As the Father Sent Me: Carrying Christ's Peace, Pattern, and Power

Father, we just thank you, Lord, first of all, Lord, for sending Jesus.

God, we thank you for that. We thank you, Jesus, for sending us.

And we ask you today, Lord, to fill us with your peace, to shape us,

Lord, to follow your pattern today, to empower us with your spirit.

And God, I just pray today that

we would leave this place not just as hearers, but as sent ones today.

And our prayer, Lord, is just, here we are. Lord, send us, Lord.

Amen. So really today, if we were looking at a title today, it would be,

As the Father Sent Me, okay?

This is our final message, because over in this particular series,

because over the last three weeks, we've walked step by step through what it

means to actually be sent by Jesus.

If you remember, in week one, we saw that Jesus calls ordinary people.

That's us, right? and gives them a purpose that's actually bigger than themselves.

We don't have to be perfect, amen, but we are chosen to do this.

In week two, we learned that he actually empowers us with his authority to do

so and his spirit, he would. The mission is urgent, we learned.

Sometimes it is risky, but guess what?

We never go alone, do we? Always we go with God's power that's at work inside of us, right?

And then in week three, we actually discovered that he sends us to what? Anybody remember?

He sends us to serve.

Last week, I gave everyone that was here a small towel and gave us all the challenge

to pick up your towel, obviously unfold it, Ms.

Lynn, and to reach out and serve this week, right?

In the weeks ahead. Let it be a reminder where we could put it somewhere to

remind us to pick up our towel. And who was our example?

Jesus, right? If you remember, we talked about in week three that Jesus' disciples

were actually arguing amongst themselves who was the greatest in the kingdom,

who would have the best seat, right?

They were arguing about all this. They were more worried about status and position

than about serving. And we learn through that, through Jesus' example, he washed their feet.

The Lord of all creation bent down and washed their dirty, grimy feet.

He set an example for all of us. He sent us to serve as well,

to humbly put other people first before us, to act in love always and to find

true influence because we learn where our true influence is,

is in service rather than status.

And if Jesus' disciples had a hard time getting this, I think we're gonna have

a hard time getting this, right?

We need to really be challenged, all of us. Remember, it starts here.

I preached to myself first, right?

And that we all need to be challenged to serve, not for status,

not for any recognition, but for his glory alone, his glory alone.

And then now here we are in week four, and we come to really a climactic moment

of the series here as we wind this part down.

After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples, if you remember,

and he gives them the ultimate sending statement, right?

And as we see in this first slide today, he doesn't just tell them to go.

He gives them his peace, his authority, and his spirit, showing them and showing

us, by the way, what it truly means to live as sent ones in the world.

In fact, this week, we're gonna see that being sent isn't just about doing tasks

or checking off good deed boxes, right?

You know, sometimes we like in church circles, we like to check the box,

right? We're not talking about that.

We're not talking about checking the box. It's about being sent as Jesus was

sent, actually carrying a message, y'all, of hope, of forgiveness and life into

every corner of our lives.

Right where God has placed you and me this week. And so that brings us to our

text today, which is John chapter 20.

John 20 · chapter mention

If you'll turn there, if you're not there already, John chapter 20, verses 19 through 22.

John 20:19–22

And I'll read that for us. John 20, 19.

It says, so while it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,

and while the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,

they were locked in that room, right? Upper room, right? They were scared to death.

Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, peace be with you.

Boy, we need that, don't we? They needed it. And when he had said this in verse

20, he showed them both his hands and his side.

And I picked up in verse 19, by the way, both his hands and his side.

The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Verse 21,

so Jesus said to them again, peace be with you as the Father has sent me.

I also sent you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and he said

to them, receive, receive the Holy Spirit.

I want y'all to see today, first of all, in this passage, we see we are sent

church with Christ's peace.

We are sent with Christ's peace. The disciples, what were they doing again?

They were hiding. They were fearful.

They were afraid. They were uncertain and likely they were actually processing

the trauma of the crucifixion, right?

