The Seeker, The Believer, and the Skeptic
Text: John 20:1-9
Pastor Dwight L. Hord
• The Seeker
In Vs. 1 of John 20 we find Mary on resurrection Sunday morning, arriving at the tomb of Jesus.
It is believed she was going to prepare the body of Jesus for burial.
Regardless of the reason Mary was there, she was seeking Jesus.
This portion of the story is so inspiring, as in the Gospel texts we always see Mary as one who is seeking the closest relationship she can have with Jesus.
In John 12:3 we see this deep commitment and adoration for her savior.
John 12: 3…Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
In true like fashion, we too should seek Jesus. Jeremiah 29:13, God makes the great promise and proclamation to Jeremiah, that if the nation of Israel would just seek Him, He can be found… “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart”.
Note in this passage from Jeremiah, that we are to seek Him with all of our hearts.
A half hearted attempted to find and follow the Lord will only end in disappoint and a lack of spiritual fulfillment. We need to “give it all we got”. Isaiah 55:6 tells us… Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on him while he is near.
This promise holds true today in Matthew 6:33 when Jesus explains to his disciples the key to an intimate relationship with Him what is required of us in vs.33…”But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Friends today we need seekers.
Seekers of the savior.
Seekers of God’s Word,
Seekers of God’s plan for our lives of service to Him.
Seekers who are willing to fulfill the great commission of God and go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Seekers of Jesus!
• The Believer
In vs.2 We see Mary seeking Peter and John.
It is important to note that she sought out Christian counsel.
Mary didn’t’ go looking for the undertaker or the grave digger; she sought two of the most prominent disciples to share her experience and her findings.
In vs.4 we see the believer, John out run the skeptic Peter.
I am amazed at times how much faster the growth of a believer is compared to the skeptic. The perfect example is in the race to the tomb. Most people that are skeptical of the Bible are those that quickly fall behind and lag far behind the seekers, and the believers.
Vs.8 shows a clear testimony of the heart of the believer.
He (John) saw, and he believed.
I believe this is the key need in our churches today. We need to see and believe. When we question God’s Word the Bible, and interject our own opinion, we distort God’s Word, His plans for our lives and the direction in which He wants us to go.
I have personally been all though the Bible and never found the”1st. Book of Opinions”.
It doesn’t exist in God’s Word, only in the minds of the skeptical, the unsure, and the immature Christian.
He Saw, and He Believed, nothing more, nothing less.
• The Skeptic
As we have discussed in vs.4, the Skeptics always fall behind.
He falls behind in his Bible study time.
He falls behind in his prayer time.
He falls behind in his spiritual growth.
He falls behind in his perception and understanding of God, and God’s Word.
He falls behind in being used effectively by God in the advancement of God’s kingdom.
And then notice in vs.9… They didn’t understand the scripture that He (Jesus) must rise from the dead, so what happened next,, “THEY WENT HOME”.
Sadly many Christians, and those in our Sunday worship services, do not, can not or will not comprehend the beauty, and purity of God’s Word. So when the service is over, “They go home”. There is no inquiring of the scriptures or the message presented by the pastor. They just go home. They go home content to live at the edge of a Spirit filled life. They go home just to wait till next Sunday to go back to church and go through the motions, never learning, never grasping the full extent of God’s love and the message from God’s Word.
In our world that needs the closest walk with our Lord and Savior, we need to study the Word of God. We need to see and hear what the Holy Spirit has to say to us personally.
To meet God’s approval, we are told in II Timothy 2:15… Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
It won’t happen anywhere else but in the pages of God’s Word the Bible.
Bottom Line_____________________________
When our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ looks at you and me, which one does He see?
*Are you a seeker, seeking God with all your heart?
* Are you a believer, one who reads God’s Word and meets the Savior in the pages of His Word?
Do you believe what you read in the Bible? Are you one who listens to the Holy Spirt, and the messages you hear at church?
*Are you the skeptic? Are you like Thomas the doubter? Are you one who needs constant proof and explanation of God? Are you just at the edge of your faith, just waiting to jump in and experience all the joy that comes from God?
My prayer for you today is that you give your lives over totally to God.
My prayer for you today is that you will let Proverbs 3:5&6 speak to your heart…Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight.
Pastor Dwight L. Hord
IM4HIM
