The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Playing with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 20 verses 19 through 31.

Tony Clark: So let's dive into the word of God together. Turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 20. We're going to be looking at verses 19 to 31. John chapter 20 looking at verses 19 to 21. And Father, we pray that your Holy Spirit would teach us the truths of your word. We pray that our hearts will be ready and receptive to the things that you have to teach to us today. And Lord, give us a timely word, a prophetic word we need to hear for our lives today that we may become more and more like Jesus Christ as individuals and as a church in Jesus' name.

Amen. John chapter 20 looking at verses 19 to 31 where we're going to finish up this chapter and the title of this message is very appropriate. It's the title is who needs church? Who needs church? Oh, I heard a couple of you out there say I do. Well, I do. I agree with you. However, this is the attitude of many people today. They do not see a need for church like a generation ago where things were totally different back then. And so now there's reasons why that people don't see a need for church today. There's reason for it.

One reason is because of the ungodliness by the people inside of the church and because of this hypocrisy, many people have said no thanks, no thanks to church. Another reason is that over the years the church has become more and more disconnected from everyday life, become irrelevant. And so people don't see a need to go to church. But in these verses, we will see the importance of gathering together with unbelievers. There's a verse in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 that says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the matter of some, but exhort and encourage one another and so much more as you see the day of the Lord approaching.

And so as we see the sign of the times that Jesus Christ is soon to return, the Bible says the author of Hebrews is saying how much more should we be gathering together to be encouraged, to be enlightened, to be taught. How much more in light of the second coming? Now we left off with Mary standing outside of the tomb weeping because she thought that someone had taken away the body of Jesus according to verse 11. And when she looked inside, she talked to angels. And and they asked her in verse 13, why are you weeping?

And she tells them that someone had taken away the body of the Lord. And as she senses someone behind her, she turns and and Jesus asked her the same question that the angels did. Woman, why are you weeping? Oh, she thought that he was the gardener according to verse 15. Then Jesus uh called her name Mary. She immediately recognized his voice and says Rabboni or teacher according to verse 16. Then Mary cleans to the feet of Jesus as if to say you got away from me once, you're not getting away from me again. And he tells her you know, don't cling to me, but go tell the other disciples that I am alive according to verse 17.

Now we pick up the account in verses 19 and 20. And it says then the same day at evening being the first day of the week, when the uh doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Now John the author tells us in verse 19 that the same day at evening being the first day of the week referring to Sunday evening.

Uh notice also John tells us that the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. Oh, many scholars believed that they were in the upper room where they ate the last supper with Jesus. See the story was circulating that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus while the guards were sleeping according to Matthew 28 in verses 13 through 15. So they felt that there would be some sort of retaliation. According to the apocryphal book called the Gospel of Peter, it tells us of a search for the disciples on the grounds that they had attempted to set fire to the temple.

And so now we can see why they were hiding behind closed doors afraid that the temple police will come to arrest them at any moment. And so what happened next? Verse 19 goes on to say that Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. What a beautiful picture of how Jesus not only comes to us when our hearts are broken like we saw in the case of Mary, but he comes to us when we are afraid too. Oh, I believe that this is a picture of what will start to happen around the world to Christians and to the church.

Uh we see this in the Middle East and in certain parts of China, but I believe that it will start to happen here in the United States where we may have to hide for fear of being arrested uh for our faith. However, what I love is how Jesus comes to us when we are afraid and says to us what he said to his disciples, peace be with you. Notice how he didn't say, hey, what's the big idea? You know, where where are you guys? Where have you been? I was on the cross dying and you guys were nowhere to be found.

No, he doesn't say this. He tells them peace. It's okay. It's all right. I know that you are afraid, but peace unto you. And when he said this verse 20 says he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. By doing this, Jesus was showing them how peace is obtained and by and that is by way of the cross. In Romans 5 and verse 1 it says having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. Because of what Jesus experienced on the cross, we can have peace with the Lord.

Hey, do you have peace with God today? Are you at peace with God? Are you at odds? Or do you feel like that you are at odds with him because of maybe some things going on in your life? You can have this peace by looking at his hands and his side and remember what he went through uh for you on Calvary's cross to forgive you of all of your sins. Now this peace we experience by repenting of our sins and accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. This peace we experience by looking to the cross is not to be enjoyed selfishly.

Oh, look, what do you mean? Well, look at verse 21. Look what it says there. It says so Jesus said to them again, peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. This verse says that Jesus had to say to them, notice again, peace to you. The question is why did Jesus have to say this again? Because according to Luke 24 and verse 37 when Jesus appeared to them uh with the doors and windows closed, they thought that he was a ghost. They thought he was a spirit. Then in Luke 24 and verse 39 Jesus says, see my hands and my feet that it is I myself.

Touch me, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. Then he gave his final proof to them in Luke 24 and verses 41 to 43 by eating a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. So after all of this took place, Jesus goes on to say as the Father has sent me, notice I also send you. So we are commissioned by Jesus just like the disciples to take the message of peace to this world. What kind of message are we known to take to the world? It definitely isn't peace.

The church and Christians are taking a message of anger, a message of bitterness, of hatred, but not of peace. When Jesus came into this world, the angels said in Luke 2 verse 14, glory to God in the highest and on earth what? Peace, goodwill towards men. And Jesus said in in Matthew 5 and verse 9, blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. So instead of us being peacemakers and called sons of God, we are most known to be troublemakers and called sons, but sons of something else. And we as Christians must must get back to being true peacemakers, being and doing what Jesus has called us to do.

Oh, in 1 Timothy 2 verses 1 and 2 it says this, therefore I exhort first of all that supplication, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men. Here it is verse 2, for kings and all who are in authority. Why? Here it is, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and reverence. Today we are known to be just the opposite of what the Bible teaches. This is why for me I've been saying this for over 20 years. This is why Bible teaching is one of the most important things needed in the church today.

But instead what we are seeing in the church are Christians uh protesting, uh uh stirring up riots and violence, shutting down streets and roads and keeping people from getting to work in other places. For what purpose? Bringing awareness? Uh uh show that we are angry? This is the opposite of what the Bible teaches us to do as children of God. Children of God, this is the opposite. Now as Jesus sends us out with this message of peace, he doesn't send us out in our own strength. And see this is what we see a lot, people out there in their own strength in their own flesh doing what God has not called us to do.

God is going to give us the power to do what he's called us to do. Look at verse 22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. This verse says that when Jesus uh said in verse 21, I also send you, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. See they needed the power of the old Holy Spirit to take the message of peace to the world. Oh, at this point the disciples were born again. Before they were just followers of Jesus.

When Jesus now breathed on them and say receive the Holy Spirit, oh, many scholars believe this is when they were born again. Oh, I have to ask you the question, are you born again or just a church goer? There are many people who are church goers that are not born again. You know whether you're born again, whether God has breathed new life in you like he did Adam. He breathed in Adam the breath of life and Adam became a living being. Oh, you know when the when the God of the universe has breathed into your nostrils the breath of life and you are a new person.

Oh, you know whether you are new or not. And you know whether you're a new person in Christ or whether you're just a church goer. And there are many people who come to church. They come to church out of duty. They come to church out of habit or to appease someone in their life. You can't get me unless you come to church. I just saw something on TV just the other day uh how this one guy wanted this girl, so he came to church, came to church, even participated in church. Uh but then soon as he married her, he stopped going altogether.

And there are many people who come to church to appease someone else in their lives. And when Jesus breathed new life into you, you have a new desire. You have a new way of looking at life, uh a new way of living. You want to come to church. You want to pray. You you want to get to know the one who breathed this new life into you. You don't get to come to church. No, you want to come. You have a new way of looking at things. You don't get to pray. You want to pray.

And when God has breathed new life into you, you have new desires, a new way of looking at things. The question is does this describe your life today? If not, then you can be born again and have Jesus breathe new life into you and you can truly experience a whole new world. Oh, look what he says there in verse 23. It's amazing verse there. It says if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now what Jesus is saying in this verse is that as we go out with this message of peace to this world, we are to proclaim forgiveness to people.

We don't provide forgiveness. That's God's part. Oh, Mark 2 verse 7 tells us this. It says who can forgive sins but God alone? So as we go out with the message of peace, when people accept it by repenting of their sins and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we can say your sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ. We proclaim forgiveness to them. And if they refuse the message, then we say your sins remain. And we can plead with them to turn from their ways because they do not want to die in their sins like John 8 24 talks about.

Look at verses 24 to 26. Says now Thomas called the twin, one of the 12 was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after a day he said his disciple the his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. And Jesus came, the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace to you.

Now in these verses we see that Thomas, one of the 12 disciples was not with them when Jesus came according to verse 24. The other disciples rubbed it in in verse 25 by saying, we have seen the Lord. So Thomas said, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And because of this statement, Thomas is classically known and historically known as being doubting Thomas. And he was very adamant in his doubt because the word unless you see the word unless there, it is in it is an emphatic double negative in the Greek language.

Meaning he was very adamant about not believing. He was serious about not believing what the 10 other disciples who were close friends of his were telling him that Jesus was alive. He was adamant about it because that unless is an emphatic double negative in the Greek language. And so here is Thomas who missed the Sunday night service. We never know what we will miss when we miss church. The most important thing that Thomas missed was Jesus. See I I bring this up because a lot of people say I don't, you know, I can do my own thing at home.

