Christ Comes, We Encounter, Lives are Changed

It was strange being away last week but our family had a really good time. It seems that we have been gone for three weeks instead of one.
The one good thing when I am not here is that you get to hear someone else speak to you.
I know you were blessed to hear Dr. Weimer last week and really see his heart for God’s Kingdom. I hope you loved to hear him and you were blessed by what he had to say.
Trips like the one we took rejuvenate you and refocus you on what is important. God’s beautiful creation and family were two things that stuck out to me.
This morning I want to start off with you a little different. I am going to start with a question that we are coming back to later in this sermon.
This question could simply be asked, WHY ARE YOU HERE TODAY? WHY DID YOU COME TO WORKSHIP HERE AT THIS PLACE?
We will come back to this question in a few moments. But before we come back to this let me share with you some thoughts.
TROUBLE In this life.
We live in a world filled with trouble. I think if we all were honest with each other we could admit that we all have something on our hearts that troubles us or gives us some stress in our lives.
I read a story some time back about the Civil War, It seems as if a Union soldier was shot in the arm during the battle of Shiloh.
His captain saw he was wounded and barked out an order, "Gimme your gun, Private, and get to the rear!"
The private handed over his rifle and ran toward the rear, seeking safety.
But after only going about two or three hundred yards, he came upon another battle. So he ran to the left, and found himself in another part of the battle.
Then he ran to the right, but encountered more fighting there.
Finally, he ran back to the front lines shouting, "Gimme back my rifle, Cap’n .There ain’t no rear to this battle no where!"
Many of us feel just like this soldier. We feel like there is trouble all around us.
I believe if we were to be honest and transparent with each other we all have big questions. We all want to know something or we all want to have closure to some problems
All of us deal with fear of the future or just fear of a sickness or problem that we have to face.
It is with these problems and troubles that we turn to the Lord.
In the Scripture we see this idea over and over again.
We see people with Trouble come to Jesus to get answers. Some want to be healed and some want an answer to a problem.
We have seen this in John’s Gospel. We have seen all types of people come to Jesus for answers to their problems.
John’s Gospel:
We have noticed many themes from this Gospel and you can tell that it is a treasure trove of information.
We have noticed the theme of Creation in John’s Gospel – In the Beginning – Jesus is bringing the New Creation.
We have noticed the repetition of the number seven – We have noticed the Seven I AM statements of Jesus that make us think back to the burning bush and Moses – When God says that His name is I AM.
John lays out more than any other gospel that Jesus is the New Temple
John also introduces to the idea of Jesus miracles as being merely Signs- The signs point to a greater truth.
Today as we are wrapping up our series on John’s Gospel I want to give you a new theme – one of Christ’s Coming.
We see this theme of Jesus coming all through this gospel. As a matter of fact this theme is found in all four gospels with the Matthew using this word 25 times.
Jesus comes to certain geographic regions and encounters people in all kinds of situations, we see this theme repeated over and over again.
The theme of Coming in John’s Gospel focuses on different theme:
The Logos coming into the world
God in flesh coming into the world.
Light coming into the world.
Coming from the Father
Coming down from Heaven
Coming in the Name of the Father
Coming to do the will of the Father.
In Matthew’s Gospel the very beginning of the story of the Gospel begins with John the Baptist asking Jesus – ARE YOU THE ONE TO COME?
Jesus can simply be summed up as the COMING ONE – the one that comes into this world to bring peace, resolution to our deepest needs, and healing that only God can bring.
The list goes on an on in John’s Gospel but you get the idea – John is telling us that Jesus is coming into our world and things will never be the same again.
FORMULA – Jesus comes to a region – people come to Jesus to get some type of healing or answer- Jesus blesses them, heals them or answers them – they go away and tell others or go away rejoicing.
In your personal study time pick up the Gospels and see how many times you see that formula play out – Jesus comes into a geographic region, folks come to Him, and He interacts with them.
FORMULA: JESUS COMES, PEOPLE COME TO HIM FOR SPECIFIC REASONS, JESUS BRINGS AND ANSWER TO THAT PROBLEM OR SOME TYPE OF PEACE OR RESOLUTION
This is one of the major themes of the Scripture.
Today we will see that theme play out again in our passage – we will see Jesus after His resurrection come to His followers.
These were the same guys that had fled in fear – they didn’t stay with Him through His toughest hour. They were huddled up afraid of the Romans and what might happen to them.
