You've Now Been Given Th e Car Keys
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Yesterday, Janice and I took our grandson, Easton, to the Tam O’shanter park for a walk and a bike ride. Easton has his own bike, which is actually a bit small for him, but we stuffed it into the trunk and took it along. Additionally, on the bike rack we had placed his new, big boy bike, which is actually slightly too big for him.
When we unloaded the bikes, we put the bigger bike on the ground and asked him to try it first. He obliged, but quickly discovered that it was too large by falling to the ground and skinning his hand and knee. (Bad grandparenting for not seeing this would happen before it did).
But i recognized that htis was a teachable moment, and an opportunity for him to learn trust with his papa, so i insisted he get back on the bike and I would hold it up for him and not let go while he tried again. He insisted that I not let go, and I promied I would not. He wnet further and longer, and while I wanted to let go to see what would happen, I did not because of my promise. He trusted me, and rode it to satisfy my request, but quickly put it back on the rack.
Another bike story… many of you know I like to ride motorcycles. Having taken a little time off this past week, I drove back to my old neighborhood to see my best friend, Ed and his wife Sue. They are special to me.
As I made it to their neighborhood, i was driving down the street and to my surprise they were driving in the opposite direction and so I honked and turned around and we stopped in the middle of the street and chitchatted for a few minutes.
Now, you need to know I hadn’t called ahead, I was risking driving in there and not seeing them, but that was ok as the weather was nice and the ride was wonderful. As we talked, Ed & Sue informed me they had a busy afternoon planned and appointments they had to keep and were regretful they were not going to be able to visit.
I was fine with that. I can come back.
Before we go any further, you need to know that I’d trust Ed with most anything. For years what was his was mine and what was mine was his for the asking. But I’m a little selfish with a few things these days. One of which is my motorcycle. I don’t easily let others ride it… in fact, I have never let anyone ride it.
so there we were in the street together, and Ed says, I wish you would ‘ve called ahead and told me you were coming. I want to ride your motorcycle.
I immediately responded, “I’m so glad I didn’t call ahead to tell you I was coming.” Sue laughed, Ed smiled.
I really trust him with anything, but maybe not the bike fully.
So what does that have to do with the text today? Let’s look together.
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.”
It had been a long day. It had begun with that early morning visit from Mary Magdalene saying that the tomb was empty. John and Peter had run there and then come back confirming the news.
Now, in fear of their own lives, the disciples are in a room with the doors locked because they fear the Jews will come for them.
And to their surprise, Jesus miraculously shows up. the key to this verse is two fold.
First, Jesus just appears beyond the locked doors without anyone opening them to let him in… that should catch our attention.
but secondly, what he says.
They are scared for their lives. They’ve hidden away and are behind locked doors for fear of their lives.
And Jesus says, “Peace”.
Peace. Be with you.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
This verse is simple. He shows them his hand and his side, and they are happy- glad to see him.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
Now Jesus says more.
first, he repeats himself. Peace. be with you.
Now he adds more. As the Father has sent me, I am now sending you.
This is significant.
I’m sending you out with a task. A purpose. It’s the same one that my Father sent me with.
So, I am sending you in the same way.
You’ve heard the phrase, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat”, right? Well, keep that n mind ehre.
Jesus said, as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. He didn’t say we were to duplicate his work, ,..... we couldn’t. He said the way he was sending us was the same, but the way we do it is likely not going to be a xerox or carbon copy.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
And next, he said to them something that we should note- and I’m sure they remembered when the day of Pentecost came.
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Let’s stop for a moment.
Let’s stop and review.
Jesus said to scared men to be peaceful, He was sending them with a task, just as His father had sent him, and he urges them to receive the Holy Spirit (as if they were going to need it for that task).
it is obvious, the giving of the Holy Spirit will be to do what He is sending them to do.
The job of being on mission with and for Jesus, in the way Jesus sends us to be in mission, requires something beyond ourselves. It requires the Holy Spirit.
And yet, we don’t know for sure what that task is. Oh, there’s one more verse.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
There it is.
Forgiveness.
Forgive sins, so they are forgiven.
Withhold forgiveness, it is withheld.
Wait. What?
Forgive sins. Okay, good.
Withhold forgiveness… what?
Let’s stop and be clear. Real clear.
We all should be more forgiving. But at the end of the day, forgiving sins- that is the work of Jesus. We are to declare it, practice it, and encourage it- but the work of forgiveness of sin belongs to Jesus.
And when we read, “withhold forgiveness” we read unforgiveness and that’s not quite the right read on the verse. The right read would be that we declare to all that to not receive the forgiveness that jesus offers would be the equivalent of continuing to carry the punishment and the results of sin- and there’s a better way, and the followers of Jesus have it so they should declare it so others can receive forgiveness.
How does that happen? How is that possible?
Well, first the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But secondly, and he already told us this, it is the peace of Christ in us from being forgiven that gives us the ability to declare how wonderful that forgiveness really is.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
The fear that locks you in a room with other believers is wrong, disciples. I’ve got something more for you. Peace… my peace, from a forgiven heart that knows the forgiver intimately.
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
So, Jesus tells these scared frightened hiding behind locked doors followers.... Find your peace. I’m leaving it with you for a reason. Because I’m sending you in mission as the Father sent me in mission. But you won’t have to receive the penalty of your sins, you only need to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to carry that mission out. So go in your peace and my power to tell them that they don’t have to be afraid of their sin or of death… thell them they can be forgiven! like you are! and have peace! Like you have!
Bottom Line:
God Trusts You Enough To Share the Peace and the Power of His Forgiveness
God Trusts You Enough To Share the Peace and the Power of His Forgiveness
What have you been trusted with?
Your mother’s secret pie recipe?
Can you remember the first time you drove the family car?
How about the company secrets?
Or the recipe for Coke or the Colonel’s secret recipe?
Or your best friends last wishes?
Or the life of a newborn child?
What is the most trust you hae ever been given?
I want you to imagine the awesome responsibility that comes with handling the forgiveness of God. Let me say that again.
Because that is exactly what we are talking about this morning.
God has entrusted us with the message of his forgiveness.
You see, when you have God’s forgiveness you have His peace.
When you have god’s forgiveness, He gives the Holy Spirit to beleivers.
but he also gives us the keys to the car, in fact the keys to the kingdom.
The peace of god and the power of the Holy spirit are given to forgiven Believers andthey are the key to the kingdom. Are you up to the task?
you better be, because He has called and sent the church on mission.
And some of you just shuddered. Probably much like the apostle Paul on the Damascus road or before the Sanhedrin… or when he penned these words....
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
Who is sufficient for these things?
When I ask you to be ready to share the love and forgiveness of Christ, you may have asked that very question witht he apostle Paul.
But understand the answer- no one. Aside from Jesus.
Jesus isn’t asking us to die on a cross for the worlds’ sins.
He isn’t asking us to tell the world they deserve to die on a cross for their sins.
He’s asking us to tell them that he already did. And to take that message of his love and forgiveness and share it high and low far and wide in the peace and power of the holy spirit that he alone gives us.