The Necessity of Interaction

One thing that this dilemma has taught us today is the need for human interaction. Being quarantined, social distancing, and not being able to shake hands or give someone a hug is having a huge impact on my life.

Over the past couple of weeks I have seen many pictures on social media of some ingenious ways that loved ones are connecting with each other in nursing homes and other places. From tic-tac-toe on a glass door to sitting outside a nursing home window talking to his dad with a cell phone. The need to interact with one another is a drive that was planted deep within us from the very beginning.

We find this in the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, when God saw that Adam was lonely. He needed someone on Earth with him. Someone to share life with. Without interaction, without fellowship, the world is a lonely place.

But what if this wasn’t a mandatory quarantine. How would you feel if the ones you loved started distancing themselves from you. It may look something like this: they might come see you every week, call you every other day. Then the visits became every other week and the calls became weekly instead of daily. Over the course of a short time, the visits were occasionally and the calls spaced out, maybe two or three times a month. Then the visits stopped and the calls were few and far between. Then before you know it the calls stop.

Now imagine God’s point of view. Imagine the ones that you created not wanting to have anything to do with you. Withdrawing, and distancing themselves from you. Occasionally stopping by your house to worship, occasionally calling out to you in prayer and usually only in times of desperation.

When there is no interaction with the Father, then there is a real sense of joy that has been lost. So today we are going to look at restoring the joys of salvation.

I have to give credit to Wilson Garner who has been with Jesus since 1970 for writing this sermon and to his brother Dr. Albert Garner who published it in his book Life, Love, and Labors of Wilson Garner in 1971. Although this sermon was originally written years ago, and preached years ago, the impact can very much be felt today and I believe is needed today.

In Psalm 51:12 David writes “ Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit.

John 20:19–29 NKJV

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 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.”

Intro 2: The absence of Christian joy is manifested by the attitudes of Christians today.

There is among many Christians plenty of denominational enthusiasm and zeal, but many Churches that started out in revival fires are now living in the smoke. The joys of new life have vanished from most assemblies.

We meet on the Lord’s day more as though we had assembled to mourn a defeat than to celebrate a victory.

The New Testament centers in a Cross, is bathed in the blood of martyrs, and is blackened by the fires of persecution, but this does not alter the fact that from the beginning to the end there should be triumphant joy. It begins with an angel chorus and ends with rejoicing around the throne of God (Luke 2:9-14 and Rev 5:9-14)

The Lord invites His children to a feast, not to a funeral. Jesus said: “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”. (Luke 14:16-24; John 13:17)

In the life of the early church, we find the Christians eating their meat with gladness, and singleness of heart, praising God. (Acts 2:46)

As we follow Paul from prison to prison we hear his shout, rejoice in the Lord always comma and again I say rejoice.

today the church members who yell like a Comanche Indian at a football game too often sit like wooden Indians in the House of God on Sunday.

Really you can't measure piety by the length of the face. The real restoration of joy hinges on the teachings of John 20 : 20 which reads then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

Here we have the secret of how the Christian may have the joy of Salvation restored. Then and when are the two words in this passage that reveal how one's joy may be restored.

David had evidently drifted so far away from God that his eyes could only see those things that interested his fleshly nature. He could not see the Lord for his selfish desires and because of this he committed two of the greatest sins one can commit.

I. WHAT MADE THE DISCIPLES REJOICE?

A. It does not read: then were the disciples glad when they saw themselves.

1. When we really see the Lord we also see ourselves, but we are not always satisfied with what we see.

2. Job saw the Lord and despised himself (Job 42:6)

3. Isaiah saw the Lord and cried woe is me. (Isa 6:5)

4. Saul saw the Lord and fell in the dust. (Acts 9:4)

5. John saw the Lord and fell is one dead. (Rev 1:7)

B. The text does not read: then were the disciples glad when they saw each other. Looking at other Christians becomes a disappointing business.

1. Peter was tempted to wonder about John, but the Lord rebuked him and said: what is that to the, follow thou me. (John 21:21,22)

2. There are different ways to look at other Christians.

3. From the selfish eye. “I deserve more than he”

4. from a jealous eye. “I can do it better than he”

5. from a critical eye. “I would not do a thing like that at all.”

