Believing without Seeing
April 20, 2014 Evening Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: Faith comes by hearing; and hearing by the Word of God.
Focus Passage: John 20:19-29
Supplemental Passage: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
Introduction: Bring an egg (preferably boiled) in an opaque bag and announce: I have something here that no human eye has ever seen or no human has as ever touched. As for guesses as to what it might be. Finally, bring out the egg. Say, “oh, I wasn’t talking about the eggshell, I was talking about the yolk inside” and peel the egg (or break it open and pour out the yolk). Say, “that was a tricky gimmick, but yet what I had to say was the truth. Sometimes, the gospel sounds like a gimmick to those who do not believe. Sometimes, the only way that people will believe is to see God at work in our own lives.”
I. A Trustworthy Source
a. There was no reason that the 10 would lie to Thomas
b. Are you a trustworthy source to share the Gospel?
II. A Skeptical Mind
a. The story was so fantastic that Thomas simply had trouble taking it in
b. How do you present the Gospel or talk about the Lord to people who are skeptical?
III. A Believing Heart
a. It wasn’t until Thomas saw for himself that he believed
b. Don’t say “no” for people. Share the Gospel with them and let THEM make up their minds whether or not to believe!
Invitation:
