A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here;  see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe."  Thomas said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"  Jesus said, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

In the Name of Jesus

          An elderly woman was taking a Ferry Boat ride on Lake Erie from Cleveland to Buffalo when a terrible storm arose on the lake.  The boat was tossed about and people were screaming with fear.  But the grandma was very calm, calming the people, singing to the little children, and helping young mothers as best she could.  Finally they all arrived in Buffalo safely and many people thanked her.  One person asked her, "I thought we were all going to die.  How could you remain so calm?"  Said the grandma, "I have two daughters, one in Buffalo and the other in heaven.  I'd thought I was going to visit the one in Buffalo, but for awhile thought maybe I'd see the one in heaven.  Either way, I was glad I was going to visit one of my loved ones!"  This woman had learned to live without fear, because she knew God was in charge of everything in her life.

          Fear is tearing our world apart.  Fear among ethnic groups in the Balkans has turned into another war.  Fear is making our nation's leaders do foolish and irrational things.  Fear is tearing families and relationships apart.  Children fear their parents will get a divorce and parents fear their kids will sink into drugs.  Fear is tearing the fabric of our society apart.  Entire industries have sprung up based on fear.  We buy alarms because we fear burglars.  We buy insurance because we fear not having money.  But worst of all, fear is tearing the church apart.  Not only the Lutheran Church, but all churches who fear people more than they fear God.

          The text for today might lead us to think we should talk about doubt, not fear.  But Thomas' doubts of the Lord's resurrection began with fear.  He who once said, "I'm ready to die with Jesus," was one of those who ran and hid after Jesus was arrested.  You don't run and hide if you're not afraid.  After learning from the women the grave was empty, Thomas and the others stayed behind closed doors, out of sight, afraid they were next to be arrested.  They met in the Upper Room behind locked doors.  You don't lock doors if you aren't afraid.  Everyone was there that first night, except Thomas.  He was too afraid to even be with his friends that first Easter evening.

          In those days there was much to fear in being a disciple of Jesus.  There still is.  Not everyone will agree with our teachings.  Not everyone will like what we are doing.  The disciples feared the Jewish leaders because they thought they could harm them.  This all began much earlier, back when the angel first spoke of the coming Savior.  To Mary he said:  "Do not be afraid, for the Lord has found favor with you."  To Joseph:  "Fear not, to take Mary as your wife, for that which is born of her is of the Holy Spirit."  To the shepherds:  "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy!"  And years later, to the women at the open grave:  "Fear not - I know you are seeking Jesus who was crucified;  He is not here, He has risen!"  Now as Jesus appears to His friends, behind locked doors, and says, "Peace be with you -- don't be afraid."

          It's time to believe.  With Jesus, we have nothing to fear.  He is alive and He is here.  He is all-powerful and He will take care of us.  There is nothing that can happen to us that can overcome us.  Oh yes, things can ruin our dreams or change our plans.  Pastor Theodore Krenzke, who confirmed me in 1959, built a retirement home in Wisconsin, but was killed in a car accident a year later.  His plans were changed -- but to something far better.  Several weeks ago Len Smith was driving home on a Friday night, expecting a quiet evening, but ended up in a Hospital, recovering from a terrible accident.  Things can certainly change.  But God stays with us, caring for us, so that we're safe, no matter what happens.  We must believe that, because it's true.

          On that first Easter evening, Thomas was gone and later said, "Unless I see Him and touch Him, I won't believe He's alive."  The next Sunday Jesus stood among them, including Thomas, and said, "Stop doubting - It's time to believe!"  Thomas did.  He didn't even have to touch Jesus when he said, "My Lord and my God!"  Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed;  blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

          With those words, Jesus is calling us blessed.  We have not seen Him and yet we believe.  We have not heard Him speak and yet we believe.  We have not seen Him raise the dead or heal the sick, and yet we believe.  It's time for us all to believe -- not only that He is risen, but that He can and will provide for all our needs.  And He will calm all our fears.

          Living a fearless life is not easy.  There is so much out there that's designed to make us afraid.  Newspapers show us death and destruction, not just across the oceans, but here in Colorado.  Books and movies frighten us.  Whole industries entice us to buy their wares because of fear.  A pastor came to Denver recently, and the first thing he did was buy a locking bar for his car.  "I heard this is a dangerous place," he said.  I told him we don't lock our house doors during the daytime like some do.  He thought I was foolish not to take every precaution.  I told him I wasn't being stupid, but I would not become a prisoner in my own home, either.

