Behind Closed Doors

John 20:19

On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Recently, we lost a great man of God, a colleague in ministry. Zachary Timms was just 42 years young, pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in the Orlando, Florida area. He died in a Manhattan hotel room of a heart attack behind locked doors. The hotel security had to break through the door to discover his body. After blessing so many people with his life and ministry he died alone searching for peace. I wish some of his friends and colleagues could have been behind those closed doors to intercede with him and help him get the peace that only Jesus could offer.

Ministry can be demanding and draining. The toll it takes on you can make you want to hide behind locked doors in fear for your life. Even when we are in the will of God, fear can still get the best of us. Fear sometimes is False Evidence Appearing Real but it can still be paralyzing. The enemy can get you behind closed doors and make you think your ministry is over, you don’t have “it” anymore, nobody loves you, you’re doomed, and if you are not careful you can give into those lies.

The disciples were hiding behind closed doors because Jesus had been executed. They thought they were next because all of the haters hated their teacher enough to kill him so why shouldn’t they experience the same fate?

Even though Jesus had been teaching them and showing them he had the power over life and death they allowed fear to wipe out what they already knew to be true. To their credit they did something right. They were together. As fearful as they were they were still together behind locked doors. The enemy can break you if you are by yourself but Jesus promised, “Where two or three are gathered together there I will be in the midst.”

As Christians, ministers, and human beings we must make sure we are connected to 2 or 3 people who we can call no matter what we are going through. You should never be alone when you are hiding in fear. There is nothing so bad that God can’t fix and help you face. When you come together with 2 or 3 believers Jesus will show up and help you with your fear. Jesus came through the locked door and:

1. Stood amongst them. Jesus told us that he would never leave us nor forsake us. When we are together Jesus is standing in the midst of us.

2. Spoke peace to them. Peace is Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people or the cessation of conflict.

3. Showed them his wounds. I think Jesus did this not just to prove that it was him, but to show them that in spite of his wounds he was still alive. We are all wounded healers. Our wounds shouldn’t stop us from God using us.

4. Gave them their new assignment. This was important because all of them felt like failures for running out on Jesus but he assured them by telling them he still had work for them to do.

5. Filled them with the Holy Spirit. He told them to receive the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, when we are empty we need to be refilled with the only thing that can get us back in the right place, the Holy Ghost.

No matter how bad it looks right now don’t give up on your dreams, your purpose, your ministry. We‘ve all made mistakes like the disciples. Peter denied him, Thomas doubted he was alive; James and John fell asleep while Jesus was under stress. They all ran away but Jesus still loved them enough to come behind locked doors to give them peace. Open your door today. Jesus wants to come in.

Dear God,

Touch my brothers and sisters who are hiding behind locked doors. Let them know that you are still with them. Let them know you have a new assignment for them. Let them know this is not the time to die! Come through the doors and heal them and fill them.

In Jesus Name,
Amen