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7MARCH2015BODYOFCHRISTNEWSTheotherdisciplesthereforesaidtohimWehaveseentheLord.SohesaidtothemUnlessIseeinHishandstheprintofthenailsandputmyfingerintotheprintofthenailsandputmyhandintoHissideIwillnotbelieve.John2025JesuscametotheapostleswhentheyweremeetingtogetherontheeveningofresurrectiondayandshowedthemHishandsandside.Verse20declaresThenwerethedisciplesgladwhentheysawtheLord.HoweveroneofthedisciplesThomaswasnotthere.TheotherdiscipleslatertoldhimtheyhadseenJesusbutThomasdidnotbelievethereport.HesaidUnlessIseeinHishandstheprintofthenailsandputmyfingerintotheprintofthenailsandputmyhandintoHissideIwillnotbelieve.Thomasaskedforthesameevidencethathadconvincedthem.Hedemandedatangibletest.WhenwethinkabouttheresurrectionofJesuseachofusisinthepositionofThomas.Wewerenotthere.WhatwearecalledtobelieveaboutJesusisbaseduponthetestimonyofothers.Wehavenofirsthandknowledgeoftheresurrection.WehavenotseenJesustheholesinhishandsandfeetortheholeinhisside.Inspiteofthatwearecalledtobelieve.WhenaskedtobelievewillouranswerbeasThomaswasorwillbeamongthosewhobelieveinspiteofseeingThereIsADifferenceBetweenDoubtAndDisbelief.WeoftenhearaboutdoubtingThomasasifhewastheonlyapostlewhodoubtedtheresurrectionbuthewasnot.Heisnotthebadpersonsomeofushavemadehimouttobe.Hewasjusthonest.Hedoubtedwhattheotherapostlessaidwastrue.ThewriterOswaldChambers1874-1917saidDoubtisnotalwaysasignthatamaniswrongitmaybeasignthatheisthinking.SomeoneelsesaidTobelievewithcertaintywemustbeginwithdoubting.Thomasdidnotdisbelievehedoubted.Weoftenusethewordsdoubtanddisbeliefwithoutdistinction.IsthereadifferenceandifsowhatisthedifferencebetweendoubtanddisbeliefDoubtisrefusingtobelievesomethinguntiltheevidenceispresentedevaluatedandaccepted.Doubtrequiresmoreevidencemorefacts.Disbeliefisrefusingtobelievesomethinginspiteoftheevidencepresented.Bothcanbeuseful.Wemusthavedoubtinordertoseparatetruthfromerror.Doubtcausesustoquestionwhatwearetolduntilthereasoningortheevidenceispresented.Iftheevidenceissufficientthenweprogressfromdoubttobelief.Ifwejudgetheevidenceasinsufficientthenwerejecttheclaimasfalseandnotbelieve.Thisprocessisnotonlygooditisessential.ThereWasABlessingInBeingTherevs.19-24.Thediscipleswerefrightened.InthemidstoftheirfearsJesusappearsintheirmidst.Withhisappearancehebringscertainblessings.Hebringstheblessingofpeace.Threetimesinourtextvs.192126JesussaidPeacetoyou.Healsogavethemadivinecommissioning.HecommissionedthemtogoforthandspokeoftheanointingoftheHolySpiritthattheywouldreceiveatPentecostasthedivineempoweringfortheirmission.Theyreceivedtheauthoritytomakespiritualjudgementandtoexercisediscipletobelievers.BecauseJesusappearedintheirmidstbecausetheyweretheretheywereblessed.GodvisitedthedisciplesonEasterSundaymorning.Hestillvisitshispeople.OnanygivenSundaymorningweexperiencethevisitationoftheHolySpiritinourworship.WhenyouarenotinchurchlikeThomasyouruntheriskofmissingseeingJesus.Youmissthesongstheprayersandthepreachedword.YoumissseeingJesusmanifesthimselfandspeakintoyourlifeandthelivesofthosearoundyou.Yesthereisablessinginbeinghere.WhyDidThomasRejectTheirTestimonyvs.25.Thomashadbeenwiththesemenformorethanthreeyears.Heknewthemintimatelyandknewthattheyhadnoreasontolie.Theywerecrediblementheywerenotcrazynotgiventotheseeingofghostsorvisions.Theywerenotgiventoalcoholorotherformsofintoxication.Hehadnoreasontodenytheirtestimony.WithlotsofexcitementandenthusiasmIamsureTheotherdisciplesthereforesaidtohimWehaveseentheLord.IfThomashadnoreasontodisbelievethetestimonyoftheotherdiscipleswhydidhedosoWewonderwhatemotionshisabsenceandmissingthismonumentaleventmayhavearousedinhisheart.MaybehewashurtthathehadmissedJesusbeingthere.ItisnotoutsidethelevelofcomprehensionthatThomaswasemotionallyhurtbecausehemissedJesusblessings.Hewouldnotbethefirsttodiscountorputdownaneventbecausehewasnotthere.Whenwemisssomethingthatothersreallyenjoyedweoftenfindsomemeansofmakingourselvesfeelgoodbytellingourselvesthatitreallywasntthatgoodanyway.MaybeThomaswasangrywithhimselffornotbeingthere.BecauseThomashadnotbeentherewhenJesusappeareduntothedisciplesheonlyhadasecond-handtestimonyastowhathappenedallhehadwasthesaysoofothers.Whateverthereasonhestubbornlyrefusedtobelievethetestimonyoftheothers.Stubbornandpracticalmanthathewasheinsistedthathehavethesameexperienceastheyhad.HisheartyearnedtoseepersonallytherisenSavior.Hedidnotrefusetobelieveratherheinsistedthathewouldbelieveonlyundercertainconditions.WeAreCalledToBelieveInTheUnseenvs.26-29.JesusreappearedtothedisciplesagainandthistimeThomaswasthere.AgainHegavethesamegreetingofpeacetoreassurethemandtoeasetheirfears.JesusdidnotrebukeThomasforhisdoubtsbutinvitedhimtotakeoftheevidencethathesaidthatheneeded.ItappearsthatjustseeingJesuswasevidenceenoughtoconvinceThomasthathehadrisenfromthedead.ThereisnoindicationthatThomasactuallytouchedJesusbeforehebelievedalthoughhemayhave.UponseeingJesusThomasdeclaresMyLordandmyGod.ThomasacceptedJesusnotonlyasLordandasMasterofhislifebutalsoasGodWhentheevidencenowwaspresentedtoThomasheacknowledgedit.Thomaschangedhispositionfromdoubttobelief.Weare2000yearsdisplacedfromtheresurrection.NoneofuscansayasthedisciplesWehaveseentheLord.ItisonlyaccordingtothetestimonyofothersthatwearecalledtohavefaithinGod.Faithcanneveroriginateinthingsthatcanbeseenfeltandhandled.Suchthingsmayhelpfaithbutcannotproduceit.Hebrews111declaresNowfaithisthesubstanceofthingshopedfortheevidenceofthingsnotseen.Hebrews116NKJVfurtherdeclaresButwithoutfaithitisimpossibletopleaseHimforhewhocomestoGodmustbelievethatHeisandthatHeisarewarderofthosewhodiligentlyseekHim.ThoseofuswhohavehadlifechangingexperiencescantestifythatGodisrealandthatalthoughwehavenotseenhiminthephysicalwehaveseenhiswonderworkingpowerinourlives.WeknowthatheisrealforasthesongsaysMyGodisrealforIcanfeelhiminmysoul.SomeofyouareinthepositionofThomas.IfyouwillnotacceptthetestimonyofthewritersofscriptureorthetestimonyofthoseofuswhoseliveshavebeenforeverchangedwhatwillittakeforyoutobelieveItisonlybyfaiththatwecancometobelieveandbytheinnerconvictionofGodsHolySpiritthatwecanhavetheassurancethatJesuslives.Someofyouhavedoubts.SomeofyoulikeThomasneedmoreevidence.TheonlywayyoucancometoknowthesweetnessofarelationshipwiththeSavioristotryhim.Historytellsusofmanyheroesandsheroes.IhavenevermetthembutIbelievetheylived.Jesusactuallylivedinhistory.OurevidenceforHimisnowinabooktheBible.InonesensethewholeBibleisabookaboutJesus.TheOldTestamentpromisedHiscoming.TheGospelsrecordthefactthatHecame.TherestoftheNewTestamentrecordsthefactthatHeispresentviaHisSpiritandthatHeiscomingagaininperson.TomisstheBibleistomissJesus.TomissJesusistomisseternallife.HesaidIamthewaythetruthandthelife.NoonecomestotheFatherexceptthroughMeJohn146.AnyonewhowillstudythatbookseriouslywillbeledtothesameacknowledgmentofJesusasthatofThomasMyLordandmyGod.Thoseofuswhoseliveshavebeenchangedbearwitnesstohislivingineachofus..LikethediscipleswecantestifyWehaveseentheLord.IfthatisnotenoughevidencetellmewhatwillittakeforyoutobelieveWhatwillittakeforyoutodeclareasThomasdidMyLordandmyGodWilliamT.GolsonJr.MDivisPresidentoftheGreaterMetroDenverMinisterialAlliance.ByRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.Rev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.Weare2000yearsdisplacedfromtheresurrection.NoneofuscansayasthedisciplesWehaveseentheLord.ItisonlyaccordingtothetestimonyofothersthatwearecalledtohavefaithinGod.Faithcanneveroriginateinthingsthatcanbeseenfeltandhandled.Suchthingsmayhelpfaithbutcannotproduceit.WhatWillitTakeSERMON