From Doubt to Life

Growing in faith is a lifelong process. For most of us, doubt is a part of the process, and for some of us, it is an integral one. In our passage today from John we get a front row seat while the disciples move from doubt to faith to life as they are commissioned to go and share the gospel with others.

Lord thank you for the process of salvation, sanctification, and faith. Give us courage as we journey through the process and help us stay focused on the heavenly prize for which we run; eternal life.

Introduction

Have you ever felt doubt before? Have you ever been left feeling so defeated that you weren’t sure you could make it? Have you ever felt depressed? I imagine you have, as I have as well, and these are similar feelings the disciples must’ve been experiencing in our passage for the day, John 20:19-31 as they worked hard to process the reality that Jesus was dead and all their hopes for redemption and renewal were lost with Him. It probably goes without saying that they were struggling.

Was Jesus wrong? Had He lied to them? Was He just another false prophet? Have you ever had thoughts like those before? Have you ever had doubts about the reality of the faith, the words of Jesus, or eternal life?

Main Teaching

In the confusion and aftermath of Jesus’ death the disciples find themselves together in a locked room. They’re scared, they don’t know what to do, and it doesn’t appear that they know Jesus had already revealed himself to some of the others. That’s when Jesus enters into the room, into their fear, and blesses them with peace.

Fear Keeps us From Faith. Did you know that the bible contains 365 “do not fear” commands in one form or another. One of my favorites comes from Isaiah…

It’s almost as if God knew we’d need to hear His compassionate reassurance day after day. We need it just as much now as the believers did thousands of years ago and surely just as much as those meeting together in John 20. After the death of Jesus the Jews became even more aggressive in seeking out other Messianic sympathizers. Meetings behind locked doors would’ve been the norm, as we’ll see a couple of times in our passage today, as the early disciples tried to piece together what to do next.

Their fear of what others could do to them kept them from trusting the words and teachings that Jesus left with them ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium