Learning how to trust can hurt; learning how to forgive can heal.
so as I think about forgiveness today I
wonder where you’ve been wounded Jesus
it was in his hands when
they saw the hands they realized this is
not an impersonator this is not an
imposter they had to see something they
had to see something that let them know
what he went through and you keep trying
to prove God’s presence by your
successes but when it came time for
Jesus Christ the Son of God to prove his
presence he said look where the nails
were see my hands see where they
drove the spikes between the bones so
they would not break so that it would
support the weight of my body long
enough for me to suffocate see see see
it killed me but I didn’t stay dead
it broke me but I am now whole I was
dead now I’m alive see my scars my scars
tell a story I’m not ashamed to show my
scars Christianity is not cosmetic
surgery so you can hide what you’ve been
through to try to get people to think
you’re perfect
Christianity Jesus Christ didn’t come
to conceal the pain he came to reveal
his glory and he showed it in his scars
but there was one God is always looking
for the one who wasn’t there and the
Bible tells us that even though the 11 minus
Judas got to see him there was one who
wasn’t there named Thomas can I talk
about Thomas for one minute let me teach
you about Thomas oh man Thomas he gets a
bad rap they call him in the church they
call him doubting Thomas have you ever
heard this before
doubting Thomas because church people
will label you by one moment in your
journey
doubting Thomas adultery Annie I’ll stop
right there something’s going through my
head that’ll have to be edited out for
YouTube because life will label you by
what you did and the Bible gives us a
little only John tells us this
because John had this sensitivity to him
when you read his Gospel he tells you
things other people don’t mention he
said now Thomas also known as Didymus I
mean if we’ve just got a label Thomas a
doubter can we at least call him
doubting Didymus because the
alliteration works much better
doubting Didymus the Bible says that
doubting Diddy
one of the twelve was not with someone
say he wasn’t there so now Jesus and
Thomas got something in common when they
went to look for Jesus dead body he
wasn’t there when Jesus showed up alive
and resurrected Thomas wasn’t there and
Thomas wasn’t there the Bible doesn’t
say why he wasn’t there I’ve always
heard it preached like he wasn’t there
because he didn’t have enough faith to
be there but the boys inside had the
doors locked
they weren’t any better so if we’re
gonna give out nicknames let’s talk
about Simon Peter inside with the
doors locked
how about scaredy-cat Simon Peter
scaredy Simon how about locked door Levi
lock them up Levi and doubting Diddy and
we all have doubts that’s what I’m trying
to say we all have scars
we all have dysfunction you might have
long sleeves but if I could roll up your
sleeves you’ve been through something
you struggle with something your
wife may not know it but God does I gotta
hurry
I gotta hurry I’m getting really
indulgent I got to get you out of here
cuz the next crowds coming in somebody
say nails nails nails nails so
the other disciple told him we have seen
the Lord but Thomas said this is why they call him doubting Thomas I call him honest
Thomas
I don’t call him doubting Thomas I call him
honest Thomas truthful Thomas cuz Thomas
is like I’m not buying it
I’m not buying off what you said I
need to see for myself I got to see
Jesus for myself this has to be real to
me
so hey unless I see the nail marks in
his hands unless I see where he suffered
I will not believe in his glory and
unless I put my finger where the nails
were and put my hand into his side I won’t
believe watch Jesus now I want to
point out one thing in verse 26 look at
it seven days later seven a week later
seven seven miles seven days God will
leave you in a space where you don’t
understand to create faith in your heart
so Thomas says I need to see the scars
Jesus could have showed up on the spot
he waited seven days Jesus could have
walked up to Cleo and said see my scars
it’s me but sometimes he wants to let
you walk and wonder and walk and wonder
not because he doesn’t love you but
because if your faith needs an
explanation it cannot sustain the trials
of life so we wait seven days y’all help me
preach this he waits
seven days have you ever had to wait
seven days have you ever had to wait
through a custody battle have you ever
had to wait to see if this is ever gonna
feel better have you ever had to wait
through pain wait through depression
wait through anxiety attacks wait
through bad reports wait through a
newscast have you ever had to wait
awaiting a waiting period and then when
Jesus shows up a week later seven everybody
say seven seven days seven miles seven
days seven miles it’s the number of
completion and then Jesus shows up maybe
just at that point where Thomas is tired
of waiting and the disciples were in the
house again and Thomas this time was
there and Jesus walks in look at the
next part though the doors were locked
they still locked the doors still scared
but they stayed still scared but they
stayed I still got some addictions but
I’m in church today God can work with
that I’m still on the road I don’t get
it but I’m still and this time Thomas
was there he’s not gonna miss it this
time and Jesus came in stood among them
and said peace
watch what comes next yo Tommy hey Diddy
hey honest Thomas I heard you wanted to
see my scars now this is important
put your finger here where where the
nails were isn’t that what you needed to
see Thomas where the nails were now
notice something he didn’t say where the
nails are yo Tommy I’m back from the
grave and I need you to see something
look Thomas no more nails look Thomas
they’re not here put your finger where
the sin was put your finger with the
shame was put your finger where they tried
to crucify the creator of the world
no more somebody shout no more nails no
more nails in other words what held me
doesn’t hold me anymore I came to declare today is the day of freedom I wish you would push your
neighbour till they almost fall over and
say no more nails no more nails now I’ve
heard so many sermons about forgiveness
because we’ve all been wounded raise
your hand if life hasn’t wounded you yet
I want to see where the liars are in the
church because I want to have a special
prayer for all the liars who would have
the audacity to lie in the presence of
God and act like you haven’t been
wounded we’ve all been wounded Rock Hill
Gaston County it doesn’t matter Toronto
Canada you can’t you can’t walk the road
