Resurrection Sunday

So much to celebrate this morning!

The intentional work of Jesus is the highlight, but He’s given us so much more to celebrate...

Sometimes we go through the season with blinders on, sometimes the Easter Egg hunt is the most important part that the kids remember… I’m thankful for our church family and the fact that these children we hear on Sundays are being raised to know the truth.

So this morning, I want to start with what happened after his resurrection as a reminder… the story in Luke 24...

As we walk along on the Road to Emmaus with the two disciples we must not forget that these two disciples of Jesus had heard the two reports of the resurrection – Mary’s and Peter’s. However, because they hadn’t personally seen the evidence, rather, they didn’t want to check out the evidence for themselves… they weren’t curious

Incredible isn’t it? They gave up on Jesus … but thank God, He didn’t give up on them. Notice that the text says, “Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.” I like the way it reads in the King James, “Jesus drew near…” The thought here isn’t that these two disciples were simply geographically distant, but that their faith was distant as well. Jesus knew their need and so He DREW NEAR. He didn’t say, “Fine! You want to leave, you want to doubt, you want to turn your back on me? Go right ahead. Don’t expect me come to you. When you clean up your act and smarten up and return to where I am, I’ll consider taking you back.” Thank God, Jesus isn’t like that. He knows our weaknesses and our struggles.

We’re not much better than those disciples…

Life fogs up our vision, our understanding, our faith, our hope…

It’s easy to loose focus.

It’s easy to doubt.

It’s easy to forget.

It’s easy to misunderstand.

It’s easy to give up and give in.

Thank God that in spite of:

1. Our clouded situations and circumstance…

2. Getting lost frequently along the way…

3. The times we decide to take the first plane out of town and run away from our difficulties…

there is a God who not only comes looking for us, but also DRAWS NEAR AND TRAVELS WITH US UNTIL WE SEE AGAIN!

That is good news! That is grace! That is Jesus!

And yet, with all this physical closeness they still didn’t recognize who he was!

We too give up, and don’t see Jesus walking with us, we don’t see the salvation He offers daily...

We pray for things, and don’t see the answers we want… Where is God?

The answer is, “Right where you left Him.” God won’t go where he is not welcomed. If we want to keep pushing God out of our life … if we continue to ignore His Word … if we continue to break His commandments, then what gives us the right to expect him to “be there” for us?

But thank God that where He is welcomed, where there are those who are genuinely struggling with faith, who are sincerely wanting to believe, but because of a lack of hope just can’t see God in their circumstances, you can be sure that you’ll find Him a lot closer than you think.

Ushers, please hand out the elements of communion...

In this story… it wasn’t until He broke the bread that finally “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him…” Remember Jesus’ words “…Do this in remembrance of me…” Communion is a very intimate act. It helps us to focus on Jesus instead of ourselves. It points us to the One who has been near all along. In this act of remembrance, HE REMINDS US of His constant love and as we break bread we see that He HAS come near.

God wants our eyes to be opened - the eyes of our mind and the eyes of our heart too.

When the disciples recognized Him, their attitude was lifted up...

From despair to hope

From depression to joy

From doubt to belief

From defeat to victory

From dismay to courage

From disillusionment to enlightenment

and they went home proclaiming in vs 34

“It is true! The Lord has risen…”

Why the change?

“Jesus drew near… broke bread”!

Today Jesus continues to draw near. As we gather to celebrate at this table Jesus wants to do something. As we remember a historic fact and eat and drink these common everyday elements we are reminded of an eternal reality – Jesus IS here among us!

We remember His sacrifice on the cross, His broken body, and His shed blood...

I've heard it said this way, “but Sunday’s coming”

So this morning, we celebrate something special...

As we prepare for a special baptism, I’ll have all the kids come up front please...

Yes Jesus Loves me song

Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross for us, but then do you know what happened next?

Resurrection Sunday (Easter) is a premier time for baptism, symbolizing new life in Christ, inner transformation, and public confession of faith. It connects the believer’s death to sin and rising to new life with Jesus' resurrection, representing a new creation.

Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

Baptism signifies the believer’s union to Christ in His death and resurrection. Because of that union, we are granted a newness of life...

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”

Jesus’ baptism serves as a model for Christian baptism, symbolizing repentance, identification with Christ, and the reception of the Holy Spirit. It also affirms John’s prophetic ministry and the divine approval of Jesus as the Messiah.

Matthew 3:13-17 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Pastor Rocky...

I’m gonna ask the worship team to come up...