Jesus Walks Into Locked Rooms And Speaks Peace

A locked door does not stop Jesus. We sit with John 20 where the disciples hide in fear, and the risen Christ steps straight into the room and says what anxious hearts still need to hear: Peace be with you. From global unrest to personal pressure like bills, work stress, and that quiet panic you carry alone, we bring the noise into the light of the Gospel and ask what it looks like to live by faith rather than by sight. 

We also revisit the story of Thomas and refuse the lazy label of “doubter.” We recognise the moment when everyone else says they have seen God move, while you feel left out, exhausted, and unconvinced. Thomas asks for proof, and Jesus meets him with patience, presence, and an invitation to believe. That raises a bigger discipleship question: can the Church make space for honest questions without shaming people, and can we return to unity without sliding into empty religion? 

Along the way we challenge prosperity gospel thinking and any system that tries to sell healing, blessing, or salvation. We talk about prayer as real conversation, Scripture as the only manual we need, and being “born again” as something given from above rather than bought or performed. We close with communion, centring the cross and the finished work of Jesus Christ, then we pray for peace, provision, and strength to keep pressing forward. 

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Transcript

Do Not Be Afraid

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Brothers and sisters, shall we look up? We're going to turn to the gospel. We're going to go to the Gospel of John. We're going to go to the Gospel of John. For those at home, if you want to grab yourself a Bible, we're just going to go to the Gospel of John, chapter 20, chapter 20, verse 19, and we'll go through uh to 24. Just for those that are on uh online with us at this moment in time, obviously when it goes quiet, they can't hear what is coming out. So from the scripture reading and from the prophecies and the words that have been given, the the strong words that's coming over right now is do not be afraid. Is do not be afraid. You know, we've had scripture this morning, we've had reading, we've had prophecy, we've had a we've had someone sharing a vision uh and everything that goes along with that. So bringing that to what what has been said, just bringing that to a place where we are, God is telling us not to fear. And we're gonna jump straight into that scripture that absolutely confirms that. So when we look in these scriptures in just a few moments, we're gonna be looking. Obviously, as we look at where Christ appears to them, which is really, really interesting, you know, in John 20, 19, there there has been um four appearances of Christ before we get to this point. So first he appears to Mary and then to the women, and then to the two on the Emmaus Road, and then he appears to Peter. And this is this is in a 12-hour to a 14-hour window after the resurrection of Christ, and then we come to where where he meets them in the in the place of lockdown. But I just want to um just mention a couple of things before we go further. Just want to just say thank you to everybody online at this moment, and uh, we are just at this moment in time, we're in 185 uh countries around the world, God bless you, and 351 cities at this moment in time, and I'm just looking at the stats before I go any further. We got 262 in Israel. I'm just pulling these ones out because these are relevant where we are, and Iraq, where's Iraq? Iraq, and we've got 43 in Iraq, and uh there's a list there as long as Iran. Well, it is what it's 185 countries. We've got Pakistan, we've got Thailand, we've got Chile, we got the list is just I can't read it out, it's just too much time. Egypt, God bless you, those uh in Egypt, Greece, all the way through, Lebanon, Uganda, uh, Argentina, just some of these war-torn places, China, as you look at this, Brazil, all these nations around the world. And uh just want to say thank you so much to everybody, South Korea. We've got South Korea, Russia. Good morning, uh Putin. I hope you're well, I hope you got your uh ready break this morning. You know, when you look, the world the world is watching, the world is watching. Uh Japan, Australia, Canada, Ghana, Belgium, Kenya, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, Singapore 3,182, and then uh America, we've got uh 28,888. So wherever you are across the world, the love of God is over your life as we connect around the world. So we're gonna turn, as I said, to the Gospel of John. We're going to John 20, we're going to the Gospel of John 20. Now, as we look at the news, as we do, as we don't, and however we gauge it, you watch the weather system at this moment in time, the spiritual temperature that we got going on. We've never had so much activity like we've had right now under one breath, under the course of a seven-day cycle. When you think what's happened under the seven-day cycle, what has happened and what's still going on. I mentioned about the ceasefire, it's on, it's off. Yes, no, you know, the diesel's up, the diesel's down. I promise you this, Keir Starmer, don't listen to that lie, whatever you do. You know, you've got to focus on Jesus Christ. And we need to pray that God will open the eyes of this government. God will open the eyes of this government, and God will give us a government that is solid in the word of God that will feed our children. When you think of the money that's wasted at this moment in time chasing E.T. across, you know, up in the heavens above. You know, we've got children that are hungry, you know, and we have to say to ourselves, where is the church? And I'm not talking about the congregations, I'm referring to the leaders of the