Believing Is Seeing (2)

Everyone loves good news! We receive news that we are going to be a grandparent and we tell all our friends. Or, We receive news that our can is gone and we shout it from the housetops.

Likewise, we hear from God that He has declared between us and Him and we should want to tell the world. This leads us to this evenings theme: Believing Is Seeing. And we’ll unpack this by understanding that as a result of God’s declaration (1). Christ Has Commissioned His Church and (2)., Christ Strengthens the Faith of the Doubters.

In this evenings Gospel reading Jesus appears to His disciples announcing Good new and laying out His plan from this point forward.

Christ Commissions His Church

He Sends Us “As the Father has sent Me, I also send You” (v. 21).

Send = Apostle, or One Who is Sent

To Disciple the Nations ()

To Be His Witnesses ()

He Gives the Message We are to Speak

Message of Peace — “Peace to you!” (v. 21, 26). This Peace is something Jesus earned for us on the cross.

“He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” ()

Message of Pardon

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” ().

He Gives the Power

Holy Spirit given at Pentecost, came with Power.

Holy Spirit is God’s abiding gift to the Church.

— the Holy Spirit convicts the world of Sin, Righteousness, and Judgement. He will guide us into all truth, and His Word is Truth.

Jesus sending us seems awesome, as He has given us the message to speak and the power to do the work, but sometime people see this challenge and they cave under the pressure. Instead of believing sometimes we are a bit faithless. But Jesus deals with our doubts.

Christ Strengthens the Faith of the Doubters

Thomas Lives by the Philosophy: “Seeing is Believing” v. 25

Thomas was not with the other disciples

Thomas discounted the testimony of his brothers.

At times we are tempted to behave just like Thomas

We look at our abilities instead of what God can do.

Called upon to do something within the body of Christ we are so often tempted to ignore the call by saying we are too busy.

We want evidence from heaven, some sign, that God wants us to do so and so.

Jesus encourages the Philosophy: “Believing is Seeing”

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We have a sure Word to guide us

The Word is given by Inspiration

“No prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” ().

“No prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

The Word point to Christ and His promises.

Faith clings to the Word.

It hold on in all circumstances (Disciples fished all night catching nothing, but because Jesus told them to do so, they let down their nets anyway).

It prevails over our feelings.

Faith is rewarded by sight

Abraham, the children of Israel at the Red Sea and at Jericho, Gideon against the Midianites.

So, let’s walk in confidence of faith, bringing forth the fruit of our Christian witness, because Jesus is alive and with us; Commissioning us to move forward and Strengthening our Faith when doubting arises.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.