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Rise Up!
By Skip Heitzig
John 20:24-31

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The apostle Thomas has been noted for his skeptical attitude. In fact, we refer to a skeptic as a "doubting Thomas." In this message from John 20, we consider four ways Thomas was able to rise up from doubt and become a joyful follower of Jesus.

From the teaching series 43 John - Believe:879 - 2009

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John 20 (NKJV™)
24	Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25	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."
26	And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"
27	Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
28	And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
29	Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30	And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31	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.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

<p><strong>Rise Up! - John 20:24-31 </strong><br /> From the series: 43 John - Believe:879 - 2009<br /> <em>By Skip Heitzig </em><p></p> <p><strong>MESSAGE SUMMARY</strong></p> <p>The apostle Thomas has been noted for his skeptical attitude. In fact, we refer to a skeptic as a "doubting Thomas." In this message from John 20, we consider four ways Thomas was able to rise up from doubt and become a joyful follower of Jesus. </p> <p><strong>DETAILED NOTES </strong></p> <p><ol type="I"><li>Introduction <ol type="A"> <li>Pessimist: a person who is always seasick in the voyage of life</li> <li>Thomas <ol> <li>Not with the apostles when Jesus first appeared to them in the Upper Room</li> <li>Missed the joy</li> <li>Thought crucifixion was the end</li> <li>"Doubting Thomas" </li> <li>Didn't show up at the tomb on resurrection morning</li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li>Rise up and Be Honest (vv. 24-25) <ol type="A"> <li>Thomas wanted something substantive to believe in <ol> <li>Others said they had seen the Lord</li> <li>Thomas thought they spoke from emotion or mystical experience</li> </ol> </li> <li>Thomas' personality <ol> <li>When Jesus wanted to go to Jerusalem: "Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with Him'" (<span class='verse'>John 11:16</span>) <ol type="a"> <li>Courage</li> <li>Loyalty</li> <li>Honesty</li> </ol> </li> <li>Last Supper: "Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?'" (<span class='verse'>John 14:5</span>)</li> <li>Cynical</li> <li>Honest</li> </ol> </li> <li>Apostles wanted a rational faith <ol> <li>Had been with Jesus</li> <li>Seen His miracles</li> <li>Heard His words</li> <li>He had died: what they believed was shattered</li> <li>His claims did not seem substantiated by rational evidence</li> <li>Saw Jesus alive, had reason to believe</li> </ol> </li> <li>Christianity appeals to objective facts of history <ol> <li>"The heart cannot delight in what the mind rejects as false"—Clark Pinnock</li> <li>God doesn't ask us to take a blind leap into the dark</li> <li>He asks us to take a balanced leap into the light</li> <li>"I took the evidence that I could gather and put it on the scales. The scales tipped the way of Christ being the Son of GOD and resurrected from the dead. It was so overwhelmingly leaning to Christ that when I became a Christian, it was a 'step into the light' rather than a 'leap into the darkness.'" <em>Evidence that Demands a Verdict</em> by Josh McDowell</li> </ol> </li> <li>Dealing with doubt <ol> <li>Investigate</li> <li>Talk to the Lord</li> <li>Be honest about life <ol type="a"> <li>Unfulfilled needs</li> <li>Past: shame imperfection desires</li> <li>Sins <ol type="i"> <li>Confession</li> <li>Forsake</li> <li>Repent</li> <li>Come to Christ</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li>Rise up and Be Amazed (v. 26) <ol type="A"> <li>Jesus showed up; Thomas didn't expect it <ol> <li>8 days</li> <li>Hopeless</li> <li>Didn't know Jesus had risen from the dead</li> <li>Confusion <ol type="a"> <li>"I'm confused... I always believed science would be the cure-all for my problems, but I don't know if I can keep living without eternal life. I guess I'll just have to find a way myself to make it through this meaningless existence. I just wish I knew of someone who could show me the path to eternal life. If science can't provide the answers, though, then who or what can!? *sigh* Doesn't it seem like there is a higher power that gives our lives purpose? Well, science says there isn't, so there isn't."</li> <li>If this is all there is, then life is meaningless</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>Some churches do not believe in the literal resurrection <ol> <li>Risen in spirit</li> <li>Risen in our hearts: as a concept or idea</li> <li>In the sense that His teaching live on (according to <em>Time Magazine</em>)</li> </ol> </li> <li>Resurrection is not a creed or a concept <ol> <li>He is a real person who is alive today and forevermore</li> <li>Non-negotiable</li> <li>Pivotal point of our faith</li> </ol> </li> <li>If Jesus is not personally, literally alive from the dead <ol> <li>He is a liar</li> <li>There is no forgiveness for sin, no salvation, no hope</li> </ol> </li> <li>Thomas wasn't with the apostles when Jesus appeared to them <ol> <li>"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, <a name="c"></a>for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord" (<span class='verse'>John 20:19-20</span>)</li> <li>He missed the appearance of Jesus Christ</li> <li>He missed the commission of Jesus Christ</li> <li>He missed the joy Jesus gave to His disciples</li> <li>Thomas was an out-of-fellowship Christian <ol type="a"> <li>A believer; not a belonger </li> <li>Isolated</li> <li>Pessimistic</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li>Rise up and Be Diligent (v. 27) <ol type="A"> <li>Thomas though Jesus wasn't there </li> <li>Jesus was gracious <ol> <li>Use your methods</li> <li>Check out the evidence</li> </ol> </li> <li>Jesus credentials <ol> <li>His impact on history</li> <li>His claim <ol type="a"> <li>God</li> <li>Die and rise again</li> <li>His resurrection <ol type="i"> <li>No other spiritual leader claimed a resurrection</li> <li>Disciples died for it</li> <li>More details about the last hours of His life, His death, and the hours following than any other person in ancient history</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>Truth <ol> <li>"Everyone wants to know the truth"—Aristotle</li> <li>We need a bedrock of truth to base our life on</li> <li>"What is truth?"—Pontius Pilate (see <span class='verse'>John 18:38</span>) <ol type="a"> <li>Cynically</li> <li>Yearning for absolute truth</li> </ol> </li> <li>Christianity is based on objective historical facts of the resurrection <ol type="a"> <li>Not based on philosophical truth</li> <li>Not based on personal bias </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li>Rise up and Believe (vv. 27-31) <ol type="A"> <li>The Lord called Thomas to belief: Stop becoming faithless</li> <li>Rises from doubt to faith <ol> <li>My Lord: common</li> <li>My God: deity</li> </ol> </li> <li>The twin <ol> <li>Not named</li> <li>Are we like Thomas' twin?</li> </ol> </li> <li>Everyone exercises faith <ol> <li>To drive a car</li> <li>To cash a check</li> <li>To go to heaven</li> </ol> </li> </ol></li></ol><p><strong>Publications referenced</strong>: <em>Evidence That Demands a Verdict</em>, by Josh McDowell; <em>Time Magazine</em><br /> <strong>Figures referenced</strong>: Clark Pinnock<br /> <strong> Cross references</strong>: <span class='verse'>John 11:16</span>; <span class='verse'>John 14:5</span>; <span class='verse'>John 18:38</span>; <span class='verse'>John 20:19-20</span></p></p> <p> </p>