denominations. I'm not referring to any congregation, I'm referring to the leaders of the denomination. Where are the leaders? Where are the leaders right now? What are they doing? What is going on? Swinging their incense, you know, straightening their hats out, ironing their little pointy hats. You know, what is going on within the church? Where is the church? We're at the biggest spiritual crisis we have seen since when? The cross of Calvary, the biggest spiritual crisis. We're at war, rumors of wars. We've got the issue with the shipping straits. We're waiting for textiles, we're waiting for oil to come through, food, everything. You know, and you look at Iran right now, what's happening actually in Iran, even in Turkey at this moment in time, what's happening in Iran is quite interesting regarding Christianity. You know, the growth of Christianity is accelerating. It is accelerating. So take no notice of the regime that's going on out there and what's happening. You know, this is this is just this is just all they're playing each other. That they know exactly what they're doing, you know. So we got to pray. What do we need? We need fuel, we need diesel, we need food. And what we need to do is say, Lord, I thank you that you're providing. So this is a time for us not to be fearful. So when we look at these scriptures, this is about, as I said, a 12 to a 14-hour uh window after the resurrection of Christ. Somewhere in verse 19, and this is what it says in verse 19 of John chapter 20, on the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for the fear of the Jews, Jesus came as amongst them and said to them, Peace be with you. And after that he said, and he showed them his hands and his side, the disciples were overjoyed, and they uh saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said to them, Peace be with you. After the Father had sent me, I am sending you. And uh with that he breathed on them and he said, Receive the Holy Spirit. And it says, If you forgive anyone their sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive anyone, they are not forgiven. And then we go down to verse 24. If you look at 24, it's that great text, is that great text, you know, about Thomas, and he's labeled doubting Thomas, but I think he's been given a bit of a bad label there. Truthful Thomas. He's truthful. So as you look at the first chunk of text that we read out in verse 19 to 24, it talks about on the evening of the first day of week for uh 12 to 14 hours after the resurrection. So Jesus knows exactly right from then that there will be fear running all through the land. Because what we've got to remind ourselves is that they looked at Jesus as their savior, and you think about what they see, you know, the the the death of Christ, everything. They he was laid to rest. But then all of a sudden, it's the third day, and suddenly he's alive. And let's just remind ourselves something. Jesus is alive, that is fact. That is fact that there is nothing else. Jesus Christ is alive, God is alive, the Holy Spirit is alive, the deity is alive, but all these other gods, all these other gods, like we said last week, and it is easy to find the fact out for yourself, every other God that human beings worship, and every other God that has been created is dead. There's a marker in the sand where their body is. And some of them were cremated and they were scattered around Asia. So we know that there are markers, but there is no marker for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. What we have is the biblical fact is on ascension day, on ascension day, he ascended and he is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for all the saints. And we're not talking about the Catholic saints, get that out of your brain. He's not referring to that. You. He's you are the saints. I am, we are. God doesn't look at our lifestyle, he doesn't look now. When you look at lifestyle, the Bible says, All have sinned and fallen short of thy glory. There is only one righteous, and his name is there's only one high priest. It's not the Pope, it is Jesus. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, that is scripture. So man has come along, and man has made his own church up. We are so far away from the biblical church, it is crazy. We have 22,000 different denominations just rumbling along before our very eyes, but there's only one kingdom. So you think about that over 22, 24,000 different denominations, all saying we're right, all Ilians, right, AOG's right, all Catholic. We're all right, we're all wrong. We we've I've got it wrong, we've all got it wrong. The kingdom is never wrong. See, Jesus says, I am the cornerstone, I am the head of the church. You don't worship any other human being. No human being can ever be worshipped, and without going down that we understand. So when you look at Jesus Christ through the crucifixion, there is biblical evidence. Outside of biblical evidence, there is factual understanding from historians at that time, outside information that this man came back on the third day. So there is no grave that can hold your Jesus, there is no authority that can hold your king. Death has no power over Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is greater than death itself. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. So when we look at these biblical factual stories, and I I very careful I use that word story, they are fact because there is outside knowledge, outside knowledge of Jesus Christ. History tells us, wars tell us, history itself, before Christ, after Christ. Oh, I love that, do you? Oh, I'm an atheist, I don't believe in Jesus. But BC, before Christ and after Christ, the timeline. When you look at a timeline, every timeline comes from where the Bible, everything comes from the word of God, it is the core of the world. We can't escape the fact. So when we look at this great powerful time when they see Jesus, Jesus said to the disciples, and very interesting, it says there in verse 19, it says, On the evening of the first day of the week, something that's really powerful, the disciples was were together. Unity, unity in the church. What have we got in the church at this moment? So much discord, denomination against denomination, territory, even around here in shopping trolley land. I walk down a street, you shouldn't be down here. This is our part of the territory. You go back to the sunny part. Everything is territorial, everything is territorial, but Jesus Christ owns the whole world. The kingdom of God is everywhere and within every one of you. See, the church is you, it's the human being, the Bible-believing believer. That is the church of Jesus Christ. So when we look at this, it says very clearly on the evening of the first day of the week, the disciples were all together with the doors locked down. Now, Boris Johnson had nothing to do with this lockdown. The World Health Authority didn't have anything to do with this lockdown. They was in lockdown. Why was they locked down? They was locked down because of what does the Bible say? The fear of the Jews. Isn't it interesting? That they was in lockdown. They was locked away because of the outside environment. They was worried about all the stuff that was going on. Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. That is what God, through Christ, is telling you and me today. Four words. Everybody online, wherever you are, whatever you're going through online, whatever you're going through in life at this moment, peace be with you. Jesus says that I don't give as the world gives. Jesus doesn't give as the world gives. So when we look at the world at this moment, we've got the astronaut story still going on. You've got the war story going on, you've got the famine story, you've got the the weather structure that is doing what it is doing some unusual things. You've got nation rising against nation, kingdom rising against kingdom. Now we have that within the church setting, the denominations. But the Bible says very clearly the disciples were together. Unity. And when you look at the birth of the church in the book of Acts, very clearly, the Bible says that they were together in what? Was they listening to a sermon being preached? Was they listening to a podcast? What was they doing in the book of Acts? They was in prayer. Brother and sister, wherever you are, across the world, whatever you are doing right now, I will tell you now, you do not need church, you do not need me, you do not need religion. What we need is prayer. Prayer is the way forward. Prayer is conversation. You know, Lord, I'm scared, I'm worried about what's happening, Father. I'm listening to the news. I can't help it, Jesus. I'm worried about my work. I'm worried about my job. I'm worried about the mortgage this month. I'm worried about the rent. Lord, the the British gas and electric is going through the roof. Lord, they're literally having it over with us, Jesus. The utility bills are having it away with us right now, Jesus. They are doing what they want. The tycoons that that that they that hold the barrel of oil, they know what they're doing. Even the the profiteering that's going on in the government, the government are doing great right now because of war. But for me and you that's got a tenure in our pocket, and we got to get to work tomorrow, and you've got to feed the kids, and you open up the cupboards, that's Jesus help me. Jesus help me. Holy Spirit, help me. When you look, so these scriptures are alive and well, and Jesus has stepped into your room. Jesus has stepped into your life online, he's in every one, he's in your life, and Jesus is telling us this morning, peace be with you. As he stepped right into that environment, imagine what it was like back then. The whole place was in lockdown. Suddenly, Jesus is not in the grave. The simple answer to that is, oh, he's been robbed. Of course, that's what it is. Yeah, he's been robbed. Of course, that that is the way the atheists will always look at that. But it's not true because the Bible tells us time and time and time and time and time again, facts of where he was seen. And when you study over 500 times the word tells us that is just in scripture, let alone outside of the biblical understanding, the historians, the culture, and everyone around. Let me remind you that Jesus Christ is risen. He's the only king that is alive and well today. When you look at that, the king of the Jews. And as you look at this, very interesting, isn't it? Because they they labeled him and they put the crown on him the king of the Jews. But the disciples are in lockdown because of the fear of the Jews. Very, very interesting, these scriptures. Jesus came and stood among them, and after he showed his hands and his side and the marks where he was crucified, the disciples were overjoyed. See, this is what happens to the human race. If I can't see it, I don't believe it. That's why the Bible says the just shall live by faith. The hardest journey that I, us, you, me, will ever do is to live by faith, to live outside of natural perception, sensual perception, smell, touch, see, sight, hearing, to live outside of that and to believe. Yes, Jesus Christ has risen. This is why he had to reveal himself to these characters, he had to prove it physically before he could have disappeared straight upstairs. He could have got in the old lift and buzzed up and gone up, but he didn't. He revealed himself. Why did he reveal himself to so many around so that I would believe what was written? Too much evidence, too much evidence, too much evidence outside of the word of God, let