Doubts We Have John 20:24-29 05/01/11

Sermon`5-1-2011 Thomas the doubter John 20:24-29 doubts we have

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.”

Resurrection stories

Thomas the doubter
A great legacy
Not a very positive guy
Lets go to Jerusalem and die there with him john 11;16
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Before we are so hard on him
All of the disciples ran away
None of htem got it
They all had their doubts – did not believe the report of the women

We are not really much different
Human, broken people trying to follow God

If you don't have any doubts, you are kidding yourself. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.

Better a little self doubt than to see ones self as always right
Those who do not doubt are dangerous – jim jones

Some are not honest with themselves-
Others have god is such a box that they have it all figured out
When you enter the mystery of God, the story does not add up
Human minds cannot connect the dots

Doubt is often the source of honest, humble, authentic faith.
Real relationships are grounded in clean air..brave people are not afraid to ask the hard questions.

Faith without doubt is dead. Faith without doubt is pretent.
Healthy doubt searches for more faith. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.

We have doubts about God
We have doubts about ourselves – or what we are trying to do
Last week with the pastors
I am not like them – john ortberg story
Comparing themselves with themselves they are not wise 2 cor 10:12
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
When you have your eyes on yourself, you will always feel bad about yourself
What would you tell a child?

We doubt our faith sometimes.......that is really what Thomas is doing
Have I really given my heart to Christ? Over and over as youth
I don't feel very faithful
I am discouraged

There are always going to be questions about life and God's world
God is bigger than our questions.

Unto disciples he said, gentlemen,
Remember the story..remember who I am
See my hands, touch my side......Consider the truth

I cant leave myself in my brain

Jesus comes into the room
It makes the story
Changes the moment
They go from hiding in fear, to being willing to give their lives


By the way, the greatest proof of the resurrection is that the disciples died for this faith
Would you be willing to die for a lie
Would you hide the body and then go die for the story
The story is true
When you contact jesus your life is different
Not perfect, but better
Christians aren’t better than other people, they are just better than they were

Is jesus in your room? The thing that I forgot is that Jesus is already in the room. He never left.
He is spacially with me always.
The problem is not that he is not there the problem is that I was so caught up with what was going on that I forgot to look. REPEAT

So how do we meet jesus – many many ways 30,000 feet on airplane
Hearing a sermon about Gods love
Hearing a song about forgiveness
A book about biblical archaeology
On a mission trip - When I do the work of God, I feel his presence
In the sunset
In the forest
In the garden – tulips, ajuga, Angelina, blue salvia, sedem, hosta, iris
In the sanctuary
In the embrace of a friend
In the scriptures
At home in prayer

Simple faith
Dr. Julius Modlenhawer confessed from his own experience that when he was a child, he knew so little that he believed the Christmas story, just as Luke tells it. Then came a time when he thought he knew so much - after studying science, biblical criticism, comparative religion and philosophy - that he could not believe the miraculous setting of the story. But now, once again, he knows so little that he believes the story just as Luke tells it.—

Adam’s altheimers story

If you don't have a faith story, then maybe today is the day for you to receive one

The power of faith is greater than the power of the human mind.

Faith is the great “yes” to God.
I invite you to hear God’s call and understand that Jesus Is already in the room. place your faith in our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Doubts May 6, 2007

May 6, 2007 Doubts Luke 24:36-48

Since Easter, I have wanted to visit with you about Doubts.
We all have them.
The disciples are looked down upon for their frequent bouts of doubt.
Thomas particularly is vilified for his doubting ..unless I see His hands and touch the nail prints and put my fingers in His side
Hey, I'm not a ghost, got any fish?

Doubts, we all have them
Some random thoughts/quotes about dorbts:

• Real relationships are grounded in clean air..brave people are not afrian to ask the hard questions.



• If you don't have any doubts, you are kidding yourself. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.



• Doubts keep us from taking our faith for granted.



• Doubt is often the source of honest, humble, authentic faith.



• Faith is not just one more interest or attachment in life. Faith demands full commitment, everything or nothing. Consequently, believers attach a deeply serious effort to their searching about faith.



• Faith without doubt is dead.



• Healthy doubt searches for more faith. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.



• Better a little self doubt than to see ones self as always right



• Some pretend, covering their doubts with bravado> Others get lost in dogmatism and arrogance



• Those who do not doubt are dangerous



• Your are brighter when you ask for opinions that are different from your own.

Doubting....Confidence in life - can effect our daily living

When I was in seminary there was a teaching about Speaking things into existence

Mt. 21, Mark 11:23

Say to this mountain.

Implication is that those who cannot do these things don't have enough faith

It's a metaphor. If it isn't then move a mountain.

He is saying, hey get your chin up, put your best foot forward.

You can't step out into life thinking that you will fail.

There is a truth to this.... if you don't believe then you are like Eore

"Well Pooh, I guess I;m not going to get this job

argue for your limitations, and guess what, they are yours

Christians should have a sense of personal confidence...you are loved and created by God

Christians should also remember that we are God's handiwork, created to be in relationship with him. We are dependent.

Where does our help come, our help comes in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Ps. 124

We doubt God sometimes-I look for reasons to believe

1. creation


2. the human body


3. the soul that I see in you


4. the acts of Christians through the centuries


5. the change that I see take place in your heart


6. the innate goodness of the God who is love

I what we believe is not true, then something else must be

We evolved a one celled critter

It takes more faith to be an atheist that to believe in a loving omnipotent creator

A Christian has to explain disorder

A non believer has to explain order

Is the world really millions of years old? How did God do that?

When cells divide, how do they know what part of the body to become? DNA? But why does it work like it does?

There are always going to be questions about life and God's world

God is bigger than our questions.

Unto disciples he said, gentlemen,

Remember the story..remember who I am

See my hands, touch my side......Consider the truth

We doubt our faith sometimes.......

Have I really given my heart to Christ?

I don't feel very faithful

I am discouraged

The role of feelings and reality in doubting

Your can't trust your feeling, you can't go by them

How you feel about something does not change reality

Ask yourself, what is real, what is true

Remember your faith stories

Conclusion

If you don't have a faith story, then maybe today is the dayfor you to receive one

The power of faith is greater than the power of the human mind.

Hebrews 11

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2this is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

If you don't have a faith story, then maybe today is the day for you to receive one