U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
CP Walker
Taegu, South Korea
BIG IDEA: JESUS HAS THE KEYS TO OPEN AND SHUT THE DOORS OF DEATH AND HELL.
REFERENCES: Revelation 1:18; Matthews 27:51-54; Revelation 20:1; Isaiah 53:1-5; Revelation 2:12;16; 19:15,21; (his face shine like the sun, and a sharp two-edged sword); Isaiah 11:4 ( … who will slay his enemies with his sword and rule them with a rod of Iron); Isaiah 53:1-5; Psalms 24:7 (Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in). Matthews 16:19 (And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.);
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Matthew 27:51-54; Revelation 1:17-18
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Matthew 27:51-54; Revelation 1:17-18
III. READ THE TEXT: Revelation 1:18 (I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death).
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that our Resurrecting Savior has the keys to death and hell.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “He Has The Keys “
VI. Protaganist/Symbols: Door and Keys
INTRODUCTION:
During my reading, recently, I came across a story … by The Reverend Jeff Strite … Rev. Strite says: There was a certain man who often walked through a cemetery on his way home.
However, one night, though, unaware that a new grave had been dug in his path, he tumbled in the new grave. For some time, afterwards, he struggled to get out of the 7 Foot deep grave, until finally he gave up … and settled down … for the night.
An hour later, a farmer who was out hunting … for Coons and Possums … came walking through the cemetery … and he too fell into the grave.
The farmer started a desparate attempt to get out; unaware that there was anyone else in the grave.
The first man listened to him for a few minutes, … then he reached over in the pitch darkness … and laid a hand on the man’s shoulder saying, “You can’t get out of here,” … BUT HE DID.
Now … we may laugh … but the events of Easter and Resurrection Sunday… give us hope and encouragement to do what sometimes look impossible!
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* MOVE 1: On this RESURRECTION SUNDAY … Who can ever forget MATTHEW’s ACCOUNT OF DARKNESS ….
a. (Mary standing next to a young believer by the name of John (the Beloved Disciple – and Son of Zebedee)
b. watch soldiers murder her son, …
c. DEATH (As a mother, she helplessly observes her child being beaten). She sees him bleeding.
d. Yet, she can do nothing. She hears him moaning and groaning, still she can do nothing.
e. Finally she hears him plead with God to forgive those that have IGNORANTLY Wrong, beaten, and murdered him.
f. All of which, was responsible for OUR SAVIOR’S VICTORY OVER HELL AND THE GRAVE?
g. For if he had not DIED, WE WOULD BE LIKE A SHIP WITHOUT A SAIL.
h. BUT because he lived, blead, died, and rose … we NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY to HAVE ACCESS TO VICTORY over our lives, our enemies, our weaknesses, and all of our problems through THE DOOR OF SALVATION.
i. BECAUSE, WHEN WE ACCEPT JESUS …AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR … WE GAIN PERMENATE ACCESS TO VICTORY’S DOOR!
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Move 2: For it has been said that as long as Jesus holds the door open, no one can close it.
a. Jesus says in The Book of John: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
b. Therefore, my brothers and my sisters … If the door is the symbol of the church’s opportunity for Salvation, then the KEY is the symbol of Christ’s
Authority.
c. In the Greek Language … the WORD for keys is pronounced: KLICE.
d. KLICE refers to the keepers of the keys having the power and the authority to
Open and to Shut.
e. Now, we all know what keys are. They are instruments that are used for
locking and unlocking.
f. Through the use of keys we gain entrance to places that might otherwise be off
limits to us.
g. And, through the use of keys, we might also lock people out of places where
they are not meant to be.
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MOVE 3: For some keys are very important.
a. A key to a vault where treasures are kept can be a very important key.
b. It can give the person access to things of great value.
c. But, of all the keys in the world there are none as important as the ones which
have the awesome power to lock and unlock Death and Hell.
d. Therefore, in our SCRIPTURE today … we find OUR LORD’S CLOSEST FRIEND (The Apostle John) imprisoned if you will on the Isle of Patmos… decades after the resurrection …
e. And He’s there because of the Words of His Testimony. Jesus is not ONLY LORD but HE’s equal with God.
f. Now, John the Revelator, is inspire to write a book that is largely of SIGNS AND SYMBOLS ...
g. ...Tells us that he was IN THE SPIRIT ON A
SUNDAY … (The Lord’s Day) WHEN CHRIST REVEALED HIMSELF
ONCE AGAIN …
h. This time, Christ designates himself as the living one.
i. For He emphasizes that though he was dead, he is NOW alive for evermore.
*********************Take 5 Beats*********************
MOVE 4: My brothers and my sisters … this is an example to us as Christians that if we follow Jesus Christ to the death, we too, like our Savior will be alive forever more.
a. For Christ has the keys of Death and Hell.
b. What He opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
c. In fact, through His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus has been given the keys of heaven.
d. He, and He alone, has the power to say whether or not a person will be admitted into heaven or eternally excluded from it.
e. For the power to open heaven for sinners is found only in the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
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MOVE 5: Jesus has proven that He has the keys of both death and hell; for
He unlocked both and arose Victor.
a. Death could not hold its prey! Hell could not held its prey!
b. For He is the Resurrection and the life.
c. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory?
d. For the Redeemer of Israel and the Savior of the world holds in His
triumphant hand the keys.
e. HE HAS THE KEYS!
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MOVE 6: MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS … Sin is what blocks a
BELIEVER’S entrance to heaven and locks US OUT.
a. Just one sin against your record would be enough to lock the doors of heaven TO
US FOR all eternity.
b. As James, the Brother of Jesus says (in James 2:10), “whoever keeps the
whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
c. Jesus says to His followers in the Sermon on the Mount, “Be perfect, as your
Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:8).
d. That is what is required for you and me to gain entrance to heaven.
Nothing less than perfection will do.
e. But, in ourselves, we have no such perfection. We are sinners. And, “the wages
of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)… Sin has locked the door of heaven to all
sinners.
f. But, ON GOOD FRIDAY EVENING …
g. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment for our sins and paid the price for our
forgiveness. And, Matthew says that went down to HELL and took the KEYS
… of death and hades.
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CELEBRATION:
ALL THE ISSUES OF DEATH ARE AT CHRIST’S DISPOSAL.
NO MAN CAN DIE …UNLESS JESUS …UNLOCKS THE DOOR OF DEATH. FOR OUR LIFE AND DEATH ARE ENTIRELY IN HIS HANDS.
CHARLES SPURGEON, THE GREAT THEOLOGIAN SAYS …
A THOUSAND ANGELS COULD NOT HURL US TO THE GRAVE, … NOR COULD A HOST OF CHERUBIM CONFINE US THERE ONE MOMENT AFTER JESUS SAYS “ARISE”.
FOR OUR SAVIOR HAS DEFEATED DEATH!
HE HAS DEFEATED HELL …
AND … NOW … HE HAS THE KEYS!
For … But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
