Sermon nuggets Thurs Jan 1 (Happy New Year)
Theme Doubts
Verses- John 20:26-28 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!"
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."
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Doubts Examined.
After Thomas refused to believe in the resurrection regardless of what his friends said and saw, Jesus confronts doubts by appearing once again in this upper room. This time Thomas sees for himself. One comes to saving and active faith ultimately not based on what other people say or do, but based on their own meeting with Jesus.
Stephen Board, wrote for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship on doubts and discussed doubts of emotions, doubts of ignorance, and doubts of the will.
An emotional doubt stems not from facts, but how we feel about something. Our convictions cause us to look at the facts differently than “objective” people.
I have often been with husbands and wives who perceive reality differently based on their emotions. I keep telling myself not to come to my conclusions on a matter until I have heard both sides of the story. People see life differently from their emotional experiences. I saw this happening with the political campaign. Facts are believed or doubted based on which candidate or party one favors. That would be emotional doubting.
But there is also a doubt of ignorance. From time to time I get emails (It used to be letters) to sign a petition to halt a bill from legislature which is trying to pull religious programming from the air waves and media. It started circulating over 30 years ago with Madeline Murray O’Hare accused of fighting the FCC. It was shown to be a hoax. Using different names, this hoax crops up about every 5 years. It costs a fair amount of time and money to take these petitions and dispense with them.
Because I encouraged the church attenders to sign the petition and discovered it to be a hoax I don’t do announce or pass on petitions unless I have checked the source. Fortunately with the internet I can check out the validity more quicly, but when something seems fishy it usually is. Even emails that say they have been verified by Snopes.com aren’t. Ignorance of the facts perpetuates doubts.
Politicians are masters at trying to circulate misinformation, half information, and out right lies. I have never been more upset than this year because I had checked out many of the stories of the claims candidates make toward one another. So many political ads were misleading. What does one do with new information?
Years ago one lady at Stanchfield was so convinced a particular company secretly funding abortions. She was very angry at me for not publicizing this in church. I wrote a letter to the company and showed her how it was a hoax and false information. She refused to believe the corporation was telling the truth. One member accepted that new information and stopped encouraging people to sign a boycott of goods from this company. But this other lady moved from an emotional doubt to a doubt prompted by her will. She refused to look at the evidence. Stephen Board also talked about doubts of the will. This is just the plain desire to want to believe something to not believe thing. One doubts based on their refusal to look at evidence.
Jesus came into the room and locked the doors and his first words were again, “Peace” He came for peace to ease their fears and doubts. He is real. For Thomas the confrontation of emotional doubts were eased when he was with people again. But the confrontation of meeting Jesus confronted the doubts of ignorance.
I find if frustrating to discuss with someone who objects to Christianity by looking at evidence that points to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As soon as one question is answered he has more. I learned that questions move from doubts of ignorance to doubts of the will. One refuses to believe because to accept some facts means they would have to change their thinking or admit they were wrong. People do not like to admit they were wrong.
Jesus knew the heart of Thomas. Even when Jesus was not in the room, He knew his doubts. But when Thomas was confronted with the risen Lord he changed his will and bowed down and gave a confession of faith and recommitment. His was a response that is one of the greatest that can be given. “my Lord and my God.” His doubts were confronted and He was willing to admit his was wrong. He realized a whole new purpose in living and in dying when by his will he submitted himself to the living Lord. He believed.
Pastor Dale
