As the Father has sent me, so I send you

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."  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."- John 20:19‭-‬23 ESV

Dr. Kyuboem Lee

This is the story immediately after the resurrection. It seems apt that we look at this after Easter. Now Jesus is risen... now what? What is your purpose or mission? Why are you in this city (Philly)? This is a key passage for answering these questions.

Let's start at the beginning of the story. God creates Adam. This is in Genesis chapter 2. God sculpts Adam from clay. Just like an artist takes a boulder or babe clay and brings out the likeness of a human being. But after the artist is done, it is still rock or clay. But God, he breathes into the clay and Adam comes to life. Then what? God gives Adam the woman, Eve. He gives them work in the garden. They have a specific place. They are to love one another and love God.

So it is with us. God have given us a specific place to work for Him. He calls us to love those around us and love God. Consider that Jesus, in this passage breathes on his disciples. And he sends or calls them.

What happened just before this passage? Mary has told the disciples that Jesus is risen. They had heard, but they were afraid. Don't despise then for their fear. Their world has been turned upside down. Their leader, Jesus was arrested and before they knew it, Jesus was dying on the cross. They were afraid of the religious leaders and authorities. They were hiding.

Doesn't that characterize many of our actions and reactions? We make so many decisions to avoid failure. We fight changes so that we can worship with the praise music style we prefer. We want ministry that addresses our needs and our demographics.

So God tells us again and again. Do not be afraid. God is saying, "I've got this." So God sends them out and says, "I will be with you till the end of the age." God will be with us on this mission.

Adam and Eve sinned and were sent out of the garden. So it is with us, we are reminded that this is a broken and dangerous world. Mass shootings and violence. The first church had plenty of things to fear as well. They went out into the world as God sent and paid the price. They were beaten, persecuted, threatened, and some even killed for their faith. But they made disciples and kept the faith.

Jesus breathes a new life into the disciples. Just as God breathed life into Adam. Jesus is making a new creation with the Holy Spirit. Every believer is never alone. Jesus is giving the Holy Spirit, the power that resurrected Him. He gives this so that they would be resurrected. So it is with Jesus' disciples. For those who are addicts, people who can't handle their anger, people who have themselves... Jesus can give us new life. The timeline may be days or years, but that is the path of the believer. Each one of us can testify to that. Ezekiel 37 speaks to the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Dry and dead bones with no hope of life... come to life.

So what happens after the Holy Spirit comes into our lives? We need to adjust our lives. What are we supposed to do? We are to look for how God is moving and work with Him. But we don't like change. God brought persecution to the first church and the disciples were scattered. They had to get used to new neighbors. They continued to share about Jesus and so continued to grow the church and bring people to salvation.

There are people who are called halfway across the world. They get new neighbors, new cultural context. But what of those who remain behind? What about the church that has sent? They are also of the same purpose. They are to share the gospel and live out their lives. We are called to incarnational ministry. Jesus didn't just send a message, a text, an email, or a podcast. He came down to us. God came and moved into the neighborhood. We are called to the same. We are to be a good presence, a good neighbor, a life lived out in love. This is how we can earn the opportunity to share about Jesus.

Jesus is not coming for the nice Christians. He isn't here for those in the Christians and those on the inside. Jesus is moving out towards the outcasts. He doesn't move towards the powerful. He turns away a young prince who wished to follow Him. Instead, He seeks out the prostitute, the uneducated fisherman, the unclean lepers, and the tax collectors. Those who were hated and despised. Jesus moves towards ones such as these.

God calls us to uncomfortable places like this. He calls us to people who are in need and in difficult situations. How should we approach this? We need to remember what Jesus has done for us. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is with us. We need not fear. Listen to God and be challenged, be called to difficult things, difficult people, & situations.

Not a fan, but a follower

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.  "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'  "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."  And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.- Matthew 7:12‭-‬29 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Do not presume that you are a Christian. This is not a question we should gloss over. Even those who have been walking with God for many years should stop and check. Sin so easily misleads and blinds us. It is easy to be a fan of Jesus. To admire the miracles, the theology, the teachings... but this isn't enough to be counted as a disciple. We cannot afford to be wrong about this.

Two paths

The way is narrow and few enter. The narrowness of the Christian life is spoken this way by Jesus: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." There is only one path to salvation. Additionally, "the way is hard" speaks to the difficulties of following Jesus. He spoke truth and not out to win any popularity contest. The first generation of disciples literally died for their faith. We may not be called to lay down our very lives, but we are called to daily lay down our lives for Christ. We need to make sure that we are living out our lives according to what Jesus desires. Following Christ will bring hardship and difficulties in this life.

Two trees

Here are two trees that look very similar. It's hard to tell at first which ones are healthy. False prophets are dressed in sheep's clothing. It is hard to tell at first. But it takes time to tell... We have to look at the fruit. It is more than being doctrinally and theologically sound. It is more than doing miracles in Jesus name. These things cannot be used to verify salvation. Busyness and the level of activity is not enough. The religious leaders of that day were very busy.
Passion and zeal isn't enough either. We can be passionate about social justice but not for Jesus.

So then how do we figure out someone's spiritual state? It is character. Over the course of time, we cannot fake character. The fruits of the Spirit will be found all at once. If someone is patient with no self control, then we have to wonder. Not that all the fruits are big, but they are there in some measure. This is the marks of an authentic disciple. It cannot be faked over time.

Two houses

The two houses look the same. The difference is the foundation. What is the difference? Obedience. Two church goers hear the same sermon. They go to the same Bible study. Then they go home and apply it. This is not sinless obedience but rather a "sin less" obedience. No man enters the kingdom by obedience, but no man enters the kingdom without obedience.

Trials and temptations reveal us like the storms that visit these two houses. Prosperity is a trial. What happens to our Christian walk when we get what we want? The authentic believer follows the words of Jesus not out of fear of judgement, but because of who Jesus is. He is the one who left his heavenly home for us. He hung on a tree for us. He spoke of the hard and narrow way, but those are just words. He walked the hard and narrow way. Believers walk the hard and narrow way because they love Jesus.

Ask Your Father

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!- Matthew 7:7‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

Each of our sermons in this series on the Sermon on the Mount is not just a call for outward conforming to some behavior, but a change of inward character that brings us closer to the character of Christ.

Ask, seek, and knock

We are told to pray for God's aid. We are invited to pray and ask. This is not a guilt trip. The tone is not forcing the believer to pray but rather a friendly invitation.

We need to consider this call to prayer in the context of the passage. God is our heavenly father. He does no wrong. He loves us. He is omniscient and omnipotent. God will do us good. This is the backdrop of the invitation.

And this is not limited to spiritually strong. God answers everyone. Not just pastors or overseas missionaries. We can all pray and receive an answer.

Are you a child of God? Then you have been received into the family of God at the price of God's own beloved son. We have already received the most costly gift from God. Why would he withhold any good thing from us? The cross tells us that any thing is no problem... It is no big deal. Because our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. The big deal has already been handled.

What prayer will God fulfill? Ask for God's kingdom to come and for God's will to be done. God will answer prayers for spiritual harvest and salvation. God will answer calls to equip and mature the church, the body of Christ. God will answer these prayers in the affirmative.