Jump Start # 2575

John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’”

Our verse today is about Thomas. We can hardly say his name without sticking the tag, “doubting” on the front end. Doubting Thomas—that’s how we know him. He was absent when the resurrected Jesus first appeared to the apostles. To be fair, all the apostles doubted at first. When the women, who first went to the tomb, rushed back to tell the apostles that the angels said that Jesus was risen, they didn’t believe. When the two on the road Emmaus came and reported that they had seen the resurrected Jesus, the apostles didn’t believe. Jesus appeared to the apostles and they believed. Thomas wasn’t there. He said he wouldn’t believe unless he saw and he touched. A week later, Jesus appeared. Thomas was there. He declared, “My Lord and My God.” This is where our verse today fits. Blessed are those who did not see, yet believed.

How could this be? How could others believe without seeing? It was based upon the testimony of the witnesses. The preached word and the written word would be all the proof that the world would need. All of this seems fairly simply and straight forward to us.

I saw a show recently about religious relics. This is a part of the Catholic faith, and every altar is supposed to contain some important relic from the past. Most times, it’s pieces of bones or fabric of clothing that came from a supposed saint. A long time ago, simple people would make pilgrimages to come and see these relics. The relics were housed in special ornate and expensive containers. The pilgrims would look upon these relics with great hope. Some would pray. Some would kiss the container of these relics. These poor pilgrims gave money which was used to upkeep those beautiful shrines. Sometimes the relics were taken on the road so others could see them. The most sacred relics were connected to the apostles and especially to the Lord. Strands of hair from the apostle John was part of the show I watched. Blond hair, which just doesn’t seem to fit with the looks of most from that region, was revered as the real thing. A thorn from the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. A small splinter of wood from the cross. A tiny piece of cloth that supposedly had the blood of Jesus on it. I’ve seen many relics myself when I have toured ancient cathedrals. Some of these seem a bit creepy. The show I watched included a dried eye that belonged to a saint that was killed during the Reformation uprising in England. It didn’t look much like an eye, but it was definitely creepy.

Today, some may have a picture of Jesus on the wall or wear a tiny cross around their neck. While those things may be important to some, we must ask ourselves, what gets you through the day? What helps when you face that long journey through the valley of death? What keeps both of your feet on the ground during this period of social distancing and coronavirus? The news is bleak. Everyday we given updates about how many have died. Some are getting restless and weary of staying home. How do we stay with it? How do we keep the faith?

The answer is simply faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. We don’t need a relic, nor do we need a church building to keep us going. We don’t need a pulpit or a pew to keep us believing. The point of Jesus’ words in our passage is just that. Blessed are those who have not seen, yet they believe. They believe when word is told to them by credible witnesses. The apostles wouldn’t believe, not at first. Thomas wouldn’t. But we will. Our faith is not in a physical building, or a person, like our preacher or our shepherds. Our faith is in the Lord.

So, how do we keep going?

First, none of the Scriptures have changed. Just as we believed in the sunshine, we believe in the storms. Just as we have believed in good times, we believe in hard times. Just as we believe in a crowd, we believe when we are alone. This is important to grasp. It is easy to live our faith through someone. A preacher leaves or dies and suddenly some give up. Why? Has the Scriptures changed? Their faith was not in the Lord, but in the person who stood behind the pulpit. Now that he is gone, so is their reason to believe. The same can be said of church buildings. There are those who continue to hang on to a dying and dwindling congregation that lacks vision, leadership and hope. Just a handful meet. Why not close the doors and merge with a nearby congregation? Can’t do that. They will keep doors open until the last man standing is no longer standing. It’s sad to see this. The few that are there are so discouraged and dead. But it will remain that way. Our faith is wrapped around the Scriptures. That’s what keeps us going. The Scriptures never change.

Second, faith looks beyond what is visible. This was Paul’s point in 2 Corinthians. There he said, ‘we look not at things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen’ (4:18). What is it that is “Seen”? That’s the visible. That’s the problems. That’s the bad news. That’s death. That’s what everyone sees. However, the people of faith are looking to the Lord. They see what others do not see. Through their faith they see the invisible. And, just what is “invisible”? God is. Promises are. Hope is. And, why is it that others cannot see these things? It takes faith. It takes faith in the Lord. It takes faith in the Scriptures. The faith is not in simply believing things will get better. The faith is not in ourselves. The faith is not in our country. How is it that the sheep could still follow the shepherd when the valley was dark? They kept their eyes on the shepherd. They saw nothing else. They stayed so close to the shepherd that they could know that he was there. By faith, we do the same. How do we see Jesus when things are so dark? We look at nothing else. We stay so close to Him that we know He is there.

