions)?

There is yet another passage where Thomas doubts

Lets read together John 20:24-30

John 20:24–30 NASB95

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

So how is Thomas doubting Thomas?

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And then how does Jesus respond again?

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Jesus does not once respond in anger to Thomas. Instead, he responds with an invitation.

Thomas asks Jesus in John 14 how do we follow you to be with the Father? Jesus responds, “I am the way the truth and the life no one gets to the Father except through me.” Thomas then, in John 20, says unless I put my hands in His side, I will not believe. And Jesus shows up and invites Thomas into belief.

I was very much the same… a few times… I knew that to get to the Father Jesus was the only way. But then I would sit and consider whether or not God still does “God stuff,” like healing people or working miracles. I believed in Jesus, but I began to doubt. I began to think; for my faith to be made solid, I would need to see a miracle from Jesus. This was when I was 15 or 16. Over that year, I began to develop a major infection that prompted the doctors to do blood tests, an ultrasound, and other tests. Through these, they made the prognosis that I likely had cancer. I was constantly in pain, constantly trying to keep the exposed infection under control, and constantly wondering why this was happening to me. To add to it, I could no longer enjoy the outdoors because the doctors put me on some sort of medication that, for some reason, caused me to get sunburnt while outside, even in cloudy overcast weather. After one of my ultrasounds, the doctors announced they found something that was cause for concern to do a biopsy. The Sunday before, my pastor, Pastor Frank and some of the elders pulled me aside and asked if they could anoint me with oil and lay hands on me while praying. Awkwardly, I agreed, they poured some oil on my head, and these men gathered in a circle around me, laying their hands on my shoulders and head, and they cried out to God. The cried out that He would irradicate this illness that had fallen on me. At that moment, the pain went away, I also noticed at home later the exterior infection was no longer visible. When I went to the doctor that week for the biopsy, all signs of the infection were gone, and the biopsy showed that nothing “alien” was there, the doctors were confused about what they saw on the ultrasound and questioned whether it was a blemish. But I knew the pain I suffered, and I knew that the Holy Spirit had heald me.

See, I once doubted and asked Jesus how do I get to heaven, He said to follow by His example. When I heard that Jesus was raised again, I said unless he works a miracle on me, I won’t believe, and He eradicated what the doctors knew was an infection and thought was cancer. I was in pain and inflicted, and Jesus, through the Holy Spirit and the intercession of some believing men, made me whole again.

I know that Jesus lives. I know that He conquered death for you and me. I know that He rose again. I know Jesus has gone to make a place for us with the Father in heaven. I know that Jesus still works miracles today.

And I know that

One of the ways we should try to remember that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life is by making a miracle/prayer journal and recording our prayers, recording when those prayers are answered and also recording any miracles that occur.

The devil will try to make you forget what Jesus has done for you. Just think, it was easy for the Israelites to forget all the miracles that God did right in front of thousands of them. It was easy for the people during Jesus’ time to forget the miracles that Jesus did for them, and they bound him, tortured him, and nailed him to the Cross.

And what was Jesus’ response (Read Luke 23:34, John 3:16, 1 Timothy 1:15) ?

Let’s pray.