Easter Sunday, 2008
Brought back to life Easter Sunday, 2008 Matthew 28:1-10
Intro… The complicated life of a celebrity
Today is Easter and we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's also a day to reflect on what it is in all our lives that need to be restored, brought back to life, renewed again, given a sense of purpose, direction and meaning.
I'd like you all to take a moment (of silence) and think about an area of your life that needs new life, something that needs to be restored. An area where you need God's direction.
It could be your relationship with God, your marriage, an important relationship, your job, your outlook on life etc. Let's pause…
Text: Matthew 28:1-10
In Matthews version of the Easter story I found quite a few analogies to this theme of being brought back to life.
Vs. 1 At dawn on the first day of the week.
The stone was not rolled back so Jesus could get out, but that others could see in and realize that Jesus had
indeed risen from the dead, just as he promised.
There is nothing holding Jesus back from changing our lives. We're the ones who tend to hold the stone in place, not allowing Jesus into our lives.
Often we're afraid of what he may do…You may have to start acting like a Christian…which should be a good thing!
Dawn and first days represent a fresh start…
"Today is the first day of the rest of your life." "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
Let's play AA meeting…"I'm Evan" (HI EVAN!) "I have been allowing God to give me a fresh start each day for 1 year now…"
We need to have that daily perspective.
Christ's resurrection symbolizes new life and the power over death.
But in order for that to happen, sometimes our lives need to be shook up, get a wake up call. Vs. 2
When you are open to the changes that God wants to bring in your life, it could be a shocking experience. V. 3-4
Who can tell me what the first law of motion is? (Issac Newton) Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it.
Answering the radical call to follow Jesus will require that we die to certain things in our lives. Most often, only you know exactly what those things are.
Sometimes those areas are pointed out by others…either way, following Jesus will require change.
Oh, but we like staying stuck in our ruts…
The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) is four feet, eight-and-one-half inches. Why such an odd number? Because that's the way they built them in England, and American railroads were built by British expatriates. Why did the English adopt that particular gauge? Because the people who built the pre-railroad tramways used that gauge. They in turn were locked into that gauge because the people who built tramways used the same standards and tools they had used for building wagons, which were set on a gauge of four feet, eight-and-one-half inches. "Why were wagons built to that scale? Because with any other size, the wheels did not match the old wheel ruts on the roads. "So who built these old rutted roads? "The first long-distance highways in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been in use ever since. The ruts were first made by Roman war chariots. Four feet, eight-and-one-half inches was the width a chariot needed to be to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses." Maybe "that's the way it's always been" or "I can't change" isn't the great excuse some people believe it to be.
(OK, so let's say you've indentified some ruts you are stuck in, some changes that need to be made…)
When we allow God to make those changes in our lives, he will be with us through that process. V. 5 and 10
V. 5 "Do not be afraid." I know what you are looking for (Jesus).
"I know it seems like he's dead and gone."
I know it seems like God may have abandoned you as you search for new life…"Where is God in all this?"
Often Jesus is in places we are not looking. Vs. 6
He is alive and ready to lead us into a life of His perspective.
I realize that making godly choices and changes in your life is hard.
But we will never go wrong following God's plan for our life.
Look at the comforting words of Jesus in vs. 10…
He is now calling his disciples "brothers" because he has forgiven them, even after they abandoned him on the cross, denied and deserted him.
Their relationship would now be stronger than ever.
That's what happens when we allow Jesus to change us, our relationship with him becomes stronger than ever.
What should be the reaction when Jesus does change your life/bring you back to life?
Run and telling others. V. 7
Sharing the good news, the exciting stuff in your life.
Worship at the feet of Jesus v. 9 (accepting his forgiveness)
GOSPEL, The Easter message…
"Afraid, yet filled with joy v.8
For you parents out there, it's that first baby feeling…
NOT taking "bribe money" to keep quite…v. 11-15
Standing up for what you believe in…
Conclusion: Brought back to life VIDEO
Silence, prayer, reflection
March 16th, 2008
Palm Sunday
Intro…VIDEO of Chess game
Chess is a great game, especially for those able to plan way ahead. Thinking through your moves sets you up for victory.
God had planned "way ahead" every event that will happen in our world.
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday which leads into Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter.
This is one of the best and most exciting weeks in the Christian church.
Everything that we celebrate this week has been pre-ordained by God.
These events were set in motion long before our world was every created.
What we celebrate this week is part of God's grand plan for our salvation.
We don't ever want Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter to become routine. These are grand events planned out by God.
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
v. 1-3, v. 7-8 God often uses the little to accomplish big things. Jesus (and Christianity) has never been about grandstanding.
Jesus could've chosen any method for this grand entrance.
