Doubt Diminishes Our Blessings
John 20:19-29
We have just come out of the season of celebrating a resurrected Christ. I chuckled to myself how we go all out with the baskets and candy and died eggs… how we get the marshmallow peeps, and jelly beans and chocolate rabbits that are not all that good, How we wind up having that pink, blue, yellow, and green plastic grass all through the house way past the 4th of July. How we take our children’s pictures with a great big white bunny in a studious outfit – and wind up eating egg salad for 6 months and we do this all because ummmm Jesus got up?
But the real deal is the celebration of the resurrection should be every moment of our lives because it gives us the reassurance that we each have an opportunity to enter into the kingdom of God because He got up….but now what?
The first part of this story we will talk about that culprit of Doubt and how it diminishes or decreases or devours and destroys the abundancies of our blessings –
I looked in Webster and found
Doubt Definition:
1. To be undecided or skeptical about: began to doubt some accepted doctrines.
2. To tend to disbelieve; distrust: doubts politicians when they make sweeping statements.
3. To regard as unlikely: I doubt that we’ll arrive on time.
4. A lack of certainty that often leads to irresolution.
5. A lack of trust.
6. A point about which one is uncertain or skeptical
7. The condition of being unsettled or unresolved: an outcome still in doubt.
As we turn to the chosen text this morning, in John 20:19-29, we find the story that John penned. This event is after the women came running from the tomb yelling like banshees talking about a risen Christ that we read about in Matthew. This occurs after John’s account of he and Peter going back to the grave only to find it was empty. This event transpires after Jesus met Mary on the road… here we find ten of the remaining eleven disciples locked up scared about what would happen to them now. Here they were, had waited for Jesus to destroy those who oppressed and instead they destroyed Him. Here we find them, wondering what is wrong with Mary/Mary and the other women who came running around trying to convince somebody that Jesus had gotten up and told them to meet Him – they had decided it was safer just to hide out! They doubted the word that had been sent out – and their doubt led to….fear.
Turn to someone and say doubt produces fear! What happens when we become fearful, we find ourselves holed up somewhere – shaking in our boots – scared of failure – scared of destruction – scared of life – scared to step out – scared to take chances – scared – scared – scared – scared.
We will miss out on what God is attempting to bless us with because we are too scared. Therefore, our blessings are defunked because of our doubt…. Doubt therefore diminishes the abundancy of our blessing.
What do I mean by abundance…. And how do I know God desires to bless that way… well Jesus said I’ve come that you might have life and have it MORE abundant. That means even greater than our greatest expectations, God can and will bless. But oft times we miss out because we are not so much like the two Mary’s running around believing that God did just what He said – willing to step out even if it will put us in the Nutty as a Loon category – we want to play it safe – than justify it by saying we are just being real or logical. But I dare somebody to show me anywhere in the bible that the things God does is logical. Walk by faith and not by sight --- mmmmmmmmm not logical. Faith is the substance of things hoped for- evidence of things not seen ---- mmmmmmmm not logical…. Eyes have not seen…..mmmmmmmmmmmmm not logical….
After you have done all you know to do….just stand….. really does any of this sound like logic? But when doubt creeps in… like it did for John and them, we find ourselves hiding out – hiding and wishing things were different instead of believing and trusting things are as they should be so God can show you who He is!
But here we find them – hiding – scared – worried – and in the midst of their turmoil – JESUS SHOWS UP!
Now I like the fact that there is hope for us – in the midst of our fear – if we just pay attention – God will send us a lifeline – an inkling of reassurance to get us back on track. Jesus showed up in the middle of the locked room… Now fortunately they were receptive – because some of us – when God shows up – in the midst of our fearful state – we become more scared. OH NO God – I know you don’t want me to do that… OH NO God…surely you don’t expect me to be able to say that… OH NO God certainly you know that I am to fearful to talk to folk outside my comfort zone… OH NO GOD…. That is not what I had planned to do…. OH NO GOD --- I can’t make it without him or I can’t live without her… or I got to have that job…or I must have X amount of money before I am willing to believe you can handle it…. And again our doubt destroys the blessing of abundance God is attempting to pour out on us… But fortunately the boys’ relationship was close enough that when Jesus came on the scene they merely began to rejoice. Now their situation had not changed yet…they were still being hunted down because they were the friends of Jesus – they were still felons on the run… Their lives were still on the line – but they REJOICED – and Jesus – because their doubt was gone – blessed them with the power of the Holy Ghost.
Now – with this new weapon – they became bold --- somebody say – the Holy Ghost is better than the weapons of mass destruction – they dared to venture out… now they too were telling folk – HE LIVES. But there was one who did not hear the word from Jesus because he hid so tough – he didn’t even hide with the boys – he just kept to himself somewhere…locked up…windows shut…doors locked ….
How many times have we hit a wall – hit a bump – had a problem – experienced a trial –and decided to shut our doors, and mope about it? Have you ever wondered why in the midst of that depression someone calls – or knocks on your door – That’s God sending you some help – look at this story – we find the ten had to go and give Thomas the good news in an attempt to raise him up out of his depression. But like some of us… he refused to hear it.
Um, I didn’t hear it myself. God didn’t tell me that… I got to see it for myself – got to touch the blessing before I believe I am blessed! And the word says it was over a week later before Jesus appeared to Thomas. I believe – if you allow me to use my Holy Ghost spiked imagination, that he was allowed to wallow in his misery because he refused to receive information from God. Many of us remain on stressed out – messed up – fall-out – and screwed up mode because we refuse to receive the word that all is well!
One of the most valuable aspects about taking God at His Word is that it gives us stability. Even in the face of total chaos – Many now are questioning why the murder was allowed to transpire – how come bad things happen to good people – but instead if we learn to embrace James 1;6-8 A doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." - even when terrible things happen we will simply say, God is in control.
After Jesus appears, and Thomas touches – he believes…. And Jesus lets him know – this is not an acceptable action of a believer. To believe means even when it seems hopeless – we still have hope --- because my hope is built on nothing less……
There is somebody sitting here right now who needs a breakthrough. Needs to be blessed in abundance. Needs to have more than
Paul says in Ephesians 5:14-15 NLT: "We will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ." Satan is constantly looking for ways he can cause us to doubt God’s Word because he knows that if he can succeed, he can get us to believe his lies. Once he accomplishes this, he can virtually control our lives and rob us of the good things God has in store for us. Diminishing the abundance that God has already ordained belongs to His children. He ordained it before the beginning of time. He made us the head and not the tail. He ordained it before the beginning of time, making us just a smidgen below the angels… He ordained it way before we knew what we needed, because He said I am the good Shepard and you will have everything you need… He is the one who provided us the benefits of the resurrected Christ by securing us a non-revocable ticket to heaven. I’m not going to doubt somebody who has done such a marvelous thing. Not going to diminish the abundant blessing He has already set aside with my name on it. Stuff won’t make me doubt …. Folk won’t make me doubt… circumstance won’t make me doubt…. Petty he said she said won’t make me doubt….. whatever comes my way I will trust that God has it and will bless accordingly because Doubt diminishes my abundant blessing and I desire God to Bless Me BIG!
