Pastor Ralph Douglas West - When Jesus Appears in Your Fear | John 20:19–23

0:19 While you're standing, open your Bibles to the Gospel of John chapter 20 I want to appreciate Dr. Mac Frazier when he sang the hymn this morning Because he lives He understands something about the Easter narrative is not a one Sunday out of the year event.

0:53 It is the living faith of those who have placed their confession in Jesus Christ. And so this morning I want to invite you to begin reading with me at verse 19 where Jesus makes an appearance to the gathered group in a small room not knowing what to expect in the evening of that day. I'm going to ask you to listen to me this Sunday. Typically I don't ask you to listen to me, but if you give me your ear for a few minutes today, I believe what this text says will change your life. It will help you address the people that you know that you are concerned about. But more than that, it will say something to you about maybe where you stand in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:57 Open your ears and hear what John says On the evening of that first day of the week When the disciples were together with the doors locked For fear of the Jewish leaders Jesus came and stood among them And said peace be with you after he said this he showed them his hands and side the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord and again Jesus said peace be with you and the father has sent me I am sending you and with that he breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven, and if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. This is the word of God. You may be seated.

3:05 I want to tag this text John 20. Nobody gets it. John is telling a story it's an Easter story John explores for the next several weeks as we are a few weeks away from Pentecost Sunday the coming of the Holy Spirit on the church and John the apostle of our Lord is exploring the implications of what it means for Jesus to appear in church.

3:56 This part of the story you pick up begins on Easter evening. Typically when we talk about Easter, we talk about Easter morning. This is Easter evening This is after the morning this is after the sun has set and the shadow elongates itself across the Kidron Valley over the Mount of Olives where Jesus would pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and just a glint of light on the stone walls of the room where a group gathers in the evening.

4:51 It's Easter evening. Sometimes I engage reading the scripture after reading it for now a long time. I ask questions about it and I get answers like what were they talking about on Easter evening? Mary, Mary, Magdalene, Solomay They were all upstairs in that gathering And I know what they were talking about They met an angel that gave them the message of Easter Not be of good cheer but fear not That's one thing they were talking about Another thing that they were talking about are the I am statements that Jesus made throughout his ministry that John wrote down.

5:48 For those of you that are new to Christ and the church and you haven't had an opportunity to read much of the Bible, the Apostle John, the gospel that we have read from today is where you find these beautiful I am statements that Jesus makes. It's a echoing of Exodus chapter 3 when the Hebrews are enslaved and the emancipator Moses is sent on a commission to set God's people free and he wanted to know what weapon he should take with him to accomplish this feat. And God says to Moses in a burning bush, your weapon is my name. Tell them I am have sent you.

6:48 In the New Testament, again, for those of you who are new in the faith and you haven't been drenched in all of these beautiful words that belong to you. Jesus has become the incarnation of God. That is God in flesh. And he makes a series of statements. And that's what they were talking about. You remember when Jesus said, they said to each other, over the three-year period, when he said, I am the bread of life. I am the living water I am the good shepherd I am the way, the truth and the life I am the resurrection and the life I am the true vine That's what they were talking about Because when somebody dies You don't forget, you remember And if you're fortunate enough For them to get up You got something to talk about Thank you.

7:51 And that's what they were doing on that Easter day in the evening night, talking. But they're locked behind doors. They are behind locked doors. 2,000 years we haven't gotten it. You would think that once you got good news, you would tell somebody. All right. All right.

8:29 Some people, not you, don't understand good news so much that they are scared to tell people who share the same good news with each other. You want to have fun sometime Get your friends Who say they're Christian to talk about God Watch a fight break out And I would never humiliate anybody with what I know. I mean, it's what I do to straighten out the conversation, but it's clear. I could hear people, I say, they don't know anything.

9:14 Very little, almost nothing about what they say they believe. and they were locked. behind closed door. And then Jesus appears. He just shows up. which makes you wonder which is the greatest miracle that he got out of the grave or he got at church with closed doors because that's what we do when we are trying to name our church.

10:08 We hang a sign out advertising outside what they can find on the inside. You see it sometimes We are the friendliest church in town That's what they say. Everybody's welcome here Until they're not I see that you can't

10:50 Laugh the truth So let me turn the story on myself Some time ago, I haven't bought tires for a car myself. I've had to put them on, but I haven't had to go to purchase tires. I had a car and it had Pirelli tires on it. Well, it's not like this is the only tire I've ever heard of. The car just had Pirelli tires. I figured if I bought it with Pirelli, I'm supposed to put Pirelli tires on it. So I had to find a place. And there was a tire shop, tire industry, whatever you call them, that sell on the sign, they said Pirelli tires.

11:46 And I said, I need some tires for my car. They said, we have Michelin. I said, I need Pirelli. They said, we have good year. I said, well, I need some Pirelli. We got Firestone. Said, I need some Pirelli. They said, well, we don't sell them here. I said, well, you need to change your sign. We are the friendliest church. Everybody is welcome because we want to hang signs outside so that people can know what they're going to experience inside. I wonder on that night, evening, Easter night, because I mean, you can look around this morning and I don't say this in jest.

12:40 I say this as someone who loves you and loves the church. It don't take long for stuff to go back to normal. Thank you. I figured you wouldn't agree with that, but 8 o'clock, they really agree with that. so I wonder what we would name this church what name would you hang on this church's side let me give you the description again they're gathered together this is the first time they are together since Jesus resurrected they are behind closed doors they have received the promises of God. So what would you call this church? And they're behind locked doors and it says because they were afraid of the religious leaders.

13:36 Would you call this the church of failure? Would you say, come now church and experience a palpitating heart of the fear that what happened to Jesus might happen to you? is that why is that why the preacher works over time to craft sermons to make you really like god ah let me tell you something come here for a minute follow Jesus you don't have to worry there would be no struggle no disappointment in life oh I want that Jesus you can't find him in the Bible And Jesus appears.

14:39 That's the story of Easter. Jesus appears. behind locked doors. You get it? It's a metaphor. It's a metaphor. Preachers are always preaching in metaphor. Like these poets, they're always trying to reveal the truth in metaphor. lock doors you know the door is locked How many doors we have in this room? I think it's 16 of them. 16 doors.

15:22 Nothing like watching when the doors open, but nothing is as funny as when there's a large crowd of people who need to get in, and you got 16 doors, and the ushers only open one. Open the doors. Let the people in. We're not trying to keep the doors closed. We want the doors open. Metaphor. We ought to be looking for more ways to open the door. some of you bless your heart it'll be next week say oh that's what he meant metaphor more ways to get people to walk through the door of God's church And Jesus showed up The word is He appeared He appeared He just showed up, our Lord.

16:52 appeared. Eastern story. And when he appeared, he said, here's the sermon, peace, peace. Thank you, Lord. Oh, Pastor West, you bore me to death with this. This doesn't mean a thing. It doesn't. You only need peace if there's confusion, if you're behind locked doors because of fear and the uncertainty of the future when you don't know if you can pay this week for a full tank of gas, if you can't afford going to the grocery store, or what somebody's going to do in the Pentagon to make a decision to shoot one more missile in another direction that affects you in ways that you don't know.

17:53 Maybe you don't, but people in the world need peace. Ask the children in Palestine if they need peace. Ask the people in Iran if they need peace. And by the way, God don't just love you Because you're in America like America got a monopoly on God you do you do remember we are the youngest of all of the countries to show up God didn't just start being God in 1776 People need peace Parents need peace who got young sons and daughters.

19:00 In 2026 the leading cause of death of black males is homicide. What the hell are we killing each other for and all the trouble that we got to deal with and the only way we know how to resolve our stuff is to shoot each other. We got more money, more intellect, more accessibility, and the only way we know how to resolve our issue is violence. And we got the nerve to think it's cool to kill. peace be with you people need peace now let me tell you what you don't want to become and i said this at eight o'clock because i got a lot of posh brothers and sisters at eight o'clock who got money and stature.

20:14 I'm serious about this. Don't let your stature, I'm talking about y'all now at this earth. And your achievements make you feel like you are above and beyond the confusion that affects everybody else because it can happen to you if you ain't capital. They were locked behind closed doors for fear. For fear. That what happened to Jesus would happen to them and Jesus appeared. But here's the Easter story. Who does he appear to?

20:59 Not just the disciples. You see, if you call them the disciples, it takes the bite out of the story. Oh, Jesus showed up to the apostles and to the disciples, to the friends of God. You feel good about that. That's not who he showed up to.

21:20 His appearance is made known to those who betrayed him, denied him and disbelieved him and before you look down your elegant arrogant ethical nose to feel like you are morally superior to the people who in that room ask yourself when was the last time you denied your lord or the last time you betrayed your christ are you disbelieved him Oh, well, Pastor West, that doesn't apply to me. I'm just going to throw something out to you. I'm not asking you because you made it clear you're not going to do this. You say you don't fit that category. The Bible says that we ought to give to God in a particular way. I'm just naming something, okay?

22:17 Now, ask yourself, I've read where God said give. I'm talking about money now. I ain't talking about your nicety. I'm just saying because when I made the comment You didn't respond at all So that means This doesn't work for me Because I do everything God Tells me to do so when God says give now pastor West give do you really give according to the way that God has required you to give well now you got the Easter story he comes back to people who rob him He comes back to people that only call on them when they need something. He comes back to people that only believes when it is expedient.

23:16 not in the corporate office not at the country club not when I'm with my friends he appeared peace be unto you I said give me your ears give me your ears don't get offended I'm trying to help you he showed up to the people. And if that ain't enough for you to shout, then when you think about this, now this is not God cosigning you to just keep on breaking the rule. but when you start talking about what God don't love me at this didn't turn my way just remember this he loved you enough to give you a new day to start all over again that you could write a new chapter in the journal of your life peace he appeared wait a minute one more and the eastern message is is that he forgives do you know what forgiveness is you know you have to watch if you get definitions of forgiveness from from some popular song i should have listened to something and come up with a line Do you know what forgiveness is?

24:44 The power of forgiveness. That God appeared to these people who betrayed him, denied him, disbelieved him, and then he offers them forgiveness. And then he says, and then as you forgive, you'll be forgiven. Some of you this morning are miserable. I mean, you dressed up. You smell good But you miserable Because you want forgiveness But you won't give no forgiveness But can't nobody out Jesus you How you doing? Blessed and out of faith. I don't even want to hear. I almost can't stand when I hear people say that. How you doing?

25:35 Oh, praise the Lord. See, for me, praise the Lord ain't from my lips. Praise the Lord is how do you live. forgiveness that that forgiveness that there's a freight tabula rasa you're familiar with it tabula rasa if not then you know write it down remember and get deep tomorrow and say well you know i'm experiencing god's tabula rasa one of the ways to understand that phrase is that we have written such a grammatically messed up life that you couldn't pass failure.

26:27 And God doesn't send it through you Grammarly What's that other chat somebody, Snapchat? Yeah, I figured y'all been using it. That thing is driving folk like Mac Frazier up the wall. You have to figure out, they'll tell these students, don't be trying to, we can figure it out. I have a tabular your life has been written and God just snatches the paper he don't ball it up and throw it away he burns it up it's down to ashes and he says but Lord he says here is a clean sheet of paper that I want to give to you so that you can start writing your life all over again.

27:32 God forgives. Aren't you glad of that? I am. God forgives. One more thing about the Easter story, because they're closed behind these doors. And the last thing is, is that Jesus commissions them to take what he's given to them over these years. Come here and go into the world and make the world better. Did you hear me? Now, let me say this. Individually, God expects you to make the world better than the way you found it. Let me say it one more time because the first thing we want to do, you hear people say this, well, where is the church? Where the church? Well, you is the church.

28:33 and I hope you got the courage to make somebody, somebody say that about the community that you belong to when they say where is the church say the church is here but I mean, no, what you want is the preacher in a robe and the choir that ain't what the church look like that's a worship service the church is, I went into the world and I became salt and light and made the world a better place I'm almost done now And so he says I'm sending you You see it? He says I'm sending you into the world But I can't send you If you behind these

29:19 Thank you. Thank you. I mean that. Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for listening. I can't do it if you're going to stay locked behind the doors. And one of the things I hope, and I'm just now trying to encourage you to get excited about the community that you belong to, where people, not once a year, not for Christmas, not for Thanksgiving, every single week, people that don't have much pull their resources together and they feed families on our bingo campus every single week, 52 weeks out of the year. Even when we had our fellowship breakfast, they couldn't make it because they was trying to feed somebody.

30:20 And I know you ain't hungry, but there are people that go to bed at night hungry in this city. All I want from you is for you to at least thank God that you ain't hungry and you'll help somebody else who is hungry. Every week These folk are clothing people Every week And they're not putting them in clothes That they don't want no more These people are putting out clothes That you can wear I've seen them I went over there I tried to see if them jeans fit me I need them shoes. I said, them shoes too new to give away. I said, leave them shoes alone.

