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: Notice how he didn't say, hey, what's the big idea? You know, where were 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 angel 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. As 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 and 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.

Now, 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, all many scholars believe this is when they were born again. Or I have to ask you the question, are you born again or just a church goer? There are many people who are church goer 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 as soon as he married her, he stopped going altogether. 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, a 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. 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 an 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 8 days 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 says, 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. 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 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, lo, 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 calls him to question the things of God.

Someone calls 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 8 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, 7 days uh that'll be Sunday night. 8 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 8 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. All 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 rubbing 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 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 his 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, lo, I am with you always. Jesus is 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 will 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 calls you to question whether the Bible is God's word and all that sort of stuff, it's when you come here and hear the truth of God's word, your faith and hope and trust in God will be restored.

But what happens so often is that when the doubts and and things rise and hopelessness arise in people's hearts, what they do is stop coming to church. And they stay in their doubt. They stay in their uh their hopelessness. It's when you come here that faith and hope is restored. And this is what happened with Thomas. That's why Thomas said, my Lord and my God. Jesus responded in verse 29 by saying, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Please don't, you heard me say it many times, please don't spiritually be from Missouri, the Show-Me State.

Are you like Thomas who has to see it before you believe it? Jesus said, blessed are those who believe it first. Then you will see it. You believe that through him all things are possible. You believe with him that nothing is impossible. You believe it, then you'll see it. Jesus said, that's us. We haven't seen Jesus physically, but we believe it. And so Jesus said, blessed are those. And he's he was referring to us. He was referring to us. Look at verses 30 and 31. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Now, in these verses John, the author is telling us that Jesus did many many other things in his presence. But the things he put in this gospel were specifically chosen to produce faith in the people reading these stories that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. And this is why John chose these things. Jesus did many other things. Many other things he did. But these were chosen by John to put in this gospel so it can provoke faith. So, it can provoke a belief in Jesus Christ that he is who he said he is, who's the king of kings and Lord of lords, God in human flesh that came down to die for the sins of mankind.

Or let me conclude with this. Who needs church? We all do. We all do. There are things that we miss out on when we miss church. The most important thing is that we miss Jesus. He shows up and shows us things about himself like his hands and his side that we can't get by sitting at home. It is the church that we we learn that what it means to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker in this world that we live in. And we are empowered to take the message of peace to a world in chaos.

We need to take this message. Church is needed. We don't get to pick and choose if we call ourselves believers where whether we're going to come or not. You know why? Because Jesus is the one that established the church. It's not established by man. It's established by Jesus. Jesus said, on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So, Jesus is the one who who uh definitely um founded the church. The church the Greek the Greek word is ecclesia, the called out ones. We've been called out of the world.

A people to be empowered to take a message of peace to the world that we live in. If we've been called out, if we're part of the ecclesia, the called out ones, and we call ourselves the church, then we need to be the church to a world that's in chaos. Finally, let us not be like Thomas who had to see it first before we believe it. Jesus said, blessed are those who believe it first, then we will see Jesus do great things in our lives for his glory. I don't know about you, but I want to see Jesus do great things in our lives as a church.

I believe God has raised up our church for such a time as this for us to be a people of peacemakers and not troublemakers. Take the message of peace that people need to have peace with God. And when people are at peace with God, they will be at peace with their fellow man. When the vertical is right, when we have peace with God, we will have peace with our fellow man. And if we take this message of peace out to this world, I believe we will see this world change one life at a time. May God help us to be that kind of people in this world that we live in.

Let's pray. Father, thank you again that you have called us out of this world to be a people chosen by you to take a message of peace back into this world. And so, Lord, may we truly be the salt and the light you've called us to be. May we be a people taking a message of peace to a world that's in chaos. And Lord, I pray there's anyone here who is not born again, they're just a church goer. I pray that they repent of their sin and believe that Jesus died on the cross and was buried and rose again.

Your word said they shall be saved. Do a work in the hearts and minds of your people today. Raise us up, Lord. Empower us to be ambassadors of peace to this world that's in chaos in Jesus's name. Amen.

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