Patience to the Doubter

Scripture

John 20:24–29 “Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although 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, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””

The water moccasin that maybe was

All the disciples doubted

Luke 24:10–11 “Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”

John 11:16 “So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.””

The disciples were in no state of mind to fake a resurrection

They were all distraught

They weren’t even thinking about resurrection

Not to mention, preaching resurrection is what got them in trouble, it wasn’t an option

Which points to, these things actually happened

Jesus appeared again and gave Thomas exactly what he asked for

The patience of our God

Let us be patient with others

The scars were evidence of who Jesus is

The scars are proof of what He has done

The scars which led to death have no hold on Him

The scars are the insignia of His rank and office ~ Tozer

Revelation 5:6 “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

“My Lord and my God!”

It’s one thing to be Lord

It’s entirely something else to be God

Now he believed

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We have a blessing the disciples didn’t have

God doesn’t count us as lesser

God blesses you when you believe

John wrote his Gospel so you would believe

John 20:30–31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Where is our doubt?

Do you doubt the mighty works of God?

Do you doubt that God is with you?

Do you doubt that He cares for you?

Do you doubt that He can use you for His work?

Do you doubt that He can empower and sustain this church?

Do you doubt that His ways are better?

We all have doubt and Jesus is standing with us to help us believe if we will simply turn to Him

Why do we doubt?

We are looking at our circumstances

Look to God

It may look like death around us but we serve the one who has defeated death and wears the scars to prove it

We want things a certain way and need to trust God for His way

Let us…

Take our problems to God

Seek after the One who has eternal life

Be bold to believe in what God can do