Easter: The Greatest Invitation You'll Ever Receive

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Title:  Easter: The Greatest Invitation You’ll Ever Receive

Focus Statement:  

Easter represents the greatest invitation we will ever receive. Easter is the day when Jesus restored our broken relationship with God. Jesus voluntarily took upon Himself the consequences of our sin, washed us clean with His blood, and having done all the work invites us to follow Him as one of His disciples. Easter is the day that Jesus defeated sin and death and offers us the free gift of salvation. Will you accept that invitation?

Function Statement:  

Accept the invitation to take the next step in your spiritual walk; accept salvation, sign up to serve, join a small group, get baptised, or become a member.

Tweetable Phrase:  

Jesus did all the work and invites us to share in the reward. Will you accept His invitation?

Main Text:  Acts 9:1-19

Supporting Text:  Romans 15:14-22, Luke 24: 1-12

Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus):  Matthew 17:22-23

Benediction:  

Questions to Review

Is the bottom line clear? Main point should be able to be said in a single sentence.

What’s the opening line? Not hello, start with a question or something to grab attention.

Is the transition from the introduction to main point clear?

What’s my main point? Make it short and memorable

Does it matter? Is the topic relevant to the congregation?

Where is the power in the text? What word or phrase highlights the tension?

How am I moving toward application?

What is my main to-do (application)? Be specific.

What does it matter? The WHY creates urgency.

How am I closing? Have a plan.

WELCOME

Good morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.

‌Welcome to those joining us online. We hope your doing well and hope to see you in person in the coming weeks.

And a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you chose to be here.

ME/INTRO - Tension

Have you ever been invited to do something that you had no business being a part of?

Most of you know that my wife Andrea, my daughter Ellie, and I have been running races to raise money for World Vision for about a decade. My wife was the first to sign up. Encouraged by a friend who wanted to do it, she signed up for a 1/2 marathon. I said no for 2 years because I hated running, but when they offered a triathlon, I reluctantly said “Yes”, mainly because I figured by the time I got to the run nobody would care if I walked.

I did the absolute minimum amount of training possible. I would do the Saturday group swims, rides, and runs but I would not do anything mid-week. I just hated training. I hated exercise. My theory at the time was that I would rather have 1 really bad day (race day) than over 100 bad days (training for the race). Why have over 100 really hard days, when I could only have 1?

Made sense to me.

Until race day.

On that first year’s race day, I was feeling great about the prospect of the race. The rest of the team were collectively very concerned for not only my chances of finishing, but my safety. They knew that I had not done any mid-week training. Many of them had completed a 1/2 IronMan before. They knew how hard a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run was to complete. The college triathlon coach that World Vision worked with to develop the training plan even came up to me before the race and said “good luck” in a tone that very clearly meant “I have no confidence you will finish this race”.

That being said, I had a plan. I was going to simply “suffer a lot but not give up”. It would hurt, probably hurt a lot, but that is what I signed up for.

During the swim portion, I learned that the water was really cold. Something I probably would have figured out if I had swam in open water before the event. But I survived and finished.

During the bike I got a flat tire, which I did not know how to fix. I had the tube and tools to fix it on my bike, but never learned how to fix a flat tire so I had to wait 45 minutes for someone to help me. Once that was done, I had very little time to complete the bike portion before the cutoff so I had to push harder than I had expected. I made the cutoff by 5 minutes.

So far, everything was going to plan.

During the run, I was completely spent. I had nothing left, but slowly walked forward. It was 2 laps and I considered giving up after the first lap, but I saw a 67 year old guy make the turn and something inside of me wouldn’t let someone twice my age finish while I quit. I slowly walked that second lap and with 2 miles left a motorcycle cop pulled up beside me. I asked him if I was the last one. He confirmed I was.

To everyone’s surprise, I finished the race right at the cutoff, in dead last place. The food table was already taken down and they ran out of medals, but I finished.

You’d think this would motivate me to train for the next one, but it only served to build confidence in my plan. Accept 1 terrible day in exchange for 100+ not terrible days.

I completed a few more 1/2 IronMen over the next few years, doing the absolute minimum training I thought I could get away with, barely making the cutoff times at each race.

AND YET...

After my 2nd or 3rd very questionable finish, I got an e-mail from World Vision.

