When you doubt the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Dismiss Children
We are continuing through the Bible in our Gospel story series. Last week we saw where Jesus met with two disciples as they were traveling on the road to Emmaus. Their focus was on what was going on around them and they had lost sight fo what Jesus had taught them and what the Word said regarding the Messiah.
Today we are going to be looking at an exchange between a man named Thomas and the other apostles.
We are in the Gospel of John. 4th book of the New Testament and understood to bee the last one written.
The author, John, is John the Apostle not John the Baptist that you may have heard of. John the Apostle walked with Christ for 3.5 years and and went on to be the last living Apostle.
He wrote this Gospel to believers in Roman Asia.
And in what we can summize to be eyewitness testimony of this event, we se him shining a light on Thomas’ doubt and the result of it being removed.
I was speaking with someone the other day about travel agents. Did you know that Disney builds travel agents commission into all of their pricing? So if you don’t use one, your truly paying for a service your not using.
I was told this by a travel agent. I shared it with a friend and their response was “Are you sure they aren’t just telling you that so they can make more money?”…What a cynic right? ha ha
They doubted what I was saying. Doubt is a topic in Christianity that I believe isn’t addressed enough. Is it normal to doubt your faith? yes.
Is it normal to Doubt the outcome of a situation? Yes. Is it normal to have doubt? Absolutely.
And we see that doubt in our passage today.
Follow along with me as I read.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
John 20:24-25
PRAY
Exegete:
Let’s set the seen real quick.
After Jesus encountered the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, they returned to the other disciples and told them they had seen Jesus.
Then, Jesus appeared unto the disciples in an upper room. Thomas, the protagonist of our passage today, wasn’t there.
Thomas is an interesting person in scripture. He was called Didymus, which also translates to the word “Twin.” It’s assumed thats because he was a twin, go figure.
The first time we read of Thomas speaking is in
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
John 11:16
Scholars do not agree on the tone of this statement.
Was Thomas’ saying “lets go die with lazarus” was it “Let’s follow Jesus to a place close to Jerusalem where the Jews will get him and kill him and let’s die with him.”
Because of his statement in our passage today and in John 14, it’s believed it was one of doubt and cynicism. He wasn’t focused on the fact that Jesus said “He sleeps (he’s dead) but I go that I may wake him out of his sleep.”
Thomas’ seems to be a person of doubt.
How did he get this way? What lead to his doubt?
Thomas being a normal man like all of us, lets ask ourselves that question: What causes us to doubt?
Illustrate:
There was a little boy named David that couldn’t find his mom in the store. They were in the fruit snack aisle and after running over to his favorite, David turned to ask him mom for some but didn’t find her.
He began asking himself:
Had she left him at the store all by himself?
Had she decided he was too much trouble to feed... all he had asked for was fruit snacks!?
Had she left the store to head home and forgot all about him?
He felt sad. He felt scared. He felt a little angry.
He went to another aisle and found a man wearing a blue vest.
He says to the man
"I think my mom left me at the store or got abducted by aliens or something," The man looked down at the boy (cock eyebrow) The little boy started to cry a little.
"Now what makes you think that?"
"Well," the boy answered, "I was looking at fruit snacks and then she was gone. I asked her if we could get some and then she just was gone."
The man in the blue vest slowly got up from his kneeling position and said "Let's see if we can find her."
"We won't find her," the little boy said right away, "I have looked all over the world and she is just plain gone."
"So what makes you think that your mom left without you?" the man said
"Because I don't see her"
"Has she ever accidentally left you anywhere before" the man asked.
"No."
"Has she ever been abducted by aliens before," the man asked as they passed aisle seven.
"Not that I know of."
"So why would you doubt her now? I am sure she is here and we just have to find her," the man said as he walked up to a small stand at aisle ten. He sued the radio and made an announcement about david being there and lost.