alone in the word of God. So, right now, when you look at these scriptures, he said that the disciples were overjoyed, and Jesus said to them, Peace be with you, as the Father has sended me, and then he breathes over them, and the Holy Spirit is received. That's very interesting. That's another time, that's another time for that. I want to jump down to 24. Now, this is this is a great bit of text. This is, and it says, Now Thomas, called Didymus, was one of the twelve, was not with one of the disciples. He was having a McDonald's. And it says he wasn't with the 12. Thomas wasn't with them. He was probably watching Netflix, Dan Hazda or something, doing something. He was outside of that circle at that moment. He was not with them. Let's read on. One of the 12 was not with uh not with them, sorry, when Jesus Christ came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. There's nothing worse than anyone coming up to you and going, Oh, God's really with me. How are you, brother? I've had a great week in the name of Jesus. I'm so blessed, you would not believe it. You would not believe what's been happening to me. And in the back of my head's going, You ain't got a clue what I'm going through. Why God? So Thomas is a very interesting character because when you look at the outside framework of the human beings around Thomas at that particular point, they was like, I'm not saying they are, but let's use this analogy, like the fake name it and claim it. Jesus is healing everywhere, but he's not healing me. Jesus is giving five grand to everyone down the road, but I ain't got a pound in my pocket. Jesus has given them a car and I'm still on a skateboard. That when you look at that, they came out bragging. Yes, we had seen Jesus. And Thomas went, I've been digging an hour all week. I've been stacking sandwiches in Tesco's. I've been working so hard, I've been grafting so hard, and I've been left out. Have you ever felt left out of the crowd? The crowd of church. Have you ever felt that everyone else is receiving the Holy Spirit? Everyone else is receiving a word from the Lord. Everyone else online is getting a blessing. Everyone else, but but not me. I've still got a little bit of trouble down the road there. Still got a little bit of credit card issue. Still got a little bit of mortgage stress coming over the hill. Still got to get a new tire on the car because I'm driving it illegally in the name of Jesus, obviously. So when you look at life itself, living by faith will take absolutely every amount of human energy you've got. Because you've got to come to the end of self to live by faith. Because we can't live by self, because when I live by self, when I live by my emotions and the way that I perceive the world and the way I will lock into what the world is doing. That's why social media can be very dangerous. Because everyone else is living the dream, everyone else is on holiday, everyone else is getting turkey teeth. Everyone else is having this, everybody else is having that. Everyone's got a new car. Look at the house I've got. Look at what's going on. Everything's great and wonderful. But oh, I can't put my life on social media if I tell you the truth. Oh, I can't put my situation. Oh Lord, oh dear. Everyone else, Jesus, the grass is always greener. Rubbish. Every one of us is like Thomas. Jesus. If you'd only been here. When you look at the two sisters, Lazarus, you've only got to study the story of Lazarus coming back from the dead. Jesus was away. Jesus was just coming back. He was just walking through. Message comes to him. Quick, we gotta go. We gotta get back. Jesus goes, hang on a minute. Yeah, okay, all right. Takes his time. And the sisters are in mourning. The sisters are in mourning. And when they finally see Jesus, they said, if you'd been here. If you had been here, Jesus. I don't know how many times I've prayed that prayer. Jesus, if you had been here, I wouldn't be in trouble. Jesus, if you'd have been here, I wouldn't assign myself up for that nice car. Jesus, if you'd been here, I wouldn't have sig myself up for a nice DFF sofa at Christmas, knowing I ain't got no money in the name of Jesus. If you'd been here when I was sitting with the doctor and a consultant, Jesus, if you'd been here, how many times has Jesus heard that line? The two sisters run out, one runs out first, and she says, Where you been? Basically, where are you? What have you been doing? And he said something really powerful. This sickness won't end unto death. Hang on a minute, he's dead. What are you talking about? He's gone, he's been in the grave. Long, it stinks, don't roll the stone. See, religion and the world will tell you don't roll the stone. Very interesting why Jesus kept back for those amount of days for cultural purposes to understand at that particular point the spirit, everything through what the Orthodox believe in the way that death is, it was finally done. It was finally done. He's gone. He's finally gone. That's why they said, if you'd been here, and that's why they said, Don't roll the stone, it stinks. Jesus didn't listen. Jesus rolls the stone when the world says, Don't touch. See, the world will tell you it's impossible. The world will tell you you'll never recover. The world will tell you, don't roll the stone, it's finished, it's cast, it's given. But when you walk with Jesus, it doesn't matter. When you listen and you read the word of God, when you pray like you've never prayed before, and then we come back to the text. So just very simply, in the gospels, that great powerful biblical text of Lazarus. Jesus said, just roll the stone, but don't roll the stone, it stinks, it's gone, it's finished, it's over. But then they change their voice and their language. All right, okay. The stone gets rolled away, and Jesus speaks right