“ The Missing Man!”

John 20:19-29

““It would be appropriate as the climax symbol It would be appropriate as the climax symbol to questions &/or comments that can be to questions &/or comments that can be

answered or made with a shrug, a sneer, an answered or made with a shrug, a sneer, an expression of resignation or a glance of expression of resignation or a glance of

daggers.”daggers.”

What are the chances of you injecting that in my arm instead

of my…

Isn’t that a rather personal question, doctor…

Patients

Now, that didn’t hurt, did it…

How can I examine you, son with your teeth on my fingers…

Doctors

“…Thomas answered and said, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they

who did not see, and yet believed.’”

Purpose:to learn what Thomas, the missing man, missed by absenting himself

I Thomas Missed SEEING

A. Jesus Made Himself Available

1. He missed the privilege of seeing Him Who alone throttled death…

2. He missed the assurance/promise of the glorious certainty of…

3. He missed the joy of seeing His risen Master…Thomas was missing

I Thomas Missed SEEING

A. Jesus Made Himself Available

B. Jesus Makes Himself Available

Accounting firm’s window reads:

“In God We Trust: All Others

We Audit!”

Matthew 18:20

“…where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst.”

We cannot see Him with the

naked eye; nevertheless, He is present as He said He would!

II Thomas Missed RECEIVING

A. Jesus Gave the Following

Dr. Robert Oppenheimer (right of Albert Einstein),

made the first atomic bomb. He appeared before

Congress. He was asked if there was

any defense against the atomic bomb.

“Certainly,” replied the physicist…

Christ came and recommissioned them to the task of making disciples…

II Thomas Missed RECEIVING

A. Jesus Gave the Following

B. Jesus Gives the Following

Being “at peace with God” is not at odds with God…

Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris (duet: “I’ve Just Seen Jesus!”)

All that I’ve done won’t matter anymore…

King Darius was in the palace and Daniel in the lions’ den – but there is restlessness in the palace and peace in the lions’ den…

III Thomas Missed GIVING

A. Jesus Received the Following

B. Jesus Receives the Following

In 1930 when merthiolate first came to market, no one would buy it. People didn’t

trust it to help their hurts…

Conclusion and Summary:

Faith resulting from seeing is good, but, faith resulting from hearing is

more excellent… When by choice we absent ourselves from the presence of

our Lord, when we’re not seeing, receiving and giving glory, we’re

absent from His Word…