They have locked the door in fear but this doesn’t stop Jesus.
Jesus is able to come in any way. Lets pick up with our passage today.
John 20:19-23
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with 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, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
Here are the things that we need to pause and notice:
1) Jesus came in to them- even though they had locked the doors because of fear
2) He revealed Himself to them – He showed them his hands and side
3) He gave them peace
4) He breathed the New life of the Holy Spirit upon them and commissioned them
5) He sent the idea of forgiveness of sins into the world – for ages the Jews had wondered how God would finally forgive the sins of man and now it is being revealed in Jesus

Now consider how refreshing it was for the disciples that Jesus had come to them. They had gathered together and Jesus came- how good that made them feel.
Jesus came to bring healing peace to them in a tumultuous time
He wanted to show them it was Him – he forgives sin. We see this same formula play out later in John chapter 20 You remember the story of doubting Thomas. Thomas is the same one that told Jesus that he would go to Jerusalem and die with Him. Now he is doubting that Jesus rose from the dead. Thomas wants proof postitive of Jesus resurrection.
Just 8 days later Jesus will reappear to the Apostles again. Notice the same formula that occurs.
John 20: 26- 29
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands ; and reach here your hand and put it into My side ; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God !" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed ? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed
Notice what happens again. –
The doors are closed again but that cant keep out Jesus.
The risen Lord supernaturally comes through the door, and gives them Peace again.
Jesus wants to bring peace to our chaotic lives.
He then encounters Thomas and reveals His identity to him – Jesus shows that He is God in the Flesh.
And then something that will launch us into our application for today’s lesson - Jesus issues a blessing to those that are coming after Thomas that will believe in Jesus without ever seeing Him in the flesh.
Jesus is talking about people like us!!
People assembled in His name that believe in Him without ever seeing him in the flesh.
Now this goes back to my original question to you this morning. Why are you here?
Why do we come together on Sunday morning?
This morning I will propose to you that we come here to experience the Risen Christ. You may think I have lost my mind by saying this.
You may be saying, I come here every Sunday and I have never seen Jesus walk in the door and sit among us.
I have never seen Jesus walk in here and present his risen body to us like He did Thomas. And I will agree with you about this but with caveats.
I would like to propose to you this morning that we do experience Christ but in a different way. We experience Christ in a way that the Bible anticipates.
I will tell you this morning that Luke the Evangelist answers this question as to how we will experience Christ after Jesus has ascended to Heaven.
Remember that Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
Luke closes out his Gospel with a resurrection appeareance in Luke 24 of two men on the road to Emmaus.
Jesus appears to these two men after He has been resurrected and they are distraught because they think Jesus is a failed Messiah. The resurrection is something that has not crossed their minds.
As Jesus walks with them they don’t not recognize Him at first.
It tells them that Jesus begins to teach these men from the Scriptures about why he had to suffer and die. They still don’t recognize Him but their hearts are burning because of the teaching from Scripture.
It is Scriptural teaching that convicts these men and has their hearts aflame.
Then the climax of the story comes when Jesus eats with these men and shares bread with them.
Now you will notice a striking similarity between this story and the Lord’s Supper.
In the Lord’s Supper narrative we see that Jesus takes break, blesses the bread, and gives it to them.
Breaking blessing giving
Now let us look at this story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24
Luke 24: 30-31
30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
Notice the similarity between this story and the Lord’s Supper – the same verbs and same Greek is used – it is identical.
Notice something mystical happens – and I don’t mean that hokie but literally. It is a mystery but I think Luke is telling us something important. How will Christians recognize Jesus when he ascends to Heaven and we no longer see Him in the flesh?
Let us continue in Luke 24 to get that answer… These men get up from this encounter with Jesus and go to the other Disciples to tell them what happened. Notice when they recognized Jesus.
Luke 24: 33-35
33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread
They recognized the risen Jesus in the breaking of the Bread.
The early Church picked up on this. The Emmaus Road story is on a Sunday. This is a fact not lost on me.
Now turn to Acts 2 and you will notice something about the early Christian community. When the first Christians start tow worship right after the ascension of Jesus notice how the experience Christ. Jesus has returned to Heaven at the right hand of the Father.
Now IN Acts 2: 42
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
When you make the connection with Luke 24 and realize the same author is telling you something you have a Eureka moment.
