End Game

End Game

Good morning Southpointe, Praise the Lord! Easter was great. But this morning is here! But after Easter you notice that It is not Easter anymore.

Do you remember David Letterman’s talk show? He had this top 10 list each night, well I am going to give you a top 10 list this morning.

The Top 10 Reasons You Know It’s the Sunday After Easter”

#10: There's not a lily in sight.

Answer #10: There's not a lily in sight.

#9: Walgreen and Wal-mart rotate the Easter candy to the sale tables and bring out the Mother's Day cards and gift ideas.

#8: You'll have no trouble finding a seat (even if you're late for worship).

#7: You'll have no trouble finding a parking place (even if you're late for worship).

#6: There is no Easter bunny hopping around.

#5: The number of visitors drops dramatically.

#4: The number of people who look like visitors but are actually church members who haven't been here for a while drops dramatically.

#3: There is no sight of Easter eggs anywhere.

#2: Almost everyone is back wear normal clothes.

#1: The preacher takes a Sunday off.

Let’s pray

Easter Sunday is a hard act to follow. The Sunday after Easter mood is about like the way you feel when you pull the car in the driveway at the end of a long trip. It is kinda like the End Game. The return to "normal" life is a bit sluggish.

Easter kind of wears us out. It's easy to understand. But it's also unfortunate. Because the other shoe has yet to drop.

The week after Easter is a very popular time for R&R conferences and retreats for ministers. It's a time for all of us—but especially preachers and choirs—to recover from the agony of Holy Week and the ecstasy of Easter, to kick back their feet and take a blow.

It's easy to understand. Who doesn't? It takes a lot of overtime work to pull off those extra Holy Week services and all the special features and arrangements for Easter Sunday. It doesn't take a degree in psychology to know that there's sure to be an emotional let-down. The sound of the Monday morning alarm clock is always a harsh one. Much, much more so the day after Easter. Actually—and this may sound odd at first—every preacher knows it's very easy to preach an Easter Sunday sermon. It's like getting a fat pitch to hit, a 3-and-2 count fastball, with no movement, belt high, in the heart of the plate, with runners in scoring position. Can't miss. Just about anybody can preach a good Easter sermon. It's the Sunday after Easter that takes some work.

Easter is the beginning, not the End Game. Just as our faith does not end with Good Friday crucifixion, neither does it end with Easter resurrection.

We may be exhausted, but the New Testament story is not. Resurrection is certainly the pivotal moment in this drama; but there's another act to follow.

Easter kind of wears us out. It's easy to understand. But it's also unfortunate. Because the other shoe has yet to drop. Easter is the beginning, not the conclusion. Just as our faith does not end with Good Friday crucifixion, neither does it end with Easter resurrection. We may be exhausted, but the New Testament story is not. Resurrection is certainly the pivotal moment in this drama; but there's another act to follow. But if you leave now . . . well, let's just say you go home and tell your friends this play was about spring fashions and painted eggs and chocolate bunnies. All very delightful, of course. Great acting; superb staging; crisp dialog; marvelous dramatic movement. But you missed the point. It would be kind of like walking out on "The Fugitive" right after the bus accident. Harrison Ford escapes, and boy are we glad ‘cause we know he's innocent, didn't kill his wife, didn't deserve to die in the electric chair. And now he's free. Oh, thank-you Jesus; now we can go home.

That would be crazy, because things are just now getting interesting. If you walk out now, you miss the most exciting part.

That would be crazy, of course, because things are just now getting interesting. If you think that bus crash was a heart-pounder, you ain't seen nothing yet. If you walk out now, you miss the most exciting part of the movie. And if you quit reading when Jesus is rescued from the jaws of death . . . well, let's just say you go home and tell your friends that this story is about gettin' people to heaven when they die.

And if you quit reading when Jesus is rescued from the jaws of death well, let's just say you go home and tell your friends that this story is about getting people to heaven when they die.