Just as the announcement was blasting over the store... announcing to the world that his mother had left him to fend for himself with nothing but a box of fruit snacks to eat... his mother appeared with her full cart around the corner of aisle fifteen. His baby sister was bouncing up and down in the seat of the cart sucking on a bottle and sporting a different outfit than she had on when they entered the store.
"Mom!" "Mom I thought you left without me"boy hugs mom
"Honey I asked you to follow me to the bathroom so I could change your sister," his mother looked down and hugged him. "I thought you heard me. I looked around after I changed her and didn't see you. I went to the fruit snack aisle and you weren't there."
"I forgot," the boy said.
"Honey I have never left you anywhere before... have I," his mother asked.
"No."
"Well then I hope you learned something about me today," his mother said as she looked down at her now non-frantic son.
His mom thanked the man in the blue vest as he began to walk away. The tall man with the mustache and the huge radio also got some thanks from her. "Hey mom," the little boy asked, "can we get some fruit snacks?"
Apply: When the boy turned and saw his mother gone, he began to doubt her and got frightened. You see the fright didn’t come first. The emotion folllowed the thought.
Doubt is an intellectual problem. Doubt is what happens when we don’t have the faith to answer the unknowns in our life.
David doubted his mother was still there for him because he couldn’t explain where she was.
Thomas doubted the resurrection of Christ because he couldn’t explain it and would only believe it was truly Jesus if he saw the marks on Him.
Doubt is normal. But God, love that statement, But God has given us a gift called faith to overcome that doubt.
To some it comes more naturally, to others, you may find yourself like Thomas. Whether that be about the validity of Christianity or anything else in life.
It’s not wrong to have doubt. It’s wrong to leave doubt alone and not explore what is causing the doubt and how to overcome it.
I. Doubt Explored Leads to Faith Solidified
I. Doubt Explored Leads to Faith Solidified
Thomas remained with the disciples following his expression of doubt. He didn’t give up, he didn’t run. He remained with them for at least a week.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
John 20:25-27
Some say it was Sunday to Sunday. Great reason to be at church, you never know what you might miss.
Exegete: Thomas stayed and Jesus comes back to them.
His appearance must have startled the men there. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have someone just appear in a room. Especially if I believed they were dead.
Notice the spirit which Jesus brings to this encounter. It is not one of chastisement, he doesn’t belittle Thomas, He doesn’t question his salvation or beat him over the head. He declares peace and the n tells him “here, see that I am who I am. Believe on me.”
The desire of Jesus to reconcile the world to Him is seen here in this simple encounter with Thomas.
He hasn’t come to condemn the world but to reconcile it back to the Father. Now, there will be a day when the wrath of God will no longer be withheld. Condemnation and destruction will rain down from Heaven and all hope for humanity will be lost.
That is not the case as of today.
Thomas remained with the disciples and explored his doubt.
Illustrate:
I recently read a story about a person that had doubted their faith. Instead of allowing their doubt to overtake them they called their pastor.
Sitting at the coffee shop this person explained their doubt to their pastor. Expecting him to come down with condemnation for their lack of faith the pastor responded:
“I can tell you what I believe and why I’ve reached a point of rest in my searching,” he said, “but this is your journey, and you’ll have to get to the point yourself where you say, ‘This is solid ground. Here I can rest and trust.‘”
Doubt is rational thought that must be overcome by the Spirit.
Doubt causes questions and when explored causes growth. When left alone, it will lead to unbelief and inaction.
Apply: What doubts do you have? Do you doubt the resurrection of Jesus? Let’s talk about that. Go to our forensic faith group on Wednesdays at 630 here at the church.
Do you have doubts about whether or not you should serve at the church? Let’s talk about that. Let’s pray and ask God to open doors.
It is in doubt we find discomfort, discontentment, and discouragement. It is in faith we find hope, contentment, and strength.
When we explore our doubt we will have a solidified faith.
and
II. Solidified Faith results in Willful Worship
II. Solidified Faith results in Willful Worship
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 20:28-29
Exegete:
It is in this moment we see Thomas go from doubtful to faithful. It is here we get to see a person solidify their faith make the decision that Jesus is their Lord and their God. Jesus then proclaims a belssing on those that believe and do not see.
