Resurrection Sunday

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Today we celebrate the the resurrection and our hope, the tomb is empty and our Lord is alive.

(It is because of today ………)

Have you ever been in a situation that you just could not believe what someone was telling you? Maybe it is something great but you think its a trick, or someone is lying? it can be hard.

I remember getting excepted to school, I knew God called me to go to school, but there is a bit of a back story to this, I’m a 5th grade dropout.

(Share Story About my schooling)

I was wanting for the call that would tell me that I ended up not making it in.

(Expand on that point)

God Called me to go to school and He made a way, I was doubting that it would work.

Today I want to look at someone that was in a situation that left him doubting, but do we really give him a fair assessment?

(Pray)

Jesus, rose from the dead, the disciples are excited, expect one, Thomas

John 20:24–25 NIV

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “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.”

Ok so let me ask you all something before we get to this, so many give Thomas a bad rap, I mean almost 2000 years later we still say doubting Thomas, but there is something that stands out here, Thomas was not with the Disciples the first time the Lord showed up

The rest of the disciples saw Christ, Thomas did not.

Maybe sometimes you feel like you are having a hard time believing, or you feel like your faith is not as strong as you think it should be, well this is for you

see there is a key here to Thomas’ building of faith

The first meeting he was absent,

Our faith is like that too,

we neglect our prayer life

We neglect our Bible readings

we neglect going to Church

And we wonder why our faith is weak, or we wonder why we are doubting

We neglect what God has called us to do

We stop giving to the Church or those in need

We stop forgiving and start holding on to offenses

We neglect Loving one another

And we wonder why our faith is weak and we have trouble believing

For some of us we are so busy looking back at how we used to be in our faith, that we neglect our faith now so we can be like that again.

See Thomas neglected being with the other disciples, but he did not neglect the second.

a week later the disciples were in a house again and the Bible points out who is there with them this time. and it is Thomas

John 20:26 NIV

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!”

Thomas showed up, and you know what Jesus met him where he was

John 20:27–28 NIV

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.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas stopped neglecting his faith, and came to where He was suppose to go, and Jesus met him there. and Thomas said, “My Lord and My God”

When we slowly walk away from God

(Illastraight walking away little by little, I don’t have time to pray, take a step, ect.)

We can’t see Jesus when we are not looking in His direction

If you have ever doubted, or maybe you still are this next verse is for you

John 20:29 NIV

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That is me and you, that is us, but we have been given a gift of prayer and the Word to be able to help us see Jesus

This is not condemning you, I have been there, there has been times in my life that I did not feel the Holy Spirit, There has been times that my faith was not really there, there has been times I have doubted. it happens to most Christians, it happened to Thomas, but the question is, “What do I do with this doubt?”

If it is just to ignore it, you are going to be in trouble

If it is just to live with it, you are going to be in trouble

If it is, I am going to pray more, it will get better

if it is, I am going to read my Bible, it will get better

See the key to getting out of our doubt, to get stronger faith is to show up, just like Thomas did.

Thomas went on and followed Jesus and ended up going to India.

He even planted a Church in India in 52 A.D. called Mar Thoma Church

The man that doubted help build the kingdom of God in India

Thomas is said to have been sold as a slave mason or architect to King Gondophares, a ruler in northwest India (in the region of modern-day Pakistan or Afghanistan).

The king commissioned Thomas to build him a magnificent palace.

Instead of constructing a physical building, Thomas gave the money to the poor, saying he was building the king a palace “in heaven.”

When the king found out, he was furious and imprisoned Thomas.

But then the king’s brother died and returned to life, claiming he had seen the palace that Thomas had built for the king in heaven.

The king, amazed and convicted, converted to Christianity and released Thomas.

Thomas ended up being speared to death for his faith, the man that doubted, believed so much that he ended up giving his life for Jesus.

So today I want to tell you that sometimes doubting is natural, it happens, but it is what you do with that doubt.

Do you let it simmer, push back, don’t deal with it? let it grow, and not seek your answers?

Remember Thomas wasn’t there with the disciples, but he came back

Don’t let doubt define your faith, be like Thomas and comeback and seek, today that looks like Prayer, reading our Bibles, asking questions, spending time with God. He will meet you with where you are at, but you have to show up, just like Thomas.

If that is you today, I would love to talk to you, help find a direction you can go and pray with you.