Introduction:

Have you ever misjudged the value of something like a relationship or the value of your presence? Today we are going to see how Jesus deals with Thomas in his hour of need. We will see how The Lord dealt with doubt. finally we are going to see the power and purpose of fellowship.

Jesus is on a Rescue and Recovery Mission. No Disciple Left Behind

John 20:24–29 NKJV

24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1. I saw what I saw!

John 20:24 NKJV

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

Pastors and theologians have given Thomas a bad rap because we called him “Doubting Thomas.” I would like to say that I never gave Thomas a bad rap but I did. I fell in line with what I heard all my life, that is until I read a little book called the Foxes Book of Martyrs. In reading this is what I found:

Thomas Called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.

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This leads me to a few concussions:

1. The Lord meets us at the place of our doubt if we will let HIm… If we will let Him.

Many people have doubts and are afraid to take them to the Lord. This is as old as The Garden of Eden-

Genesis 3:1 NKJV

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Do you see the question? “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

It is doubt that The serpent used in the garden in the beginning it is still doubt that he uses on the people of God today!

We should come to God with our honest questions. Why do I say honest questions?

2.There are people in this world that do not want to submit to the Lordship of Christ.

These people would rather live the way they want then submit to the kingship of Christ. Not everyone who calls themselves Christians are.

Matthew 7:22–23 NKJV

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Let that Phrase sink in You who practise lawlessness!

Please don’t come up to me after service asking me this thing or that thing. This one or that one. Rather, Go to God, Go to him in prayer. Ask God about what is in your life. Go to God with that one who came to your mind. Don’t go to them, go to God. People listen to me… our loved ones may not be able to hear God because we wont shut up.

Bring Brandon up, and with a bull horn say, God loves you. Be as annoying as possible. say over and over God loves you. Leave the stage. Move people out of the way and keep saying God Loves you.

1 Kings 19:11–12 NKJV

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

What did Jesus do with Peter?

Luke 22:31–34 NKJV

31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

Jesus prayed for Peter. we can get way more done on our knees is secret than we can with a bull horn.

Philippians 3:3 NKJV

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

The Apostle said that we had none, however, much to often we do. We nag and fuss and argue, when we should stop talking to people and pray.

The next thing I see that Jesus did is He showed back up for Thomas.

2. Jesus comes back for Thomas.

Matthew 18:12 NKJV

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

John 20:26 NKJV

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”

We see that one week later Jesus shows up again for Thomas and does the same exact thing!

There are a few huge things I do not want to miss:

First, eight is the number of new beginnings. Jesus waited till they where in the same room in the same condition with one exception Thomas is present. -Do not believe that it makes no difference if you are here or not it does you matter. We may not be able to go where we need to go and do what we need to do without you. you matter, you are gifted for us, in turn we are gifted for you. This is a we thing; you me and Jesus is we.

The next thing I don’t want you to miss is He is no respecter of persons.

Romans 2:11 NKJV

11 For there is no partiality with God.

What He does for one, He will do for all. you do not need to be jealous of someones gift. your gift may differ for the people you have been called to serve. Let your self be inspired, encouraged, and instructed when you see something in someone else that you think is better. Whatever you do do not what God is doing in someone else make you jealous and steal your joy.

You do not need to be jealous of someones position. Your time is coming. Just because you can't see it yet doesn't mean it's not on its way. Far too often, the enemy wants us to be jealous of the place that we are not yet in. He often does this by causing us to be jealous of people. Those people may be our very provision in our season of promotion. Always remember that nobody can take a seat that God prepared for you! Look around you, look close, because who's around you brings me to my next point.

3.Fellowship Fortifies.

John 20:27–29 NKJV

27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus said to Thomas, “Do not be unbelieving but believing.” This is where we get the phrase “doubting Thomas” but remember how he died. He died taking the gospel to people that killed him. He is no longer doubting Thomas but He is now Thomas the Determined.

Along with the experience he had with Jesus, He had the fellowship of His brothers. This is the power of presence and it cost something. I am not talking about whatever it is that you put in the blue swede bags as they went by, I am talking about the sacrifice we make to be here. not just present but engaged. open, apart of.

Fellowship should be considered a spiritual discipline if it is not. it is a key to strength in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 16:2 NKJV

2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Hebrews 10:24–25 NKJV

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Being together so that we can be stirred up is vital .

I have no idea what the 7 days before Jesus showed up again where like for Thomas, however I feel like he was isolating in his fear and pain. I hate it when people say, “preacher, I am going to get it together and come to Church.” The statement assumes two wrong things: First, the statement assumes that you have to have it together to come to church which would be the furthest thing from the truth, come on, and in the act of coming watch how things start “getting themselves to gether as you come. The second thing it assumes is that those of us that are here have it together, we do not. Like you we are still getting it together. do not leave your seat at the table empty. there is room for you. there will always be room for you in Gods house. Even if we need to build a bigger room.

Conclusion:

This morning, we learned that Thomas was not doubting. Instead, the beating and crucifixion were real. We further acknowledge that the Lord meets us in our place of doubt if we will let Him. We also note that some people claim they are struggling with doubt but are struggling with the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We see that Jesus does more than preach about returning for the one. He makes another appearance post-resurrection for the one sheep, Thomas. Finally, we know the power of fellowship, the purpose of presence in the life of a believer, and its value.