I love singing about the goodness of God. In fact, there's a church tradition where the preacher says, God is good, and the congregation responds all the time, and then the preacher says all the time and the congregation responds back, God is good. So let's go and try that. God is good. And all the time What about when life isn't good? God's so good, right? What about when life is life and a little too much, you know what I'm saying? And, and things are happening and, and you understand that like God is good, but then Monday's coming. And, and that treatment is still there, and that betrayal still lingers, and that bill is still coming in the mail. And so how do we connect the goodness of God with the reality of our life? Maybe some of you grew up and you had an experience that caused division between you and God. And you had a situation or a person or a circumstance that left you asking God, where are you? Maybe you grew up in a religious home, and you didn't feel safe asking the questions that were very real to you. Maybe you were left with a doubt, but were told that doubt is dangerous. I want to encourage you today. That not only is doubt not dangerous. But doubt could actually be the key that unlocks the faith that you've always been hoping for. This Easter, I want to preach a message entitled The Benefit of Doubt. The benefit of doubt. The year was 1799 when little twelve-year-old Conrad Reed went fishing in Little Meadow Creek, North Carolina. And he brought home with him this large 17 pound shiny rock. And he brought this shiny rock home to which any parent would look at a little boy who brings something home from the woods and go, what are we supposed to do with that? They couldn't throw it out and so they decided to use it as a doorstop. Now, doorstops have some use, right? They hold back, they prop open. But after 3 years of using this shiny rock as a doorstop, the dad said, you know what, I better get this thing looked at. So in 1802, John Reid took it to a jeweler. And sold the 17 pound shiny rock for $3.50. Some of you are shaking your head. Because that rock was worth well more than $3.50. You see that 17 pound rock was actually a 17 pound golden nugget. That at the time was worth $3600. But based on today's price of gold. It was worth just under $800,000. So for 3 years, the reeds had an $800,000 doorstop. Not knowing that there was so much more value than what they took it for. See, I share that story because I think for some of you, you have in your possession something that has so much more value than you recognize. And that possession is actually doubt. See, some of you are currently using doubt, doubt and faith, doubt in God. As a doorstop in your life. See, doorstops again, hold, they hold back and they prop open. So for some of you, doubt is holding you back from the faith that God has called you to. You have a legitimate question. A gripe, a situation, a person or circumstance that left you asking questions about God that you never got resolved. And so because you didn't get those answers that you were searching for, you were held back and going all in for Jesus. And others in this room are watching online. Maybe you use doubt as a doorstop to really prop open a lifestyle that's contrary to what Scripture says. See, here's how this works on a practical basis. You like the idea of God. It's not a far stretch for you to think that you came from God and that God loves you, but what you read the, when you read the word, what the Bible says about life is contrary to your selfish desires. And so what happens is you have God, you have you, and you have your doubt in between. And as long as you don't answer that question, then you don't have to submit to the God. Of the question. And so you use doubt as a doorstop to prop open the lifestyle of the selfish desires that you want. But I'm here to tell you that doubt has so much more value than being a doorstop in your life. That rather than being a doorstop, doubt truly is the doorway to a deeper faith in Christ. Doubt is the doorway to a deeper faith in Christ. It actually has so much more value than you even realize and it might give you access to the God and the faith that you've really been longing for the whole time. So to talk about Doubt this Easter, we're gonna take a look at a character best known for Doubt. In fact, he's so associated with doubt that it's connected with his identity, and he's called Doubting Thomas. Now those of you who just mouth the word doubting Thomas with me, a little, little too Christian right now, calm down, so you don't get extra credit for calling out the answer early. OK, just kidding, but extra points your way. But no, doubting Thomas. Uh, let's, let me just be real with you. I, I think it's an unfair nickname. It's an unfair nickname, it really is, cause no one else has that nickname. But yet all the disciples doubted, and yet for some reason, Thomas gets the nickname that Styx. I