Who We Are:

We pursue the God who is passionately pursuing a lost world; we do this with one another, through worship, by the Word, to the world.

What We Do:

Upreach
We express our adoration of Jesus through dynamic worship and uncompromised obedience.

Inreach
We explain the relevance of the Bible to empower and transform lives for service.

Outreach
We extend hope to a hurting world by proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating Christ's love.

Our Beliefs

We Believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

We Believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired, without error in the original manuscripts, and the infallible rule of faith and practice.

We Believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in Holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

We Believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.

We Believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teaching, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth.

We Believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all that believe in Jesus Christ for ministry.

We Believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide.

We Believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all the Biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit.

We Believe that all people are sinners by nature and choice and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God regenerates by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

We Believe that Jesus Christ baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and empowers the believers for service, often subsequent to regeneration.

We Believe in the universal church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head, and all regenerated persons are members.

We Believe that Jesus committed two ordinances to the church: 1) Baptism and, 2) the Lord's Supper. We believe in baptism by immersion and communion open to all believers.

We Believe also in the laying on of hands for baptism of the Holy Spirit, for ordination of pastors, elders, and deacons, and receiving from the Holy Spirit through the believer the gift of healing.

We Believe in the personal, visible return of Christ to the earth and the establishing of His Kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

We Believe in what is termed the Apostles Creed as embodying the fundamental facts of Christian faith.

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Calvary Albuquerque
4001 Osuna Rd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505-344-0880
info@calvaryabq.org

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Rise Up!
By Skip Heitzig
John 20:24-31

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From the Series:
43 John - Believe:879 - 2009

"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" John 20:31.

Believe:879 is an epic journey through the book of John led by Pastor Skip Heitzig of Calvary of Albuquerque. As we explore each of the 879 verses of this gospel, we'll grow in grace and in our knowledge of Jesus Christ. From His pre-incarnate existence, to His public ministry, through His death and His resurrection we'll traverse familiar territory and embark on new adventures of faith.

Visit Believe879.com for more information on this series.

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