Somehow I received an INVITATION to join the NY Marathon team. Keep in mind, World Vision only had ~20 slots for the entire country’s worth of World Vision runners. The NY Marathon is the biggest marathon in the world at 55,000 participants. It runs through all 5 boroughs of NYC and the finish line is in Central Park. It is not only considered the biggest marathon in the world, it is considered the best marathon by many people.

I didn’t know what to do.

Up until this point, I had been telling myself that I couldn’t run a marathon. I only did triathlon because by the time you got to the run, nobody expected you to do anything but walk because you’d already swam and biked so far. To run 26.2 miles at one time seemed impossible. The time required to qualify for the NY Marathon, to earn a spot, was 2H 55M, which I could not even achieving in the 1/2 marathon distance.

I also had no idea why I was selected. There were tons of World Vision runners that had actually completed a marathon before. I had never ran more than the 13.1 miles of the triathlon. There were tons of people who raised more money than I did. And, it was widely known that I did not train properly and by all measures did not resemble anything close to an athlete.

I had no business doing this race.

Yet...I was INVITED

And because this invite was to a race that was so good, that I had no chance of ever getting in on my own, and this INVITATION may never come again, I did the only thing I could...I said YES.

The thought of doing this race was incredibly EXCITING. But saying YES to something I had told myself was impossible for me brought with it a lot of FEAR. I knew that I would have to actually train. I knew there would be a pretty significant COST; physically and financially. But for this opportunity, I thought IT WOULD BE WORTH IT.

WE - Tension

Have you ever been invited to something that you had no business being a part of?

Maybe it was

a first class seat on an airplane

a ride on a private jet

a chance to play golf at that private country club

entrance into a party or event you would never have been able to get into on your own

a table at that restaurant that is really hard to get into

a chance to meet a celebrity you admire

or something else on your bucket list

I don’t know how you have felt when invited to do something that you thought would never happen, but I know the few times it has happened to me, I am so humbled to get the opportunity. I’m excited because I get to do something I never thought would happen, but I am afraid that I will screw it up. That there was a reason I couldn’t get in on my own, and it will become very apparent once I’m there.

I once went to a fancy / fundraising dinner and didn’t feel like wearing a suit. Turned out I showed up dressed like the waiters. It was a very awkward 3 hours, sitting at a table surrounded by very wealthy people who could visually see that I did not belong.

Whereas we’ve all probably experienced an invite to something we never thought we’d be able to do before, today ON EASTER SUNDAY, as we conclude our series “Living an Invitational Life” we’re going to talk about what I think is THE GREATEST INVITATION WE’LL EVER RECEIVE.

If you missed any of the previous weeks...

Week 1, we talked about how we’re called to LIVE the life of a disciple, obediently doing the next thing God calls us to do.

Week 2, we talked about how we are called to SHOW UP to places we typically wouldn’t go, talk to people we typically wouldn’t talk to, and serve those we typically wouldn’t interact with when called to do so by God.

Week 3, we talked about how God calls us to RELATE to to the lost of this world as God’s Ambassador, ADOPTING God’s values, beliefs, and teachings as our own. ALIGNING our lives with those values, beliefs, and teachings. And PASSIONATELY SHARING the Love and Grace of Jesus to a those hurting in this world.

Last week, we talked about how God calls us to RISK our comfort, schedule, reputation, safety, and wealth to love our neighbor; neighbor being defined as anyone with a need that we have the ability and opportunity to help.

As as we begin, please turn with me to [Acts 7]

We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.

AND...if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.

Lets dive in.

GOD - Text

Today we’re going to look at the story of a man who was doing everything he thought he was doing everything God wanted him to do, but missed the mark and was invited into the life God had planned for him all along.

Today we’re going to look at the INVITATION of Paul.

Undeserved Invitation

Now Paul was someone who thought he was doing everything right. He was born into the Roman town of Tarshish which meant he was a Roman Citizen with all the rights and privileges that entailed. He was a Pharisees which meant he he was part of the educated religious elite within the Jewish people, strictly observing the Old Testament Laws and holding others accountable to doing the same. On the outside, Paul was a model citizen, living the life everyone envied.

But his zeal for the Old Testament Law, closed his mind to the truth. His expectations of what the savior of the Jewish people would be made him blind to the fact that Jesus was not only the savior the Jewish people had been waiting for, but was the actual Son of God. In Paul’s zeal to uphold all the Old Testament Law, he did some terrible things, including sanctioning the killing of those who put their faith in Jesus.