And then Jesus actually appears in their midst. What are his first words again, according to verse 19?

Peace be with you. And this wasn't, y'all, just a casual greeting. It was a gift, y'all.

Declaration here that fear doesn't have the final word, that shame doesn't define

them, and that hope, real hope, y'all, has arrived.

That's what our world needs to get a glimpse and to experience the hope that is found in Jesus.

That's what this time of year reminds us of even, right? The hope that he came

of humble birth to us and the hope that we have in him and his mission is accomplished, it's finished.

But as we see on this slide, the peace of Christ doesn't mean that everything

is quiet or easy, does it?

No, it means that his presence overcomes our fear and actually prepares us for

the mission ahead, just like it did his disciples.

Remember, Jesus promised peace. In fact, if you look back in John chapter 14,

John 14:27

verse 27, what does he say?

He says, peace I leave with you.

My peace I give to you. I did not give to you as the world gives.

And y'all, this is not a temporary calm or some kind of superficial comfort.

It's actually a deep abiding peace that is rooted in the very character and

presence of Almighty God in Christ alone.

Amen. Paul actually echoes this again to us in Philippians 4,

Philippians 4:7

verse 7. Listen to what he says.

And the peace of God, this is a familiar passage to you, and the peace of God

which transcends all understanding. What is it going to do?

It says it will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So here's the practical reality. As you see on this slide here,

if you're going to live a sent life, It begins with peace in your own heart.

Do you hear me, church? If you're going to live a sent life,

it begins with peace in your own heart.

You can't give to the world what you do not first receive.

If you're anxious, if you're fearful, if you're carrying guilt, then you know what?

You cannot fully step into the mission that God has for you.

So before you go, what?

Receive Christ's peace. Let it settle your heart.

Let it guard your mind like that referee that it talks about in the Greek there, right?

Let it referee your heart. Let it be the foundation for everything else he sends you to do.

Do we get it today? If you don't have Christ's peace, you can't really share it.

You can't give something away that you don't have.

And so this peace, y'all, it is not passive, by the way. It actually equips

you and I to act, what, courageously.

To speak truth boldly, to love others faithfully, even in the most difficult

circumstances. Don't miss that today.

Y'all, this world, those around us, our loved ones, all of us,

y'all, this world needs all of this. We need all of it.

We need that courage. We need to speak truth boldly.

We need to act and love others faithfully, even in those most difficult circumstances,

And being sent doesn't begin with a bunch of activity, by the way.

What does it begin with again? The presence and peace of Christ in you,

Christ in me. That's where it all starts, y'all.

In fact, that leads us to number two, that we're actually not only sent with

Christ's peace, but we are sent with Christ's pattern.

Look at what he says in verse 21 of John 20. He tells his disciples this.

He says, as the Father has sent me, what?

I'm sending you. Thank you.

Just pause for just a moment and let that sink in. The way that Jesus was sent

by the Father is the same way he sends us.

Has that sunk in? The same way that Jesus was sent is the same way he sends us.

He's not just giving instructions, y'all. He's actually giving a pattern for

mission, for life, for ministry.

So how was Jesus sent? Well, let's look at his example on this slide here.

First of all, he was sent how? In humility.

Philippians 2, 6 through 8, a familiar passage says that although he was in

the very nature of God, he made himself what? Yeah, and nothing, right?

Nothing. Taking the very nature of a servant.

He humbled himself to actually step into our broken world.

And then what else? He was sent in humility, but he was also sent in love.

Hey, our favorite verse, John 3, 16, reminds us that God's love sent him so

that the world might be saved.

Every action, y'all, of Jesus was motivated by love for the Father and love for people.

And then we see on the slide that he was sent also, here's his mission, right?

To seek and to save the lost.

Mark 10, 45 actually says this. It says, for even the son of man did not come

to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Y'all, service was central to his identity and his mission. And here's the crucial

point. This is our pattern too.

Because as the Father sent me, I'm sending you.

