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Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661
Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org
OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”
Nobleton Community Church
Date April 27, 2025
Text: John 20:19-31; James 1:5-8 (N.I.V.)
Pastor Paul Lehmann
In March of 2014, there was a news story from Spain, about a 47-story apartment building that only had elevators for 20 stories, and no elevator shafts or elevators to take people to the remaining top floors. There were 269 luxury apartments but only 120 of them were rented because people were probably doubting the structure of the building and they were blaming the architect for not considering elevators for the top part of the building. This was all debunked just a week or two after the story came out as lies, and a reporter rode one of the 12 elevators and posted pictures. Nevertheless, the building hasn’t been able to be fully rented, or condos sold; not because of elevators, but maybe because the price of a one-bedroom apartment was 358,000 Euros. That is $406, 962.00 U.S. dollars. They rented for $4,000 per month. People may still have had trouble with the lies that were told against the Spanish architect.
We all know how doubts can creep into our thinking when we choose to believe a lie.
What if a lie affects our faith?
The story of Thomas is one of the more famous ones in all of the gospels because it speaks to a deep human condition. In the face of confusion, conflicting evidence, and a world that requires empirical evidence before making a decision, DOUBT seems to be the norm for many people. Sometimes that doubt can be useful. But other times, doubt can lead to atrophy and emptiness, especially when it causes us to neglect the hope of faith in the risen Christ.
In verse 19 of our text, we find the other disciples (minus Thomas) cowering in a house “for fear of the Jews”. Tomans is the one who often gets branded as the doubter, but we must remember that the other disciples were equally guilty of doubt after they heard Mary Magdalene’s announcement; “I have seen the Lord!” (verse 18). Otherwise, they wouldn’t have all been huddled together with the doors shut. It’s not until the risen Jesus actually shows up that they believe and understand. Thomas isn’t any different than his colleagues. It’s just that he’s behind in assessing the situation.
Doubt permeates the whole situation after Jesus’ crucifixion and the discovery of the empty tomb. They have heard about the lies that the Roman soldiers were told to spread. They knew that they hadn’t stolen the body, but when people’s opinions are based on lies, it takes longer for the truth to come out, and even then:
WE MUST BE WILLING TO KNOW THE TRUTH AND ACCEPT THE TRUTH
It is doubt that leads the disciples to temporarily not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. When it comes to spiritual belief, it is only human to ask why to God, or to ask Him if something is true. That’s why the gift of spiritual discernment is so important.
BUT WE MUST NEVER REMAIN IN THAT POSITION PERMANENTLY.
It must only be a temporary position. We must allow the reality of a resurrected Christ to live within us. Then and only then can our DOUBT move to FAITH
The text points to three key things that the disciples forgot to include in trying to have faith. If we don’t remember them ourselves it will lead to spiritual bankruptcy and uselessness.
THE FIRST ONE IS:
THE PEACE OF CHRIST.
Four times in the text Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” On one level, this is a conventional greeting—a basic Jewish community greeting. But the repeated mention of it here is a a reminder of something that Jesus had said to his disciples earlier. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” John 14:27. The peace that “the world gives: is a piece that seeks to alleviate fear by relying on the security of wealth, the protection of armies or the isolation of a locked door. But there’s really no peace in these things, at least only temporarily. The peace that Jesus offers however, is an eternal peace made possible by his resurrection from the dead.
Jesus knew that the disciples would be under constant scrutiny and danger—-that there would always be someone lurking on the other side of the door threatening those who follow Jesus and his peace. But the peace of Jesus is grounded in the fact of his resurrection. As the risen Christ stands before them, with his nail-scarred hands, feet, and the wound on his side, he demonstrates to them the fact that death will not have the last word with them. “Because I live, you will also live.” He had told them earlier. (vs. 14-19).
When we forget the peace of Christ, we tend to become gripped by fear and doubt, and our sense of hope seems to be unachievable. We need to remember that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have made a new future possible—a future that’s ready for us to move into right now through faith in him. We don’t have to live in fear because we have a savior who has guaranteed our future through an empty tomb.
THE SECOND KEY ELEMENT WE NEED TO REMEMBER IS:
THE ONGOING
PRESENCE OF CHRIST
Jesus “breathed” on the disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit, the very presence of Christ in their lives (vs 22). When John spoke in this way, he was thinking back to the old story of the creation of man. There the writer, Moses says in Genesis 2:7: “The Lord god formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” This was the same picture Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 37:9, when he saw the valley of dead, dry bones, and when he heard God say to the wind; “come from the four winds, O breadth, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” Then in verse 8 when he did that, we read,”…breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—-a vast army.” When Jesus breathed on them in John 20:21 and said; “receive the Holy Spirit,” this wasn’t just a precursor of Pentecost. It was the moment that the disciples became “BORN AGAIN” by the Spirit of God.
This coming of the Holy Spirit was when they became new creations. It was the wakening of life from the dead. When they obeyed the Lord and entered the upper room 40 days later at Pentecost and waited for the Holy Spirit to come upon them they received POWER TO WITNESS and carry out the task that God gave them, of taking the gospel to the world. It is this great task that is given to us. It is the privilege of the Church to convey the message and the announcement and the fact of god’s forgiveness to men.
The Spirit would also give them the power to do “even greater things” than Jesus had done (14:12) and provide the comfort, advocacy, and peace that enabled them to carry out God’s mission to the world.
When doubt and fear creep into our lives, we must rely on the witness of the Spirit to remind us that our lives matter and have purpose in Christ. It’s the Spirit that enables us to be people who forgive sins, who speak boldly, and who demonstrate the character of Christ (verse 23). The Holy Spirit provides us with the internal check of the presence of Jesus, which reminds us that our lives will never be useless when he is working within them. But also :
THE THIRD ELEMENT THAT DOUBTERS LIKE THOMAS (AND US) NEED TO REMEMBER IS :
OUR FAITH ISN’T JUST AN IDEA, A CONCEPT, OR A PRINCIPLE—
INSTEAD:
OUR FAITH IS IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
And our faith isn’t in a dead, Suffering Savior, but a LIVING RESURRECTED ONE
Jesus shows up in person a week later, when Thomas is present, and invites the doubtful disciple to touch his wounds. It’s a touch that’s only possible if Jesus is more than a concept, but a person who was “in the flesh” like us, who suffered as we suffer; who was tempted like we are tempted; who dwelt among us and gave his life for us (1:14) Thomas finally believed because he saw Jesus—not just on that day, but on all the days he had spent following Jesus around Judea. He knew what kind of man Jesus was, that he was worthy of Thomas’ trust and faith, and that he never backed down from a promise even when he was nailed to a cross. Now, with the risen Christ standing in front of him in the flesh, Thomas’ faith went from doubtful hope to a person he would never forget.
Thomas’ confession in the person of Christ, “My Lord and my God” is one that provides a foundation for our own faith (vs. 28). It’s a faith that doesn’t subscribe to the old adage,” Seeing is believing,” but rather Jesus’ brand of faith that reminds us that “believing is SEEING:. He told Thomas
“You have believed because you have seen me, but blessed are those who have not seen me but have believed.”
God has come to us in Jesus Christ, who continues his mission through doubters and misfits like Thomas and us. Faith is a willingness to follow him, even when we’re not sure where it will lead us.
Faith is a willingness to believe and not doubt because we know the One who holds us and the world in his hand.
Our doubt can be fixed by remembering that:
Jesus offers us:
His peace, His presence, and His person.