Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / John

John 20:19-23 02/18/07

Title: ‘A people on a mission’

Text: John 20:19-23

Introduction: A poll in USA Today asked what Americans fear most. This is what they found.

·       54% fear being in a car accident

·       53% fear having cancer

·       49% fear they won’t have enough money to retire

·       35% fear getting Alzheimers

·       32% fear they won’t be able to pay their current bills

Let me ask…what do you fear? Fear can cripple us, it can make us irrational and do things we never thought we would ever do…and it can keep us from doing things we know we should be doing.

Explanation: Remember last week when Jesus spoke Mary’s name he gave her a job, a task, he sent her on a mission…he said ‘Go and tell…’

I find it interesting that when Jesus meets with his disciples for the first time after his resurrection, he does the same thing…Jesus gives them a task, he sends them on a mission. But first, he confronts their fear.

Transition: Open your Bibles to John 20:19 (pg. 829 in the Bibles under the chair in front of you) Here we’ll find that disciples of Jesus Christ, then and now, are people on a mission.

I. John 20:19-20         Fear hinders our mission

Read: John 20:19-20

It’s later the same day that Jesus first revealed himself to Mary and Peter and John ran to the tomb and found it empty. It was Sunday night.

The disciples were together, but were hiding in fear of the Jews. And the rumors of Jesus’ body being stolen compounded their fear.

What would the Jewish religious leaders and Roman officials do? Would they be accused of stealing Jesus’ body? Would they arrest the disciples?

Jesus appears before them and his first words to his frightened disciples are ‘Peace be with you.’ In fact he says it twice. And to prove it was really him, Jesus shows them the scars on his hands and side.

What would the words ‘Peace be with you’ have meant to the frightened disciples?

·       ‘Peace be with you’ is more than just a polite greeting.

·       ‘Peace be with you’ is more than just the  absence of conflict.

·       ‘Peace be with you’, is like telling the disciples, ‘all will be well with you’, or ‘your wholeness will be complete’.

·       ‘Peace be with you’ encompassed a persons physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and well being.

Is it any wonder John says that the disciples were ‘overjoyed?’

·       Their circumstance hadn’t changed, they were still wanted by the religious leaders and Roman officials.

·       But their outlook changed because Jesus was present with them and promised them peace.

·       And Jesus had done what he said he would do….rise from the dead.

Their fear turned into peace. Their sorrow turned into joy. Their hope was revived. Because if Jesus could rise form the dead, just as he said, he could do anything else he said.

Isn’t it amazing that the presence of Jesus can turn our lives around? Perhaps that’s not the best way to say it since Jesus promised to never leave or forsake us. Maybe I should say ‘Being aware of Jesus’ presence can turn our lives around.’

Application: Jesus offers you this same peace. He knows the circumstances that bring fear in your life and he tells you to trust him, all will be well with you, you will be whole, you will be complete in him.

Did you know that peace is actually a gift from God, at least that’s what Paul believed when he wrote Phil. 4:7.

Read: Phil 4:7 ‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

What Paul is promising is that when you place your trust, your faith in Jesus, God’s peace guards your heart and mind.

·       It places a hedge of protection around your feelings and thoughts and keeps you from being overwhelmed.

·       Your circumstances may not change but you now have the promise of Jesus’ to get you through your circumstance.

The disciples were aware of Jesus’ presence when he showed them his hands and side. Are you aware of Jesus’ presence in your life? Does Jesus come to mind as you go about the routine activities of your day?

You can discover God’s peace when you’re intentional about recognizing and acclimating yourself to the presence of Jesus in your everyday life.

·       The more you join with Jesus during the day,

·       the more you learn to nurture your awareness of his presence,

·       the more you commune with him in your spirit,

·       the more you depend upon him for guidance and strength,

·       the more conscious you become of his presence with you.

And you will find peace in even the most stressful, and fearful situations…Just as the disciples did.

Transition: The disciples were afraid and Jesus’ presence brought them peace. And they’ll need it. Let’s see why?

II. John 20:21              Jesus gives us our mission

Read: John 20:21

The disciples knew it was their responsibility to share their teachers words with others…that’s what disciples did, they learned and then shared the teachings of their Master with others.

Question: Is this what the disciples were doing?

No. They were hiding in fear. They were afraid to share Jesus’ teachings with others.