down the corridor of death, he speaks right into the cave of destruction, he speaks right into the tomb of no hope whatsoever. And he calls Lazarus, he calls him by name. See, God is calling me and you by name right now, everyone in the house and everyone online. Let me tell you, Jesus is calling us out of the graveyard of life. Jesus is calling us out of the tomb of life. How many people go to the grave, not live in the full potential? How many people go to the grave, get picked up by two people in a transit van, zipped up with a little tag on your toe, lived all your life, go to the grave, not living to the full potential because the world is saying, don't roll a stone, don't touch it, it's finished. You're not able. Your culture doesn't allow it. You've got no money. It's impossible. See, when we listen to the world, we bury stuff that shouldn't be buried. We put stuff to rest before it's time. Let me tell you, there's so much in your life. Age is irrelevant in the kingdom of God. What it is, is to do with faith that sits in your innermost being. Age is irrelevant, yes, brother. Age is absolutely irrelevant because God doesn't give us faith by the birth certificate and the age that we have on the skin that we walk in. See, faith will bring the dead back, faith will correct the bill situation, faith will heal relationships, faith will take you on a journey that you never thought possible. Faith will tell death, I'm coming back in the name of Jesus. Because there is power in the name of Jesus. Because when you look at the name of Jesus, there is a spiritual law out there, there is a law out there, and the Bible says that God's word cannot return void. See, when you speak God's law and God's word over your life, it has to come into being. Because the Bible is clear. You have not because you ask not. So it's the way that I pray and the way that I speak. That's the critical thing. It's not about how many people are in the prayer meeting, it's not about how many times I go to church, it's about me saying, right now, Lord, I'm calling you into the arena. Because sometimes I've got to be like Jacob in the Old Testament. I've got to push everything I own across the brook. And I've got to go to God and I've got to wrestle with God, and I'm not gonna leave God until he blesses me. And Jacob said, right, I'm going into his arena. I'm gonna go and I'm gonna get hold of God, and I'm gonna wrestle God, and I'm gonna get hold of him, and I'm not gonna let him go until he blesses me. That's how I need to be. But religion and church hasn't taught us to live now because we have been given the fake name it and claim it. Transatlantic, maybe, whatever way you want to look at it, gospel that has come across. Sorry for those that are listening, you know. But when you look at what's come across the pond, what's gone out across the pond, what's come backwards and forwards, when you look at what we listen to and what we have captured over the years, has it helped me for where I am right now? 99.9.5% will go, no. How did Peter Popoff help you? How did Creflow Dollar help you? How did all those big names in that industry help you? The money that you sent off, the prayer cloths that you had came back, the uh oil that you had came back. You might as well go and get a bit of chip oil down the road and anoint your head with it because it's got no power whatsoever. What they send you. There is no power, and it'd be interesting, wouldn't it, to see how many hands went up online in the house, how many times we've asked for holy oil through the internet. And I'd love to see the little factory that is churning out the chip oil. You can imagine what's going on. Send us$10, you're gonna be healed. Send us$50, and we're gonna raise your dad from the dead. You know, you've got all that Razamataz, all that crazy language that's out there. The Bible is clear. You have not because you asked not. What do you mean, Jesus? See, God's word cannot return void. And God through Christ shows us in many areas the power of speech. The greatest power, I would say, two ways you could look at this. I would say the first time we hear the voice of God is obviously in Genesis chapter 1, verse 3. And God said, Let there be light. I would say that, and then when Jesus said it is finished, on the most two powerful times we hear the voice. And then probably you could probably pick other theological pieces out. Maybe when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, you must be born again. So there are there are areas that you can bring, maybe into like a five area sort of thing. So you look at words, words are powerful. Now, people call me crazy because I believe God created the heavens and the earth. I believe God said, let there be light, and there was. I believe that we won't find nothing in outer space because the Bible actually tells me that. And our little friend, that man ain't got much money, Elon Musk, he has told us already, I'm not gonna bother with Mars, it's a little bit too far away. To get to Mars, you are looking between four to six months constant flying at a crazy amount of speed. We look at what it took to get to the moon, but then you think, oh, I'm gonna now they've knocked that on the head because they've come to the realization there's nothing there but God. So Elon Musk has made a clear statement. I'll just have a little dabble on the moon. I'll think I'll knock Mars on the head. So when you listen to their language, we're gonna go and find life form, we're gonna go and find this, we're gonna go and do that. It ain't gonna happen. So now we are living in a crisis. Why are we in a crisis? Not because of what's happening around the world, because now we are in a crisis because the church over the generations hasn't shown us how to live in the end time harvest. And I'm not talking about getting on the street and evangelizing, I'm talking about living in a time when we are squeezed at such a level. Because we are in spiritual warfare. So when you look at those texts that I just gently mentioned, and then we come back to Thomas and we look at what the Bible says, and it says, Now Thomas called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, We have sinned the Lord. I've been in many church meetings when every Tom Dick and Harry, oh sorry, has sinned the Lord, except me. When everyone's received healing, except me. And then I look at my life and go, Core, you're a sinner, you are. Goodness gracious me, you're a filthy cat, you are. Everyone else in the church, everyone else down the road, everyone in that big tent meeting up there, they're coming out with new legs, new eyes. I'm still coming out bent over in pain, I still got a backache in the name of Jesus. My hands are still sore. I've just checked my Monzo account, Lord, and it's worse. And everyone else is getting money in the tent, but not me. Jesus, what's going on? Help me, Lord. So you can imagine how Thomas was feeling. You've been in the conferences, you've been to it, you've done it all. Everyone else is jumping up and down and praising Jesus. We've seen the Lord except me. How many of us really truly will say this morning, I'm Thomas? Look what the Bible says. But he said to them, Unless I see. Oh, very interesting. What's he going on here? What's going on? He's when you look at what he says and you look at what's going on here, you can bring a very interesting line to what Jesus says to Nicodemus. Look what it says here. It says, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hands in his side, I will not believe. Jesus said to Thomas, You know everything, son, but you can't get there because you're not born again. Now, the word born again has been taken so far out of context. If you tell the world you're born again, they think you got a towel, and you're going around barking and swinging through the trees of church and shouting, and as soon as you're down as the laying hands on everyone and praying for the sick. Born again doesn't mean that. Being a Pentecostal believer doesn't mean that. What it means is I believe in the birth of Pentecost. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe that you must be born again. Oh, he's a born-again reverend. Oh no, he's a fruit loop. He's not. I'm all right, actually. I'm okay. I'm all right. Some days are pretty crazy, but most days I'm alright. So, what does it mean to be born again? It just simply means this: God gives you salvation from above. That is it. It's outside of the preacher, it's outside of the teacher, it's outside of religion. That's why God has only got it in his hands, and it comes through Jesus Christ. It comes through the Savior. That's why God, imagine if God gave the church authority to use that. They'd be selling your salvation. You would not get saved for less than thousands of quid. You know what it would be like. They will be selling it. They've tried to sell healing, they've tried to sell prosperity, they've tried to sell salvation. That's why salvation comes from God and God only. You can go to a church a thousand times and not receive anything, but you can go down a road and suddenly have a great awakening in your car, and Jesus has spoken to you because it's outside of the framework of Elim, every denomination, because it's about Jesus Christ. So when you look at the text we're in, I understand where Thomas is and was. Don't tell me. Look at this great biblical fact. A week later, a week later, he's been left hanging a week. Thank you, Jesus. I've had the toughest week of my life. Everyone down the road has had a miracle. Fred's come out of a new leg. Sheila's got out of the wheelchair. Bill's got a new murk. I ain't got a tenor. I'm skin. What about me, Jesus? Thomas, all over. So Thomas said, I do not, I will not believe. When you look at this scripture, a week later the disciples were together again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked down because of Boris Johnson. Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. The first line. And who does he speak to? Then he said to Thomas, here son, put your finger here. Because we live our lives by perception, emotion, smell, touch, sight, hearing. And he says here, look, look what the Bible says. It says, Touch me with your hands, reach out with your hands and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe. Okay. So, Lord, I'm I'm going to live by faith right now. We're going to come to the table in just a few moments. If anybody's online that you want to break bread with us, take it a cup, please. You can do that at home. You can do it sitting in your bed. You can do it wherever you are on the touchline. You can do it wherever you are in life. But we're going to break bread in just a few minutes, and you're welcome to join us. So when you look at these scriptures here, Thomas said, I will not believe unless I see. So he broke all biblical teachings. I ain't going to believe. I want to see. He went the opposite way to what the scriptures said. You're not to live by sight. You've got to live by faith. And he's gone. I ain't having none of it. I'm not having it. You can say what you like. You can say, Yeah, you might have seen him, but not me. I've got to see it. What a man. What do you think about that? He's gone against everything. I I no, I don't want it. You can say what you like. Listen. I want to see with my own eyes. I think that's boldness. Doubting Thomas, he's got the wrong label. He really has that wrong label. He just wanted to see Jesus in his life. I've got to see it. Faith is a struggle some days. Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. Then Jesus told them, Because you have seen me, you have believed. And then listen to this last part of the text as we come to the table. This is in verse 29 of John 20. Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe. Aye. Oi, oi, Savaloy, that's me, Jesus. That's us, Jesus. I haven't seen you, but I'm believing in you. See, we are living in a time where the church has let us down. The church has let us down because it hasn't prepared us for the end time stages in which we're living. The church has what it's done, the fake name it and claim it, has told us all about the prosperity gospel, has told us all about the fake healing side of it, and hasn't prepared us to live in the hardest time on earth. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be when you look and you bring everything together. We are living in days when the biblical prophecies are right in our face. We are living in spiritual hard days. So now what do I do? I've got to get in the word, I've got to read scripture like I've never read scripture before. I've got to get into prayer like I've never gone into prayer before. I've got to get into this and I've got to say, Jesus, I'm gonna live by faith. I'm gonna live by faith. So when you look at this simple biblical text that I've just shared out this morning, Christ revealed himself to Thomas when Thomas went against everything that was written. I ain't believing, I don't borrowed what you say. You can say what you like, I need to see him for myself. If you are like that this morning in the house, if you're like that online this morning, that's a great place to be. Because you are being you, I am being me. There's no point in going to a large church, sitting amongst a congregation and following the crowd. When we follow the crowd, we find ourselves empty. When you look at a crowd, when you study a crowd, when you study a mass amount of people, like last year, I won't go into what was happening at Glass Murray, but we're probably pretty familiar. When that atrocious man came on the stage and he got the crowd to sing and that chant, the crowd didn't even know what they were really doing. They just followed what was in front. We got to be careful that we don't follow what is in front without realizing what is in front. So let me tell you this: don't follow number 10. He is singing an unusual song, and don't listen to the rhythm of what he's singing. Be careful across the other side of the world, be careful who you listen to and who you follow. As in scripture, preachers, teachers, make sure that the word of God is first and foremost in your life. Don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Don't follow Elim, follow Jesus Christ. Follow the King of Kings. His name is Jesus. He is the savior of the world, he is the great I am. And if you go back and do your own research, you will find a tombstone to every other God except the King. He's alive and he's well. And he stepped into Thomas's space and he said, Thomas, it's alright. And God is telling you right now, in here and online across the world, it's okay. So let's not follow the pattern of the crowd. What is the crowd? That is the way of the church. Don't follow religion and the way of the church. You've got to get yourself a Bible. That's the only manual that you need in your life. You need the word of God. I need this scripture. This scripture is my healer. This scripture is my guide. This scripture, this is God's word. Why would I go to a secondhand interpretation of handing it down time and time again and reading it from a man's understanding? Why don't I read what God says about me? We have lost our identity in the world because we've been trying to identify to everybody else and we've been trying to copy the way they do and what they do. Find out who you are in Christ Jesus. Find out who you are. Find out that you are a Bible-believing believer, a born-again Christian. I believe born again means something so simple and easy. It's come from above. It's descended on you. It was given to you. It can't be received. Now that's that's a tough one. It can't be, when I say when I mean by that, what I mean by that is very simple. It can't be bought, it has to be given. You can't reject it. It's given, it is in. It is in. There is a stamp on your life. And God loves you wherever you are. Let's just break bread together right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, we're in the house today, Lord. And Father, we're online as well today, Lord. We're across the world today, Lord. And Father, we are watching some real idiots in politics right now. And Lord, we don't want to follow the idiots anymore. Lord, we want to follow the King. We want to follow Jesus. Lord, we don't want to listen to what's happening outside of the word. Because you tell me, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and everything else shall be added unto thee. So Lord, I thank you that the shipping lanes are open, but Lord, you're putting diesel in my van. I thank you, Lord, the shipping lanes are open, but Lord, you're putting petrol in my car. I thank you, Lord, the shipping lanes are open, but you are putting food in our cupboard. I thank you, Lord, the shipping lanes are open, and Lord, whatever is happening in the ceasefire is irrelevant to me because my God shall supply all my needs according to thy riches and glory. Let's not get fixated on what is happening in certain areas of the world. Let's focus on Jesus. So right now, through this time, Father, we thank you for this bread that symbolizes the body of Christ. And Father, we thank you that Jesus Christ is. Risen. He is risen. We thank you, Father, that every other God, every God, every God is dead, except the God of Israel, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. So Lord, as we take bread now, Father, I