          Some churches lock their doors during office hours.  Depending on where they are, that's not a bad idea.  But sometimes we are too fearful.  What will others say if we do this?  What will happen if we do that?  When Christians think like that, it's time to stop doubting.  It's time to believe.

          Paul, who lived at a time when Christians had reason to be afraid, once said in 2 Timothy 1:7, "God has not called us to a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind."  That means it's time to believe!  Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."  He's saying it's time to believe!  He's saying people aren't the ones who we should fear, but God.  He's saying don't fear people.  He's not saying be scared of God, but respect God's Word rather than fear what people might say.  He's saying it's time to trust God!  I have learned to live by those two passages recently.  And life is far better because of it.

          During World War Two, President Roosevelt made a saying famous:  "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  I say it differently:  "Fearing fear makes us foolish."  Being afraid of fear can move us to wrong decisions.  It can make us alter plans we should have kept.  It can make us avoid people we should be talking to.  It can make us draw faulty conclusions, and act like unbelievers.

          As God's people, you and I are called to have faith in Him, and trust Him for all things.  We usually think the opposite of faith is unfaith or unbelief.  That's true for the unbeliever.  But for the Believer, the opposite of faith is fear.  Thomas and the disciples didn't stop believing in Jesus, but they feared the opposition more than they feared God.  Even in their fear, they still believed He was the Son of God, but they feared their enemies more than God.

          Satan loves that kind of thing.  He loves to frighten us.  If he can shake our foundations, if he rattle our roosts, if he can raise any kind of doubt, he will.  He knows the power of fear and he uses it.  But Satan has been defeated.  Jesus beat him.  His power is broken, and he's just making noise.

          In 1919, at 21 years old, my father was driving a team of horses to town when his team stopped in their tracks, spooked by a big rattlesnake.  Dad calmly took a pitchfork off the wagon and killed the rattler.  He cut off its head with his pocket knife and let it wiggle on the ground awhile, rattling its tail till it stopped.  Then he skinned it and tacked the hide to the boards of the wagon with some nails in his pocket.  My brother still has that snake skin today, and you can see the nailholes.  My point is this:  if anyone had come along while that headless snake was wiggling, they'd have thought it was still dangerous.  But the snake was already dead.  It couldn't hurt anyone.  It just made a lot of noise.

          That's Satan today.  He makes a lot of noise and spooks a lot of people, but he can't hurt us, for Jesus defeated him.  It's time to stop doubting and start believing.  It's time to believe Jesus Christ is in charge of things in this world.  You and I have nothing to fear.  As John said in 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love.  Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment."  John could say that, because he, too, ran away from Jesus that night.  And he was one of those disciples hiding behind locked doors with Thomas.

          We at Epiphany have received some criticism for starting another Lutheran Church in the Castle Rock area.  Though we don't plan to build a permanent church here on the south side, some people have said we're too close to other churches.  Others say there's no need for another Lutheran Church here.  Frankly, I say we don't have enough churches.  I say there are more than enough lost people around here to bring to Jesus. What we don't need is fear of what others will say.  Rather, we must consider carefully what God would say if we stood idly by as thousands of people are moving into this area every year.  These are hungry people in need.  They are hurting people, many of whom are running scared.  They need the loving and calming Word of God that casts out fear.  They need what we already know.  And we have Good News we must not keep to ourselves.

          So get the word out - a living Christ is preached at Epiphany.  A powerful Savior is here for all to trust.  God's love runs the show at Epiphany, not fear.  It's time to believe, and you can't keep that kind of Good News to yourself.  Did you know that 80% of everyone who visits a church comes because they've been invited by another member: not invited by the pastor, not by reading a postcard, and not even because they got married or buried a loved one here.  They come because they've been invited.  And they will come when they see God's love and people unafraid.

          I invite you to do two things this morning:  (1) Trust Jesus for everything in your life.  He loves you and invites you to trust Him, no matter what happens.  (2) Come back to worship with us and bring a friend.  And if you've tried, but they haven't come, talk to them again.  Your invitation and your strong and positive faith are the greatest witnesses to faith in Christ.  We have something great happening here.  We have Good News here about God's love.  Let's not keep it to ourselves.  It's time to share that Good News, my friends.  And it's time to believe!

          God the Heavenly Father gave his only Son Jesus Christ, 2,000 years ago, to die on a cross.  His message to us today is, "Who'll take the Son?"  Because, you see, whoever takes the Son in faith, gets it all.  So fear not, my friends.  Fear not what others may say or do.  Don't live your life by reacting, but by faith in the Son of God.  By faith you have the Son -- and with the Son you have it all.  Amen!

Copyright © 1999 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.