A. This morning we return to our series called Embracing Our Mission. To help refresh our memory, here are some of the things we have been emphasizing in this series:
1. First and foremost – People Matter to God. He loves them and He wants to save them!
2. Second – Reaching out to the lost is not easy, there are costs involved, but the benefits certainly outweigh the costs.
3. Third – The formula for outreach includes – high potency (authenticity, compassion, sacrifice), close proximity (relationships and contact), and clear communication.
4. Finally – I have emphasized that there are many ways to be involved in outreach, and it’s important that each of us find our way to reach out. Whether our way ends up being through proclamation, or a testimonial, invitational, relational, or service approach.
B. Now, with all that in mind, let’s journey back in time to a scene just after Jesus’ resurrection.
1. This incident is recorded in John chapter 20.
2. Thomas is speaking to the other disciples. They have seen the resurrected Jesus, but he has not.
3. He says something like, “Just give it up, would you? What do you take me for anyway, a fool? I’d have to push my finger into the wounds in His hands and His feet, and stick my hand into his side before I will ever believe that He was raised from the dead!”
4. Thomas continues, “So you can fantasize all you want about a resurrection, but what it looks like to me is that I have already wasted three years of my life. I’m not going to give up one more day on anything associated with Jesus. Don’t you get it? It’s over!”
5. Can’t you relate to what Thomas was feeling and saying? Don’t you think you might have felt the same way?
C. About a week later, the disciples were huddled together again, still trying to make sense of what had happened with Jesus and what they were to do next. This time, Thomas with them.
1. Jesus suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.
2. He carefully looked around the room, as if to find a certain person.
3. Then He locked eyes with Thomas.
D. Bill Hybils shares a funny insight at this point. He says that when I let my imagination run wild, I’m reminded of those old western movies where two guys square off in a saloon.
1. While they’re staring each other down, everyone else starts diving behind tables and chairs to protect themselves because they know that bullets are about to fly.
E. And so I can picture Jesus squaring off with Thomas.
1. I can imagine the other disciples, remembering Thomas’ tirade a few days earlier, clearing out of the way.
2. My guess is they were thinking, “Is he ever going to get it now. He never should have opened his big mouth!”
3. Fearing the worst, they covered their eyes as Jesus walked up to within a foot of Thomas.
4. The room must have become deathly quiet.
F. To their surprise they heard Jesus say, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27)
1. Jesus didn’t say what they expected.
2. They expected, “Beat it,” “Drop dead,” or “Straighten up.”
3. But what they mostly heard was, “Touch me.” “If you need to touch me, then go ahead.”
G. Thomas and the other disciples learned an important lesson that day.
1. They learned a lesson that we need to learn, and one that many of our friends may benefit from.
2. What must be understood is that God isn’t angry or afraid of honest doubt from those who are tying to discover the truth about Him.
3. In fact, He invites any and all who have sincere questions to come, to seek, and to ask, because He wants to help them clear up the doubt.
4. Jesus is different from the wild-eyed religious leaders in our world who demand blind loyalty from their followers and who disqualify anyone who has the audacity to doubt them.
5. With deference to our human tendency to doubt, Jesus simply says, “Touch me. Do whatever it takes in order to find out that I am real.”
6. This should be welcome news to those with whom we are trying to share the gospel.
7. As many go through the process of considering a commitment to Christ, they’ll inevitably experience waves of uncertainty.
8. We must never try to shame them or hurry them through their confusion.
9. Rather we should patiently walk them through their doubts, empathizing with them, and offering answers when it seems appropriate.
I. Barriers To Belief
A. Let’s spend a few minutes looking at some of the stumbling blocks that keep people from faith.
B. The first kind of barrier we may encounter are many MISPERCEPTIONS.
1. For instance, some think this about Christianity: “If you commit your life to following Jesus, you can take your freedom, your individuality, your sense of adventure, and any hopes you have for fulfillment in this life, and kiss them all goodbye. Afterall, you’re signing up to join a bunch of lobotomized, look-alike, act-alike losers who have nothing better to do with their lives.”
2. The irony, of course, is that this way of thinking is the exact opposite of the truth about the Christian life, and at a deeper level, the truth about the nature and character of God.
3. So, where do these misperceptions come from and what can we do to counter them?
4. They come from many sources: poor examples, bad teaching, and natural fears.
5. What can we do about them?
6. First, we can let people know that we understand their hesitations, because we may very well of had many of them before we became Christians.
7. Second, we can live our lives as a model that shatters their stereotypes and gives them a new view of Christianity.
8. When it comes to the bad teaching, the only effective antidote is good teaching; right learning.
a. Encourage people to study these matters for themselves, and they will find the truth.
9. And when it comes to their natural fears, it’s only natural to hesitate when any of us are considering a life-changing choice.
a. That’s the case whether we are thinking about buying a house or getting married, and it’s certainly all the more true when we thinking about signing our lives over to God.
b. One of the natural fears that needs addressing is the misperception that they’re going to lose more than they’ll ever gain.
10. We will do well to help them see that being a Christian is not only a great way to die, it is also the very best way to live, and that we gain far more than we will ever lose.
C. A second kind of barrier to belief is INTELLECTUAL ROADBLOCKS.
1. We must never sweep these kinds of issues under the rug.
2. Our Scripture reading today from 1 Peter tells us to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us the reason for the hope we have.
3. But in reality, we won’t always have the answer on the tip or our tongues for every question.
4. In many cases, the best thing you or I can do is tell them that they’ve asked a good question, and that right now, you don’t have a good answer, but you will do your homework and then get back to them.
5. There are many excellent books available that try to address these kinds of questions.
6. And now with the internet, there are so many good websites dedicated to apologetics, that many answers can be found that way.
7. Some of the intellectual roadblocks we will face have to do with things like:
a. The historical accuracy of the Bible
b. The logic of faith
c. The problem of evil
d. And the Christianity vs. Science debate.
8. All of these things can be addressed with a little homework or preparation.
9. It’s easy to be overwhelmed initially by some questions or arguments, but if we will confidently stand our ground and look for answers, we will be surprised how roadblocks can be removed.
10. I like the story about the teacher who was using the “scientific method” to teach her class about evolution and to put down the notion of God.
a. She said to a boy in the class named Tommy, “Tommy do you see the tree outside?” “Yes”, said Tommy.
b. “Tommy, do you see the grass outside?” “Yes.”
c. “Tommy, do you see the sky?” “Yes.”
d. “Tommy, do you see God?” “No.”
e. “That’s my point, Tommy. We can’t see God, and therefore he doesn’t exist.”
f. A savvy girl in class spoke up, “Tommy, do you see the tree outside?” “Yes.”
g. “Tommy, do you see the grass outside?” “Yes.”
h. “Tommy, do you see the sky?” “Yesssssss.” (Tommy was getting a bit irritated.)
i. “Tommy, do you see the Teacher?” “Yes.”
j. “Tommy, do you see the Teacher’s brain?” “No.”
k. “Then according to what our teacher just taught us, she must not have one!”
11. When we see people challenging the Christian faith on intellectual grounds, we need to help them realize the bankruptcy of the competitors of the faith – whatever they may be.”
12. And we need to help them see by contrast the superiority of the biblical position.
13. It’s easy to look on the surface of the alternative positions and be drawn to them. But the closer you look, the weaker they become.
14. But the deeper a person delves into the evidence for Christianity, the more their faith will grow.
15. Some of the strongest defenders of the faith started out as skeptics, who while studying to disprove Christianity, became believers.
16. Because after studying the other options carefully, seeker after honest seeker have come to the conclusion that it takes more faith to deny Christianity than it takes to embrace it.
D. Before we come to the conclusion, let’s mention one more barrier to faith – MORAL MISGIVINGS
1. In truth, many people do have legitimate questions and honest intellectual barriers to their faith, but some just use those questions as a smokescreen or an excuse to keep from having to change.
2. When we sense that someone is putting more energy into finding questions than finding answers, then maybe we need to call their bluff and ask them if really want answers or do they really want to avoid having to change.
3. We might be surprised by their answer.
Conclusion:
A. This process of breaking the barriers to belief may be short or long depending on the specific individuals, but God wants us to stick with people and help them clear away the barriers one by one.
1. Along the way, we can encourage them by pointing out two things: a prayer and a promise.
B. The prayer is found in Mark 9, where a man had asked Jesus to heal and deliver his son.
1. Jesus told him it would be possible, if he would just believe.
2. To this the man replied, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk. 9:24)
3. I find two interesting things about this man’s prayer.
4. First, Jesus did not put down the man for wavering in his faith.
5. Second, Jesus actually went ahead and answered the prayer anyway. (He healed the son)
6. That tells us a lot about God, and it gives us permission to approach God even with our doubts.
7. We need to encourage people to take whatever faith they can muster, as well as all the doubts he or she may be facing, and just talk to God openly about them.
8. They might say something like, “God, I’m not even sure you are there. But if you are, I’d sure like you to let me know. If you are real, then I want to know you.”
9. That is the kind of prayer that I think God takes seriously.
C. Which leads us to the promise.
1. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
2. And in Jeremiah 29:13, God said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
3. Although this verse was addressed to a certain group of people at a specific time in history, I think it teaches us something important about asking, seeking and finding.
4. Namely, we need to do it whole-heartedly.
5. We must make it a front-burner issue. We must realize that the ramifications of this decision are so great that it warrants top-priority.
6. If any person sustains that kind of all-out effort, they will break through all the barriers keeping them from belief.
7. It’s an incredible privilege to help someone through that process.
D. If you are here this morning and you are a doubter, then rest assured that God wants to help you to overcome those barriers to belief.
1. God loves you, and he is ready to forgive you.
2. There is nothing you or I have ever done that is unforgivable.
3. And there is no needed change in your life or mine that is impossible with God’s help.
4. Oh, the joy and peace of finding faith and walking with God. Are you ready to take that step?
(This sermon is based on Chapter 12 of Hybils’ Becoming a Contagious Christian)
