Doubts and Faith

10 April 2013

Opening/Worship

Hymn: …of thy choosing

Theme: The Resurrection

Topic: Doubts and Faith

Introduction

Thomas, one of the Apostles, was not with the others when the Risen Lord first appeared. He desired an opportunity to see the Christ for himself, to place his hands on the wounds and has ever since been saddled with the name, “Doubting Thomas.” Whether the name is deserve or not, Thomas has come to represent what seems like an all too human characteristic of doubting. All of us suffer times of doubting. Doubts can be a useful when, for example, we doubt our ability to achieve a goal our doubts can motivate us to practice or prepare more. On the other hand, when it comes to issues of faith our doubts can inhibit our spiritual growth and well-being. This usually happens when doubts are treated as conclusions (the end of the story). But doubts can be challenged and used as useful tools to strengthen our faith. When someone comes to us who is doubting, we can share our own doubts and what helped us back to faith. So that they too might find faith and have their spiritual journey renewed and strengthened.

Reading: John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ ²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ ²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ ²⁸Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ²⁹Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ ³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. 

Questions/Discussion

1. What helped you deal with time of doubt in your own life?

Psalm 118:14-29

¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation. 

¹⁵ There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
¹⁶   the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
   the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’
¹⁷ I shall not die, but I shall live,
   and recount the deeds of the Lord.
¹⁸ The Lord has punished me severely,
   but he did not give me over to death. 

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord. 

²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it. 

²¹ I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
²² The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
²³ This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvellous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
²⁵ Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 

²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar. 

²⁸ You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you. 

²⁹ O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.

Luke 12:11-12

When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; ¹²for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’

2. Many people find the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ difficult. What might help us proclaim the Gospel in the world?

Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

John 14.21-31

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ ²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’²³Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ²⁵ ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.²⁷Peace 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. ²⁸You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; ³¹but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.

Acts 2: 14-21

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 

¹⁷ “In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
   and your old men shall dream dreams. 
¹⁸ Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
     and they shall prophesy. 
¹⁹ And I will show portents in the heaven above
   and signs on the earth below,
     blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 
²⁰ The sun shall be turned to darkness
   and the moon to blood,
     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 
²¹ Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
   praise him in his mighty firmament!
² Praise him for his mighty deeds;
   praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
   praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
   praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with clanging cymbals;
   praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

The central mystery of our faith is, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”

Collect

Almighty and eternal God,

the strength of those who believe

and the hope of those who doubt,

may we, who have not seen, have faith

and receive the fullness of Christ's blessing,

who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.