Download 11-BE_NOT_FAITHLESS-John_20_24-29

THE FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS #
BE NOT FAITHLESS
DATE: 4/2/2007 Morning Service @ CBBC
TEXT: John 20:24-29
INTRODUCTION:
Luke 18:8 – “…when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on
the earth?”
I. THOMAS FAITHLESSNESS
(A frustrated, reactionary spirit vs.24-25b)
A. The disciples testified; Thomas argued (v.25a)
Thomas had not been with the disciples when Jesus first appeared to
them – v.24
The Bible says – “The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have
seen the Lord.” –v.25
Like so many today, Thomas refuses to believe that Jesus had actually
risen from the dead.
The literal meaning was that they "kept on telling him"
But Thomas became stiff-necked and obstinate in his unbelief.
He even argued against their testimony, and he argued with deep
intensity.
"The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways" –
Proverbs 14:14
Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
He was deeply aggravated and frustrated - probably because of
disappointment and guilt.
The depth of his aggravation and guilt is seen in his reaction to the
Apostles’ statement "Except I shall see...put my finger...[and] thrust my hand into his
wounds, I will not believe" - John 20:25
B. The reason: Guilt—
(He had forsaken and withdrawn from the brethren v.24)
What was it that frustrated Thomas so much and caused him to sense
such intense guilt and react the way he did?
Evidently....

 Thomas had forsaken the Lord (and that’s enough to frustrate any
man's spirit)
Mark 14:50 – “And they all forsook him, and fled.”

 Thomas had also withdrawn from the disciples; consequently he was
not present when the Lord first appeared
"For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and
knoweth all things" - 1 John 3:20
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him"- Hebrews 10:38
He missed another opportunity to be with the Lord.
Of course, this caused Thomas to become aggravated with guilt.
He became critical of the brethren.
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
* It was his own fault, and as human nature so often reacts, he blamed
others.
He argued against their experience with the resurrected Lord.
It would be another eight days before the Lord appeared again in the
upper room - v.26
What a loss he experienced!
Thought - Persistent doubt always delays the blessings.
Thought - Guilt, frustration, disappointment, are often the result
It’s manifested in a ….
 A defensive spirit
 A fearful spirit
 A angry spirit
 A confused spirit
“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil
work.” - James 3:16
"And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful: how is it that ye have
no faith?" - Mark 4:40
"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken" - Luke 24:25
"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love" - Revelation 2:4
II. THOMAS’ FALSE CONCEPT (vs.25b-26a)
His Misconceptions:
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
A. He was just an earthly deliverer (v.25b)
Thomas most have always thought in terms of an earthly Messiah or
Savior who would make things better upon this earth and in this life.
We see this by his statement made in John 11:16 –
“Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples,
Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (this is when Lazarus died)
Peter had made the same kind of statement –
Matthew 26:35 – “Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee,
yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”
He had become a follower of Jesus thinking that an earthly kingdom was
to be set up and that He was to be the leader of that kingdom.
He refused to see beyond the human and physical things of this world.
Therefore, he could see Jesus only as the man who was nailed to the
cross.
Thought – His false concept of Jesus lead to unbelief.
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they
became fools,” - Romans 1:21-22
Jesus is more than...

 A great teacher.
 A great prophet.
 A great philosopher
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
 A great founder of a religion.
He is even more than the greatest man who ever lived.
All such beliefs—no matter how highly they esteem Jesus—are false
beliefs, for they see Jesus only as a man.
They see Him as one of the greatest men who ever lived, but they still
see Him only as a man.
He’s not “one of”; He’s the “One and Only”
The other disciples therefore said unto him, “we have seen the Lord”.
Thought - Men prefer to see Jesus only as a man because it brings Him
down to their level.
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and
Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?
And they were offended at him" - Mark 6:3
It makes Him less than Lord.
They believe ...

hat man is not totally depraved, not so wicked; that man is not so
bad that Jesus had to sacrifice His life for them.

hat man can do what Jesus did, the best they can, and God will
accept him.