without being wounded you can’t go to
church without being wounded he didn’t speak to me that’s why I left
he didn’t speak to me I was in a church
one time and the preacher got on this
thing about wounds and it was so weird
y’all cuz he was like he was
preaching about wounds his thing was
trying to get everybody to go back and
remember all the ways they’ve been
wounded throughout their whole life he
had me thinking of stuff in the third
grade
just the craziest stuff like that was gonna
bring healing
look at this Jesus didn’t show Thomas
his wounds he showed him his scars there
is a difference between being wounded
and being scarred
so when I prayed about this first word
of forgiveness the Lord told me to talk
to you about the nails
whatever has wounded you whatever you
hide whatever happened see when Jesus
shows Thomas his scars I’m glad he kept
his scars I’m glad he kept that part I’m
glad he didn’t stay dead but I’m also
glad that he came out scarred because
that gives me hope and that’s how I try
to preach I don’t want to preach wounded
because if I preach wounded I’m gonna
inflict my pain on you and I don’t want
to be a wounded parent I don’t want to
be a wounded spouse I don’t want to walk
around God spoke to me a couple months
ago and he said if I’ve really healed
you like you claim I have why are you
still so touchy Thomas said I want to
see where the wounds were and when I
teach preachers Jonathan can tell you I
tell them don’t you get up and tell the
church all the ways that you woke up at
5:30 a.m. and you know if I put you in
my pulpit show the church some of your
scars you can show them the stones that
God has rolled away that’s fine that’s a
part of it he is a God of miracles he is
a God who makes dreams come true and
we’ve all got some stones that he’s
rolled away but we’ve all got some scars
too so show them your scars show them
where you didn’t get up at 5:30 in fact
show them where you pretended like you
didn’t hear the baby crying at 5:30 and
Ana got up tell them that story tell them how
you almost quit tell them how you wanted
to throw up the first week you went out
to preach after the news media ran a
story about you for four days straight
saying things about you tell them that
tell them how you were in the bathroom
and you came out smiling
show them where the wounds were and it’ll
give them hope what wounded me
doesn’t have to hold me forever come on
it’s time to be free its been long enough its been 7 days forgiveness doesn’t mean it didn’t happen the scars
shows it happened Jesus didn’t show up and
say what cross cross I don’t
remember cross I heard a preacher say one
time this guy’s an idiot he should have his
credentials revoked
he said if you’ve really let’s get a
preacher voice going if you’ve really
forgiven someone in your heart you will
not even remember the offense there is a
word that comes to my mind to describe
what he said but I’m gonna just say
it’s inaccurate
it’s not denial when I say forgiveness
cuz I got to be careful because I’m a
pastor right I’m not just passing
through preaching one week leaving
I’m not trying to just get something I’m
trying to go on a journey with you and
to let you know that when you
let go of whatever wounded you so that
you can be free and go into the future
God has for you it doesn’t mean that you
pretend it never happened this is not
denial the nails were there my dad
walked out on me not not my dad I’m
saying that you could say my mom had an
impossible standard that I could never
live up to and I believe that part of my
eating disorder today has to do with
that I’m not saying it didn’t happen but
I can’t let it hold me I cannot blame
her forever not if I’m a Christian not
if I am a Christian
not if I worship the one who was wounded
for my transgression see I need to let
you know something because the hardest
person you’ll ever forgive is not your
ex it’s not your mom it’s not your dad
it’s not your neighbor who came over
your fence on your property line the
hardest person you will ever have to
forgive is yourself see the truth be
told it is myself inflicted nails that I
have the hardest time letting go of
but I want the devil to know when he
comes to hammer at me with accusation I
don’t know where you go when that starts
to happen how worthless you are have you
noticed the devil loves to hammer you
and he’s got a big hammer but let me
tell you a little secret he ain’t got no
more nails
somebody shout no more nails the next
time the devil hammers you with accusations
shout back in his face you ain’t got
no nails
all my nails are in that cross all my
shame is on that cross somebody shout no
more nails there is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus because through Christ Jesus the
law of the spirit of life has set me
free from the law of sin and death the
devil might have a hammer but he doesn’t
have any nails reach out and touch
the place where the nails were where
they were it doesn’t mean it didn’t
happen it happened I fell short it
happened
I ruined the relationship it happened
they abused me and wasted I don’t even
want to tell my own spouse it happened I
deal with the traumatic memory see
it’s not that it didn’t happen and it’s
not that it doesn’t hurt that’s not what
forgiveness is forgiveness doesn’t mean
it doesn’t hurt I mean the nails might
be gone but the memory is still there
and it’s really easy to forgive
sometimes when the person that you’re
forgiving is gone but when you still
have to work out shared custody when you
still have to live with the memory when
you still can’t be touched without
recalling the shame of when you were
touched the wrong way and now you’re
trying to learn how to love the right
way when you’re trying to learn how to
trust it doesn’t mean it won’t hurt away
with the preaching that will teach you
that the pain will go away when you
forgive the offense it’s not that the
pain goes away I’m helping somebody I’m
setting somebody free you keep waiting
for the feeling of forgiveness to come
it’s not a feeling it takes faith I said
it takes faith I said it takes faith I
said it takes faith
it takes faith to believe that the same
place where the nails were is the same
place where the healing is they saw it
in his scars Jesus needed those nails if
they hadn’t nailed him to that cross if
they hadn’t
if they hadn’t puncture if the blood
didn’t flow from that place the power
wouldn’t be released I’m saying not that
God’s gonna take the scar away but that
he is going to release the greatest
strength in your life from the place
where the nails were come on shout no more nails
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