In verse 21 Jesus reminds his disciples, then and now, of their and our responsibility… ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’

In other words Jesus was saying ‘You haven’t been with me these past 3 years to hide in fear and keep all that you have heard and seen to yourselves. Go out and tell others’ 

Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Then you have the same calling…you are a people on mission.

But, what’s the mission? OK. Let’s look at the words of the text. ‘(just) as the Father has sent me, (in the same way) I am sending you.’. The words ‘just’ and ‘in the same way’ are not in the text but are understood…like … ‘go to the store for me.’  The ‘you’ is understood.

OK, In what way did the Father send the Son?

Read: Luke 19:10 ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

That’s your mission too, if you call yourself a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ. And truth be told, there’s perhaps no call that brings more fear to more people then this one.

Question: What are Christians afraid of when asked to share their faith with others?

But remember, the acknowledged and lived out presence of Jesus in your life brings peace where there was once fear.

The theme of being ‘sent’ runs throughout the entire New Testament. And I can say with great assurance that it’s God’s will for your life. It’s God’s will that you, and every other Christian alive, be a people on a mission.

Transition: I love God’s Word for what it doesn’t leave out. When God calls, God empowers. When God reveals to us his will, he gives us the ability to carry out his will. As we’ll see in vs 22.

III. John 20:22   Jesus gives us the power for mission   

Read: John 20:22

To accomplish this task, to carry out God’s will, disciples, then and now, need divine enablement. Do you see it? Jesus, after he commissions them, gives them the Holy Spirit. After he reveals his will, he enables them to carry it out…and that’s still how he works today.

It’s as if Jesus was saying ‘Look, I know you’re afraid, I know what I have asked you to do is…huge and you’re wondering how you can do it. Remember back in the Upper Room, I promised that I will never leave you nor forsake you, I promised I would send another comforter who will be with you forever? Well, here he is…receive the Holy Spirit, just as I promised.’

What great verbal pictures the words ‘he breathed on them and said ‘receive the Holy Spirit’  The same word ‘breathed’ is found in two places in the OT.

·       Gen. 2:7 ‘the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’ This time, it is Jesus, the Son of God who is breathing the breath/Spirit of eternal life, into his disciples…just as he has done in the life of every Christian.

·       Ezek. 37:1-14 we find the prophesy concerning the ‘dry bones’. Ezekiel is told to prophesy to the ‘breath/spirit’ to come and breathe on the corpses so that they will come alive again. In vs 14 God promises ‘I will put my Spirit within you and you will come to life.’ It’s the indwelling Holy Spirit who gives us life…eternal life. And he comes through faith in Jesus.

Transition: Have you received the Holy Spirit? Then you are ready for mission. Jesus now tells his disciples, then and now, what our message is.

IV. John 20:23  Jesus gives us the message for mission

Read: John 20:23

This verse sounds rather confusing, doesn’t it? It sounds like we have the power to forgive sins? Right?

Question: Is that true? Do we have the power to forgive sins? According to God’s Word, who alone has the power to forgive sin?

Jesus. So then, what is this saying?

I believe Jesus is giving us the message we’re to proclaim as a people on a mission. The message is simple; the same one Jesus proclaimed…it’s the message of forgiveness.

Read: Luke 24:47 ‘repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations…’

God has provided the way so he can treat us, not with justice, but with love. He did this by placing our sin on Jesus and nailing it and him to the cross. He died, paying the penalty for our sin.

·       God’s justice is satisfied,

·       God’s love is poured out

·       and our sin is forgiven.

Our message is forgiveness to all who place their faith in Jesus. Those who do find forgiveness. Those who refuse, don’t. Hard, yes, but still true.

That’s the Good News…forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ. But we also must tell the bad news, the truth that to deny Christ is to refuse forgiveness. Those not forgiven will suffer the justice and wrath of God.

I’m glad there’s Good News…how about you?

Conclusion

It’s my prayer that you, we will continually seek God’s face

It’s my prayer that you, we will recognize that we need God to live our lives fully, day by day.

It’s my prayer that God will breathe in us once again, each day, maybe for some for the first time.

Will you join me and throw open the windows of your life and let God breathe in you?

Will you open your hearts with me an pray

·       ‘Please Lord, come and fill me!

·       Come and show me your love!

·       Come and encourage me!

·       Come and bring me your peace so that I might carry out your will…

·       so that I might go as you send me,

·       so that I might boldly take the message of forgiveness of sin to all who will hear!’ Amen.

It’s my prayer that you, me, we will accept God’s call, God’s will to be a ‘people on a mission.’