think we should strike doubting from the adjective of Thomas, because all the disciples could have that nickname. Let me prove it to you. In Matthew chapter 14 verse 31, Peter had walked on water, right? You hear the name Peter, like, oh, Peter walked on water. Peter also fell into the water, but you don't call that, do you? But when he fell into the water, we have this verse in Matthew 14:31 says Jesus immediately reached out his hand to Peter and took hold of him, saying, oh, you have little faith, why did you doubt? We don't call him doubting Peter. Peter even denied Jesus 3 times. We don't call him denying Peter. Right Not only was it Peter, but actually all the disciples happened in Luke's account. Right after the resurrection of Jesus, Jesus dies on the cross, is buried, rises again on the 3rd day, appears to the disciples. Here's how Luke the Count goes in Luke 24:38-39. And Jesus said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet that it is myself. Touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. So all the disciples doubted, all of them. You don't call them the doubting disciples. And it wasn't just in the room there on Easter Sunday. In fact, for 40 days, Jesus walked around appearing at different places at different times to different people, over 500 people. But the disciples see this whole thing go down. And in Matthew 28, we have this great. Passage called the Great Commission, where Jesus, right before he ascends into heaven, says, go and make disciples of all nations, right? We quote it all the time as a church. It's the mission of the church. It's what we're called to do. It's who we're called to be. But did you ever pause and read the verses right before that verse? Right before Jesus ascends into heaven. He had been with the disciples for 40 days, right before he gives the great commission, we have verses 16 and 17 in Matthew 28. And now the 11 disciples went to Galilee. I thought there was 12. Well, you lost one because Judas betrayed Jesus. That's a nickname that kind of sticks. Like, I understand that one, right? So they, so Judas is out. They're down to 11 disciples. They went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them, and when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Who is doubting at that point? Think about that. Who lived with Jesus for 3 years. Some walk on water, calm storms, raise people from the dead, blind people see, lame people walk, sermons are preached, people are safe, comes back from the dead, hangs with you for 40 days, and then it's on a mountain, people are praising Jesus as God, and some of the disciples are like, maybe. What I love about this is the fact. That not only is doubt part of the process. It's expected. That if the disciples doubted. Jesus, you and I will too. And I don't miss this. Thomas missed one church service and gets a nickname for 2000 years. He shouldn't be called doubting Thomas. Really, he should be called, ask one reasonable question because he wasn't in the room when everybody else was Thomas. So who was this guy? We don't have a lot of verses on him. But the few that we do have actually paints a pretty strong picture. It's called the disciple in Matthew chapter 10 verse 3. And there's a story And John 11. When their friend Lazarus dies, and Jesus ultimately is gonna go back and raise Lazarus, bring him back to life. While they're waiting to go back. The disciples were hesitant to go back because most likely they would get killed or. Or stoned or in prison. And actually in John 11:16, Thomas, whose name by the way is Didymus in Greek, which means twin, so we actually had a twin, we don't know a lot about the twin. But they say Thomas, the twin stands up and says, let us go back and die with him. I don't know about you, but that's Thomas the courageous in my book, right? There's another account in John 14. Jesus is washed to the feet of the disciples in John 13. They're in the upper room, and he says, I'm gonna leave you. But take heart because I'm gonna go prepare a place for you and come back and bring you to that place. And there we have this case like you see in classrooms all over the country, where the teacher says something and all the students nod like they understand what's going on and no one understands what's going on. Right? Have you ever been in that room? Teacher says something like, oh yeah, yep, we're we're with you. And if you're not in school, but you've been in that business meeting, right? Or someone's talking or a Zoom call and you're just like nodding, like, yeah, and inside you're like, I have no idea what's going on right now. I checked my phone, I checked the score, next thing I know, they're like, what do you think, Carl? I'm like, yep, I, I agree 100%. That's what's happening here. But thankfully, Thomas goes, uh, excuse me, Savior, Jesus. And he asked the question that everyone else was thinking. And in John 14:3, he says, Jesus, we actually don't