Easter 2020 Isolated

Welcome: He is Risen....He is Risen Indeed

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Today we are reminded that Jesus will do anything to be with us at our greatest need. Illustration Crickett calling and saying there is someone at the door…Even though I misunderstood there nothing was going to stop me from getting to my wife in a time of need. Jesus proved this by dying on the cross rising from the dead and in our scripture walking through walls.

Prayer

NLT

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

It was Sunday night and they were sheltered in place…they were afraid because of everything that was happening in Jerusalem. They had been seen with Jesus....Not only that they had spoken about Jesus....everyone knew these men were his disciples.

They had believed in Jesus and thought they would be part of the new order…but in just a few hours they saw the power of the establishment. They watched as the priest orchestrated a web of disinformation and ultimately the death of Jesus.

They were convinced they were next. They had every right to believe this to be true. The establishment would not rest until everyone who followed this so called Messiah either recanted or was destroyed....

They were alone…yes they had each other but their accumulated fear was greater than the memory of Jesus…Jesus always made them feel like they could change the world…Jesus always had answers even if they did not always understand them.

Jesus always came through with a miracle of some kind to help them overcome their fears and doubts…If Jesus were here he would know what to do. Yes they had heard the women say that Jesus was alive…they heard them say he was resurrected but they were women…They wanted it to be true…but they watched him die.

Then all of the sudden there was this presence that appeared among them…It was Jesus!!! Out of thin air he appeared…the doors were locked and the were all focused on the door at least from the corner of their eyes waiting for soldiers or temple guards to come and take them as well…no one walked in....and no one wanted out.

So this was another twist another miracle another answer to their prayers…Jesus would know what to do…He walked through walls just to be with them in their hour on need. He turned their fear into joy…and offered His peace.

Can you see it? Can you feel it? The disciples had every right to be fearful…They were facing something they never though they would face and they felt they were all alone. Then all of the sudden the see that Jesus is with them. Jesus is not scolding them because of their fear…

Instead Jesus comes and offers peace in the midst of their fear. Jesus had bee preparing his disciples for this moment for His entire ministry. He knew that this good news this resurrection would challenge those in authority and He knew that they would not go quietly…yet he did not want the disciples to raise and army…He did not want them to overthrow the government.

Jesus wanted them to raise a Hallelujah! He wanted them to go forth and praise God for what He had done. There was now forgivness, and freedom for not just the people of Isreal but for the entire world.

Jesus had conquered the grave sin and the world even though He had not taken over the government…even though the Romans were still in control of the land…Jesus had died and rose from the dead and offers that same ressurection power to all who would follow. They would be sent Just as Jesus had been sent....

Jesus would go with them. By breathing on them Jesus imparted the Holy Spirit to them…we often think of Acts chapter 2 as the coming of Holy Spirit…but Holy Spirit was already with them…Acts is the manifestation of Holy Spirit.

As they recieved Holy Spirit they would be able to overcome fear, and other obstacles and they raised their Hallelujah all over the world.

This truth in this story is just a real for you and I hear and now as it was for them then and there.

God does not condemn us for our fear....He enters out lives with peace in the midst of our fear.

When He enters it is ok to be joyful in the midst of real fearful circumstances

He is sending us with a helper on mission in the midst of uncertainty

We are called to raise a Hallelujah…Let’s praise Him by receiving the Lord’s Supper together...

Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only- begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

New Living Translation Chapter 6

Sin’s Power Is Broken

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only- begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Romans 6:1-11

Sin’s Power Is Broken

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only- begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

This is a memorial of His Death, a celebration of His Presence, and a reminder of His coming again. Let us praise the Father Son and Holy Spirit by partaking together

Bread

Juice

Benediction:

(based on ) All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, the God of all consolation.Do not rely on yourselves alone, but put your trust in him.For the God who can raise the dead to life again will also deliver you!