Considering Whether Jesus Really Was Who He Said He Was

Today on summit like with Jenny Greer to Thomas and every dollar Jesus gives an answer, but let me warn you, is not the answer that you think it is not explanation the answer he gives his revelation is not so much in answer to the questions.

It is a glimpse he is proven by what light there legend JD Greer. I'm your host Molly benefits whether you're an atheist. Every new believer or seminary professor, your background, I think it's safe to assume that everyone has doubts and questions about God that they struggle with questions like how can God allow suffering or how can Jesus rise from the dead. So how can we have faith when we don't really understand it all.

When there are always clear answers faster. JD addresses this important topic today on summit like he continues our new series called unknown God. If you missed any of the previous messages you can hear them cheating Greer.com. Now let's join Pastor JD in the book John last week through the question of whether or not you know that God exists. I showed you how the apostle Paul compares in the book of Romans unplugging your ears to a voice that is constantly whispering the creation suggesting to you that he is there. I told you whether or not you pay attention to the voices. One of the most important decisions of your life. The date was August 31, 2010. It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon and I jammed myself onto an elevator with 14 of my closest pastor friends. We had an appointment to visit with the chief representative for Muslim relations. On the sixth floor of the US capital offices in Washington DC.

We are running a few minutes behind. And so in an attempt to save a few seconds.

All 15 of us had master cells.

On the one elevator that was designed for probably about five moderately sized middle school girls but problem right no problem. It was a short ride and surely if there's one place you can count on everything working properly and on time is Washington DC correct well.

Between the third and fourth floors. The elevator came to a complete and sudden halt like a Republican Congress with a Democratic president and there we hung there we hung suspended between the third and fourth floors for over an hour in August 15 pastors wearing suits and ties, sweating, cranky, and all know there is nothing that makes you have to use the bathroom like knowing physically is not possible to get someone we press the little emergency call button repeatedly but nothing happened.

At that point, as I was pressing a button. I noticed two elevator features that I'd never noticed before. My life. One was the maximum weight capacity warning, I was pretty sure that we had exceeded that by the weight of a small minivan. The other was a little speaker below the emergency call button that I'd honestly never noticed you probably have either, but it was clearly designed to be able to get messages to somebody in a situation like ours, but that little speaker was completely silent, Muslim imam, whom we were going to meet you. Also, by the way, I would learn that a great sense of humor became to the other side of the four floor door where we were in a worse dog and he start hollering down the elevator shaft.

But I do. Jesus maybe he will elevator say drug will eventually we pride the first bit elevator door open. We got him and some other people to four floor limited in the same. We created this LORD say about 2 1/2 foot gap just barely big enough to squeeze one of us through.

So we were just about to hoist the first one of us up without when that little speaker finally crackled to life, the voice of the other end of the line said she introduced herself and she said I'm with the elevator company.

Please just hang tight and do not move somebody will be there within five minutes to get you out well. I explained to her that we arty had the situation well in hand and explain how we were planning to make our escape. She said no, no, please do not do that because it got elevator drops even a few feet while you're crawling out it could cut you in half so just hang on and will be there to help you. So we pause from our potentially divisive pursuit and we waited.

Sure enough within about 15 minutes.

The fire department and gotten this out. We need to sweat off about 6 pounds but you know what, nobody been cut in half. So all in all I mark that down as a win. Somehow we managed to go through life like I did with that elevator, oblivious to the fact that there is a this is called a speaker right in front of us and that speaker bears the quiet voice of God receiving something happens in our lives like a pointed out last week. Sometimes something traumatic turns her attention toward that speaker in the chaos of life. We hear a voice whispering to sometimes screaming at us. That voice may not like it rarely does answer all of our questions, but it assures us that were not alone and that help is coming for us. That voice lets us know that God is there and that he is willing to speak if we are willing to listen.

Last week we talked about how that boy speaks through creation. The question I want us to consider today is whether or not we hear that voice speaking in Jesus because he really the only question of faith is, is Jesus really really said he was because if he was who he said he was then everything that he taught us about God, about morality, about eternity, about the way of salvation. All those things are true, but if he is not really who he said he was. Then he is merely one religious option among many spiritual advice we can take or leave as it suits brought suits author works for us. So to get at this question I want us to consider the story of the disciple that perhaps more people today in our culture, identify with them.

Maybe any other disciple, and not disciple has the name Thomas. Now what one word description always goes without saying doubting. That's right, doubting Thomas to be honest, I feel a little bad for John other disciples didn't get name for their fault. Peter had a problem with fear, but he didn't get labeled petrified Peter. Peter the pansy or anything like that Luke blustered John the judgment or something you like that Thomas. Thomas got me got commemorated for his law, John chapter 20.

If you have a Bible verse around you has one you could open their look, then if there's things are true.

I'll put it up here in the screen for union ball along that way but is returning there.

John 2025 to give the story behind the story, Mary Magdalene, who was one of Jesus's followers had gone to the tomb early on Sunday morning to anoint Jesus. That's what they didkeep the body from from smelling terrible and when she got there she was worried about how the stone was rolled away because it was really heavy. It was like a sealed gray, but when she got there started already been rolled away and everybody was gone. She assumed that somebody had stolen the body.

She ran back and tell the other disciples. Peter and John then ran to the tomb to check it out. Peter goes all the way into the two and there he finds nobody he sees only Jesus is headscarf neatly folded up and laid on the bench which indicated to Peter that this wasn't a burglar because burglars usually don't take time to tidy up after they steal things and it leads Peter to conclude that a miracle is happened to miracles of Jasmina 11 Jesus's body is gone. Miracle number two, a single man is taken time to make his bed. I say that I say that because one of my friends mothers used to always use that as reasoning in college for why we should make our bed in the morning. What Jesus rose from the dead. He's… To make his bed, you should. I kid you not, is what you said. Well, later that night.

Later that night, Jesus appears to the disciples, and he reveals himself to them. But Thomas isn't there probably going out on like a Starbucks run or spread body or something like that. But the point isn't, Thomas gets back. They tell them that they have seen the risen Jesus Thomas, that's all. No, oh no oh no, unless I see personally in his hands. The mark of the nails so I know that it's really a place my finger into the mark of the nails.

I put my hand into his side.

If those things don't happen. I will never believe now. Honestly, this is gotta be at the top of the list of the things that you regret saying right. I mean think about it you ever say something stupid and small group.

Write me say it every you're embarrassed by it. But in five minutes.

Everybody forgot about it and moved on, says something stupid and it's written down in the Bible for us to read the minutes 2000 years is the other reason I feel bad for Thomas.

Lots of people in the Gospels doubting lots of Jesus cousin. For example, John the Baptist and Jesus called the greatest prophet ever to live.

He got confused because Jesus didn't seem to be bringing in the kingdom as quickly as John and expected him to Johnson a message over to them. Luke 719.

Betsy said amen. Are you really the Messiah was this whole thing wrong doubting Job in the Old Testament has an entire book named after him.

That is essentially 37 chapters of him, flinging his doubts back in God's face or one of my personal favorite, the gospel of Matthew tells us that after Jesus was resurrected and after he appeared several times to the disciples he gathered them one last time on the mountainside and in their presence, he began to ascend to heaven if we started to ascend to heaven and then Matthew 2870 and when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. How crazy is that he's floating these want to know does not believe my religious affiliation is nine bridges the time being, because I don't know. The point is, lots of people doubted not just Thomas but only Thomas gets the name that's because so many people identify with Thomas, and I believe John highlights Thomas a story writer begin of his gospel which is all about belief because John sees Thomas as the example help those of us who struggle to believe can actually learn the defendant might hear learn more about this ministry by visiting Jeannie Greer.com. Many people think that believing in God is the product of wishful thinking and a mark of intellectual in her new teaching series unknown God.

We see that there are certain truths about God whether we believe in him are not absolutely undeniable. This is a great series of teaching to share with other people investment on Senate life. Our aim is to set you up for success with shareable teaching along with a resource to help you reach out to others. We package together a set of inspirational greeting cards with Bible verses on the Frank and many of space to write inside you use around Thanksgiving or really any time throughout the year to encourage others with a handwritten note.

Let's really take the time to send a meaningful message to someone here about you might even encourage them to join in listening to this program stay for your gift of $35 and nine will send you blocks that these 20 greeting cards give us a call at 866-335-5220 or go online to Jeannie Greer.com to reserve those big numbers 26 and we show you the evolution of his belief. John 2026. Eight days later his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you, which is a little ironic if you asked me because if you're in a locked room and a God that you think is dead suddenly shows up in your midst, the last emotion I think you would feel at peace.

But that's what he said. He says the Thomas. Thomas put your finger here, and see my hands and put out your hand and place of my software you recognize that that's what Thomas said right you do not disbelieve, but believe here's a question. How did Jesus know to save those specific things that Thomas he had not been there when Thomas had said those things where you say it's because the resurrected Jesus is omniscient, meaning he knows all things at all times and he is also the president, which means he is everywhere at once and so Tom SNC Jesus is omniscient and omnipresent. In other words, since he is DNC false prostrate before Jesus and says, my Lord and my God.

Jesus responded to him that you believe Thomas, because you see me, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. I just make a couple of observations about this story. Thomas was a doubter. Thomas was a doubter, as are many of us, which is first considers the work done on the same playing field. Why was Thomas so skeptical I mean 10 of his trusted friends all told him seen the exact same thing.

Why was so Tom is so slow to believe why was he so cynical will a couple reasons.

First, dead people don't get out of the grave that was unbelievable back then as it is today Jewish people had no category for this you should think that they thought around several time expect people to resurrect possesses how things work. They were not looking for a crucified and resurrected Messiah.

They were looking if anything for a conquering glorious Messiah.

If God had really been working Jesus. It surely would not have ended with Jesus shamed and mutilated on the cross, which leads me to a second thing when Jesus died, Jesus shattered every category.

Thomas had what God was supposed to do for how God was supposed to behave in Thomas's day, the Jews were under cruel and unjust Roman oppression. So Tom is like most Jews expected that the Messiah would come and crush the Romans right and that's reasonable and not a fair and compassionate God would do is liberate those who are in enslaved. Yet Jesus had shown up, preaching mercy to the Romans and telling the Jews to be kind to them and in turn the other cheek and go the extra mile and then Jesus said I in weakness and shame. Under Jewish and Roman cruelty. Thomas had no category for that dying Messiah or suffering God. Thomas wanted to believe given three years of his life to follow Jesus. He wanted to believe, but his mind had been blown and his heart had been broken. Can I ask you this.

You resonate with that. Do you find yourself some time.

Same look I want to believe what I love my parents happy and believe, but the ways of God are just so confusing. I got too many unanswered questions and I just can't understand why this would happen.

It where was God when this happened, why would God let that happen right so you the second Big Ten observation are areas of confusion may be different from those of Thomas.

You probably aren't asking questions anymore about how God could allowed Roman oppression, but I talked to many people today with their own questions.

For example, I talked to student recently who said it's the Bible itself that confuses me right to the New Testament class last semester and his professor showed him where there were some places where the Bible seems to contradict itself and the details don't seem to line up or she told her she told him that there's some things in archaeology contradict the Bible teaches about history for you not had many people confess some of the things Bible teaches seem hard to believe, like really like a worldwide flood my guts in a worldwide flood. He said one family in a boat in came the animals to buy to the hippopotamus of the kangaroo really or maybe you just got a really difficult certain doctrines in the Bible like like like like biblical teachings about hell or the questions of why there really is a loving God. There is such a pain in the world or what about dinosaurs and where did Cain get his wife or maybe you just feel like some of the Bible teachings about morality are at best outdated and at worst just wrong and clean you asking why is God so hung up on sex, but you have hurt sometimes just hear the Christian message and think really symptoms of like those of us who spent a lot of time in church.

We get used to it and we forget how strange this whole message is a guy was born 2000 years ago to save the world by dying. He brought peace on earth, even though there's been a ton of violence since then and one day soon he's going to come back and restore peace by riding through the clouds on a white horse.

It was hard to believe about that makes perfect sense is intuitive right to Thomas and every doubter. Jesus gives an answer, but let me warn you, it is not the answer that you think it is not explanation the answer he gives his revelation is not so much an answer to the questions. It is a glimpse of who he is proven by what he did. Here's what we can learn about the development of faith from the story of Thomas like me tell you this is how I is someone who I think by nature, is skeptical, somehow I really have struggled to believe and how I've learned to believe even in the midst of struggle 1 Thomas a story we see that our faith is not anchored in an explanation.

Our faith is anchored in an event. Our faith is not anchored in an explanation. It's in an event Jesus did you notice didn't really take time to address the substance of Thomas's doubts. Instead, he confronted Thomas with the fact of the resurrection.

He invited Thomas not to understand all the reasons in his mind, he invited Thomas to touch the stars in his hands. One of my favorite definitions of faith. Faith is when the unexplainable meets the undeniable faith is when certain things that remain unexplainable meets come in the conflict with the undeniable listen to this. It is very clearly Christianity did not begin in the first century with a group of people who believe something, who were convinced of some ethical approach or some philosophy began with a group of people who saw something.

What I would invite you to do is since it would happen to Thomas I would invite you to take your doubts and ask yourself what would happen to my doubts if I encountered the resurrected Jesus was just do it is a little mental experiment.

You got all your questions about whatever it's about what would happen to those doubts.

If you encounter the resurrected Jesus. I told you before that several years ago on when I was in college I we were friends with a Muslim girl from Central Asia and she became a part of our circle of friends and we all begin to study the Bible together over the course of probably three or four months on end, Bible study, she said, I have become convinced Jesus really is the Messiah. She said I know that he is the Messiah. I believe in his love civil mechanics that is that Jesus is the son of God, and that there is a Trinity of God is one God is three. She said because one I been told since I was a child. That's not true and she said number two we just doesn't make mathematical sense.

I wanted to read the same time Jesus so I can accept that. So we tried every possible analogy to explain to her how was true in general, the Bible versus what she does that look. I just can't see the one it was a Friday night when the midst of one of our our Bible study she brings this up again and I look at her across the group and I said what would happen would happen is suddenly midst of our group. Jesus himself showed up. This, just appeared right here and did something to prove to you that it was really him and he said to you.

He said hey I want to tell you that the Trinity what the Bible teaches about God being one in three it's true I'm not going to explain it to. I'm not explain you how it works is you probably couldn't get it anyway. And the people who say they get it they don't really get later John not going to explain and see understood tell you that it's true MOT that one day we get to heaven on larger mind enough that you gonna stay there for right now you're probably not going to get it.

I said if he did that. Would you suspend your doubts until you get to heaven it would you follow Jesus. She said well I guess that's the question I said yeah but that's exactly what happened to Thomas and John 20. He didn't answer the question he just said this is me as a resurrected one here's a question that I have for you.

Would you be willing to do that with your doubt hit me ask you this way would you be willing to doubt your doubts in light of the resurrection. Would you be willing to say wow you know there's just some things I don't understand yet don't listen. I'm not saying the questions are not legitimate they are nor my saying that there are no answers there usually good answers. Whether were talking about the supposed contradictions of the Bible difficult questions about the Old Testament and we often by the way, explore those answers here in the weekend but the point is that Jesus did not tell Thomas to believe just because his explanations made the best sense.

He urged Thomas to believe because of what Jesus proved about who he was, by the resurrection, the foundation of the church listen is not what the apostles taught. It's what Jesus did that for the foundation of the church. Once you see maybe you grown up hearing Christians. The family they believe simply appealing to the Bible. I was with the Bible says is widely regarded I believe that's a you I want you feel the Bible to defend the Bible. It sounds like me standing here saying I'm the smartest man in the world.

Why should I believe you will because I said so why should I believe what you say because on the smartest man in the world. Now we know something like that you maybe you will hear people do that with the Bible will reasonably Bible toward God really forgot about was also the reason we would Bible the word of God.

My mom can explode see there is a reason that we believe the Bible, we believe the bike will because it was authorizing given to us by Jesus proved he had the authority to do that by raising from the dead, and so I approached the Old Testament the way that he approached the Old Testament because I believe he is in a place to understand how the Old Testament should be approached general life rule of developed is when somebody predicts and accomplishes their death and resurrection, and then pulls it off. I just follow what he says about the Old Testament. That's how I got so I wrote you say okay will if I were Thomas, if I were Thomas and I got to see what Thomas all yeah and I guess I believe to first of all ask yourself that honestly what you would you really suspend your doubts. If you encounter the resurrected Jesus because, listen gifts so you're admitting that the doubt itself is not the problem you're admitting that the problem is that you are not thoroughly convinced Jesus is who he said he was, or that the resurrection happen.

That's important for your listening Pastor Jeannie clear young ministry you're still grateful to all the people who have joined on the MetLife journey.

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In addition to pastoring the summit church and teaching on this daily program. Pastor Janie is also a best-selling author. Stop asking Jesus into your heart. Gaining my leasing as well as gospel and most just dig deeper into the truth that we share every day on purchase a copy of these when you visit at Jeannie clear.I'm knowing that events invite join us next. Pastor Janie user study of unknown God to into summit line rear ministry