Third, wrapped in this faith of ours is hope and promises. These promises are from God. God keeps His promises. He never forgets. This storm we are going through will pass. Some will be stronger because of this. Some will fail through this. Some will come out on the other side with great lessons learned. Some will only complain. This is not the worst thing that can happen. Jesus said, do not fear the one who can kill the body and after that do no more. There is a limit to what can be done. Our breath can be taken, but not our spirit. Our worry and fears are overcome by a great faith and love for the Lord.

No, we don’t need to stare at some old bone, hold some piece of history to help us keep our faith. The Scriptures are powerful enough to do that. They are powerful enough to save us. They are powerful enough to give us freedom. Will we come through this? It’s a matter of faith. Those who have it will make it. Those who don’t, won’t. Remember the Lord’s story about the wise and foolish man who built their houses. What was built upon the rock, stood. You can’t be building in a storm. It’s too late.

Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe.

Roger

Jump Start # 2483

John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Our verse today is part of a conversation Jesus had with Thomas. We know him. He’s “Doubting Thomas,” to us. He wasn’t there when Jesus first appeared to the apostles. Now, a week later, he’s there and he sees and he confesses.

Within this verse we find one of the many “blessed” verses. We remember this is how the sermon on the mount begins with a series of beatitudes or blessings. This reminds us that the sermon on the mount is not the only place we find these. There are several in Revelation. And, here, they are pointed to us. We were not there, yet we believe. We haven’t seen with our eyes, but we believe. Our faith is not in what we have touched, seen and experienced. Our faith rests in the pure word of God that puts us in that room with the disciples.

The foundation of our walk with God is faith. It’s not the blessings from God. It’s not the church. It’s not how good God makes us feel. It’s not answered prayers. It’s not what we like about worship. It’s you and God. Your faith is what everything else is built upon. Without that faith, you will stop doing what you are doing. Without faith, prayers stop. Without faith, worship stops. Without faith, our character, attitude, outlook becomes darker and troubled.

There are three powerful things that faith does for us:

First, faith drives out fear. There are phobias many people have, from needles, to heights, to snakes. But there are deeper, more internal fears that people have. The fear of failure. The fear of death. The fear of the unknown. The fear of evil taking over. The fear of not doing enough. The fear of Hell. Faith in Jesus Christ conquers these deeper fears. Faith is not just in believing. Faith has a substance, and that is Jesus Christ. Some believe, but they don’t know what they believe. Our faith rests in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Our faith is that the Lord sits on the right hand of God and is ruling the nations. Our faith is that God is in control.

We don’t know what happens tomorrow, but God is already there. We don’t know how things will turn out, but God does. Kingdoms have come and gone and He remains. His will, His plans, His ways will be triumphant. I don’t have to know all the answers, God does. I don’t have to know how things will work out, God does. I trust God. He’s always been good, right and merciful.

Second, faith opens my eyes to a wonderful future. Things will be alright, because of God. Things aren’t getting worse, they are getting better. Today, we are one day closer to Heaven. Now, this world is falling apart. It’s selfish, secular, and to be blunt, dumb. Dumb with a capital “D.” But this world is not our home. This isn’t our destination. It’s Heaven. We are a people that are bound for Heaven. And, with that, our future is only getting better. There are many inconveniences and problems in this life. Sitting in traffic; having surgery; inconsiderate people, but those things do not last long. They don’t go with us as we pass from this room into the next room, the Heavenly world.

Paul viewed his trials, troubles and persecutions as both light and momentary. There are better things coming. Those things will last and last. Those things will be glorious and wonderful. Faith gives us this perspective. Otherwise, we are weighed down with burdens. Our hearts are heavy with discouragement. We drag though this life in misery and pain. It’s hard to be thankful that way. It’s hard to roll out of bed and be excited about anything. However, faith changes all of that. So there is a problem, it’s not the end of the world. So, things are tough. We can get through them with God’s help. What faith does is put our eyes off of us and our problems and puts them upon God and the eternal. Won’t it be wonderful once we are there? Faith makes us wish we could be in Heaven right now.

Third, faith makes us be fruitful in the service of Jesus Christ. It’s hard to believe and not have your heart changed. Faith rewires our thinking. Out with self and in with Jesus. Faith makes us compassionate, kind, gentle, and generous—just like God is. Faith opens our eyes to a world that needs us to help them and needs the saving message of Jesus Christ. Faith gets us up out of our seat and puts us around others that we can help.

When a guy says he believes, yet he keeps a selfish and closed heart, one must question that belief. Spending time near God ought to make us become like God. There is not a finer example than Jesus. There is not a better way than the Lord’s way.

