Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000216 EndHTML:0000026998 StartFragment:0000003292 EndFragment:0000026962 SourceURL:file:\/\/localhost\/Users\/tonyshanaduehring\/Library\/Mail%20Downloads\/4-11-10luke2436-49john2019-31.doc<\/p>\n
Introduction\u201d\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, desert island. He prayed and prayed for God to have mercy and to rescue him. And every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none came. Exhausted, he eventually began to make a life on the island. He built a little hut out of driftwood and palm branches to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut was in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky! As if shipwreck and loneliness were not enough, now his own home and what few possessions he had were gone. He was stunned with anger and doubt: “God, how could You do this to me?” he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. Tears of joy streamed down the man\u201d\u2122s face: “How did you know I was here?” he asked his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal asking for help,” they replied.<\/p>\n Ronnie McBrayer<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Doubt, rather than driving God away, may in fact, bring him to you. When you feel as if all the faith you can muster is burning to the ground, it just might be the necessary signal for the risen Christ to somehow, someway, appear to you, in a way you never dreamed possible.<\/em><\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Thomas\u201d\u2122 skepticism over Jesus\u201d\u2122 resurrection is recorded in John 20, but the chronology of events are drawn from a combination of all the gospels\u201d\u2122 accounts of the days following the crucifixion.\u00a0 So we begin in Luke 24. <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Luke 24:36-49 (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n 36<\/sup><\/strong> And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. \u201cPeace be with you,\u201d he said. 37<\/sup><\/strong> But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!<\/p>\n 38<\/sup><\/strong> \u201cWhy are you frightened?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhy are your hearts filled with doubt? 39<\/sup><\/strong> Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it\u201d\u2122s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don\u201d\u2122t have bodies, as you see that I do.\u201d 40<\/sup><\/strong> As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.<\/p>\n 41<\/sup><\/strong> Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, \u201cDo you have anything here to eat?\u201d 42<\/sup><\/strong> They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43<\/sup><\/strong> and he ate it as they watched.<\/p>\n 44<\/sup><\/strong> Then he said, \u201cWhen I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.\u201d 45<\/sup><\/strong> Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46<\/sup><\/strong> And he said, \u201cYes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47<\/sup><\/strong> It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: \u201d\u02dcThere is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.\u201d\u2122 48<\/sup><\/strong> You are witnesses of all these things.<\/p>\n 49<\/sup><\/strong> \u201cAnd now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n Believing what we cannot see is hard. All of us are skeptics to some degree, and some more than others. But there is often more going on inside a skeptic than meets the eye. And Jesus knows how to reach them.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n John 20:24-31 (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n 24<\/sup><\/strong> One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25<\/sup><\/strong> They told him, \u201cWe have seen the Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n But he replied, \u201cI won\u201d\u2122t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.\u201d<\/p>\n It was specifically Thomas\u201d\u2122 doubt that initiated the visit by Jesus<\/em>. You just never know what your doubts will give birth to<\/span>.<\/p>\n 26<\/sup><\/strong> Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. \u201cPeace be with you,\u201d he said. 27<\/sup><\/strong> Then he said to Thomas, \u201cPut your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don\u201d\u2122t be faithless any longer. Believe!\u201d<\/p>\n Mark Roberts<\/strong><\/p>\n Do you know what’s missing here? The rebuke! The guilt! The lecture on not doubting! It’s not here. Jesus doesn’t chew Thomas out for his unbelief. Rather, he gently and mercifully offers Thomas exactly what he had wanted. Jesus met Thomas right where he was.<\/em><\/p>\n 28<\/sup><\/strong> \u201cMy Lord and my God!\u201d Thomas exclaimed.<\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n Mark Roberts<\/strong><\/p>\n Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” This makes him the first person in the gospels, perhaps even the first person in all of history, to confess Jesus not only as Lord, but also as God. Doubting Thomas, or better yet, honest Thomas became faithful Thomas, bold Thomas, believing Thomas.<\/em><\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n 29<\/sup><\/strong> Then Jesus told him, \u201cYou believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.\u201d<\/p>\n 30<\/sup><\/strong> The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31<\/sup><\/strong> But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Henry Drummond<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n An unbeliever isn\u201d\u2122t searching for God but for the pleasures of this world. An unbeliever is not searching for God or the god question or the love of God but for situations in life which will bring happiness. A doubter is a person who has a thousand questions for God; questions about life, love, God\u201d\u2122s existence, purpose, the divinity of Christ and many other questions. Not the unbeliever. An unbeliever isn\u201d\u2122t asking questions about God, the divine dimension. The unbeliever is apathetic to God and the God question does not really come up in his or her daily life. A doubter struggles with God and struggles to live a godly life and struggles to find the purpose of life, but not an unbeliever.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n I dare say that most folks who show up at a gathering of Jesus-followers on a Sunday morning are probably either believers or doubters.\u00a0 So, if you\u201d\u2122re a doubter this morning, know this\u201d\u201dyou\u201d\u2122re on the right track to being found by Jesus, and you\u201d\u2122re in good company!<\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Conclusion\u201d\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Dr. Ralph F. Wilson<\/strong><\/p>\n What did Thomas\u201d\u2122 life look like after this<\/em>?<\/p>\n Church tradition tells us that he preaches in ancient Babylon, near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where Iraq is today. He travels to Persia, present-day Iran, and continues to win disciples to the Christian faith.<\/p>\n Then he sails south to Malabar on the west coast of India in 52 AD. He preaches, establishes churches, and wins to Christ high caste Brahmins, as well as others.<\/p>\n (Mosaic Slide)<\/strong><\/p>\n Finally, Thomas travels to the east coast of India, preaching relentlessly. He is killed near Mylapore about 72 AD, near present-day Madras. Tradition tells us that he is thrown into a pit, then pierced through with a spear thrown by a Brahmin.<\/p>\n (Execution Slide)<\/strong><\/p>\n He who had so fervently proclaimed his unbelief carried the Christian message of love and forgiveness to the ends of the earth in his generation.<\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Mark Roberts<\/strong><\/p>\n This is where honesty with God leads. This is the outcome of an open confession of doubt. This is not pretend faith. This is not the sort of Christianity we wear as a costume to impress others. It’s a 100% genuine faith that issues from the deepest recesses of our soul. It’s a faith that transforms our lives. It’s the sort of faith that I want. And I expect you do too.<\/em><\/p>\n Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n What difference should all of this make in your life this morning?<\/span><\/p>\n *<\/strong>If YOU\u201d\u2122RE the doubter, the skeptic, then realize you\u201d\u2122re not alone and you\u201d\u2122re not the first. <\/em>The Bible is full of people just like you.\u00a0 Even those closest to Jesus were, at times, skeptical and filled with doubt. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n So<\/em><\/strong>\u201d\u201dcome to Jesus with all your questions and doubts and uncertainties! <\/em>Jesus can handle it<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 And, don\u201d\u2122t be surprised if He comes to YOU and, in a way that only He can, settles and quiets the raging, unsettling questions and doubts.<\/p>\n *<\/strong>But maybe you\u201d\u2122re a believer and you know someone who is a skeptic.<\/em> It can be difficult to know how to relate to such folks.\u00a0 Here\u201d\u2122s some good advice and practical help:<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Jon Bloom<\/strong><\/p>\n Be patient and gracious with the skeptics in your life. We shouldn\u201d\u2122t assume their outward confidence accurately reflects their inward condition. Keep praying for them and share what seems helpful. Keep confidently and humbly following Jesus. And trust his timing. He knows best how and when to reveal himself to them.<\/em><\/p>\n Celebration of the Lord\u201d\u2122s Supper<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n So, as we come to the Lord\u201d\u2122s Table this morning remember– Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Maybe the\u00a0 best you can muster this morning is the cry of the man Jesus encountered one time who said, \u201cLord, I believe\u201d\u201dhelp my unbelief!\u201d<\/p>\n That expression of faith is honest\u201d\u201dand it\u201d\u2122s the kind that a Savior for skeptics is glad to hear!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000216 EndHTML:0000026998 StartFragment:0000003292 EndFragment:0000026962 SourceURL:file:\/\/localhost\/Users\/tonyshanaduehring\/Library\/Mail%20Downloads\/4-11-10luke2436-49john2019-31.doc CRCF\u201d\u201d4-11-10 Introduction\u201d\u201d Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus. The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, desert island. He prayed … Continue reading Jesus is . . .<\/h1>\n
A Savior for Skeptics<\/span><\/em><\/h1>\n
Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-31<\/h1>\n
Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/h1>\n
Jon Bloom<\/h1>\n
Ronnie McBrayer<\/h1>\n
John wrote his Gospel so that folks like you and me\u201d\u201dus who haven\u201d\u2122t seen and touched Jesus\u201d\u2122 nail-pierced hands\u201d\u201dcould be encouraged by those who had all doubt and skepticism silenced by His presence!<\/em><\/h1>\n
Doubt and skepticism toward God often end in a bold faith, a die-hard trust in Jesus.<\/em><\/h1>\n