In
John 20 Jesus comes into the room where the disciples were with the doors
locked because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders and He shows
them that He is alive and that He is real.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is Jesus coming to our lives in the midst of
our fears and showing us that He is real.
Jesus
then in verse 19 says “Peace be with you.” Jesus gives His frightened disciples
what will overcome their fear, the peace of God. The peace of God is not like
the peace the things of the world offers. The world’s peace is based on
circumstances being perfect so that there is nothing that causes worry or
concern. Jesus’ peace is based on Jesus having overcome everything that causes
us worry or concern.
The
disciples were fearful of being arrested and killed. Jesus shows up and tells
them to have peace because He has overcome death, their greatest fear.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is trusting Jesus and not letting the worries
and concerns of the world being what we focus on and what controls us.
In
John 20:21 Jesus again says “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus says, “As the
Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”
Jesus
gives them peace so that they can go into the world as the hands, feet, voice,
and heart of Jesus. The peace is given so that they can be Jesus’ body.
The
peace that Jesus gives us is not for us to have and then go living in isolation
from the world. Jesus’ peace enables us to with boldness and love go into a
broken, diseased, hurting, and scary world and be the body of Christ to this
world.
This
peace allows us to be Jesus’ hands reaching out to the hurting, the outcast,
the sick, the hungry, the forgotten and bringing healing, hope, community, and
love.
This
peace allows us to be Jesus’ feet to go with the gospel of God’s grace to those
who don’t know Jesus’ salvation and help them to know how they can come to know
Jesus.
This
peace allows us to be Jesus’ voice speaking the truth in love to all people.
This
peace allows us to be Jesus’ heart living so the world does not only hear about
God’s love but actually sees God’s love.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the peace of God so that we
can live as the body of Christ.
In
John 20:22 Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
The
disciples would get the formal filling of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 but now
they knew what to expect and would know what was happening when the Holy Spirit
came upon them.
We
cannot do the work that God saved us and gave us the peace to do without the
continual filling of the Holy Spirit. The work of God is not done because of us
or our abilities or our resources. The work of God is done through the work of
the Holy Spirit in us and through us.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is being enabled and empowered by the continual
filling of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus
comes to the disciples in their fear and shows them that He is real.
Jesus
gives them His peace.
Jesus
reveals to them that the Holy Spirit will come to empower them.
We
as God’s people have:
Jesus
His
Peace
The
Holy Spirit
Now,
let us live as the Body of Christ!
By Jesus’ Peace, Being
His Body and
Raising the Roof and
Removing the Walls,
Joe
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