I I don't have to come to church. However, however, however, you've heard me say many times, however, Jesus didn't go to Thomas's house. He went to where the believers were gathered together. Jesus appeared in verse 19. He showed them his hands and his side in verse 20. And they were glad when they saw the Lord. And I can't tell you, I can't tell you how many times I have come to church, burned out and bumped out, but left glad like the disciples did because I saw the Lord through worship. I saw the Lord through the teaching of his word.

I I saw the Lord. He revealed some intimate part of himself through the teaching of the word of God. He revealed his his hands and his side to me. He revealed some aspect of himself uh through the teaching of the word of God. And I left glad like the disciples did. So you when you miss church for any reason, it can be a legitimate reason. There's something you're going to miss. There's some aspect. Oh, it's yeah, we place it up on social media and we have it available online and all that and that's great, but there's something about when you're gathered together with the other believers sitting at the feet of Jesus learning from him.

There's just something about being in the atmosphere with other believers. He said where two or more are gathered together in my name there, I'm in the midst of and I'm not saying that God is not in the midst of us when we're alone. He says, Lord, I'm with you always. And so he's always with us, but when we gather together, there's a dynamic that takes place when we collectively worship God and collectively sit at his feet and take in the word of God together. So when you miss for whatever reason, there's something that you do miss.

Notice how verse 24 says that Thomas called the twin. If you have old King James, it says Thomas who was called Didymus. Didymus is a word for twin. Now we're not told who his twin brother or twin sister is. And and there's a reason for that, I believe, because all of us can be his twin. When we find ourselves doubting Jesus, which leads to us missing church. The question is are you Thomas's twin today? Now after you think about that and after you ponder that particular issue because if you're honest with yourself, all of us have been his twin.

All of us have doubted the Lord. All of us have had things that's going on in our lives that will cause us to question things, to question the things of God, to doubt the things of the Lord and will entail cause us to miss church. Oh, I know someone right now their spouse was here all the time. He's after every message he would get my CDs and uh uh you know and he would just go over and hand them out to people. And all of a sudden all of a sudden someone caused him to question the things of God.

Someone caused him to doubt the things of God and he hasn't been in church since. So all of us can be Thomas's twin. Now after the other disciples rubbed it in, Thomas wasn't going to miss the next Sunday night service because verse 26 says, and after eight days his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Oh, their calculation of days make the eighth day as being the next Sunday night. I know many of you are thinking, no, seven days uh that'll be Sunday night. Eight days will be Monday night. No, no, no, no, no.

They counted the day of and then the day the day of they started counting and then the last day they counted that as well Sunday. They counted that which made it eight days. And you got to go back and see how the Jews calculate time in order to verify this information. But the point is the next Sunday night after they rubbed it in to Thomas, oh, Thomas was there. He said, I'm not going to miss this time. And Jesus came, the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace to you. Now Thomas wasn't going to miss the next service.

So this shows us that we need to rub it in. When we see people miss church, we need to do what Hebrews 10 24 says, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. And you see them out there floundering. You see them out there. You at the mall and Walmart and Sam's Club and at Bush Gardens and when they miss church, you need to rub it in. Oh, we saw the Lord. You missed it. We saw the Lord. He revealed something to our hearts that we've never seen before through the teaching of the word of God.

It was through worship that God showed me something in his word. We need to rub it in. Because we can see rub it in works because Thomas was at the next service. And like Hebrews 10 24 says, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. And it worked with Thomas because he was at the next service. Look at verses 27 to 29. Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here and put it in my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Now in these verses we see Jesus tell Thomas, reach your finger here and uh and look at my hands and and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. In other words, Jesus was telling Thomas, Thomas, I heard you. When you said I will not believe unless I can see those nail prints in my hand in his hand and put my hand into a side, I will not believe.

Jesus was saying, Thomas, I heard you. When you said that, I was listening. I was there. See Jesus was trying to teach them a valuable lesson. Even if you can't see me, I'm still with you. Just like Matthew 28 verse 20 says, Lord, I am with you always. Jesus, it's all because you can't see me. It doesn't mean I'm not with you. I'm with you. And Jesus was trying to teach them this. And the Lord is with us too. As we go through our seasons of doubt and hopelessness just like he was with Thomas. And we know that his faith was and hope was restored because verse 28 he says, my Lord and my God.

He uses the possessive pronouns, my, my Lord and my God. I can't tell you how my faith and trust and hope have been restored by being in church, hearing a message I needed to hear. So this message is not only for Thomas, but it's for the Thomases throughout history who have doubts about God that will cause them to stop gathering with the other believers. And so as you had someone ask you a question this week or maybe on the job that you couldn't answer and it caused you to question whether the Bible is God's word and all that sort of stuff, it's when you come here.

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