Untitled Sermon

ME:

Pledge

Passage: John 20:19

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Series entitled “Break the Law”

Theophany moments

2 sermons thus far ....

First .... “Jesus walked on water.”

You can be miles off shore in a storm ...

.... but you are never to far for Jesus

.... no storms of life are to big for God

He will rescue us in the storms

Not FROM the storms .... but He rescues us IN the storms.

Secondly .... “Moses and the Burning Bush.”

You can be out in the middle of a field in the dark ....

But not hidden from God

God will find you and when he does “he has a purpose for you.”

He will rescue us from slavery

God is still in the business of freeing his people from slavery today

As a matter of fact this is exactly what Christ did on the cross ....

Freed us from sin (Slaves to it)

Sin takes us captive

Transition Statement: This week we are going to look at the disciples who were shaking in a locked room.

WE:

Have you ever felt scared?

As a child .... (Dark - Monsters under your bed - strange noises)

As a teen .... (Public speaking - Roller Coaster - Not being liked - Failing a test - what your friends might think)

As an adult .... (Loosing a job - Screwing up your kids - losing a loved)

How about dying?

Fearful of it?

(In 2018 … fear of dying out rank “public speaking” for the first time. (48) PS was (52))

I don’t think we fear death that much ....... until we are faced with it!

I am reminded of a story when I was called to go visit an elderly man who had cancer and was dying.

Couldn’t talk but knew you were in the room

Nurses said he struggles and fights with them.

They saw fear in his eyes .... fear of dying.

Transitions Statement: This is how we find the disciples of Christ in this verse.

GOD:

They are afraid they are going to be killed.

I believe they might have been feeling the same thing this elderly man who was dying from cancer.

I went into the hospital that day and no family members were there … no nurses ..... just me and this gentleman.

And of course Jesus!!!!!

I introduced myself and saw the fear that everyone was telling me about.

After a few minutes of chatting (I did all the talking) I grabbed his hand and prayed over him. I asked him to repeat in his heart the sinners prayer and introduced him to Jesus who was in the room the whole time.

After we said amen, he opened his eyes and I saw tears and a smile.

I left and was informed a few days later that this man had passed.

They proceeded to tell me that he was different after my visit.

He was calmer, less agitated, and more at peace.

You want to know why .......?

JESUS entered the room! Entered this mans heart!

In this verse of scripture we find a room full of scared followers of Christ.

Expound what has taken place.

They were not at the Crucifixion (except John, Mary, and Mary)

They struggled believing that the tomb was empty (saw it with their own eyes but struggled to believe what they saw)

They were gripped with FEAR to the degree of hiding (Locked doors [Plural], all together)

But something miraculous happen ..... a law of nature was broken ...... JESUS entered a locked room.

Walked through walls ...... was transported into the center of the room.

This should not be something that astounds us.

We read in scripture about “Angels appearing out of thin air”

But it is something that “breaks the law of nature.”

We find a room full of “Scared to death” people believing they are next to die at the hands of the Jews Religious leaders.

But instead they open their eyes to see a resurrected Christ standing in the middle of the room.

What Jesus offers them is not an explanation but a gift ....... “Peace be with you.”

VS 20 tells us how they responded to this Theophany moment, “The disciples were glad....”

That word “Glad” in the Greek is “Chairo” (Rejoice)

Why were they rejoicing?

The PEACE of GOD entered the room.

Transition Statement: I believe that elderly gentleman who had cancer knew exactly how these disciples felt when Jesus entered the room.

YOU: