You're watching:
From Closed Doors to the Open Road
By Skip Heitzig
John 20:19-23

Our relationship with Jesus isn't a secret to be hoarded; it is a story to be heralded! The disciples were seated behind closed doors (sounds like a lot of churches). Jesus wanted them out, giving away what they had been given. Let's see how these early followers went from panic to peace, from perplexity to purpose, and from protection to power. It's a great journey. Are you up for it?

From the teaching series 43 John - Believe:879 - 2009

Buy a CD

John 20 (NKJV™)
19	Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "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.
21	So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
22	And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23	"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

<p><strong>From Closed Doors to the Open Road - John 20:19-23</strong><br /> From the series: 43 John - Believe:879 - 2009<br /> <em>By Skip Heitzig </em><p></p> <p><strong>MESSAGE SUMMARY</strong></p> <p>Our relationship with Jesus isn't a secret to be hoarded; it is a story to be heralded! The disciples were seated behind closed doors (sounds like a lot of churches). Jesus wanted them out, giving away what they had been given. Let's see how these early followers went from panic to peace, from perplexity to purpose, and from protection to power. It's a great journey. Are you up for it?</p> <p><strong>OUTLINE</strong></p> <p><ol type="I"> <li>The Expression of Peace (vv. 19, 21)</li><br /> <li>The Experience of Purpose (vv. 21, 23)<br /> <ol type="A"> <br /> <li>You Have a Mission</li><br /> <li>You Have the Resources</li><br /> </ol> </li> <li>The Enabling of Power (v. 22)</li><br /> </ol><p>Stuff to Consider:</p><ol> <li>Instead of explaining the resurrection to His disciples, on what did Jesus concentrate when He first appeared to them? What does this say about Jesus' priorities?</li><br /> <li>What has convinced you of the reality of the risen Christ? How would you explain this reason for your faith to a nonbeliever?</li><br /> <li>Rate yourself from 1 to 10: How peaceful of a person are you? How well do you know your purpose in life? How's your experience of spiritual power?</li><br /> </ol></p> <p><strong>DETAILED NOTES </strong></p> <p><ol type="I"><li>Introduction <ol type="A"> <li>Excuses <ol> <li>Skin of a reason, stuffed with a lie</li> <li>Disciples in Upper room, doors locked behind them <ol type="a"> <li>Excuse: fear of losing their lives</li> <li>Jesus is risen; Peter, John, and many women already discovered that</li> </ol> </li> <li>What is our excuse for sitting behind closed doors of the church and not letting the best message in the world out?</li> </ol> </li> <li>George Barna survey <ol> <li>In almost every church only a small group of people are passionate about evangelism</li> <li>Has the local church gotten a vision for reaching unbelievers? If not, then it isn't really a church, it's just a group of people intrigued by religion</li> <li>89% of churchgoers believe the purpose of the church is to "take care of my needs and the needs of my family"</li> <li>11% said the purpose of the church is to tell the world about Jesus</li> </ol> </li> <li>Questions <ol> <li>How can we change from fear to courage?</li> <li>How do we fulfill the intention God has for us as individuals and as a church?</li> <li>How do we do the work of God on earth and not get burned out in the process?</li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li> The Expression of Peace (vv. 19, 21) <ol type="A"> <li>Setting <ol> <li>First day of the week <ol type="a"> <li>Why we have church on Sundays</li> <li>In Acts, they meet on subsequent Sundays</li> <li>Commemorate the resurrection</li> </ol> </li> <li>Behind closed doors <ol type="a"> <li>Κλείω; kleió-shut, barred and locked</li> <li>Perhaps the same upper room where they had eaten the Passover</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>How did Jesus get in? <ol> <li>Commentators who don't believe in resurrection <ol type="a"> <li>Climbed in a window</li> <li>Slid down the roof</li> </ol> </li> <li>Jesus suddenly appeared <ol type="a"> <li>From out of nowhere</li> <li>If He can ascend through grave clothes, what's a wall?</li> <li>A preview of coming attractions: what our resurrected body will be like <ol type="i"> <li>"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" (<span class='verse'>Philippians 3:20-21</span>)</li> <li>Ability to travel great distances, almost instantly</li> <li>Move through walls undisturbed</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>Disciple's initial response: fear <ol> <li>"But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit" (<span class='verse'>Luke 24:37</span>)</li> <li>Ruth Dillow <ol type="a"> <li>Received communication from the Pentagon that her son Clayton was killed; stepped on a landmine in Kuwait</li> <li>"I can't begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For three days I wept. For three days I expressed anger. For three days I experienced true loss. For three days people tried to comfort me, to no avail because the loss was too great"</li> <li>Received a phone call: "Mom"—her son was alive</li> <li>"I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels, because my son, whom I thought was dead, was really alive"</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>Jesus first word: peace <ol> <li>שָׁלוֹם; shalom peace</li> <li>Most common Hebrew greeting</li> <li>Mah Shlomcha: How is your peace?