He could've come in on a riding chair carried by 10 strong men, a grand horse, as the leader of a big procession…
By entering Jerusalem on a colt, he affirmed his messianic royalty as well as his humility.
This is one of the few places that the gospels show us that Jesus' glory was recognized on earth.
The humility of Jesus is one of the key's to today's story…
Because Jesus asked for the colt (as was prophesied) this turned out to be an acted parable of prophecy.
For those who would see Jesus after the Resurrection, they would remember and integrate the events of the preceding weeks and years. Secrecy was being lifted.
For those with eyes to see, Jesus was not only proclaiming his messiahship and his fulfillment of Scripture but showing the kind of peace-loving approach he was now making to the city and the Kingdom he came to set up.
Messianic fervor was high, and perhaps this contributed to Jesus' desire to present himself as Prince of Peace.
Jesus came to set up a heavenly Kingdom, not an earthly Kingdom.
And that needs to be our mindset too. Are we setting ourselves up for great things here on earth or for eternal things in heaven that last forever?
v. 4-5, v. 9 God's plans are set in motion long before we ever existed and may not be what we expected.
What is the bigger picture in today's story and "Palm Sunday?"
Palm Sunday celebrates The Presentation of the King. Jesus is now going public with his purpose for being here.
V. 5 was foretold over 500 hundred years before. ( Zec. 9:9, Isa. 62:11)
God has a grand plan for our lives too, set in motion long ago. That doesn't mean that we can't make choices in our lives, but it does mean that those choices should line up with what is God's best in our lives.
We should give Jesus the glory due his name everyday of the year.
Why were they shouting "Hosanna?" It meant "save now" and came from Ps. 118:25-27.
Jesus boldly declared himself King and the crowd joined him.
However, these same people who are wildly cheering for Jesus would later bow to political pressure and agree to crucify him.
How 'bout our allegiance to Jesus? Is it only strong when we are around other Christians? Those who think and believe like we do?
We also need to be able to see past our often selfish and temporary need. These people wanted to be saved from the oppression of the Roman government.
Jesus came to offer them (and us) a greater salvation.
v. 6 Obedience to God is the key to the Christian life.
"The disciples" (your name here) went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
Why is this so important? (Because we need to be following Jesus and not just the spiritual leaders in your life.)
Acting immediately on the words/command of Jesus and the Bible will save us trouble in the long run.
v. 10-11 A true encounter with Jesus should rock your world.
"Who is this?" This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth."
As we enter Holy Week, my prayer is that the full impact of who Jesus is will be realized.
As they asked, "Who is this?" today we need to ask what difference is Jesus making in our lives? What difference does Easter make to you?
Conclusion: Video of Palm Sunday
March 9th, 2008
The life of Jesus, John 8:1-11
Intro… a man who cheats on his wife…twice…getting a 2nd or 3rd chance….
Text: John 8:1-11
Jesus is sitting in the temple court at dawn, ready to teach the people and along come those pesky teachers of the law and Pharisees. They were looking to trap him in an ethical dilemma.
I'm guessing that today we can find ourselves in two places of this story… either in the accusatory crowd…or the guilty woman.
I'd like us to move in the direction of Jesus, that is learning to forgive and having compassion on those "caught in sin."
The first group of people we'll look at is the accusatory crowd. V. 3-6
Don't we just love to tattle tale on others? It starts young…my kids
In this story, these Jewish leaders had already disregarded the law by arresting only the woman.
The law required that both parties to adultery be stoned. (Lev. 20:10, Deut. 22:22-24).
By trying to trap Jesus, it's almost like a child doing the "If I don't like Dad's answer, I'll go ask Mom" trick. Good parents are consistent even when apart.
Jesus is the same way. He is not going to do anything or say anything that would discredit his Father.
If Jesus had said not to stone her, they would accuse him of violating Moses' law.
If he had ordered her death, and confirmed the verdict of the Pharisees he would lose his reputation for compassion.
They would also report him to the Romans who did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions. (John 18:31).
Did Jesus completely disregard the law of Moses? No
Jesus did uphold the legal penalty for adultery (stoning), but His reply put the dilemma back on his questioners.
Jesus is really good at this. He often replied in a parable form, or question form to really make (us) think deeper.
Jesus will always have a bigger lesson for us to learn than we originally came to him with.
According to Jewish law, in any case of capital punishment the witnesses must begin the stoning. By saying that only a sinless person could throw the first stone, he emphasized the importance of compassion and forgiveness.
Jesus didn't condemn this woman, but neither did he ignore or condone her sin.
It's too easy to rush to judgment of others, to point out the "speck in their eye when you have a plank in your own" as Matt. 7:1-5 says.