We meet Paul (then known as Saul) in Acts 7:54-60

Acts 7:54–60 NIV

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

In those days, “holding the coats” was equivalent to taking responsibility for the action of those that actually did the stoning.

Paul didn’t stop there. He continued to persecute the followers of Jesus. We read in Acts 9:1-2

Acts 9:1–2 NIV

1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Paul was getting permission to travel the region, rounding up anyone who believed in Jesus and putting them in prison. He was trying to purge the world of anyone who believed in Jesus.

Jesus Shows Grace

Paul was the doing everything he thought God would want him to do.

He was following the Old Testament Law to the letter.

He was cleansing the Jewish people of anyone who believed anything different than the leadership taught.

And did it all with the support of Jewish leadership

Yet, he could not have been doing anything worse. He was persecuting those who put their faith in the Son of God, Jesus, the one who love us so much that He gave His life to clear our sleight of the consequences of our sin.

But...even when doing everything wrong, JESUS SHOWS UP.

While walking on the road to Damascus, Jesus meets Paul and INVITES HIM INTO A NEW LIFE. Jesus gives Paul the amazing GIFT OF GRACE. Jesus FORGIVES Paul of all the wrongs he’s done while trying to LEGALIZE RELIGION. Jesus points Paul in a NEW DIRECTION, to preach the Good News of what Jesus had done on the cross to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) and PASS ALONG THE INVITATION to a new life of love, forgiveness, and purpose.

Acts 9:3-6 reads

Acts 9:3–6 NIV

3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Have you ever done something you thought was SOOO right, to learn that it could not have been more wrong?

Have you ever had someone who didn’t judge what you were doing, but lovingly showed you a better way to live?

That’s what Jesus INVITES us all into...A better way to live.

The life of a Christ follower may not always make sense, it may not be easy, it may not be popular, but it IS THE BEST WAY TO LIVE.

We Can’t Do this Alone

Lucky for us, we’re not called to live this life alone.

The first thing that happened to Paul after his experience with Jesus, was that he went blind for three days. He needed to be led to Damascus and once there he had to be ministered to by one of the people he was going to persecute.

Acts 9:7–17 NIV

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

We cannot live the life we were created to live alone. We need each other.

I wouldn’t know what to do without my church family; loving me and my family, encouraging me, asking questions of me if they see something they don’t understand or agree with. The men’s group is only a little more than a month old, but I know they have my back just like I have theirs.

Just like Paul needed Ananias to clear the scales from his eyes, we need each other to point out of blind spots, to hold us accountable, and to help guide us to the mission God has assigned us.

I don’t think it is coincidental that God told Paul “you will be told what you must do”, but told Ananias directly that Paul was to “proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel”

Who do you have in your life that you can be 100% honest with?

Who do you have that will tell you the truth, even if they know you do not want to hear it?

Who encourages you to live out your God given purpose?

The Invitation is Only the Start

The one problem I have, is I often find myself guilty of thinking that accepting the invitation is all I need to do.

But...just like I actually needed to train for the NY Marathon, accepting the INVITATION is only the start.

Paul went from Damascus to Arabia for three years (where Mt Sinai is) to be trained by Jesus himself on how he was to minister to the Gentiles.

Galatians 1:11–18 NIV

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.

What is God calling you to learn before stepping into your calling?

What assumptions need to be challenged?

What do you need to give up to fully accept the next step Jesus’ is INVITING you to take?

Nothing Worth Doing is Easy

I’m not going to lie...

We’ve all heard the saying, “Nothing worth doing is easy”

Unfortunately at least in my life, it is true. Living the life God calls you to live is not going to be smooth sailing.

God is INVITING you to partner with Him to:

Love the unlovable

Serve people who you don’t like

Forgive those who have done what feels unforgivable

Invite those who are far from God into a life changing relationship with Him

As Paul tried to live that out, he suffered exactly as Jesus told Ananias he would

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 NIV

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

God’s Plan is the Best Way to Live

Yet...even after experiencing all this.

Paul summarizes his life following Christ as follows.

Romans 15:17 NIV

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.

Even with all the suffering, Paul “Glories” in serving Jesus and living the life Jesus INVITED him into.

Living the life God INVITES you to live, is the best life to live.

YOU - Takeaway

So, my question to all of us is...what is God INVITING you to do today?

What next step is God INVITING you to take?

In a few minutes were going to partake in communion.

