Why Do You Doubt?

Finally watch Back to Future.  Its about time.  UNicycliost think they are so superior… like get off your pedal stools

Afraid? Believe?  Last week...Well? Doubt?

Some people are more naturally skeptical... pastor what do you know Hymns 1,2,4 whats wrong with verse 3?

There are still people that are atheist and believe that anyone that thinks there is a god is just incredibly foolish... then there are some people that believe there could be a god but couldn't believe that God wanted to have anything to do with them..

Want to believe in God...met christians...cant believe in that God..

Christians can be mean to other Christians.... if you have doubts then you're not really saved.. you don't belong here...

I want to take the opposite approach and say unless you push through some honest doubts you will never experience the level of faith that you should.

Some people say that doubt is the end of faith and i want to take the opposite approach and say for many people doubt is the bEGINNING of faith.

To do this we are going to look at a guy who throughout the Bible has been labeled as doubting....Thomas... thats right... Poor ole Thomas... Only 12 verse that talk about him and thats enough to brand him as a doubter...  What is great about him is that we can learn from him that even the greatest doubters can have the strongest faith...

Jesus had just risen...appears to two guys and we will pick up the story in Luke's gospel...

Luke 24:36–39 NIV

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And all the catholics say...and also with you...They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. OF course they were...why... many had seen him dead... all the way dead... not mostly dead like in princess bride...my great grndather died... if he showed up to lunch todday i would pee my pants... thats whats is going on in their mind.. he was dead... and then here he is...He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and you can almost hear the compassion in his voice...and why do doubts rise in your minds? Did you forget about me opening blind eyes and opening deaf ears and raising the dead...and promising you i would give my life and saying three days later i would be back... I told you this would happen... guys why do doubts rise in your mind...Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” (Luke 24:36-39 NIV) 

Whats interesting is we see that Thomas wasn't at that meeting

We know the interesting thing is that thomas wasn't there and how do we know that? Because John's Gospel tells us...

Luke 20:24–25 NIV

24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So what do we see here? Thomas missed church... do you know...a lot happens when you miss church...but what did he miss...he missed the presence of Jesus..he missed the power of jesus..he missed the proof of jesus...he missed the peace be still of jesus... you miss a lot when you miss church...some people only come to church on easter and christmas... listen... you miss a lot....So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, and you hve to love his honesty “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:24-25 NIV)

he says i want to, but unless i get to, i can't believe just yet...it may be that clean and simple for you... but for me....its so important that I want more than just second hand faith I want first hand experience with the risen christ

Thats one of the big problems in today especially in american churches... we kind of believe because our parents believe...or someone raised us believed... then something happens and it shakes our faith... and we start to question... is this really my belief or someone elses... did god really rise from the dead... dont miss it because the disciples claimed that God loved us so much that he did not stay in heaven but became one of us in the person of jesus...born of a virgin... lived without sin...became sin... die as the perfect sacrifice... and they claim that he didn't stay dead... and so do other witnesses...and claim on the third day that the stone was moved away... and if that is true it demands a response... and for me that demands that i live for him... and for Thomas he says i want to know if this is true... because if it is true it changes everything...

People say you cant have faith if you doubt, but listen to me, you cant have sincere faith unless you push through some doubts... doubts are not the end of real faith... for some people doubts are the beginning of a rock solid faith that will lead ou to the glory of god....

For Thomas he said i want to believe I just need a little bit more... and for some of you... you want to believe you just need a little bit more...and thats exactly what Jesus did for thomas... we read on...

Luke 20:26–27 NIV

26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. 27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:26-27 NIV)

Listen, I believe for some of you this message series is going to give you exactly what you need to believe!

Some of us get in those places where we forget about God and we realize that we dont believe and we just live life for our selfs... I'm sure all of us have been in that place, and we've done things that we look back on and we say, God how could you ever forgive me from this...

I believe that will happen and something bigger than me will get into your heart and cause you to start believing....

Peter...unless you deny your faith... I will never again... tradition tells us... unworthy..... upside down...

James the brother of jesus.... what would your brother have to do to convince you he was God... deny your faith... he wont do it... so they push him off the temple about 100 feet and he doesnt die.... so they ambush him and tell him to denounce his faith... and he looks to heaven... father forgive them... and they beat him to death with a club…

Paul... you might hate some christians...but he really hated them so much that he KILLED them...and then he in a vision meets the risen christ... and is so transformed he becomes their leader... for me to live is to Christ to die is to gain... left for death again and again... and they behead him...

Thomas...branded as a doubter... doubt is not the end of real faith it is only the beginning... Thomas went further than any other disciple...going all the way to INDIA.... becasue he believed they needed a relationship with christ.... renounce your faith in cave one morniing... and he said i would never... and they drove a spear through his body the jesus that thomas doubted was the jesus that thomas was willing to die for...

Let me ask you this do you believe enough to live for him...becasue this fills my faith... it gets my faith louder and louder and it causes my doubts to go away... i still have doubts but as I press into Jesus... he removes my doubts and I realize the tomb is empty.... and we celebrate that on Easter Sunday....

and thats a good place to start.... doubt isnt the end of real faith... its only the beginning... i believe that some of you this morning will stop doubting and will believe.....spirit lead me where my trust is without borders...let e walk..wherever you would call  me..in the presence of my savior...