</li> <li>He didn't scold, rebuke, rebuff <ol type="a"> <li>"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities" (<span class='verse'>Psalm 103:10</span>)</li> <li>"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (<span class='verse'>John 14:27</span>)</li> </ol> </li> <li>Peace with God is possible <ol type="a"> <li>He has been on the cross, in the grave, now alive from the grave conquered death</li> <li>Shows hands, wounds <ol type="i"> <li>Identifies Himself</li> <li>Proof of peace</li> </ol> </li> <li>Basis for our peace with God: the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>Joy (v. 20) <ol> <li>Transitioned from fear to joy because a risen Savior proclaimed peace to them</li> <li>His finished work on the cross</li> </ol> </li> <li>God offers peace today</li> <li>Fear the number one hindrance to sharing the gospel <ol> <li>Layton Ford (associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Association <ol type="a"> <li>9% too busy, forget</li> <li>12% life doesn't speak what it should</li> <li>28% afraid they don't have the right information</li> <li>51% afraid of the response</li> </ol> </li> <li>Fear keeps people behind locked doors</li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li> The Experience of Purpose (vv. 21, 23) <ol type="A"> <li>You Have a Mission: Share what we know about Christ with others <ol> <li>Some think only professionals are called: untrue <ol type="a"> <li>Upper room: ten apostles, disciples on the road to Emmaus, women who visited the tomb</li> <li>Commission for every believer</li> </ol> </li> <li>We Represent Him to each other and to the world</li> <li>We continue the ministry of Christ on earth <ol type="a"> <li>"The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach" (<span class='verse'>Acts 1:1</span>)</li> <li>Entrusted with His Word and His work</li> </ol> </li> <li>Disciple's failure <ol type="a"> <li>They ran away</li> <li>Peter denied Him</li> <li>They forsook Him (only John was at the Cross)</li> </ol> </li> <li>Jesus gives them another opportunity <ol type="a"> <li>He never tells the world to go to church</li> <li>He tells the church to go to the world: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (<span class='verse'>Mark 16:15</span>)</li> </ol> </li> <li>Commissioned <ol type="a"> <li>"Christians are like a whole lot of people with colds all sitting around sneezing at each other, but nobody gets it because everybody's got it"– Paul Raider</li> <li>When are activities are all inward, something is wrong</li> <li>We exist for the benefit of unbelievers</li> <li>"The highest form of selfishness is a man who is content to go to heaven alone"—J. C. Ryle</li> </ol> </li> <li>Evangelism the way Jesus did it <ol type="a"> <li>Take the Initiative</li> <li>Open your mouth <ol type="i"> <li>Like Jesus with the woman of Samaria</li> <li>At the pool of Bethesda</li> <li>In Jericho to Zaccheus</li> </ol> </li> <li>What you proclaim with your lips, practice with your lips</li> <li>Brace yourself for opposition</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>You Have the Resources <ol> <li>"If you forgive the sins of any, they have already been forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they have already been retained"—Julius Mantey</li> <li>We cannot provide forgiveness for any person: "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (<span class='verse'>Mark 2:7</span>)</li> <li>We can proclaim forgiveness <ol type="a"> <li>Tell the good news about the slain, resurrected Christ</li> <li>When one receives Christ we can proclaim with authority, "You are forgiven"</li> <li>When one rejects, we can proclaim "You are not forgiven, your sin remains"</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol></li><li> The Enabling of Power (v. 22) <ol type="A"> <li>At the first creation, God breathed into mans nostrils the breath of life, resulting in physical life</li> <li>In the second creation, Jesus breathes into man spiritual life</li> <li>In both Hebrew and Greek, the word "breath" is the same word for "spirit" <ol> <li>ר֫וּחַ; ruach- spirit,  breath</li> <li>πνεῦμα; pneuma - spirit, breath</li> </ol> </li> <li>Pledge that they will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit <ol> <li>We can't do it alone</li> <li>"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me <a name="a"></a>in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (<span class='verse'>Acts 1:8</span>)</li> <li>Our power source</li> <li>Like a sword in the hand of a mighty soldier; it isn't the sword but the arm that wields it</li> <li>Entrust life to God</li> </ol> </li> <li>Legend of Jesus and Gabriel <ol> <li>Jesus ascended met Gabriel</li> <li>King? Prince? Worship You?</li> <li>They crucified Me. I left my followers to finish the task</li> </ol> </li> <li>We are God's plan to reach the world: there is no other plan</li> </ol></li></ol><p><strong>Hebrew terms</strong>: שָׁלוֹם; shalom-peace; Mah Shlomcha - How is your peace? ר֫וּחַ; ruach- spirit, breath<br /> <strong>Greek terms</strong>: πνεῦμα; pneuma - spirit, breath<br /> <strong>Figures referenced</strong>: George Barna; Ruth Dillow; Layton Ford; Paul Raider; J.C. Ryle; Julius Mantey<br /> <strong> Cross references</strong>: <span class='verse'>Psalm 103:10</span>; <span class='verse'>Mark 2:7</span>; <span class='verse'>Mark 16:15</span>; <span class='verse'>Luke 24:37</span>; <span class='verse'>John 14:27</span>; <span class='verse'>Acts 1:1</span>; <span class='verse'>Acts 1:8</span>; <span class='verse'>Philippians 3:20-21</span></p></p> <p> </p>

