Faith and Sight

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Well, Thomas isn't that much different than us. I would venture to say he wants to see. Seeing is believing from a certain perspective. And after all, it's only fair. All his compatriots got to see. Jesus came to them and said, look, look at my hands and my side. It's me. I'm risen from the dead. They got to hear his voice say, peace be with you. He even breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit. So Thomas wanting to see it's kind of fair based on what the other disciples got. And Jesus. Jesus doesn't say, oh, no, oh no, no. He's got to believe. Jesus graciously comes and says, yeah, okay, Thomas, here, look. In fact, yeah, place your finger in the marks. Put your hand in my side. Jesus accommodates Thomas weakness. Jesus comes, he is happy to accommodate because he loves Thomas. In fact, that's the whole movement of his becoming human for us and for our salvation. He became one of us to make himself accessible, to make himself seen and heard so that we would come to know him. That's why John wrote his gospel. He tells us so that you may believe. Who's that? Whoever's reading this. Isn't that kind of cool? John wrote his gospel for you. When you read those words, he's talking to you so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Jesus, intention, his will is that well, that you would see and hear and believe. But he does make a distinction. He says, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed or yet are believing who believe. Blessed are those who believe. [00:02:18] Speaker B: Not having seen. [00:02:24] Speaker A: Sight is great, you know, I prefer to see what's ahead of me. When I get on the road, I'd like to see for a long way ahead. Right this morning, driving here, it was a little. Well, it was foggy. Couldn't see a whole lot. It's kind of like, okay, well, when I get up there, I think I'm going to be able to see into the intersection, but I can't yet. That kind of feeling, that could be uncomfortable. I mean, it's a good image of lots of other times in life, like when you're unsure about your health or when a relationship isn't going well. And maybe it's hard to even figure out why. How did this mess come about and how do I get out of it? Maybe you feel depressed or down. I think usually in that kind of a time, you can't see why necessarily you're sort of by definition, in the dark, confused, like, got a haze around you and you're not necessarily sure why you feel that way. And then coming to see can sometimes be the start of the way out of it. We're frequently lacking vision, lacking perspective. Things are hazy and difficult to see, and that's uncomfortable. But Jesus teaches us to become comfortable with it. It's less important that we understand, more important that we trust, that we trust in Jesus, that we trust his word. Kind of like a sheep. A sheep doesn't understand all the decisions that the shepherd is making. It's not like the sheep could take like, all right here, sheep, I'm going to take a break. You take over. It doesn't work that way. The sheep doesn't have the requisite understanding and perspective to lead the flock. The sheep, though, can just be content being a sheep and be thankful to have a shepherd. It's like, that works alright, I'm good and follow the shepherd. That's the challenge of faith for you and me every day. Because I constantly get drawn into the trap of thinking that if I just increase my understanding, my perspective, that then I'll be able to see. In some contexts, that works. I mean, you can work toward understanding and seeing things more clearly, but in the end, it always comes down to faith in Jesus. Think about like the end, earthly speaking. What's the end? I'm thinking of death. I mean, there's darkness and lack of sight coming for sure, for all of us. Why am I thinking this way? Well, partly because today is my grandfather's funeral, you know, and you see him in the casket, you see him going into the earth, going back to dust. Can I see the resurrection? No. All I can do is trust in Jesus and his promises. But that's enough. It's more than enough. You see it in the apostles, in the reading from Acts this morning, there in Solomon's portico, a very public place, preaching about Jesus. Jesus, who had been crucified and killed publicly made an example of. And they're out there saying, basically saying, all right, I'm next, come on. Nobody wants to do it with them, Luke says, because they're afraid of what might happen to them. So there they are, they're preaching not because they can see this is going to turn out well, but because they trust in Jesus Christ who has sent them out to the nations to speak his word, to fulfill his ministry. There they are, trusting in him in the absence of sight. And you know what? It doesn't turn out well for them. They get put in prison wow, we should have seen that coming. They probably did see that coming. Okay, but. Okay, unforeseen, an angel of the Lord comes and releases them and there they are preaching again. You can't put this away and you can't plan this out. You can't stop the apostles because they trust Jesus, the one in charge, who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth and has commissioned them to