know where you're going. So how do we know the way? And Jesus's response to Thomas is actually one of the most famous verses in all of the Bible. And he says, you can know the way, why? Because he says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. So you can know the way, Thomas, because I am the way, and you can know me. See, this is the Thomas that we have in our story today. So let's pick up our story here in John chapter 20. Jesus died on the cross, gets buried in a tomb. Mary Magdalene goes, sees there's an empty tomb. Disciples run, see the empty tomb. Jesus ends up appearing to Mary. So it's appearing to a few other people, and now it's gonna appear to the disciples. We'll pick up our story here in John chapter 20 verse 19. And on the evening of that day, the first day of the week, The doors being locked, where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. I want to pause here for a moment. So Thomas is gonna get labeled doubting Thomas, but the disciples are just locked up, huddled, afraid for their lives. They're not exactly men of boldness right now. Right, they're afraid they're terrified. But I actually like this, and here's why. Because in this room, in their fear, in the unknown, like just the uncertainty of their future. Jesus in his post-resurrection body. Doesn't even need the door, goes through, goes through the wall and says, I'm here. Peace be with you. What I love about that is that whatever wall you got put up in your heart, whatever door you got locked in your life right now, God can work past and reach you. Some of you have a friend or a family member. Or spouse or co-worker who you've been praying for for years and you feel like they got this wall up that can't be penetrated, but I want you to know that whatever wall is up, God can walk through and God can work through. And here's what's awesome. He walks in and he says, peace be with you, which is a natural greeting of that time. But that word peace in Hebrew is shalom, and in Greek is irrene, which means completeness or wholeness. And so this greeting that comes is really Christ coming say, may your life be complete. And what I love about this is that in the Christmas story, prophet Isaiah and Isaiah chapter 9, prophesized the coming of one who would be wonderful counselor, right? And the prince of peace. Paul writes in Ephesians that you can have peace. Why? Because Christ himself is our peace. And so even in the middle of our mess, even in the middle of our fear, when we're locked away and walls are up, we can have peace. Why? Because peace is not the absence of fear, but the presence of Christ. He comes and he says, peace be with you. Why? For I am with you. I've come To complete your life, to restore your soul. And to give you the fullness that you've really been searching for the whole time. He comes He says peace be with you. It's the Father has sent me, even I am sending you. And when he said this, he breathed on them. That's a little weird. Let's just pause. Let's let's let's call it out, right? For churchy people are like, oh yeah, un like, wait, he did what? He walked into the room through a wall, and goes, peace be with you. Go ahead, try that on Monday at work, see how that goes. Hey Sally, peace be with you. Why would he do that? Right? Why, why, that's weird. Why would he do that? Here's why. Because the same word for breath is the same word for wind, is the same word for Holy Spirit. So the breath of God that breathed life into Adam and Eve when he created them. The same God that breathed life in the scripture that you see in Timothy says all scriptures God breathe, is the same God that breathed the Holy Spirit, John 3:8, Numa meaning wind. He says, I'm gonna give you my spirit, and you, you're not gonna see the spirit, but you can see the effects of the spirit in a similar way to when you can't see the wind, but you can see the effects of the wind. So he says, I'm gonna give you my spirit. The same power that just defeated death, I'm gonna give that to you. So he says, receive the Holy Spirit. Ultimately he's gonna come in Acts 2, but he's preparing their hearts for it says, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you withhold forgiveness of any, it is withheld. So basically he's saying, what, what I did, you're going to do. The power that just defeated death, I'm gonna give to you. This is why it's your advantage that I'm going away, because the Holy Spirit is not gonna be on you, it's not gonna be with you, it's gonna be in you and through that Holy Spirit, you're gonna launch the movement known as the church and you're gonna change the world. Verse 24. Now Thomas, one of the 12 called the twin, was not with them when Jesus came. Of all Sundays to miss. I shared, I think last year's story of a little boy, um, who was gonna go to church but decided no, I don't wanna go today, my sister went to church. On Palm Sunday, and they came back and a little kid from the