believe in miracles. I believe that you created the heavens and the earth. I believe in the word. So Lord, as I take this bread, Lord, I realize that this bread is just bread in itself. And Lord, it's not going to turn into anything. It's not going to do anything strange like the Catholics say. Lord, this is just bread because it's symbolizing the body of Jesus. So Lord, as I hold this bread, I thank you, Father, as I look at this bread, it's just bread. It's always going to be a cracker. It's never going to change. It's just going to be that cracker, that wafer. But Lord, I thank you that I'm able to do this in the stillness at home. If you're at home, please just grab yourself a bit of bread, maybe a bit of pizza bread, a bit of pit of bread, whatever you got, it doesn't matter because it's symbolic. We don't go into the ritualistic way of all that because Jesus just took the bread and he said, This represents my body. So, Father, I thank you that this bread symbolizes the body of Christ. And at that point, the Bible says that he took that bread and he dipped it in the cup. And that the wine and the bread, they became one. Very interesting what he was saying there. When he was speaking about that, the blood and the body, the Old Testament and the New Testament, suddenly coming together. The blood and the body of Christ. So, Father, I thank you for this bread that symbolizes the body of Christ. And as I take this, Father, I thank you that your blessings are over our lives in Jesus' name. And Father, as we just hold this cup right now, the cup of redemption. The cup of redemption. Father, we thank you that this cup symbolizes the blood of Jesus. And Father, I thank you that there was bloodshed at the cross. I thank you that there was one sacrifice once and for all. And his name was Jesus, the king of the Jews. Not the king of the Palestinians, the King of the Jews. His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The whole world is talking about this. The Savior. John 3 16. Jesus loves you. So, Father, I thank you that you sent your one and only Son, Christ, in the image of the invisible God to the cross of Calvary. And I thank you that Jesus said, It is finished. And with that, he gave up his spirit. He bowed his head. See, Jesus is in control of death itself. Death is just a doorway into real life, into eternity. So, Father, as I take this cup. I thank you that this cup symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Cleanse us from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet. Amen. Jesus Christ loves you online, wherever you are across the world. God loves you. God loves you in the house. Where you are at this hour, at this moment. God loves us. That is a given, that is a fact. Let's just pray as we come to a close. Dear God and Heavenly Father, we thank you that there is power in the greatest name in heaven and earth. We thank you, Lord, that every other God is dead, but Jesus Christ is alive. Seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for all the saints. So right now, Lord, we pray for each and every one of us that you will take us deeper into our walk with you. Because Lord, church is boring. We're fed up with church. We're fed up with Pastor Ben. We've had enough of him. Lord, we want Jesus. We want the Holy Spirit. We want the God of Israel. We want the power of the Word of God in our lives like never before. So Lord, we ask you right now, Lord, that the latter-day rain will fall over each and every one of us. That we will feel the love of God wrapped around us in the house and online. That we will feel Jesus' love in our lives. And right now, Lord, as we're going through the biggest battles of life itself, Lord, that we will breathe and we will feel the strength of the word. And Lord, that we will rise out of dear God, the ashes of life, that we will rise on the wings as of eagles. Lord, that we will soar above the cloud line of the storm of life. And Lord, that we will breathe and we will stand upright and we will smile and say, Everything is possible today, Lord. Everything is possible. Lord, I got a new spring in my step. Lord, I'm starting to smile again. My heart is starting to smile. My life is looking different in the name of Jesus. Because, Lord, I'm calling the things that are not as though they are. And Lord, I just remind myself that Jesus said, Lazarus, come out. Speak over every situation in your life. So, Father, we thank you that we're healed. We're blessed. We are the righteousness of God. So, Holy Spirit, through these closing moments, we pray for everybody online across the world. That they will feel your love today. They will find peace and hope. Father, we just pray that you will strengthen all of us in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you, God bless you, God bless you. We're going to stand, we're going to say the Lord's Prayer. And uh for everybody online, we'll see you tonight. If you join us online at 9 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 9, 10 past nine, something like that, for we just have about 40 minutes of prayer. You know, so join us on online tonight, live on uh X, formerly known as Twitter. We understand that. So you can join us online. But thank you to everybody in the house. Thank you to everybody online today, wherever you are across the world. May God carry you and bless every one of you. But let's just say the Lord's Prayer and uh let's never give up. Never ever, ever, ever give up. Don't matter how hard it feels, doesn't matter how tired you we are, doesn't matter how exhausted we feel, don't you ever give up. Don't you ever give up. Just keep pressing and you keep pressing and you keep pushing. The sun is shining over your life. The king is in your life. There is a way forward, and his name is Jesus Christ.