Is Seeing Believing?

Secularism, as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary,[1] is the "indifference to, or rejection or exclusion of, religion and religious considerations." In different contexts the word can refer to anticlericalism, atheism, desire to exclude religion from social activities or civic affairs, banishment of religious symbols from the public sphere, state neutrality toward religion, the separation of religion from state, or disestablishment (separation of church and state).

Illustrated: Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth In A Distracted Age by Alan Noble

A Distracted, Secular Age

The Barrier of Endless Distraction

The Barrier of the Buffered Self

Bearing a Disruptive Witness

Disruptive Personal Habits

Disruptive Church Practices

Disruptive Cultural Participation

Transition: Jesus shows up (again) and disrupts the disciples distractions

Reason for Lock doors:

1. You have seen what has happened to others

2. You are afraid it can happen to you

2. You have experienced the same in life for yourself

Why Do We Lock Doors?

Illustrate: You have seen how life has treated someone close to you or some important person in your life whom you love

Who or what are we trying to lock out?

Jesus shows up again and has to do the same thing essentially again but with a twist

John 20:26 ESV

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.”

“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."” ‭‭John‬ ‭20:26‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.20.26.esv

Where we live and work are we afraid?

Sometimes the closed door is in our own home

So you just come home, heat your food up in the microwave, go to your bedroom, and lock the door and eat dinner and watch tv by yourself

And the scripture is not just describing physical doors/barriers

What are some barriers in our lives both physical, emotional, and spiritual?

Sometimes alcohol and drugs are our barriers/doors.

Sometimes bad and dysfunctional relationships are our doors/barriers because we have such low self esteem of ourselves that we do not want to risk being vulnerable

Broken heart

Broke childhood

Broken spirit due to the debilitating effects of poverty

Broken marriage

But our resurrected Jesus has the power to come through our locked doors

Body- Effects Of Fear Upon The Church

Fear Places Barriers On Ministry

2 Timothy 1:6–7 ESV

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:

1 John 4:13–21 ESV

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

What are the disciples still doing 8 days later?

Fear of different people

Fear of change

Fear of death

Last week we learned Jesus came, stood, and spoke

Jesus gave the disciples an

Assignment

Anointing

John 20:21–23 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

“Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."” ‭‭John‬ ‭20:21-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.20.21-23.esv

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/59/mat.28.18-20.esv

Fear Places Barriers On Christian Witness

Consider how Thomas responds to the disciples testimony of Jesus Christ’s resurrection

What did the disciples exactly say to Thomas?

What were the disciples supposed to be doing?

But what were they still doing?

What about the effectiveness of the disciples Christian Witness? How effective is it? Yes because had a Jesus just blown the Holy Spirit on them? (Go back and review the scripture from last week’s Sermon)

Are the disciples acted like they saw Jesus Christ resurrected alive just eight days ago?

What happens when the church is not walking, going, moving With the power and authority that Jesus Christ has and powered her through the Holy Spirit

Does the disciples baggage hinder Thomas?

Andrew

Peter

Philip

Nathaniel

James and John

Fear Places Barriers On Faith

Hebrews 11:1–3 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Now Consider who at the time had been following Jesus for 3 years and heard what he kept saying

Thomas wasn’t around the first time in resurrection Sunday

Why didn’t Thomas show up?

Illustrate: Why didn’t some people come past Sunday but they came today?

Like James Brown: “I don’t know!”

Else he will never believe

Some people have to see and touch the marks for themselves in order to believe?

Illustrate: Aretha Franklin’s “Something He Can Feel” from the album Sparkle

And we within the church ought not get upset either!

Close

llustrate:

Rev. Dr. Cathy Gilliard at White rock Baptist church down in Durham, North Carolina at

3400 Fayetteville Street

Zipcode 27707

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. I had lost my job. And couldn’t find any work. I’ve been faithfully serving in the church walking with Jesus in it and just doing my best to represent Jesus Christ.

Rev. Dr. Cathy Gilliard telling me it’s all right I’m just gonna have to run faster when I get back in the race.

And then packing up everything and moving up to Cambridge Massachusetts. I had to let someone else pick out our place to stay. Because we were unable to find anyone who would allow us to rent from them with the number of children we had in our family. So a friend of mine picked out the place for me. We moved in and it never even seen it before. Van I need help unpacking the van and he got people to help unpack who I had never seen before.

What I’m getting at here church is we walk by faith and not by sight

We've come this far by faith Leaning on the LORD

Trusting in His Holy Word

He never failed me yet

Oh' can't turn around

We've come this far by faith

“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:19-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/59/mrk.16.19-20.esv

Mark 16:19–20 ESV

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

John chapter 20 verse 29 is for those saints who believe in spite of not having seen Jesus Christ yet.

This verse is also for those who believe in walk in faith and obedience despite the shortcomings of the church in Jesus Christ disciples who don’t always get it or move in faith when they are suppose

Those who believe and have not figured everything out yet, but joy have put your faith in Jesus Christ

And you have mad your mind up

Now faith

Hebrews 11:1–3 ESV

Hebrews

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 ESV

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2:9–12 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.