New Beginnings: Dealing with Doubt, John 20:24-31, 04/27/14

Sermon 4-27-14 new beginnings resurrection appearances doubting Thomas - Jn 20:24-31 ooo

 Thank you again for a great Easter

Is it a sin to be glad that Easter is over?

Easter is over, so now, back to the real world

Today Jesus appears to Doubting Thomas

We all have doubts

 

²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe^[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

 

New series – resurrection appearances – doubting Thomas

Great place to begin because the presence of Jesus brought peace, comfort

 

The story of Doubting Thomas – let us go die with him, jn 21, acts 2

 

Doubt is - Uncertainty – hesitancy to believe. To doubt is to question

 

Doubts …. We all have them

Its normal

Anyone that acts like they have never had a question or a doubt is fake

 

Do you blame Thomas?  What would you think if someone came up to you and said they saw someone alive from the dead

 

I think it is important that the church allows questioning- Ken Barnes

 

            Church I grew up in made it feel sinful to have any doubts of                                               Christianity and Faith. If you questioned passages or scriptures or                             any part of the teachings of the church you were made to feel as                                   though God was disapproving.  A feeling of guilt for having any                               reservations or questions or “doubt”.

 

There has to be a better way

Jesus did not condemn Thomas

What if we just accept the fact that it is ok.  That we are going to have questions and doubts

 

Everyone has them.  I have them.

We get them from friends, from observations, from reading, from not reading,

From being tired, worn down, exhausted

I have them

What are mine

 

What if we don’t believe it right?

History of the Christian theology

Atonement

Early theory was the ransom theory

Anselm 1033-1109 substitution theory

2 cor 5:21

²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

We need to focus on the main themes and not be so sure about the periphery things

 

Another place that I find doubt is this

Romans 8:28

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose.

 

Examples- reat underwood and his grandfather.  Their families?

Sometimes I wish god would pop in for a question and answer period

No holds barred.  Ask whatever you want

 

So where do I find comfort in times of doubt?

Several places

 

The watch on the beach- a divine organizer

Complex design organization

William pauley – late 1700’s

 

Antikythera mechanism

 

The witness of creation

I see the handi work of the creator

pictures

In the flowers

 

In the gift of the human body

Ps 139:14

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well

 

Blessed are those who believe without seeing

But we see every day-

its like creation is saying, come put your hand in his side

If creation is external, there’s also internal witness-In the gift of a soul

I also move past doubt when I sense the witness of the soul

–Romans 8:16

¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

How does one describe the amazingness of a soul

You are not your finger, hand, leg or any body part

You are a living soul

When we come to know people in soulish ways, we no longer think of them as old or young, male or female, they are just a good soul

Blaise Pascal said “We come to know truth not only thru reason, but still more so through our hearts.  The heart has its reasons that reason does not know.” 

Finally I move past doubt when I think of you

You have to pay taxes but you don’t have to live a life of love

 

The kindness the love that we feel

The amazing way that people give themselves away

Watching people live outside of themselves tells me that there is something bigger going on in this world that just human stuff

 

Creation, the soul and You dispel my doubts and fill me with faith.