That's the interpretation that a lot of churches give to this story.

Lay-away theology: Give your heart to Jesus now so you can go to heaven later. Easy installments of weekly church attendance.

Transport theology: Buy your ticket now in case the glory train comes early. Then just hang out 'til the whistle blows. Nothing else matter much once your ticket's in hand.

Life insurance theology: Once you read the policy and make arrangements for the payments, you file it away (and hope you don't have to cash it in any time soon).

But the New Testament story of Easter is different. Resurrection is not life insurance, to be used only in case of emergency.

It's more like mobilization orders for someone in the National Guard. The action has just begun. It is not the end game.

Resurrection is God's refusal to stay on the other side of the grave.

"God raised Jesus, not as an invitation to us to come to heaven when we die, but as a declaration that He Himself has not established permanent residence on earth.

The resurrection places Jesus on this side of the grave, here and now, in the midst of this life.

The Good News of the resurrection is not that we shall die and go home with Him but that He is risen and comes home with us.

Easter is not the end game of God's saving work. There's more. What began with Adam and Eve, what began again with Noah and the ark.

And again with Israel's escape from Egyptian bondage, and again with Jonah emerging from the whale's belly, and again with Israel's repeated returns from exile, and again with Mary's pregnancy.

All these beginnings and new beginnings, now confirmed and summarized and restated in the resurrection, but they are the introduction to the final act in the story.

There is another stage between the eruption of Easter. Just as surely as Good Friday crucifixion is followed by and fulfilled in Easter resurrection, Easter in turn is followed by and spring forward into Pentecost.

Easter is God's resurrection moment, Pentecost is God's resurrection movement.

Pentecost, the birthday of the church, is the enactment of the declaration of the news of Easter morning.

Easter is when God announces the invasion; Pentecost is when God establishes a beachhead.

Let’s read some scriptures:

And He said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.'

You are witnesses of all these things.

"And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."

Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting His hands to heaven, He blessed them.

While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up to heaven.

So they worshiped Him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.

And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

Our New Testament text this morning is a bridge text between these two occasions. Luke is at the end of his first book, about to start the second volume, which is called the Acts of the Apostles.

Easter does not exhaust the biblical narrative of God's saving work. There's more. What began with Adam and Eve, what began again with Noah and the ark, and again with Israel's escape from Egyptian bondage, and again with Jonah emerging from the whale's belly, and again with Israel's repeated returns from exile, and again with Mary's pregnancy—all these beginnings and new beginnings, now uniquely confirmed and summarized and restated in the resurrection, are the prelude to the final act in the story, one step short of the dramatic conclusion of the salvation story. There is another stage between the eruption of Easter and the inauguration of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Just as surely as Good Friday crucifixion is followed by and fulfilled in Easter resurrection, Easter in turn is followed by and blossoms into Pentecost.

Easter is God's resurrection moment, Pentecost is God's resurrection movement. Pentecost, the birthday of the church, is the enactment of the dramatic declaration of the news of Easter morning. Easter is when God announces the invasion; Pentecost is when God establishes a beachhead.

Here, in the final story of Luke's account, we find the resurrected Jesus appearing to the upset and scared disciples hiding behind closed doors in some secret location in Jerusalem.

Our New Testament text this morning is a bridge text between these two momentous occasions. Luke is at the end of his first book, about to start the second volume, which is called the Acts of the Apostles. Here, in the final story of Luke's account, we find the resurrected Jesus appearing to the dazed and terrified disciples huddling behind closed doors in some secret location in Jerusalem. They've already found out about the empty tomb. The women have told them their fantastic tale of having spoken with the resurrected Lord, and while they're not dismissed out of hand as they were at first, the menfolk probably still do not fully believe them. A resuscitated corpse may be a scientific marvel, but it doesn't have the power to beckon death-defying faith.

