Doubting Thomas (Audio File for Download)

(This is one message where the notes are not nearly as in depth as the audio. I will say that we had a glitch halfway through the message and had to switch microphones. You may notice the change in sound.)

I have been preparing to begin the message series about basics of the Christian Faith, using the Ephesians passage that we read every week as the basis. I was going to begin the series this morning, but I have changed plan. We are going to defer for one week. This is for two reasons. 1. I need some more time to flesh out the series. 2. As I was preparing for today I had an uneasiness about beginning it this week, so I prayed and asked the Lord to show me what I was supposed to preach. I was reminded of a message that I preached a number of years ago and felt like the Lord was asking me to preach it here. I know I have touched on some of the principles, but I wanted to preach this message fully here. I believe that if we are able to her, and understand this truth from the word of God that we will be more effective in encouraging one another in our faith, growing in our own personal faith, and reaching the lost all around us with the love of Christ.

This morning we are looking at John 20:19-31, turn there in your Bibles if you have one.   Most people call this the story of Doubting Thomas. I would like to refer to it as the story of Authentic Jesus. Before we read the text, I want to share a few quotes with you about authenticity.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.

– Mother Theresa

No legacy is so rich as honesty. – Shakespeare

The closer you stay to emotional authenticity and people, character authenticity, the less you can go wrong. That’s how I feel now, no matter what you’re doing. – David O. Russell

No one man can, for any considerable time, wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one. – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Everything will line up perfectly when knowing and living the truth becomes more important than looking good. – Alan Cohen

To be nobody but myself-in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make me somebody else-means to fight the hardest battle any human can fight, and never stop fighting. – e.e. Cummings

I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I’ve become. If I had, I’d have done it a lot earlier. – Oprah

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. -Steve Jobs

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Dr. Seuss

Our culture wants authenticity. They want real people. They don’t want fake believers, perfect stepford people, they want real people who have hurts and struggles, and pain like them. Lets look at how Christ was authentic, and how we can learn from Hs example.

Read John 20:19-31

-Christ’s body was healed, but he had scars…

-Thomas wanted proof, the scars, not any miracle.

-Christ showed him his scars.

-Everyone is broken and needs healing.

-Christians have struggles, unbelievers are dead in sin.

-If you are in Christ, you have been made alive.

-The message of Christ is about resurrection, not earthly perfection.

-As Christians, we minister from our scars, not in spite of them. God is all about using weakness to show his power.

Paul did it, 2 Corinthians 11:30, 12:1-10.

Hebrews 4:14-16. Samson’s final day. David killing Goliath, Gideon’s 300 man army, Nehemiah’s wall project. We have got to get it into our heads that coming to Church is not coming to show how good you are, you are coming because you are broken, and needy, and your soul needs to be refreshed, and you need to fellowship of the body to be a balm on your soul.

3 Cautions in closing: 1. Fresh wounds aren’t yet scars. Let them heal. 2. Sharing scars is not a plea for sympathy, or to draw attention to yourself. 3. You don’t show other people’s scars. That is for them to decide to share.