children's church had a palm branch. And they were, and, and asked his sister and he said, what, what is that? Well, you got palm branches, they wave palm branches when Jesus showed up and they shout at Hosanna. And the little boy goes, oh man. I miss one Sunday and Jesus is there. This is what happens. Easter Sunday, first Easter, Thomas is not there. We don't know why though. Here's the thing, we know the disciples are afraid. We know Thomas hasn't been afraid in the past. Maybe he's not fearful. I don't know. Maybe he's grieving. Right? I just, I just can't right now, right? Maybe it's even more practical. Maybe he's just getting food for the disciples. We don't know, we just know he's not in the room. Verse 25. So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to them, unless I see the hands. The mark of the nails and the place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into a side, I will never believe. And in reality, that's not that crazy but thought. He's hurting, he's grieving. The person he just was willing to die for has died and gone. And now people come back and say, no, really, he's here. Mm I don't, that's your faith, that's not my faith. So I'm not gonna believe unless I see it. That's raw. That's real. That's relatable. So we continue reading verse 26. 8 days later. Uh, I'm sorry, I just gotta say this just because how my mind works. Uh, I can't not hear the narrator voice from SpongeBob SquarePants, who just goes, I few moments later. You know what I'm talking about? You've seen those memes? Sorry, I'm sorry for those that are tracking. I'm just telling you it's what goes in my head. So I share it with you. And so I'm reading this and I'm just going days later. Sorry. It's in the Greek though, um. Apologies. 8 days later, OK. His disciples were inside again. And Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Now, he's doing a repeat of what happened a week before. So a few things might be playing at play at the same time. Number one, OK, the disciples didn't get the first round. Right? They already had the walls up, the doors locked, and Jesus comes in. If a resurrected Jesus who conquered death walks in, uh, what are you afraid of at that point? Aren't you going open door at that point? Like, come on, bring it, Roman Empire. What do you, what do you got? And yet the disciples, a week later, same thing. You ever come to church again and be like, nope, same place as last time. Right, so they're in there, and Jesus comes and he says, peace be with you. Now, I'm taking a little bit little bit of liberty here, but I just want to share with you my thought on how this goes down. I think when he walks into the room. I think he knows that Thomas is there. He wasn't there before, and I think he locks eyes with him. I think he locks eyes and look, and in the crowd in the small room, he looks right at them, he's able to say peace be with you. Same thing I did for them, I'm gonna do for you. Peace be with you, Thomas. Now whether Thomas asked the question, or Jesus just knew and answered the question before he could even ask it. Verse 27, it says, and then he said to Thomas, put your finger here. See my hands. And put out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. So go ahead, examine. I'm not gonna shame your doubts, Thomas. In fact, I'm gonna show up in them. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. I love this Jesus. Why? Because The Jesus that gets mad, you know who he gets mad at in the Gospels? Most? He gets mad at the fake hypocritical religious people who use their fake religion to to judge and and overthrow and and have power over others. You know who he doesn't do that to? The people who are struggling, honest and open, who just come before them and just says, go ahead, I'm here. The woman at the well. I'm gonna give you living water. The educated religious guy who had genuine questions, Nicodemus. Yeah, just belief. Let me tell you why he came. A tax collector, Zaccheus up in a tree. Hey, I see you. I'm coming to your house. Jesus doesn't shame your doubts. He shows up in them. It's OK. You can ask your question. I'm not scared. I'm here. Belief. Now notice Thomas's response. Thomas answered him, my Lord and my God. And Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. The word blessed, the same word where you see in the beatitudes, right? Blessed are the meek, you know, for those who are the kingdom. The idea behind blessing and being blessed is a life that is flourishing. A life that is of the kingdom. A life as God has called you to. Of what you're called to do and who you're called to be. So he's saying you believe you put the weight of your life in me who can see me? But flourishing are the people who haven't seen me and yet believe. Who was Thomas? Who was Thomas? Well, I think Thomas is somebody who recognized that doubt wasn't a doorstop, but actually was the doorway to deepen his faith, and we see three characteristics