Did the manner in which Thomas’ doubt turned to faith impact who He was in Christ or what God could use Him for?
No.
And it doesn’t change who you are in Christ or what God will do in your life.
Our God is the God of life change. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, and however you come to Him does not impact His love for you.
Thomas came from a cynical attitude with doubt and God took his life and did something amazing with it.
History tells us that Thomas travelled from Jerusalem to Kerala, India to preach the gospel.
Google maps says that is 6,570 Km or 4082 mi.
That’s 1,333 hours of walking.
Thomas has gotten a bad wrap for his doubt but after he explored his doubt and solidifed his faith, He worship Jesus with everything he had. He was a devout follower of Christ that took the Gospel to the world.
He even gave his life because of his faith.
Foxe’s book of Martyrs indicates that while in Calamina, India he was tortured by angry pagans, run through with spears, and thrown into the flames of an oven.
He took his doubt and allowed it to become faith. His faith lead him to wilful worship of Jesus.
Remember, doubt is an intellectual problem that will result in an emotion about what you doubt that can ruin your life if your doubt is unfounded.
Illustrate:
Let me ask you, have you ever been scammed before? I have.
Many times our doubt or skepticism about something or someone is because of past experiences.
If you were to be approached by someone that said “I have 1 million dollars that I have obtained legally and is located in this house that I want to give you. No strings attached. I just need you to hand me the keys to your car.”
What would your response be? “Here you go!”
No. There would be doubt. Then, that doubt would lead to aggrevation or frustration. “What? get a way from me. Your an idiot.”
You would take action on the emotion the doubt is leading to.
Then you see him go to the next person and say the same thing. That person gives him the keys to which he gives the keys to the house. The guy who gave away the car walks to the house, opens the door and you see from the sidewalk a large pile of cash.
Later that night you see his viral tik tok or facebook post...
All because you doubted and didn’t explore it.
What if you had asked a question about your doubt? What if you had explored your doubt and then solidifed your faith in the guy? You may not worship him, but you willl be grateful for him.
Apply: Jesus has come to you and me with an offer greater than 1 million dollars.
He has approached you head on as you sit here today or view this online. He has said
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6
He said
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
He has come so that you may be reconciled to God and live an abundant life in Him.
Your doubt of Jesus is affecting your life in ways you don’t understand. You can’t. Not until you know Jesus.
When you doubt the gospel and don’t explore it for yourself, you will find yourself in unbelief. But Doubt explored leads to a faith solidified.
A solidified faith leads to willful worship.
And
III. Willful Worship of Jesus changes your life
III. Willful Worship of Jesus changes your life
Christians that are here today, you know Jesus as your Savior. You have trusted him with your never dying soul. You have a relationship with your Heavenly Father, yet you have doubts.
You doubt Jesus will take care of your finances. You doubt Jesus will heal the sick. You doubt Jesus will change the wayward son. You doubt Jesus will do great things in our time.
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
James 4:2-3
We desire these great things from God but we either doubt that He can do them or that He will do them.
You may doubt God will forgive you. You may doubt God will restore a relationship. You may doubt God, period.
What are you doing about it? Are you exploring the scriptures? are you speaking to another believer about asking them to point you to Jesus and the answers He has?
Jesus will change your life if you just believe in Him and that He can.
Time of Response
Time of Response
Who Thomas was before Jesus called him to be a disciple isn’t clearly indicated in scripture or history. Who you are without Christ isn’t anything compared to who you can be with Christ.
Thomas was taken from insignificance to great significance because he had faith in Jesus.
He was used to bring the gospel to many. The gospel has an impact on every life that receives it by faith.
have you trust in Jesus as your savior? Have you put your faith in the gospel, the good news, of His death, burial, and resurrection.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Christians, are you doubting Jesus? Are you doubting any decisions in your life? take them to Jesus, trust Him and His Word by faith, and then worship Him by obeying Him.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
PRAY
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