Who We Are:

We pursue the God who is passionately pursuing a lost world; we do this with one another, through worship, by the Word, to the world.

What We Do:

Upreach
We express our adoration of Jesus through dynamic worship and uncompromised obedience.

Inreach
We explain the relevance of the Bible to empower and transform lives for service.

Outreach
We extend hope to a hurting world by proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating Christ's love.

Our Beliefs

We Believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

We Believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired, without error in the original manuscripts, and the infallible rule of faith and practice.

We Believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in Holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

We Believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.

We Believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teaching, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth.

We Believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all that believe in Jesus Christ for ministry.

We Believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide.

We Believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all the Biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit.

We Believe that all people are sinners by nature and choice and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God regenerates by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

We Believe that Jesus Christ baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and empowers the believers for service, often subsequent to regeneration.

We Believe in the universal church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head, and all regenerated persons are members.

We Believe that Jesus committed two ordinances to the church: 1) Baptism and, 2) the Lord's Supper. We believe in baptism by immersion and communion open to all believers.

We Believe also in the laying on of hands for baptism of the Holy Spirit, for ordination of pastors, elders, and deacons, and receiving from the Holy Spirit through the believer the gift of healing.

We Believe in the personal, visible return of Christ to the earth and the establishing of His Kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

We Believe in what is termed the Apostles Creed as embodying the fundamental facts of Christian faith.

Contact Us
Calvary Albuquerque
4001 Osuna Rd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505-344-0880
info@calvaryabq.org

Fill out the form to email us.

Name:

E-mail:

Phone: (Optional)

Subject:

Comments:

From Closed Doors to the Open Road
By Skip Heitzig
John 20:19-23

Buy an Audio CD $4.00

From the Series:
43 John - Believe:879 - 2009

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" John 20:31.

Believe:879 is an epic journey through the book of John led by Pastor Skip Heitzig of Calvary of Albuquerque. As we explore each of the 879 verses of this gospel, we'll grow in grace and in our knowledge of Jesus Christ. From His pre-incarnate existence, to His public ministry, through His death and His resurrection we'll traverse familiar territory and embark on new adventures of faith.

Visit Believe879.com for more information on this series.

Buy Series