The Pharisees thought they had the market cornered on faith. However, it did little to change their hearts. They worshipped in vain. They closed their eyes to those who were different. They remained unchanged and unmoved. They, like the older brother in the story of the prodigal son, lived around the father but they were not like the father. Not at all.

Faith will get you busy in the kingdom. You’ll do things because it’s the right thing to do. You’ll do things because Jesus did. You’ll do things because you care.

Fear…future…fruitful—faith impacts all of these.

Blessed are those who believe…blessed because it will change their lives!

Roger

Jump Start # 1987

John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’

Our verse today comes from the conversation Jesus had with Thomas. We remember him as the one who doubted. Doubting Thomas is what we call him. Unless he saw he would not believe. He saw, he believed. He wanted evidence that was tangible, visible and unquestionable. He got what he wanted.

Jesus, then turns the situation back to where Thomas started. There are those who will not see, nor be able to touch. Blessed are those who will believe without having to do what Thomas did. How can they believe without seeing, touching or being in the same room with Jesus? They will believe what others have said. Their faith rests in the assurance and testimony of Scripture. We are these people. We know Jesus was resurrected from the grave. How do we know that? The Scriptures.

Taking some of the words that Jesus uses in this passage, have you ever thought about the blessings or benefits of believing? Our world is becoming increasingly more skeptical, secular and non spiritual all the time. A Christian runs into a non-believer. The non-believer asks, “What good has your faith done for you?” Could you answer that? Do you know? What’s the benefits of believing?

Here are a few to consider:

First, believing creates great confidence and assurance. There is something much larger than ourselves, it is God. We don’t have to know all the answers, know the future or have an escape plan for every conceivable disaster, we trust in God. Our hope is with Him. We know, that’s the faith part, that He remains upon the throne and it is His universe. This is my Father’s world. Nothing will happen apart from Him. This is why we constantly are praying. This is why we are always looking deeply into His word. God will take care of us. This has a way of driving fear and worry far from our hearts. We can be at peace and calm in a world that is falling apart. It’s in God’s hands. God is good.

Second, believing allows us to face God, even though we know who we are. We are not perfect. We have sins. Yet, we know, as God has promised, that those sins are forgiven. It’s not a feeling. It’s not an enlightenment. It’s a relationship built around trust, love, hope and faith. God loves us. How do we know that? Faith. Jesus. The Word of God. God views us as His children. We belong to God. Believing therefore has changed us. We are a different people. We think differently, because of our belief in God. We act differently. We are better people because of our belief in God. God has molded our character and it is reflected in the way we think, act and behave. We treat others better because of our faith in God. We forgive, because we have been forgiven. We are kinder. We are more thoughtful. We serve. All of this comes from our believing in God.

Third, believing in God motivates us to seek the spiritual side of things first. Our choices are shaped by our faith in God. We strive to please God, walk with God and build that kingdom of God. Everyday we are faced with dozens of choices. Some are not life changing nor significant. Others are. Believing in God keeps us out of trouble, puts us in action for God and focuses our priorities on the things above. The greater our faith, the greater these things will be. We concern ourselves about our family and friends who do not know God. We seek to talk to them and show them the way of God. Our faith moves us to do that.

Fourth, believing in God has us wanting to be with Him in Heaven. The greater our faith, the more this world disappoints us, disgusts us and discourages us. We want to be with God. We live with one foot already in Heaven. We long for Heaven. The world seems to be stuck in the gutter of life. The shows, the conversations, the ideas, are all faithless, vain, and void of God. Noble ideas are few. The world is in love with itself. The world is pleased with the way things are. Not us believers. Get us out of here is our thought. Do what we can to help the kingdom, but “come, Lord Jesus!”

Finally, believing in God makes us a happy, joyous, and optimistic people. Gloom and doom and the fog of despair chokes most minds. Faith shines through all of that. The believer handles himself in conflict better than others. The believer has a happier and more solid family than others. The believer has better mental health than others. The believer isn’t bogged down with useless things that eat time, worry the heart and does nothing positive for a person. The believer smiles in a world that is frowning. The believer is upbeat when the world is crying, “The sky is falling.” The believer has hope in a world that is declaring all is lost. The believing lifts the spirits of others. The believer brightens up a room. Get a bunch of believers together, such as a worship service, and there is enough energy, hope and love among them to light up a whole city.

It is good to believe. It is right to believe. It is not only necessary for our salvation, but it certainly brings great benefits to us every day.

Paul said, “I know whom I believe…” Believing is more than something we ought to do. It’s more than the right thing to do. It’s awesome to believe! What a difference it has made in our lives! Now, what’s the benefits of atheism? What’s the benefits of doubt? Misery? Fear? Worry? Look outside your windows. Drive down the street. You see it everywhere. Selfish. Crime. Ugliness. Filthy talk. Indecent behavior. Hurting others. Taking advantage of others. Doing everything possible to avoid death. Greed. Coveting. Anger. Pointing fingers at everyone except self. The worst side of humanity being shown.

Some may mock faith in Jesus. They deny the evidence when they do. The alternative they offer is bad.

There are great benefits to believing in Jesus. Blessed are those who believe!

Roger

Jump Start # 1935

John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

I saw the Beatles the other day in a live concert. It wasn’t the actual Beatles, they are no more. It was a tribute band that was playing with the symphony. They were good. A couple of times, they were so good that it seemed like the originals. I never saw the actual Beatles live. I’ve seen them on film often. I saw Paul McCartney live. These guys were really close. As I was watching them, sitting in the fifth row, I thought wouldn’t it have been incredible to have seen the actual group, from the fifth row. I would have been a kid for that to have happened. And the screaming girls back then would have deafened their songs. But it was a thought.

This is when our passage came to my mind. Wouldn’t it have been amazing to have actually heard Jesus speak? I have heard preachers for decades read the very words that Jesus spoke. I have done that myself. But how amazing it would have been to have been in the audience and actually heard Jesus. But would it? Would I have joined the number that shook their heads and criticized what He said? Would I have closed my mind and my heart to what He was saying?

Our verse today, spoken by Jesus to Thomas, reminds us of the incredible place that Jesus puts faith. Blessed are those who did not see, yet believed. How could they believe without seeing? That’s where you are I are. We are of the very massive group who never saw Jesus. In fact, you and I do not know anyone living who actually saw Jesus. Our faith is based upon the Word of God. That word, so true and so pure, is as good as actually being there. Our faith isn’t blind. Our faith isn’t based upon the rumors and stories of others. Those things tend to get stretched through the years and a bit distorted. Instead, our faith is built upon the testimony delivered by God. Tested through time, accurate, pure and backed up with supporting evidence, our faith stands as if we had see the Lord with our own eyes.

John would say, “What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled…these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete” (1 Jn 1:1,4). The proof is in the words of those who were there. Amazingly, what God left for us is not images of what Jesus looked like, but rather, impressions of His character, His heart, and His Lordship. This is what our faith is built upon and stands.

All of this leads us to some serious conclusions:

1. We need to know the Word of God. We cannot see Jesus any other way. We cannot know Jesus apart from the Word of God. The more the Word is in our minds and hearts, the better our picture of Jesus becomes and the greater our faith grows. It’s easy to read books about the Bible rather than actually reading the Bible itself. Nothing beats reading the actual words. Look at the words. Think about the words.

2. We need to be purists with the Word of God. We need to filter out all the opinions, ideas and supplications that folks add about the Bible. We have our own. We can manipulate the word to fit our own agendas and ideology. Instead of shaping our hearts around the word, we can reshape the word around us. Teach it as it is. Don’t change the word. Don’t water it down.

3. We need to teach all of the Word of God. If the word of God is the only way that people can know Jesus and see Jesus today, then we need to teach it. We can spend more time talking about what’s right and wrong with all the churches and fail to teach Jesus. Our sermons ought to be packed with verses that are used accurately. Our Bible classes ought to be just that, classes on the Bible. We need to develop a respect and a love of the word for our children. We need to show people how to study the Bible. We need to teach and teach and teach God’s word.

4. Our lives must be filled with the Word of God. Differences need to be solved using God’s word. Our hearts and character ought to reflect the Word of God. We ought to be a better people because God’s word is deep within us. In our conversations, God’s word ought to be talked about, brought up and shared. It’s so much a part of our lives, that is ought to be so natural in our speech to use God’s Words.

We know. We believe. We live. We hope. Not because we actually saw the Lord, but through faith, through the Word of God, we know that He is. The Word is God’s bridge from Heaven to us. What a blessing God’s word is. What a privilege it is be able to own a copy of this Word. What an honor it is to stand, with imperfect hands, and preach the perfect word about the perfect Savior. This word isn’t locked away in a secret museum. It’s not reserved for just the rich who could afford it. It’s not given to only a select group of people. But all of us, any of us, can have this word, God’s word, in our hands and in our hearts. God wants you to know Him. God wants you to spend forever with Him. So much so, that He has allowed you access to the one bridge that will get you there, faith through His word.

Love it, obey it, share it and live it—that’s what we must do with the word of God.

Roger