of Thomas that I think reflect to you and me today. Number 1, we see that Thomas was honest. Thomas was honest. Are you willing to be honest with God? John Ortber put it this way, he says, doubt is not a sign of spiritual weakness. Doubt is a sign that our faith has a pulse. Not good. Do me a favor. Go ahead and try to find your pulse. And 2 fingers up here. You probably didn't think about your pulse one time during the service yet, did you? But now you feel it. If you can't feel your pulse, don't stress that you are alive. I see some people in the back struggling and they're like, I don't know. I don't have a pulse. OK. See, the fact that you have questions about God doesn't mean that God isn't real. It just means that your faith is real. I don't love it when my kids' rooms are a mess, but the mess is a reminder that my kids are in the home. If we're being honest with ourselves, our lives are much messier than our rooms. And what I love about the gospel is that even through locked doors and walls, he walks through and he meets us in our mess and says, I'm here. Are you willing to be honest, as Thomas was honest. Secondly, well, let me just say this to one more thing about this is that. When you're honest and you bring a doubt before God. What I love about that is that when God meets you in that doubt. And you wrestle with it. What you come to realize is that a faith that is tested is a faith that can be trusted. A faith that is tested is a faith that can be trusted. When you think about products that have been tested against severe weather, right? So that you can wear it or drive it or Live in it, whatever it is. You understand that our faith was tested to the point of the cross. We do not have a faith built on a house of cards. We have a faith that is built on the power of the cross. And because of Jesus, we come to understand and know that not even death itself can separate you from the love of God. Amen. To be honest, If God can't handle my questions, then I don't know if I can sing praises to him. Is that fair? But also, if God knows everything I know and nothing more than Am I gone? Right? It makes sense that his ways are higher than our ways. So by default, we're gonna have questions. What I'm saying here is that when you have doubt, don't panic. Instead, process and pray. And see how God meets you there. You might not get the answer you're looking for. But you're gonna get Jesus, let me tell you that's way better. Thomas was honest. Secondly, we see Thomas was humble. He was humble. That when Jesus showed up. He makes that confession, my Lord, my God. That is actually the highest confession of Jesus post resurrection in scripture. I love that. Reverend Terry K Anderson put it this way, Thomas goes from pouting to doubting to shouting. I love it. And you might have missed this little detail, but I think it's important to point out. The whole fact that it was 8 days later, guess what? Thomas stayed. Thomas stayed. Do you know the courage it takes to stay when you've got doubts and questions? He showed up. How many people do you know that had something happened or a question they didn't get answered or person who hurt them and they said, well, I'm done. That even in the pain, even in the darkness, even in the loneliness, when everyone else around him got a vision from God and he did not, he still showed up. So that when Jesus showed up, that was his faith. Now in Thomas's case, it was 8 days. But for some of you it might be 8 months or 8 years. And here's the reality, that your faith has to be your faith. It can't be your parents' faith. It can't be your family member's faith. It can't be your friend's faith. At some point, you have to decide for yourself like Thomas did, who humbled himself and said, My lord, my God. Faith is not the absence of doubt, but a decision to trust. And that when Jesus shows up, question and all, you say, I can't make it on my own. I'm gonna put the full weight of my life and believe you as what? Believe you as Lord and Savior. It says in Romans 10:9, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, Jesus is God, and that believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead on the third day and says, and you will be saved. Thomas was humble. Last thing here. Thomas was hopeful. Thomas was hopeful. His doubt didn't disqualify him. That he would actually go out from those walls, go out from those doors, and the church tradition has it, that he would actually be one of the first, if not the first missionary to India. And so much of the Asian spiritual roots within Christianity date back to the faithfulness of Thomas. And he actually died a martyr. So he goes from skeptic to saint to saint. And he starts sharing that news. you got doubts? So did I. Let me tell you about that. Thomas saw doubt as a doorway to a deeper faith. He was honest, he was humble. And he was hopeful. So let me ask you, Could you be Thomas's twin? And not literally. He had a twin. We don't know the other twin. What I mean by that is, do you got questions? Is there something in your head or in your heart or in your life that's keeping you from taking the jump of placing your faith, your hope, your trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior? Maybe it's a question, or maybe it's been a period of 8 days, 8 months or 8 years or longer. You know, my parents talked about faith, my, my friends talked about faith, but I just don't, I just, I haven't seen it. If that's you, Then maybe the story, this moment, this day is for you. We know that because the very next verse. The writer of the Gospel of John says these words in verse 30 and 31. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ. The Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Christ is not his last name, it's a title, anointed one, Messiah. Are you willing to put the full weight of your life into the belief that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life? Jesus says these words. In John 10:10 says a thief comes to kill, steal, destroy, but I have come that you may have life and life abundantly. That same word for life is the same word in this verse. And it's the same word in John 17:3 says, this is eternal life to know God. Zoe, life is a life of fullness, of meaning, of vitality. Which tells us that eternity doesn't start the moment you die. It starts the moment you place your faith in him. And yes, he promises eternal life free of pain and sickness and illness. In the future, but a life of forgiveness and meaning and joy and purpose now. That's the kind of life that I want. Not a life built on tradition. But a life built on truth. If I could take a moment, I was reminded of the brevity of life this week. We lost one of our own worshipers here in Michigan. In fact, one of my really my favorite worshiper, we lost al. passed away just a few days ago. You'd always be up here in the front row. 90 years of age, Parkinson's and illnesses and things there too, lots of ups and downs. I can tell you live a life to the full. And he would, with all his strength, would, would muscle up out of the wheelchair and would lift his shaking hand and praise the God who loved him. And that is a life of fullness. And here's why we believe what we believe, because we know that Val is standing worshiping God today without a shake in his hand, worshiping him face to face. Because whether you live 9 years, or you live 90 years. Time on this earth is short and you have to ask yourself who is Jesus? So I want to end this morning with 3 questions. Number one, will you be honest and take your doubts to God? Will you be honest like Thomas and take your doubts to God what's keeping you from putting your faith in him? Ask God to show up in those questions. Number 2, will you be humble like Thomas and receive Jesus today? And by receive Jesus, I mean, admit that you can't make it on your own, that you've sinned. Repent from those sins and then believe that he is Lord and that he is savior. Can you say, as Thomas said, my Lord and my God. And commit your life to him. And the last thing here is, will you be hopeful like Thomas? And share Jesus today. Because if you've been saved. If you've been changed, that my friends, is what we call good news. And God can move Because doubt is the doorway to deeper faith. I ask you now, if you would just bow your heads and close your eyes for just a moment. And if God's been working in your heart today. And even in your doubts and your questions, you feel prompted by the Holy Spirit here to receive Jesus into your life. If you, no one's looking around, I mean, I'm looking because I want to be praying for you, but. If you want to receive Jesus into your life, if you're ready to place your faith in Him, trust Him as Lord and Savior. If that's you in this room today, would you raise your hand to let me know that? please keep them held high so I can pray for you. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Just hold for just a moment here. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for raising your hand. Thank you. Thank you. Amen. Thank you. Amen. You can put your hands down. If you want to receive Jesus into your life, I ask that you would pray along with me. There's not magic in these words, but it's it's the power of that belief and who we're praying them to. Will you pray this with me right now? Dear God. We can't make it on our own. God, I admit my sin that I've fallen short. But God, I believe I believe that your son Jesus is God. That he died on the cross as payment for my sins, and that when he rose again, he offers forgiveness. So God forgive me. Come into my life. Give me eternal life. Fill my life with the Holy Spirit, God. I believe in you as Lord and Savior, and I commit my life to you to follow after who you've called me to be. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me. It's in your son's name we pray. Amen.