Sermons
The Rest of the Story
BY THERESA MCCONNELL |
APRIL 23, 2006 (1st SUNDAY AFTER EASTER)
John 20:19-31
How many of you have heard of Dave Dravecky?
Dave Dravecky, former pitcher for the San Francisco Giants lost his arm to cancer a few years ago. It was a difficult time for him and his family. Not only did he lose an arm but he lost a promising career as a major league baseball player. He was filled with many questions. During his time of struggle he began receiving letters from other people. Most were letters of encouragement. Some people wrote to him looking for answers. They knew he had been through so much and yet had kept his faith.
One day he received the following letter: "Dear Mr. Dravecky, If there is a God who cares so much for you, why did he allow you to have the surgery in the first place? I have lived 41 years in this old world and I have yet to see any piece of genuine evidence that there is anything real about any religious beliefs. God certainly does not love me and has never done one single thing to express love to me. I have fought for everything I have in life. Nobody cares about what happens to me and I don't care much what happens to anyone else either. Can't you see the truth that religion is nothing but a crutch used by a lot of weaklings who can not face reality and that the church is nothing but a bunch of hypocrites who care nothing for one another and whose faith extends not to their actions or daily lives but is nothing more than a bunch of empty phrases spouted off to impress others?”
How would you respond to such a letter? (I should stop here and give everyone a piece of paper and 10 minutes to write your answer.) How would you respond to such a letter? Unfortunately there are people who have experienced some tragedy in their lives and think God has deserted them. Dave Dravecky has struggled with some of the same questions, but his faith has made all the difference. Dravecky shares his faith with others, helping them through difficult times. "Anytime we come to God, it is an act of faith." Dravecky writes, "When we knock on heaven's door, regardless of how hard we knock or how long we knock, how angrily or how stubbornly, we state by our very presence at that door that we believe God is there, that he is in charge of the world, and therefore in some way responsible for what goes on here."*
And “Jesus came and stood among them”… he showed them his hands and his side to that they would know it was he—the crucified Jesus, not some apparition, not a group hallucination. But Jesus himself, alive, triumphant, coming to their aid!
Jesus comes with the greeting: “Peace be with you.” He offers inner security and fearlessness to those disciples gathered behind locked doors!
What is is that keeps your door locked against all that Jesus offers? Perhaps, we are one of those who think:
“It’s too good to be true?” (And you know about things that are “Too good to be true”).
Perhaps, we’re trampled by life like the man who wrote to Dravecky?
Or in our arrogance we think we have done it all by our own power?
Or are we think so little of ourselves, we can’t imagine that God looks at us any differently?
Maybe we just know our sin and can’t bring ourselves to seek forgiveness?
What door do you and I keep locked against all that Jesus offers?
Then there is Thomas. The Twin. It is interesting that we most often focus on his doubt. Perhaps, reflecting our own identification with him. But what if we focused on Jesus in this passage?
Jesus appears to Thomas, apparently aware of Thomas’ conversation with the disciples. He offers to Thomas what he offered to the others and one step more – the offer of a touch. Jesus meets Thomas at his point of need. He challenges Thomas to change his attitude… (Stop your doubting and believe – vs 27).
Jesus offers words of encouragement- “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”. These words are for us. These words are for us!
Believe that this Jesus who walked among you was triumphant in an unexpected way! Life comes through crucifixion! We are a people who find that by dying we find life: dying to those locked doors in our lives leads us to peace. We find that in our deepest sorrow and loss we find comfort and strength that comes not from somewhere inside of us but from a Presence living with us. We find when we are crushed by life the Risen Christ transforms us and brings new life. We are a people who know that whatever separates us – whatever door there is between us and God – has been overcome through the deep and abiding love of God through Christ Jesus.
Now, I don’t know what it is that keeps you from unlocking those doors in your life and sometimes I don’t even know about myself. I do know for a lot of folks the fear is that letting go would mean losing control, for others it may mean somehow become “less than”, for others it would mean a sign of weakness, for someone else it may mean “standing down” rather than standing up! But whatever the fear is, it is a barrier to life and peace and joy for us.
So what is the rest of the story for us? Along with the first disciples, are offered: PEACE, MISSION, POWER. PMP.
Peace: an inner security that produces boldness.
Mission: “As the father has sent me so I send you”
Power: “He breathed on them and said, Receive the holy Spirit…
We are a sent people. We are sent to proclaim, “HE IS RISEN… this Jesus, who was crucified has appeared also to me…I have experienced his presence and it is life! And you are right! It is impossible to do this on our own. But we have received power. “Receive the Holy Spirit” -- receive my eternal presence and power (says the Risen Lord).
So, what’s it going to be? What’s the REST OF THE STORY for you today?
Let us pray: Our Lord and our God, we ask that you touch our hearts again this day that we experience anew the Presence of your Son, the Risen Lord. Touch us at the point of our deepest need and help us open doors to receive you and all that you bring to us: peace, mission, and great power. For it is in the name of your precious Son that we do pray. And the people said, “Amen”.
Reference from www.esermon.com:
1. When You Can't Come Back. Dave & Jan Dravecky. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992, pp. 144-145.
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