The Good News We Must Share

Welcome/Prayer

Good Morning Church!

He is RISEN! AND ALL GOD’S PEOPLE PROCLAIM? HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

Would you join me in prayer?

Yahweh, we come before you morning in celebration and excitement because this is the day. This is the day that our entire faith revolves around. This is the day we celebrate your victory Jesus. This day, you changed the world. This day you defeated death and conquered the grave. This day ushered in an age of freedom from sin and a renewed life! Jesus it is our prayer that you would be the center of our worship. Holy Spirit Come transform our lives to live and love like you Jesus.

Introduction:

Have you ever had something happen that was so exciting or so overwhelming you couldn't help but share it with others? Maybe you recieved some good news or maybe you've been working on something and all the sudden it just clicks?

I have been working on handcut dovetails for some time now, the other night i was cutting a set they just fit near perfectly the first time. and when I hit the pins into the tails and i took a look at the final fit, I almost cried. I have cut dozens of these and there always something wrong, but this time they just fit.

I was so overwhelmed, I had to tell someone so first called my best friend dean and then I called steve. I just wanted to share this special moment for me.

YOU: you may have another example of a situation or a piece of news that was so exciting you just had to tell everyone! Maybe you got a new dog, or maybe a new grandchild was born, or maybe you just found out you were pregnant.

This morning is a morning news too, I want us to take a step into the text and see easter morning from the eyes of the women at the tomb. Would you pause with me for a word of prayer to prepare our hearts for the message that the Lord has for us today.

Walking Through the Text

The Women Coming to the Tomb: I want us to imagine for a second we are the women coming to the tomb. We are carrying the embalming spices. The women are going to embalm Jesus’ body. At this point they believe Jesus is dead, It has been days since he was taken down from the cross.

The women left before the first break of day. This was probably not a joyful walk, but a somber and silent walk to the tomb. Questions still swirling in there heads, what happened? What do we do know? Why did we just give up everything for this person? Why did I loose my rabbi, My Son, My friend?

The Scene at the Tomb

The women arrive at the tomb and all of their expectations were flipped on their heads. The stone is rolled away from the foot of the tomb. Where they were expecting a body, but the body of the Lord wasnt there.

Then suddenly two persons appear and ask a question, why do you look for the living among the dead?

The angels know the truth, they no that Jesus isnt there but the women dont understand. He is not here; he is Risen!

They then instruct them to remember, (The bible instructs us to remember 352 times, when you look at the varients of remember its over 550 times!)

Transition: In the rest of the text we see three reactions to the Good News of Easter Morning

Three Reactions to The Good News

The Women: Then it hit them. Jesus has risen from the DEAD just like he said!

Immediately they decided this is a message we must share! It is a monumental event. A life altering reality check. So they go back to the apostles.

The Apostle Reaction to the Good News:: Don’t Beleive them, Can you imagine how it would feel to be the women in this moment? The women had just witnessed the best thing and the men didnt believe them.

Could you imagine what would happen if you were the women and you shared with the men youve spent the most of time with and you experience this, and the apostles dont believe you?

Praise the Lord, that the Gospel didnt fail because some didnt believe Amen?

Peter’s Reaction Good News:

Peter goes to investigate on his own, He runs to see if the message is true. I can just imagine Peter sprinting finding the linens.

Yet, I can also picture Peter walking away scratching his head thinking, “well I wonder what happened”.

In the same way, I can put a pencil down and come back and its magically gone or when I look for something in the fridge and cant find it and walk away confused, but my wife can find it in 2.5 seconds! Jess calls it guy brain.

Here’s the thing about Peter is that we may laugh at his reaction, but how often are we like Peter?

We have an encounter with the Risen LORD and we simply walk away and keep it to ourselves? Every sunday we hear the good news, but especially this sunday we remember that Jesus Christ is Risen. How can we possibly keep that to ourselves?

Transition: This is News We must share! This Sunday my hope and prayer is that no one walks out of this building not knowing what to do with what they experienced about Jesus this day, but we each walk out with a testimony.

Church there's a 4 reaction to the good news , its our reaction to the good news!

How will we respond to the Good News that Jesus is Risen?

We will share it like the women did!

3 Things to share with others this Week!

Share the Resurection Story with another person.

That the tomb was empty, the women were the first evangelists of the good news, We can share that the church didnt create the resurrection but the resurection created the Church.

The resurection is the point at the entirety of Christianity rests. Listen to Paul’s reflection on the reality of Christ’s Resurection.

1 Cor 15:14-22 (Slides)

P.S I love the but here! Its perhaps the biggest and best conjunction in all of human history! That is Good News worth Sharing Amen?

Death has been defeated, the grave has no power over us!

Death is something that everyone fears. We all worry and stress about what happens next. We can share the words from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians

1 Cor 15:26-27,54-57 (Slides)

We have victory in over death through our lord Jesus Christ!

That is Good News worth Sharing Amen?

In Christ We are a New Creation, The world has been forever changed and best part is we are part of the New Creation. We have a part in the Rest of the Story Now!

Listen to these words, from 2 Cor 5:16-21 (Slide).

If we are in Christ, We are a New Creation, Adopted into a New Family, Part of God’s story to reconcile all things to himself! We are being made new right now, Change in the world is possible right now, Because Jesus is making all things New starting with me and you.

That is good news that’s worth sharing Amen?

Church, let us God from this place with testimony of the Good News this morning, I pray that the News of Jesus would be spread like crazy through us this week.

I want to close with a prayer, as I am praying I want you to ask the HOLY Spirit who you should share the good news with this week, God will show you. Lets pray together.

Would you stand with me and Sing Lift your glad voices!

Benediction:

As you go out into God’s world this week, be Easter people! Be those who say, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? Jesus is not here. He is risen.” Be ready to be surprised with what God will do next. Look for the risen Christ in those you meet. Let the Holy Spirit nudge and guide you. The tomb is empty because Jesus is out in the world, and now we must go out into the world too! May the joy and wonder of that first Easter morning live in your hearts today and everyday. Amen.