 That man does not have to follow Jesus in every little detail and
teaching.
Why? Because as man, they believe that Jesus was not absolutely
perfect. He was wrong in some things.
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
Where? Each person has to decide the best he can where Jesus was right
and wrong.
Then that person must do the best he can to follow Jesus where Jesus
was right.
Men believe it is doing the best they can that God accepts.
Note how this allows each man to form God in his own mind and after
his own likeness.
Man can make God as he wishes God to be.
Man can do what he wishes and then say that it was allowed by God.
"[Men] who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever" Romans 1:25
Jesus asked “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say
that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or
one of the prophets" - Matthew 16:13-14
Every one but who He really is!
B. Now He is Dead
Turn to Luke 24 beginning in v.13 (look @ v.21)
C. Result: Persistent doubt for eight days (v.26a)
III. THOMAS FACES THE FACTS (v.26b-28)
A. The confrontation (v.27)
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
Note the confrontation.
The doors were again shut and locked –v.19
Suddenly, unexpectedly, without notice, Jesus stood in the midst of the
disciples.
Again He eased their shock by giving the normal greeting: "Peace be
unto you."
But then note what He did: He turned immediately to confront Thomas.
1. Jesus was aware of Thomas' demands (v.27a)
How do we know this?
He used the very same words that Thomas had demanded:
"Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither
thy hand, and thrust it into my side:” but He adds… “and be not
faithless, but believing"
Thought - Jesus knows every man's heart: his despair, doubts, fears,
hope, love.
"And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what
was in man" - John 2:25
He knows where and when to convict a man's heart.
"I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every
man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his
doings" - Jeremiah 17:10
However, note a crucial factor: Thomas was where Jesus could reach
him.
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
He was in the presence of believers listening to their testimony.
He had not shut them out despite his questions.
2. Jesus’ warning! (v.27b)
Thomas had been walking down a dangerous road.
The disciples had witnessed to him, but he had refused to accept
their testimony.

 “Be not faithless": stop being an unbeliever.
You are running the risk of becoming faithless and unbelieving,
beyond the point of believing.
You have carried your unbelief too far.
It is now time to stop the foolishness.
The others have been witnessing to you.
Stop the stiff-necked, obstinate unbelief.
You are in danger!
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at
the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him" - Hebrews 2:3
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart
of unbelief, in departing from the living God"- Hebrews 3:12
B. The strong confession (v.28)
This is one of the great confessions in Scripture.
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
Most likely dropping to his knees, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord, My
God."
He now knew five great things:
 That Jesus is truly the risen Lord. All that Jesus had said was true.
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath
made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ"
- Acts 2:36
 That Jesus is not only Lord but also God, the Sovereign majesty of the
universe
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached
unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory"
- 1 Tim. 3:16
 That Jesus is the One who has come to truly reveal God, that He is the
Mediator between God and man
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me" - John 14:6
 That Jesus accepts no half-way commitments.
Jesus expected to be his Lord and his God: "My Lord, My God."
Therefore, he must personally bow and worship Jesus as his Lord and his
God.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father" - Phil. 2:9-11
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
 That Jesus expected an open and public confession of Him as Lord
and God
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also
confess before my Father which is in heaven" - Matthew 10:32
IV. Thomas' great lesson for all men (v.29)
What is the lesson?
 To believe without having to see evidences and proof – v.29
 To believe because of His tenderness and warmth.
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved
us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved)..” – Ephesians 2:4,5
 To believe because of the need and nature of the human heart.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23
 To believe because of the need for morality and godly character.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law" - Galatians 5:22-23
 To believe because godly witnesses say so.
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath
sent me, even so send I you" - John 20:21
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
 To believe because of the inner witness of the heart.
"Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while
accusing or else excusing one another" - Romans 2:15
 To believe because of the outer witness of creation.
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" Romans 1:20
CLOSING:
Note that Thomas ceased being obstinate and rebellious when he saw
Jesus and after Jesus had rebuked him.
Thomas had been at fault; he had been faithless, and his unbelief was
inexcusable.
The men who had proclaimed the truth to him were not liars.
Neither could they all have been deceived.
Thomas had just refused to believe because he did not want to believe.
He had acted intellectually superior and had been about to lose his soul.
The point is this: the person who believes without seeing demonstrates...

 a strength of character.
 a tenderness and warmth of heart.
 a sensitivity to the witness of the Holy Spirit.
 an awareness to the order and beauty of all creation.
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Be Not Faithless – John 20: 24-29
Therefore, that person will be blessed with a very special joy, a joy
unspeakable and full of glory.
"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not,
yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory"
- 1 Peter 1:8
Thought - When a man truly sees what Jesus has done for Him, or when
a man is rebuked by the Spirit of Christ, he must cease his unbelief.
He must turn to Christ, for "(And) the LORD said, My spirit shall not
always strive with man" - Genesis 6:3
"Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart
shall fall into mischief" - Proverbs 28:14
"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be
destroyed, and that without remedy" - Proverbs 29:1
INVITATION: (standing)
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