They have already found out about the empty tomb. The women have told them the good news about the resurrected Lord, and while they have not dismissed it but still do not fully believe them.

Jesus suddenly appears among them. And He said"Peace be to you," Then He asks why they're still in hiding. "Why are you troubled?” as if He didn't know.

Jesus suddenly appears among them. "Peace be to you," he says. He asks why they're still in hiding. "Why are you troubled?” as if he didn't know. And did you notice what came next? Before the disciples even have a chance to respond, Jesus asks if they have anything to eat.

And did you notice what came next? Before the disciples even have a chance to respond, Jesus asks if they have anything to eat.

Hey guys! What's up? What's for dinner?"

Then Jesus formally swears them in as witnesses to this new reality—a reality not really new but only hidden and now made manifest.

Jesus tells them this:

Jesus formally swears them in as witnesses to this new reality—a reality not really new but only hidden and now made manifest. "And behold, I send the promise of my Abba upon you," he says. And then a curious command: "but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high." Don't rush out just yet, he says. Don't get ahead of yourselves. God will act again, to empower you. It is the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, which Luke would write about just a few chapters into his second book—the occasion of Pentecost.

"And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."

"And now I will send the promise of my Father upon you," But then He gives them a command: "but stay in the city, until you are filled with power from on heaven."

Don't rush out just yet, He says. Don't get ahead of yourselves. God will act again, to empower you. It is the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, which Luke would write about just a few chapters into his second book—the day of Pentecost.

I believe that the Day of Pentecost was more than just talking in tongues, I believe The Day of Pentecost was the empowerment to fulfilled the mission of God.

Because the end game was not upon us. It was the beginning of a powerful revival.

It was the start of the Holy Spirit ministry outpouring:

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now He will heal us. He has injured us; now He will bandage our wounds.

In just a short time He will restore us, so that we may live in His presence.

Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."

The body of Christ had been torn up, but healing was coming, injured but by His stripes we are healed, Restoration was on it way.

Easter might be over but Pentecost is coming, It is not the end game.

Pentecost is the beginning of a new and exciting, overcoming victorious life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Pentecost torn down walls, Pentecost is the unraveling of confusion and this division within the human community.

Pentecost is the unraveling of this confusion and this division within the human community. Pentecost, in other words, is about overcoming racism, and nationalism, and every other "ism" which feeds enmity and hatred between people.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We're not yet to Pentecost. There's still a way to go of the 50 days separating Easter and Pentecost.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We're not yet to Pentecost. There's still a way to go of the 50 days separating Easter and Pentecost.

Right now we're in between times. Resurrection has occurred, but the reforming of the people of God has not yet happened.

The coming of the Spirit power is ahead of us still. Right now we're still waiting and listening and reading the signs of the times.

Right now we're still being formed, not quite ready to be born. And that brings me to the point of this sermon.

I am convinced that we are right now between the Resurrection moment and a new Resurrection movement.

The God movement is being redefined and reshaped.

Here at Southpointe, we are at the birthing moment, God has called us to greater heights, Not church as normal, but to a new powerful movement of the power of God like we never experience before.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

To our sons and daughters that are like the pro

Easter is not the end game, It is just the beginning of something greater.

Let’s move toward the day of Pentecost, Let’s be that chosen generation, that royal priesthood, that holy nation, that peculiar people that will shine into our dark world today.

God is calling today!!!

The second instance of God's reforming the people of God in our age has to do with a more global reality. Sometime during the middle of this century a little known but very significant thing happened. For the first time in history, the majority of the Christian community is now composed of people of color. The worldwide church isn't white anymore. In addition, the majority of the Christian community now live in the South and in the East. No longer is Western Europe and North America the center of God's resurrection movement.

Understand the significance of this fact: the new constitution of the people of God now lives primarily outside the gates of the empire, the empire being the United States and its client states in the North Atlantic region. Therefore the interests of the empire are increasingly at odds with the people of God.