The same way. This is our pattern. To live a sent life, Eastwood,

isn't about adding one more thing to your schedule or volunteering for the flashy ministries.

You know what I mean? The flashy ministries, right? It's not about receiving

some kind of recognition or status.

It's about service. It's about, as we see on this slide, it's about living like

Jesus in the everyday moments, at work, at church, at school,

at home, and in our communities.

Think about it. What would it look like this week to follow his pattern here laid out for us?

Maybe, y'all, maybe it's showing humility in a difficult conversation.

Maybe it's offering love instead of judgment. Maybe it's seeking somebody who

feels overlooked or serving quietly in ways that no one else notices even.

Because if we're following Jesus' example, y'all, that's kind of how we should be doing it.

Nobody may know how you serve. Nobody may ever give you the Lord and the glory

that you crave in your human flesh. But that's the point.

Being a servant isn't about that. Being a servant is humbling yourself like Jesus did.

It's about serving because you know it's the right thing to do.

It's about being selfless and putting other people before yourself.

Every day, ordinary moments can be extraordinary, y'all, when we live it according

to Jesus's pattern that's laid out here, his sending pattern,

if you will. And that leads us to number three.

We are sent with Christ's power.

We are sent with Christ's power. This is in the next slide. We are sent with his power.

And verse 22 actually says this. And with that, what did he do?

He actually breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit.

Now today, we're like, man, you know, did he have the breath,

man? Right? We're just like, that's how we feel in today's culture.

But y'all, this was very important. This was not just a symbolic gesture.

You know what it is? It's actually empowerment for mission.

When you have the breath of God, you know, that's how we became a living soul, right?

I mean, we're just dust. Y'all get it, right? We're just dust.

And you know why we're alive, right? Because God breathed the breath of life into us.

And man became a living soul. So when he breathed on them, you're talking about

the very breath of God. It's empowerment for the mission of head.

And guess what? We have the Holy Spirit today. He resides in the heart of every believer.

He's the one that empowers us to do these things, right? Because otherwise we'd be helpless.

We'd be hopeless. But just as God breathed life into Adam at creation,

look at this on this slide. Jesus breathes new life into his disciples, y'all.

He's actually equipping them for the work that he's sending them to do.

That breath is the very Spirit of God.

The very presence, Eastwood, and the power of Christ living in us.

Have you ever thought about it this way? The same power that raised Jesus from

the dead also made us alive in him and also sends us out. Do you get it?

We're talking about the resurrection power. Jesus promised this empowerment in Acts 1.8.

Y'all know this passage. it says, you will receive power.

When what? When the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses.

See that power, again, it's not about being flashy or impressing other people.

You know what it is? Look here on the slide. It's the strength to live faithfully.

Man, I think of that song, the great song. I think Twyla Parris wrote this one, find us faithful.

May the Lord find us faithful. The strength to live faithfully.

That means when no one is looking.

That means when the lights are out, when your room door's locked,

when you're all by yourself, living faithfully.

The courage again to speak truth and the love to actually serve sacrificially.

And then the boldness to go. Amen. The boldness to go where he sends us.

Paul actually reminds us in 2 Timothy 1, 7, he says, for the spirit God gave

us does not make us timid.

Come on, some people need to hear this today. For the spirit that God gave us

does not make us timid, but gives us what?

Power, love, and self-discipline. Y'all, we are equipped, we're called,

we're chosen, we're empowered for the mission.

Here's the application. Living a sent life is impossible in your own strength.

Come on, it is, right? We can't do this in our own strength.

Every act of courage, y'all, every word of hope, every step of faith flows from who?

Flows from the Spirit who empowers us.

You don't go alone. You don't go empty-handed either.

You go with Christ's presence, His Spirit, and His authority.

Think about the moments this week where maybe you felt ill-equipped.

Maybe even, I dare say, afraid to step out.

That's exactly, y'all, get this, that's exactly where the Spirit's power is meant to meet you and me.

When you feel weak, what? He is strong.