What is the Church doing? Teaching from the Apostles (the Emmaus men had the hearts aflame from Jesus teaching) fellowship, the breaking of Bread – and prayer.
This is worship as we know it – Reading Scripture – teaching or preaching, fellowship with each other, and then the taking of the Lord’s Supper.
This is amazing stuff that this connection is made with the early Church – After the ascension this is how the experienced Christ – through the ministry of the Word and the Lord’s Supper.
In the Lord’s Supper the brought to the present time the story and drama of the Cross and the resurrection.
The bread and cup were a time of Communion – Communion with each other – the table unites us as Christians and also communion with God in Christ.
The Cross of Christ is our altar that atones for our sins and the Table is the celebration of God’s fellowship and love for us.
Here are some practical ways this plays out.
1) Come to worship on Sunday with your hands Empty – you cannot bring anything to God that He needs but He has every thing that you need.
Come to worship with your problems and pain and come here expecting to be picked up by Christ.
IN our stories today the Disciples were distraught because their savior was dead but He gives them strength when He appears resurrected.
Thomas is doubting but Jesus gives Him the evidence He needs.
Come here with your problems and doubts and Jesus will give you what you need.
2) Come to worship and make it a God centered experience.
Worship is something that is about glorifying God. When we get that fixed and that attitude right then it will fix us. We will be different when we place God at the center of our worship experience.
That speaks to our attitudes. We should have a sense of Awe for God and what He has done.

A SENSE OF WONDER – EXPERIENCING THE RISEN CHRIST
"I was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975.
It was a night launch, and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking, and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket.
"The countdown came, and then the launch. The first thing you see is this extraordinary orange light, which is just at the limit of what you can bear to look at.
Everything is illuminated with this light.
Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence, because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across.
You hear a ’WHOOOOOSH HHHHMMMM’ It enters right into you.
"You can practically hear jaws dropping. The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place, as this thing goes up and up.
The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame. It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it. And then there’s total silence.
“People just get up quietly, helping each other up.
They’re kind. They open doors.
They look at one another, speaking quietly and interestedly
. These were suddenly moral people because the sense of wonder, the experience of wonder, had made them moral."
If you think the Apollo rocket brings awe to someone how about the one that made the universe and everything in it. How about the one that can save us for eternity?
If we come to worship with that type of attitude we will leave here different people.
3) Come to worship expecting the Presence of Christ
Speaking of the Church and Christians assembled together Christ says this:
Matthew 18: 18-20
18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven ; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
How many of us believe this today?
Christ makes an unbelievable promise – if we gather in His name He will come to our midst.
He doesn’t make caveats to this claim.
Let me ask you a question- Are we gathered in His Name?
Do you think Christ is here Present among us?
What if you could see Him in the flesh in his glorified resurrected body?
Would you thank Him for what He did for you? We would all be lined up and mobbing Christ wanting to show our love and affection for Him.
Do you think God set up a way we can show that appreciation? Here is one way- Worship and particularly the Lord’s Supper.
What are we saying in the Lord’s Supper – Thank you Christ – Thank you for what you have done. People will spend more time thanking their earthly fathers for what they have done but spend little or no time in thanking God the Father for the gift of Christ.
The earliest name for the Lord’s Supper was not the Lord’s Supper but the Eucharist – this is the word for Thanksgiving- because Jesus gave thanks for the bread.
We are so thankful that we take the Table of the Lord serious. How we do this says a lot about or belief system.
Why are we here today?
I hope to experience the Risen Christ – to be changed to be filled up, to be transformed
To be followers that will go out and be those that are sent as Christ’s ambassadors to the world.
Part of the experience of meeting Christ is forgiveness of sins.
We saw in John 20 that Jesus tells His followers that because of his work forgiveness of sins is given to you today if you want it.
The story of Peter is telling. Later in John’s gospel Jesus appears to the Disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee – He is cooking fish on a charcoal fire.
Peter swims to the shore to see Jesus – He is so excited because he was the one that denied Him. He has guilt and Jesus forgives Him.
Jesus is cooking on this fire and the last time Peter smelled a charcoal fire He was denying Christ 3 times.
3 times Christ asks him if He loves him and three times Christ commissions Peter to Pastoral work in the Kingdom.
That is what experiencing Christ is all about – when you come to Him – he forgives you for your sin and then sends you out into His kingdom a changed and transformed person.