Jesus came to bring life and understanding to that law. To bring grace and healing.
Her accusers had made her the bait for a trap. They were more interested in destroying Jesus than in saving her. Their vicious hatred of him was as bad as her immorality. His rebuke had prevented their pronouncing sentence on her.
It's almost like the Pharisees were saying, "Oh this is an easy one. We caught a woman in adultery and she is guilty and worthy of death for sure!"
So ask yourself, how am I do I treat others when they are caught in obvious sin?
Do I take particular delight in accusing them? Or am I looking deep in my heart and extending the grace that Jesus would.
Now let's look at it from the adulterous woman's perspective.
This woman caught in adultery is us!
Every one of us has done something wrong that deserves death…
We can't think that just because we haven't been caught we are guilt free.
It dawned on me in talking with a friend recently (who is struggling to stay faithful to his wife) that every man has cheated on his wife...
Every one of us needs God's grace and forgiveness…GOSPEL
Like I said earlier, we want to move in the direction of Jesus, that is learning to forgive and having compassion on those "caught in sin."
And I put it in quotes because we are all caught in sin…
As Jesus cleared her, he left her with a duty, "Go now and leave your life of sin."
This is key, because otherwise we may continue in our sinful lifestyle.
It's one thing to recognize a sinful behavior and be forgiven for it.
But what is most important from there is that you take the needed steps to change that behavior.
Confession and repentance mean a change of heart and a change of behavior.
Otherwise you are doing a disservice to God, Jesus, Christianity and the church (God's people).
"Oh yeah, I've gone to Coastlands for years now, but I'm still doing _______."
It is our job also to show forgiveness and compassion.
However, it's also our job to "Go and leave your life of sin."
Forgiveness demands a clean break with sin.
Conclusion:
This was a whole new experience for this woman. Here was a man who was interested in saving rather than exploiting and in forgiving rather than condemning.
Jesus' handling of the situation provided both the motivation and the assurance she needed.
That Jesus refrained from condemning her was a guarantee that he would support her.
Jesus is going to be with us too as we walk away from sin and follow him.
March 2nd, 2008
The life of Jesus, John 4:1-42
Intro…Encountering people on a neutral site…the graffiti removal pictures…
Retell the story of Jesus and the woman at the well
Text: John 4: 7-14
To me, this is one of the best stories of Jesus. It speaks volumes as an example for evangelism, ministry, service and accepting those who are "not like us."
Evangelism/Ministry/Service: The practical side of our faith
The importance of the "neutral turf", the green zone.
Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman in public. What was so different about this?
" After the northern Jewish kingdom (with its capital Samaria) fell in 722 BC to the Assyrians, they had resettled it with captives/foreigners from other countries. They had brought with them their own gods, whose worship they had combined with remnants of the worship of Jehovah and Baal in a mongrel type of religion. Some of the remaining Jews intermarried with these foreigners, creating an impure, mixed race. When the Jewish descendants of the southern captivity returned from Babylon in 539 B.C. to renew their worship under the Law, they found a complete rift between themselves and the inhabitants of Samaria, both religiously and politically. By the time of Jesus a strong rivalry and hatred prevailed. Jews did everything they could to avoid traveling through Samaria. "
In Jesus' time, men didn't speak to women in public.
This woman came at the noon hour, perhaps to avoid other women, considering her reputation. (Having been married 5 times)
None of this mattered to Jesus. It came down to practicality. He chose this route because it was the shortest and he spoke to this woman because she was there.
Who is it that God has asked you to speak with that may be out of your comfort zone? Maybe even someone you would "never talk to?"
Jesus befriended her, but also spoke the truth in love. V. 10-13
Jesus models for us the ability to turn everyday events into a spiritual conversation.
It was such a natural, easy conversation, well, water, thirst, physical thirst vs. spiritual thirst, a temporary need vs. an eternal need.
Sometimes a canned, pre-prepared approach doesn't work.
That's why I love finding theological messages in art, film or music that anyone can relate to.
The challenge is to turn that conversation into a spiritual conversation and not just "keep talking about the weather."
Jamie, yesterday as we walked and removed graffiti…
What was the result of this supernatural encounter with Jesus? V.15
Her life was changed!
Interesting thing was that she never said the "sinners prayer". She had a real encounter with the living God. Some people come to faith in Jesus in ways other than we may be used to, not the SS approach.
A true encounter with the living God will open up all areas of our lives, show us where we are lacking and need Jesus.
This woman sets a great example for us.
She went to her friends and told them her story, how Jesus changed her life. v. 39-41
The power of a personal story. v. 42
Just tell people what God has done and is doing in your life.
How do we as a church live out this example of evangelism/ministry/service from Jesus?
