Easter 2012

Easter 1b   April 8, 2012

Mark 16:1-8       A Story to Tell

v Easter is an exciting time.

§  Families get together

§  Spring is about us

v What do you get excited about?

§  We fill our lives with the things we love.

§  We talk about the things that are of most interest

§  We share that which we are most excited about.

         

Throughout the Gospel of Mark,

          Jesus heals,

                   And the people get excited

          Jesus then tells them to “tell no one”

                   But how can they not?     They all go and tell!

                   None keep quiet

In our text this morning…

Christ is Risen – and the Angel, tells the women to go and tell:

Mark 16:6-7 “He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. ⁷ Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

Christ is Risen!

He is RISEN!

As the Appostles Creed states:

          We believe in Jesus Christ God’s only Son

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

the third day he rose from the dead

Ø  The Risen Christ is the foundation for who we are.

Ø  The Risen Christ is the Transformational message of the story of God.

Romans 3:23 reminds us that “All have Sinned and Fall Short.”

As we read Scripture:

          We understand we are the ones who fall short

          We are the ones who have sinned

But it Scripture doesn’t stop there:

2 Cor 5:21 says: "Yet He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we may become the righteousness of God through Him."

v The Transformational message is found in the fact:

§  The stone was rolled away

§  Christ was RISEN

§  And we are to go and Tell.

v We are not bound to secrecy.

v We are not to keep this knowledge to ourselves.

§  It is for the whole world.

§  It is for every people, nation, tribe

§  It is for every tongue

Go and tell

v  1 Cor 15:3 “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me…”

§  We must continue the cycle of telling!

§  We must tell the greatest story ever told!

Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. ⁴ He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 

v We are Set Free – to go and tell.

The women are told this, but what do they do?

The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. ^{Mark 16:8} 

v We don’t have to be afraid.

§  2 Tim 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, and love

v We are no longer bound to be quiet.

v We are no longer held captive.

§  We are not caged to sin

§  We are not caged to secrecy

Ø  We are set free to LOVE.

§  Christ is Risen, He bore our sins…

¨      that we may be the righteousness of god

§  He canceled our debt.

§  He took away the fear.

Ø  Christ is RISEN.

§  We are set free!

§  We are Free to LOVE… as Christ has loved.

Mark 12:30-31 “you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

How better to love your neighbor – than to Go and Tell!

Even tell Peter

v The Angel tells the women to make sure they tell Peter

Ø  Peter, the one who was so bold

§  The one who ran away in fear

§  The one who denied knowing Jesus 3x

§  The one who made a fool of himself.

v The message of the resurrection…

§  Is one of invitation.

Ø  Out of the depression – comes victory.

§  Peter was invited.

¨      Peter was depressed, discouraged, appalled

§  The story of God’s transformation resurrection reaches out to those who have denied him.

v If you have denied him.

§  God is sending his servants to tell you about his resurrection

§  God is reaching out to you.

§  He always has been.

§  God is telling you,

¨      In HIM you are FREE

¨      In him, you are included

Ø  The story of God’s transformation resurrection reaches out to those who have denied him.

v Easter is an exciting time.

§  Families get together, Spring is about us

v What are you excited about?

Ø  You have a story to tell!

§  Share your story, share the Good News

§  Invite others into the ongoing redemption of God

Today we are here to

          CELEBRATE THE RESURECTION

And out of our excitement we are called to:

     GO AND TELL

v Communion: Jesus’ body, his blood –broken and spilt 

v Christ gave, that we may live

Ø  Take, eat and be filled with the presence of God

§  and Go and Tell your story

     of how God broke into your life

As you go, celebrate the Resurrection by telling the greatest story ever told. Go and Love!         

Lent 4B - Snake on a Pole

Lent 4b      March 18, 2012

John 3:14-21     Snake on a Pole

  

Foolishness:

v "Pick up your cross and follow me"

§  Sometimes the very things we are asked to do by God

¨      seem like follishness to the "world"

¨      like crawling under a table...

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. (1 Cor1:18)

v The cross is foolish.

§  It was the most humiliating and excruciating form of capital punishment. 

§  It was not only to punish the offend-ant

¨      but also to strike fear in the onlooker.

§  The cross is foolish. it's weird. it doesn't make sense.

v Our text today is from John 3.

§  When I say: John 3:16 - what do you say?

¨      Can you quote vs 17?

¨      And, what comes before it?

Numbers 21:4-9

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. (Numbers 21:8, 9 TNIV)

v First time I read this passage... When I finished - all I could say was "WEIRD"

Ø  People grumbling

Ø  God sends snakes.

Ø  The snakes bite people. Some people die

Ø  People pray that they be taken away

Ø  God tells Moses to Make A Snake

§  WAIT!  What?

¨      Make an image?

§  Did he really just say that?

¨      Difference here from the "Golden Calf"  =  God told him to do it.

·        it wasn't on our own basis... but God's.

Here we find 3 things:

          1. Snakes - a reference to the GARDEN

          2. God doesn't remove the snakes.

          3. God does PROVIDE salvation = life.

1. A REFERENCE to the GARDEN

·        The image of the snake - draws our attention to the serpent in the garden.

·        The serpent in the garden, was cleaver - and deceitful - and was "killing" the people.

·        The serpent told Eve : “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. (Genesis 3:4 TNIV)

2. GOD DOESN'T REMOVE THE SNAKES

Ø  The Israelites were discouraged

Ø  The Israelites were grumbling

§  about food

§  about being out in the "wilderness"

§  about being bitten by snakes.

Ø  They prayed that God would take away the snakes. 

§  They wanted their discomfort changed.

§  They thought the only way to be saved is for them to go away.

         

Ø  In our own lives:

§  We often pray that God would remove the pain, discomfort, death...

§  We often pray that our lives would be easier.

         

3. GOD PROVIDES SALVATION

          God provides... LIFE

Ø  He doesn't remove the snakes... the potential for being bitten.

§  but he provides a way to live.

§  he provides Life.

§  We find in this Old Testament text: 

¨      In the midst of the pain, God provides life.

In our Gospel Text

Jesus says: " as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. (John 3:14, 15 NLT)

v While our desire may be the removal of the aches and pains, and the fear of death....

Ø  God provides LIFE.

§  Everyone who believes in Christ will have eternal life!

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. (1 Cor 1:18)

v The story of Moses - doesn't make sense.

§  Lots of Old Testament stories don't...

v But, In God - all things are new.

Ø  While the message of the cross is foolishness to this world - IT IS the power of God - to us who:

          a) look up                        b) turn from our selfishness  

          c) pick-up our cross        d) and follow HIM.

Jesus doesn't put a lot of requirements upon us...

          simply look up to the cross. 

          simply believe

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 TNIV)

v This passage from John 3:14&15, has so many implications for who we are.

§  In the midst of our pain - God is there.

§  When we want life to be different - God provides

§  What we want to happen, may not happen.

Ø  But what we receive will be better.

Ø  If we believe - we will have eternal life.

This passage speaks to the power of the RESURECTION.

          The historical story in the OT

          The transformational one in Christ JESUS.

          While God doesn't remove the snakes.

          God DOES PROVIDE salvation = he provides LIFE.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake…so the Son of Man…

As you go: Lift your eyes. Look to God above, and believe.

Go and Love.