But, before you come up, I encourage everyone to come to the center of the stage first. I have these little slips of paper spread across the front with pens. They are very simple. It just asks you to check where you’re at in your spiritual walk now, what next step God is INVITING you to take, and what support you need.

Maybe you’re here and you’ve always struggled with the idea that Jesus loves you so much that He would die to take the consequences of your sins upon himself. Maybe today is your day to accept the forgiveness He freely offers and step into the NEW LIFE that He do desperately wants for you.

Maybe you’ve put your faith in Jesus, but never made it public. Maybe today is your day to sign up to be baptized, proclaiming to the world that you have accepted Jesus’ INVITATION to a new life and want the help and support of those in the church to live that out. We’re going to have a baptism information meeting soon and I’d love to get you on the list.

Maybe you’ve been part of this community but want to be a more active part of it. Maybe it’s your time to sign up to volunteer or join a small group. Maybe it’s your time to sign up to become a member of TheLightKC. We’re going to have a membership class soon.

No matter what next step God is INVITING you to take, the staff wants to support you in any way we can. I ask you all to come fill one of these out before you take communion.

WE / JESUS - Redemptive Close - Call to Action

Invitation is Only Possible Because of What Jesus Did

No matter what next step God is inviting you to take...this life is not possible without the actions of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.

Today is Easter...A day that we celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf.

Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a perfect / sinless life, voluntarily allowed himself to be captured / mocked / tortured, and died on a Roman cross taking the penalty of all our sins upon Himself, restoring our relationship with God. Through Christ’s sacrifice we are washed clean, and we are given the INVITATION to a new life.

But after three days in the tomb, Christ rose again, defeating death, and giving all of us the opportunity to live forever with God in Heaven.

Luke writes...

Luke 24:1–8 NIV

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

Let’s say it together...HE IS RISEN!!!

Just like Paul, all we have to do is accept Jesus invitation to a New Life.

Communion

And to remember everything Christ did for us on that 1st Easter Sunday, we observe communion

We take bread to remember that Christ allowed His body to be broken for us.

We take wine (or grape juice) to remember that Christ allowed His blood to be spilled for us.

That’s what Easter is.

We remember and celebrate the depths of God’s love for us and the lengths God is willing to go to INVITE us into a life changing relationship with Him.

As part of the Wesleyan denomination we practice an open table. You don’t have be a member of the Wesleyan church to partake in communion here. You just have to have accepted Jesus as you LORD and savior, earnestly repent of your sin, and empowered by the Holy Spirit do everything you can to follow the commandments of God.

Children may partake at the discretion of their parents.

I encourage you to Come up to the steps first. Pray. Ask for God to show you the next step He’s inviting you to take. Fill out one of these cards so we can pray for you and support you as you walk this new path.

Take some time during the next song, examine where you heart is at and pray for God to show you any areas in your life that you need to repent of.

PRAYER 

Will you join me in prayer...

When ready, the elements will be up front.

SONG 

As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who needs God this week. The steps are open for you to pray to the God who is with you, who loves you, you wants to give you His peace.

‌

You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.

BENEDICTION 

Matthew 16:21 NIV

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

This week...let’s say “YES” to the next step God is INVITING you to take in your spiritual journey...No matter what that is.

Quick reminder...

Next week were going to start a new sermon series to help us live out God’s call to live a new life, called “21 days of Transformation”. We’ll be learning what this New Life means and what practices can help us along the way.

If you’re new, please stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi”, give you a sweet treat, and get you know you a bit better.

I hope you have a great week.

Go in peace.

You are dismissed.

DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS (download into APP)

How can we practically accept and embrace God's invitation to a deeper relationship with Him this Easter?

What fears or doubts prevent you from accepting Jesus' invitation, and what steps can you take to address those?

What specific action can you commit to this week in response to the invitation Jesus has offered you?

In what ways can we as a church community support one another in taking our next steps in faith?

Reflecting on Paul's transformation, what does it mean for you to be open to God's invitation for change in your life?

What is one way you can say 'yes' to God's invitation in your life this Easter?

How can you help overcome the fears of your peers who might hesitate to accept Jesus' invitation?

What are some practical steps you can take to demonstrate your acceptance of Jesus' invitation to a new life?

In your school or community, how can you support friends in their spiritual journeys?

Considering the story of Paul, how can you be open to change in your life and welcome new invitations from God?