speak his word. Nothing's going to stop them. Well, they don't always get the get out of jail free card. It turns out there was a purpose for this, that they've got more people to tell. And so, well, they keep going. Jesus sends them out and they go out to the nations, really. They spread the gospel throughout the world. But then each of them in their travels, ends up either dying for their faith and for the word of Jesus or being exiled for it. John, who wrote this gospel, was exiled. The rest killed for their faith. Well, what happened to Jesus fulfilling his promises? Well, they were walking by faith and not by sight. And their reward, the inheritance kept in heaven for them is on the other side of resurrection from the dead. They were trusting in Jesus promises in the absence of sight, looking to him and trusting in him no matter what it looked like. Brothers and sisters in Christ, I don't know what challenges you have awaiting you at home today or this week or in the next year or in general. I don't know what responsibilities you face that might be daunting or difficult. What you're thinking through that's challenging. You have Jesus Christ, who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth, who's gone through death and come out unscathed, who's ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the throne of God and is waiting for his enemies to be made a footstool for his feet. You can trust him. And his promises for you are forgiveness of sins, resurrection from the dead, everlasting life, being joined to Christ. Thanks be to God, in Jesus name, Amen. Let's stand and confess our Christian faith with the words of the Nicene Creed. I believe in one God, the Father. [00:09:38] Speaker B: Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit. Of the Virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried on the third day. He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. [00:11:16] Speaker A: We pray. [00:11:22] Speaker B: Almighty God, we think that we see so often. We place such a high value on seeing and understanding for ourselves. And well, that got us off track in the beginning, looking to the serpent instead of your word. [00:11:37] Speaker A: But Lord, you came after us through your Son, Jesus Christ, sending him to. [00:11:42] Speaker B: Us to not just to show us Himself, but to show us you through. [00:11:47] Speaker A: Him, to lead us to you. [00:11:50] Speaker B: We thank you for your love and concern for us. Thank you for drawing us back to yourself through Jesus Christ, for renewing us, restoring us, creating us anew. We ask that you would not take your Holy Spirit from us, but continue to strengthen our faith and keep us in that faith to life everlasting. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Father, you know the needs of all we bring before youe, especially those among us who are suffering or in a difficult place. [00:12:22] Speaker A: And we ask that yout would give. [00:12:25] Speaker B: Well, clarity of sight, especially spiritual sight. [00:12:29] Speaker A: That is, that in the midst of. [00:12:31] Speaker B: The darkness of difficulty and confusion and suffering, you would give them Jesus Christ. [00:12:39] Speaker A: You would strengthen their faith and give. [00:12:41] Speaker B: Them courage and peace and joy in Him. We pray especially for Karen, Mary, Virtus, Dale, Carl, Christy, Dick and Fran, Chris, Earl, Bob, Richard, Rachel, Kathy, John, Gwen, Micah, Marcella, Steve, Lorene, Alan, Ron, Bruce, Les, Cathy, Bill, Norman and Carol. Pray also for Debbie with her, Debbie Nelson, her difficult diagnosis, that you would bless her, that you would heal her according to your will, and especially that you would give her comfort and peace in Jesus. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Father, we thank you for bringing Joseph into your family, for giving him your. [00:13:46] Speaker A: Holy spirit and promises this morning in. [00:13:51] Speaker B: The waters of baptism. [00:13:52] Speaker A: And we ask that you would keep. [00:13:53] Speaker B: Joseph all his life in the faith, that you would strengthen him through your word and gifts, through the life of your people, the life of this congregation and your people of all places that you would strengthen him and bless and protect him. Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. Lord, we thank you for gathering us. [00:14:16] Speaker A: Together as your people and feeding us. [00:14:19] Speaker B: Making us grow through your word and gifts. [00:14:21] Speaker A: We ask that you would continue to. [00:14:23] Speaker B: Bless this congregation that you would build us up together in Christ. Bless also our participation in your ministry. Bless the preaching and teaching of your word by all who take part in that. Bless our Bible studies and our Sunday school. Bless also our school ministry, all of our teachers, staff, all who work in the school. Make our ministry effective for your sake. Lord, this morning we especially thank you and ask your blessing on Mrs. Ortado's kindergarten class. We pray for Mrs. Ortado that you would bless her teaching and also for Alice Eli, Isla J. Jackson Logan, Michaela Michael Valen and their families. Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.