6. I John 5:16 “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death”

7. Our brother’s sin is not a challenge to criticism but a call to prayer!

C. It does not read: “Then were the disciples glad when they saw their circumstances”. Their circumstances weren’t very encouraging:

1. They were in closed doors for fear of the Jews.

2. All through the word we found God's people grieved over circumstances, but when men see the Lord above circumstances, they rejoice.

3. Habakkuk was perplexed over the prosperity of the wicked and the sufferings of the righteous, but when he saw the Lord he said: whatever the circumstances, I will join in the god of my Salvation.

D. It does not read: “Then were the disciples glad when they saw a particular doctrine.” It is possible to see many doctrines about the Lord without really seeing the Lord.

1. It is possible to ride one great truth to the neglect of all other truths

2. Christ is the truth comma and unless we know him intimately, to know a truth about him will not make one rejoice. John 14: 6

3. some see the work of the spirit without knowing that the spirit speaks of Christ.

4. some see the second coming of Christ as an academic interest instead of the return of the person.

5. Some honor the church as the institution comma and never see Christ as the head and ruler of his church.

6. Some even honor and worship the cross of Christ instead of the Christ of the cross.

7. Others harp on a victorious life comma and seem to try to glorify the life more than the Christ who is our life.

Transition: What made the disciples rejoice: Seeing the Lord! They saw Jesus and nothing else!

II. The KIND OF CHRIST THE DISCIPLES SAW.

A. They saw a Crucified Christ. “He showed unto them his hands and his side” verse 20

B. They saw a risen Christ: Verse 19

C. There are many Christians who claim to be dead with Christ who are not living in the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.

1. These disciples were behind closed doors in fear and dread

2. Hundreds of Christians live today behind closed doors of dread and uncertainty

D. They are afraid of life, death, of criticism, of circumstances, afraid of today and tomorrow, imprisoned in their own fear, doubt or worry! Why? Because they have not seen the risen Lord as he really is!

It’s Time you start seeing the Lord as He really is today. It’s time you had some personal interaction with Jesus through the Holy Spirit today. Stop focusing on what’s outside and praise God for what’s inside!

III. WHAT SEEING THE LORD DID FOR THESE DISCIPLES:

A. It gave them assurance. The report of the resurrection seemed too good to be true, but now they have seen the Lord, and know that it is true.

1. Often the good things of life seem almost too good to be true, and we must be reassured.

2. The little girl who had been accustomed to sharing a glass of milk with several other brothers and sisters asked the nurse in the hospital please nurse, how deep may I drink. The nurse replied just drink as deep as you like.

3. To be assured that all good things belong to me and all good things belong to all others is hard to understand but brings joy when we receive it. I could not divide $1000 among a multitude so that each could receive $1000 but the grace of God is not diminished by sharing. it is for everybody.

B. It gave them Joy. John 16:22 reads, “I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”

1. This is our Lord's answer to those poor souls who are always asking : will it last? It is a full joy not partial; It is a remaining joy not a fleeting emotion.

2. The measure of joy is in proportion to our faith by which we look unto Jesus.

C. It gave them a Commission: As my father has sent me Even so send I you

1. we can only find real joy when we are willing to share the source of our joy with others

2. after Paul saw the Lord he asked, what will thou have me to do?

3. Our missionaries who really see the Lord, see the great need of some field.

D. It gave the disciples power. He breathed on them and said unto them, receive you the Holy Ghost.

1. This is no doubt the receiving of the Holy Ghost for service upon those that receive the Lord gladly

2. without power to carry out a Commission the Commission would fail

3. when David prayed, restore unto me the joy of the Salvation, he also prayed for power. And uphold me with thy free spirit

E. It brought them authority. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them.

1. The vision of a risen Lord will enable us to speak with authority boldly proclaim what we know to be the truth and with a promise that he will ever be near us, to bless our efforts. (Romans 1:16; Isa 55:10-11)

Conclusion:

Some will say: “Ah yes, I know that seeing the Lord Jesus brings all the benefits but, He does not appear now as He did then.” This is why the Lord followed this account with the record of doubting Thomas . He told Thomas, blessed are they that have not seen yet believe. Peter said, whom having not seen you love ; And whom, thou now you see him not yet believing , you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. The writer of the book of Hebrews says: but we see Jesus. The two words to make this stick out and prove that interaction with our Lord is a necessity are the two words then and when. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. The unsaved can only rejoice when they by faith except Christ and see him as their only hope of redemption, as soul saw him on the Damascus road and cried Lord, what will thou have me to do.