When you feel unsure, what? He guides. You remember, he's a great shepherd.

Being sent, by the way, isn't optional. It's Spirit-powered,

and the Spirit is already at work in you.

So let's wrap it up, okay? Let's wrap it up here. We see in this final slide,

over the last four weeks again, we've walked through what it truly means to be sent by Jesus.

In week one, as we see, we learned that Jesus calls ordinary people,

people like you and me, to carry out an extraordinary mission.

We don't have to be perfect.

He qualifies the called, remember? In week two, we saw that he empowers us with

his spirit and his authority.

The mission is urgent.

Sometimes it's risky, but we never go alone. We go with God's power at work in us.

And then as we see in this final slide here, we see that we discovered that

he sends us to what? Serve.

He sends us to serve. We saw that last week, humbly putting others first,

showing love in action, finding true influence through obedience and service.

That's how you get influence.

And that's something that Jesus taught his disciples, right?

And now today we see the culmination about all of it.

Jesus sends us as he was sent.

With his peace, y'all, with his pattern and his power.

Wow. Y'all, this is more than just a concept. It's a call, Eastwood,

to live a sent life every day.

It's not about waiting again for the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity

or the perfect skillset.

It's about stepping out today in your home, in your workplace,

your school, your church, whatever it is, your neighborhood,

carrying the peace of Christ, following his example, trusting his spirit to

actually empower every word, every act, every conversation.

So here's the real question.

Let's pop it up here on the screen. Will you go? Not someday,

not when I'm ready, but today. Will you go?

Because again, church, the world doesn't just need another church service,

another program or another good idea.

The world actually needs a church that is sent. Amen?

They need a church that is sent, a people who actually move beyond themselves

themselves, beyond their comfort, beyond routine.

You know y'all's famous words of a dying church? We've never done it that way before.

And beyond themselves, like I said, to bring hope, to bring healing and the

good news of Jesus Christ into every corner of life.

That's what this world needs.

Y'all, let this be your response.

Look at this. Let this be your response here on the screen. I am called. I am empowered.

I am sent, and I will go. Wow, how could y'all, how could we not?

How could we not? We are ambassadors for Christ, y'all. We have a mission.

It's time that we take up the call, that we heed the call, and we march forward

because we are empowered.

We have everything we need, Eastwood, everything.

We just need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Amen. Follow his pattern. Follow his pattern.

Get ourselves out of the way. Follow Jesus.

Follow Jesus. Let's pray. Father God, I thank you for your word today.

I ask God that as you move in our hearts still, Lord, as your spirit is moving,

God, that we respond to you, Lord, in the way you have us to.

We give you all the glory and all the praise. As we continue in a spirit of

prayer, I'm going to ask you to stand just for a moment.

And as you stand with heads bowed and eyes closed.

I want you to consider what God may be challenging you to do today.

Or maybe just considering, Lord, I need to believe that may be you today.

In a few moments, we're actually going to celebrate and remember what Jesus

did for us in shedding his blood for us on the cross.

That last supper, the Lord's Supper. and this is an opportunity too because

we're going to read in just a few moments y'all that the Lord takes this time very seriously,

and I challenge all of us as part of this invitation if there's anything in

our hearts, minds or souls that is between us and God or between us and our

fellow church members or anyone,

family members, whatever it might be if there's anything there Scripture says, hey, make it right.

If you haven't made it right, don't partake of the Lord's Supper.

Why? It's going to tell us in this text. Because many that are among you,

that's why they have fallen asleep. A.K.A.

They've died. The Lord took them home.

You see, God takes this moment very seriously. And so this is a moment,

too, to reflect on those things, all of us.

Make sure we're right with God. If you need to repent of something today,

repent of it. Get your heart in line with Jesus.

I encourage you, if you don't, don't partake of this today.

Because scripture says you're eating and drinking damnation to yourself if you do. Don't do it.

Repent. Get things right.

And then also today, let God's Holy Spirit guide you to respond to being sent

to this lost and dying world.