Here is what we always need to be about:
Evangelism (in everything we do and say, specific events, lifestyle)
Worship (with all we are, everyday and the entire hour and 15 we gather)
Fellowship (shared lives, dreams, raising families, victories, struggles etc.)
Discipleship (ideally through relationship, can also be through the "Next Steps" we offer.)
Ministry (service to others)
As we are in this new school and will be inviting the community in we need to be reminded of great opportunity we have to relaunch/restart this church.
Purpose clarification (to make disciples of Jesus Christ)
Mission Affirmation (relaunch, continue to reach families and the "PBers") Action Plans (getting ready for Easter, Mikey, Block Party, World Vision, Legends of surfing, Faith in Action)
Strategy: Skeptic to believer (Sand to Surf)
Dry run (practice on beach): Attending church, reading the Bible, considering the claims of Christ.
Waist deep: Realizing the need for Jesus in your life, asking God to become more real to you.
Paddling out: Accepting Christ, discipleship, attending a small group, Christianity 101 class
Riding the wave: Living the Christian life, ministry, serving the church, missions, sharing your faith
We always need to remember the example Jesus sets for us in today's story. Be involved in people's lives. Know their needs, love on them. Speak a common language on neutral turf. Look for opportunities to share the gospel.
March 9th, 2008
The life of Jesus, John 6:1-15
Intro…. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
I think God delights in surprising us. Often things turn out as "expected" but it's the times of not knowing that God will teach us the deepest and most meaningful lessons.
Today's story is a classic example of that. No one expected Jesus to feed 5000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread…
Text: John 6:1-15
This is a pretty well know story in the Bible, "The feeding of the 5000"
This is the only miracle mentioned in all of the gospels, making it significant
Actually it was most likely the feeding of the 10,000 or more.
(Matt. 14:21) "The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children."
What are the real life applications for us today from this story?
In v. 5 Jesus asked for a human solution (knowing there was none) and that made this powerful act he was about to perform even greater.
Just as Jesus tested Philip in v. 5-7, he'll test our faith also.
I believe v. 6 is the pivotal verse in this whole story.
There is deep theology, (important to understand) in this statement.
So many times God brings events and circumstances into our lives to test us, see how deep our faith is, what we truly believe in.
Do we believe that God has a bigger plan, outside of the current circumstances we may not understand?
Do we really believe that God "has in mind what he is going to do?"
If we do, then we need to act like it….by not worrying, not freaking out, being in prayer and the Word, asking for prayer, trusting God.
In v. 7 Philip (just like you and me) started to figure out how much this was going to cost.
Jesus wanted to teach him (and us today) that financial resources are not the most important ones.
We can't limit God by assuming what is possible or not possible.
We can't let our estimate of what can't be done keep us from taking on a task.
When we trust God and his plans (whether it's what we wanted or not) then we begin to see his work in our lives.
Just like the disciples in v. 7-8 who doubted Jesus could do anything with this meager lunch…
Often we compare ourselves to others and say, "I'm small and insignificant, how can God use me?" Jesus does his best miracles through us humans.
Here he took what a young boy had and used it to accomplish one of the greatest miracles recorded in the NT.
In reality, God uses the "small and insignificant" more than the big and famous.
Age, gender, race, education, qualifications, non of that matters to God. SLIDE He just wants humans who are available.
How can I say that? Because the big and famous are the minority!
I was at two church/pastors conferences in the last two weeks. We always hear the stories about the churches that grew fast and are not big.
In reality, the average church size in America is about 100! IOW, there are way more small churches than big.
There are way more "average people" that God uses than famous people.
Isn't it great to part of the majority that God uses?
And remember what I always say, "Famous Christian" is an oxymoron. (That is if your goal is to become a famous Christian…)
Jesus sets the example for us in v. 15. They wanted to make him their earthly king to relieve the oppression of the Romans.
Jesus came to set up a heavenly kingdom so he didn't need to "be famous"
The contrast is obvious…earthly "famous" king or heavenly "not so popular" king.
It's the same for us. We are often tempted to set things up for ourselves right here on earth, "get famous."
Yet the call to follow Jesus is about losing yourself, following Jesus and investing in eternal things, things that moth and rust will not destroy.
Those things are relationships, family, friends, people, seeing people come to Christ.
The eternal things are also godly characteristics in our lives, qualities that no one can take away from us. Qualities that God will be proud of.
There is a lesson in the leftovers. V. 12-13
God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we can offer him in time, ability or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations.
What's our job? To take the first step, make yourself available to God. He will use us mightily if we let him to advance his kingdom work.
Conclusion: Story from Christian history book…
God using the "small and insignificant" from Christian History book.
Communion intro… Form prayer groups, before partaking….