31:14 That's for somebody that needs to put shoes on their bare feet. You ought to rejoice about that. You ought to shout now, thank God I belong to a church that loves poor, broken, fragmented, marginal people. Let me tell you, if you're not careful, locked doors can kill a church.

31:47 Locked doors can kill a church. One of my young friends, pastor, he called me and he had his church meeting. and I said well how did it go he said oh it was good said real good he says uh till we got to the end I said yeah what happened he said well one of the most influential members of our church stood up and uh she says uh all you do is want to do something for these children Every time we turn around We got to do something for children Young people I said I know who she is That's what I said I hadn't been to the church Metaphor I know who she is I said here's somebody Been in church too long Locked behind doors Status quo membership Wanted the way it was 30, 40, 50 years ago Listen y'all, that day is gone now God has called us into a new sphere Where we got to rethink missions in the world You just got to do it And I said, bless her heart I said, so she wanted to lock the door on the children I see that didn't bother you When you lock the door on children You're not locking for this Sunday You're locking the door For the next two, three generations I got two minutes left.

33:43 Let me go on close. the Easter story is what Jesus appeared. He just shows up to those that reject him and offers forgiveness to them and sends a commission. But how are we going to do these things? I mean, how are we going to do it? How are we going to do the work that we need to do? Well, it's clear, it's clear that money is not going to do it. now I want you to hear me now let me we need a power beyond ourself and that's what happened that day Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit breathed the Holy Spirit on them I don't know who I'm talking to at this point but let me just say this to God family whatever has been at you to do something but you haven't done it.

34:44 You've given God every excuse why you can't do it. Let me just say this. Do you really think that God would ask you out of his word to do something that he has not already empowered you to do? Ain't getting no shouts this morning now. Let me close.

35:24 Will Willimon was the chaplain for years at Duke University and then he became a bishop of Birmingham, as in Alabama. And it takes him to talk about it. He quit. You have to know Will Willem to laugh at that. He's back at the school. He teaches preaching. But he said when he was the bishop, he had gone to a conference and somewhere he had mentioned the Holy Spirit and new birth and one of the pastors of the mainline denomination came to him and said, you mentioned the Holy Spirit and new birth. And she said to him, well, you know, you can be born again individually, but you can also be born again through the church the church can be born again he said uh tell me more she said well i passed a church in the inner city the urban center and uh our church is in decline he said well that that's nothing new uh 90 percent of the churches in the urban centers in decline so yeah said so we've been declining for 25 years and then people start breaking in the church.

36:58 And so we were at a conference meeting and we were discussing what kind of security system we needed to purchase to install so that we can prevent or capture these break-ins. And so at our conference, we agreed and everything. Said a 90-year-old woman in my church stood up and says, I can't believe what we're doing.

37:30 See that we've been in decline for 25 years. 25 years. We put up new signs. We put up new signage. We put up new lighting. We've done advertisements on television, radio. And the more we do, the more we decline. And now you want to get an alarm system to lock the doors, how about we just open the doors?

38:01 And she told Dr. Willem and said, and that's what we did. We opened the doors. And when we did, 15 homeless people slept on our pews. Said within a matter of a couple of months, 30 homeless people was on our pews. Said, but anytime you get new people, you got to organize. So we started calling people who thought they had retired as nurses to ask to come help because people like this have medical conditions and these nurses been looking for something to do and so they said we'll be glad to help. We asked some of our doctors who hadn't been to church since the last time they've been to church and they volunteered. We started asking people to cut hair, people to clean clothes and the next thing you know we were organizing them homeless people and we were feeding clothing and helping them get jobs. And the next thing we looked up, that dead declined church that I was pastoring had doubled in size in membership in six months all because we opened the door.

39:22 What in the world would happen if we would just open the door, open the door and stop worrying about their economic status, their educational status, their social status, their gender identity. Get rid of all of that and just open up the door and let the Lord lead who he wants in his house. Now I'm going to tell you something. you want to see a mass exodus open the doors because you would think that this sermon everybody would be excited about it they've already made up their mind if y'all gonna start letting them kind of people in here i'm getting out of this church because we think that God came.

40:24 I don't care how many times you say it, they still don't get it. You think God came to save good people. That's why your sons and daughters won't go to church. That's why your mothers and fathers have quit the church. It's because they made a stumble in life and people told them that there's no room.